I paid $300 to try glamping in a 45-square-foot camper. I thought it was a major upgrade over a tent, but I wouldn't do it with another person.

This $16,522 teardrop-inspired retro travel trailer can double in price with all available customizations — see inside

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My wife and I moved into a 100-square-foot trailer in 2021.</li><li>In the mornings, we try to stay out of each other's way and prioritize our alone time. </li></ul><p>In 2021, my wife and I sold our 2,000-square-foot home in the Pacific Northwest and all our belongings. We bought a <a href="https://www.insider.com/tiny-home-hotel-in-europe-photos-tour-inside-2023-2">100-square-foot RV</a> and set out to live an unencumbered life of adventure and travel. </p><p>Living full time in close quarters with my wife certainly has its challenges. Privacy and storage space are both hard to come by, and simple things — like making coffee in the morning — have become complicated in <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-family-went-from-house-to-rv-saved-money-space-2022-6">a small trailer</a>. But we've learned to value one another's needs and prioritize our alone time, becoming stronger partners.</p><h2><strong>We initially wanted to live in a camper van, but they were too small for us</strong></h2><p>We wanted to buy a Sprinter Model van and have it converted into a tiny house, but our dream came to a screeching halt the second time <a href="https://www.insider.com/weekend-stay-in-camper-van-2021-1">we rented one for a weekend</a>. We quickly realized we needed a bit more space to be comfortable.</p><p>We never pictured owning a trailer because it seemed much less cool than traveling around in a sleek Sprinter. But, once we decided against a converted van, we began our search for a travel trailer and fell in love with our 21-foot Little Guy Max teardrop trailer. The solid-maple cabinets, queen-sized bed, and front lounging area make the interior feel more like a home. And because we were towing newbies, we carefully selected a smaller-length trailer and a beefy Dodge Ram pickup.</p><div type="image" title="The trailer the couple lives in full time." height="2274" width="3024" msid="98547995" hostid="261" sizebytes="410838"></div><h2><strong>Navigating life in a little more than 100 square feet takes creative strategizing – especially in the mornings</strong></h2><p>My wife and I thought about how to utilize our space optimally for both of us, especially during our morning routines. My wife uses a daily gratitude journal, so she writes in bed while I make my morning espresso, and then she completes her morning yoga routine outside. </p><p>This simple practice has kept us from bumping into each other at the start of our day. And when my partner heads outside for yoga, it gives me the solitude I enjoy while sipping on my espresso. While we've become adept at moving around the trailer, sometimes we need a break from each other.</p><h2><strong>Our biggest challenge has been creating solitude in a small space</strong></h2><p>As a writer, I crave the serenity of being hunkered down inside, writing alone and without distraction. On the other hand, my wife's desire to be outside in nature is wired in her. This difference allows us to do what we love apart from one another. This helps create a sense of solitude for both of us. </p><div type="image" title="the bed inside of kim kelly stamp's trailer" height="961" width="1282" msid="98547997" hostid="261" sizebytes="55768"></div><p>I treasure when my wife hits a hiking trail or goes backpacking for a few days. I can picture her happily walking in the woods while I write in the comfort of our little trailer. </p><p>It's been essential for us to practice good communication and to share our needs honestly. We've been living in our camper for 18 months at this point, and we can each now sense when one of us needs time alone.</p><h2><strong>We found our relationship has never been stronger since living in our trailer</strong></h2><p>The constant state of togetherness can draw couples closer or drive them apart. Luckily, we found that this lifestyle brings us closer. We prioritize date nights and are constantly asking each other questions that spark new discoveries and promote intimacy.</p><p>Living in a tiny rolling home allows us to know one another better and communicate more fluidly as we face daily challenges. We've learned to move in tandem and to separate while still staying in sync. We are dancing a beautiful dance together as we live out our little adventure.</p>

My wife and I live in a 100-square-foot trailer. Our relationship has never been stronger.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1323206" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="RV">RV</keyword> sales have been increasing as people have started looking for ways to travel during the summer while still social distancing.</li><li>There are several RV and RV <keyword id="6354464" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trailer">trailer</keyword> types available on the market.</li><li>For those looking to purchase or rent an RV for summer trips, here's a guide explaining the different RV class and trailer types.</li></ul><p>RVs and RV trailers are no longer just for older folks looking for post-retirement travel plans or suburban families looking for a summer getaway.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rv-sales-skyrocketing-as-lockdown-ends-2020-6">RV sales started skyrocketing</a> when states started their first rounds of lifting stay-at-home orders. And now, RV interests have been hitting new customer segments, such as millennials looking to fulfill their "digital nomad" dreams.