--- title: How big can your tiny house on wheels be on the road? - Gold Heat description: So how big can your tiny house on wheels be? The truth is, tiny homes on wheels are in a grey area between traditional houses and RVs, motor coaches or travel trailers. Here is all the scoop. image: https://goldheat.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/moving-tiny-homes.jpg --- Call Us Today! (503) 848-6190 | [info@elwellcorp.com](mailto:questions@goldheat.com) [![GH_Electric_Radiant_Heat-01](https://goldheat.com/hubfs/GH_Electric_Radiant_Heat-01.png)](https://goldheat.com/) ### A custom manufacturer of electric radiant underfloor heat mats for luxury motorcoach manufacturing, tiny house builders, kitchen and bath remodelers, and flooring installers. - Products - [Black Gold](https://goldheat.com/black-gold) - [Gold Heat](https://goldheat.com/gold-heat) - [Thermostats](https://goldheat.com/thermostats) - What We Heat - [Homes](https://goldheat.com/floor-heat-for-homes) - [Motorcoaches / RVs](https://goldheat.com/floor-heat-for-motorcoaches) - [Tiny Homes](https://goldheat.com/floor-heat-for-tiny-homes) - Ordering / Installing - [Order Gold Heat](https://goldheat.com/ordering-gold-heat) - [Order Black Gold](https://goldheat.com/ordering-black-gold) - [Upload Plans Here](https://goldheat.com/plans) - [Installing Gold Heat](https://goldheat.com/gold-heat-quick-installation-guide) - [Installing Black Gold](https://goldheat.com/black-gold-quick-installation-guide) - Resources - [Product Resources](https://goldheat.com/resources) - [FAQs](https://goldheat.com/frequently-asked-questions) - [Troubleshooting / Diagnostics](https://goldheat.com/diagnostics-troubleshooting) - [Warranty](https://goldheat.com/warranty) - [Videos](https://goldheat.com/video-library) - [About](https://goldheat.com/electric-radiant-floor-heat-mats) - [Contact Us](https://goldheat.com/contact) - [Blog/News](https://goldheat.com/blog) - [About Us](https://goldheat.com/electric-radiant-floor-heat-mats) - [(503) 848-6190](tel:+15038486190) # How big can your tiny house on wheels be on the road? ![Joey Leffel](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/28a374512a696636be3b550642bc71ce) [Joey Leffel](https://goldheat.com/blog/author/joey-leffel) ![How big can your tiny house on wheels be on the road?](https://goldheat.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/moving-tiny-homes.jpg) ## y [Joey Leffel](https://goldheat.com/author/goldheat/) | 2021-07-20T10:07:40-07:00 November 16th, 2020 | [Tiny Houses](https://goldheat.com/category/tiny-houses/), [Uncategorized](https://goldheat.com/category/uncategorized/) | [0 Comments](https://goldheat.com/how-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road/#respond) - [View Larger Image ![](https://goldheat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/moving-tiny-homes.jpg?width=900&height=600&name=moving-tiny-homes.jpg) ![](https://goldheat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/moving-tiny-homes.jpg?width=900&height=600&name=moving-tiny-homes.jpg)](https://goldheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/moving-tiny-homes.jpg) So, how big CAN your tiny house on wheels be on the road?  What is the Department of Transportation say about permittable sizes of tiny houses on wheels on the road? Recently, [Gold Heat](https://www.goldheat.com) sponsored the tinyhouse.com’s **ONLINE GLOBAL TINY HOUSE CONFERENCE** where CEO, [Brian Bishop](https://goldheat.com/about-us/) spoke about integrating radiant floor heat into a tiny home.  Gold Heat is no stranger to [electric radiant floor heating in a motor coach or RV](https://goldheat.com/rv-motorcoach-installers/).  That’s where Gold Heat got its start – the RV Industry! [Gold Heat electric radiant floor heat mats](https://goldheat.com/gold-heat/) can be found in today’s most [lavish motorcoaches](https://goldheat.com/rv-owners/) rolling across North America. Like hitting the road in an RV, tiny homes on wheels have to abide by size restrictions while on the road.  The truth is, tiny homes on wheels are in a grey area between traditional houses and travel trailers.   ![Is radiant floor heating efficient for tiny houses tiny homes tiny homes on wheels](https://goldheat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Gold-Heat-radiant-heat-mats-road-limits-for-tiny-houses-on-trailers.jpg?width=538&height=639&name=Gold-Heat-radiant-heat-mats-road-limits-for-tiny-houses-on-trailers.jpg) ![Is radiant floor heating efficient for tiny houses tiny homes tiny homes on wheels](https://goldheat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Gold-Heat-radiant-heat-mats-road-limits-for-tiny-houses-on-trailers.jpg?width=538&height=639&name=Gold-Heat-radiant-heat-mats-road-limits-for-tiny-houses-on-trailers.jpg) What is the best [radiant floor heat](https://goldheat.com/black-gold/) for my tiny house? **Here is what Gold Heat learned about tiny houses on wheels, on the road.** **Tiny House Maximum Size** But this scale of home is not entirely without limits. If you want to be able to pull your house down a highway without a special permit, it must conform to certain size limits. In most U.S. states this maximum size is 13.5-feet tall, 8.5-feet wide, and 40-feet long – 65-feet maximum including the tow vehicle. Extra care must be taken to squeeze the house into this semi-trailer-sized imaginary space. Look at the image above.  