Tiny house on a trailer

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stuartcnz
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by stuartcnz »

Any emergency exits planned?
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Nope, in the case of an emergency I plan on getting my a*s up and out PDQ :D
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by stuartcnz »

Well, I hope you don't have a fire between where you are and your only exit.

On boats, it has been well recognized for a looooong time that having exits at more than one end, is often the difference between life and death in the event of a fire. As an aside, fire is generally considered to be the biggest hazard on a well found boat.

I know your not building a boat, just sayin.
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Given the small footprint there just isn't room for a second entry/exit. I did leaf through Rogers book many times and of course "The Bosses" old site " Two of the best resources by far" 8) and having owned and been around buses and store bough plastic RV for many years now and more often then not there is only one door and RV windows are way to small to get out of. so unless it's a big boy rig there are no second door, some times there's a push out window or a hatch but on this rig I will just have to be satisfied with incorporating the proper equipment and materials to make it safe 8)
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by stuartcnz »

Sorry, I just don't buy that. The smallest of small buses designed to carry passengers have an emergency exit. They wouldn't be allowed to carry passengers if they didn't. I'm not talking about something that necessarily has to open and close. Just some way of egress.

In a boat, a working sized hatch (designed for entry and exit, on a working basis) only needs to be 18 inches by 18 inches, and could probably be smaller, at a pinch.

You will build what you will build, and I watch with interest. But just as Sharkey did, in his final days of running this forum, I have to call unsafe when I see it. I would be irresponsible as the current forum admin, not to.
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Ok Stuart, I'm guessing I must have pissed you off at some point over the last ten years or so and that pent up resentment is forcing you to pick my project apart which has 14 Windows and a door to leap out of if need be so knock knock yourself out. I'm pretty sure that know one but you and I will see this post so it is what it is. So what gives with you lately? If your struggling on your end speak up my be I can lend a hand in some way but don't make me or my project your pet pissing post. Good luck and if there's something I can do to lend a hand let me know :D
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by stuartcnz »

First off Dennis, you should know that I have a lot of respect for you as a person and as a craftsman. Don't ever doubt that for a moment. I see two areas where you may see that I am trying to pick your project apart.

I'll start with the later, first. ol trunt queried you about whether you had two exterior doors. When you responded that you only had one, that piqued my interest, which is why I asked if you planned any emergency exits. Your response was (in my reading of it), that you were not planning any emergency exits other than the single door. When I challenged you on that and tried to clarify what I was talking about, you dug you heels in, justifying why you were only going to have a single point of exit, in the event of an emergency. By your latest response, it appears that you do in fact have more than one way out, which was exactly what I was trying to ascertain in the first place.

The other area that I am guessing you feel I am trying to pick your project apart on, is your plans for towing it. If that is the case, then I want to elaborate further on it. The subject came up, purely through my interest into how heavy your project will be. Now bear in mind that my skills and qualifications revolve around lifting, moving, and transporting heavy things in a variety of scenarios, in a commercial environment (not just on the road either). The weight you indicated to me, suggested that there were some aspects to towing it, that you may not be aware of. And that is certainly something I can help you work through, but only by asking questions, that clarify for me where you are at, and where you could use some help.

Now consider that I told you I was going to build a chair, and told you as the experienced builder/carpenter/craftsman that you are, that I intended on assembling my new chair, only using nails. And then you asked me about what kind of joints and adhesives I was going to use. Then you offer some advice, to improve my chair. Say my response was that I had seen others chairs built with just nails, and no joints or adhesives, so that seemed fine to me. What would your response be?

That is most likely (I think) the response I feel, when people who don't have the experience/qualifications that I do, brush off advice in my area of specialization.
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Stealth Camper »

Exits - well, I might as well say something, too. One of the things I looked at very closely in the kitchen was getting out, since there is a fryer in the thing. I put a couple of double hung windows on the end and two on one side. If they can't open - two are open during normal operation....there are heavy things nearby to throw through the windows.

For my bus, and the travel trailer I am starting to plan, Hehr makes some decent double pane exit windows specifically designed for it.

I'm thinking I can get out though, with all the other windows around.

It's looking good.
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

I guess I need to clear things up once and for all. we're talking about a 22'x8' building that has 5 double hung windows, 2 three foot awning windows and 2 three foot tall by 18" casement windows, a 30" entry/exit door on the first floor and 5/2'x18" awning windows and 1/22"x30" skylight in the sleeping loft as well as another 22"x30" skylight over the living room so that's why I haven't put much thought into getting out safely if anything goes down because I simply dint have too 8) im not all that concerned about towing it because I had the trailer built properly with a brake system and have every intention of buying a big boy diesel truck to handle it and last I do like the peace sign shingles that I made up for my gables even though that's not really what the symbol means. In the end, this is going to be one sharp looking, safe rig that's gonna be around for many years into the future :D
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by ol trunt »

Hey Dennis,You're right its going to be one sharp looking and safe unit. Thanks for sharing your plans. I'll be interested in seeing how you do the window awnings as I hadn't thought of doing that. Jack
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Morning Jack. I didn't mean I was putting awnings on the windows (although a great idea) I meant I am using 7 total awning style windows (there like casement windows but they open at the bottom instead of the side) there nice because you can leave them open somewhat while your way for the day and if it rains the water runs down and off instead of in the house. Now, back to the awning idea. On my bus that I currently live in I have individual little retractable awnings on each window that are really nice and when retracted are only about 2" thick on the side of the bus. They must be about 15 or 20 year's old because I've had it and lived in it for 4 or 5 years now and the old boy that built it had it for about 15 years and I will say they don't show much ware at all and although a little pricy, when something is made well enough the still be in good shape after 15 or 20 years ya don't mind paying a little more up front http://www.campingworld.com/category/rv ... wnings/621
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by ol trunt »

Thanks for 'splaing awning windows to me--guess I need to get out and look around a little more :lol: :lol: . They should work fine. I'm too far along on my bus to make any changes now so I guess I'll just have to rely on the roll out canopy I've installed on one side. Jack
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

First I rough cut the rafters at a 12 pitch
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Then I screwed the template to them
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Then I ran the router over them so the curve is the same on all the interior
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This is my ridge crew, he works creap
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Ridge
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And the crew works hard
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And there ya have it and I think the 22"x30" skylight works fine. I think If I hadn't gone with so many windows they may have been a little small but I think they work well
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The back end is getting a double dormer with a 4 pitch roof for the sleeping/hangin out loft that will have 5/2' x 1'6" awning windows and the 1 skylight. It should make for lots of natural light to wake up to in the morning
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Drip cap for skirt board around the bottom of the house and all windows
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I laid out a bunch of roof panels just to make sure that the skylight falls right in the center of 2 panels because im going to fold them right in to the standing seam roof
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Roof edge
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by stuartcnz »

Am I seeing things, or are you doing your roof and flashings in copper? and if so, are you folding them yourself?
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Re: Tiny house on a trailer

Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Yes and yes. If "I had it done" here it would be a fortune. By buying the copper sheets and folding it up myself and making up all the bits and pieces out of the scrap it cost me $2600.00 total
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