Is RVliving more affordable than you might think?

Many have dreams of buying an RV. Whether you plan on living in an RV full-time or if you are only interested in the occasional getaway, there are many ways for you to afford one so that you can start living your RV dream.

One of the many factors holding back a potential RVer is that they are unsure if they can afford the RV lifestyle.

The answer: Yes! Do research, prepare finances, and above all, be realistic.

There are four main components that go into affording the RV lifestyle. By evaluating them, you can determine how much money you need to save or earn. These include setting an RV budget, creating a monthly travel budget, finding ways to save money while on the road, and lastly, earning money on the road.

What Does Dry Bath Mean In An RV
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Be realistic about your RV budget.

There are many options when it comes to RV types, starting with choosing motorized or towable.  Motorized come in three types: Type A, Type B, Type C, depending upon the size and layout that fits your style. If you already own a suitable tow vehicle (pickup truck or SUV) consider a travel trailer, fifth wheel, folding camping trailer or truck camper. For those who don’t want to tow or move their RV frequently, there are park models. Prices can vary greatly, which makes it a good idea to analyze the various options to see what is best for your budget. To learn the difference between RV types, go here.
Create a monthly travel budget.

Creating a budget doesn’t end with the RV purchase. Just like home, also think about what you spend each month on everything else.
Some fixed expenses you will want to calculate include how much you will spend on:
• RV payment (if you have one)
• Entertainment
• Food - groceries and restaurants
• Gas or diesel
• Propane
• Laundry
• Campground fees
• Internet
• Health insurance
• Clothing
• Phone
• Household items such as toilet paper, soap, etc.
• RV insurance
• RV maintenance and repairs

How To Watch TV In RV While Driving
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Find ways to save.

There are many ways to save money so that you can afford the RV lifestyle. Just because another RVer spends a lot of money doesn’t mean that everyone has to spend the same. In fact, most RVers have quite affordable budgets and are still able to enjoy their time on the road.

The many different ways to save money include:
• Choose campgrounds and RV parks that only have amenities you plan to take advantage of during your stay. Generally, the more services and amenities a campground has, the more it's going to cost. Campsite fees don't have to break the bank. State parks are a great low-cost option, as are many RV parks. Look here to find a campground or consider travel apps to help you find the campground that best suits your need.
• Travel at the posted speeds. Fuel is usually one of the largest parts of an RVer's budget. Traveling at posted speeds cuts down on fuel consumption.
• Limit your impulse or unbudgeted purchases. It's somewhat easy to limit purchases while traveling. RVs can only hold so many possessions. Before buying extra gadgets and "stuff," it's wise to think whether or not an item is really needed.
• Make meal preparation a new shared activity. Shop local farmers markets for fresh in-season options, try new foods, and share meal preparation with campground neighbors. Cooked-by-you means healthier eating because you control the ingredients. Dining out is fun and convenient, but to save money, making your own meals will be the best decision for your budget.

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https://www.rvlivingusa.com/20-storage-ideas-for-rv-closets-with-pictures/

Earn money on the road.

If you are not retired but you want to RV travel a majority of the year, find ways to fund your travels.

Luckily, there are several ways to make this a reality. Seasonal and part-time jobs are available at campgrounds, national parks, online, remotely through your full-time job, and so on. Working while you travel is great because you don't have to wait until retirement to have fun on the road.

There are many ways to afford the lifestyle if your dream is to own an RV. By setting an RV budget, creating a monthly travel budget, finding ways to save money while on the road, and earning money while on the road, you should have no problem living and enjoying the RV lifestyle.

When it comes to miles per gallon, size isn’t all that matters. Compact, aerodynamic and lighter-weight motorized models are more fuel-efficient than ever. Towable RVs account for more than two-thirds of RV sales, and innovative designs coupled with lightweight, durable building materials mean there are many that can be towed by family minivans and small to mid-sized SUVs.

