Tiny Houses???

[JudyJB]

Does anyone else watch this TV program? It is driving me crazy. The big deal is that they are building these tiny houses on wheels so people can downsize and live without a lot of belongings. (Duh.) They show them having a lot of storage space, but they are completely ignoring the places RV builders include storage, such as underneath in bins.

What is driving me crazy is that they are using regular house-building techniques--wooden wall studs and a lot of plywood and shingle roofs. No metal studs or the kind of walls that the RV builders are using. They add some trailer wheels and point out that these houses can now be moved wherever you want to move them.

I really wonder how much these things weigh and how easily they can be towed. Plus, some RV parks would not allow these because they do not have RVIA stickers. (A lot of people seem to park these next to existing houses or out in the country on farmland.) They don't seem to come with water tanks, water pumps, propane refrigerators, etc.

Why don't people just buy motorhomes or trailers????

[Acadianmom]

I have wondered the same things Judy. Just looking at some of the trailers they build them on I would think they are over loaded. Most towns have so many rules and building codes I bet they would have trouble finding a place to park them legally.

These might be ok for 20 year olds but I, for one, am past the age that I could or would want to sleep in a loft.

Martha

[JudyJB]

I suspect that they put them on wheels so they don't have to pass building inspections but you are right that few places would allow them other than farms. And they do look horribly heavy and poorly insulated.

Most travel trailers the same size have real beds and things like couches. I've seen several on that show where the only place to relax was the mattress in a loft. One guy could not lift his arms up to get dressed. Weird.

[MelissaD]

I think of them as small mobile homes. Skip the double wide, give me a mini Personally I don't get it. Without hookups they are nothing more than a fancy wooden tent. Seems an RV would be more comfortable and practical.

This might help: What’s the difference between an RV and a Tiny House? http://www.cozyhomeplans.com/whats-the- ... ouse.html/

Tiny Houses vs RVs http://tinyhousetalk.com/tiny-houses-vs-rvs/

How Did the Tiny House Movement Get Started? http://tinyhousetalk.com/how-did-tiny-h ... ent-start/

Edison once tried to invent a cigar that he could refill. He was racking his brain until an assistant point out that the pipe already existed. Seems like some tried to make an RV out of a scape pile and invented the "tiny house".

[AlmostThere]

I watch the show also and echo your statements! Just buy a motorhome or tow trailer!
Can you imagine what they pay for fuel hauling those heavy things?!
Tiny homes were, and perhaps still are, the rage in Portland, OR. but I recently saw some ads from owners needing to find a place to park them! So I am assuming RV parks aren't recognizing them.
Now there are other tiny houses on foundations which makes more sense. Saw a show where people in NY were living in tiny homes built between buildings. One was only 3 1/2 ft wide!

[Bethers]

I never look at them to use as an rv - but to consider as a small home that is able to be moved - as in a trailer home versus a travel trailer. There are some communities going up in various states building tiny houses to help with the housing crisis especially for folks who can't afford housing. I've seen one on a piece of property that is adorable - built for way less than purchasing an rv - and being kept stationary - but they CAN move it if necessary. It's on a wonderful piece of property and allows them to be totally off the grid - I can certainly understand the love for them by some - but I can't understand if they are talking of them as really portable.

Have never seen the show, so don't know what it's saying.

[AlmostThere]

Lots of different venues: One couple put one on their property to live in themselves, then rented out their house as an income.
Another lady had a traveling job. Another family with two 'teenagers' built one on some property to downsize.
A family had one built on the lake where they spent their summers taking tourists on the river.

[Acadianmom]

There was an article in the Sunday paper about a girl that was building one with the help of her friends. They are trying to use as much reclaimed stuff as they can and think they can get it finished for about $13,000. Her plan is to have a tractor trailer haul it to Arizona to live in it while she goes to college. I wonder if she knows how much it's going to cost to move it. The article doesn't say if she has a place to park it.

The article did say the tiny houses are built on trailers to avoid regulations and mobility isn't the main draw.

Martha

[MelissaD]

Her plan is to have a tractor trailer haul it to Arizona to live in it while she goes to college.

Going rate is about $2.40 per mile more if it is over dimension (e.i. taller than 13'6" when loaded or wider than 96" [over size loads start at 96" vs the 102" common in trailers]).