Big trailers, little trailers, old trailers, new trailers.

Red trailers, blue trailers, one trailer, two trailers. I could be the Dr. Seuss of trailers.

When we decided to start this project in earnest the first obvious place to start was with the foundation. The trailer. The house is built directly on top of the trailer, making it mobile. Starting with a reliable, sturdy, and rust-free trailer seemed a good investment. Old trailers, and rusting red ones, were out.

I called in my dad, the ebay/craigslist master and the search began. We found one up by Boston, took a trip out to visit- it was way too narrow. Barely 6ft when I'd like something closer to 8. Every inch counts when the maximum width of your home is tiny. So we left the nice man trying to get rid of his trailer and moved on. No little trailers either.

Found a few with trailer bases built above the wheel wells- easier to build on, less cutting and angle work, but the convenience is far out weighed by the 6 inches of height lost in the living space. No sense having a home on wheels if its too big to travel under bridges or power lines! And I would really like to at least sit up in my sleeping loft. So big trailers are out too.

Buy two halfway decent trailers and Frankenstein? Sure, possible, maybe even economical, if time were free. But time is precious, and I'd like to spend time building the actual home, not building the trailer so we can then build the home. Nope, two trailers is not for us either.

I've got nothing about blue trailers. Mine is black.

And new. and the perfect size. And actually made to build a tiny house on. It was  more than what I wanted to spend, I admit, but it was made for me, brand new, no rust or questionable tires. Once I realized I could spend the next three months searching New England for the perfect bargain trailer, I knew I was going to have to bite the bullet to get this project moving. And what better to invest in than the foundation.

Also, small issue, its in Florida. Calculated the cost of going down there, getting it and bringing it back, plus tolls, hotel rooms, and time off from work- wow baby, no way. Luckily, Uship was recommended to me and I found a guy to bring it to the Cape for half what it would cost me. I sound like a commercial, but thank goodness for uship.

So out of  this process I've learned how to eye the length of a trailer in a single drive by, the preciousness of an inch in tiny living, and sometimes paying premium gets you premium. Not bad lessons to begin with.

                                                         Victory!
                   (lil preview of our recent save the date shoot, you lucky ducks)
                                               Photo Cred Jeff Schneider

And so it begins....

When we were little my mom would always wake us for the early boat with, "its time for a big adventure" and sleep would fall from our eyes at the prospect of excitement and newness.
Adventure.
Well this new endeavor may be the biggest adventure yet.
We have purchased a trailer for our tiny house on wheels. Its ready to be towed up to the cape so I can fill it with the lumber I need to get the project started. I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm anxious to get this show on the road!

tiny home builders trailer and tinest living design in background

 

Any one who has talked to me in the last two months has gotten an earful (or two) of my tiny house ideas. I've told you about my passion to build something, to own something, about the streamlined simplicity of small spaces, about the freedom of mobility. And now its happening, and I'd like to invite you to share in the process, even those of you are far away and have escaped my excitement thus far!

I loved the idea of tiny houses the very first time I heard about them from my friend Becca while on a Living Routes study abroad program in Findhorn, Scotland. She planted a seed (quite literally, she gave me my dandelion seed tattoo), which I have nurtured and am ready to plant and grow! I've been kicking it on Nantucket these past two years, enjoying life, gardening for a living, spending lots of precious time with my family, and falling in love with David. Life has been good. We've been renting, and having good luck with landlords and properties, and I like the camaraderie of roommates. But I've always had this dream of owning a home. I'd say its my most vivid daydream. I've been interested in alternative building- cob, strawbale, earthships, tiny spaces, boats. And when David asked me to marry him in the fall (squeee!) we decided it was time to make this dream a reality.

                                         Cisco Beach, Nantucket, photo credit Laura Poole

Nantucket is a unique place. Being an island there is a limited amount of space and property is expensive. We knew that owning land here at this present moment wasn't something we were ready to commit to; who knows where the years will take us. And yet we weren't ready to leave yet, we've both have more to do here. And so what can we own here, yet still move, live in year round, and also afford? Why a tiny house on wheels.

                                               Tiny Home Builders Tiny Living Design

We looked at many designs and plans, deciding what we needed, wanted, and could do without. A company in Florida seemed to fit our needs closest and I asked for their tiny living plans for Christmas. I think my mom was disappointed to wrap something as boring as papers, so she gifted me with a tool belt, hammer, level, and nails too. My parents have been amazingly supportive of all my crazy ideas, and this one is no different. I hope to rearrange the kitchen and bathroom set up a bit, but the images seen in this link are very close to what we'll build!

http://www.tinyhomebuilders.com/tiny-houses/tiny-living#.UtlaYsIo5rQ

I'm not a carpenter, but I have faith that I can make this happen. I have skilled family and friends, and a fierce determination. With luck the trailer will be on Cape next weekend and I will keep you all updated.