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Check out how savvy RVers save on fuel:
• Camp closer to home. With more than 16,000 campgrounds nationwide, RVers can enjoy the outdoor experience whether they travel five miles or 500 miles.
• Stay longer in one place. Many RV parks are vacation destinations in their own right, offering pools, playgrounds, hiking trails, entertainment centers, organized activities, convenience stores and so much more.
• Pack lighter by not topping off fresh water tanks until at the campground and by purchasing firewood and other camping materials on-site to keep the RV lightweight while traveling. Be sure holding tanks are dumped before heading out to further lighten the load.
• Tune up the engine of your motorhome or tow vehicle, inflate tires properly and conduct regular maintenance to maximize fuel efficiency.
Some other facts to keep in mind:
• Fuel is typically only the fourth largest expense on a road trip, behind lodging, food, vehicle payment and maintenance.
• Airfares and hotel rates also rise when fuel costs increase and fuel surcharges are added. You can avoid those costs in an RV.
• Fuel prices would need to more than triple from their current level to make RVing more expensive for a family of four than other forms of travel.

Winter living tips in RV

Living in a recreational vehicle or camper during the cold winter months poses unique challenges for even the most experienced outdoor hobbyist. Keeping warm and living comfortably isn't as easy as turning on the furnace and heating up the inside living spaces.

Recreational vehicles (RVs) can be quite comfortable, but even the best designed units have paper thin walls and minimal insulation against the cold winter temperatures. Every time the door opens all the heat will escape, leaving a brisk chill in the air.

What Does Dry Bath Mean In An RV
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I spent one winter living in a RV and learned many lessons the hard way. Here are a few suggestions I learned through trial and error:

Towel Over Door

Hang a thick bath towel over the main door leading out of the RV. This towel will reduce the heat loss when the door opens.

Insulate Windows

No RV has good insulation, so it is imperative that all windows are insulated with either StyroFoam or clear plastic window sheets, or both. Either of these added steps will dramatically reduce the drafts that will come through those openings.

How To Watch TV In RV While Driving
https://www.rvlivingusa.com/how-to-watch-tv-in-rv-while-driving/

Space Heaters

Small electric space heaters are an excellent way to conserve propane burn and provide added warmth to the areas occupied during the day and evening. Be careful to purchase only brand-name, heavy duty space heaters with undamaged electrical cords. Adding a small space heater to the lavatory will help keep the black tank from freezing and is a nice addition for people coming out of the shower.

Frozen Tanks

Keeping your water and waste tanks from freezing is an especially difficult task. If there is a winterizing skirting around your RV, it may be helpful to install a small heavy duty space heater under your unit to keep the gray and black tanks from freezing. The fresh water tank should be alright with daily use, although the water supply feeding the tank can (and will) freeze. Special heat tape and hose insulators are available for purchase at any hardware store, but these are ineffective in prolonged sub-freezing temperatures.

To help keep the black water tank from freezing, add a half gallon of windshield cleaner to the tank when it is emptied. The windshield cleaner will keep the fluids from freezing and make purging the tank easier. Don't forget to refill the windshield cleaner in the tank after each dump.

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Propane Tanks

It is imperative to keep one tank full at all times. When selecting which tank is being used, select the option that restricts gas draw to only one tank at a time. This guarantees a full tank is available when the tank in use runs empty. Switch to the full tank, remove the empty and promptly get it refilled. I always kept a small five gallon propane tank in reserve just in case the winter weather prohibited me from getting to a local refill station.

Furnace

The RV furnace is designed to keep the interior warm even under the most frigid conditions. However, the longer the furnace runs, the faster the propane burn. I always lowered the furnace temperature or turned it off when I was cooking, as the heat from the stove more than sufficiently heated the entire RV. At night, I lowered the furnace to 55 degrees and used electric heating blankets. On less cold nights, I used electric space heaters to supplement and conserve of propane burn. Never set the thermostat lower than 55 degrees during cold months. Temperatures below this could cause internal water pipes and tanks to freeze or crack.

Electric Blankets

Obviously, electric blankets on your bed make for more comfortable sleeping conditions during the cold winter nights. I discovered another great use for electric blankets by accident. I draped one over the sofa and left it on a low setting. Even when I wasn't on the sofa, I left the blanket on. The temperature radiates into the air, adding wonderful warm heat to the RV. My sofa was built in to an extending unit on the RV, so it was a very drafty area to sit on cold winter nights. The heating blanket worked wonders for keeping me warm.

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I often kept a three-wick candle burning on the dining table during evening hours. I'm not sure if the fire actually helped add heat to the RV or if I just imagined it, but it seemed to make a difference. Whether it worked or not, it added a nice ambiance to my winter home. Just be careful to never leave a burning candle unattended.

