Tiny houses come in many shapes and sizes. Most people consider tiny houses to be anything less than 400 sq. ft., and some even describe ~500-800 sq ft homes to be tiny. They’re certainly below the average American single family home, so it’s not unreasonable to do so.
When most people think of a tiny house, the image that most likely comes up is a rectangular house on wheels.
While this is the most common tiny house model, tiny houses can take many different forms.
Tiny Houses On Wheels
Before building your tiny house on wheels, or purchasing an already built one, consider these questions:
- “What kind of trailer am I going to build my house on?”
- “住在有轮子的房子里有什么规矩?”
- “Where can I legally park my house?”
- “Can my car tow my house?”
Trailers
The trailer is the most important part of a tiny house on wheels. A trailer acts as the foundation to the house. The stability and safety of the house is dependent upon the trailer, especially if you plan on moving a lot.
Trailer Type
For a tiny house trailer you will need a flatbed trailer, one that will attach easily and securely to your tiny house. Don’t get a dovetail trailer—these trailers are sloped, making it difficult to lay your house flat and requiring additional welding and foundation work.
Trailer Deck Height
拖车有多高决定了你的房子有多高。拖车的测量被认为是整体结构测量的一部分,因为有关于你的小房子可以有多高的法律,你不希望甲板的高度减少你的房子的高度。甲板越高,房子就越矮。
Trailer Size
In most US states the maximum legal trailer size is 13.5-feet tall, 8.5-feet wide, and 40-feet long. Most tiny homes are 28 feet or less. But the length of your trailer hitch plus the length of the towing vehicle can add 20 ft or more to the overall length.
Your Towing Vehicle
Most SUVs and pickup trucks should have enough power to pull your home and trailer weight. Vehicles vary in their towing capacities depending on the size of their engines and transmissions. So check the towing weight before you begin building. Check outTowing A Tiny Housefor a quick overview of towing specifications and requirements.
For safety and efficiency, purchase a trailer designed for holding a tiny house.Tumbleweed Tiny HomesandTiny Home Buildersare two companies that specialize in tiny homes and offer several models of trailers.
Codes/Zoning and Parking Laws
Check your local building codes and zoning laws before building your house. Some states see tiny houses as only temporary structures, allowing you to live in them for only a month at a time.
It can be hard to find a place to park and call home when there are many obstacles and unknowns about the legalities of parking. Luckily, as with most things related to tiny houses, there are plenty of resources in the tiny house community that can help you find the perfect place to temporarily call home.
More and more places are changing their building codes to accommodate tiny houses. This page has the latest updates.
If you need a place to set up your tiny house or have land that could be used as a place for others to park, Tiny House Parking is an online database of land that is available to rent or buy for tiny house parking.
A map where you can see the locations of available parking in backyards, RV parks, and tiny house communities. All listings are submitted by land owners or community members.
Other Resources
使用Craigslist,或者和邻居聊天,让他们知道你在寻找什么(共享或私有土地),以及你和房东如何能从你的住宿中互惠互利。
Tiny Houses On Foundations
2022世界杯四强亚盘赔率在一个永久的基础上建造你的小房子可能会花费更多,但从长远来看,这可能是值得的。为什么?
Incorporating off-grid utilities
有一个永久的位置,你的家可以设计围绕太阳和通过太阳能发电。建立雨水收集系统可以是另一种结合离网公用事业的方式。
Freedom of size and shape
可移动的房屋必须是矩形的,并满足公路旅行的法律要求。有永久地基的房屋可以是有多个楼层的圆形房屋,不像拖车上的房屋有相同的规定,允许更多的自由设计房屋。
Cultivating self sustaining practices
Create a long term garden or food forest, have chickens or goats, grow your own edible and medicinal mushrooms. You can pursue many activities like these when incorporating self-sufficiency in tiny house living.
Other Types Of Tiny Houses
人们正在改变“迷你生活”的含义。它不再仅仅意味着车轮上的矩形。随着微型住宅运动的加速,微型住宅的设计变得越来越创新,房子也变得越来越小。蒙古包、豆荚、船和天然材料的使用只是人们走出矩形盒子、仍然生活在狭小空间中的几种方式。
Earthen Homes/Cob Houses
Tiny homes made from natural materials like clay, straw, sand and manure, are extremely environmentally friendly and can be much cheaper to build than conventional tiny homes. This method of building is highly energy efficient; advocates of passive solar and sustainable architecture love it.
For more information, photos and workshop opportunities on how to build with cob, check out theCob Cottage Company, an Oregon-based organization that helps people construct their own naturally-built homes.
Earthships
Earthships are for off-grid living. Builders of earthships make their homes with natural and recycled materials, with the goal of minimal reliance on fossil fuels and public utilities. Earthships might be the most environmentally-friendly approach to building your tiny home.
If you are interested in learning how to design and build your own Earthship, theEarthship Academyoffers extensive training and workshops in construction methods and self-reliance.
Renovated School Bus
With framework in place and already on wheels, converting an old school bus requires less engineering and more cleverness. Renovating an already mobile space can save money, time and resources while also satisfying your needs of having a tiny home on wheels that you’ve created.
想要更有启发性和创造性的迷你生活方式,Alternatives to Tiny Houses看看16种不同风格的小房子,从小木屋到小豆荚。