Early retirees, Michelle and Sandra downsized into a tiny house on wheels to travel more. They worked with their builder, Movable Roots, to create an exceptional custom design that withstands the rigors of the open road while being cat-friendly. Fortunately, it’s holding up beautifully after three and half years of traveling 15,000 miles around the United States.
After much research, Michelle and Sandra chose a tiny house on wheels over an RV. They discovered that they would have to spend around $200k on a motor home to meet their needs and desires. An RV dealer shared about all the issues that they could encounter and the short lifespan to expect before needing to get another one.
But with a tiny home, they could completely customize it. The best part, for them, is the long-term durability. Thanks to the high-quality construction techniques and building materials, their tiny home will stand the test of time.
Inside Their Traveling Tiny House
Even though Sandra and Michelle’s tiny house was built for travel, it doesn’t skimp on creature comforts. It’s 28 feet long and about 350 square feet. The layout optimizes the functionality of each room. In the living room, that means maximizing comfort with room for two compact recliner chairs and a window bench seat perfect for cat lounging.
The bedroom loft offers standing space in front of the bed. It fits a king-size mattress, which offers enough sleeping room for the whole family including four cuddly cats. A large skylight makes the entire room feel more open and airy. Fortunately, it comes with a remote-controlled shade to avoid being woken up by the sun.
For a tiny home on wheels, their bathroom is massive. It features a large walk-in shower, spacious vanity, and laundry facilities. Michelle and Sandra opted to get an Incinolet electric toilet. Compared to compositing and RV flush toilets, maintenance is minimal. Every so often, a tray of sanitized ash must be dumped in the trash. That’s it. However, it’s power-hungry that requires a beefy solar power system or shore power.
“I enjoy the simplicity of it after having to clean a 2400-square-foot house all the time. We have four cats; even if you have rooms that you don’t visit, cat hair visits them. Tiny houses get dirty fast, but I enjoy the simplicity of it and the life that we get to have because of it.
It’s being able to feel like you’re at home. Still, at the same time, you’re enjoying a different scenery everywhere you go—being able to travel and see all these different places that we probably would not have done if we did not have this house—and being able to come home every night to our cats. I think they enjoy actually having different scenery as well. Every time we stop and set up, the first thing they do once we let them out in the house is run up to all the windows and start looking out, and then they go straight out into the catio. They look out to see what’s new out here.
I don’t know that we’ll ever put down permanent roots again. Maybe when we’re too old to change a tire!”
-Sandra and Michelle, @tiny.cat.home.adventures
Traveling Tiny House Cat-Friendly Features
Michelle and Sandra are happy to report that their four cats love tiny house living. That’s thanks to custom features for their care, comfort, and amusement. In the kitchen, a pull-out drawer holds their water and food bowls. Nearby, they can use the cat door to access the pop-up catio when set up at a new campground. Probably the coolest cat-friendly features include the catwalk and cat loft. The kitties’ loft is full of scratch posts, playhouses, and two robot litter boxes. Fortunately, Movable Roots had the excellent idea to install a vent fan. So if it ever gets too stinky, Michelle and Sandra can turn it on via a remote.