It's also imperative that all the exterior corners are carefully checked and tuck-pointed whenever even the smallest crack is visible. Those small cracks will let in the cold winter air and defeat all your other winterizing preparations.

Living in a RV or camper during the winter months poses its own challenges, but it can be an fun, exciting experience as well. Take a few moments to winterize ahead of time to guarantee you'll live safe and comfortable during your wintertime adventure.

Tips for packing an RV

When preparing to move into an RV to travel in full-time, one of the challenges you’ll face is deciding what to bring in the RV. It is minimalism at it’s finest and you’ll definitely need as many tips for packing an RV for full-time living as you can get.

The entire process – selling items (sometimes even your house), putting other items in storage (“we will need that someday!”), putting aside what you want to bring in the RV and then cutting that in half…and in half again. It ends up being much more difficult than you anticipated. We Googled, asked the advice from other full-timers, and went back and forth on a lot of items.

In fact, after only 3 months of being on the road full-time, we did some major switches on what we brought!

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So we decided to write a post to help any newbie full-timers out there who are in this very same struggle! Here are our tips:

1. You don’t need as many RV supplies and tools as you think!
Start with the basic items needed to operate the RV, which are wheel chocks, leveling blocks, a sewer hose, a fresh water hose, propane, and a tire inflator. You may also want/need additional accessories, such as a tow bar, extra storage rack, solar panels, etc. Click here to check out our full list here to see the specific items we use and love.

Avoid bringing the items you could easily just buy while on the road if you absolutely needed them, especially if your space is limited. It’s easy to go overboard buying all sorts of accessories for the RV. We recommend getting the bare minimum and then you can always purchase more as you, if there are items you wish you had. It’s much easier to do this then deal with the frustration of having too much crammed in!

One of the biggest mistakes that we made was how many tools we packed in the RV and truck! We are so tired of hauling around a bunch of stuff that we don’t ever use. We therefore recommend you stick to the basic tools (screwdrivers, drill, pliers, hammer etc). There’s no reason to haul around specialty tools for that rare occasion or instance that you’ll need it. You can always buy or rent it!

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2. Consider where you plan to stay/park most of the time.

If you plan to “boondock” (dry camp for free!) as often as possible, there are going to be things you’ll need that you wouldn’t necessarily need while staying at RV parks. For boondocking, you might need more “camping supplies”, such as coolers, lanterns, outdoor tables, etc. Read our Beginner’s Guide to Boondocking for more information on
However, RV parks might be more your style, in which case you’ll have space for other “bonus” items.instead of the traditional camping supplies. You might choose to bring a propane fire pit (many RV parks don’t allow any other kind of campfires, which we didn’t know!), a hammock, kayaks, or golf clubs!

3. Treat yourself to the comforts of home.
We all have those items that are our staples. You’ll sit there and try to justify whether you should or should not bring them along. Our advice: BRING THEM! Make room for them. Make it work! If they make your life easier/better, they deserve to make the cut. You don’t even have to justify it. We are so happy we chose to bring along the items that we love and have used for years, even though some of them may seem unnecessary when your space is limited.

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4. And last, your “everyday living” items…

Clothes
I know clothes are the hardest to pack, especially for us women! This tends to vary for each person and will depend on the length of your trip, but I will say that you need to pack for all weather types. No matter where you are in the U.S., the weather can change quickly! We were surprised by the temperatures in many places. It rarely seemed to be the weather we expected. Now, this doesn’t mean you need to bring everything in your closet.

Try to limit yourself to 1 or 2 of each of the following items:

 coat/jacket, swimsuit, sweatshirt and sweatpants, tennis shoes, etc. Find solid clothes that can pair well with many things. People often refer to this as the “capsule” wardrobe. While there are variations, the concept is to have around a dozen staple pieces of clothing in coordinating colors that can be worn often and interchangeably, thereby saving closet space but still giving you up to 30 or more different outfits. Google it and you’ll find tons of resources to help!

Other household items

When it comes to bathroom and kitchen items, my general advice is to bring 1-2 per person in the RV. So things like towels, plates, cups/mugs, etc you won’t need your standard full set of. Remember, there is not much sink space for dirty dishes and not much hamper space for dirty clothes and linens. Dishes are washed immediately after use and towels are washed weekly, so there’s really no need for spare items.

