7 Hardest Things About Living in a Tiny Home or RV

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Patience isn’t something most people are good at without practice. I know people who avoid praying for patience because they don’t want to endure such a test of the will. Waiting for anything or anyone can stretch us further than we think we can endure. But for those who learn the lesson of patience can reap the many rewards it carries.

When I was nine years old, I desperately wanted a tree house. However, knowing there was no way this was going to happen in my family situation, I decided to make my own creation. I led my younger brother and sister into the backyard - a field of weeds that reached over our heads. Together we stomped the tall grass down and created pathways and bedrooms. It felt like our own special hideout because we couldn’t see out. Never mind our mom who could easily look down at us from a house window.

I have a habit of making what I want happen. Patience waiting for situations to change has never been my strong suit. Fortunately, patience with people has fared otherwise.

When it comes to tiny home living, patience is required. Working in a smaller space forces us to slow down, or something might fall over and get damaged. It reminds us to constantly be aware of our movement around each other, knowing that a collision can happen at any moment if we aren’t careful.

While we have definitely been enjoying this new lifestyle, there are a few hard things we must learn to live with.

1. Cooking

Our travel trailer has a total of four inches between the sink and the stove. That is our counter space. There is a glass fold up cover for the stove, but once you need to cook something you lose that work space. We have a nifty foldable sink strainer that can rest over half of the sink to provide some space. Between the multi-function surface tops we manage to balance and move things just enough to make simple meals work.

I’ve become much more aware of the number of dishes I use. I try to reuse any dish possible. Stir with a fork, eat with the same fork. Heat broccoli in a bowl, mix with chicken and eat from the same bowl. It’s like working with a constantly changing puzzle.

2. Refrigerator Space

The same goes when storing our food. Each time we shop, we must be aware of how every item purchased will fit into the fridge. Sometimes we must unpack a boxed item and repackage it inside a zip bag to conserve space. Our days of shopping at superstores our practically over.

Whenever we move spots, we must be careful when opening the fridge – or any cabinet. Contents shift easily and if we aren’t careful, we can end up with a gooey sour cream mess on the floor.

3. Storage

We were actually surprised by how much we could fit into our travel trailer, especially when we added our custom couch and desk. However, the space is limited. We’ve spent the first weeks letting go of items that feel like extras at this point. I still have way too many clothes, and my husband would probably say shoes too, but those are essential.

In order to organize our space more efficiently, we use baskets, bins, and trays wherever possible. This has been an awesome solution for us. The ClosetMaid Bins above our couch fit perfectly and look homey. My wicker baskets under the couch are just the touch I needed from home to make this space feel like home too.

4. Water

This matters more when boondocking (camping without hookups) than it does when we are plugged in. However, we do plan on boondocking quite a bit. I’m careful to conserve dish water and soak as many pieces as one time as possible. For showers, we have an on/off switch on our shower head. We use about one gallon per shower.

We also made sure to bring a Brita pitcher to filter all our water. Water at campgrounds or even a friend’s house can be hard, so the pitcher helps us enjoy it more and not cause mineral build up on our pots and pans.

5. Sleeping

This may not be hard for everyone. We had to downsize from a king-size bed to a full-size bed. While we did buy a nice Weekender mattress, it is still much smaller than we are used to. A large cat plus constantly changing temperatures based on where we are parked doesn’t help our comfort level.

Our bedroom is also very cozy for two tall people like ourselves. It’s not impossible, but let’s just say becoming one with the wall has been a skill I’ve had to master.

6. Constant Cleaning

Because our space is so limited, we must quickly clean up from one project to move on to the next. I actually like that we have to do this, but it has been something to get used to. In our 2000 square foot house I was able to leave a project out for days and come back to it as I had time. Now I get something out knowing I will be putting it away very soon – like by the next mealtime.

If you’ve met my husband, you know he has high standards of cleanliness. Higher than my standards, especially when it comes to camping. Our kids will never let him forget the time he had to buy a broom while we were staying in San Diego just to sweep the sand out of our room 3-5 times a day. That same broom now lives in our RV.

Dirt collects quickly when roaming the great outdoors. Washing, wiping, and sweeping are regular parts of our life. In fact, as I write this article my husband is washing the truck outside next to me. I love working side-by-side on the tasks we are good at!

7. Lack of Personal Space

If you decide you are ready to downsize to a tiny space, you better be comfortable with getting in your partner’s business. It’s like were dancing all day long. There is no secret quite place. The bathroom is no longer the place for hiding.

However, we do enjoy the intimacy of living this closely together. In an effort not to collide with sudden movements, we notice ourselves reaching a hand to the other’s back as we pass by. The forced closeness also makes us talk to one another often.

Final Thoughts

There are some hard things to get used to when living in a tiny space. Modifications to cooking and cleaning have to be made. Creative storage must be implemented.

But the rewards to living this way are enumerable. Life is so much simpler. Our brains are less stressed because we don’t have to take care of all the piles of stuff that is around us. Especially the stuff that never gets used. Back at home, it used to drain the energy out of us. Now we have energy to explore and create and serve others.

Tiny living isn’t for everyone. Some people can manage a lot more things better than we can. We just know ourselves, so this method of reduced material possessions keeps our stress level low. After some tough years parenting kids with trauma, we could use a season of less tension.

A little rest is just what the doctor ordered.