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Traveler XL Tiny House on Wheels – Video Tour!


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This is the Traveler XL Tiny House on Wheels!

It’s designed and built by ESCAPE TRAVELER.

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Traveler XL Tiny House on Wheels by Escape

Images © Escape Traveler

Images © Escape Traveler

Video Tour: Traveler XL Tiny House!

Highlights

  • 30′ long
  • 8.5′ wide
  • 13’5″ high
  • RVIA Certified
  • 344 sq. ft.
  • 255 sq. ft. first floor
  • 89 sq. ft. in lofts
  • MSRP $78,500
  • 11,000-13,000 lbs (weight)

Learn More About the Traveler XL Tiny House!

Learn more: http://www.escapetraveler.net/traveler-xl

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 45 comments… add one }
  • sel
    April 21, 2017, 1:50 pm

    Nice but too many miscalculations on the exterior and interior.
    Think out of the box, the ideas still need more thinking.
    good luck

    • James D.
      April 21, 2017, 2:07 pm

      Miscalculations? Can you elaborate or are you just being general?

    • Rose G.
      April 21, 2017, 4:13 pm

      What miscalculations are you referring to?

    • sel
      April 21, 2017, 9:33 pm

      design? safety is first, then design….

    • Eric
      April 29, 2017, 12:44 am

      Mis calculations?? Who is that woman?

      rg&dfc

  • dana
    April 21, 2017, 2:03 pm

    this remains one of my favorite tiny houses, though i would go for the smaller version…the exterior and interior work so well together the size and placement of windows, the exterior detailing make this a purpose-built design.
    i love the rhythm, the light, the warmth, the air. A good balance between public space and bedrooms, and a great bath.
    if i were buying one, i would probably put the downstairs bed on rollers and tuck underneath a raised platform for a living room big enough for company. (and maybe omit the upper loft all-together on this side)

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 24, 2017, 4:44 am

      Those are great ideas 🙂

    • Beejsteph
      May 12, 2017, 3:13 pm

      I Agree I Would Also Omit The Upstairs Loft…Unless I Could Have A Small Living Room AND A Loft…Allowing For A Daybed/Couchbed 🙂 Otherwise…This Is A Beautiful And AMAZING TH!! 🙂

  • Large Marge
    April 21, 2017, 2:32 pm

    Picture number four of the sleeping area:
    We enjoyed the sense of intimacy created by the shelves surrounding the ceiling fan. The vissually-lowered interruption of open space goes straight to ‘comfy cozy’.

    Thumbs up!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 24, 2017, 4:41 am

      So glad you like it 🙂

  • Susan
    April 21, 2017, 5:06 pm

    This and the other models are my all time favorite tiny home. No matter what I look at I come back to Escape Traveler. I need a first floor and these designers have done a lovely job. I love the bedroom, adore the pop-up TV option and all the windows are awesome. Every time I look I realize I can’t decide on the one I wish for. My favorite tiny homes!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 24, 2017, 4:40 am

      I’m so glad you love them Susan 🙂

  • Lesley
    April 21, 2017, 5:43 pm

    No pictures of what’s in the loft? Where’s the living area, is there one? Otherwise, I like it!

    • James D.
      April 21, 2017, 6:31 pm

      This isn’t the first time they posted on this model, here’s a more useful image of the layout…

      https://tinyhousetalk.com/wp-content/uploads/Traveler-XL-Interior.jpg

      There’s also more tours on two youtube channels, seems the resellers set those up… One is “Escape Traveler” and the other is “Escape Vista 21″…

      And the guy over on Tiny House Listing stayed in one once…

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51aFvmVSEwA

      There are some trade offs for having a bedroom on available space but you could always opt for a Murphy bed that turned into another type of furniture… Different layouts also offer to close off the ceiling to put another loft above the bedroom and the bedroom can be either open to the rest of the house or closed off as the options available… Besides the regular and XL versions of this model series…

      They’re not cheap though but they have resellers across the country in multiple states and you can go to the lot and look at one and even buy it right there like an RV…

      Though, the company is working on DIY models and built to request offerings but they started as a Park Model RV maker and so still prefer selling straight from their factory with default models…

    • dana
      April 22, 2017, 1:00 am

      the living area is just beside the table on the same wall, about 6-8ft long area, with a tv across the way.
      this seems pretty sparse to me, in what is a beautiful space, and is why i would sacrifice a separate bedroom on main floor by tucking a rollaway bed below a raised floor, opened to the main public space. to create a multi-use living/sleeping

      • James D.
        April 22, 2017, 1:20 am

        There are pros and cons to every layout choice… Your plan, for example, has the cons of giving up a private space with no bedroom and losing all the storage from under the bed space.

