I found this bad-boy the other day- ugly as sin, and that's why I love it! Owning a small utility trailer really pays for itself if you're planning on building a tiny house (or anything)- I've emphasized this over and over in my tiny house building workshops for Tumbleweed and for Relaxshacks.com. Not only will having a trailer at your disposal help with hauling the massive amount of materials and lumber you'll be needing (paying for itself right there by saving trips/gas), but these little trailers (mine is a 4' by 8') are so easy to lug, hook-up, and unhook, that in any curb-spotting situation, you can quickly grab your trailer, and head back to wherever you need to go (for windows, doors, and more).Small trailers like this can be towed by cars or mini-vans too. You don't need a 3 mpg monster truck for these tasks.
Anyway, I found this old school waiting room couch the other day, and it was offered up to me simply because I asked (at a gas station that was changing owners). It was stored outside in an area where I wasn't quite sure if they were saving, or chucking, it, so the moral of the story is, "don't be afraid to ask". The worst they can say is "no", or "get the hell off my property"- which I haven't heard yet.
I'll either sell this couch for materials money, or lug it up to Vermont, where I need an ugly funky couch for my cabin, or for the new tiny house/cabin that we'll all be building together at the July 6-9th, Tiny House Summer Camp in Vermont. I can't wait!
Benefits of a small trailer....
-Affordable
-Lightweight
-Easy to hitch and move
-It'll be used for more things than you'll ever suspect
-It can be towed with a small/normal sized vehicle with a hitch installation (about $250)
-It can become a money earner if you advertise yourself on craigslist as "guy/gal with a trailer for hire"
-Great for dump runs
-Even better for finding large freebies, lumber, and whatever else you might come across, or want to buy.
The Downside of owning a trailer...
-Having to buy it (again, they're pretty affordable though- $300-$1000)
-Registration/tax on it (mine is about $20 a year)
-Storing it when not in use
-Friends left and right will ask you for favors (wanting you to help them move..)
-Occasional repairs (I had to replace the leaf springs on mine a ways back- $200)
-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen
