Author: Cassandra Hui

Living in and building off-grid tiny homes

Can a Tiny House be 10 Feet Wide?

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

As tiny house popularity grows many questions come up about the size of tiny houses. Of course, tiny houses on foundations have a lot more freedom, but what about tiny houses on wheels? Can they be 10 feet wide?

Can tiny houses be 10 feet wide? Tiny houses on wheels (THOWs) can be 10 feet wide. They are called park models and will require special permits to move them. Tiny houses that are this wide are different from other THOWs in several ways.

My husband and I have been living tiny for several years now. He has built us three tiny homes and has worked on hundreds of others. We are looking to help people better understand what tiny houses are and how they work. Let’s dive a little more into learning about THOWs that are 10 feet wide.

10′ Feet Wide Tiny Houses on Wheels

Tiny houses on wheels (THOWs) that are 10 feet wide are called park models, and they can be different from standard-sized THOWs. They require special permits and additional requirements when moving.

And they must be registered differently, they are no longer seen as an RV. These homes are meant to be transferred to one location and left there, typically in an RV park.

So in short, yes you can build or buy a tiny house that is 10 feet wide. But depending on how you want to use it, it may not be worth it. There are other options if you have a specific concern, like having a downstairs bedroom.

A park model will also not be very mobile. It would be very difficult and costly to transport. But they can be very beautiful homes. If you have a permanent location for your home and want something a little bigger, this is a great option.

Whenever one of these homes is parked, they take out the axles and sometimes the tongue too. These houses are meant to be set in a semi-permanent location, so it is standard to dissemble part of the trailer.

Transporting a 10′ Wide THOW

Transporting a 10-foot wide THOW is a little tricky and it is not likely included in the initial cost. The requirements are different depending on which states you will be traveling through.

But you will have to have permits and signs and may even need to have an escort truck. I am sure you have seen these trucks following oversize loads before.

Most states do not require escort vehicles unless the load is over 10 feet wide. However, a few still do. But every state you go through you will need to follow their specific rules.

If you would like to know the cost to transport your tiny house, go to this site that will calculate it all for you, here. Keep in mind that you would have to follow these requirements every time you want to move your house.

Here are the things to research when moving your 10-foot-wide THOW:
Source.

The Driver:

In order to drive an oversize load, you need to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL). If you do not have a CDL then you cannot move your house by yourself.

Typically you will need to hire a company who will then set up one of their drivers to transport your house. It can be very costly to hire a company for an oversize load.

Trucking companies will charge quite a bit more for oversize loads, than standard loads. There are often routes that they cannot take at all, due to the size.

State Permits:

Every state has a different way of handling oversize loads. You will usually need to contact a section of the Department of Transportation. But sometimes it will be handled by a subdivision of the Department of Revenue, or potentially another department altogether.

You will need a get a permit for every state you will be driving through. This permit will dictate the type of load, conditions on which you can move it, the route you must take, any safety equipment required, and the time of day you may travel.

Of course, there are also fees for every permit. They typically range from $15-$70 per permit, depending on the state. And some states may even require a $15 processing fee.

There will likely be restrictions on the route you can take, the time of day you can travel, and of course how long the driver can drive. All commercial drivers have restrictions on how long they can drive.

Safety Equipment:

Safety equipment is critical when hauling any oversize loan including your 10-foot wide tiny house. This type of safety equipment includes flags, lights, and warning signs.

This is to ensure that the other drivers around you are aware and stay safe as well. Flags or lights, whichever is required, will need to be placed at all four corners of your tiny house.

Additionally, states will usually require a yellow and black sign that states you have an oversize load. Also, it is required that all banners, flags, and lights be removed or turned off when the truck is not moving.

Escort Vehicles:

When pulling your 10-foot wide tiny house you may have the requirement of hiring escort vehicles as well. Typically states do not require escort vehicles unless the load is over 10 feet wide.

However, some states require escort vehicles for every oversized load. You can have one of these vehicles meet you as soon as you enter the state that has that requirement.

Running Times:

The times at which you may tow your tiny house vary greatly between states and even within cities and counties. Typically they are less strict on loads that are 10 feet wide or less.

They will have requirements about which roads you can travel on and at what times of the day. They will likely try to avoid having wide loads travel during peak driving times or on holidays.

Some states may not allow night travel as well. If you do not follow the restrictions of your permit or you do not have a permit you will be subject to extreme fines.

Size of 10′ Wide THOWs

10-foot wide tiny houses can vary in length. Since they already require a permit to move, they can be longer or taller than the standard road requirements.