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The rest is up to you!

Everything else is pretty much up to your own discretion. If you can find a spot for it in the RV and think it will get used on a regular basis, bring it! Just be cautious of your RV’s weight limits. You’ll be VERY surprised at how quickly weight can add up.

You also don’t want clutter. Make sure everything has a safe spot where it won’t get broken during travel. Invest in tubs, baskets, and storage items that will help you stay organized. You definitely don’t want your small space feeling even smaller because of all the items inside of it it. I hope these tips help you minimize your items in order to maximize your adventure! If you need more tips or suggestions for what to bring along in your RV, feel free to send us a message. We’re here to help.

5 items that improved RV life for us!

After a year of full-time RVing, we slowly added these items to our home on wheels and they greatly improved RV life for us. We never expected to want or need these items when we first started out and love sharing them with newbie RVers!

The good,bad and Ugly truth of RV living

Before getting into our Airstream, we had no idea what to expect. The only things we knew about RVing was from TV or the movies. Needless to say, as excited as we were about the adventures we’d go on, we were extremely nervous to find out whether we could handle life on the road. It’s easy to romanticize what it’s like to RV or travel full time, but sometimes the reality is far less glamorous.

Dumping Your Poop

This was the thing we dreaded the most. Yes, everybody poops, but I like that in a regular toilet it can disappear, and you never have to see it again. In an RV, you poop and then the RV poops. Before our very first black dump, we would try our best to use the bathroom anywhere else but in our Airstream. Turns out, unless something goes horribly wrong, it’s a painless process (here’s Jacob’s no-poop-on-me-dance!). You never actually make contact with your poop, and the chemical you put in the toilet turns everything into an unidentifiable green liquid.

Limited Space

This challenged how minimal we could live. Sure, we practiced living minimally in our home and then when we started moving into smaller and smaller apartments, but this took it to the next level. The closet could only hold so many clothes and the fridge could only hold so many groceries (or in my case, diet cokes). Ultimately, it was nice to see that we could make it work. Now, we’re going through another huge purge after seeing what we could live without for 3 months.

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Needing Separate Quarters

The even bigger challenge was not getting constantly pissed off at each other. Since we work together, play together, and live together, there aren’t many days (or even minutes in a day) that we spend apart. It might seem nice getting to spend 24/7 with your spouse, but if you do, you’ll soon realize that alone time can be so precious! In San Diego, we had a pretty sweet setup with our giant monitors back to back, so that during work hours we couldn’t see each other. In the Airstream, we couldn’t quite figure out a good system, which led to lots of fights over lots of stupid little things.

Why Do the Cats Poop So Much?!

I’m sure they are probably going a normal amount, but in a smaller space, we notice everything they do! We felt like we were constantly cleaning up after them. It’s a good thing we like them. ;) If you have cats, here are some tips on easing them into RV life.

Cooking with Fewer Ingredients

We met a few full-timers who still cooked extravagant meals, but most people we met had to simplify their meals. We did a lot of one pot meals. They were easier to cook and required less ingredients. Eating easier meals also meant we were eating a lot of carbs when we cooked though. Alternatively, we loved having Soylent as a meal replacement on our busy days, especially when we’re driving to a new state or when we’re out all day hiking. I think

having the Soylents evened out our bad eating habits and kept us at a decent health. Next time we go out on the road, we need to practice making more easy, healthy meals.

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Always Changing Community

Living on the road means you get to meet a lot of interesting people! We had great conversations, shared meals and campfires, and heard so many amazing stories. We always thought we were on the adventurous side, but we were surprised to find so many people who were far more adventurous (and might I add, much older). That gives us hope knowing that age ain’t nothing but a number. On the other hand, because we were meeting so many new people, we also ran into a handful of people who were not so pleasant. Luckily, our encounters with people were mostly positive, and it was fun seeing our Airstream friends again down the road. Even with the Airstream or RV community, though, we still missed having a stable community of friends. You can potentially find people to caravan with, but that was a rare case from what we saw.

