In my late teens and early 20’s, I dreamed of living deep in the mountains in a house with all the modern comforts. The movies “Jeremiah Johnson
I saw this as an economical and practical way to build a modern house in a remote location. My dream has since evolved to a less remote location near a town with all the latest services. And to a more temperate climate area like the foothills and not a high elevation wilderness with severe winters.
Here’s what I came up with for a home. Build a large A-frame style house-like structure over a brand-new trailer. This would provide a second layer of protection from the weather, a great room on one side of the trailer, a garage and workshop on the other, and a large second-floor space that could be divided into an office or studio, second bedroom, and storage.
Up until today, I had never seen anything like what I imagined. Although the following design is different from mine, its basic idea is the same.
Bathroom entrance (above.)
The bathroom is located on the first floor of an added building with a second story tower.
To keep costs low, my design uses the trailer for all the basic needs like a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and heating and cooling. This is the purpose of utilizing the trailer. Adding electricity and especially a heating and cooling unit to the structure built over and around the trailer would be optional. Lights and plugs on the exterior of the trailer might be sufficient for the great room and garage.
Since a house takes up such a large part of our income and savings, I’m always looking for innovative and inexpensive ways to build a custom-house without incurring a financial burden. This often means creating something unique, which is a lot more fun and interesting than a track home. 🙂