RV and school-bus owners share the household items they don't miss now that they live in tiny homes

Insider spoke with seven families about how they assessed what they needed — and didn't need — when buying, renovating, and remodeling their tiny homes on wheels.

Kirsten Trout and her husband recently moved into a 100-square-foot toy hauler.

One of the first things Trout did was remove the microwave. In its place, she uses an air fryer.

"It does everything an oven does and I can add enough food for a two-person meal," Trout told Insider. "Total game-changer."

Now, the old microwave cubby is storage space for other kitchen necessities.

Before living in the toy hauler, the couple lived in a larger RV that had a huge entertainment center.

"We took out the built-in entertainment/desk area in our fifth wheel," Trout, who records her RV journey on Instagram, @fifth_wheel_living, said. "I wanted to add a fireplace and put in a huge TV."

By removing the console, they were able to add a 55-inch flat-screen.

Kristen and Will Watson and their daughter Roam live in a 180-square-foot bus.

With so little space, every inch counts. That's why they opted out of purchasing a washer and dryer, the couple told Insider.

When their clothes are dirty, the couple just heads to the laundromat, they said.

"We decided to not have a TV because we wanted to spend as much time as possible outside and a TV would distract us from that," the couple, who shares their adventures on the YouTube channel Number Juan Bus, told Insider. "Plus it wasn't worth the wall space it would take up and isn't very aesthetically pleasing in our opinion."

Karen Akpan, also known as The Mom Trotter, told Insider that she replaced her oven with a combination toaster and air fryer, which she uses to cook meals for her family of three.

"That was the best decision we've ever made," she said.

It saves space and it cooks her meals quicker.

Water-filtration systems are common in many RVs, but the Akpans decided against having one.

"It takes up so much space so we opted to use water filters instead," she said.

Sora Blu lives in a 300-square-foot vintage trailer and records her journey on her Instagram account @sora.blu.

When she was remodeling her home, she intentionally avoided a microwave.

"The one thing I don't want to simplify is cooking," she told Insider. "It is a beautiful, healing ritual. And I have grown thankful for the encouragement to cook and warm a meal with time and patience."

Kris and Andy Murphy have small closets with about 30 clothing items each in their 350-square-foot RV, where they live full-time.

"This allows us to not spend space on clothes and also greatly reduces us always wanting that cute jacket on sale," Andy told Insider.

The family shares their RV journey on their blog, Where Wild Ones Roam.

When looking at different RV models, the family of four had to decide what they prioritized the most.

They wanted things like a dining table and a large fridge, so they decided to skip the dishwasher.

Plus, cleaning their dishes in a sink works just as well.

When Payne started renovating her 1974 Ideal travel trailer, she decided to remove the bathtub that was in the bathroom.

She said the tub wasn't necessary, since it would take too many resources to fill.

So, she replaced it with a shower.

Since the Payne family plans to use the RV for camping excursions, it made sense for them to remove the oven.

In its place, Payne added a shelving unit for extra storage.

You can see the renovation process on her Instagram, @nailgun_nelly.

Brackney spent $10,000 converting a school bus he purchased from Facebook Marketplace into a home he names Roamer.

He told Insider that he believes it's up to each individual to create a space where they can thrive.

According to Brackney, "good spatial configurations are just as unique as the people who occupy them."