</p><p>But for first-time home on wheels buyers and renters, the RV and RV trailer market may seem daunting. </p><p>Each RV and trailer type differs from the other in size, floor plan, weight, and design to fit the needs of different customers. For example, large toy hauler trailers allow families to bring both their children and their ATVs and kayaks on the trip. But other trailer types, such as the teardrop, may not even include an interior kitchen due to its smaller size. </p><p>Whether you're looking to purchase your first RV, or you've been browsing RV rental platforms Outdoorsy and RVshare for a weekend RV getaway here's a list of different RV and trailers, explained:</p><h3>Class A: the largest RV.</h3><p><div type="image" title="Goss RV motorcoach" height="1408" width="1877" msid="77037527" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Class A RVs are the largest of the three RV classes.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/big-guide-to-rv-classes">Outdoorsy</a>, Class As are typically built on a diesel or gas-powered vehicle, commercial truck, or commercial bus chassis. This expansive size allows its interior to have the same amenities as any traditional foundation-based home, although this often means it can be the most expensive RV type. </p><p>Because of this, the Class As are a popular choice for people who want a luxuriously large RV for full-time living on the road, according to <a href="https://www.generalrv.com/blog/rving-101-rv-types/">General RV</a>. </p><h3>Class B: the smallest RV.</h3><p><div type="image" title="Boulder Campervans in a 2020 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 4x4" height="1668" width="2224" msid="77037535" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The Class B is the smallest motorhome of all three classes.</p><p>This segment is commonly otherwise known as a <keyword id="1071256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="camper">camper</keyword> van or a converted van. It's also currently popular among many millennials looking to pursue <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advanced-rv-mercedes-benz-sprinter-camper-van-off-grid-desert-2020-5">#VanLife</a>, and recently, many van conversion companies have seen a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/camper-van-conversion-companies-resilience-in-sales-despite-the-coronavirus-2020-5">skyrocketing request in builds</a>.</p><p>Because Class Bs are often small, the vehicles typically don't include the same spacious amenities as a Class A. However, it's still possible to have the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and dining area basics with the right floor plan by being creative and integrating multi-purpose furniture, such as a dining table that can be flipped into a sleeping space.</p><p>Class B's are also easier and cheaper to operate and don't require any kind of special driver's license. </p><p>Nowadays, many Class B RVs in the US are built on Ford Transits, Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, and Ram Promasters.</p><h3>Class C: the in-between RV size.</h3><p><div type="image" title="RV covered by trees shade" height="1998" width="2664" msid="77037545" hostid="261"></div></p><p>As counterintuitive as it is, the Class C RV is smaller than a Class A, but bigger than a Class B.</p><p>Class Cs are known as "versatile" RVs that have more space for amenities and beds with its average length sitting between 20 to 31 feet, according to <a href="https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/big-guide-to-rv-classes">Outdoorsy</a>. The class can also often be identified by the over-cab sleeping area, according to <a href="https://www.expeditionmotorhomes.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-class-a-b-c-motorhomes/#:~:text=The%20Class%20C%20motorhome%20is,in%20one%20Class%20C%20motorhome.">Expedition Motor Homes</a>.</p><p>Class C RVs are often built on the chassis of pickup trucks or vans, making it more fuel-efficient and less expensive than the Class A.</p><h3>Pop-up camper: the <keyword id="835751" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="camping">camping</keyword> tent on wheels.</h3><p><div type="image" title="pop-up trailer occupy las vegas" height="1220" width="2440" msid="77037552" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Pop-up campers are towable units that can be expanded by unfolding its sides, which are often made of canvas, according to <a href="https://rvshare.com/blog/rv-classes/">RVshare</a>. This makes it similar to a more structured, above-ground camping tent that's more affordable than other RV or trailers, according to <a href="https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/big-guide-to-rv-classes">Outdoorsy</a>.</p><p>And because the pop-up campers have lightweight foldable components, they can often be easily towed.</p><p>Pop up campers typically range between eight feet to 16 feet, although this size expands when the roof is popped up and unfolded, according to <a href="https://popupadvice.com/pop-up-camper-dimensions/">Popup Advice</a>.</p><h3>Travel Trailer: the most popular trailer.