45-FT Tannehill Is a Monster of a Tiny Home With the Fanciest Terrace

Tiny living started picking up traction as a valid housing alternative in the early 2000s, fueled mostly by environmental concerns. Eco-warriors unable to alter local and national policies or otherwise make a considerable difference in terms of climate change now had the option to downsize in a tiny home and thus lower their everyday carbon footprint. It might not tip the scales in favor of humanity, but it was still better than nothing.

In recent years, tiny living has seen an uptick in popularity and, as you may have heard, it has less to do with environmental concerns and more to do with the desire to find affordable housing and, if possible, cut down on monthly expenses. Tiny houses can do that, while also offering relative freedom to move around the country without having to pack up your stuff because you can just tow the house to wherever you want to go.

Of course, the downside to tiny living is that it's… tiny. A towable home, a unit built on top of a single- or dual-axle trailer, is a sum of all these great things, but it's also very compact, offering space only for the most basic of creature comforts.

Enter park model tiny houses. They are the more buff, bigger, and badder cousins of compact tinies, with dimensions that restrict them from traveling on public roads except with special moving permits. Because of their size, park tinies shouldn't move that often either way. But they still have wheels, which is more than what you could say about brick-and-mortar houses.

Park tiny houses are widely popular in countries like North America, New Zealand, and Canada. Clayton Park Models is an Alabama-based builder that promises units that bring "outdoor adventure in and the indoor amenities out," and the Tannehill model does just that.

It also stretches the concept of "tiny living" to the maximum, being built on a massive 45-foot (13.7-meter) five-axle trailer with a width of 12 feet (3.6 meters).

The Tannehill offers 399 square feet (37 square meters) of total living space, with sleeping for six people and family-friendly features that include a cozy lounge, a laundry station, and the fanciest terrace you could ever expect to find in a tiny house. Unless that tiny is the Overlook Cottage from Movable Roots, which ups the terrace game with a rooftop terrace on top of the patio kitchen.

Tannehill is designed more like a standard home, with home-like finishes that walk the line between aesthetics and functionality. It's not a luxury tiny like the aforementioned Overlook Cottage, but rather a family home reduced to size – and transplanted onto a trailer, with just one fancy feature.

The layout features an integrated open deck that's styled as an outdoor living and entertaining space. There's a large kitchen island in the middle of it, offering everything you'd need to throw the perfect party, from hanging hooks to a mid-size fridge and a sink with running water.

The interior is spacious, with well defined living areas – which, again, is not something you get to see as standard in smaller tinies. There's a living room with a (surprisingly small) breakfast bar, and an open-plan kitchen specced with Frigidaire appliances that are all residential in size.

There's also a dedicated laundry station with stackable washer and dryer and extra storage, and a full size bathroom with a flushing toilet, a sink with vanity, and a nice and beautiful shower room.

On your way to the master bedroom at the end of the trailer, you come across what could be described as a motorhome-like configuration: two bunk beds on one side and storage built into the other. The surprise here is that there's a staircase leading up to dual lofts, which can sleep two or even three more people. The lofts are standard in that they don't have standing height and no furniture, but there's a nearby little walkway connecting them that could be used for that.

The main bedroom has standing height and is the only room in the house with a door, except for the bathroom. It also has a deep wardrobe with dual hanging rods and even a bit of space for a recliner.

Tannehill is insulated and rated as suitable for all-season use. It links to the mains for power and water and is designed exclusively as an on-the-grid unit. Features also include a tankless water heater and two mini-split units for AC and heat. The builder offers the chance to choose from a variety of materials and colors, but that's as far as any customization of the Tannehill goes.

There's no mention of pricing in the official description of this model. As a reference, park tinies usually start at around $120,000, and this seems to be the case here as well, based on older listings from Clayton Park Models. It's still cheaper than a house, but it's still a house on a trailer. Whether the tradeoff is worth it is entirely up to the buyer.