Typically people get a wider THOW to avoid having a loft, so they may not be much taller than the typical THOW. However, they can be longer if you want a bigger house.

Now keep in mind where you will be keeping your tiny house. If it is going to be in an RV park, they will likely have length restrictions. Or if you have land to put it in then it may not matter to you.

In order to technically be considered a tiny house, it would need to stay under 500 square feet. So it cannot be any longer than 50 feet. But most park model tiny houses are around 30-35 feet long.

Registering a 10′ Wide THOW

Registering an oversize tiny house is a little different than a standard size THOW. For the most part, you need a register them as a Mobile home, they are not looked at like an RV.

Since you cannot easily transport them, they are not viewed as the typical tiny house. This can cause some additional restrictions when it comes to where they can be parked.

It is best to check with your county on any specific requirements for living in your 10′ wide tiny house. Since it cannot be viewed as an RV, they will look at it like a home.

They may have some additional requirements like having an engineer certify that it is structurally sound. If this is the case, try to get the blueprints, it will make this process easier.

For more information, I have written more about registering a THOW here.

Other Options for THOWs

Having a 10-foot wide tiny house can be nice because it allows for more room. However, they are more difficult when it comes to transporting and maybe even registering them.

If you want a wider home because you feel like 8 feet just might not be enough, I would encourage you to look at some options. The way the house is built will make a huge difference on how big it feels inside.

We have had countless people tell us they could never live in a tiny house before seeing one. And then when they walk into ours, almost everyone has said, “I could definitely live in this house.”

Another reason that people think they want a wider house is so that they can have a downstairs bedroom. There are many beautiful bedrooms in 8-foot wide homes.

Again, I would just recommend looking at some first. There are lots of beautiful THOW with downstairs bedrooms that are not as wide. Look at models built on fifth wheels.

Cost of 10′ Wide THOWs

This is difficult to cover because the cost varies so much depending on where you buy your house from. There are lots of factors that affect cost including, location, quality of materials, certifications, and reputation.

However, some aspects are pretty consistent across the board. Tile will be more expensive than laminate and large windows will cost more than small ones.

10-foot wide trailers cost more than 8-foot wide trailers. Thus your 10-foot wide house will cost more than one that is 8′ 6″, even if the square footage is the same.

This is just because it costs more to buy those trailers and it will just cost more to build the house. It is always beneficial to compare costs over companies.

There are no standards on the price that I can give you, it all varies by company. And typically 10-foot-wide houses are custom, companies don’t usually list them as a model.

Does Having an Extra 2 Feet Make a Difference?

Many people have wondered if adding the 2 extra feet in the width of your house makes a difference. Honestly, it depends on the person. Lots of people have 10-feet-wide homes that they love.

And lots of people have 8′ 6″ wide homes that they love. So, what’s the difference?

Typically most 10-foot wide tiny homes feel a little more like real homes, they have bigger rooms and are less likely to have lofts. Although, anyone over the internet who tells you what it’s like living in one, is probably trying to sell you one.

I have been living in tiny houses for 4 years now! And every time we build a new house we go smaller. I find it hard to believe that living in a 10-foot-wide tiny house would make that much of a difference.

Our first house was very spacious. It was set up like a small house. There were two bedrooms with standing space and it had an open kitchen and living room.

Almost everyone who walked into our home said that that was something they could definitely live in. However, I definitely get wanting something a little bigger.

It really all depends on your lifestyle. We like to move a lot and having a 10-foot wide house would not be feasible for us. But I would definitely recommend looking at a few 8′ 6″ wide tiny houses before deciding on which one you want.

There are plenty of great options for 10-foot wide tiny houses but they will be more expensive and harder to move. If you know for sure that you have a secure place to live for years to come then this can be a great option for you.

Related Questions

How wide can a tiny house on wheels be? The standard width of a tiny house is 8 feet and 6 inches. Because this is the legal width for transportation. However, you can hull an oversize load as well. So then tiny houses can be up to 12 feet wide but will be more difficult to transport.

How big is a tiny house? The standard size of a tiny house is 500 feet and under, in America. Some other countries or organizations have different standards. For the most part, anything over 500 square feet will be considered a small house instead of a tiny house.

How to Power a Tiny House

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

Since tiny houses have taken off in popularity, many people have lots of questions about how they are set up and run. Let’s dig more into powering your tiny house.

