And who doesn’t? The most common statements we get from people when we explain that we live full-time in an RV and travel the country are: “I have always wanted to do that!” or “Someday, I am doing that!” So, why aren’t you? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think everybody should. (Imagine how crowded the RV parks would be!) I don’t think everybody COULD. It takes a special kind of crazy for 2 people and a dog to live in a 400 square-foot box 24/7/365. BUT–You only get so many years on this planet. This is not a rehearsal. You don’t get a coupon at the end from Death saying “You wasted 30 years working like a dog, go back and enjoy 10 more.”
Size Matters
First off, the biggest issue is size. if you plan on living full-time in an RV, buy the BIGGEST you can afford. You will never have enough personal space or storage. Never. You have to be very comfortable with being on top of each other, ALOT. It’s a level of togetherness that can inspire wood-chipper-induced accidents.
Let Go (…of Stuff!)
Full-time RV cargo trailer used a little for storage
Melinda can affirm: I never let go of a grudge. I may not dwell on it or let it ruin me, but I never forget. Wait. That’s not the type of ‘letting go’ we are talking about here. In order to fit your life in a 400 sq. foot box, you have to purge yourself of everything you don’t need for survival. Yes, your spouse is necessary! But I found that my 30-year-old oak bookshelves were not. When this is done, I will just buy others. Will they have the same history as the ones before? No. But they can generate a new history. Melinda gave up hundreds of pairs of shoes. You have to PURGE everything unnecessary out of your life, then do it two more times. We do have a very small storage room for the hope chest her grandmother left her and some solid cherry desks I could never replace, but other than that, we live full-time and self-sufficient in our RV and a small chunk of cargo trailer we pull behind. We have downsized our storage room once and are planning to again this Spring. Our rule is: if we buy something new, we have to get rid of at least one or two things to make room. We sold our cars, our house, our furniture, most of our kitchenware, and donated the rest away. After a while, you realize you didn’t really need STUFF to be happy. At least we don’t. If you can’t be happy without THINGS, you can’t go full-time RVing.
Full-Time Crazy Ain’t Cheap
Full-Time RV Expenses
Forget everything you’ve heard about ‘living on the road’ unless you’ve heard it’s just as expensive as living in a stationary house. Because it almost is. What you save in mortgage payments, you make up for in an RV loan and campground rentals. And repairs. You save some on utilities, but your entertainment costs go way up. (Dolly World, Carlsbad Caverns, and Yellowstone ain’t free ya’ know!) There is a couple (Bob and Pearl) who have shared their expense reports from their full-time RV lifestyle at The Next Exit on Youtube. Don’t think you are going to save a ton of money doing this. You’re not.
Full-Time Working Stiffs
If you can arrange it, continue to work from your new mobile home base. Continuing to work helps alleviate some of the expenses and save up for Life-After-RV. Many jobs (especially since Covid) allow workers with a good Internet connection (see the article about Starlink) to work from home (no matter where your home may be this month). Melinda’s company is very cool about that and as long as we are close to an airport and have good Internet for a myriad of Zoom meetings, she is good to go. Between my writing and Internet projects, I just need the Internet. There is also being a ‘work-camper.’ Some parks barter services, such as security or maintenance, in exchange for rent. You need to arrange it in advance and stay for a while in one spot, but it can cut your costs dramatically.
Adventures
Suspension walkways near Crescent City
The one thing that will NOT be on my tombstone is: “I wish I had more adventures.” Life with Melinda is an adventure in itself, but adding touring the whole country and places I have never seen before, I will go out with no regrets. Why settle in one spot when we can see the whole country? I feel like I would have been incomplete if I checked out without traversing the ladder trail of the giant redwoods in the northwest, or seen the bison in Wyoming, or rode our motorcycles through Beartooth Pass in Montana and the coast of Maine, or air boated to see alligators in Florida. Adventures and fun are what this is all about. If you are just ‘surviving’ in a nice, regular ‘house’ and not having the time of your life, WARNING: You don’t get a do-over.
Summary
No, living full-time in an RV is NOT for everybody, but if you can let go of physical STUFF and embrace living adventures instead of just hearing about them, I heavily recommend it. I can tell you that doing it with the perfect partner-in-crime is the only thing that makes it possible and ten times more fun! See you on the road…or not.
RVonTheRoadYet.com is a blog to keep our friends and family informed of our latest adventures or misadventures. We are NOT RV professionals, doctors, lawyers, or travel guides. We are a couple of people who have decided to embrace the full-time RV lifestyle of idiots and gypsies.