You can see why tiny houses have roof pitches that are no steeper and 12/12 (45-degrees) and walls that are a bit shorter than 8-feet. At first, the design challenge seems daunting, but as you browse through all the different homes people have built, you can see that there is still quite a bit you can do within the box. **Did you know…** If you want to be able to pull your **house** down a highway without a special permit, it must conform to certain **size limits**. In most U.S. states this **maximum size** is 13.5-feet tall, 8.5-feet wide, and 40-feet long – 65-feet **maximum** including the tow vehicle. **Tiny House Weight** [Commercial](https://goldheat.com/residential-commercial-installers/) travel trailers are [designed](https://goldheat.com/resources/) to be lightweight and aerodynamic. Tiny houses are typically built from heavy building materials, like normal houses. This can make it much more comfortable to live in year-round but every foot in length adds-up and increases the requirements for the trailer and tow vehicle. For example, a Tumbleweed Fencl is about 19-feet long and weighs just shy of 6,000 pounds empty. Add your belongings and you might start pushing 8,000 pounds. Now theoretically double the length to the 40-foot road limit – you could be talking about a house that weighs 16,000+ pounds, which would require a really big pickup to tow. This is not unthinkable of course, they build pickup trucks that can pull trailers that size; but it is an important consideration to make before committing to that scale. **Tiny House Design Size** Building tiny houses on trailers can provide a lot of flexibility and freedom; but like every design challenge, it doesn’t come without trade-offs. While you may not have to talk with building inspectors, you are your own to build a safe and strong home on your own. It’s best to use building codes as guides and add extra reinforcement like earthquake and hurricane straps – after all the house will encounter 60 MPH winds and road vibrations. For some this may sound adversely challenging – to others, it sounds like music to their ears.  **Did you know…** The best thing about having **[Gold Heat electric radiant floor heat mats](https://goldheat.com/gold-heat/)** installed under your flooring is that your heat source will never be affected by high winds or road vibrations.  It’s silent heat that speaks loudly on your feet! If you want more updates, check out the rest of [our articles](https://goldheat.com/news/). #### Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fhow-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road%2F&t=How%20big%20can%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fhow-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road%2F&text=How%20big%20can%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F) [Reddit](https://reddit.com/submit?url=https://goldheat.com/how-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road/&title=How%20big%20can%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fhow-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road%2F&title=How%20big%20can%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F&summary=%C2%A0%0D%0ASo%2C%20how%20big%20CAN%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F%C2%A0%20What%20is%20the%20Department%20of%20Transportation%20say%20about%20permittable%20sizes%20of%20tiny%20houses%20on%20wheels%20on%20the%20road%3F%0D%0ARecently%2C%20Gold%20Heat%20sponsored%20the%20tinyhouse.com%27s%20ONLINE%20GLOBAL%20TINY%20HOUSE%20CONFERENCE%20) [WhatsApp](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fhow-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road%2F) [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/share/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fhow-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road%2F&name=How%20big%20can%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F&description=%26nbsp%3B%0D%0ASo%2C%20how%20big%20CAN%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F%C2%A0%20What%20is%20the%20Department%20of%20Transportation%20say%20about%20permittable%20sizes%20of%20tiny%20houses%20on%20wheels%20on%20the%20road%3F%0D%0ARecently%2C%20Gold%20Heat%20sponsored%20the%20tinyhouse.com%26%2339%3Bs%20ONLINE%20GLOBAL%20TINY%20HOUSE%20CONFERENCE%20where%20CEO%2C%20Brian%20Bishop%20spoke%20about%20integrating%20radiant%20floor%20heat) [Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fhow-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road%2F&description=%26nbsp%3B%0D%0ASo%2C%20how%20big%20CAN%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F%C2%A0%20What%20is%20the%20Department%20of%20Transportation%20say%20about%20permittable%20sizes%20of%20tiny%20houses%20on%20wheels%20on%20the%20road%3F%0D%0ARecently%2C%20Gold%20Heat%20sponsored%20the%20tinyhouse.com%26%2339%3Bs%20ONLINE%20GLOBAL%20TINY%20HOUSE%20CONFERENCE%20where%20CEO%2C%20Brian%20Bishop%20spoke%20about%20integrating%20radiant%20floor%20heat&media=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2Fmoving-tiny-homes.jpg) [Vk](https://vk.com/share.