Tiny house trailer vs camper trailer

[Vic99]

My wife and I have always wanted to get a vacation house somewhere, but we can't justify the cost without weakening the financial stability I am blessed with. With two young children, I don't want to carry a second mortgage, plus taxes, insurance, and other bills, fees, and maintence. Not interested in trying to get something's that I would rent out either.

Then it occurred to me, why not build a tiny house on a trailer and take the vacation home with us some place new each time? Probably something like 16L x 8W with a sleeping/storage loft. I'm somewhat handy, but not skilled. Seems like I could get some help from a contractor friend and attend one of those 2 or 3 day seminars, and build one for ~20-25k and certainly under 40k. Included in that would be a custom already made trailer designed for these houses ($4k)

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

I've got a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 in good condition for towing, but have only so far used it for hauling wood and furniture.

Seems most states have a trailer rule of 8 to 8.5 ft wide.

My wife is intrigued by the idea, but says, why not buy a good sized camper trailer? Each seems to have their benefits.

Tiny house:
Customizable right from the start
Learn even more about home building and maintenance
Actually is a real house . . . Sort of
Seems like it would appreciate more in value since it is a house
Could be part of a downsize in retirement, although not likely
Maybe would only get taxed as a trailer

Camper trailer:
Already build and ready to go
Probably less apt for things to fail since factory built
Might be less expensive?

1) anyone ever considered the comparison between the two?
2) anyone have a tiny house on wheels?
3) know anything about taxes or laws for either?

My time line is probably 2 or 3 years, but I want to start planning now. Already saving up. Want to wait til the youngest is 4 or 5 years old.

We are not considering an RV that you can drive.

I'm leaning toward the tiny house idea. What do you reckon?

 

[Ashful]

Seems like it would appreciate more in value since it is a house

Very interesting topic. I have no great advice, except to say that I think you're mistaken on this one item. I think this rig could be very hard to sell down the road, for what you have in it. A commercially-built camper is a known commodity, and will be much easier to sell in good condition, and you will have no trouble assessing its value.

Also, I'd think hard about the width. An 8' or 8'-6" wide trailer will be hell to tow on many secondary roads. I'd try to stay at or below 88" wide, if practical.

 

[Jags]

My opinion:
I am gonna second the commercially built camper for a few reasons. They have parts specific to "small". Imagine trying to setup your bathroom from stuff you find at home depot or whatever. There will be almost no way you will use room as efficiently as the camper will, with custom parts. The engineering is already done for several things in the camper, such as the table converting to a bed. Where you gonna get the custom fit seat pads to do this? Stove and fridge setup?? etc....

These things are space efficient to the point that it would be difficult to mimic with a home built unit. And I am in agreement with Joful on the re-sale end. A camper will be a much easier thing to re-sale.

 

[Bocefus78]

Forget building one. It would be taxed and plated as a camper once inspected. You would NEVER sell it if you wanted without taking a huge beating. Plus I think the initial cost to build would be crazy high. Get a camper. At least parts will be readily available, a service center will work on it if needed, and it will be balanced right for towing. You can get used units with slide outs and all the comforts of home for less than one might think if you shop around. WAAAAAY less than your estimates of building. Just remember that with a camper, comes maintenence. (so would your home made one-probably more so really). The roof, windows, corners, etc will need caulked and sealed annually, bearings inspected, batteries checked, black and grey tanks dumped and cleaned, winterized, de-winterized, and the list goes on. You cant just park it and forget about it for a year or 2.

 

[Ashful]

When I got hooked on sailboat racing, I was sailing in a class developed in the 1940's. The old class boats were all mahogany, and simply gorgeous. That's part of what got me hooked on that class, even though there are others more active today. So, I started shopping around for a wood hull myself, with the help of some of the more experienced class members, who did try to talk me out of it. The question they asked, "do you like sailing, or working on boats?"

Well, being a guy who's always tried to do it all (I'm always hearing, "he does nothing small,"), I figured I'd do both! I got myself a former Thistle Nationals champion boat, built in 1959, and immediately began what I thought would be a few weeks/months of restoration work. Two or three years of long nights and weekends later, the boat was finally finished, and it's one of the nicest in the national organization. However, during that time I did almost no sailing, and my wife became so turned off by boats that I can't get her to even set foot in one. It's trouble at home every time I say I'm going sailing, now.

