Author: Cassandra Hui

Living in and building off-grid tiny homes

Loft and Ceiling Heights in Tiny Houses on Wheels with 7 Examples

This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.

Many people have had concerns about their height in a tiny house on wheels (THOW), our homes have always felt spacious. So I wanted to cover this topic in more detail to help everyone understand THOWs better.

So, what are the loft heights in a Tiny House on Wheels (THOW)? On average a loft height will be from 36″ to 48″.The height will depend on multiple factors, such as the height of the trailer you are using and the type of roof shape you choose.

So, what are the ceiling heights in a Tiny House on Wheels (THOW)? Average ceiling heights under a loft will be from 6′ 7″ to 7′. However, ceiling heights where there is no loft are 9′ 6″ up to 11′! But this will vary depending on the type of roof you choose.

Let’s look more at how the heights are determined. The total height of the house will be 13′ 6″, including the trailer. There is a standard max height for THOWs. However, the loft and ceiling heights can vary drastically based on a few factors.

The Determining Factors for Heights in THOWs

The legal height limit for tiny houses being pulled on the road is 13′ 6″ in almost all states. There are a few exceptions, such as in Oregon the height can be 14′ tall. THOWs are built to be 13′ 6″ high for legal towing purposes.

The ceiling height in the house will then vary based on three factors; Trailer height, occupant height, and the roof shape. If a company uses different trailers then the actual house height will vary about 4 or 5 inches. There is not usually a standard ceiling height for any specific model of a THOW due to the trailers being different.

Trailers are typically 26 to 38 inches tall. That will leave a foot variance in height depending on which one you use.

Another determining factor is how tall the people living in it will be. If someone is 6′ 4″, they won’t want their ceilings to be 6′ 7″, so they will need more height on the main floor and this will result in lower loft heights.

The final determining factor of ceiling height is the shape of the roof. If you have anything but a flat roof then wherever the roof sloops you will have less height on the inside of the house.

Loft and Ceiling Heights in THOWs

Typical loft heights are from 36″ to 48″, or 3 feet to 4 feet. These are built based on how much room you want in them but also how much ceiling height you need below them. Given that the overall height can only be 13′ 6″, then taking height out for the loft will lower the ceilings.

For example, trailers are typically 26″ to 38″. Let’s say your trailer is 3 feet tall and your lofts are 3 feet tall. That leaves 7′ 6″ for your ceiling height. If you are a taller person or want higher ceilings then you will have smaller lofts.

Let’s say you want to sleep in your loft and you have the same 3-foot trailer. You then decide to go with a 4-foot loft height and now you will have a 6′ 6″ ceiling height below your lofts. This is customizable to your lifestyle.

Ceiling Heights Not under Lofts

You can have very high ceilings in THOWs when not under a loft. Most THOWs have one or two lofts on either side of the house, and then in the middle, they are very open. This makes the home feel a lot bigger.

Keep in mind that the roof shape affects the inside height. You can have a very grand and luxurious tiny house if you have high ceilings, making the house feel open. If you do not have any lofts you can create and beautiful design and make your tiny house feel very open at the same time, but you will lose space.

7 Examples of Different Roof Shapes and How They Change the Interior Height

Here are seven of the most popular roof shapes.

  • Flat
  • Shed
  • A-Frame or Gable
  • Gambrel or Barrel
  • Butterfly Roof
  • Double Shed
  • Saltbox

Let’s dive into these a little more and see how it affects your interior height.

Flat Roof

You will not lose any interior height with this style.

Shed Roof

A shed roof is a slope. It’s typically a 2/12 pitch to keep as much interior height as possible. This means that it will drop 2 inches for every foot in length.

THOWs are normally 8′ or 8′ 6″ wide, so the roof will drop 16 or 17 inches on one side. So if you have a 42-inch loft height, then on the slopped side you will only have 26 inches of space.

A-Frame or Gable Roof

With an A-Frame the tallest point is in the middle and the edges have less headroom. These types of roofs typically max out at a 6/12 pitch.

So if the middle of the trailer is the max height at 13′ 6″, then the sides will be 11′ 6″, including the trailer height. Let’s use the same example of a 42-inch loft. In the middle of the loft, you will have 42 inches of headroom. Up against both walls, you will only have 18 inches.

Gambrel or Barrel Roof

These are standard barn roofs and look like half barrels. The highest point is still in the center but the sides maintain more of their height.

