Tag: tiny house travel

How Long Does A Tiny House Last?

How Long Does A Tiny House Last?

How long does a tiny house last?

Tiny houses are cute. The design and minimalist living are appealing, and the ability to dwell in places with stunning scenery is forever fascinating. But can tiny houses guarantee long-term viability? And how long does a tiny house last?

Tiny houses are intended to last as long as traditional homes. However, several factors come into play that reshape the sturdiness of petite houses and their ability to bear up in the long run. 

Some dwellers choose a tiny house setting, not by design, but because it’s all their money can afford.

Others, though, think that they can save a lot more money if they are living in a small home instead of renting traditional houses. 

If you’re thinking about joining the pro-petite home movement, it’s crucial to consider if downsizing is something you can endure. And more importantly, you have to think deeply if tiny houses are actually… you know… worth it and can actually last long.

Can A Tiny House Last Long?

Tiny houses have become more and more popular. They are promoted as the solution to the affordable housing crisis. And what’s more, dwellers find tiny homes as the best alternative to traditional homes and mortgages — evading taxes and building codes. 

A home on wheels attracts thousands of travelers and campers. Tiny houses are easy to transport, allowing you to move to places anytime you want. 

This all sounds beautiful and alluring, but tiny houses have dark secrets, too. 

Just because your house is on wheels doesn’t mean that it can be easily and safely moved. The water tank and pipework could pick up some damage along the way. And because of the vibrations of the vehicle when moving, the batt insulation may slide down the walls. 

For your tiny house to last long, regular maintenance to your pipework must be done religiously. 

Remember, homes — big or small — can only be as safe as they are built. 

Just as how traditional houses need regular maintenance, tiny houses also need continuous subsistence. In fact, they require more care and repairs. 

Every corner, every cranny of your house has its purpose. Everything in the tiny home is used very frequently, making almost everything highly likely to get damaged. 

It’s also worth noting that your tiny house is more vulnerable to harsh weather conditions than a regular, traditional house. 

Your tiny home will experience wear and tear

Let’s face it… regardless of how expensive the materials you use in your tiny home, it doesn’t make it less susceptible to wear and tear due to the changing (and often rough) weather conditions. 

Rains and storms can cause havoc to your home, including wood damage, water damage, mold, electrical damage, and heavy debris. Tiny houses built over a foundation may also experience foundation cracking. 

But, of course, let’s not forget that nonweather-related water can also cause major damage to your tiny house. When we talk about water damage, it’s the weather that we blame immediately, but in fact, it’s domestic water inside your petite home.

The washing machine, dishwasher, and toilets can cause leak. So to ensure your tiny house lasts long and avoids getting water damage, perform regular inspections. 

The Trailer Can Make or Break Your Tiny House

Let’s not forget the perhaps most important factor that determines how long your trailer can last: the health of the trailer itself. 

Tiny houses on wheels need periodic maintenance to ensure the wheels, brakes, and axles are at their peak condition. 

It’s very easy to overlook the trailer when, in fact, it’s one of the major pieces of your tiny home. Making sure your trailer is safe and lasting long-term can guarantee longevity to your micro house. 

Make sure to check your tire pressure before heading to a trip
  • Check tire pressure

Before moving or heading to a trip, make sure to spend time checking your tire pressure in all tires. Inflate the trailer tires to the maximum inflation indicated on the sidewall just like what you would do with your car. 

Always ensure your inflation when the tires haven’t been exposed to the sun or run down the highway. It’s also crucial to change your tires depending on the weather.

Remember, cold weather can cause PSI (pounds per square inch) to drop, while excessive heat can cause your tire pressure to increase temporarily. 

For every 10 degrees of temperature increase, your tires can be expected to increase by one to two pounds of pressure. 

It may seem okay to underinflate, but it can actually cause tire failure. 

  • Check your lighting

Don’t risk yourself of being pulled over and getting a ticket because of damaged lighting. 

Lighting is a vital component of your trailer. Malfunctioning or inoperative lighting can also make you a road hazard. 

Before hitting the road, you want to check that you connected the plug from your trailer to your tow hitch. Check brake signals and turn signals functions well. 

  • Grease your hitch

Greasing your trailer ball and the hitch helps improve the movement of the trailer while in tow. It also prevents loud sounds and the buildup of heat around the distribution area. 

Greasing your hitch should not be overlooked. It’s a simple task that can help you in the long run. 

  • Check the lug nuts

I know someone who had driven 3,000 miles with a trailer attached with the lug nuts installed backward. 

