The Wilderwise 2.0 Tiny Has a Pop-Up Roof, for a Second Floor With Standing Height

The answer to these questions would be something like the flagship model from Wilderwise from California-based Wilderwise Free Homes. The company made a big splash on the tiny house market in 2020 with the official introduction of the model. Three years and a second version of the same model later, it's time to revisit it – because this is, without a doubt, one of the few tiny houses to feature a slide-up roof that expands into a standing-height second story.

The idea is not new to RVs, where slide-outs and pop-ups considerably add to the available living space in camp mode. As of the time of press, though, few tiny houses feature it, which allows Wilderwise to claim first dibs on the system. Add the fact that the tiny is comparatively lighter and more compact than most tinies, and you get a product you should at least consider ahead of a planned transition to downsizing.

Last time we covered the Wilderwise tiny, it sat on a 20-foot (6.09-meter) single-axle trailer, but that one was just a digital version. The 2.0 version, which is already being shipped to customers, is placed on a 21-foot (6.4-meter) double-axle removable trailer and has a width of 8 feet (2.4 meters) and a height of 13.5 feet (4.1 meters) in road mode. When at camp, at a single press of a button, an actuator lift and gas springs bring out the roof to 17 feet (5.1 meters), creating an entire second level that runs the length of the house and has standing height.

Four people can sleep in that space, so you have two bedrooms with plenty of storage but no dividing wall. It goes without saying, but the second bedroom can also work as an office or a spare guest room. Wilderwise says that you only need 11 minutes to turn the tiny from a lofted one to a two-story structure: 90 seconds for the lift mechanism to bring up the roof and less than 10 minutes to put the stacking cabinets back into position. The only downside to the system is that you have to move some pieces of furniture around to switch between road and park modes.

The ground floor holds the living room, a full but small kitchen and a dinette, and the bathroom. The layout is even more compact than with other tiny houses, but it's still enough to cover the daily needs of a home. You have a two-burner cooktop, microwave, full-size fridge, plenty of storage, and even a dishwasher. The same goes for the bathroom, which comes with a choice of a toilet, a shower, a sink with vanity, and a washer-drier combo.

Offering a total of 295 square feet (27.4 square meters) across both floors, the Wilderwise 2.0 tiny is lightweight, at 9,000 lbs (4,082 kg) max of dry weight, which means you can tow it with an SUV or a half-ton truck. It comes standard with all-season insulation and double-pane glazing and is future-proofed to go off-grid, either partially or completely.

Despite stating differently in the initial announcement, Wilderwise is not offering different layouts for the flagship model, but there's a plan to do so with the larger and the smaller models that are in the works. The 2.0 version comes with certain customization options, which range from choosing color finishes, some materials, and some appliances, but the builder says it's against the idea of doing fully-custom units because it aims to keep prices low. Obviously, when you do commission or custom work, you must charge extra to accommodate various requests.

Sustainability and affordability are the core values at Wilderwise Free Houses, which sounds like something right out of their marketing materials but is not. The flagship model is meant as a starting point for affordable mobile housing, with some variations that would pave the way to getting your dream home – as long as your dream home is not a fully-custom one.

If you think of how the tiny house frenzy started, you know Wilderwise is tiny living in its purest form. With the proliferation of this type of mobile home, we've witnessed a more diversified offer, both in terms of size and pricing, but Wilderwise believes a tiny should be what it was meant to be from the start: a small and affordable home on wheels, preferably one with a reduced carbon footprint. That last aspect is achieved through the off-grid options, which include water tanks, solar panels, and batteries, but also the use of locally sourced materials and a water recycling system.

The Wilderwise 2.0 tiny promises to be an all-season solution for permanent housing, with all the comforts of a brick-and-mortar home and more movability than other tinies, plenty of personality, and plenty of space for the entire family. Pricing starts at $85,000, which also gives it some edge over competitors.