A new German company, Vagabundo, recently debuted their version of a full two-story tiny house with a lifting roof. And yes, it can be put on wheels and relocated as desired. During the pandemic, two young industrial engineers and an architect came together to develop a versatile and minimalist movable home. The result: the Vagabundo Flex.
To them, “Vagabundo” means freedom. Flex implies a flexible home. So their model caters to people who want the flexibility to roam around as they wish, to feel free. Beyond that, Vagabundo seeks to go beyond a cozy feel to create a beautifully designed, spacious-feeling interior. They combined minimalistic & futuristic vibes with warm, welcoming material choices, namely wood, and glass.
But above all, for the dynamic trio, their tiny homes must be quality built. Their goal then became to meet German building regulations. A significant challenge then became doing all that and meeting European road legal requirements for height. It’s similar to height restrictions across most of the US, at 4 meters or 13.12 feet.
Vagabundo ultimately developed their full two-story tiny house with an automated lifting roof system. When parked, it rises to an impressive 20.3 feet in height to create 300 square feet of living space.
Their clever relocation solution begins with the foundation, a swap body system. In a nutshell, it’s a demountable cargo solution commonly used by big rig cargo trucks.
When ready to relocate, just lower the roof of the Vagabundo Flex. Then, load it onto a flatbed truck. This can all be handled by a professional hauler. Alternatively, customers can opt to keep their tiny house mounted on a trailer base.
Further, this system allows for three tiny house parking configurations. First, keep it on wheels. Second, demount the swap body so the Vagabundo Flex rests on the sturdy supports. The best thing about this option is the extra storage space underneath and the opportunity for a raised deck. Third, use a crane to place the tiny home on the ground.
US-based Wilderwise also developed a tiny house on wheels with a lifting roof. In theirs, no furniture needs to be removed during transport. In contrast, all the furniture in the Vagabundo Flex second story must be removed. It can be placed & tied-down downstairs. Alternatively, these items can be moved with a separate vehicle.
With that, Vagabundo achieved something special with their mechanical lifting system. The necessary bulky elements do not disrupt the aesthetic of the tiny house. Instead, they’re hidden in the corners and tucked away in cupboards. Oak pillars upstairs provide safety redundancy. Of note, railing system options for the upper floor are coming soon!
Vagabundo sees their Flex model as a way to provide a sustainable, versatile homeownership opportunity. Further, they think it offers an excellent share property ADU option for residential properties in Germany and beyond. This means utilizing existing properties in a mutually beneficial way for the landowner and tiny home dweller.
Co-founder Andreas shares more about the role their movable tiny house can play:
“This is the way we have to establish the housing market and the “living market,” I would say, to be more flexible. Because flexibility also creates sustainability. Because the more flexible you can use a space or a property, the more sustainable it gets.”