Ep. 13 - Framing the main trailer to my two trailer tiny house - Tiny House Build Update

[@rob1971]

It's fascinating seeing how much thought you're putting into each step and your reasoning behind your decisions. Your videos will be a great resource for anyone wanting to build their own tiny house, even if it's just a single trailer one. Keep up the great work and stay safe whilst you're doing it!

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Haha and you don't see the options that never make it. Something this complex just needs it. But that is part of the fun. Thank you Rob, I really appreciate that. It's the reason I share it. Cheers, thank you for watching 👊

[@rob1971]

@@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse If you get a chance it would be quite interesting to see you going through the various iterations of one of the design decisions, including any tools you use during it. I'm glad you've been getting decent weather to allow you to continue during the winter and look forward to the next video 👍🏻

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

@@rob1971 hmmm a lot of it is very organic. Half the video would be me laying awake at 2am 😆. But no I get what you mean and I'll give that some thought. Actually there is an upcoming vidoe on bracing the end structure for the swinging walls that does do that a bit. I might be able to add a little in. Well it rain has come now so we have a few days off

[@rob1971]

@@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse I'd definitely like to know about how you go through iterations and a little more about where you gained your engineering experience. Enjoy your days off, I'd say they were well earned!

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

@@rob1971 I'll give it some thought how I can do a vid on it. I'll try to include some in vids. 😆 I don't have any engineering experience. I just spend a lot of time learning

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

This is still Fantastic !!. Who puts a study in a trailer home ?. Nobody except you with a 2 trailer home. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 🙂 The bedroom and bathroom are going to be nice as well. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Great Work and Great Explanations.

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

😂😂😂 well a key part of my design was the fact that I do most of my work from home. When I'm programming I can do 16 hour days so it was really important to me that I had somewhere comfortable to sit but also that I could have a physically separate space to wind down. Really important. One of the things that lead me to think differently about what a tiny house could be. Cheers man, thank you for following along 👊

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

@@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse I have been following you since you did the mini trailer. I get it, this has to be designed the way you need it. We can take some of your ideas and run with it for a trailer. It's Great. 👍🏽 We have talked before about your 2 trailer home. Nobody is doing it like you. 🤫🤫🤫 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

@@72Dexter72Manley72I've seen. So grateful you have followed the journey for so long. I love your input 👊. I hope the ideas I share can help others on this journey. Excited to see what we can do with this one 😃

[@yv6eda]

Amazing progress!

[@JodieMiners]

I love how you have tried to future proof things. There extended header over the doorway is excellent. It will be interesting to see if you come across any aspects in the future where you haven't thought things through enough yet and they take you by surprise. I'm worried about the box gutter and I was pleased when you acknowledged that they can be a problem, so hopefully that is one place that doesn't take you by surprise (living with 3 years of water ingress has not been fun)

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Oh there will be plenty I am certain of it. In fact I have already learnt things I would do differently. Box gutters just need to be done right! Luckily mine will have good access should I ever need to replace it. It'll have a large rain head and mesh to stop the outlet blocking up. Also to stop it clogging if I get heavy hail followed by rain. I'll then have additional spouts so that if I get a heavy downpour it can overflow.

[@JodieMiners]

@@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse good to hear. I can't wait to see the level of detail you explain it to us. I really appreciate that detail you go into.

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

@@JodieMiners I'll make sure I do a video on it. Thank you I'm glad you enjoy the detail. It's a challenge to get it all in and not put you to sleep 😆

[@conniedecrescenzo7782]

You seem to have thought of absolutely everything. Don't know how you manage it, but so happy that you do. Really appreciate all these updates.

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Well thought of a lot. I am finding a lot that I haven't, but that is part of the process. Also why I love people on here contributing to help think of things I have missed. Thanks for following along Connie.

[@Homebery]

Lovely work, thanks again for the update and clear explanations! 💚

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Thank you as always team :). Appreciate you following the process.

