Are you confused as to whether you should BUY or BUILD your future Tiny House RV? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I see a lot of eager individuals start a construction project and never finish. Depending on your situation, building your own tiny dream house might not be the most economical or practical option.
1). You don’t have enough time
I built my own Tiny House RV without any prior construction experience, and It took me one whole year. For those who finish, it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years. Most who finish take about 2 years. Budget yourself 1,000 hours to build your tiny house. That’s what we spend from start to finish with design, materials, and hard work.
Example scenario: John is a beginner builder with weekends available for his construction project. He can build year round, without weather delays, because he has a covered build site. If John is able to work eight hours a day on Saturday and Sunday (16 hours a weekend) it will take him 62.5 weekends to complete his build. Most likely John will need 1.5 years to construct his Tiny House RV.
Inside the Tumbleweed build facility
If you purchase a fully built Tiny House RV from Tumbleweed, you can have it delivered within a few months. That is a big time difference! So if you don’t have enough time to build, consider purchasing a fully built model or half built shell.
2). You don’t have a build site
Where will you build your Tiny House RV? Ideally you will have a large covered location, with ample electricity and storage for your materials. Finding the perfect built site is easier said than done. If you don’t have an ideal build location, expect challenges and delays in construction.
Inside the Tumbleweed build facility
3). You don’t have the tools
Tools are an expensive investment. You can purchase used tools, rent tools or find a tool sharing build site. Be careful not to blow your budget on tools. Expect to spend somewhere between $1,000 to $5,000 on tools alone.
4). You want to finance the costs
DIY Tiny House RV build projects are difficult to finance. If you don’t have enough money saved up, you run the risk of going into credit card debt or putting your build on hold. I’ve seen many builds never reach completion due to this problem. So if you want to finance your Tiny House RV, go ahead and buy one – there are more financing options.
5). You want an RVIA certified Tiny House RV
If you build your own Tiny House RV it will not be RVIA certified. Not having the RVIA certification can limit your financing, insurance, DMV registration and future parking options. More on the RVIA here.
Tumbleweed is one of the few RVIA certified Tiny House RV builders in the country. If you purchase a fully built tiny from Tumbleweed, it will be RVIA certified.
6). You don’t have the passion
I know this sounds silly, but building a Tiny House RV is a huge commitment. I’ve seen projects fail because the individuals became bored or frustrated. Make sure your passion won’t fade.
7). You lack the physical ability
Skills can be learned, but physical labor is still physical labor. I’ve seen a handicapped builder finish a beautiful Tiny House RV from a Tumbleweed Barn Raiser, but the strain of construction is not for everyone. Before you decided to build, make sure you are physically capable of completing the project.
8). You haven’t done your research.
Building a Tiny House RV is not the same as building a regular home. The structure has to be road worthy, vented correctly, capable of withstanding extreme winds and many other unique practices. It’s a specialized type of construction. These skills can be learned, but it takes research.
Tumbleweed has been building Tiny House RVs for over 15 years. They have a specialized team and a proven road worthy product. If you don’t believe you can build a structurally sound Tiny House RV, purchase one instead.
9). You’re still paying rent!
Say it takes you 2 years to build a Tiny House RV and your rent is $800 per month. That means you spent $19,200 on rent during that time. If you would have purchased a new Tumbleweed, that money would be saved. This truly is the hidden cost of DIY building.
*For the alternative perspective, click here for reasons to BUILD a Tiny House RV instead of BUY.
