Well, it’s a Dry Van Semi Trailer, just the trailer before conversion can cost anywhere between $10-$50K, more if it was brand new, unless they got an amazing deal on it… While it’s a 40′, typical cost of a THOW is $2000-$3000 per linear foot for average going from basic to high end custom build. So a modular system that can be scaled and mass produced will have a better likelihood of succeeding than most of the conversion options, especially, in the long term as people also need a way to transition to better living conditions as their means improve over time and their needs change throughout their life… One size fits all never works for all… Otherwise the per unit costs can be an obstacle, especially for the low cost of entry needed to help people who would otherwise be homeless… While really affordable options will typically need to be something that can be done in large numbers, approaching mass production scale.
It’s one of the issues that plagues container homes, for example, as there’s a threshold where the costs start getting higher than the normal options. Rest can be pretty banged up, warped, degraded etc but you can fix all of that as long as the frame chassis is still in good condition.Ĭonversions, however, aren’t always an economical way to produce homes as the conversions can cost more than just doing traditional building, depending on what needs to be done to it to make it meet residential home standards and how much you actually have to convert from the original structure. Most will last longer with regular maintenance, main concern is things like road salt attacking the frame. So they don’t wait till they’re unusable, though actual usable life will vary depending on how it’s used and what conditions it had to endure. Mind, it’s also about productivity and liability, which also includes things like how long insurance companies will cover them, etc. Thoughts?Īctually, most company will rotate their trucks at 4 years and trailers at 7-10 years.
I’m sure trailers aren’t retired until they won’t sustain product inside them, so they are probably too far gone to be reused at that point, but given some sort of membrane (over the top of the trailers) and insulation on the inside, this could be a very cost effective alternative for homeless people.
I also think using semi trailers could totally help our homeless population, however, I’m sure there are other problems we aren’t considering, such as certain leaking issues. You’ve made the outside look more like a home/tiny home/container home, which is nice for exterior aesthetics. This really is a beautiful build, logical and very useful! As a designer I have designed things for a Double-Drop Semi-Trailer (such as is used for moving heavy/big equipment), but I’ve not designed the inside of a semi-trailer but have often thought that this could be a really great option (avoiding the need to start from scratch and totally legal on the road – eliminating lofts, etc., all good things). I’d like to know how those issues were solved. In a recent move, my U-Haul trailer leaked very badly as well my pickup topper was also leaking as I built that out for camping (see IG so I’m sure this may have been a nightmare to waterproof.
I was recently watching a person convert a cargo trailer, which was build brand new for him (size and door configuration) and was listening to how even as a brand new trailer, it already had leaking problems so I can only imagine the leaking issues a semi would have. I have often wondered why more people haven’t used Semi Trailers as tiny homes in the past. I would have added a pantry and maybe a coat closet near the front door, everyone has “stuff” that needs a place to live within our homes, but this is a very clean design, minimalist.
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