It was a clumsy mistake that could have caused damage not only to his tiny house but also to himself. 

The lug nut tension must be checked at least twice during the first 1,000 miles of driving the trailer. This is important so you can catch any loosening lug nuts. 

From then on, you must check the lugs every time you have your oil changed, your brakes serviced, or your tires balanced. 

  • Check the bearings

Most trailers used in tiny houses have leaf spring axles. This makes repacking the wheel bearing a must-do maintenance routine. 

You can watch tutorials on how you can repack the wheel bearings. Or you can hire a professional service to do the repacking for you. 

Having your proper grease levels in the wheel hubs is vital for trailer performance. This helps keep the tires from overheating and your breaks from wearing insanely thin. 

If your tiny house has been parked for quite some time and you are prepping to move it, you will want to check the bearings for proper grease. 

Other Factors That Can Damage Your Tiny House

Are you living with kids? We can’t blame them for being restless and boisterous.

You know, a defiant child can destroy your home. Breaking and throwing things and punching holes in the walls are just some of the many things that your kids may (purposely) do to your home. 

These damages can impact the viability of your tiny house. 

These things are usually inevitable. Even you yourself or your friends may unintentionally break things or cause damage to your petite house. 

Really, your tiny house will be exposed to weather damage and wear and tear. But with proper care, your tiny house can last as long as traditional homes. 

Related Questions

Are tiny homes worth it?

Tiny homes can be costly. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean they’re necessarily much cheaper to build. In fact, the typical tiny house can cost more per square foot than larger houses do. 

Can I live in a tiny house on my own land?

Well, yes, of course! But building a tiny house over a foundation is trickier. The zoning and building regulations across the country stop you from buying land and building your own tiny home on it. 

You will need to build an accessory dwelling unit, meaning a secondary residential dwelling unit situated on a single-family lot. 

Do you pay taxes on tiny houses?

If your tiny house is on wheels, then you’re not subject to a property tax. 

A Guide to Traveling with a Tiny Home

A Guide to Traveling with a Tiny Home

Traveling with a Tiny Home
Traveling with a Tiny Home

Have you ever thought of how it is to travel with a tiny home? The experience of traveling with a tiny home is like going to different places without leaving your house.

Yes, exploring different places on wheels is easily doable with a tiny home. When you live in a tiny house, you can easily go anywhere you want – from different campgrounds to where your loved ones or friends live. You can start having an adventure as you begin to travel to different places anytime without a fuss. Thanks to tiny homes.

If you want to travel in a tiny house and you want to make the most out of it, you must not only keep these guidelines in mind but also follow them. Let this guide to traveling with a tiny home take you to good places yet still make you feel comfortable at home.

Ready, Set, Travel!

Living in a tiny home is fun and can be full of adventure provided that before you start traveling with your tiny home, you plan and follow this simple guide to make your travel more enjoyable and worthwhile:

  • Add bubble levels to your tiny home’s wheels.

A bubble level is a tool that tells whether a surface is vertical or horizontal. It is useful for helping you make sure that your tiny home is level.

Before going on a travel adventure with your tiny home, make sure that you have bubble levels on the back center of my tiny house for both right and left leveling. You also need to have one on the side for both back and front leveling.

When you have bubble levels, you can elevate one side of your tiny home a few inches higher. In addition, when bubble levels are attached to your tiny home, cabinets and doors will close properly so that they won’t swing open.

More importantly, sleeping and falling off the loft will not be something to worry about anymore. When you have bubble levels, you will have a stabilized tiny home.

  • Contact your campground before your arrival.

To avoid possible hassles, you must call your the park where you will be staying ahead of time and tell them, for example, that you will park a 20-feet tiny home.

In addition, you have to inform them about the things that you’ll need – electricity, drain for gray water, as well as water.

Calling certain campgrounds in advance will save you the hassle of being turned down and looking for another campground right then and there.

When you call your chosen campground before you arrive and you are informed that they won’t be able to accommodate you or provide one of your needs, you can just look for another without wasting time and energy.

  • Ensure that loose items won’t fall over.

Before hitting the road, you must secure all the items inside your tiny home and make sure that loose items inside your tiny home won’t fall over.

You can do this by adding a cord to secure books on your bookshelf (to prevent them from sliding and falling) as well as adding fish hooks or locks to your drawers.

More importantly, secure items in your tiny home, which are fragile, such as plates, glasses, mugs, and the like. Doing this will not only prevent your personal belongings from being broken but will also let you enjoy mess-free travel.

