How To Build Your Own Tiny House On Wheels

By | January 23, 2025

How To Build Your Own Tiny House On Wheels – Have you ever wanted to learn how to build a tiny house step by step? Then you came to the right place! 

Building the THOW is easy with the right guidance. Here are the exact steps I took to build my 24′ tiny house on wheels from start to finish with zero construction experience.

How To Build Your Own Tiny House On Wheels

There is a lot of information out there on how to make a THOW: guides, videos, books, tutorials and lots of little home tours etc.

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However, it’s easy for people starting out in tiny house construction with little or no construction experience to get lost and give up before the project even begins.

So I wanted to make everyone’s life super easy by creating a simple step-by-step guide covering all the resources I used and the steps I took to build my 24′ x 8’5″. .

Gentlemen! Sing it here. In 2018, I was tired of paying thousands of dollars in rent every month. I thought there had to be another way. 

So long story short, later that year I spent the next 5 months planning and building my 24′ THOW from scratch! I named my house @ and have been living there ever since. 

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During the construction process I learned everything I needed to know including framing, wiring, plumbing, roofing, mini-split installation, plumbing, etc. 

Now there is a lot of information about building a THOW: guides, videos, books, how-tos and lots of little home tours. Because of this, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and many people give up before starting a project.

So I wanted to make everyone’s life super easy with a simple and easy to follow step by step guide that includes all the resources I used and the steps I took to build my tiny house on wheels, even with no experience!

So you want to learn how to build a tiny house on wheels, but how do you get started?

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A successful tiny house goes through two main phases: planning your tiny house and building your tiny house. If you’ve already finished planning your build or are in the process of building your tiny one, skip straight to How to Build a Tiny House: Building Tiny.

Before you even think about building a tiny house, you need to make sure you have enough money to cover the construction costs. 

So how do you know how much you need to save to build a tiny house? It costs $30,000 to build a new 24-foot tiny house from scratch. You can build it even cheaper by following the instructions below.

SketchUp is a tool that allows you to digitally design, visualize and modify any building, in our case a small house. In a few hours you can bring your ideas to life.

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The folks at Tiny Nest have a SketchUp tutorial that will teach you everything you need to know when it comes to designing a tiny house.

SketchUp is a paid tool but you can get the free version 2017. This is the version I used for my little one and it has enough features. Getting the paid version is not necessary.

When you learn SketchUp, play with it. You can design your own tiny house from scratch or buy a tiny house online and recreate and modify it in SketchUp.

Now you have just learned SketchUp. But how the hell do I know if the house I designed is structurally sound?

Part 1: Building A Tiny House (uk)

When you see the whole process of building a tiny house, you will feel more confident.

If you’ve never built anything in your life, I recommend keeping your design as simple as possible.

If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA. You can’t build there. That’s a hard no-no.

So if you’re like me, you’ve lived in a townhouse with no extra building space. Try these options.

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Once you’ve decided on your tiny home and found the space to build it, it’s time to make a list of materials and start building.

To compile your materials list, simply count the number of studs, beams, roof panels, siding, insulation, appliances, windows and doors, appliances, etc. you need based on the tiny house plan you designed or purchased. 

Then find the price and quantity of the materials you want to buy and add them to the materials list.

So that’s out of the way, let’s build! Here are ALL the tasks you need to complete in that order.

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If you have no previous experience with used trailer repairs, I recommend purchasing a new trailer designed specifically for small households.

Now, when ordering a small RV, I HIGHLY recommend getting square fenders and undercarriage skirting options from the manufacturer if they provide them.

These add-ons will cost a few hundred dollars more, but will save you a lot of time, money, and energy.

These pre-installed ones make your job easier as you simply insulate the floor and install the floor covering directly over the trailer.

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Insulate your foundation with R-23 Rockwool insulation (the least do-it-yourself option) or insulation that goes into the foundation.

Leave 1/8″ gaps between all boards for expansion. Attach the platform to the trailer using self-drilling metal-to-wood screws.

Place the walls in sections that you and your helpers (family, friends, even neighbors) can pick up later. Mark and square.

Raise the walls one by one. After the walls are lifted and installed, prevent the walls from moving by crossing the wall sections.

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Like this: Wall security. Now, if your trailer comes with pre-welded bolts, secure it with Simpson Strong fasteners.

Alternatively, you can drill 1/2″ holes in the bottom plate, floor and platform of the trailer and use a combination of Simpson nuts, bolts, washers and heavy duty fasteners to secure the wall sections to the trailer frame.

Once the walls are up and secured, you’ll notice that there is still a “scale”. don’t worry After the wall cladding and roof are installed, the walls will become solid stone.

There are many loft designs. No need to reinvent the wheel. Pick one and go!

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Use 3/4″ plywood or OSB to cover the attic. Use as many cover pieces as possible to reduce waste and save money.

Erecting the attic at the beginning of the construction process will allow you to easily install roof ridges. Attach it in the same way as the floor coverings.

Precut based on your roof design. For most small homes, a 2×6 roof will be sufficient for most use cases.

Depending on your design and choice of insulation, the roof may or may not need to be vented. Do your research and build accordingly.

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Use 1/2″ plywood / OSB to cover the walls and 3/4″ for the roof. Use as many whole pieces as possible and divide them to give strength to the crack.

After the walls and roof are completely covered, trim the sheathing to allow for any openings such as windows and doors.

Housewrap is a weatherproof barrier that protects your home from rain, air and moisture penetration. It helps you dry out your home while you work on the interior of your home.

The casing is installed between the outer cover and the wall cladding. The tar paper/roofing board/underlayment goes on top of your roofing but under your deck material. It also acts as a moisture barrier.

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For small houses, a metal roof is the best choice. It is expensive, but it lasts over 50 years, is very energy efficient and makes your home look very stylish!

If you’re looking for an inexpensive option, you can order basic, classic rib-style metal siding from Lowe’s and Home Depot.

But if your roof design is more complex (though not recommended) and requires additional hardware and roofing parts, then I would recommend visiting your roofing company to get some quotes for your roof.

Before working on the roof, make sure you have installed the dashboards and do the necessary preparatory work (according to the manufacturer’s requirements) for a proper installation.

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I went with the LP SmartSide siding. It is an artificial wood product with the texture of wood but mixed with some magical materials that last for over 50 years.

It is inexpensive, comes pre-fabricated and is easy to install. (DIY friendly!!) Lowe’s and Home Depot usually have these products as they are quite popular.

I don’t have much experience with offline settings. While it’s doable, I recommend connecting to the grid to make your tiny house installation as easy as possible.

Here’s a step-by-step guide that will teach you everything you need to know about installing your tiny house on wheels.

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I majored in physics and graduated from an electrical engineering school. When I was building, I knew nothing about residential wiring.

You don’t need an electrical degree to properly wire your home. You just have to know 

If you still feel uncomfortable with the wiring in your home, it may be time to seek professional help.

Let me tell you, I love using the air conditioning and heating. I like to blow in summer and winter.

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Because a small house does not need much energy for heating