Think hard about that, before you plan on building your own camper.

 

[firefighterjake]

Never having owned a camper . . . I would still go that route.

My thinking is that folks who build these things for a living and have done so for some time now probably have figured out the best way to build something that incorporates space saving and perhaps even more importantly is both light-weight and built to withstand the stress of bumps, being hauled down a highway at 75 mph and being subjected to other stresses of being moved around all the time.

 

[fishingpol]

I saw the Wayzalot before it met its' demise a few years ago. Warning: catchy tunes on that site.

http://wayzalot.com/

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've known several folks who had this same idea. Most were built on trailers but a couple were built on old UPS delivery trucks and made into motor homes or something similar. I have known only one person who built his own and was happy with the results. However, he built it for one purpose and that was for a cabin for a couple times during summer and then it was a deer camp. Then his biggest problems turned into porcupines and mice which made a disaster of his vacation home really quick. He ended up spending most of his time off fixing the damage.

For sure I would go with a ready-made RV. One of the big difference will be the weight factor. Things made for RV's are made light weight but yet able to withstand the vibrations and even those unforeseen big bumps in the roads. As for the width, you will find that most motor homes and travel trailers are now built on the wide-body design so will be over 8'. Our motor home was something like 8 1/2' wide and that extra 6" is amazing how much larger it makes living. Also now with the slide-outs, they are very spacious.

One can also get some very good pop-up campers and the ones built today are so much better than the older models. Good luck however you decide to go.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I wish I had a photo but your just going to have to 1 - believe me and 2- visualize it. My brother-in-law has a 2500 Ram, diesel. He bought a slide in camper and loved it for about 3 days. Then, he realized it was a PIA to take it off and on and his big pick up was now a travel trailer rendering his pick up bed useless.

I kid you not, I went to work one morning and he was standing over a pile of steel, axles, wheels and wood boards as if he was going to shove a flag into it like the moon landing (we lived in the house in front of his shop, it was old family property) By the time I got home near dusk, he had welded together a HUGE trailer and mounted the slide camper on it! The space under where the truck cab would have been, he mounted big diamond plate storage boxes for even more space. He looked like a traveling gypsy towing that thing!

As far as a camper, I have to agree against building one too. Around here you can get a co-op cottage or mobil home reasonably and a lot of tourist own them....just another option depending on where you are looking...they are nice, here's a sample http://www.trulia.com/property/3124276860-22-Lakeview-Dr-Quakertown-PA-18951#photo-19

 

[DevilsBrew]

Buy an old travel trailer or rv and remodel it. There are tons of websites, forums, and youtube videos on that very topic. I've done a lot of research on this. There are even sites that sell interior parts.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Dont try to re-invent the wheel. RVs, campers and Motor homes have a lot of R&D built in, including miniature lightweight appliances and fixtures and building materials all designed to travel. Plus with the economy on a roller coaster, folks are selling them at bargain prices. Im looking to do the same thing But still haven't decided between a camper or a Motor home.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Buy an old travel trailer or rv and remodel it. There are tons of websites, forums, and youtube videos on that very topic. I've done a lot of research on this. There are even sites that sell interior parts.

Or have Brett Michaels from the 80’s hair band Poison, "Rock" your RV
(I never saw the show but an ad was on the TV for it)

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I wouldn t buy a new one unless i had more cash than i knew what to do with,they seem to depreciate even faster than luxury autos do.

 

[Vic99]

You guys are all probably right about getting a camper instead of a tiny house. Good points on engineering, time & effort, and built to withstand punishment of traveling on roads. My wife tends to agree. My thinking is less than five years old and not brand new.

Some have fold out sleeping areas and think that they look really cool, however, my first thought is that since it's mostly mesh netting, security is lacking. Can just slice through with a knife. So I'm thinking hard walls all around. Obviously if someone is determined, they'll break in, but I'd like to deter most.

1) Any models that have a particularly good or bad reputation?

