Tiny homes, RVs and skoolies: Living on wheels on your own land · Alt Ordo Systems Guide
A home on wheels is a small, complete house that arrives built. On a campground it plugs into water, power and a sewer. On your own land you have to supply all three yourself, plus propane, a level pad and protection from frost. The shelter is the easy part. The real work is the hookups, the wastewater permit, and the rules that decide whether you may live in it at all.
This guide helps you choose between a tiny house on wheels, a travel trailer, a van and a skoolie, set one up on your own land with water, power, propane and a legal place for its wastewater, keep it dry and unfrozen through winter, and know what to ask the county first.
What's inside. 19 pages in 9 chapters (At a glance, Where it works, How it works, Size it, Parts and cost, Set it up, Run it, Rules and permits, How it connects), then the sources and a notes page. 9 numbered figures drawn for this guide, including a fit map of every US county. You also get a worked example with a fill-in worksheet, 10 numbered steps, a year-round calendar, and a troubleshooting table.
Three builds, costed line by line (typical US prices, October 2026):
- Bare-bones: $22,770–$27,390
- Standard: $28,070–$34,020
- Comfortable: $61,970–$84,850
Sourced and fact-checked. Facts and figures are cited to the 36 sources listed at the back, and the whole guide was fact-checked before release. General guidance, not engineering advice: your county and a qualified pro have the last word on your site.
Pairs with other Alt Ordo Systems Guides: Off-grid solar; Portable power stations; Septic and its alternatives; Composting toilets; Finding off-grid land. For your county's permits and rules, see our county and state guides.
Instant PDF download. After checkout you get a download link by email. Letter-size pages, made to read on screen or print at home.