        It also adds more work to open and close the bed and you can’t really go about your business with the bed out… So you have no choice but to fix the bed and close it every morning before you do anything else.

        Also you’re adding a step up area instead of having everything on the same level and some may consider that a tripping risk…

        Besides, the table is fold-able and the whole space opposite the kitchen is usable as is… and one of the points of living tiny is to go out more rather than spending all your time in the house…

        Retaining a private space is also on many people’s wish lists for Tiny Homes, especially if more than one plan to live there…

        Though, another alternative would be a Murphy bed that also turns into a couch and/or desk… This means the bedroom can be both for sleep and also serve as an office space…

        Also, instead of a could… There’s re-configurable seating systems which can be more useful… Like Ikea has one that is modular and can be configures like a couch, or re-arranged to form to seating benches that you can place a table between to form an instant dinette or grouped together to form a guest bed… All with the same pieces of furniture and in the same small space…

    • James D.
      April 23, 2017, 1:48 am

      Lesley, seems may not approve my post with links to better images and videos… It’s going onto the second day since I posted it and it still saying awaiting moderation…

      Anyway, this isn’t the first time they posted about this model and if you look at their previous posts you’ll find a image that shows a cut out view of the whole thing…

      There are also a number of youtube videos besides the one they’re showing here, including one where someone stayed in one that was being used as a rental property…

      Basically there are two variants of this model… The Traveler and this one is the Traveler XL and they allow some modifications to the design upon request…

  • Michael
    April 21, 2017, 7:54 pm

    I don’t like lofts and 13.5′ high THOW. Why does this one needs to be so high? Storage and weight should be down and not up especially with RIVA which means for me to be moved more often.

    • James D.
      April 21, 2017, 9:05 pm

      Uh, no… RV’s cover a wide range of sizes and weights… Fifth wheel Travel Trailers go even bigger than this model…

      Besides, many RV’s just put the extra space below rather than above but that usually means you can only access that space from the outside and you’ll feel more cramped in with usually less than 7′ of headroom inside most RV’s…

      This layout puts the extra space above instead and that gives a sense of space, allows for things like the ceiling fan, and the lofts are useful for storage if nothing else… You don’t have to sleep up there if you don’t want to and that’s one of the reasons they provided a bedroom in this model…

      • Michael
        April 23, 2017, 7:43 am

        Okay James. what’s interior height?

        • James D.
          April 23, 2017, 1:58 pm

          Interior height is part of the area you actually live in…

          It’s what makes the difference between it being a claustrophobic space from a roomy and comfortable to live in space…

          If you’re over six feet tall, it’s what determines whether you will bump your head on anything protruding from the ceiling, like a light and whether or not you can even stand up straight while taking a shower…

          Usage of vertical space is what prevents the need to make the trailers even longer to provide room for storage and longer trailers become harder to tow!

          Putting storage that can only be accessed from the exterior means putting in hatches/doors, etc. that introduce weak points in the structure… The outer framing of the structure is what takes all the stress of supporting it…. As well as making it feel less a home because you’d have to go outside to access your stuff.

          Versus keeping everything inside, where you can more easily access it.

          Even if they provide a way to access the storage from below, it means part of the floor you can’t keep anything on and reduces your interior living space that you can use for something else.

          While loft are just one of the things that make use of vertical space… Upper cabinets, shelves, and even things like the ceiling fan are all things that having that interior height allows to be there and maximize your options of what you can do with the space…

        • James D.
          April 24, 2017, 5:08 am

          Michael, like I’ve stated before all designs have their pros and cons…

          I disagree with your “can’t” be easier to tow, however, because shorter length trailer means a more manageable center of gravity… Similar to the reason a 5th wheeler are easier to tow…

          It also effect maneuverability as longer lengths means you need more clearance and leeway whenever you make a turn…

          While ideally you should keep the weight distribution over the axles at approximately 60/40, with the majority of the weight towards the front… And getting that balance is easier with a shorter trailer because the weight isn’t as spread out…

          The only benefit of a longer but lower height trailer is maybe a little less wind resistance as far as towing goes…

          Though, some floor plans may benefit from longer lengths than others but generally it’s all a matter of balance and what the owner is willing to deal with and the particulars of the lifestyle they want to live and whether the design accommodates or hinders that lifestyle…

          For standard headroom… I’m assuming you mean in the lofts?