</h3><p><div type="image" title="An employee Lee's Family Trailer Sales and Service stands in the doorway of a travel trailer while customers look around inside at their operation in Windham on Thursday, May 28, 2020. " height="1660" width="2213" msid="77037560" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The travel trailer category is relatively broad, but this versatility means it can fit many sizes, floor plans, amenities, and budget requirements that customers may have. According to <a href="https://www.thorindustries.com/rv-types/travel-trailer">Thor Industries</a>, it's also the most popular towable with a length between 13 to 40 feet.</p><p>Travel trailers often require a pickup truck, SUV, or van with a hitch to be towed, according to <a href="https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/big-guide-to-rv-classes">Outdoorsy</a>.</p><h3>Fifth Wheel Trailer: the largest trailer.</h3><p><div type="image" title="32 foot fifth wheel trailer in 2007" height="1185" width="2369" msid="77037567" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Fifth wheels are the largest RV trailer segment available and can often be identified by its raised extension like that of an over-cab in the Class C RV segment. This extension then hangs over and attaches to the vehicle that is towing it, which is often a pickup truck, according to <a href="https://www.thorindustries.com/rv-types/fifth-wheel-shop">Thor Industries</a>.</p><p>Fifth wheels average between 25 to 40 feet. Due to this size, fifth wheels often have plenty of space for rooms and amenities. This also makes it a good trailer for those who want to travel with a larger group of people or folks who plan on camping at a single site for a longer time.</p><h3>Teadrop Trailer: the tiny rounded trailer.</h3><p><div type="image" title="TAB teardrop trailer" height="1665" width="2220" msid="77037574" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Teardrop trailers fall on the lighter and smaller end of the RV trailer spectrum, according to <a href="https://campaddict.com/teardrop-camper/">Camp Addict</a>. Because of this, the pint-sized trailers can often be easily towed, although the interiors won't be as decked out with amenities as a Class A RV. </p><p>To accommodate this, teardrop makers have to be creative, either by offering a larger trailer size and floor plan, or using pull-out units and tables — such as a pull-out kitchen — to utilize the exterior space of the trailer. </p><h3>Toy Haulers: the trailer that has room for extra outdoor or water toys.</h3><p><div type="image" title="2016 Seismic Jayco Toy Hauler" height="1036" width="2071" msid="77037581" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Toy haulers are built like a home on wheels with a large garage to store outdoor gear and toys like motorbikes, snowmobiles, or kayaks.</p><p>However, it's not technically its own trailer segment. Toy haulers — which are generally 21 to 40 feet long — often come in the form of a travel trailer, fifth wheel, or one of the motorhomes, according to <a href="https://www.thorindustries.com/rv-types/toy-hauler">Thor Industries</a>. </p>

A guide to the 8 types of RV explained, from Class A to camper vans

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elizabeth Nelson launched her digital agency during the pandemic after being a wildland firefighter.</li><li>She and her partner made $180,000 in 2022 while maintaining the flexibility to ski and snowboard.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Elizabeth Nelson, the 31-year-old owner of a digital-marketing agency based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Insider has verified her income with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>I moved to Colorado in 2016 and first lived out of my car, then a teardrop travel trailer, and finally a condo I bought at a ski resort in Durango. I now live near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during the winters to snowboard and run my digital-marketing agency, <a href="https://snowmaddigital.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Snowmad Digital</a>.</p><p>From 2016 to 2020, I was an SEO- and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ppc-advertising-make-your-website-pay-2011-11">pay-per-click-marketing</a> contractor for a PR agency that specialized in wine and tourism. During that time, I began earning my certifications to become a wildland <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-investing-strategy-financial-freedom-former-firefighter-paramedic-texas-2022-4">firefighter</a>. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the PR agency I was working for fired everyone, and I started wildland firefighting. I fought the infamous <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/9/4/creek-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Creek Fire</a> in California that September.</p><div type="image" title="a woman in front of a fire" height="514" width="686" msid="98967012" hostid="261" sizebytes="93464"></div><p>My original plan was to become a smokejumper, a type of wildland firefighter who enters the fire by parachute, but I decided for my health to leave firefighting behind and focus on my digital-marketing agency.</p><p>My partner, Jesse Hall, 30, now works with me as our head web designer. He previously was a wildland firefighter, diesel mechanic, and snowcat mechanic. Together, we made around $180,000 in 2022.</p><h2>Here's what inspired me to shift careers</h2><p>After inhaling poison oak in the Creek Fire, I came back to Durango almost unable to breathe and worn down from the long days of eating trail mix and sleeping on the ground. I went for a hike up the famously steep Hogsback Mountain in October 2020 and was spewing out black gunk from my lungs. I also worried about Jesse, who had been fighting fires for three summers at the time.