[@emersonkk33]

I'm assuming you need to the bracing for lateral movement mainly during transportation? If so, what about using removable cross bracing using steel bars/cables and tightening the tension with turnbuckles? If this might work, you could build in the needed anchoring now. And it would be easy to test. Also, if you want to keep the open air feel but need the upper cabinets for storage, perhaps an open shelving system that will fit the style you are going for? Great progress. Looking forward to the final product.

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

That is a great idea. Funnily enough transporting wont be an issue. When the walls swing around and lock in it actually braces up that opening really strong. Mainly trying to take out movement that will be caused by strong winds, slamming doors etc. I just don't want that kind of movement in the house. I have just finished doing the bracing and it has taken heaps of movement out. I might do a video on it. Great idea on the overhead cupboards. I am going for a very clean minimal look so I'll have to see how that looks but I do like it. Even had the idea of a single hardwood shelf. Thanks for following along Kirk :)

[@emersonkk33]

@@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse If I remeber right, you plan on moving these very little. How would taking that same idea of the steel cables and turnbuckles but on the outside, on all four corners with secure anchors driven into the ground? We use to do the same concept with practice soccer (fotbal) nets as do many tents. You could just make them more substantial. But then again, you're doing such a fantastic job, your tolerances with the swing out walls, floor and roof may just be enough to stop most of the sway. Especially if you do an external bracing too. A galvanized piping and wood shelving system may look good in a minimalist setting. A floating shelve would look good too but hard to make it strong. You may be able to get that minimal look with simple threaded rods and bolts. I followed you back when you built your first tiny home. I plan on building out a car-hauler and your vids give me some great ideas and definitely inspiration. Keep them coming and I look forward to seeing the finished product.

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

@@emersonkk33 structurally I could but aesthetically probably not. I've actually done the first part of the bracing and its taken heaps of movement out. I've got one more trick up my sleeve that I think will get it all the way. Yeah I'm going to see how it goes with shelving/cupboards. Some good ideas. I think open shelves will certainly help. That's awesome man. Would love to see what you make. I'll try to keep the vids coming 😉

[@judiarmstrong7052]

Hi great build. For the open end of the tiny house see if you can have a look at the back pan tech truck back with no door just a tailgate or roller door at the back. As they are very strong and very open. This may help but you seem to be very switched on. Good luck

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Great idea, thanks Judi. I'll have a look. My feeling is they probably do what I should have done and integrate the end posts into the structure of the trailer more. In hindsight I should have built it into the trailer. The bracing has helped heaps. I'll go have a look at trucks. Thank you

[@zacdredge3859]

Well box gutters themselves are a hassle but I'm more concerned by the lateral bracing; if the roof members go full width with the I-beam section it would brace the centre of the structure more which you definitely want considering there's no internal walls. Anyway glad your close to lockup and things are going well. I was kinda stoked to see your corner window framed in, just saw some of those in a demolition sale. My main issue with them is transportation though, honestly. Also I want to have a door that wraps around into a window and I've never seen that as a ready-made product.

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

The walls are still connected by a 90x45. Even if I took that truss full width it would still be sloping so give me marginal bracing against racking. I am aiming to incorporate some bracing into my internal fitout to help brace the walls. Corner window is my favorite. Now at the stage of adhering the glass on that one... it's a big effort to get right. I am excited to see how it looks but not for the light hearted. I am using 8mm toughed glass just to ensure it is structurally sound

[@taekin9781]

Love these build updates mate. So excited seeing it all come together! What did you end up using as the wrap? I am with you 100% with the pine. Also trying to build as natural as possible. It's so tricky!

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Thank you Tae! Yeah when you walk past and smell the solvents coming off these things sitting in the hard I just wasn't sure about wrapping them up inside a vapor barrier. I'm using foam cell and it's meant to be a game changer for darker iron. I'm working on a vid about it atm.

[@leo169]

Very impressed with the adventure forward approach you are taking with this. Are you going to use copper for the internal gutters?

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Hey thank you! No we most commonly use stainless steel here but I'm not going to bother as it's crazy expensive and my gutter will be pretty serviceable.