          It’s because the max height allowed to be road legal is only 13.5′ from the ground… So the height space has to be prioritized to need…

          You could give the lofts full height but that would mean lowering them so much that you won’t be able to stand below them…

          Usually, minus the height of the wheels and subfloor, you will only have 10-11 feet of height space to work with and with the usual standing height set to place the loft at 6.5 feet to 7 feet from the floor, it doesn’t give enough left to provide standing height…

          Though, since Tiny Houses can be completely customizable… You could play around with those balances…

          Some people go with reverse lofts, placing the bed at floor level and the loft actually is used for something else like a office or the living space is put there instead… Others have gone with split level for not quite standing room but can still stand while hunched over…

          For fifth wheels, they can use the gooseneck as a loft space but since it doesn’t have to share space with anything below it can provide standing room and just cantilever over the tongue a bit…

          Or you could go with a Murphy bed and not worry about standing height in the loft as it would only be used for storage then…

          Then there’s the moveable bed platforms that can be raised or lowered and like slide outs there are also motorized loft options that can lower when used and raised when not…

          But again, every design has its pros and cons and usually price differences is one of the deciding factors, along with how much work is involved with using each option, and how it all fits the overall design of the house…

  • Alison
    April 21, 2017, 8:34 pm

    It is unusual that at 30 feet long, it has only two axels. Lots of the 24-footers have three axels. They made their own trailer, so I’m sure they did it right–I know very little about such things. Anyway, this design is okay, but not very interesting. Personal touches would probably fix it right up.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 24, 2017, 4:36 am

      Personal touches make all the difference 🙂

  • sel
    April 21, 2017, 9:31 pm

    axle problems with the dry weight of this structure…..do the math, dry weight vs length vs tall….never mind the 5th wheel construction as a guide…no. structure materials on this has its own engineering.
    Other items are only asthetics, other ways to remedy this. Lose the ladder for these lofts that no one likes to deal with. Consider another floor plan for the bedroom, think once again out of the box. good luck, will be watching what you can come up with….

    • James D.
      April 21, 2017, 10:20 pm

      The dry weight of this structure is only 11,000 lbs and fully loaded it only goes up to around 13.000… The GVWR rating is 14,000 lbs with dual axles and it comes with 10 ply radial tires, electric brakes, Hopkins break-away safety system, easy use leveling jacks, steel, rodent resistant belly…. So there isn’t a issue of safety…

      Btw, having more than dual axles has its own issues with needing to keep the axles aligned, level, and dealing with increased stresses while being towed and making turns because these trailers typically don’t allow independent wheel movement to turn with the tow vehicle or adjust wheel alignment between each of the axles…

      While the lofts are useful for storage, just like having an attic… Most people actually have no problem with them otherwise you wouldn’t see so many of these Tiny Houses with them or in regular houses as well if that was really the case…

      It’s just not everyone likes sleeping in them but with the bedroom you have the option to only use the lofts for storage, which frees up space on the main level for actual living space…

      It’s not thinking outside the box to just eliminate the lofts just because you don’t like them when it’s obviously a way to make use of vertical space that would otherwise be wasted…

      • Bigfoot
        April 22, 2017, 8:24 am

        James D, —– I spent decades running multiple truck/trailer combos down the road in my former small biz. A 10 ply rated tire (load range E) is going to max out at approximately 3,600 lbs capacity for a single axle & 3,200 lbs for duals. There is always a reduction in load capacity with duals. Your maximum load capacity would be 12,800 lbs for 10 ply rating with 2 axles so these tires are near max for this trailer dry & under capacity for a loaded unit. Not good. This also assumes even weight distribution to each tire which is unlikely.
        This trailer should have load range F (12 ply rating) tires which would give it about 14,000 lbs of capacity with duals & assuming at least 7K axles. If it was going to be traveled with extensively, I would go with a 3 axle setup as it just isn’t a good idea to run down the road at max capacity all the time.
        The only real issue with a tri-axle trailer is slightly higher tire wear. This is a small price to pay for a large increase in safety/capability. Wheel alignment is set when your axle hangers are welded on the frame. As long as each side (axle centerline) is within 1/8″ of each other when measured from the centerline of the hitch/coupler, the trailer will track straight & you will have excellent service life on your tires. My main trailer I personally hauled for years was a tri-axle setup.
        I really like this unit. I love the aesthetics/design elements. Very refreshing & overall well planed & executed!

        • James D.
          April 22, 2017, 12:17 pm

          So it’s mainly a issue if it’s towed all the time?

          Cause the general point of these larger models is to set them in one place and tow only occasionally… They sell smaller models for those who want to travel all the time…

          There are some other factors, though… The house structure makes the trailer stiffer and makes it easier to have balanced weight distribution… Unlike a trailer with just a load strapped to it the trailer becomes part of the whole structure and is usually loaded with insulation, flashing, and sub-floor structural joist reinforcement…

          In a tow vehicle set up part of the weight also is over the hitch and transfers to the tow vehicle when moving…

          While triple axles tend to have larger wheel wells and that starts to take away from the interior space of the living space because they extend into it, especially as most Tiny House designs lower the trailer to provide maximum height for the interior living space.