Internet Speeds

This was easily the most painful adjustment for us since we were working from the road and handling large photo and video files. Our last home in San Diego had on average 40-50 Mbps for internet speed. Now that we look back, it’s funny that we sometimes complained about that. On the road, we were seeing a lot of 0-3 Mbps from RV parks that claimed they had internet, which had us even missing the dial up days. One of Jacob’s videos took 18 hours to upload. We started getting excited when we could find consistent speeds over 4 Mbps, which is really sad since internet in the real world starts at 5! On our last month, we finally got another hotspot, which made working a little easier but nothing compared to what we had when we were grounded.

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Function AND Form

Since our home was now on wheels, we couldn’t just buy things that were pretty, we had to make sure they could be packed away easily and weren’t breakable. Say goodbye to your fine china.

Flexibility

As much as you want to plan your trip, a lot can happen on the road. You have to learn to be flexible and roll with the punches. There were many places where we went mid-June and July that we had no idea was still snowed in. On the flip side, if the weather is bad, you can always move to another place and you may find new places you completely fall in love with!

Size Restrictions and Mobility

Now that we were in a big Ford F150 and Airstream, we weren’t as mobile as we were with a regular sedan. Even our Ford F150 with the hitch could not park in a single parking spot. You can forget about drive-throughs and narrow roads in a city. You also need to watch out for signs that say no trailers, trucks, etc, because sometimes those signs come out of nowhere when you’re driving (GPS doesn’t exactly exclude those roads for you). If we wanted to stop, we had to look for larger parking spots, and you definitely didn’t want to get stuck down a small road with no space to turn around.

One day we were thinking about dropping off a trailer near our friend’s place in LA, but then realized that if someone parks in front of you, you can’t hitch it back and leave. So many things we had to think about that we’d never experienced before. It was an adjustment on how you drive and where you can stop, but luckily our size trailer still allowed us to camp at National Parks and it didn’t hold us back too much. It just requires a little more patience.

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Shorter Showers and Working in the Dark

There are two kinds of camping in an RV. The first is full hookups where you can plug into electric, water, and sewage. The other is dry camping, or boondocking, where you rely on the tanks and batteries you have on board. During our trip, we never learned to be efficient boondockers. We tried to charge our laptops in the truck and work on them in the dark, but between our camera gear and everything else that needed to be charged up, we were constantly running out of juice. 90% of the time, we camped in RV parks with full hookups, but even then, you have a much smaller water heater than a house or apartment, so you can’t take long hot showers. I know it’s good to conserve water, but some days when you’re sticky because you were out hiking all day, you just want a shower that lasts longer than 10 minutes. Now, we were far from roughing it and we still had all the comforts from home that we needed, but it was just in smaller quantities.

All in all, this was a great test on whether RV life was for us, and we are happy to report that despite the challenges, we loved the overall experience. We’re hoping to get one of our own in the future. P.S. if you’re thinking about getting a trailer and in the market to buy a new car, don’t forget to look at tow capacities! We never imagined ourselves as truck drivers before.

When we decide to stop moving to a new city every year, we love the idea of having a home base for half the year and exploring the US the other half. Then again, who knows what life will bring!

How To Afford The RV Lifestyle?

Many have dreams of buying an RV. Whether you plan on living in an RV full-time or if you are only interested in the occasional getaway, there are many ways for you to afford one so that you can start living your RV dream.

One of the many factors holding back a potential RV er is that they are unsure if they can afford the RV lifestyle.

The answer: Yes! Do research, prepare finances, and above all, be realistic.

There are four main components that go into affording the RV lifestyle. By evaluating them, you can determine how much money you need to save or earn. These include setting an RV budget, creating a monthly travel budget, finding ways to save money while on the road, and lastly, earning money on the road.

Be realistic about your RV budget.

There are many options when it comes to RV types, starting with choosing motorized or towable.  Motorized come in three types: Type A, Type B, Type C, depending upon the size and layout that fits your style. If you already own a suitable tow vehicle (pickup truck or SUV) consider a travel trailer, fifth wheel, folding camping trailer or truck camper. For those who don’t want to tow or move their RV frequently, there are park models. Prices can vary greatly, which makes it a good idea to analyze the various options to see what is best for your budget. To learn the difference between RV types, go here.

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Create a monthly travel budget.

