Tours
Woman turns an overlooked 1985 vintage railroad trailer into the coziest tiny home for herself
I love the color she chose to paint the outside.
Irene Markianou
07.08.22

When Hannah Doss was a college student, she used to move into and out of houses all the time, until she completed her studies and got her Master’s degree.

By then, she had realized that spending a significant amount of money every month on the rent was something that she really didn’t like. So she started considering moving into a tiny home that she would build herself- or with some help- and that she wouldn’t have to worry about rent anymore.

Thanks to her dad, who used to work at the railroad for more than twenty years, she found out about the surplus auctions, where she actually found what would become her tiny home.

She knew when she arrived there that she would stop bidding at $350, and, magically, this was actually the price she paid for what she would name Journey.

Journey, or the railroad trailer that would become a house, was just 232 sq feet, but Hannah knew it was exactly what she needed at that point.

So, she started working on Journey’s renovation at her parents’ backyard. Luckily, her parents were willing to lend a hand during the renovation process, so this had an impact on both the expenses for the renovation, as well as the time it took for the project to get done.

It took three months and it cost around $9,000, while Hannah estimated that had she asked for professional help, she would have probably spent another $10,000.

YouTube - Tiny House Giant Journey
Source:
YouTube - Tiny House Giant Journey

So, three and a half years ago, Journey officially became Hanna’s tiny home, and she also drove it cross-country all the way to Lake Tahoe, California.

Today, she lives there with her boyfriend and her dog, and all three of them just love their tiny, moveable home.

During the tour Hannah offers viewers in the video that follows, she explains what she loves about this space.

Although it is really small, she and her parents worked so efficiently to make it functional that one doesn’t even realize it’s so small when they’re actually in there.

There is a kitchen where the couple can prepare their meals, while there is a small but cute working space with a great view.

YouTube - Tiny House Giant Journey
Source:
YouTube - Tiny House Giant Journey

There’s also a couch for guests that can easily turn into a bed, where the couple actually sleeps at night. The bathroom offers just what any apartment would, while the living room with the musical instruments around and the vinyls is just what you expect to see at an artist’s home.

Hannah, an educator and artist, even wrote a children’s book about Journey the railroad car that was saved by a girl and was turned into something beautiful by the girl and her family.

The young woman explains that people often ask to get inside her house and she says that everyone is welcome.

You can find her books on Amazon, while you can follow Journey’s adventures on her Instagram page.

Watch Hannah’s tiny home tour in the video below.

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