Change of plans

I've decided to switch from an entrance on the tail end of the trailer to one on the side of it. It will look a little different, but I think that it suits my needs best. It is hard to tell from the pictures that the loft will be on the front (left side from view of floor plan). This leaves the rear half of the house to have an open vaulted ceiling.

Current floor plan. Clockwise from the bottom left corner: toilet, closet shelves, closet with door, sink, under the counter fridge, drawers, gas 2 burner cooktop, counter with fold up additional countertop, desk around the corner, 6' long couch, propane heater, bookshelf, entry.

The foundation is poured.

I drove down to Olympia and picked this up used from Trailer Town. It was barely used for a year and then the guy traded it it for a 10,000lb beast. This is 7' x 16' with a c-channel frame and four electric brakes. We'll be taking off the front rail pretty shortly so that it won't get in the way of the house and some of the decking will probably be removed. But it is already treated wood so we won't have to change that. It came with pull out ramps that also won't be sticking around forever. It is rated for up to 7,000lbs and it cost me about $2100 after all the taxes, licenses, and such. So I'm good to go. It is time to adjust my floor plan and get this show on the road. I've been thinking about windows a lot lately.

Patiently waiting for the next step.

I'm anxious to get started, but it did snow again today. I've vowed to wait on buying the 7' x 18' trailer until after the workshop in May. The best deal seems to be at Freeway Trailers in Fife. Things I have learned I want to avoid include beavertails and tilt beds. A tilt bed wouldn't be horrible, however I don't want to pay for features I don't need. This is something that one salesman wanted to convince me I wouldn't be able to find. Another important feature to look for is a set of four brakes. Some states are comfortable with only two, but we don't want to be limited. Luckily, all the trailers I've looked at come with this standard. It does seem that salesmen want you to think that their trailer is the only one that special. Good times.

Vancouver Workshop

A couple weeks ago I signed us up to go to Jay's Tiny House Building Workshop. For those of you how don't know, he is pretty much the definitive tiny house on wheels guy. So this is pretty exciting. I'm planning on holding off on any large house purchases until after the workshop in May. I wouldn't want to do anything stupid.

Let's Pretend!

My sister helped me put some of my ideas into her Home Design Studio program. This is the rough product that we came up with. These are the screen shots. It has really helped me sort out the rubbish and it all feels a bit more real.

First Floor


Second Floor


View from the front.


The front wall removed.


The house without the front closets.


My favorite view with the three windows.


The kitchen and stove.

Tiny Test Run

These are my digs until my house is built. I'll have lots of time in small confined spaces by the time I move into my loft home. Course I cook and shower in my parent's house that this is parked next to. One of the perks of this place is the built in radio. Definitely something I'd like to repeat.

Step One: Move

Moving isn't always the solution when trying to build a house on wheels. However, in my case living in my parent's trailer means saving money. It also means I can use my father's collection of tools and his brain. I don't know if anyone's told him lately that his knoggen is key to the success of this project... but I just did.

The warmer climate will mean that I can build more then 4 or 5 months.