  • Use an RV GPS.
Driving with RV GPS
Driving with RV GPS

When you and your loved ones travel with your tiny home, relying on Google Maps for road directions and other driving information is not enough.

As a better alternative, go get yourself an RV GPS, which will provide you with details, such as gasoline stations, alternative routes, road and speed warnings, live traffic updates, graphic images of roads, weather forecasts, as well as other specific stops.

  • Weigh your tiny home.

It is important that you know the weight of your tiny home. In addition, you need to have a tow vehicle that is always ready and capable of handling the load of your tiny home.

One of the most important things that you have to deal with before traveling with your tiny home is the weight distribution system.

Here are more important reasons to know and maintain the weight of your tiny home:

  1. To make sure that the concrete, grass, or gravel where your tiny house rests on can support its weight.
  2. To know if your tow vehicle can drag the weight of your tiny home.
  3. To ensure that the weight distribution is right.

Pros of Traveling with a Tiny Home

  • All the things that you need are there with you.

When you travel in your tiny house, all the things that you need to stay comfortable are handy – this means convenience while traveling.

In addition, traveling with your tiny home is hygienic. Yes, you read that right. Unlike staying in a hotel, tiny home traveling lets you use your towels, sheets, blankets, as well as your kitchen utensils (spoon and fork, most importantly).

Because of that, you won’t have to share those items with somebody you don’t even know, and you will have more peace of mind.

  • You can travel safely because of your tiny home’s durability.

The materials used in constructing your tiny home are the same as those which are used in building real houses. That makes your tiny home as durable. So when you travel in your tiny house, your safety and security won’t be compromised.

Cons of Traveling with a Tiny Home

  • You have to spend more on fuel.

When you live and travel with your tiny home, you have to refuel all the time. We all know the price of fuel these days. You have to be ready to spend more on fuel because traveling with your tiny home will burn a hole in your pocket.

  • Not all roads are passable to tiny houses.

Traveling with your tiny home comes with a few restrictions. Since you are driving something that is big and heavy, there may be possible route restrictions.

Tiny houses must travel on wide roads. In addition, they should be able to pass the vertical clearance, so make sure to plan your route ahead.

Always Bring these Helpful Tools:

Driving Tools
Driving Tools
  1. Hydraulic jack
  2. Coupler lock
  3. Jack stabilizers
  4. Spare tire/s
  5. Wheel levers
  6. Wrench

Tiny-Home Driving Tips:

  • Always have driving tools with you.
  • Drive slowly, but surely. Do not over speed.
  • Inspect your side mirrors frequently.
  • Plan your route, and know which roads are passable to tiny houses.
  • Take wide turns.
  • Turning right or left? Do it slowly.

Related questions:

  • Can tiny houses get evicted from campgrounds or parks?
Notice of Eviction
Notice of Eviction

Yes. When someone from the neighborhood where your tiny home is parked complains about you, you will be given an eviction notice.

  • How big can a tiny house be?

The size of a tiny home can range between 100 to 400 square feet. That is why when you travel in a tiny home, you have to plan your route ahead and make sure that the roads you will pass are wide enough for your tiny home.

  • Do tiny houses get inspected?

Yes. Like regular houses, a tiny home also has to pass inspection for safety as well as power and water supply availability. To learn more about this, check this article about tiny house inspection.

Can You Move or Travel in a Tiny House

Can You Move or Travel in a Tiny House

Traveling in a Tiny House
Traveling in a Tiny House

Traveling as much as one wants and as often as one can is a dream for a lot of people, but for individuals who live in a tiny house, it is their lifestyle.

Being able to move from one place to another is easy for people who live in a tiny house. Living in a tiny house enables tiny home dwellers to roam around the country for as long as they want and they are able to because of the minimalist lifestyle that they have allows them to do so.

Traveling in a Tiny House

Living in a tiny house is your ticket to exploring far and different places. When you live in a tiny house, you do not have to worry about leaving the comforts of your home for the simple reason that you are actually traveling with your tiny mobile house.

In addition, a tiny house is built for the purpose of moving and traveling from one place to your next desired destination. Also, because a tiny house is an actual “house,” all the things that you need are in there. Hence, it makes it a lot easier and more convenient for you and your family to travel and explore different places. Also, you won’t have to go through the hassle of having left something that you need or will be needing while you are traveling.

Moving from one city or state to the other or simply traveling to different places is easily achievable by living in a tiny mobile house. Instead of taking long and tiring bus or plane rides, having a tiny house allows you to be on a journey as well as to enjoy going and exploring different locations. It’s like traveling and at the same time staying in the comforts of your own home.