[@stephieubanks]

Are you also writing the music bed tracks ? I think you might be, just curious ~_^

[@JoelAdrianFilms]

Love the detail! One question about the X metal strapping. I'm working on my build and the exterior has already been sheathed but I would still like to add the strapping! Would it be equally as effective it it was added to the interior studs?

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Yes bracing on the inside of the studs, while not really a practice would still provide structual support. Need to focus on fixing the ends well though as you won't be able to wrap it around your base/top plates. If the ends don't hold the strapping doesn't work.

[@patrickflanagan3786]

Hey mate im currently putting together some plans for my own tiny home build. Im wondering why you chose a timber frame? It seems like the light weight steel frame is a good option. Id love you're opinion on both materials.

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

I went timber for a couple reasons. Availability - there are no steel frame places near me. Complexity - I have a very complex build and need the versatility of timber to be able to modify things on the fly. Steel you have to design once and not change it, the strength is built into design of the structure. Preference - I don’t love the thermal transfer or drummy sound of steel and I like working with timber. But for a straight forward build that is pre-planned steel frames are a good option. I'd probably still do timber because I can make the frames myself.

[@baileyeverard7271]

Hey mate I know your not sharing plans but if you could tell me whats the height of the tallest point in your framing? Also the height of ur trailer. Just trying to wrap my head around how tall I should plan out the frame to keep it under 4.5m whilst accountingbfor the height of the trailer. Going to be building a similar trailer to urs. By far the best explanation on youtube 🙂 thanks

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

The tallest part is on the side trailer. From the trailer to the very very up including roof frames is 3040mm, 3090mm if you include cladding. The trailer is about 700mm unloaded. Oh brilliant are you doing a two trailer design? Thank you in I'm gald you find it useful

[@baileyeverard7271]

Two Hands and a Tiny House great, shorter than I was thinking ahaha! Are you planning a loft on any of the trailers? Will be keen to see how that comes along. And only planning on a single trailer right now, just extending it to 5.5m-6m. Definitely like this flattop trailer design though . So I’ll definitely be back here when I’m designing it. So thanks for all the helpful vids !

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

@@baileyeverard7271 ahh yes that's one of the benefits of my design. It's much lower. I won't have a loft. Instead everything is on the ground level. But obviously my design comes with huge complexity. To give you a guide I think roughly flat deck is about 700mm, drop deck 600mm and drop deck with drop axles 500mm but depends on the manufacturers etc. Good luck in the planning, I hope we get to see the build. Also 4.3m is your limit. 4.5m only applies to livestock trailers. Assuming you want to be road legal without permits

[@baileyeverard7271]

Two Hands and a Tiny House didn’t know that! So thanks. And ahah yeah yours is a bit too complicated for me😅😅 keen to see how it comes along though! Definitely gonna be using some of ur ideas

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

@@baileyeverard7271 you want to look at VSB1. Here is the section on dimensions www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/vsb1/vsb_01_b.aspx#anc_21

[@EmuMan44]

Did you ever consider metal stud framing? What was your rationale if so.... not a critisicm, just wondering love you work :)

[@Homebery]

I guess his build is not typical, due to the connection idea and there is a lot of trial and error, would be a paid experimenting with a metal frame.💚

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Yep, what Homebery said. The main reason is complexity. To be honest I don't know what half of this is going to look like until I build it. There is a lot of tweaking to get things right and I am making most of it up as I go. I wouldn't have been able to draw up what I needed because I didn't know, and I need the flexibility. Also a few other reasons. I MUCH prefer timber as a framing material. It's not as drummy, and sooo much easier to work with and run services. I will be using a dark iron and a steel frame would effectively become a huge radiator. Even with thermal break there is a lot of steel that will absorb and radiate heat. Then there of course cost and availability. Given frames for a standard trailer costs about $3k I hate to think what this would cost. I spent about $1k on timber and $300 on bracing. I am in the country so I would have to get to a city and transport my frames out here. I will consider steel frames for a future build though.

[@tumbleweed1976]

What is taking so long ;-)

[@TwoHandsandaTinyHouse]

Hahaha my response might violate community guidelines ;)