Foundation, Foundation, Foundation

Decisions Decisions

 YouTube was our go-to resource for viewing tiny homes to get an idea of the size and layout that was right for us.  So many tiny homes did not seem 'open' enough for us. While it's nice to have storage, we didn't want to move around and live in a hallway-type layout.  We found a tiny house with a layout we loved that was open, had two lofts (one with stairs and one with a ladder) and a full size bathtub. It was made by Molecule Tiny Homes and sold for $90,000. It was 27' long and 9' wide. We could modify the plans if we found a trailer with different dimensions.  

We discussed a semi trailer, utility trailer, and even modifying a camper trailer.

We don't have a truck and are not interested in purchasing one just to move our home a handful of times so either type was going to be a task to move. We went back and forth between trailer types and decided that money should not be a sole factor in our decision. We are not made of money by any means but the foundation is the most important part and we wanted to start off right!

Below is our thought process on each type and what we ended up with. 

Semi Trailer:

Pros: Size & Weight capacity
Cons: Move restrictions & Cost 

It was going to be a harder task to move our home and most likely much more costly. Also, the cost of the trailer is much higher.  We were looking for a lowboy or drop deck trailer in order to fit our layout with the lofts.  We don't have a place for our home yet and may want to move south so we may move a few times. That could really eat into our vacation budget! 

However, we kept the idea in play just in case we found the perfect one at the perfect price.  If we spent a little more for something that was going to make us happier longer it would be worth it.
 

Utility Trailer:

Pros: Lower cost than semi trailer & Ready to build

Cons: Availability & Possible need for modifications

We personally had a hard time finding the right length trailer at the right price. We know the foundation is not the part to skimp on! The used trailers we found were not built to hold the amount of weight required for a tiny house. We were willing but reluctant to buy a used trailer and have modify it. We decided if we went with a utility trailer it would be new and made for tiny houses. We found great options by Tumbleweed. They provide many options and even offer financing!

Camper Trailer:

 

Pros: Price, Salvageable materials, Availability
Cons: Trailer modifications, Age

We started looking at campers to tear down and turn into a tiny home. We could salvage some of the materials and possibly save big as we found campers for much less than trailers. The problem we found with camper trailers was that just like the used utility trailer we would have to modify it to hold more weight. It's not as if we can't have learned how but I don't know that I would trust my modifications as much as a stock ready trailer. 

Conclusion:

All three were still possibilities. If the cost was right and it met the standards we were looking for, any of the trailer types would have been just fine. 

Action:

After searching online for a while we decided to look at a few in person.  The camper trailer had the most availability and we could go to a sales company to view many at on time. We looked at three campers via Craigslist and were not impressed with the trailers or salvageable materials.  On the way to one of the Craigslist campers we drove by Lakeland RV in Milton, WI.  We stopped by but it was closed and planned to return the following week.

Wyatt and I came back with my mom and were shown around by Don.  I told him our plan to build a tiny house and he provided an incredible amount of information for us. He knew so much about size requirements and had great building ideas! We looked at the park models to check out some layouts (some even had lofts!) and then we looked at the used camper trailers. The salvageable material list was even shorter on these than of the Craigslist campers and it was a gamble if the appliances were in working condition. However, it was nice to see a variety of camper trailers with a range of sizes and prices.  If anything, we were going to be happy to leave with more knowledge than what we arrived with.  We had looked at about every camper trailer in our price range and at the end Don pointed out two 5th wheel camper trailers that were unfinished.  The factory shut down and they were left with partially finished campers.  Out of pure curiosity Wyatt decided to take a peek and I followed.  

We found our new home!

We walked in and loved the layout. There wasn't a whole lot in the camper but enough to tell what the plan was.  There wasn't a roof so it was covered with a tarp.  Even without windows and it being very dark, it didn't feel cramped because the ceiling is tall.  

The bedroom wasn't a loft, but it was on a different level and had the possibility of a door and we could stand up in it.  Wyatt and I have always had different sleep schedules so having a closed off bedroom was a huge bonus [we weren't sure how it would look to close off a loft]. 

We ended up purchasing the camper trailer because of the size, layout possibility, and age. It is a BRAND NEW camper trailer with an 18,000 lb capacity! We could not be happier. 

After going back and forth with trailer types I was not sure what we would end up with and if we would end up sacrificing anything. With our NEW 5th Wheel we get EVERYTHING we need at a price we feel comfortable with. We paid $7,000 for the camper trailer and traded the electric slide out equipment for delivery.  Don provided us with a catalog for RV Parks & Accessories and he and his associate offered to "horse trade" for parts! I forgot my checkbook so we had to come back to pay and sign paperwork later in the day. When we returned to pay we asked a couple more questions and Don and his associate were more than happy to help (even though they were closing!). We were so grateful to get more help than we could have asked for.  Now we are waiting for the financing for the remaining balance and hope to start our adventure soon!