Bridging the gap between tiny mobile houses and brick-and-mortar homes, park model tinies bundle the best of both forms of housing in a package that seemingly involves making as few compromises as possible. But don't take our word for it, because the Tellico aims to stand as proof of that.
Tiny houses first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as more environmentally friendly alternatives to regular homes that promised less clutter, more intentional living, and, as such, a happier lifestyle. In recent years, they've become even more popular for their promise of lower monthly costs, higher affordability without the ever-present threat of a 30-year mortgage, and the ability to move around with it in tow.
Park models still deliver all these benefits but in a larger footprint that should – at least in theory – do away with the biggest downside of downsizing: spatial constraints. In most territories, park model tiny homes can only be moved with special permits and, most of the time, with special towing vehicles.
This means you can't simply pack up and drive off into the sunset if you feel like it, but you could still change locations with your entire home if you had to. It would just take a bit more time, effort, and money to do so.
Photo: Wind River Tiny Homes
Park model tinies are particularly popular in the U.S., confirming the myth that everything is bigger here, from cars and drink sizes to homes, including mobile ones. Wind River Tiny Homes, a Tennessee-based builder, caters specifically to this segment of the market, offering units that feel like the less compromised version of a downsized home.
The Tellico is their most recent build, and it's offered as a turnkey home for the entire family. This means plenty of space, both indoors and outside, thanks to an integrated porch, a surprisingly good amount of privacy, and full-size appliances.
You even get a small hallway, which is something you're not going to see in most tiny houses, as the entire tiny living philosophy is based on the idea that you should do away with "unnecessary" spaces and features, like hallways, well-defined rooms, and single-purpose areas.
Photo: Wind River Tiny Homes
The Tellico takes this and turns it on its head while still retaining some mobility. At 45 feet (13.7 meters) in length, it sure has the dimensions to fit an entire family: just under 400 square feet (37.1 square meters) of living space, plopped on a four-axle trailer. The porch is built-in and extends living space outside, which means you get 35 feet (10.6 meters) of usable length inside.
Using a single-loft layout, the Tellico puts the main bedroom on the ground floor for extra convenience. You get a hardwood door for privacy, a king-size bed (an actual bed, not just a mattress on the floor), floating cubbies, and two wardrobes, so this is the closest thing to a standard bedroom you'll see in a tiny home.
The unit also comes with a large, open-space kitchen made up of two units, the main block and a coffee nook with a microwave and additional storage. The living room combines a lounge with the dining room and is perhaps the only room in this unit to show the tell-tale signs of downsizing.
Photo: Wind River Tiny Homes
The hallway holds a full-size bathroom with tile floor and tile shower, gravity flush toilet, sink with vanity, and even more storage. Across from it is a proper laundry station, with full-size washer and dryer units and overhead storage for cleaning products.
The loft is located centrally, over the bathroom and the laundry station, accessible by means of a storage-integrating staircase. The builder opted to add an extra foot (0.3 meters) to the overall height of the tiny, so you get a bit more headroom up there. It's still not enough to stand up, but the space can easily work as a kids' room.
The Tellico is designed for 100 AMP service and connects to the grid for water and sewage. This is one of the advantages of park model tiny houses: because they're not designed to move around constantly, they're not concerned with off-grid autonomy in the standard spec. So, no composting toilet, no solar panels, and no stress about water consumption – unless you really want to, in which case off-grid features come at an extra cost.
Photo: Wind River Tiny Homes
The Tellico is for sale now at a discounted price of $162,000, which includes the furniture and appliances shown in the video tour below. For this kind of money, you're promised nearly the same comfort of a proper home but with a smaller footprint, which should convince aspiring downsizers to take the leap and make the transition.
For everyone else, the Tellico stands as a good example of the kind of variety and creativity the tiny house movement offers to meet all needs and budgets of future tiny house dwellers. It also shows that a mobile home can still boast creature comforts comparable to what you'd get in a standard home, with minimal compromises and the surprise bonus of privacy.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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