r/TinyHouses • u/Fancy_Chip_5620 • 2d ago
Those who have built a THOW what did you learn that you'd lik to pass on?
THOW - Tiny Home On Wheels
I am in the brainstorming phase of possibly making a tiny home, im on track to paying off my car this year and will have some disposable income between switching to liability insurance and not making a car payment
For those who made your THOW did you make a full custom frame? Build on top of a pre-made trailer? or utilize a frame like the one pictured in my post to build something in-between as far as full custom and something built within the structure of an existing trailer
I believe utilizing a trailer frame like the one I posted makes the most sense
Its my educated guess that a utility trailer will be unessesarily heavy since it was built to handle localized weight (immagine a 3/4 ton truck on a trailer... thats pretty much 1 ton supported in 4 spots smaller than 1 square foot each) when the reality is a THOW by volume is mostly air and wouldnt need to be built nearly as sturdy the most something would weigh in one spot is ~500lbs, that paired with the fact it looks like it would be a PITA to run plumbing and electrical in around and through the floor and frame of a utility trailer that made no provisions for that
Designing a frame from scratch in my mind would be very expensive due to the cost of steel and fabrication materials; not to mention be slightly laborious when in reality you'd end up with something very similar anyway
I was a professional welder for 2 years, auto mechanic off and on for like 5, and am now a semi truck mechanic
im handy and capable my dad is much more versed in wood working and about to retire and would be more than willing to help on the project I do believe
Those who have done it what feelings do you get when you see the trailer frame pictured and how do you feel about my opinions I laid out in this post
I personally feel like its a potential candidate because it looks like it was already either a mobile home or mobile office at one point
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u/onetwentytwo_1-8 2d ago
Build it without thinking you’re going to sell it and make loads of profit.
Build it and keep it.
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u/Fancy_Chip_5620 2d ago
Yes, im 25 and ive rented for 2 or 3 years now and have spent 10s of thousands of dollars with nothing to show
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u/mopbuvket 1d ago
If I could go back to 25, I wouldn't hesitate to build a cargo trailer conversion. Id never sell it. Even if i was renting a house or bought a house id always at least store it. Because you never know if you'll need to start over at 40
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u/Full-time-RV 2d ago
When I last switched trailers, I really debated just starting with a trailer or 5th wheel shell.
This is a bit off topic but, we ended up going with a racecar trailer, and built that out.
With the amount that we travel, it was worth going the all aluminum route, at least for us.
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u/jdubs952 1d ago
I welded steel underneath and insulated the trailer so I didn't have to build up a floor. Got taller ceilings and way more insulation
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u/fungoodtrade 2d ago
I'm wrapping up a thow build now. I bought an iron eagle thow trailer which has some nice features. If you are going to build your own trailer I'd suggest looking at the way they have built theirs for some inspiration that will help with easy building on it. My trailer is 3 axle 26 x 10. I had them add an extra axle to that length trailer. Their trailers aren't cheap, but they are cheaper than some other companies. The only thing i can think of that I 100% would have done different or would do different next time would be to consider the framing for the mini split a little more carefully. I wanted the lines routed interior so it wouldn't look odd on the outside. Most is concealed in a soffit in the kitchen and behind cabinets, but if I would have made a section of my other wall framed from 2x6 it would have made the mounting and concealing of the lines a lot easier. I'm sure once I live in it for a while I'll think of more things.
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u/Worldly_Diamond_5487 2d ago
You need to change insurance carriers. Now area is important but I am rated for a pretty expensive part of the country and I have high liability and full coverage on 2 vehicles and it comes to about $3000 per year. I mean I guess if you have a really bad driving record and a couple DUIs but it sounds like your insurance company is reaming you.
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u/2po2watch 2d ago
We would have built ours bigger and we would have used house windows and doors instead of camper stuff.
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u/Unlucky-Moment-3366 12h ago
Not my area at all but the weight distribution point you made is something people overlook when planning these builds. A utility trailer rated for concentrated loads is overkill in ways that actually work against you, extra dead weight you're hauling around forever. The trailer in your pic does look like it had a previous life as something livable, which is worth digging into before you commit
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u/CartographerUpset646 2d ago
I started with a sea can and built a triaxle bogie with 3 6k electric brake axles and then a completely separate pintle drawbar subframe. The pintle frame was 8" C-channel in a V welded to 3 H-beams the width of the can. The axle bogie was 8" rectangle tube welded across 4 H-beams. It saved a lot of money on steel given the sea can was stiff enough on its own. I towed it from Ontario to British Columbia and it pulled just fine.
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u/Fancy_Chip_5620 2d ago
I scrolled pretty far on your profile to see your setup, but do you move it often or was that a one time thing
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u/BluceBannel 2d ago
The finished product will be heavy as helll, make sure axels can take it... plus the added height (on s trailer) can make the loft pretty small.
You lose about 18" of height to work with due to road height limits.
Also you don't necessarily want to 100% finish it before moving, as that will be hard on the windows and doors and maybe the sliding.
Finally if it's going to be in an area ehere inspection is coming. Draw a plan and get it imoroved?
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u/Fancy_Chip_5620 2d ago edited 2d ago
Im 6 ft 2in tall so I probably won't build a loft with the intent to habitate it... maybe something big enough to fit some storage bins
As far as weight, I work on 18 wheelers and have a cdl... realistically I could save up and frequent auctions for a dry van and single axle truck to use that which would be pretty sweet thinking about it
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u/Worldly_Diamond_5487 2d ago
I’d advise against switching to liability only. Unless you have the money to start a whole new car payment. Uninsured motorist are all over the place. Without any 1st party coverage your car could be destroyed and you won’t have any recourse.
Also I always find it funny people switch to liability only like that’s the insurance to cover the other peoples stuff why would you not want protect your stuff?