Choosing Your Tiny Home Trailer

Dufur Tiny Homes

Oct 3 in General discussion

Choosing Your Tiny House Trailer:

Width: There are 3-main widths for tiny home trailers; 8.5', 10', and 12'.8.5' are the most common and are easily transported without any permit. They will be the lightest and generally are not built taller than 12'10' trailers require a simple and inexpensive permit to haul, are fairly similar in price to 8.5', and can be built out to 14' high.12' trailers allow for a spacious home build, however you are limited to 33' in length. A more extensive permit is needed as well as pilot cars.(Note: To be classified as a tiny home you must be under 400sqft; that is total exterior footprint not interior wall to wall)
Length: lengths generally range from 16' to 36'. With a 16' you'll most likely be building a studio style home with limited floor space and no downstairs bedroom. With a 36' a downstairs bedroom can be built alongside a full kitchen and bathroom.
Flat Deck or Wheel wells: With a flat deck your walls can be built with a flat bottom plate and no need for building a box around and insulating your wheel wells. Wheel wells allow the build deck to be several inches lower and simplifies the need for complex trailer designs.
Number of Axles / Weight rating: Depending on the height you are building to and your construction materials, having axles that can hold your homes weight are essential. if you are 20' or over aim to have at least 7,000lb axles; this is for 8.5', 10', & 12' wide trailers.
Removable Tongue: Some trailer manufacturers have a tongue that can be unbolted form the trailer. This is mainly done in mobile home parks and for aesthetic reasons.
Jack System: Not all jacks are equal. You do not want a trailer with scissor jacks; these are flimsy and will not hold more than a few thousand pounds. What you want are drop foot hitch jacks; these will allow easy leveling of the trailer.

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