On average you will lose about 6 inches of height on each side of the walls. Thus a 42-inch loft will be 36 inches on each side. However, these are one of the more difficult and costly roofs to build.

Butterfly Roof

This is where the roof slants down toward the middle from the front and back of the trailer. The lowest part of the roof is where the two sections of the roof meet. This can be in the center of the house or offset.

This will mean that your lofts, at the far ends of the house, will have the most height, and the center, typically where you have open ceilings, will have less overall height. This can be a great setup for maintaining a good amount of height in your lofts.

Double Shed Roof

This type of roof slants downward toward each end of the trailer, with a parapet wall in the middle, which divides the two slopes.

With this style of roof, you can only have a loft on one side. The lowest part of the loft will be against the wall. You will get more height as your loft gets closer to the center of the house.

Saltbox Roof

This is an offset A-Frame. On each side of the roof, you will have a different pitch so that the walls can be the same height. Typically the steeper slope will be an 8-9/12 and the other side will be a 3-5/12 pitch.

The center of the loft will be higher and you will lose space as your head toward the walls. It is hard to say exactly how many inches you will lose and it varies based on where the peak of the roof is located. You will lose anywhere from a foot to two and a half feet of height against the walls.

Related Questions

How high is a Tiny House trailer?

Typically trailers for building tiny houses are between 26 to 38 inches in height. It depends on the manufacturer for the exact height. This will then impact the interior height of your house since they have a max height of 13′ 6″ to be legally towed.

Can you have a Tiny House loft with standing space?

You can have standing space in your tiny house loft, you will just need the area below to be used for storage or a seated area. You will not be able to build a loft where you can stand in it and under it in a tiny house on wheels.

Do Tiny Houses Have Addresses?

This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.

I have lived in several different states in our tiny houses and it is always interesting when it comes to getting an address.

So, do tiny houses have addresses? Tiny houses can have addresses if they are parked somewhere permanent. If they are constantly moving or parked on unnamed land then they can use a P.O. Box or a family member’s address.

So the answer is: it depends. If you are parked in an RV lot than you will have an address there. If you are parked on someone else’s property, then you will have their address. But what if you are constantly moving?

Getting an Address for a Tiny House that Travels

Having the freedom to travel or move frequently is one of the major appeals for those looking to get a tiny house. It was for me. My husband and I were planning on moving frequently and we did not want to throw money away on rent or continually be buying and selling homes.

We have pretty much always had a P.O. Box since we have been living tiny. This is probably the easiest method for those who move. It is safe and relatively cheap. I typically get a P.O. Box near my work. That way even if we move around the area I know I will be close to the same Post Office often enough.

Another option, is to have a family member get your mail. You can leave your address with your parents, a sibling, or a friend. This can be convenient if you travel so often that you do not know when you will be anywhere long enough to set something up.

This is not always an option for everyone and it can be a burden on the other family member. If they need to forward your mail every so often, because you are not around, this can be time consuming although it is free.

You can set up a central location and have a P.O. Box there. Then you can just return when you need to collect your mail. Be careful with this method though, the Post Office keeps an eye on that type of thing and you may need to be constantly putting a hold on your mail if you get too much.

Getting a Physical Address can be just as easy. The Post Office will have a physical location address, you can use this with Suite: Box Number, for your physical address. For example: My Name, 123 Post Office Rd, Ste 123, Reno, NV 89433. I have had a lot of packages mailed to me with this method and have used it for account set ups too.

If the packages are small and fit in your box, they will leave them there. If they are slightly bigger they will leave a numbered key in your box for you to open a larger box and get your package. If it is too big, they will leave a yellow slip and you need to go to the front desk to get it. This has to be done during regular business hours.

Getting an Address for a Tiny House that is on Unmarked Land

When this is the case you can still use a family member or friend’s address and collect it from them. But the best option is to get a P.O. Box, since you will at least live in that area for a while. There are Post Offices in every town, even if it is very small.

When my husband and I first moved into our tiny house on wheels (THOW), we moved to unmarked land in Utah. We were allowed to temporarily stay on this land. We would just move to different BLM areas every so often until we were able to find somewhere permanent.

This was our first time living on unmarked land and getting a P.O. Box. We also needed a new bank account because they did not have our bank there. During this process the banker asked us for our physical address. We didn’t have one.

This was before we knew the trick about using your P.O. Box location and box number as your physical address. We told them we lived on 5 Mile Pass, which was the name of the federally owned land parcel we were parked on. And shockingly that worked.

