What Types of Trailers are for Tiny Houses?

The trailer is the most common choice for building a tiny house on mobile, but what type of trailer should you look for if you want to build your own tiny home?

Where should you even start looking for one? Are these trailers budget-friendly? How can you be sure that it will be strong enough? Is a special license required to haul one? You will have a lot of questions in your mind that need an answer.

Most small home construction websites propose a basic flatbed trailer. They are available at practically any trailer or RV dealer. They’re known as lowboy trailers, industrial trailers, or simply flatbed towing trailers. The majority of these trailers have sidewalls or even ramps. Those would eventually have to come off to make way for ultimate tiny house construction. However, while seeking a trailer, don’t allow the rails to limit your possibilities.

Trailer characteristics are vital. The trailer you intend to create should have a suitable GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), heavy-duty axles, emergency brakes, high load radial tires, running lights, steel beams and flanges, twin chains, and a level deck. It shouldn’t have extra rails unless you include them in the design, and adding a ramp or tilt function won’t assist either. It is handled by a trailer constructed for a small house by a firm experienced in tiny dwellings.

Before you decide on which type of trailer you should acquire, you should consider the size first

The size of a tiny house is important. Examine the space and design for your purposes and a few additional aspects. More length, in particular, implies more square feet of components.

More materials imply more work, time, and weight. More weight necessitates the use of a heavy-duty towing vehicle. A length of more than 24 feet necessitates the installation of axles and tires.

If you want to drive with your tiny house, your toll will increase with each axle. Finally, examine the length of the impact it would have on where you would park your house. It should not discourage you from purchasing larger quantities. 

Types of a trailer for tiny house

There are several types of small home trailers and conventional trailers based on your needs. However, the following have been the most popular:

1. Gooseneck

Gooseneck trailers are bigger than bumper-pulls and need the installation of a unique hitch mechanism in the bed of a pickup truck. 

The steadiness of a gooseneck trailer over a bumper-pull is its most obvious benefit. Because the trailer’s tongue weight is distributed across the truck’s rear axle rather than at the back of the structure, the possibility of the trailer swaying and leading the driver to lose track is minimized.

Improved stability also implies gooseneck trailers can carry more weight and thus are greater than bumper-pull trailers, giving you more room for living spaces and any livestock or freight you move.

2. Bumper-pull

The most frequent form of hitch is a bumper-pull. However, the term is a little misleading because the trailer does not attach to the bumper of the towing vehicle. Instead, the trailer’s tongue is fit over a ball hitch that protrudes from the car’s chassis at the back of the vehicle.

There are several benefits to using a bumper-pull trailer. One of the most significant advantages is that bumper-pulls are shorter than goosenecks, resulting in cheaper expenses. In addition, you may not even need a pickup vehicle to haul a bumper-pull. Depends on the trailer, an RV or an SUV may be able to tow a bumper-pull.

3. Deckovers

Deckover trailers have a deck that is higher than the trailer wheels. It raises and widens the platform above the standard flat deck option, providing additional structural strength and loading area. Today, you’ll see fewer of these trailers on the road, but they’re growing more popular again.

You will not worry about carefully positioning cabinets above wheel wells, but you will sacrifice about 12″ of headspace owing to maximum height limits. So for most people, this is a show stopper. Also, when you go this way, make sure it doesn’t tilt, which is a typical feature of deckovers.

Other important things to consider

What type of hitch should you choose?

There are several types of trailer hitches to your car. But, no matter the style of trailer you pick, you may only use a Class V trailer for anything as huge and heavy as a tiny home. These hitches have a maximum weight capacity of around 17,000 pounds, which should be sufficient. Hitches have their load capacity, which is sometimes referred to as the “tongue weight.” It relates to how much weight the hitch, rather than the wheels, can support. Make sure to consider this in your final trailer weight estimates.

What should be your towing vehicle

Although it does not have to be attached to the trailer all the time, if you want to have a small mobile home, you’ll need a vehicle to move it around. A full-size vehicle should be adequate for most aspects. Several huge SUVs will also have sufficient power under the trunk. If you will tow a gooseneck trailer, your towing vehicle has to be a pickup truck.

When it comes to selecting a vehicle, there is no one-size-fits-all solution since it will be heavily influenced by the weight of your trailer, along with the home and your other things.

You also have to remember that you do not have to buy a vehicle. To save money or to simplify your life, you might rent a vehicle with a hitch. But you must certainly purchase the trailer, and you can then tow it to wherever you choose to live and then return the rental. Then, when you need to relocate again, simply acquire another rental vehicle to perform the task.

You may also simply hire a tow truck driver for the job. Also, it will prevent you from the trouble of learning how to drive a car with hundreds of pounds strapped to the rear.

How much would it cost?

You should be able to tell by now that it’s impossible to make any solid conclusions when it comes to summarizing tiny houses, particularly when trailers are concerned. Still, how much a trailer would cost is a frequently asked topic.

Typical flatbed trailers cost approximately $3,000 on average. However, much like your automobile, you may save a great deal of money if you acquire a secondhand trailer and understand how to customize one.

Trailers designed for tiny houses

Please remember that you can already find trailers that are being custom-built for tiny houses. It ensures a heavy-duty steel frame and axles. In addition, unlike some other trailers, there will be no wood decking. Instead, these customized trailers have steel beams on which you can attach your home, resulting in a far more solid connection.

Conclusion

Even if it may appear to be a lot to handle, you must understand the in and out of a tiny house trailer if you want to acquire one.

Even if you opt to get someone to construct your home or purchase a custom-made trailer, understanding the tips we have provided above will be beneficial in the long run.