Tiny Houses on wheels are classified as caravans and don’t require special permits to tow on the road. However you will need a vehicle that’s capable of towing a house model and to plan your route, avoiding bridges, tight corners and low hanging trees.
There are many enticing images on the internet of Tiny Houses being towed by freedom finding owners to their next adventure location. Many of these images are smaller houses towed by large vehicles in the US. Most of our clients have parked their fully functioning homes in one location for a few years and know they can move if they want or need to.
We’ve partnered with a professional towing company to deliver your Tiny House door-to-door, fully insured and with a temporary registration plate. If you’d prefer to pick up your new home from our factory in Coolum, Queensland or find yourself moving from where you’re currently parked, this Tiny House Towing Guide is for you.
Best truck for towing a tiny house
If you have a gooseneck trailer you’ll need a large truck with the right fitting and a truck licence to tow. We do build bespoke gooseneck homes but our popular standard models are built on flatbed trailers, referred to throughout this guide.
Not all large vehicles are designed with tow capacity. They vary in engine size, transmission gearing and fuel capacity. If you’re renting a truck or large vehicle for towing, check the tow ball size and tow capacity.
Our smaller Tiny Houses (4.8m and 6m) weigh around 3 to 3.5ton and the larger houses (7.2m to 8.4m) weigh up to 4.5ton. We build on scales to verify every kg coming into the build! To tow a 7.2m Mooloolaba you’ll need a vehicle with 4500kg tow capacity. Carsguide Australia has some good advice about locally available tow vehicles.
We keep our builds within the restrictions required for road transport in Australia:
- Maximum height 4.3m
- Maximum width 2.5m
- Maximum length 9m (10.5m including the draw bar)
- Maximum weight 4.5 tonne
There’s more to the tow capacity of a vehicle than engine size! You want a vehicle that’s licenced to tow the total weight of your home. Read more about your vehicle’s towing capacity at Cars Guide. If you’re minimising your lifestyle you probably don’t want a big vehicle for every day use so we hope these specifications help you hire what you need.
Identify and prepare the exact spot where you want to park your tiny house to avoid shifting it once it’s delivered.
Seeing your house on the move for the first time can be almost too thrilling! Listen below to our conversation with off grid Tiny House owners Kirra and Anthony about how they moved their 7.2m home twice:
Aussie Tiny Houses custom built trailers have:
- Weight capacity GTM 4.5 ton
- VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
- Electric brakes on all wheels
- Brake away system
- Hand brake system
Accessories for towing a Tiny House
Many of the following accessories come in different shapes and sizes for varying needs so you’ll need to check for a match!
For light towing, generally up to 1250kg, a tongue and ball bar are used. For heavier towing a hitch with a square hole for a removable tongue and ball are needed to distribute the weight.
The hitch is the part bolted or attached to your tow vehicle and will have a maximum load limit. The hitch has a square receiver tube where a removable ball mount will be inserted.
Ball mounts come with either fixed or adjustable drop and hitch balls come in different sizes and capacities as well. The size and capacity will be marked on top of the ball and should match the trailer weight. Set the hitch height before coupling the trailer to the ball.
The video below provides a good demonstration of how to hitch a standard trailer to a tow ball and connect the lights and brakes.
Consider weight when towing a Tiny House
Consider the exact weight you’ll be towing to remain within the limits of the hitch, tongue and ball.
The house and trailer of our 7.2m models are built within legal limits for Australian roads. Add the weight of anything that’s kept in your house while you move it. Then add passengers in the tow vehicle, fuel and anything else that’ll be moved by the truck. You should also consider the distribution of the load you will be towing to prevent the trailer from swaying.
Before you hit the road
- Check the tyre pressure
- Make sure the lights are all working
- Tow vehicle fuel tank full
- Close windows and vents
- Blinds are down and secure
- Close interior doors
- Clear kitchen counter
- Secure the fridge door
- Jacks are up or removed
- Disconnect utilities
- Secure any storage compartments
- Remove wheel chocks
- Lock the front door
Troubleshooting
The Tiny House movement has been going a long time in the US and although not all the information available on the internet is helpful here in Australia, we reckon Tiny Home Builders have great advice for the tricky job of reversing a trailer:
“Even with planning, not all reversing can be avoided. Grab the steering wheel from the bottom, then as you watch the trailer over your shoulder, turn the steering wheel in the direction the trailer needs to move. By grabbing the steering wheel from the bottom, the steering direction is again lined up with the vehicle direction. The turns made should be minimal as it is easier to oversteer a trailer. It can also be helpful to have a spotter, or a person standing near the back of the trailer. This person can help guide the trailer and alert the driver before accidentally hitting anything.”
We deliver Australia wide and every Tiny House is fully insured from our workshop all the way to your doorstep. Insurance companies require various documents that only registered builders like us can produce. Drywall and plaster are definitely not the best lining option for movable buildings. We use pre-finished timber lining panels to build your home.
Together, we will take care of all the necessary details to take the hassle out of transporting your Tiny House. A temporary plate will be attached to your trailer during transport which means you won’t need a permit or have to register your home right away. Read more about Tiny House Regulations in Australia.
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