As tiny houses become more popular things like this will become easier. I try to go paperless on as many items as I can so I do not have so much mail all the time. However, I still keep all of our important paperwork. The best option is to get a P.O. Box and use it as a physical as well.

Getting an Address for a Tiny House that is on Someone Else’s Land

There are a few options here:

  • Use Their Address
  • Use a P.O. Box
  • Add an Additional Address

Obviously, you can just use the same address and sort mail. This can be a great option if it is a family member. If you do not have a close relationship with the owner of the land, this may be awkward. Especially if you get a ticket in the mail.

Again, a very good option is getting a P.O. Box. In this case you can still use the land you are staying on as your physical address, and just use the box as your mailing address. The downfall to this is that you do have to make those trips to get your mail.

The third option is to add an additional address and mailbox. This is not as easy as just putting another mailbox in the ground. The Post Office will need to recognize that as an address for them to deliver mail there.

I would only recommend this if you know that you will be there for a long time. You would need to get approval from the zoning board and then talk to your Post Office to get an address set up. The zoning board will need to do an inspection and many places do not allow tiny houses. You can talk to your local zoning board and see the requirements for this process.

How to Change Your Address when You Move Your Tiny House

We have been living tiny for several years now and have moved to four states now. And in two weeks it will be five! We will be moving from Portland, Oregon to Reno, Nevada. Moving is one of the best parts of owning a tiny house. However, moving in a tiny house is very different than in a larger house.

The first couple of times we moved we had family either where we were moving from or where we were moving to. This makes it much easier. We simply forwarded our mail from our current location to their house. Or left our mail going there until we got a P.O. Box and then set up forwarding.

This was a pretty simple process. We would get a P.O. Box as soon as possible and they would just forward all of our mail after a couple weeks. There was usually only a couple weeks of overlap between moving and getting our mail.

However, now we are moving from a location and to a location that we don’t have any family. I talked to the Post Office about this and it is actually very easy. A couple of days before we leave we will set up a P.O. Box in Reno online.

Then we can go into our Post Office in Portland and have them call to get your box number. This way we can set up forwarding before we leave, so we don’t miss any mail, and we can return our keys as well. I was so glad to find out I did not have to drive to Reno and back just to set up a P.O. Box!

Steps to Moving a P.O. Box

  • Apply online for a Box number at the location to where you will be moving.
  • Go into your current Post Office and have them call the new one to get your box number.
  • Set up mail forwarding at the Post Office or online.
  • Return your keys to your current Post Office.

Related Questions

Can I put a tiny house on my property?

This will very greatly depending on where you live. Some counties allow a ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) to be placed on property with a larger home. Some places do not allow them at all.

What is considered a tiny house?

Most definitions consider a tiny house anything that is less than 500 square feet. Many tiny houses are on wheels, but not all of them. They can be mobile or be on a foundation.

How to Separate Your Bedroom in a Tiny House

This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.

The first tiny house my husband built had two bedrooms that were separated from the rest of the house. We did this for privacy and practical use.

So, how can you have a separate bedroom in a tiny house? You need to have walking room and a door to your bedroom. You can have a closed off downstairs bedroom or a loft with walking space. There are different ways to do this based on what type of tiny house you have.

Here I want to go through some of the concerns that people have about going tiny, such as privacy with their own bedroom, and explain how you can still live the way that fits you best but just in a smaller space.

Tiny Houses with Separate Bedrooms

You can separate your bedroom from the rest of the house in a few different ways. If you have a loft you can build a walk way beside the loft or under it to create standing space in your room.

In our first tiny house on wheels (THOW) we had a hallway running along the bathroom, under the loft. This led to the stairs heading up to the room’s standing space in the back of the loft. This way we could fit a king size bed in our loft and still be able to walk around in our bedroom.

Another additional feature of this layout was that the bathroom door could also cover the hallway, leading to a completely closed off bedroom. This allowed for complete privacy in the bedroom.

Another option, without lofts, is to have a downstairs bedroom that is closed off. There are many options for these. You can find lots of ideas for how to have a separate bedroom in a tiny house that is not on wheels. It is a little harder to find one in a THOW.

Downstairs bedrooms will take up more floor space in your home. Some people want this type of bedroom to avoid having a ladder. In our first house we had stairs going up to our bedroom loft. Having a well designed loft can often times be better than a downstairs bedroom.

Reasons to Have a Separate Bedroom

Your bedroom is an important part of your life. It is understandable that you would want the most comfortable option for you. Consider both of the positive and negative reasons for having this style of room.

