Trailer Based House

In my late teens and early 20s, I dreamed of living deep in the mountains in a house with all the modern comforts. The movies Jeremiah Johnson and The Wilderness Family inspired me. “But how could I build a home like that in such a remote location?” I thought. I came up with the idea of using a trailer as the central unit and building a house around it. I have a sketch of it stored away somewhere.

I saw this as an economical and practical way to build a modern house in a remote location. My dream has since evolved to a less remote location near a town with all the latest services, and to a more temperate climate, like the foothills, not a high-elevation wilderness with severe winters.

Here’s what I came up with for a home: Build a large A-frame-style house-like structure over a brand-new trailer. This would provide a second layer of weather protection, a great room on one side of the trailer, a garage and workshop on the other, and a large second-floor space divided into an office or studio, a second bedroom, and storage.

I had never seen anything like what I imagined until today. Although the following design differs from mine, its basic idea is the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bathroom entrance (above.)

 

The bathroom is on the first floor of an added building with a second-story tower.

To keep costs low, my design uses the trailer for basic needs, such as a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and heating and cooling. Adding electricity, especially a heating and cooling unit, to the structure built over and around the trailer would be optional. Lights and plugs on the exterior of the trailer might be sufficient for the great room and garage.

 

 

 

Since a house takes up much of our savings and income, I’m always looking for innovative and inexpensive ways to build a custom house without creating a financial burden. This often means creating something unique, which is much more fun and interesting than a track home. 🙂