Homes to Go
Four portable-house designers put a new spin on the classic little cabin in the woods
Forget everything you think you know about mobile homes. Thanks to a talented crop of designers and builders, today’s portable houses combine the comfort and style of a custom home and the sustainability of simplified living with the ease of RV travel. Whether you choose to join the Tiny House Movement and live in one full time, use it to travel the West or just want a one-of-a-kind way to accommodate guests, this roundup of top designs includes a house to fit your needs.
Gypsy Vans by Roth
THE LOOK
Museum-quality reproductions of 19th- and 20th-century English gypsy caravans, complete with
intricate carvings and colorful hand-painted and gilded finishes. Models, which can take 5,000 hours to create, range from the luxurious Reading Wagon (pictured here), once a favorite among wealthy horse traders and gypsy kings and queens, to the Brush Wagon, the home of the original door-to-door brush salesman.
THE SPACE
Approximately 45 square feet to 90 square feet.
WHERE THEY’RE MADE
Bend, Oregon
HOW THEY ROLL
These authentic wagons are designed to be pulled by horses, and the wheels are guaranteed
for several thousand miles. But if you’re in a hurry, a flatbed trailer is best.
PRICE TAG
$22,000 to more than $150,000.
MORE
gypsyvans.com
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
THE LOOK
Tumbleweed’s four mobile House to Go models are available in 23 floor plans and range in style from the timber-clad Elm with full front porch and arched lancet window to the sleek, modern Mica with an industrial-looking exterior of hot-rolled weathering steel.
THE SPACE
117 square feet to 172 square feet, depending on the model and length of home you choose.
WHERE THEY’RE MADE
Sonoma, California. Or, if you choose to purchase the plans and build one yourself, it can be assembled in your own backyard.
HOW THEY ROLL
These homes are RVIA-certified recreational vehicles and can be towed by a standard truck with trailer hitch and trailer brake controller, using any trailer (Tumbleweed makes one too).
PRICE TAG
$57,000-$66,000
MORE
tumbleweedhouses.com
Tiny Home Builders
THE LOOK
Cozy little portable cabins you build yourself. The Tiny Living and Tinier Living designs feature rustic wood siding, vaulted ceilings with dormer windows and a sleeping loft. Tiny Retirement is a single-level model, for those who would rather not climb a ladder to get to bed.
THE SPACE
96 square feet to 160 square feet.
WHERE THEY’RE MADE
In your own backyard. Or, based on availability, the company will build a customized home for you at its facility in Deland, Florida.
HOW THEY ROLL
Tiny Homes can be transported on the trailer of your choice, or order a Tiny House Trailer (from $2,850) specifically designed for your home.
PRICE TAG
From $199 for printed plans, $299 for printed and digital plans, and $399 for printed and digital plans plus a consultation. Materials for the Tiny Living design average $16,000, including the trailer.
MORE
tinyhomebuilders.com
Wheelhaus
THE LOOK
Seven customizable modular dwellings with a Western-contemporary look that mixes repurposed local materials like distressed Wyoming snow fencing and rusted cold-rolled metal siding with luxury-home touches, from granite countertops and hardwood flooring to cozy fireplaces. Built to meet LEED Gold standards, each home is crafted from sustainable low-maintenance materials designed to withstand the weather, wear and tear of the high-country climate.
THE SPACE
348.5 square feet to 400 square feet, plus up to 120 square feet of outdoor living space.
WHERE THEY’RE MADE
Salt Lake City, Utah
HOW THEY ROLL
Each model is built on a trailer chassis, registered as a recreational vehicle and fully mobile.
PRICE TAG
$79,500-$93,000
MORE
wheelhaus.com