</p><p>I replied to a Craigslist ad for cold-calling, which led to me working as a ghost web designer and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/freelance-seo-consultant-made-500000-2-years-2022-5">SEO strategist</a> for several prominent wedding-industry speakers. My clients realized I was capable of more than just cold-calling and asked if I could work on their ads and websites. I had never built a more complex website than an online blog, but I said yes because I was eager to take on more work and taught myself from there, primarily from researching on Google.</p><div type="image" title="woman snowboarding" height="893" width="715" msid="98967014" hostid="261" sizebytes="42584"></div>But I knew that working under other agencies as a freelancer and contractor was never going to give me the freedom I desired to travel, skydive, snowboard, and create healthy relationships with clients. Freedom, to me, is owning your time, and working for another agency means they own your time.<p>Even though I was never paid as an employee for the agencies I worked for, I was always treated like one, with set work hours and no compensation for overtime. I grew tired of ghostwriting and ghost designing. I wanted the credit. Most importantly, I wanted to deliver results directly to clients.</p><div type="image" title="a camper van" height="2016" width="1504" msid="98967017" hostid="261" sizebytes="125484"></div>Jesse agreed to quit firefighting, too, and we moved into a camper van during the winter of 2020 to travel while working on our agency remotely and chasing powder storms at ski resorts.<p>We returned to Durango in the spring of 2021. Jesse encouraged me to work on my email outreach and content on my website to attract customers. I was extremely reluctant to grow the business because I knew I'd sacrifice my free time, but I was also eager to prove my potential.</p><h2>In 2 1/2 years, I've worked with more than 70 clients</h2><p>I now do web design, SEO, digital marketing, web hosting, and consulting for wedding venues like <a href="https://mountainhouseestate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mountain House Estate</a>, <a href="https://weddings-unlimited.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weddings Unlimited</a>, <a href="https://alexanderhomesteadweddings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexander Homestead</a>, and <a href="https://legacyfarmstn.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legacy Farms</a> through my own agency.</p><p>My first client was John Alden, the owner of Mountain House Estate, who found me through another wedding-industry professional who referred me. John had a lot of faith in my work and started consistently referring me to other venue owners. His advice was to simplify everything I talked about to clients regarding SEO, which taught me to speak in a less technical way that business owners understood.</p><p>From there my network grew, and <a href="https://snowmaddigital.com/is-the-knot-advertising-worth-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">content I posted on my website</a> about some controversial topics like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-knot-vendors-worth-price-busy-wedding-year-weddingwire-2022-9">The Knot losing its shine in the wedding industry</a> and about <a href="https://snowmaddigital.com/squarespace-seo-ultimate-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deciding between Squarespace and WordPress</a> gained me more clients who wanted not only monthly SEO work but also web design and hosting.</p><p>I now make between $8,000 and $13,000 per month. Jesse and I work our own schedule, powering through days or weeks for projects and only taking off time to ski in the winter or take trips in the summer. I work at least four or five days a week for 10 hours or more, depending on the weather.</p><p>I'm transparent in my pricing. I typically charge $3,500 to $6,500 for responsive SEO-optimized web design and $1,000 to $3,000 monthly for marketing, social media, and SEO.</p><h2>These are the strategies I use to attract and retain clients</h2><p>I did extra work for one of my clients in exchange for their creating <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nJcfElzmbY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a video testimonial</a> I posted on my agency's YouTube channel. A video testimonial from a client is more powerful than any text or anything you can say about yourself. One of my newer clients said they saw the video and just hired me this month largely because of it.</p><div type="image" title="woman speaking on a stage" height="2274" width="3024" msid="98967019" hostid="261" sizebytes="199558"></div>I also exhibited and spoke this year at <a href="https://www.weddingmba.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WeddingMBA</a>, a program I'd applied to, which catapulted my brand recognition.<p>I never outsource my work. Some business owners see this as a failure, but I see it as a positive work-life balance because I enjoy doing the work, not managing others.</p><p>I create boundaries around communication and expectations with my clients and my partner. Since we live together, my partner and I sometimes work separately. We've taken communication courses and gotten individual therapy during our relationship to strengthen our bond. Understanding each other's boundaries and needs, as well as not harboring negative emotions, is vital in a healthy working relationship.</p><p>I never work with my clients' competitors, and I work with clients all around the country and the world. When my client hires me, I'm loyal to them and their company. I've never lost a client. I also value my clients' work-life balance as much as mine, and I strive to make them more money to help them improve this.</p>