  • Other People Living with You; The Need for Privacy
  • Getting Dressed and Changing in Your Bedroom
  • Keeping Pets Contained

The reason our first house had two bedrooms, each with their own standing space, is because we were anticipating having another family member live with us. It ended up that it was just me and my husband living in it.

I definitely wanted a closed off bedroom for privacy. I wanted to feel alone when I was sleeping, not like there was someone else in my room, beside my husband. And I wanted to have a place to get dressed where I was not holding the bathroom hostage.

If you are living with other family members, it is a great idea to have a door to your room. This way you are not taking up the bathroom just to get changed or do other things, like makeup. The other option is to get dressed in your living room or kitchen. It can also feel awkward to get dressed in those places, especially if you constantly have to adjust curtains.

One thing to consider is your pets. My husband and I have five dogs in our tiny house! We do not like to have them roam the house at night because they are terribly smart and can get into the trash. Having a closed off bedroom allowed us to leave them all out at night and not worry about them getting into anything else.

Reasons to Not Have a Separate Bedroom

  • You usually have a hallway, which wastes space.
  • You may not need it, if that not how you live

Having an separated bedroom can sound like a good idea, but there are some downfalls. The first one being that you typically have a hallway. This means wasting space. A hallway takes up space that you cannot use for storage or living area, it is relatively unused space.

Having a hallway leading up to a loft can be great for using stairs and not relying on a ladder. However, if your house is around 200 Sq. Ft. then this is a lot of wasted space. There are a couple of designs that avoid this.

The way to avoid having a hallway is to have your bedroom on one side of your home and your bathroom on the other side. This does eliminate a lot of creative designs for tiny homes though. If you have built a house that’s plenty big enough for you, then this will not be a concern either.

Another caveat to having a separate bedroom, is wasted space in the room. Even if you don’t have a hallway, you may still be wasting space. There is limited room around your bed and it is hard to walk around in, unless there is a lot of room dedicated to that space. And it is also hard to have storage in that room.

If you live by yourself or only with your spouse and you are not concerned about your privacy than this may just be wasting space for you. Often times people want a private bedroom because they don’t want to feel like they are living in a tiny house.

You should craft your home to what fits your life. If you spend almost no time in your bedroom, then don’t worry about having space in it. A tiny house should highlight the important areas of your life while eliminating the wasteful ones.

A tiny house should highlight the important areas of your life while eliminating the wasteful ones.

Cassandra hui

Keep in mind that if you put everything a big house has into a tiny house, it is no longer a tiny house. You should focus on what fits best into your life and get rid of the unnecessary components.

Creating Privacy in Your Tiny House

One concern for many people, when it comes to going tiny, is their privacy. This, of course, is more difficult when you have other family members living with you. There are two different aspects of privacy that affect the way your home feels.

The first is feeling privacy inside your home.

Living in a small space may feel like everyone is involved in very part of your life. There are some ways to help lessen this:

  • Having Closed Off Rooms
  • Spending More Time Outside
  • Planning Time with Friends

Having less privacy is not always a bad thing. This can help you build a stronger relationship with your spouse as well as recognize what’s truly important to you. Having a deeper understanding of yourself is one of the greatest aspects of going tiny.

The second form of privacy is where your house is located.

This can be a real problem for people who live in a tiny house in tightly packed locations. They may have trouble feeling secluded. If this may be a concern for you then I would recommend that you spend a little extra money on thicker insulation and curtains.

If you live in a very rural area then you will feel an extreme amount of privacy regardless of how thick of curtains you have. One of the great aspects of having a tiny house is the location. This is especially true if you live off-grid, like we do.

Other Bedroom Options in a Tiny House

There are many great options for bedrooms in a tiny house. Some can be pricey but they allow a lot of space or storage.

Other Bedroom Options Include:

  • Murphy Bed
  • Elevating Bed
  • Full Bedroom on the Tongue of a Fifth Wheel

Check out some of these other options if the more typical ones do not sound appealing to you.

Related Questions

Can you have a separate bathroom in a tiny house?

Most tiny homes have an actual room for your bathroom. They are small bathrooms, but for the most part they are all closed off with doors.

Can you have a downstairs bedroom in a tiny house on wheels?

There are lot of options for having a downstairs bedroom in your tiny house on wheels (THOW). This can make it more difficult to fit in storage or other living areas, so you need to focus on what’s most important to you.