Help with planning for a portable cabin

Started by groverandbobbi, February 01, 2017, 11:40:55 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

groverandbobbi

Howdy!  First post for us on here, but have been following the site for almost a decade. We are building a little cabin/cottage in Ontario, Canada, at a friends' farm, where we will help them establish some of the infrastructure for their organic family-run operation.  In five years' time, the plan is to move our cabin to our own land (still looking for the ideal spot, and saving up enough cash to pay for a decent amount of land).  So, before we build this little cabin this spring, we'd like some feedback on what we need to consider to move it in 5 years.  The plan is to only move it once and then set it on a permanent foundation, so we don't want the cabin built on a trailer like a lot of current tiny homes are.  It will be off-grid, with a composting toilet, solar panels, wood stove and a greywater system.  Because it would be classed as an "accessory farm labourer's accommodation" (as per our local zoning), it can be up to 720 square feet, but we were leaning towards something like the builder's cottage instead, or a 14x24 like the one on Cape Breton (still one of our favourite feeds on this forum, along with the Coyote Cottage!).  Any thoughts?  Height considerations? suggestions on how to move this thing?  framing considerations for extra strength during a move?  We're totally new to this, so any thoughts are helpful at this point.

John Raabe

Welcome to the forum  w*

First take, I would talk to a local outfit that moves mobile homes. They have to deal with most of these questions daily. They may also have insights into how the local zoning and building departments would treat such a project.

Best wishes on the project, John
None of us are as smart as all of us.


ChugiakTinkerer

Welcome and good luck with your adventure! 

Thinking about what the province will allow on the highways, have a look at this page: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/trucks/oversize-overweight-manual.shtml

It appears that 14' wide and 14' height are magic numbers that will require extra permitting and vehicle escorts.  If you can keep your building within those constraints then the relocation will probably be much less expensive than if you exceed.  Keep in mind the height restriction would be to the top of the roof while on the hauling trailer.
My cabin build thread: Alaskan remote 16x28 1.5 story

azgreg

I like the TV show Texas Flip and Move and they move some nice size houses on that show.

groverandbobbi

Thank you, all!  Will check out some of those suggestions.  We are thinking about adding a three-season covered deck to provide some extra living space for most of the year (we'll just snuggle up in the winter months)...any suggestions or links for modular decks that can be pulled apart and reassembled at a new location?  We're wondering about click-in-place framing for the walls or windows.  It's one thing to build a structure in place, but it hurts the head to think through all the potential areas that could be made better or stronger for a structural move!  d*


ChugiakTinkerer

My dad was a vendor at our state fair for many years.  The fair grounds have a few permanent structures but most of the vendor booths are small "portable" buildings that get moved every year.  They are placed along the walking paths a couple weeks before the fair, then after the fair are hauled back to a storage lot to sleep for 11 months.  These are typically 12' x 20' or so and get skidded onto a flatbed vehicle.  Granted they don't travel far but I suspect the loading and off-loading is generally much more stressful on the structures than the haul.  These structures are not residences, rather they appear to be built as cheaply as possible.  I suspect anything built to code, or even a close approximation thereof, will be able to withstand the rigors of a professional move just fine.
My cabin build thread: Alaskan remote 16x28 1.5 story

groverandbobbi

Spoke with a moving company (several actually), and the ideal size (to minimize cost, permits and extra hassle) would be:

-14 feet wide (16 feet is the widest before special permits and road closures are required) with minimal overhang,
-13 feet high (14 feet is the maximum height, although some companies may unofficially haul up to 16 feet) to be hauled on an equipment float-type trailer, and
-length isn't as much of an issue. 

So, at this point, we're considering a 14x24 still, but are struggling to incorporate a bedroom into our plans without a loft.  Husband is 6'6" tall, and I'm not small either and need some elbow space.  Having a height restriction for building with the view to move and a tall husband makes for tricky planning.  We're considering a "Bed Shed" for a king-size bed and clothes closet, which would be built as a separate structure that can be "detached" from the main house for the later move and moved separately.  Any floor plan ideas for living in such a small space?  I teach piano lessons from home, so we need to accommodate a small apartment-sized piano (thankfully only comes up to mid-waist in height and is a basic rectangle in shape).  Lloyd Kahn's work has been helpful and inspirational, but it's always helpful to have other people's input, especially since we've never done this before!  d* ;D