One of the biggest advantages of owning a tiny house is that some are built on wheels instead of a solid foundation. This allows them to be transported from one place to the next.
If this is what you are looking for in a tiny home, you are probably wondering what it would take to move your tiny home.
How portable are tiny houses on wheels?
Tiny houses on wheels are very portable! With the right weight and distribution, moving your tiny house can be as simple as hitching it to your truck and driving away! However, If your tiny home is over 8.5 feet wide you will need a special permit to tow it on the road yourself.
Let’s dig deeper!
Table of Contents
How Hard is it to Move a Tiny House on Wheels?
Moving your tiny house is not the easiest thing that you will do, but that does not mean that it is not doable.
When towing your tiny home, preparation is everything. Make sure you have the inside properly prepared, all permits that are required, use the right vehicle, and be very careful!
There is no room for carelessness here! When moving your tiny home, you need to take your time and do the reasearch. Without the proper precautions, you could not only ruin your home or vehicle, but you could also get hurt.
If you ever have doubts about your ability to move your house on our own, I encourage you to enlist help from others or perhaps even a professional moving company.
Related Article: How Much do Tiny Houses on Wheels Cost? (5 Examples)
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Company to Move It?
If you are unsure about your capacity to move your tiny home on your own, you might consider a moving company. This will lower the stress of moving your home yourself!
However, like anything, hiring someone to do it is going to cost you more.
It is hard to determine the average cost when it comes to moving your tiny home because there are a lot of factors that are involved in doing so.
These factors include but are not limited to:
Distance You’d Like it Moved:
How far you intend to travel will be the biggest factor in price. How far you go accounts for gas, wear on the vehicle, time it will take to do the moving, etc.
The farther you wish to have your home towed, the more it will end up costing you.
Some people even plan to have their homes shipped overseas. This is less common but can happen. Obviously, if this applies to you, you will have more considerations to make when it comes to transportation.
Related Article: Where Can I Put a Tiny House? (Solutions and Pitfalls)
The Company You Choose:
Another determining factor of price is what company you end up hiring. Each company will have its way to charge you and can set its own prices.
This means that when you are making your plans to move, you shop around for the different companies that are available.
Your Home Itself:
Another determining factor will be your home itself. If your home is larger or requires special permits or considerations, this will factor into the price.
Make sure you work with the company you decide to hire on all these aspects before you get underway.
How Big of a Truck do I need to Move My Tiny Home?
The most important thing that you need to consider when it comes to moving your tiny home is the vehicle that you plan to use to tow it.
If you do not get a vehicle that can handle towing the weight, even if you prepare everything else perfectly, you can be in big trouble.
How big of a truck you will need will depend on how big of a home you have and how heavy it is.
Here are some general rules to help:
- For homes up to 20 ft. you will need a half-ton truck. These include:
- Ford F-150
- Chevy Silverado
- Toyota Tundra
- For homes between 20 and 28 ft. you will need a one-ton truck. These include:
- GMC Sierra 3500
- Dodge Ram 3500
- Ford F-350
Pay attention to the engine in the truck you are using. Simply buying a towing package for the vehicle can increase the weight capacity by over 5,000 pounds!
You can also consider getting a truck that is set up as a “dually” which has four wheels in the back instead of two. This can help when handling a higher weight.
For more information on towing your tiny home, see our article: Towing A Tiny House? Everything You Should Know!
How Often do Tiny House Owners move Their Homes?
Part of the appeal of having a tiny home is traveling with your tiny home. But don’t get confused, having and moving a tiny home is not like moving or driving around an RV.
Moving a tiny home can be a more difficult process than you imagine and doing so is not suitable for frequent moving.
Because you have to completely pack up before you do this, it can be a hassle.
There are also many costs to consider such as gas.
In addition to this, there can be wear and tear on your tiny home from constant movement. Just because tiny homes are built to be moved, doesn’t mean that they can’t get damaged in the process.
It is recommended that you limit moving your tiny home for a minimum of only every three to six months.
Are you still unsure about going tiny? Check out our guide on 10 Benefits From Downsizing People Often Forget!
Preparations Before you Can Move a Tiny House
Preparing your tiny home to be moved is something you will want to make sure that you do. This can help prevent damage to your home as well as your possessions inside.
Secure Larger Objects:
The first major step for moving your tiny home is to secure everything that you possibly can in your tiny home.
This includes strapping down your larger appliances so that they do not slide around during the transportation process.
You should also secure all cabinet doors. Child locks work great for doing this, but you can use anything that would allow you to keep them closed for the duration of the trip.
Secure Smaller Objects:
What objects you can’t secure before the move should be removed and packed into your personal vehicle. Like strapping down the furniture, this can help reduce the possibility that your things will break during the move.
Having your smaller stuff easily reached will be good for you in case you need to get to it during the move.
Secure your Hookups:
In addition to protecting your things that belong on the inside of your home, you will want to take care of the hookups that are present on the outside of your tiny home as well.
Make sure to secure all your water, sewage, and electric hookups before you being to move your tiny home. These could dangle or drag beneath the trailer you are using to move your home and can cause a lot of damage to your equipment and home.
Related Article: Humidity & Ventilation in Tiny Houses: 18 Great Tips That Works
Properly Prepare your Trailer:
If you have ever towed anything you know that you have to make sure you have properly trailered the object and that your trailer is in good working condition.
Your trailer should have a license plate as well as operating tail-lights for your vehicle to be legal as well as complying with safety standards.
Make sure you have the Proper Permits:
If your tiny home is over 8.5 feet wide you will need a special permit to tow it on the road yourself. Make sure if this is something you need, that you go through the proper channels to acquire this.
Even if you do not need the permit to move your tiny home due to its width, you might still need a permit or special license to move your tiny home.
Make sure you are prepared by checking with the DOT or DMV in the states that you plan to travel through and get all the proper licenses that are required. Getting caught without all your paperwork together can be a headache that you will not want while out on the road.
How Fast can you Transport a Tiny House?
How fast you can move your tiny house also depends on a variety of factors. The size of your home is a big determining factor on time.
A bigger house means that you will likely have more to pack up. You will also need a vehicle that can tow a larger home and if you do not have one, you might have to rent one. Finding a towing vehicle that can handle this capacity could take some time.
How far you are going will also be a large determining factor when it comes to how long traveling will take in your tiny home. Obviously farther distances will take longer than shorter distances.
Another factor to consider is how much help you have when trying to move. Packing and getting your house ready for travel can be a demanding job. If you have help, or even just more than one person, this can help make your preparation time shorter.
If your house is already on wheels or if you have to raise it off of blocks will also impact your time when it comes to preparing to leave.
With extra help, it can also make your set-up time shorter when you get to your destination.
Is Moving Your Tiny House Worth It?
The great adventure of moving your tiny home is a fantastic one. If you’re prepared to put in the time, money and effort, you’ll be able to travel all over!
If instead, you’d rather leave your tiny home in one spot and travel the world on your own, that’s okay too!
Remember, the best thing about a tiny house is its versatility!
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