Living in an RV is a new experience for most people, and a completely different lifestyle than buying or renting a home. You’ll essentially be living in a space comparable to a tiny home with your spouse or the entire family. Whether your kids are grown and it’s just you and your spouse living in an RV or you’re living with your spouse plus kids in an RV, there are some things I’d like you to know about living in an RV to prepare you for this lifestyle change.
You’ll Need to Embrace Minimalism
While you don’t have to be a minimalist to live in an RV this lifestyle option will help in making sure you have more space. While living in an RV full-time you’ll need to downsize and get used to living a bit smaller. This means space and wardrobe as well as extras such as not having a huge selection of household items that you may have gotten used to having while living in an apartment or home. I had nowhere to hang photos of my children, and I missed that while I lived in my RV.
Roadside Assistance is a Good Thing
When you’re living in an RV, you’re essentially living in a vehicle which means a roadside assistance program will pay for itself. Research the various roadside assistance options available in your area and be sure to purchase one. There’s nothing worse than getting a flat tire on your home and having to figure out where to stay or what to do next.
Campsites Can Be Costly
While the good news about RV living is that you can actually stay at select Walmart parking lots overnight in an RV, the reality is that you cannot live in a Walmart parking lot. This means you’ll have to opt for a campsite at some point to shower and hook up your RV to drain out the sewage. Campsites can be cheap or costly, so do your due diligence in researching the options available. You can join some organizations that will save money on the per night stays at some campgrounds. Check out Thousand Trails and Passport America.
Find Work on the Fly
There are many campgrounds that will hire you to do odd and end tasks while out there living full time on the road. You can look for RV jobs at sites like WorkamperNews for various RV tasks and jobs that will hire you. This can be a great way to add some extra income to your budget and get a little change of scenery while living in an RV full time. if you have always wanted to live in a national park, you may want to take at look at seasonal jobs on USAJobs.org. Be sure to find out if the national park you are applying for has employee housing or employee campsites available.
Consider Bringing a Car
You may want to have a car towed by your motorhome so that you can enjoy traveling to various places while parked at a campsite. Having a car in tow will ensure that you have a vehicle that will use less gas than your RV while parked at a local RV campsite. If you don’t want to bring a car, then look into car rentals or an UBER to get you where you need to go when parking at a campground.
Living in an RV is such a fun experience, but it’s also a learning experience. Many full-time RV’ers have said it takes about one year to fully adjust to this lifestyle. Living in an RV full time is a great way to enjoy life a bit more than you can when living inside the four walls of an apartment or house. Fabgrandpa and lived in our travel trailer for more than 13 years. If you have any questions about this unique lifestyle, please don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments.
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