Before you sketch your floor plan or choose your cladding, there’s one decision that will literally form the foundation of your future tiny home: the trailer. While it might seem like a logistical choice, getting the trailer right is the most critical step in building a tiny house on wheels. It’s the platform upon which your entire life will be built, so understanding the nuances of trailer types, size, and weight is essential.
The tiny house movement is all about embracing a simpler, more minimalist way of life. It’s about more than just downsizing; it’s a commitment to thoughtful design, financial freedom, and a lifestyle that prioritizes experience over possessions. But a successful build starts with a solid, reliable, and legally compliant foundation. A tiny house trailer is more than just a piece of metal—it’s the chassis that determines your home’s mobility, stability, and even its livable space.
Choosing to build on a trailer also unlocks a range of benefits:
- No need for building permits – because trailers are classified as vehicles rather than permanent structures, they are not subject to the same building permit processes. This removes a major hurdle, making it faster and easier to get started.
- Compliance built in – trailers are designed to meet existing caravan regulations. This means your tiny house is already aligned with established safety and road-use standards, giving you confidence in both legality and practicality.
- Freedom to move – a trailer base gives you the ability to take your home with you. Whether it’s a lifestyle change, a new job in another town, or simply the desire for a change of scenery, mobility is a built-in feature.
- Reduced overall costs – without the need for foundations, extensive council approvals, or other requirements tied to fixed dwellings, the overall cost and complexity of your build is kept lower.
- A step toward affordable housing – at a time when accommodation costs are rising across Australia, tiny houses on trailers provide an accessible option. They create a pathway to home ownership and independent living that is far more achievable than traditional housing.
Flatbed vs. Gooseneck: Choosing Your Tiny House’s Platform
One of the first major decisions you’ll make is choosing the type of trailer to build on. The two most common options are flatbed trailers and gooseneck trailers. Both provide solid, roadworthy foundations, but the choice you make will have a direct impact on your home’s layout, height, and mobility.
Flatbed Trailers
Flatbed trailers are the most popular option for tiny homes. A flatbed trailer has a standard hitch and a large, flat surface that sits above the wheels. These trailers are ideal for maximizing your tiny home’s floor space, as the build can extend to the full width of the trailer. They are generally simpler to tow with a standard vehicle equipped for the weight. Because the bed sits above the wheels, it reduces interior height slightly—around 20 centimetres—bringing your home closer to Australia’s 4.3-metre road limit. Flatbeds are also relatively straightforward to tow with a suitable vehicle, and their design lends itself to open, single-level layouts that make the most of the available width.
Gooseneck Trailers
Gooseneck trailers are less common but offer unique advantages for larger or more spacious builds. The raised neck section, which extends over the tow vehicle’s hitch, creates extra interior space that can be used as a dedicated bedroom or generous loft. This design can sometimes eliminate the need for a second-storey loft, opening up more living space below. Because goosenecks are typically bigger and heavier, they usually require specific towing vehicles and, in some cases, special permits for road transport.
Making the Right Choice
When weighing up your options, think carefully about how you want to live in your tiny home. Do you picture a compact, single-level layout with an open-plan design, or are you aiming for more room and separate spaces such as a dedicated bedroom? The type of trailer you choose will heavily shape your design, mobility, and costs, so it’s worth taking the time to match the platform to your long-term lifestyle needs.
Sizing Up Your Tiny Home: The Importance of Width and Length
Once you’ve decided on the type of trailer, you need to consider its dimensions. In Australia, if you plan to move your tiny house on public roads without special permits, you must adhere to strict regulations. The maximum width for a tiny house on wheels is 2.5 metres. This is a non-negotiable legal limit, and exceeding it means your tiny home will no longer be considered a caravan and will require a different set of certifications and regulations.
While the width is fixed, the length of your trailer is where you have flexibility. This choice depends entirely on your personal needs and priorities. The available space on your tiny house trailer will directly impact what you can fit inside. For example, if you want a ground-floor bedroom, a longer trailer is a better choice. If you’re content with a loft bedroom, you have more flexibility to choose a shorter trailer. The length will also affect the number of separate rooms you can have, the amount of storage you need, and the overall feel of your home. It’s a delicate balance between having enough space and keeping your tiny house easy to tow and manage.
The Weight of Your Decisions: A Critical Consideration
More than just size, weight is arguably the most crucial factor in your trailer choice. The total weight of your tiny house, including the trailer, the structure, all your belongings, and any occupants, must be considered. Under Australian caravan regulations, the maximum total weight is 4.5 tonnes. This is known as the Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM), and it’s a hard limit that must not be exceeded.
