Building Your Tiny House: Choosing the Perfect Trailer

Looking to build your own tiny house but not sure where to start? Join Meg and Art from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company as they discuss one of the most essential building components: the trailer. With custom tiny house trailer prices exceeding $10,000, understanding how to shop for a used trailer can save you a significant amount on your tiny house project.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Used Trailer

Foundation for Your Tiny House

“The trailer needs to have some essential elements to it,” Art explains. “The first would be a flat surface upon which to build your house.” When selecting a trailer, look for car haulers or utility trailers with a flatbed unit and a bed between the wheels. This type of flat surface is crucial for the stability of your tiny house foundation.

Appropriate Axles

Meg emphasizes the importance of axles: “Make sure that the axles are rated correctly to carry the weight of the house you plan to build.” The axles are vital to support the weight of your tiny house, ensuring safety and durability.

Deck Height

Pay close attention to the deck height, which is the distance from the trailer bed to the ground. Most trailers are around 2 feet tall, but some can be over 3 feet. A higher trailer reduces the available living space in your tiny home.

Finding and Preparing a Used Trailer

Used trailers can often be found on sites like Craigslist, listed as “utility trailers” or “car haulers.” However, preparing a used trailer requires thorough inspection and some modifications:

  • Inspect the Condition
    Check for rust and any unnecessary peripheral attachments. Remove any ramps, winches, or other components that are not needed.
  • Secure Attachment Points
    Ensure a firm way to attach your tiny house to the trailer’s frame. Use a threaded rod or bolt to securely anchor your house to the main frame of the trailer, avoiding smaller pieces of steel that are less sturdy.

Choose the Right Tiny House Trailer for You

There are three common tiny house trailer styles (not counting a fifth wheel) that you should know.

Utility Trailer

A good tiny house utility trailer features floor framing inside the trailer, saving you an extra 3 1/2″ of headroom. This design, which builds between the wheel wells, allows for exterior eaves that extend to the maximum legal width of 8’6”. Eaves not only add aesthetic appeal but also protect your siding from rain and snow damage. However, this design does result in a smaller interior space.

  • Dimensions: Width: 8’6″, Interior Width: 6’8″, Roof Eave Width: 5¾” each side
  • Benefits: Extra headroom, protective eaves
  • Drawbacks: Reduced interior space
A dual-axle flatbed trailer with a metal frame and striped platform, perfect for transporting goods or equipment, whether you're moving tumbleweed or hauling parts for your tiny house project.
Diagram of a utility trailer showing dimensions, ideal for a Tiny House build. Width: 8'6", height to apex: 14'11", interior width: 6'8". Roof eave width: 5¾" each side. All measurements approximate. Max width allowed by DoT.

Deck Over Trailer

The Deck Over Trailer is ideal for single-story Tiny House RV designs. By building over the wheel wells, this trailer maximizes the width, ensuring you don’t have wheels protruding into your tiny house.

  • Dimensions: Interior Build Space: 7’7″, Overall Height: 11’6 1/2″
  • Benefits: Maximized width, no wheel intrusion
  • Drawbacks: Higher deck height, which may reduce headroom
A two-axle flatbed trailer frame viewed from an angle, featuring a black metal structure with crossbars and a tow hitch at the front—perfect for supporting your tiny house on wheels or even a charming Tumbleweed model.
Diagram showing the dimensions of a trailer designed for a Tumbleweed Tiny House, featuring an interior build space of 7'7" and an overall height of 11'6 1/2". Side walls are 4" thick with metal siding. The maximum width allowed is 8'6".

Custom “Tiny House” Trailer

Modern tiny house trailers are designed to maximize both width and height. By building the trailer frame as wide as possible, these trailers allow for more living space inside. However, the wheels will protrude into your tiny house, which some may find less aesthetically pleasing.

  • Dimensions: Max Width Allowed by DoT: 8’6″
  • Benefits: Maximized living space
  • Drawbacks: Wheels protrude into the interior
A black and silver flatbed trailer with a dual axle design, perfect for a Tiny House. The trailer has metal slats and two black wheel protectors.
Diagram of a Tumbleweed tiny house on wheels with dimensions. The maximum width allowed by the Department of Transportation is 8'6". Interior build space width is 7'7", with walls having lap siding.

Avoid Dovetail Trailers

Dovetail trailers have an angled section that can complicate your build. “You’d either need to cut this off and weld on an additional straight piece or build up your foundation with wood to make it level,” Meg advises. Avoiding these trailers can save you a lot of extra work.

A person with curly hair and wearing a long-sleeved shirt is explaining something next to a rusty trailer hitch in a workshop, where various tools and equipment surround what appears to be the foundation of a tiny house.

Dove tail trailers can be relatively inexpensive, but require a lot of work.

Preparing the Trailer for Building

If you decide to use a second-hand trailer, here’s a brief rundown of the preparation process:

  • Strip the Trailer
    Remove any unnecessary parts and attachments.
  • Rust Removal
    Kill the rust, sand, and prime the trailer to prevent further corrosion.
  • Secure the Frame
    Attach necessary boards and secure the house to the trailer frame, ensuring stability and safety.
Close-up of a rusty, worn metal latch on a weathered wooden surface, evoking an image of a tiny house in the desert. The latch includes a handle slot and slight traces of red paint.

Most used trailers will have rust

This video was made in 2013 and features custom Tumbleweed trailers we sold to the general public – which we no longer sell because it’s become too custom for the average builder. That said, we suggest any DIY builder does a cost/benefit analysis comparing a used to new custom trailer.

Choosing the right tiny home trailer is an essential component of building a tiny house. Make sure you select a flat surface, appropriately sized axles, and an appropriate deck height to ensure maximum living space. If you decide to purchase a used trailer, be prepared to put in some work.