So, how do tiny houses get power? Most tiny houses hook up to a power source through a 30 or 50 amp RV inlet. Many tiny houses are off-grid and those ones typically use solar for their power. There are some other options, but it is not a good idea to use a generator full time for a tiny house.

My husband and I have been living off-grid in our tiny houses for years now. We have had another building to hook up to, ran off of solar, used a wind turbine, and a generator. We have mostly been living off-grid and have had lots of experience with different types of power.

How do Tiny Houses Get Power

Tiny houses are wired up like a normal house. Everything is wired into the breaker box by following codes. It is not a wiring nightmare like most RVs. Also, RVs run off a 12 volt system, like what is in your car. RVs mostly use a 12 volt system, but they do use some 120 VAC as well.

A tiny houses, even ones on wheels, typically use a 120 or 240 VAC system. That means that they use AC power instead of DC, and will function like a normal house. A lot of tiny houses are just plugged directly into a power source, like another building or the grid.

Tiny houses that are off-grid must use an alternative source of power. There are several options here. The most common is solar power. You can use other forms, like a wind turbine, but these are typically less effective and have more maintenance requirements.

I have seen a lot of people write about using a generator for powering your tiny house. I am pretty sure that none of them live in a tiny house. There are several reasons why using a generator in a tiny house, as your only source of power, is not a good idea.

RVs have a small battery back up and many people who travel with an RV will use a generator. Tiny houses are not built the same way, and you will not have a battery bank if you do not have solar in your house.

Tiny houses are built more like homes. They are not as efficient with their power so you can run standard appliances, and live like you would in a normal house. Using a generator would not be ideal and would be costly with fuel. I will talk more about generator usage with tiny houses later in this article.

RV Inlet for Power

I was doing some scavenging around online to see what people were saying about powering tiny houses and I was shocked. One tiny house blog literally said to use an extension cord to plug into a power source. Do not use an extension cord!

You need to use a RV extension cord. There is a big difference. Even though that blog showed a picture of an RV extension cord plugged into the home, they did not specify. You can burn down you house with a standard extension cord.

Granted, if you are not using very much power it will likely be fine. But if you turn on too much at one time it will not be able to hold all of the amperage and will either flip the breaker it is connected to or burn up the cord.

A RV 30 or 50 amp cord is built to hold more amperage and will be safe running your house. If you are using 240 VAC then you need a 50 amp RV cord. The only acceptable way to use an extension cord is if you are gathering power from a generator.

Generators have their own barkers and will flip if the cord cannot hold the power. Thus you will not burn up the cord or your house. However, you cannot use a generator while you are using any heavy loads, it will just keep flipping the breaker.

The most common form of power for a tiny house is to plug into a power source. Either another building or house, or at an RV park. However, all tiny houses, even off-grid ones, have the option to plug into this type of power.

We have lived off-grid for several years now and have used all forms of power. It can be nice to just plug into another house and not worry about power usage or how your batteries are doing.

If you have the right solar set up you can feed back into the grid when you plug in as well. In our first house we had a every expensive inverter charger that allowed us to feed back into the grid. This is not common on most of them though.

We were moving states and stayed in my in-laws back yard for a couple months. They are truck drivers and are rarely home. While we were there and plugged into their house, their electricity bill was $20. As soon as we moved it shot up to $140!

Solar Powered Tiny Houses

Solar power is the most common off-grid method for tiny houses, and most other off-grid homes. They require the least amount of maintenance and last for a long time. Solar power is relatively cost efficient if you buy the right stuff.

Take a look at what we recommend buying for a small and large solar system, here.

Ever solar system will need lithium or deep cycle AGM batteries, a charge controller, an inverter charger, appropriate size fuses and breakers, combinder box, and solar panels. Which items to buy can be trickier and we lay that out in our recommended products.

Solar is the most reliable source of off-grid power. Even on cloudy days you still get power! That is why everyone goes with solar. You can find some cheaper sources of power like using a wind turbine, but if it is not windy for a couple of days you will have no power.

Maintenance:

Solar panels usually come with around a 25 year warranty. and require little maintenance. They will need to be readjusted for peak sun hours throughout the seasons. Other than that you will just need to clean the dust off every now and then and clean off any snow.

Battery Bank:

Your battery bank is a little different. Regardless of what off-grid system you use, you will need a battery bank. You batteries do not last as long as the panels and need to be taken care of for them to last.

If you completely drain your batteries you can permanently ruin them, if they are led acid. Batteries work the same with their lifespan whether they are in your phone, car, or powering your house.