          However, what you say does seem to bring some concern with how they’ve rated their system… Unless they just cut and pasted from one of their lower weight models and it’s not actually a higher rated option…

          Though, this model has been sold by them for a number of years now, this article is just a update because they released a new tour video, and it would appear odd that there have no complaints about the tires and axles having issues yet…

          There are owners who are using them as rental properties, for example, for years now…

          But it’s true some issues may not appear until even over a decade later… and a failure of what is essentially the foundation of a house is something to be concerned about no matter how long it may take to appear…

          They do state they have a two year warranty but that doesn’t help if the problem takes longer to manifest.

          I suppose this is one of the things to watch out for as RVIA certification doesn’t mean they meet a very high standard as RVIA is below what is required for residential housing and this company has traditionally make Park Model RV’s, which don’t get moved a lot…

          Though, if keeping it in one place then it should be safe because the leveling jacks add about 500 lbs of load capacity each and with 4 that’s around an extra ton of load capacity… and a lot of people add additional support to help keep it level…

          It may be that it may be just when moved that owners should use something like a Uhaul truck that they can transfer some of their stuff to keep the load on the axles at the minimum…

          At least this shouldn’t be a issue for their smaller models… UNTUCKit is presently using their Vista model for a mobile wares display promotion and is traveling across the country, for example…

        • Natalie C. McKee
          April 24, 2017, 4:30 am

          Glad you liked it Bigfoot!

        • Bigfoot
          April 24, 2017, 7:05 am

          James D, —-Yes, the amount of towing would matter with the current E rated tires. Unloaded, the numbers work & are fine for sporadic moves. Traveling much with this one (with a load) & you should run F rated tires. Not a huge deal & I’m not throwing stones at the builder by any means, just pointing out things that many may not consider or know.
          Yes, the vehicle will share some of the load (GTW of 1,000-1,200lb for class IV or V hitch). Towing with proper tongue weight is extremely important & really should be measured. There is a really nice ball mount on the market that has a built in scale that shows your tongue weight every time you tow. Runs around $300 & is well worth it IMO.
          Installing a floor & framed structure will indeed add rigidity to the frame, but this doesn’t assure proper weight distribution by any means. A loose load actually makes it easier to achieve proper weight distribution & tongue weights because you can position the load for best weight distribution.
          IMO, the best type of trailer to pull is a gooseneck or 5th wheel. They tow much better than a bumper pull, are easier to maneuver, & the front axle is now carrying some of the load along with the rear.
          Another reason for increased axle/tire capacity rather than just barely meeting specs is your actual load per axle which you can’t know unless you weigh each axle. Nobody does this. Whether or not the trailer is towed level makes a difference in weight distribution on multi axle units as well.
          If you are setting up on a permanent basis, I believe the unit should be blocked up & tied down (like typical mobile homes) & the wheels removed. Unfortunately, many builders neglect to install tie down points on their frames.
          RIVA certification means zilch to me as there has been so much junk produced/sold over the years that carries a RIVA stamp on it. The RVAH would be a step in the right direction.
          BTW, the tri-axle I pulled for years was a gooseneck & weighed 17,000+ lbs loaded. I pulled it with a Dodge 1 ton diesel & it did fine. Stopped well with 3 brake axles.
          Enjoy the day!

        • James D.
          April 24, 2017, 9:12 am

          Thank you Bigfoot, that was very helpful information and good advice.

          It’s unfortunate, but the lack of regulation in the RV industry has lead to an emphasis on the visual wows taking precedence over practicality and actual value. Thus the lack of value of the RVIA certification.

          This is one of the reasons I think the Tiny Houses have a place in the market as they challenge that paradigm but we have to watch out for companies that may be transitioning from the RV industry and still maintaining those practices.

          While the first step for consumers is being aware and having those like you telling it like it is…

          This product may straddle the edge and still be perfectly good but some people buy these for actual use as a home and that’s a long term investment that has to consider these factors, especially with the high prices this company is charging for these models going on the premium high end, I’ve even seen some of these models sell for just over $100,000…

          So again, thank you Bigfoot…

        • sel
          April 24, 2017, 1:14 pm

          well said….too busy to point the specifics you so freely and kindly gave to this individual. As far as towing, assuming there will be
          little of it, personally, one can never plan, wisdom rules.

