Is full-time RV living right for you? While a lot of people love this lifestyle, it’s certainly not for everyone! Here are a few things to think about as you make your decision.
Full-Time RV Living Means Less Stuff
Are you ready to live in a small space for an indefinite period of time? It’s one thing to spend a weekend in an RV. It’s a completely different world to do it for months or years at a time.
If you’re used to living in a small spot - such as a tiny apartment - it may not be a big adjustment. You’re already used to living without a lot of possessions. You probably don’t have a lot of items in storage and tend to spend a lot more time outside of your home than inside.
If you live in a large apartment or some kind of house, it’s a different story. You’re used to having a lot of space and “stuff.” Clothes, kitchen appliances, electronics, kids toys, books, etc. All of this stuff is great, but it’s tough to take all of that stuff with you when you switch to the full-time RV living lifestyle. In fact - it’s basically impossible.
The small space means you have to prioritize. Instead of having both a drip coffee maker and a French press, you’ll probably want to just take one or the other. Instead of having 6 different polo shirts, you should probably limit it to 1 or 2. The list goes on and on with everything else in your life.
Are you ready to offload all of that extra stuff?
Full-Time RV Living Means Close Quarters
If you plan on living in a camper full time by yourself, this won’t apply. But if you are thinking about living with someone else, this is a huge factor to think about.
Most of us like to have some “alone time” every once in a while. This means something different for everyone, but in general alone time means… being alone.
That’s not easy to do when you’re living in an RV! Sure, maybe one person can go to one end of the RV while the other person goes to the other end. Or one person can leave for a bit to go out to a coffee shop or something. But in general, it’s much harder to get that special time when you are in such tight quarters.
Likewise, privacy comes into play. Even if you’re married, you probably want your privacy when you’re doing things like showering or using the bathroom. It’s a lot harder to get that when you’re living in a travel trailer full time with someone else!
Do You Need to Make Money While Full-Time RV Living?
Something else to think about is the whole “money” thing. Are you going to be earning money during this time? Or is this more of a mini-retirement where you don’t plan on working?
If you will be working, how will you do that? Can you work remotely a few hours a day, or do you need to go into a specific location, like an office? Even remote work in an RV isn’t easy, as you’ll need to stay parked in areas with great wifi. You could theoretically work in coffee shops, but that may get old and the shops may not like you camping out there for long periods of time.
Full-Time RV Living: Start with Baby Steps
If you’re seriously considering making the switch to full-time RV living, our best recommendation is to take it one step at a time. Start offloading your possessions. Spend increasingly long periods of time in your RV. Do your homework and find long-term campgrounds in areas where you can plan on staying for long periods of time.
Connect with people living in a camper full-time. As you spend more time doing these things, you’ll get a feel for whether or not this is for you!