As they age you will get less power out of them. When the Nissan Leaf first came out they could go 100 miles on a charge, after several years that will decrease and they will not go as far. Same goes for your phone, the older it gets the quicker it dies.

There are two main types of batteries, led acid or lithium. Led acid are cheaper up front but they do not last as long. They are only meant to have 500-1,000 cycles at 50% DoD, meaning only using 50% of the battery’s charge.

Lithium batteries are supposed to go 1,000-5,000 cycles with a 80% DoD. So they last longer and you can use more of the battery. A cycle is when the battery is charged up all the way and then used down. This is supposed to equate to a day, but not always.

If you do not have enough batteries to run all of your power than you may go through multiple cycles in a day and will likely ruin them very quickly. If you barely use your battery bank, they will last twice as long.

Wind Turbine

Another option is a wind turbine. This is great for additional power, but I would not recommend it for your only source of power. If it is not windy for a couple of days you will not have any power.

Wind turbines are cheaper than solar panels but they require more maintenance and will likely not last as long. There is constant motion in a wind turbine and that causes stress and leads to faster deterioration of any components.

Wind turbines work differently than collecting solar power. When there is excess solar power it dissipates, however when you have excess wind power it has to have somewhere to go. Wind power can over charge your batteries.

This is why all wind power requires a load dump option. This usually comes in the form of heat. If you install a load dump in your house it can be supplemental heat in the winter, but it will be very unwelcome in the summer.

Another option is to have a load dump that heats your water. This can be a bonus in the winter or a negative in the summer. The option is up to you, but having wind power is more complicated than solar power.

Also, if you have a hybrid system you can get a hybrid charge controller, but they are usually for small systems only. Typically you will need to buy two charge controls, one for your solar and one for your wind turbine.

Generator

I have seen several people write about running your tiny house off of a generator. I have never seen anyone do this, and I doubt that anyone who lives in a tiny house actually recommends this.

A tiny house without a solar system will not have batteries. That means that you have to run your generator 24/7 and you cannot let it turn off for too long or everything in your fridge will melt.

Most generators are loud and would have to be filled at least once a day with fuel. It would be extremely hard to live full time off of a generator. We did it once, when we first went tiny because we could not get our solar hooked up.

It was awful. I had to go out in the middle of the night and start the generator or fuel it almost everyday. We had solar, it was just not set up yet. We ended up ruining our fridge because it kept cutting off and on again.

We then got our solar set up and only used the generator for back up. When we first went tiny we did not know that much about solar and our batter bank was too small. We had to use the generator a lot.

I always recommend having a generator as a back up anyway. You may get an intense snow and not be able to clean your panels or get too many cloudy days and then you will need it. But living off of it would be way too difficult.

Keep in mind that a tiny house is meant to be lived in full time, it is supposed to be a home. When traveling or staying in something temporarily than you can get away with a lot more. But living in a tiny house should be like living in a home.

My guess is that if you are living uncomfortably, constantly fueling a generator, driving your house to dump you black water, not having hot water because you didn’t know you were out of propane, you will not stay living in a tiny house.

And then it will just have been a waste. We went through many difficult times living tiny, but we still love it. Although, we are not like most people. We lived in a tent for two months while my husband built us our second tiny house.

But now I get to help others understand how to live tiny. If you read my posts and follow my advise, from someone who has been living tiny for four years now, you will not regret it.

Related Questions

How do tiny houses get water? Most tiny houses hook up to an external water source, like another house or in a RV park. But lots of tiny houses have holding tanks for fresh water as well. You can haul water to your house or pull your house to fill it up.

Can solar panels power a tiny house? Solar panels can power a tiny house but you will also need a battery bank for nights and cloudy days. In order to calculate how many panels you need you will need to calculate your power usage.

Everything You Need in a Tiny House

Let’s talk about everything you need in a tiny house. Building or buying a tiny house can seem daunting if you do not understand how it works. This post is for those that are self contained. If you are hooked up to power and water than you can set you tiny house up just like a regular house.

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

So, here is everything essential you need in a tiny house:

  • Water storage
  • Tankless water heater or small tanked water heater
  • Water pump
  • Holding tanks
  • Minisplit, most common for A.C. and heat
  • Propane (if needed)
  • Solar (if needed)

Living in a tiny house can be a lot like living in a regular home but there are some differences. Most of the difference come into play when you are self contained or living off-grid.

My husband and I have been doing this for several years now and I would like to help you understand what makes tiny houses different from a house or RV.

