We have finally got our 32ft gooseneck trailer! We were so excited to go pick our baby up. Now comes the hard work and enjoyment of creating our tiny home!
We hoped to have the weekend to work on it but Mother Nature had other ideas about that. We were able to get the custom leveling legs made and installed before the bottom fell out on us Saturday. No work Sunday as it rained all day! A real bummer for us.
Here are our custom drop legs to help level the trailer on uneven ground. We used a 3500lb drop leg we bought at Harbor Freight and Ronnie welded a 2inch hitch to the trailer frame so that we can remove them when traveling.
Getting ready to weld! Making sure everything lines up and getting the hitches clamped in place. We have one welded in place on each side of the trailer. This will help to better level the trailer when we park it on uneven ground for short periods of time. Once we park it for a long stretch, we will block it up to keep the back end level.
11 comments:
What make and model of trailer did you go with if you don't mind me asking? Also what kind of truck will you be using to tow if/when you move your home?
I'm in the dreaming stage and really curious about tiny homes built on gooseneck trailers but unfortunately there's not a lot of information out there on them and I'm a bit concerned that if I got a 32-34 foot trailer I wouldn't be able to tow it with anything but a specialty truck.
The make and model of our trailer is a 32' Hooper brand. It is what they call a "deck-over" flatbed. Ours has two 7000 lbs single wheel axles but will eventually get a third one. Any one ton dual wheel truck can pull these trailers without any special permits or licenses. I'm not sure about the people's republics' laws on the matter though! I don't know what your calling a "specialty truck" but one ton pickups are sold everywhere. If you build light and small enough you could easily pull it with a single wheel one ton pickup. These look like a 3/4 or 1/2 ton pickup but have a much higher weight capacity and usually have more pulling power.......they also have 10ply sidewall tires. Usually, if your looking for a truck like any of these you can look at dealerships in farming or agricultural areas.
Hope that answers your questions,
Guy in the pictures
Thanks for the info, it definitely helps!
I'm not very knowledgeable about cars/trucks and am currently not the owner of any. My plan is to eventually build the house on my mother's land where it will likely be parked for a considerable time (I'm my mother's caregiver but could really use a personal space with mobile options hence my interest in tiny homes on trailers) so I was planning on renting, borrowing, begging favors if/when I do need to move the house. I know that tiny homes built on traditional trailers can be towed with a uhaul if a good truck isn't available but goosnecks don't seem to have that option so I was worried I might be painting myself into an unmanageable (or at least super expensive) corner but thanks to your info I know what to look for when it comes time.
Thanks again!
Well, there are other options when it comes to goosenecks. Out west many manufacturing plants use what are known as "HotShots"! These are people who own a one ton truck and a flatbed trailer.?.?.?. When a company wants some thing hauled very quickly from point to point without the heavy transportation costs they call a hotshot. If you hired them for moving it would negate the need for buying a truck. Sounds like you have never even towed anything with a truck before though, so I would say keep it small and light and use a bumper pull...........and only get a truck when you plan on moving! I on the other hand have pulled with both type and know the advantages to gooseneck trailers and would never try to haul this much weight from a bumper pull!
Guy in the pictures
If you don't mind my asking, where did you purchase your gooseneck from?
I'm currently in the dreaming/planning stage & would really appreciate the help!
Meli
We found a local trailer company that sold new flatbeds. We found out what kind they carried and ordered ours. Our trailer is a PJ Trailer. http://www.pjtrailers.com/
Check out their website for some ideas. You can order them custom from options. We went with the deck over flatbed without ramps.
Good luck on your planning Mel. :)
I know you probably get tired of all the questions but.........here is another one......
Do you know what your possible finished weight will be of Tiny once totally complete? Or is there some kinda guestimate per 8ft in length average?
At the trailer places they want to know the approximate weight of what you will be hauling in order to get the right size & number of axles & all that for the trailer you are looking at purchasing. I was just wondering if there is some kinda average formula or something to go by to make it easier to figure out or how others get thru this part?
Our trailer is rated for 15,000 lbs and we thought that would be plenty. We are starting to wonder now. We plan to have it weighted at a station once it's done. Our saving grace is that my Husband has worked on trailers before and can add an extra axle if we need it. I would say over estimate from what you think it might be. Are you planning on hauling yours a lot? If not, then it wouldn't matter too much if it's a bit overweight. I wish I could tell you how much Tiny weights now but I can't even fathom it!
Well my plans are to build it here in my backyard while I live in my current house. Once it's completed (or close enough) then put my house on the market & sell it & then move the TH to its hopefully final destination! It's final destination will require it to go thru about 5 states.
Ok so I found some info & thought I would throw it out there! It may help put your mind at ease (or not) I found this site with some info about weight! I hope it's ok if I share it here. http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/road-limits-for-tiny-houses-on-trailers/ If you scroll down they give a little projection about weight. At least now this gives me a better idea as to what I should purchase.
Thanks for that link Mel! It kinda did ease my mind a lot. We plan to haul ours with a 1 ton anyways. And the 40ft is right around our weight capacity for the trailer axles and is bigger than ours. I have no doubt the trailer will take the weight..it's made extremely heavy duty and we did a lot of extra re-enforcement steps along the way but the axles and tires where what worried me. We don't plan to haul ours all that much. It will stay where it is for a while so we can save for some property. We'll be looking a state or two away so not that far. :)
Trailer trucks are great vehicles to own especially if you love traveling. Thanks for sharing your progress with us, and I hope to hear more from you, Chrissy! Have a nice day ahead!
Liza Pilon @ Prairie City RV
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