Going places in a tiny house is a unique and more economical way of traveling. Not only does it come with the freedom of movement, but it is also associated with being able to enjoy life on the go without having to part with all the comforts of home living.

There are several differences between traveling in a tiny house and taking trips using public transportation:

  • When you travel in a tiny house, you do not need to think of what to bring anymore because everything you need is already in it.
  • Traveling in a tiny house is more economical since you won’t need to buy a plane ticket anymore. In addition, you also do not need to pay for travel taxes.
  • When you move from one place to another in your tiny house, you set your own schedule and pace. You can rest from driving for a while whenever you feel tired. Rest when you have to and continue driving whenever you are ready.
  • Traveling in your tiny mobile home is more comfortable and convenient. Unlike traveling by bus or by airplane, you do not have to share a seat with a stranger anymore. Dealing with annoying passengers will no longer be an issue. Your entire tiny house and mode of transport is all to yourself.

Kinds of a Tiny House

Tiny House on Display
Tiny House on Display
  • Shipping Container Homes

One more type of recycled materials that can be used as a tiny house is metal shipping containers. When shipping containers have already served their purpose, which is to transport goods from one place to the other, it can already be recycled as a tiny house for the reason that shipping back these containers unfilled.

So instead of not using them and just letting them turn out as scrap metal, builders and producers of tiny houses convert them into new tiny houses. Shipping container homes can either be assembled on the site or shipped out.

  • Tiny Luxury Homes

Living in a tiny house does not necessarily mean living just a plain and simple lifestyle. Tiny luxury houses can even have lavish amenities, such as small hot tubs, surround sound, in-floor heat, as well as home automation. For as low as $35,000, you can now own and live in a luxurious tiny house.

  • Tiny Texas Houses

This type of a tiny house is for individuals who prefer something that is a bit bigger and more permanent. Tiny Texas Houses are available in two different sizes – 240 and 336 square feet. These are constructed completely out of recycled materials. They feature a laid-back and rustic style. Texas Tiny Houses are put together in Luling, Texas. They can be shipped and installed to the buyer’s chosen location.

  • Tumbleweed Tiny Houses

The Tumbleweed Tiny Houses is one of the best-known producers of tiny homes. It has four house models. All of which have wood exteriors, but owners can choose between rustic and contemporary style. As for the size, Tumbleweed Tiny Houses can be 117 up to 221 square feet. This type of tiny house is mounted on trailers for towing.

Pros of Traveling in a Tiny House

  • Durability

A lot of people think that tiny houses have issues when it comes to durability. On the contrary, materials used in the construction of large houses can be used in building a tiny house. That means a tiny house can be as durable as a real house. And like real houses, a tiny house is also built to last.

  • Low maintenance

Aside from the fact that a tiny house costs less and is more economical, it is cheaper to maintain as well. Utility bills (electricity and water), fuel costs, as well as waste disposal fees are all much lower compared to living in a real house. In addition, a lot of tiny houses even feature a composting toilet that can break down waste without having to be hooked up to a sewer line.

  • Freedom of movement

Because a tiny house is built on a trailer, their owners can bring them wherever and whenever they want to. Living in a tiny house is being able to travel and go to different places without leaving the comforts of your home.

Cons of Traveling in a Tiny House

  • Zoning rules

Yes, a tiny house only requires a small piece of land. But then again, there are still towns which make it difficult to put up one. More often than not, zoning laws come with a minimum size for houses. The minimum, which is 200 square foot, is not big enough in general to make the cut.

  • Small space and less storage
Tiny House Toilet
Tiny House Toilet

To live and travel in a tiny house, you must get rid of all your unnecessary belongings. But then again, giving up some of your belongings and most prized possessions is not easy. If you have a shoe collection, you must get rid of some and keep only your favorite pairs. If you have workout equipment, which are big and consume a lot of space, then it’s time to say goodbye to them.

Tips for Traveling in a Tiny House

  • Have your tiny house weighed.
  • Secure everything that’s inside your tiny house, especially those that are loose.
Tiny House Interior
Tiny House Interior
  • Call the campgrounds and make the necessary arrangements beforehand.
  • Invest in Bubble Levels.

Tiny House FAQs

  • How do you do the laundry?

You could buy and install a ventless washer and dryer, and then hang clothes on a rack inside.

  • Where does the toilet waste go?

You can have a composting toilet, which separates urine from the stool. They are then stored in tanks that are manually emptied.