Everything You Need in a Tiny House on Wheels

In this article we will be talking about a tiny house on wheels (THOW), and mostly talking about being off-grid, but you can set up any THOW like this as well. If you are building a tiny house that will have a permanent location and be plugged in than you can build it like a regular house.

Here is a list of some of the essentials needed in a THOW:

  • Water storage
  • Tankless water heater or small tanked water heater
  • Water pump
  • Holding tanks
  • Minisplit, most common for A.C. and heat
  • Propane (if needed)
  • Solar (if needed)

These are common things that most people need more information about when building or buying a tiny house. However, a tiny house is a complete home. There are many more requirements for a tiny house like the trailer, siding, roofing, interior walls, etc.

This article is just going to focus on what id different for a normal house; So you know what the things you need to consider when building a THOW over a house. We have had lots of experience with all of these.

Water Storage for a THOW

Water storage is key in a tiny house if you cannot hook up to city water. This is something many people take lightly, but living without enough water can be very difficult, trust me! I have written more information on water storage here.

We have always hauled water. We keep a sufficient size fresh water tank and we have another tank that we use to haul water to our house and fill the tank in the house. Of course we can take the house and fill it up, like an RV, but it is difficult to move your house every week.

Many people only put 40 gallons of fresh water storage in their house, but we find that this only lasts us about 2 days! We recommend going with somewhere around 100 gallons, this will at least be more comfortable.

If you have a larger tank for hauling water that you can store water in, than a smaller tank in your house is not so bad. There are some major pitfalls to this so be careful! It is very difficult to drive a truck around with thousands of pounds of water on the back.

And it is extremely dangerous to drive with a half full tank. You also need to be cautious of it freezing. Please read more about what I wrote on water storage here, if you are not completely sure how to set up your system.

Tankless Water Heaters for a THOW

Most people go with tankless water heaters in their tiny houses. There are two options. You can go with a tankless water heater to a small tanked water heater. The tankless saves room and power, which is a huge bonus is a tiny house but they come cons as well.

You can check out more information on specific water heaters, and our recommended ones here.

Tankless Water Heater Pros:

A tankless water heater saves space, it can be hung right on the wall are barley takes any room. They are relatively the same in the total cost when buying and setting them up as it would be to get a tanked one.

Also, tankless water heaters are MUCH more energy efficient. This is the biggest benefit if you are living off-grid. Tanked water heaters constantly keep water warm, whereas tankless ones only heat water when you are using it.

They are very efficient with power and, unlike most tanked ones, many of them use propane to heat the water, instead of electric. Using propane for heat also saves on your power usage. However, almost all tanked water heaters use LOTS of power constantly.

Tankless Water Heater Cons:

There are a couple of downfalls for tankless water heaters. First of all, you need to buy propane. You can buy one’s that use electric to heat the water, but if you are living off-grid you will probably want to save the power and use propane.

We have found that it uses about a 20 pound tank of propane every 2 months. You can find places that refill your propane tanks, instead of always exchanging them, which is much cheaper. We spend about $11-15 on refiling a tank every couple of months.

The other cons to having a tankless water heater are more trivial. You have to wait for the water to heat up. Although, honestly, this happens very quickly. It takes less time than living in a big house and waiting for the hot water to run through the lines to your faucet.

If you had a tanked water heater in a tiny house than the water would be hot almost instantly, because the lines are so short. A tankless one takes some time to heat up but not that long. However, every time you turn the water off it will get cold again.

This can be a little more irritating. If you turn the water off to shave, then when you turn it on again, it will be warm then cold then hot. Since it is only producing hot water when the water is flowing, it stops heating as soon as you turn it off.

These cons are relatively minimal compared to the benefits that you get with them. That is why most tiny housers use tankless water heaters. If you are living off-gird than the easiest method is a tankless water heater.

Water Pumps for a THOW

Many people do not think about water pumps because city water has pressure. A standard house does not need to pump water, it comes from the city with a lot of pressure. However, if you are using water from a tank you will need a pump to provide the pressure.

Most people building a tiny house use a 3.1 gallon per minute water pump. You can get them in different voltages. A 12 volt water pump is very efficient and is a great option if you are living off-grid or wanting to save power.

Another common option is to get a 120 VAC water pump. These use AC or alternating current instead of DC or direct current. It is less efficient but more common in houses. DC is what’s used in RVs.

It is worth noting that you can also get a 24 or 48 volt water pump, however those are much less common. They are hard to find and more expensive. Check out our recommended water pump options here.

