Tiny House Episode 1: Retrofitting a Trailer for a Tiny House

In 2014, we decided to build a tiny house and we documented the construction process along the way. We started by just taking pictures but later switched to recording the process on video. This trailer conversion was the first step in this journey.

Here is what the trailer looked like when we bought it. We later discovered the rims that came with the trailer weren't even trailer rims, nor were they rated for the weight we needed to carry.

We were in a rush and on a budget so what better way to get started than to buy a used trailer. Unfortunately, this decision came back to bite us in the butt. What I thought I found was a pretty good deal on a flat deck trailer ended up costing us more time and money than we expected. We discovered that this wasn't even a flat deck trailer but a boat trailer that had already been converted to a flat deck trailer. In hind site, the time spent getting the trailer prepared for the house would have been better spent working to pay for a custom trailer instead.

Here is the trailer after stripping off the deck. This is when we realized something was amiss with the trailer. We decided to continue with this trailer to avoid putting a new deck back on it to bring it up to a salable standard.

Here is the trailer after adding the side and rear extensions.

In addition to modifying the length and width of the trailer frame, we also had to beef up some of the existing frame to be sturdy enough to carry the weight of a fully furnished tiny house. The wiring and the brakes had to be redone and we also had to buy new rims and tires.

We insulated the frame of the trailer with foam board and insulated in between the 2x4" floor joists with batting.

Here is the floor completed and ready to start framing!

Despite saving a bit of money on the trailer, even after all the extra work and materials, I'm not sure that the extra effort was worth it. We spent almost a month making these improvements. If anyone were to ask me now, I would recommend spending the extra money on a brand new trailer. There are companies that build trailers specifically for the task of building a tiny house on them.

In this video I cover all of the modifications we made to get the trailer ready to install the framing.

Watch it on Dtube

Stayed tuned for Episode 2 where I talk about framing.
My Website: CanadianRenegade.com