Even though the average tiny house owner moves their home only once every few years, there are still some people that go tiny so that they can travel. So why a tiny house and why not an RV? Why not buzz around in your SUV and pull a Tear Drop? Here are the pros and cons of Tiny House Travel.
The good news is that when you are building a tiny house, you are in for the long haul. If you have ever been in an RV, for the most part the vehicle is built to be light. So you have construction with materials like plastic for sinks and walls. In your tiny house, you will find materials that would be used in a real large sized construction. The windows are real, the appliances are full size (if you want them to be) and you won't have to trade the house in five years down the road because you put 100,000 miles on it.
One of my favorite things to do when I am traveling is to take in the local cuisine and I love to cook. With a tiny house, I can design the house for exactly what my tastes are. If I want a full kitchen to take advantage of the fresh local produce and fish, I can have it. If I am more of a relax and take in the beauty of the environment type of person, I can design my home with doors and windows that open up and allow nature to come right in. These are things that are a lot tougher to do with RVs and campers.
You have heard this situation before: You get to the hotel, jump into bed and have one of the worst night’s sleep in months. Maybe you bring your pillow along so that you at least have a comfortable head. When you tiny house travel, you have YOUR bed. A real sized bed, with your pillow and your sheets and your blanket and your good sleep. The same thing goes for towels, kitchen utensils and pretty much everything else that you don’t want to be without. Not all RVs and few campers have built in clothes washer and dryers right there at your disposal. You can have it in your tiny house if you need it.
So let's say you are cruising across the country and you get to Seattle and you just want to stay for a little longer. Like two months longer. Or maybe even a year. Tiny houses are meant for full time living. They are insulated properly, and are watertight, keeping the heat, cold and precipitation at bay and very economically. This cute little teardrop (Courtesy of Hütte Hut) is great for your weekend away, but you know you aren't going to be able to spend more than a couple of weeks in it.
One of the biggest things to keep in mind when doing tiny house travel is that you are carrying more weight than you would be if you are in an RV or towing a camper. This means less gas mileage, possible route limitations and maybe even the possibility that you are going to have to purchase a new tow vehicle. If you are trying to keep the weight down of your tiny house, maybe go a little smaller than that 32’ gooseneck that you originally wanted. READ MORE: The Tiny House Towing Guide
Speaking of route restrictions, tiny houses are normally built to the widest and tallest road legal limits, to take advantage of as much space as possible. This can become tricky to maneuver through some small towns and areas. Although there are ways around this planning hassle, the problem still exists. If you are looking to get around the size, consider a tiny house without a loft, or again, build on the smaller size.
Well, it isn't hard to figure out, but driving a big block down the road is not the most aerodynamic thing a person can do. You are definitely trading off the function and style of a tiny house for the cost of the fuel and transportation with an RV or camper. But there are a few cool options out there where designers have made their tiny home a little more aerodynamic. The photo to the left comes courtesy of Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses. With no roof overhang on the front and a wedge shape, I suspect this design is a lot more fuel efficient than a house with a gable roof. So there ya go, the pros and cons of tiny house travel. Do you plan on traveling with your home? Or just parking it in one place and not moving? Let me know in the comments below.
A large variety of materials are needed to build a tiny house. Understanding what those materials are and where they are used can significantly speed up your build by reducing the number of trips to, and the time spent at the store.
Not everyone is a cook. Not everyone needs to have a chef-level kitchen. But at some time in your tiny living situation, you are not only going to have to cook, but more than likely you are going to have to plan out ahead of time what you need and where you are going to store the food that you buy.
Going tiny is a big decision and certainly not an easy one. As this niche industry continues to build, so does its naysayers. Don’t give up on your big dream to live tiny! Most of what they say isn’t true anyway. Here are a few of the most common tiny house problems which are really myths.
Living tiny is really only 10% the actual tiny house itself and 90% the attitude of the people going to live there. There are many people who have their mentality backward – they say, “Living tiny will allow me to do these things,” when they need to start living tiny well before they even get there.
Over the years Tiny Home Builders have worked with countless people in the tiny home community, from advocates and enthusiast to building companies, and diy’ers, maybe even a few naysayers. They all have a unique story to share and this is one of them. (Please look for more stories in this blog series: “The Inside Story”)