I make up to $13,000 a month from my digital-marketing business and still have the flexibility to travel and snowboard — here's how I built it

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Michelle Boyle moved into a 204-square-foot tiny <keyword id="6363870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="home">home</keyword> in 2015 to save money for retirement.</li><li>She got really into tiny living and now owns a tiny house village with four rentals she built.</li><li>She said that tiny living has changed her life and her future.</li></ul><p>After her divorce, Michelle Boyle, 54, said she had no savings whatsoever. Now, she runs two businesses <a href="https://www.mytinyhousevillage.com/">renting out four tiny homes</a> she built herself, as well as four <a href="https://www.oregonteardroprentals.com/">teardrop trailers</a> she renovated.</p><p>Boyle told Insider that in the early 2000s, she was a recently divorced single mother of two struggling from paycheck to paycheck, fearful she would never manage to retire.</p><p>"At that point in time, I had not saved a single dime for retirement. I was just kind of scraping by supporting my two kids, no child support, that kind of scenario," she said.</p><p>She kept this up for 12 years, but as soon as her kids were off to college, she decided that things needed to change.</p><p>Boyle, who describes herself as "a digital nomad" who works remotely, figured living in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/beautiful-tiny-homes-photos-2020-8">tiny house</a> would reduce her costs drastically enough to help her <a href="https://www.insider.com/family-sold-home-transformed-rv-to-save-money-2020-9">start saving</a> for retirement.</p><p>"I have never, in my entire life, had the sense of financial security - financial optimism - as I do right now. I had not a dime in the bank in 2014, and now I have two businesses. So a pretty substantial change in a fairly short period of time," she said. </p><h2>Michelle Boyle moved into a tiny home in 2015 to save money for retirement - little did she know that <keyword id="2408492" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="tiny-homes">tiny homes</keyword> would become her business, too</h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="empty nest exterior 3" height="1224" width="1632" msid="81219831" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>Boyle was short on cash when she made the decision to start living tiny but had the idea of looking for sponsors who might want to chip in. She said that she ended up financing her tiny home with the help of 24 sponsors, who she said often gave her "dented, dinged, or overstock inventory in exchange for social media content." </p><p>"It's like NASCAR," she said, adding that in 2015, when she built her house, tiny homes were still fairly new but gaining popularity, and companies were eager to get the word out through her budding social media presence.</p><div type="image" title="empty nest kitchen" height="1536" width="2048" msid="81219832" hostid="261"></div><p>According to Boyle, she financed less than a quarter of her tiny home, affectionately called "<a href="http://www.mytinyemptynest.com/">My Tiny Empty Nest</a>," with her own money, and said she did around 70% of the work herself with the help of her boyfriend.</p><p>While she has no background in construction, she said she has a "really high level of confidence and a really high tolerance for risk," as well as a solid understanding of her own limitations and when it's time to bring in professionals.</p><p>"It was kind of a ballsy approach. You look up videos, you ask people, you try, you fail, you try again," she said.</p><div type="image" title="michelle headshot" height="494" width="800" msid="81219833" hostid="261"></div><p>Her 204-square-foot house, which sits on three acres, is a modern split loft, meaning that the main floor has a U-shaped kitchen in the front, above which there are a guest room loft and storage space. </p><p>In the middle of the home, there's a living room with the highest ceilings in the house since there's no loft space above it. </p><p>In the back, there's a small walk-in closet with a washer and dryer, and a bathroom with a shower. Her bedroom, which has a queen-sized bed, nightstands, and a TV, is an around 4-foot high lofted space above the bathroom. </p><h2><strong>Boyle describes her existence as 'slightly pared down' but says that she has everything she needs</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="empty nest dining" height="685" width="913" msid="81219834" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>"It's an intentional choice," she said of living small. "I don't have every single kitchen appliance. I don't have a blender, or a bread maker, or a rice maker, but I don't need it. I'm perfectly happy. You'd be amazed at what a knife and a cutting board can do."</p><p>According to Boyle, one of the biggest misconceptions people have about living small is that you have to give up practically everything you own.</p><p>"It's not as much of giving up everything as it is prioritizing what you love," she said.