Moving house - literally!
At long last it was moving day – the day on which my tiny house would be transported to its new home site. After so many delays, I was excited but also nervous, with thoughts of all the accidents, large and small, that might occur. I knew the towing team were very experienced in moving tiny houses, so I put my faith in their expertise.
I would be needed at the final destination, but I was also invited to watch the house being lifted onto the truck for transport. This I definitely wanted to see. My house weighs nearly 6 tonne, and is therefore overweight for being towed on New Zealand roads. It must be lifted off its trailer and loaded onto a flatbed truck for transport. The trailer is then towed separately to site.
Preparing to transport the tiny house
Our original start time was 8:30 am, which would have meant a rushed morning driving to Build Tiny, but I was relieved when it was changed to a 10 am start. I arrived in time to join in a morning tea of muffins and coffee with the Build Tiny team. Ian and Jay would be accompanying us to do the setup on site, while Amy coordinated from the office.
My tiny house was sitting outside the large workshop and had been prepared internally for the move. All internal doors and cupboards were taped up, and anything movable removed or secured. Even the freestanding gas stove was bolted to the floor. I was handed the bathroom mirror, securely wrapped, to carry in my car along with some tools.
The Tiny Towing guys arrived soon after and set to work. The driver, Steve, had years of experience on 50-tonne trucks, while his co-worker Max belied his youthful looks with his confident expertise. They carefully lifted the tiny house off its trailer using hydraulic jacks. It was a slow process to ensure that the house stayed level; otherwise the frame and internal linings could be bent, causing cracks in the paintwork. After all my hard work painting the feature walls – that was not an option as far as I was concerned!
Once the house was well clear of its trailer, the trailer was attached to Ian’s ute (utility vehicle) and towed out from under the house. Then Steve carefully backed the flatbed truck in under the house – a delicate operation to ensure that the alignment was exact. Steve securely tied the house to the truck, while Max measured the overall height: it was just a fraction under 5 metres, ensuring that we would be legal on the road.
Travelling to the new location
That part of the operation took about an hour; then it was time to set off. I went alone in my car, taking the shortest route through the two deep gorges that lead directly to Hamurana and our turnoff. Ian and Jay travelled separately towing the trailer. Steve drove the truck, while Max led as pilot in a separate ute to watch out for the load. The Tiny Towing team drove a longer route over the Kaimai ranges on roads more suitable for larger transport.
I drove straight to Hamurana foreshore, knowing I had time to eat my lunch there. I would have loved to sit outside, but a cold southerly wind kept me closed up in the car as I munched my sandwiches and reflected on the big life change that was unfolding.
When I arrived at my new home site, Ian and Jay were already waiting. We knew the Tiny Towing team wouldn’t be far behind. Ian drove up the road to make sure they were able to make it past some trees overhanging the road. What a relief when they hove in sight, the house all safe and sound.
I had chosen a site with a firm gravel base, with an adjoining large area of gravel. The guys were very pleased and relieved to have plenty of manoeuvring room.
The next stage was a reversal of the loading. The house was jacked up off the truck, the truck driven out and the trailer backed in under. The house was then bolted firmly to the trailer.
The site I had chosen meant that the towbar end of the house where the bathroom is located would be close to the property fence. With insufficient room to tow the house to its position and remove the ute, reinforcements were called in. Build Tiny is a very much a family business, and so Ian’s brother-in-law, who lives close by, came to the rescue with a farm tractor. In no time the tiny house was in its final position.
Setting up on site
The final stage of the move involved securing the house on the site. In order for it to remain legal as a “caravan”-type accommodation, it must stay on its trailer and not be attached to the ground permanently. Instead, it is raised on jacks just enough to take the load off the wheels and prevent the tyres from developing a flat spot.
Then using a selection of 4x2 timber offcuts, the guys added additional support to keep the house steady. The supports also serve to ensure the house is level – a very important task. If one end of the house should sink, doors and windows would either be stuck closed or open. This was the reason for siting the house on a firm gravel pad (or concrete), not a grassy paddock.
I watched the whole operation with great interest, but was not required to participate, other than confirm the final siting of the house. As I stood waiting, residents on my quiet road passed by slowly, very curious at the new addition to the neighbourhood. It’s a friendly place here and I introduced myself to several residents, feeling very welcomed in return.
All through this operation the weather was fine with warm sun streaming indoors, although a cold southerly was still blowing. Given the number of stormy and rainy days over the summer, it was a huge relief to be doing the setup in the bright early-autumn sunshine. In the late afternoon sunshine my tiny house looked warm and inviting in its new rural setting.
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