  • TB
    April 21, 2017, 10:55 pm

    Why oh why with this beautiful home, do we have to look at the toilet?!

    • James D.
      April 21, 2017, 11:06 pm

      You don’t have to see it as there’s a door you can just leave closed…

      But you do get the 60″ wide vanity and 60″ bathtub because of that layout… Instead of a tiny sink with no vanity and a shower stall with no bath like most Tiny Houses offer…

      Though, if you get rid of the bathtub and make it just a shower then the toilet can be moved into the corner…

      Or, if it’s a composting toilet, you can have it moveable and hide it under the vanity when not in use…

  • keepyourpower
    April 23, 2017, 12:57 am

    I have always like the Escape THOWs but they are just too expensive!

    • James D.
      April 23, 2017, 1:42 am

      True, especially as Bigfoot commented that there could be a potential issue with the max weight with their given axle configuration for when its being towed…

      There are other Tiny House builders that build to higher standards anyway… Some of them even try to be as affordable as possible…

      Maybe consider taking the basic design and going to one of them instead to make something similar…

      I know Incredible Tiny Homes in Tennessee are willing to build anything the customer wants and will work with you to keep the price as low as possible… They even have a workshop deal where you can go to their facility and live there for 6 days as you build your own Tiny House…

      They do the basics for the framing ahead of time and you do the rest with their supervision, they’ll still have a pro help you install the wiring and plumbing, and you can bring people with you to help…

      Benefit of the feeling of having DIY and $10,000 off the price to boot…

      They also have developed their own 3rd party certification they’re calling RVAH, the AH standing for Alternate Housing and like NOAH it represents that it’s built according to residential building code, which is higher than RVIA requires, and means they’ll have videos and photos of the build and that should make any future repairs easy as a bonus…

      I’ve yet to see a better deal from any of the other builders but there are a few pretty good ones out there if you’d rather have them do all the work…

      Btw, Big Windows can be very expensive… Especially, if you need triple pan low E windows for best insulation value, as they can easily run into the thousands each… So big view Tiny Houses tend to run pretty high just because of that…

  • iris cutforth
    April 23, 2017, 9:01 pm

    Everything was great but I think that the extra space for the bathroom took away space from the living/eating area. I would have gone with a small 24 ” shower with the sink behind the toilet (almost as one unit) just to have a larger living room area. I would have had the large window across from the couch so that I could have a hanging table against a solid wall. Or, even, a smaller window in front of the table with a window that came higher than the table. I like the idea of showing the wood and comparing it with the drywall but I probably would pick wood over drywall and paint it. Thanks for sharing.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 24, 2017, 4:09 am

      Those are all great ideas, Iris!

  • Linda
    April 23, 2017, 9:20 pm

    OK…just a question. Does anybody besides me wonder how the 2nd person in the first floor bedroom, gets out of the bed at night to go to the bathroom? Has to throw off all covers and slide out the bottom? There needs to be space (at least leg width, say 6-8″) on BOTH sides of a bed. For bed making and for getting in and out. That is a must in my book. PERSONALLY, I live alone, so it wouldn’t matter, but for resale or for others, it would.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 24, 2017, 4:09 am

      Good thing to consider, Linda!

  • April 29, 2017, 10:11 am

    I know it’s easier to ” judge” that to do, is why expressing a concept without “derailing”, or “go drifting” is not easy…, because these small houses, with or without wheels, have to keep the apperance of homes without “confusing hybrid with other housing solution”….But if the interiors have already achieved the utmost confort, the exterior can overlap in a form far from the classic one of a pratty house. I am not referring to this model or other in a variety of styles: Modernism, Classic, Minimalism, Country and so on.

  • Lori
    May 1, 2017, 1:17 pm

    Just a few changes to the overall design: I’d eliminate the wall between the bedroom and the rest of the house, put a daybed (with storage underneath) in there, put in a built in dresser and put the tv on the wall over it, a chair or two with a nice area rug. Eliminate the window on the short end wall of the bedroom for a narrow depth clothes closet running the entire width of the house.
    I’d also cottagey it up a bit with shiplap and some fake stonework with a bit of stained glass here and there, but that’s my own taste.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 2, 2017, 5:02 am

      Oh I love shiplap and fake stonework 🙂

  • Beejsteph
    May 12, 2017, 3:15 pm

    I Would Also Omit The Upstairs Loft…Unless I Could Have A Small Living Room AND A Loft…Allowing For A Daybed/Couchbed 🙂 Otherwise…This Is A Beautiful And AMAZING TH! 🙂

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 15, 2017, 8:05 pm

      I bet you could 🙂 Maybe not in this design, but I bet there are builders who could make it 🙂

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