2) Things that should not be low quality . . . i.e. "sinks always break unless they have X". Obviously bedding will have to be to our liking.

Thanks.

 

[DevilsBrew]

You may want to scan http://www.rvtrader.com/ to narrow down your choices.

 

[begreen]

Take a look at the Casita models. In May I met and spoke with a couple that have been traveling around the country for a couple years with it and love it. It's exceptionally compact, but nicely detailed and perfect for 2 people.
http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/
http://www.casitaclub.com/forums/classifieds/category/2-for-sale-casita-travel-trailers/

 

[hobbyheater]

We have a R-Pod 171 that is light weight and has a lot packed into a trailer totaling 17' long. The unit tracks 8' wide but the box is only a little over 6' wide so no extension mirrors needed.

I wouldn't even consider building my own as I don't think I could build it for the cost of the equipment listed in this one.




For $60, we put a 3" lift kit under the axle. We do a lot of back road or no road camping.


Pee break for the dogs. On the highway, the pickup gets 17 miles to the Imperial gallon. The trailer is very easy to tow.



This fellow had been cutting firewood for 3 days on this back road and we were the first people to come along.

As you can tell, I really like getting away from the crowds. The back road country is for me.

 

[Highbeam]

I am an RVer. I tow a pretty big trailer all over the place. Yes, these things are 96" wide plus a little for things like awnings attached to the side. You will get used to the width, they are well within the legal requirements.

Mine is called a 26' long model but measures 30 feet long from tip to tail. They're great.

I will make a generalization and say that only a fool would try and build a house trailer. When I read about those little housetrailers I laugh at how dumb the builder was to throw away so much money trying(and failing) to match what is already available.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Any self built House trailer would likely be much heavier than a commercial one and not as strong for travel. You would still have top go to an RV place to buy all the miniature and multi powered appliances.furniture. fixtures ect ect. Seems unnecessary when they are all around you at bargain prices.

 

[save$]

Once you look up the cost, you will give up on building one. Most any basic gas/electric frig will cost a grand. And that is only the start. You can look around at the end of the camping season and find lots of good buys for 5 grand, some even less. Just make sure they don't have rot in them. Get one with a good retractable awning and you can add a screen room that will offer a lot of extra room and comfort. Happy camping!

 

[NortheastAl]

Those tiny houses on trailers are built for those who do not want pay property taxes on a house parked on their property. It is mobile, to a degree, but way overpriced. And, you can't find a buyer easily. Hard enough to sell a stick built house on a foundation. A trailer that is factory built is the way to go. Reinventing the wheel is way too time, and resource consuming. JMO

 

[save$]

Here is a listing of manufactures. What is interesting ia the numbers different brands of campers made by the same companies.

 

[Fi-Q]

Well, It all depend. I've own Rvs, and the one I have now worth many tens of thousand dollars. I think the rv building industry is in need of a code and a hughe super mega step in quality. There is a saying about rv. There is only two rv type. The one that leak and the one that will be leaking . Home made rv a really popular here. It's got some pros and con. I am in esstern canada, where most rv park are open from may to end of september. And after spending extended time in a RV in canada anywhere from march to december, I know why a lot of time I was alone in those rv park.

If i would build one myself, after a few years back of full time rving I sure would know how to use every space available and it would be pretty weel design, i thi k anyway. My dad had one when I was a kid ( like many many people around here) it was 10x24, but he had to sold it in the financial crisis in the 90s.

If you don't haul it too far, it can really be a good option. It can be super strongly build, really for season, and feel moke like a cottage than a rv.

We use to patk it to the beacj during summer time, bring it at the huntin place for the fall then on the wood lot for the winter, this thing was a real 4 season camper, with a wood stove. That what most people do with them around here, they are driver less than 2-300 km per year and they are use year round.

But if you are to travel a lot I think you would be better with a rv. And now with slide out things are getting better. And your truck is somewhat limited in towing capacity

 

[hobbyheater]

Out walking the dogs and could not resist taking the picture for this thread. It is home made!




Has a single bunk, a place for a wash basin, and a Coleman stove! Asking price of $300.00

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Looks like a pet hauler.