Calculating the weight is a complex but essential task. You need to know the weight of the empty trailer itself, and then factor in the weight of the timber framing, insulation, electrical wiring, plumbing, appliances, furniture, and all your personal items. It’s a good idea to leave some wiggle room in your calculations to account for future additions or changes. The article How to Build a Tiny House on a Trailer from the Aussie Tiny Houses blog provides a great starting point and checklist for this.
Exceeding the 4.5-tonne limit can lead to fines, legal issues, and make your tiny house unsafe to tow. The second weight consideration is the towing capacity of your vehicle. You must ensure that the vehicle you plan to use for towing can legally and safely handle the total weight of your tiny home. For this reason, it’s vital to choose a trailer with a weight rating that can comfortably accommodate your build.
Build on a Strong Foundation
If you’re planning to build your own tiny house, the best place to start is with a purpose-built trailer. Our engineered trailers are designed specifically for tiny houses, giving you a reliable foundation that’s built to last. Each trailer is rated to hold up to 4.5 tonnes, providing the strength and stability needed to support your entire structure for years to come. All trailers come standard with paint protection to guard against rust and wear.
For those wanting to maximise interior space, our low-profile trailer is a smart option. Sitting closer to the ground, it provides additional ceiling height and improved loft headroom, while still offering the same durability and structural integrity as a standard trailer. This is especially valuable when building within Australia’s 4.3-metre road regulation height.
If you’re unsure where to begin, we also offer a subfloor upgrade. This clever system creates a sturdy, level base that makes your build easier from day one. Constructed as a single sheet that is glued and screwed directly to the trailer, the subfloor is lightweight, waterproof, termite-resistant, and insulated to R1.4 — helping you build a home that’s strong, efficient, and comfortable.
Manufacturing time for a trailer is typically 6–8 weeks from order to completion (please note, this timeframe applies to the trailer only). For more details or advice on choosing the right trailer for your build, get in touch with our team.
Trailer Inclusions
Every trailer is engineered to Australian Standards and comes with:
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- Compliance plate
- Flatbed trailer design
- Steel DuraGal construction
- Full paint protection against rust
- Hand brake
- Electric breakaway system
- LED rear lights
- 4 stabilisers
- 4 anchoring points
The Cost and Quality of Your Foundation
Your trailer is the first and most important investment you will make in your tiny home. While it might be tempting to save money by opting for a cheap or second-hand trailer, this is one area where cutting corners can lead to significant problems down the line. A purpose-built, engineered tiny house trailer is designed to support the unique weight distribution and structural integrity of a tiny home. A cheap trailer may not be built to handle the constant shifting of a house on the move, and its integrity may fail over time. You should expect to pay between $11,000 and $22,000 for a quality trailer, depending on its specifications and features.
Building Your Tiny Life
The process of buying a tiny house on wheels is a journey that starts from the ground up, literally. From understanding what is a tiny house to exploring the tiny house vs van life debate, every choice contributes to the final product. Your trailer choice is the first domino to fall, influencing everything from the number of rooms you can have to the maximum weight your home can be. It’s the most important decision you can make in your build, and getting it right will ensure a solid, safe, and mobile home for years to come.
Deck Trailers: Expanding Your Tiny Living Space
For those wanting to take tiny house living to the next level, our Deck Trailers offer the perfect way to expand your home with style and functionality. Designed with mobility and strength in mind, they seamlessly connect indoor and outdoor living while keeping the flexibility of a relocatable trailer.
You can choose from two options:
- Deck Trailer with Pergola – a stylish outdoor extension with an insulated ceiling, engineered steel frame, and customisable finishes to match your home.
- Deck Trailer with Pod and Pergola – all the benefits of the pergola design, plus extra indoor living space for greater comfort and versatility.
Available in sizes from 6 to 10 metres, each deck trailer features high-quality composite decking for durability and easy upkeep. Built with a steel frame and engineered to Australian Standards, they come complete with essentials like a VIN, compliance plate, hand brake, electric breakaway system, stabilisers, anchoring points, and LED lights.
Whether you’re after a sunny spot to relax, a place to entertain, or a functional extension to your home, our deck trailers combine practicality with modern design—helping you create a tiny house that truly feels complete.
As you plan your tiny home, you’ll encounter other significant decisions, such as where you can you park your tiny house and how to make sure your home adheres to tiny house regulations in Queensland or elsewhere in Australia. But all of these decisions are secondary to the foundation. By carefully considering the type, size, and weight of your tiny house trailer, you are setting yourself up for a successful build and a future filled with the freedom and joy of living tiny.
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