Jason wrote to me this morning asking for some clarification on a series of questions. I am not sure if others have these questions too, so I thought I would share both his questions and my answers.
He wrote: “I am curious about the line between the definitions of a RV vs. a Mobile Home. It seems that some municipalities define them separately where-as others do not have any definition for Mobile Homes. Under what conditions do Tiny Homes built on trailers meet these definitions? Is a trailer built home considered an RV as long as it is on wheels? If the wheels are removed and it is set on a foundation or other support structure is it considered a mobile home (or even a “Dwelling” because there is no definition for “Mobile Home” on that municipalities books)? If a trailer tiny home is on a foundation and connected to a septic tank what is it considered then?”
I took a stab at clarifying.
I think RV or Recreational Vehicle covers several different kinds of things, such as motorhomes, snow machines, ATV’s and so on. The Motor home is simply one category of the RV.
I think that a mobile home and motor home are not the same thing. A motor home is built to move around some have motors of their own and others are towed. Whereas, a mobile home is built to be moved to and set on a permanent or semi-permanent location. What I mean is that a mobile home is one of the houses that are brought in already built, they look similar to a trailer but set onto a foundation or a basement. I don’t believe that a mobile home is considered an RV.
Tiny houses on wheels are considered an RV, yes, but I think that the ones that are set on a foundation are not be considered a mobile home because they are not mobile.
Tiny houses that are brought in on a trailer and removed from the wheels and set on a foundation or a slab should be considered pre-fabricated. They don’t differ greatly from my house which was built on site.
Sunshine on my tiny house makes me happy.
If you hook a tiny house up to a septic system or to city infrastructure, it is still a tiny house, but one with modern conveniences.
Do you think that my answers are correct?