Holding Tanks for a THOW

I have written an entire article about holding tanks here. So I will just cover the basics in this article. If you plan to move your house around or travel, or live in it at all when it is not hooked up to a sewage system, you will need holding tanks.

As I mentioned before, we recommend having 100 gallons of fresh water storage. If this is the case, than you will need a 100 gallons of used water storage. So make sure you have enough space for 200 gallons of storage.

This will be broken down into 30% for black water and 70% for grey water. So you will need a 30 gallon tank for your black water and a 70 gallon tank for your grey water. Unless you have a composting toilet. Than you would want a 100 gallon grey water tank.

Even if you have a compositing toilet and do not need a black water tank you will still need 100 gallons of used water storage so that you cannot over flow your grey tank. If you are staying somewhere permanent than you can set up a french drain for your grey water instead.

Minisplits for a THOW

Minisplits are one of the most commonly used AC systems in tiny houses. Given that a tiny house is so small it is pointless to have something bigger and you cannot run ducting through the walls of a THOW.

We have had experience with several AC units and minisplits, look at out recommend products here.

Minisplits were originally built to have AC in one room of a large building. This allows complete control over the temperature for that room without affecting the rest of the building. This is ideal for conferences.

Given the size of a tiny house, minisplits work perfectly. The only downfall is that they do consume a lot of power. Often times they will use all of our solar power or dip into our batter bank as well.

Of course almost every form of AC uses a lot of power. There are many days that we leave the widows open and just use the fan on our minisplit. It will be warm in the house still, but if there is enough airflow it is not bad and this uses almost no power.

A note on windows in tiny houses. I would just like to mention window placement in your tiny house. Having windows that are right across from each other can cool down the house a lot. Especially over the bed! If you are low on power and it is a hot day, this will be a life saver when you go to sleep!

Propane Usage in a THOW

Many tiny houses use propane for things like their cook top and tankless water heater. Using propane saves electric power. Propane is relatively inexpensive and great for heating. We use about one 20 pound tank every two months.

If you are using propane in your tiny house you will need storage for it and to run gas lines in your house. Your propane storage needs to be kept outside. And you need a cut off switch for each appliance that uses it.

It is also a good idea to have two tanks with a dual tank regulator. This will automatically switch tanks when one runs out of propane. Then you will have time to refill the other one. I have had the last half of my shower cold several times, not highly recommended!

Solar for a THOW

This is a very complex topic that I have a lot more to write about it. Here we will just cover some of the basics that are in THOWs. Not all tiny houses have solar. You can plug into a grid or use a generator. However, we have found that solar is the typically the best option.

After you buy the right solar equipment, you will not have an electricity bill any more. It will end up paying for itself. Plus it gives you the freedom to move about and travel, without worrying about hooking up somewhere.

My husband has done extensive research on solar, checkout everything we recommend here.

For your solar system you will need deep cycle AGM batteries or lithium, an inverter charger, charge controller, combinder box, appropriate size fuses and breakers, and solar panels. This is a lot!

Check out what we have used and what we recommend so you do not have to do all the research and testing yourself.

Where to Put Your Utilities in a THOW

Most THOWs have an utility closet where they keep all of these items. There are a few important factors to keep in mind. These are often only accessible from the outside and they are not well insulated. These can freeze and ruin much of your equipment.

It is best to keep this somewhere closer to the inside where there will be a more regular temperature. Also having better accessibility can be beneficial. We have had to go outside to turn off our inverter when the batteries got to low before.

Also, keep in mind your climate. If you are going to be somewhere cold at all, you need to think about your water lines. If you run your water lines under your house they can freeze much easier.

To keep your water lines warm enough, the house has to say quite toasty in very cold climates. Keep in mind that they are under your house, not well insulated and there is direct airflow under your house on wheels.

With your utilities make sure you have easy access to all of your cut-off valves in case of emergencies. Also, you should keep your water safely protected from your electrical and solar, if not completely separate.

Related Questions

What materials are needed to build a tiny house? Tiny houses are built a lot like regular homes. You can use standard 2 x 4s and 2 x 6s for framing, standard windows, doors, etc. It is not typical to use vinyl siding or shingles. THOWs usually have metal roofs and for siding either use wood or lap siding or board and batten.

What type of toilets are in tiny houses? You can have a regular flush toilet, composting toilet or incinerator toilet in a tiny house. Tiny houses do not usually use RV toilets. If you have a permanent location for your tiny house than most people use a regular flush toilet. And those who live off-grid or travel a lot usually have a composting toilet. I have written an article about toilets in tiny houses here.