Tiny Homes on the Go
Four portable-house designers put a spin on the Tiny House Movement
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.
[Photo courtesy Gypsy Vans by Roth]
Check out these museum-quality reproductions of 19th- and 20th-century English gypsy caravans, made in Bend, Oregon, complete with intricate carvings and colorful hand-painted and gilded finishes. They're approximately 45 square feet to 90 square feet, can take 5,000 hours to create, and range between $22,000 to more than $150,000. The luxurious model pictured above is the Reading Wagon, once a favorite among wealthy horse traders and gypsy kings and queens.
[Photo courtesy Wheelhaus]
These customizable modular dwellings are made in Salt Lake City, Utah, and tend to have a Western-contemporary look. They mix 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. Each model is built on a trailer chassis, registered as a recreational vehicle and fully mobile. Sizes range from 348.5 square feet to 400 square feet, plus up to 120 square feet of outdoor living space, while price tags vary from $79,500-$93,000.
[Photo courtesy of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company]
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. 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). Models are built in Sonoma, California—or, if you choose to purchase the plans and build one yourself, it can be assembled in your own backyard. Square footage ranges from 117 to 172, depending on the model and length of home you choose, and price ranges from $57,000-$66,000.
[Photo courtesy Tiny Home Builders]
These are cozy little portable cabins you build yourself—or based on availability, the company will build a customized home for you at its facility in Deland, Florida. 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. Tiny Homes, which range from 96 square feet to 160 square feet, can be transported on the trailer of your choice, or order a Tiny House Trailer (from $2,850) specifically designed for your home. Price? 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.
