Tiny House Photo

Tiny House Photo

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

RV or Tiny House?

I recently had a neighbor move in next to my cottage. They purchased a new 28' 5th wheel with 2 slides. The floor plan, finishes and storage make it a very comfortable living space for 2 with enough room to sleep 2 more overnight. The price they paid for their 5th wheel is the same as I paid for my tiny house and for an extra $7,000.00 they could have gone from a 28' to a 40'!

Here are some of the differences.

5th wheel:
More square footage & slides make it even larger
All interior furnishing supplied & built-in
Lots of storage spaces
All plumbing systems built-in (i.e. black & grey water tanks)
Propane & a/c built-in
Some options to upgrade or change finishes
Off-gasing from plastics & adhesives
Lightweight & aerodynamic
Need to buy a truck to pull it or pay to have it relocated
Street legal
No wait to purchase & financing is available
Exterior maintenance is minimal
Cottage cute factor "not-so-much"











Tiny House:

Less space but you can customize to your needs
Having minimal built-ins will allow for future changes
Customizing plumbing & energy use can be more efficient
Minimal storage (at least in mine)
Propane & a/c can be built-in if you choose
Every choice is custom
You can be as green as you want & therefore no off-gasing
House is heavy & not aerodynamic
Walls have more insulation so will save on heating & cooling
Standard house windows will do the same
Need to buy a truck to pull it or pay to have it relocated
Street legal
4 months or more to build & limited financing options
Exterior maintenance is wood & needs upkeep (mine to be re-stained this summer)
Cottage cute factor high!




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So...the best bang for the buck is definitely the 5th wheel. You won't have any problems with campgrounds and you can travel all around the country. But if your dream is a cute little cottage that is going to stay relative stationary I highly recommend a tiny house.

What is your pick?

1 comment:

  1. Tiny house -- if you plan to stay put for extended periods of time. Seems more "homey." An RV seems more "vacationy" and temporary, but probably more practical if you plan to move around frequently.

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