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Tiny Houses

This tiny house expands in size with the push of a button

By Adam Williams
September 22, 2016
This tiny house expands in size with the push of a button
The unnamed towable tiny house measures 26 ft (7.9 m) long
The unnamed towable tiny house measures 26 ft (7.9 m) long
View 15 Images
The unnamed tiny house comprises a maximum total floorspace of 250 sq ft (23 sq m)
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The unnamed tiny house comprises a maximum total floorspace of 250 sq ft (23 sq m)
Inside the bedroom area
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Inside the bedroom area
The bathroom
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The bathroom
A small storage room
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A small storage room
The lounge area with couch that pulls out into a bed
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The lounge area with couch that pulls out into a bed
The kitchen also includes a refrigerator that operates off propane and electric
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The kitchen also includes a refrigerator that operates off propane and electric
Another shot of the kitchen
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Another shot of the kitchen
The unnamed towable tiny house measures 26 ft (7.9 m) long
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The unnamed towable tiny house measures 26 ft (7.9 m) long
The unnamed towable tiny house is legally classified as an RV and measures 26 ft (7.9 m) long
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The unnamed towable tiny house is legally classified as an RV and measures 26 ft (7.9 m) long
The roof is metal and the siding is board and batten, while the interior is finished in white painted ply
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The roof is metal and the siding is board and batten, while the interior is finished in white painted ply
The bathroom
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The bathroom
Once in its expanded state, the tiny house comprises a maximum total floorspace of 250 sq ft (23 sq m)
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Once in its expanded state, the tiny house comprises a maximum total floorspace of 250 sq ft (23 sq m)
It's actually being used as a demo model by the firm and so still needs a few bits and pieces tidying and finishing up before being sold
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It's actually being used as a demo model by the firm and so still needs a few bits and pieces tidying and finishing up before being sold
The slide outs are electrically operated and push out with the press of a button
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The slide outs are electrically operated and push out with the press of a button
The homes have triple-seal protection and a built-in gutter to ensure no water gets inside
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The homes have triple-seal protection and a built-in gutter to ensure no water gets inside
View gallery - 15 images

You can only make tiny houses so wide while remaining road legal, so tiny house firm Tiny Idahomes borrowed a neat trick from RV's and trailers and has installed slide-outs in several of its homes. Its most recent model is currently on the market for US$68,899 and features a dining room, bedroom, and lounge that slide out with the push of a button.

The unnamed towable tiny house is legally classified as an RV and measures 26 ft (7.9 m) long. It's actually being used as a demo model by the firm and still needs a little finishing up before being sold.

The roof is metal and it's clad in board and batten siding, while the interior walls are finished in white painted ply. Inside, once in its expanded state, it comprises a maximum total floorspace of 250 sq ft (23 sq m). It's unusable when not expanded and would only be left like this for transport.

The interior includes a pretty generous looking U-shaped kitchen, a small-ish bathroom with shower, sink and toilet, and a small storage room. The three A-frame slide-out sections are used to increase space in the bedroom (which is on the ground floor), the lounge, and the dining area.

The kitchen also includes a refrigerator that operates off propane and electric
The kitchen also includes a refrigerator that operates off propane and electric

The slide-outs are electrically operated and contain two metal rails on each side that are powered by a 12 V electric motor. Tiny Idahomes also told us that the homes have triple-seal protection and a built-in gutter to ensure no water gets inside.

The tiny house gets power from an RV hookup or can be connected to a solar unit, while the oven is operated with propane. There's also two 12 V batteries on board. Four water tanks store fresh water, toilet waste and the like, and the walls, floor, and ceiling are each rated to an R-value of R-15.

Source: Tiny Idahomes

View gallery - 15 images

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Tiny HousesBuilding and ConstructionHouseHomeMicro-HouseTiny Footprint
8 comments
Adam Williams
Adam Williams
Adam scours the globe from his home in Spain in order to bring the best of innovative architecture and sustainable design to the pages of New Atlas. Most of his spare time is spent dabbling in music, tinkering with old Macintosh computers and trying to keep his even older VW bus on the road.

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8 comments
pwndecaf
These are always interesting to me, but I wonder what the benefit is over just buying a mobile home? Wouldn't that be cheaper? This one seems to cost less than most we see here.
Fairly Reasoner
If this doesn't make it obvious that these things are just overweight trailers, then there's nothing more to say on the subject.
Island Architect
As an architect who has worked on public housing, fine residences, and the most Impressive houses in Michigan, I have to say that this series of very small houses are nothing but horrible. If they are trailers for people to take to some park, maybe fine. But these are very demoralizing to me and I think that they demean humanity.
Bill
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is a cool idea. Expand it when used and compress it when being transported.
voluntaryist
R-15 all around? Why limit it to the South? Oh wait, it would be too hot there.
toyhouse
I wonder why it took this long? And they still don't address a rising roof-line for the often cramped loft. Just the slide-outs. As for not going with an rv trailer instead, I've thought about this a bit after watching a few tiny house shows. First, a custom tiny house probably feels more like a real house for some folks . It's made in similar ways and customize-able. Next is the cute factor. Also, there could be the stigma rv's carry. An occasional rv vacation isn't the same as living in it. Lastly, there may be zoning laws that tiny houses are able to skate around when an rv can't? Just guessing. That said, you get way more of everything, space, easier to tow, etc. with a purpose-built rv. I would go with a park-home if I were considering one of these. Those seem to be placed somewhere in the middle and also offer more bang for the buck.
VitaliyTretyakov
I didn't understand how many square meters they will obtain after pushing the button to enhance the living area...
Robitjf
I like and use camping trailers and have an interest in the Tiny House movement. Here though are a few facts of life in the 'movable dwelling' idea. Unless the Tiny House is anchored permanently on real property that you own or want to own, there will be no mortgage. The structure will be treated as a dreaded Mobil Home or an RV...take your pick. An RV will at least get you a better loan. Over 50k can be over 20 years but not much more unless the price is way up there. A Mobil Home is close to a personal loan as the Loan Company will be reluctant to take the dwelling as collateral. That means higher interest rates and shorter terms. It would be best to approach a Lender with plans in hand to ask their opinion. As for the subject at hand...they are called slideouts on most trailers and yes, they give you a lot more room when stopped. A trailer will be better to tow as it is made for it and this is not. It may have wheels but to tow it would require a vehicle that most folks do not have. So pay to have moved or buy a truck that cost north of 70 to 80k. 70k will buy anyone a really nice fifth wheel or trailer. Lots of room and inside, beautiful. Just my two cents.