</p><p><strong><div type="image" title="empty nest stairs" height="541" width="720" msid="81219835" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>Boyle loves shoes for example and said she's found clever ways to store them in various secret nooks all over the house, such as inside her stairs.</p><p>She explained that when it comes to tiny homes, "you're not designing per square foot, you're designing per square inch." Boyle said she even has baskets hidden in the few inches under her kitchen cabinets, where toe kicks usually go.</p><h2><strong>She said that an article in House Beautiful featuring her tiny home launched her into the world of tiny living</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="wine wagon" height="637" width="850" msid="81219836" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>In 2016, she said <a href="https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/house-tours/news/g4073/most-popular-tiny-houses-2016/">House Beautiful declared her tiny house one of the 10 most popular homes it featured that year</a>, which she credits with launching her career in the tiny home industry.</p><p>She said that she attended 14 tiny living festivals across the country in 2017 alone, usually as a speaker or moderator, and has since started a <a href="https://www.mytinyemptynest.com">blog</a> and <a href="https://www.tinyhousepodcast.com">podcast</a> on tiny living.</p><p>This got her thinking about ways to monetize tiny home living.</p><p>"In a nutshell, I can <keyword id="6373314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Design">design</keyword> and build a tiny house that I can sell and make a few thousand bucks, or I can design and build a tiny house that I can rent and I can make a few thousand bucks per quarter per house forever," she said.</p><div type="image" title="hideout kitchen2" height="717" width="956" msid="81219837" hostid="261"></div><p>She built a second tiny home in 2018 and described it as "an absolute immediate hit."</p><p>"I got Superhost status from Airbnb, it was almost 100% booked in the first summer, and within six months it actually paid me back every dime I had put into it," she said. </p><p>Boyle has since designed and built seven tiny homes, four - soon to be five - of which she's renting out on a former Christmas tree farm in Sherwood, Oregon. </p><p><strong><div type="image" title="my tiny perch" height="1535" width="2048" msid="81219838" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>She said that her My Tiny House Village "is as big as it will get," describing it as boutique-y and exclusive feeling, adding that she wants to keep it that way.</p><p>In 2019, "out of boredom," Boyle started renovating teardrop trailers she now rents out as part of a second business, <a href="https://www.oregonteardroprentals.com/">Oregon Teardrop Rentals</a>. </p><div type="image" title="lqe6xgim5bsz4ycfu5na" height="2994" width="3992" msid="81219839" hostid="261"></div><p>According to Boyle, 2020 was especially busy for both her tiny homes and trailers. She said that her occupancy rarely fell below 65% and was usually around 95%, especially in the summer months.</p><p>"The teardrops really ended up being a somewhat accidental solution to everybody's cabin fever," she said. "Both the village and the teardrops did pretty well in 2020, even with all the chaos." </p><h2><strong>Boyle believes that</strong> people's<strong> preference of experiences over 'stuff' has moved tiny home living forward</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="fzhlcba6k9ax9mxkybk4" height="1669" width="2225" msid="81219840" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>"People want experiences over stuff now," she said, explaining the popularity of her rentals.</p><p>"Yes, you can stay in a hotel room or you can stay in a tiny house on a retired Christmas tree farm in the middle of Oregon's Sherwood Forest," she said.</p><p>However, she adds that for those wanting to commit to the <keyword id="15482" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="lifestyle">lifestyle</keyword>, "<keyword id="1018862" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="downsizing">downsizing</keyword> is tough."</p><div type="image" title="wine wagon main" height="717" width="956" msid="81219841" hostid="261"></div><p>"Minimalism is hard," she said, calling it "an introspective process" that gets you thinking about the choices you've made, and why you made them.</p><h2>According to Boyle, dreaming big and working hard is the key to success</h2><p><strong style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px;"><div type="image" title="my tiny hideout" height="797" width="1062" msid="81219842" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>"My story is very much that this is intentional, this is comfortable, this is feasible. It quite literally changed my life and my future," she said of tiny home living.</p><p>She said that growing up she never dreamt about becoming an entrepreneur and business owner.</p><p><strong><div type="image" title="tiny perch" height="799" width="1065" msid="81219843" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>"If someone would have told me that I could have done this, that I could have done anything, be anything I wanted to be when I grow up kind of thing, I would have started this a long time ago. I would have had a huge empire by now. Probably," she said. </p><p>Boyle is proud of the work she's done, and the businesses she's built from scratch in only a few years.</p><p>"I'm so proud, I'm so happy, and I'm so tired," she said.</p>

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