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoldheat.com%2Fhow-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road%2F&title=How%20big%20can%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F&description=%26nbsp%3B%0D%0ASo%2C%20how%20big%20CAN%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F%C2%A0%20What%20is%20the%20Department%20of%20Transportation%20say%20about%20permittable%20sizes%20of%20tiny%20houses%20on%20wheels%20on%20the%20road%3F%0D%0ARecently%2C%20Gold%20Heat%20sponsored%20the%20tinyhouse.com%26%2339%3Bs%20ONLINE%20GLOBAL%20TINY%20HOUSE%20CONFERENCE%20where%20CEO%2C%20Brian%20Bishop%20spoke%20about%20integrating%20radiant%20floor%20heat) [Email](mailto:?body=https://goldheat.com/how-big-can-your-tiny-house-on-wheels-be-on-the-road/&subject=How%20big%20can%20your%20tiny%20house%20on%20wheels%20be%20on%20the%20road%3F)   ![Joey Leffel](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/28a374512a696636be3b550642bc71ce) #### Joey Leffel Joey Leffel brings +20 of hands-on experience in product marketing for several manufacturing players in the construction, diagnostic equipment, high technology, movie and amusement, and sporting goods industries. She owns both a B.S. in Business Management and an M.A. in Management from the University of Redlands School of Business in San Diego, CA. She has a big soft spot for all animals and constantly seeking new road trip adventures while residing in the Pacific Northwest. ## Related Articles [![Tiny Mountain Tiny Home installs Black Gold floor heat film.](https://goldheat.com/hubfs/Black-Gold-securing-the-electrical-wires-for-electric-radiant-floor-heat-remodeling-tiny-house-general-contractors-1.jpg)](https://goldheat.com/blog/tiny-mountain-houses-use-black-gold-film-for-under-floor-heat-in-their-tiny-house) [gold heat,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/gold-heat) [floor heat for general contractors,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/floor-heat-for-general-contractors) [black gold floor heat film,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/black-gold-floor-heat-film) [radiant heat for mini office,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/radiant-heat-for-mini-office) [Prefab and Modular Backyard Offices,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/prefab-and-modular-backyard-offices) [tiny house heating](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/tiny-house-heating) ### [Tiny Mountain Tiny Home installs Black Gold floor heat film.](https://goldheat.com/blog/tiny-mountain-houses-use-black-gold-film-for-under-floor-heat-in-their-tiny-house) 1-minute video - watch the installation Tiny Mountain Houses (A Tiny House Builder in Silverton, Oregon) installs Black Gold electric radiant floor heat ![Joey Leffel](https://goldheat.com/hubfs/joey%20leffel%20director%20of%20marketing%20gold%20heat%20march%202022.jpg) [Joey Leffel](https://goldheat.com/blog/author/joey-leffel-1) [Read More](https://goldheat.com/blog/tiny-mountain-houses-use-black-gold-film-for-under-floor-heat-in-their-tiny-house) [![First President Of THIA Endorses ASTM Tiny House Standards](https://goldheat.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Gold-Heat-tiny-house-radiant-floor-heat.jpg)](https://goldheat.com/blog/thia-establishes-astm-tiny-house-standards) [floor heat for general contractors,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/floor-heat-for-general-contractors) [black gold floor heat film,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/black-gold-floor-heat-film) [tiny house heating,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/tiny-house-heating) [how to heat a tiny house,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/how-to-heat-a-tiny-house) [THIA,](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/thia) [tiny house industry association](https://goldheat.com/blog/tag/tiny-house-industry-association) ### [First President Of THIA Endorses ASTM Tiny House Standards](https://goldheat.com/blog/thia-establishes-astm-tiny-house-standards) ![Joey Leffel](https://goldheat.com/hubfs/joey%20leffel%20director%20of%20marketing%20gold%20heat%20march%202022.jpg) [Joey Leffel](https://goldheat.com/blog/author/joey-leffel-1) [Read More](https://goldheat.com/blog/thia-establishes-astm-tiny-house-standards) #### GOLD HEAT Gold Heat custom designs and manufactures electric and radiant floor heat mats that are installed by luxury motorcoach manufacturers, tiny house builders, professional kitchen and bath remodelers, and flooring installers. We are dedicated to providing you with the best experience possible. Proudly made in Portland, Oregon USA #### Quick Links - [Contact](https://goldheat.com/contact) - [FAQs](https://goldheat.com/frequently-asked-questions) - [Warranty](https://goldheat.com/warranty) - [Privacy Policy](https://goldheat.com/privacy-policy) - [Gold Heat Pro Corner](https://goldheat.com/gold-heat-pro-corner) Sign-Up for Our Newsletter #### Contact 680 S 28th St Suite C Washougal, WA 98671 [![GH-Logo-ElectricRadiantHeat-WhiteText-Outline](https://goldheat.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GH-Logo-ElectricRadiantHeat-WhiteText-Outline.png?width=1928&name=GH-Logo-ElectricRadiantHeat-WhiteText-Outline.png "GH-Logo-ElectricRadiantHeat-WhiteText-Outline")](https://goldheat.com/) ![Gold Heat is made in Oregon](https://goldheat.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Gold_Heat_May_2022/images/made-in-oregon-badge.png "Gold Heat is made in Oregon") © Copyright Gold Heat® 2003 - 2023 | All Rights Reserved [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/therealgoldheat) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjG8qM0Nn49SgeAOVsLKInA) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gold-heat) [Email](mailto:info@elwellcorp.com)