Creating a budget doesn’t end with the RV purchase. Just like home, also think about what you spend each month on everything else.
Some fixed expenses you will want to calculate include how much you will spend on:
• RV payment (if you have one)
• Entertainment
• Food - groceries and restaurants
• Gas or diesel
• Propane
• Laundry
• Campground fees
• Internet
• Health insurance
• Clothing
• Phone
• Household items such as toilet paper, soap, etc.
• RV insurance
• RV maintenance and repairs

Find ways to save.

There are many ways to save money so that you can afford the RV lifestyle. Just because another RVer spends a lot of money doesn’t mean that everyone has to spend the same. In fact, most RVers have quite affordable budgets and are still able to enjoy their time on the road.

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The many different ways to save money include:

• Choose campgrounds and RV parks that only have amenities you plan to take advantage of during your stay. Generally, the more services and amenities a campground has, the more it's going to cost. Campsite fees don't have to break the bank. State parks are a great low-cost option, as are many RV parks. Look here to find a campground or consider travel apps to help you find the campground that best suits your need.
• Travel at the posted speeds. Fuel is usually one of the largest parts of an RVer's budget. Traveling at posted speeds cuts down on fuel consumption.
• Limit your impulse or unbudgeted purchases. It's somewhat easy to limit purchases while traveling. RVs can only hold so many possessions. Before buying extra gadgets and "stuff," it's wise to think whether or not an item is really needed.
• Make meal preparation a new shared activity. Shop local farmers markets for fresh in-season options, try new foods, and share meal preparation with campground neighbors. Cooked-by-you means healthier eating because you control the ingredients. Dining out is fun and convenient, but to save money, making your own meals will be the best decision for your budget.

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Earn money on the road.

If you are not retired but you want to RV travel a majority of the year, find ways to fund your travels.

Luckily, there are several ways to make this a reality. Seasonal and part-time jobs are available at campgrounds, national parks, online, remotely through your full-time job, and so on. Working while you travel is great because you don't have to wait until retirement to have fun on the road.

There are many ways to afford the lifestyle if your dream is to own an RV. By setting an RV budget, creating a monthly travel budget, finding ways to save money while on the road, and earning money while on the road, you should have no problem living and enjoying the RV lifestyle.

A variety of factors should be taken into consideration when planning your RV budget. Here are five common RV expenses to consider when planning your budget.

Gas

When it comes to gas, there are two types to know: the fuel to drive the RV and the propane. If the RV requires propane to power any appliances or hot water, know how much you can get out of a tank and plan accordingly. Fuel prices can also fluctuate widely from month to month and state to state, so know the prices in your final destination as well as pit stops along the way. Always budget in a buffer when planning gas expenses.

Insurance

RV insurance is a necessity. It not only helps provide comfort in case something happens to your RV or belongings, but it is also the law. On average, RV insurance can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars a year. It is always best to do your research when selecting an insurance provider, which includes tangible costs such as value and intangible costs such as customer service and reputation.

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Maintenance and annual fees

Whether the RV you purchase is new or used, there will be maintenance expenses and annual fees. It is always best to have a general idea of what the cost will be ahead of time, as it can vary widely among RV models and from state to state. Maintenance costs and annual fees for an RV may include oil changes, tires, appliance repairs, license costs, registration fees, and more.

Other expenses

There are many costs for having an RV that may be overlooked at first. While you won’t have to worry about room service, hotel stays or a rental car, you will have to think about campground fees, food, entertainment costs, and more.

The RV

Purchasing the RV is most likely going to be the biggest RV expense you have. There are many types of RVs, and they come in many different price ranges. The good news is there is one to suit every budget and lifestyle. RVing can be a very enjoyable experience as long as the proper planning is done from the start!

How to became a full time RV er?

In just the last few years, terms like “Tiny Living,” “Van Life” and “Digital Nomad” have swept into the public vocabulary. A quick Google search for any of these will yield millions of results and a wide range of lifestyles that trade the traditional, location-centered existence for the excitement and freedom of life on the road. As the lexicon expands, and awareness of these lifestyles grows, more and more people are making the jump. I am one of those people.

It was just two years ago that my girlfriend, Leah, and I decided to make the jump into a full-time RV lifestyle. A few months later, we had bought our 35-foot class A and began the renovation. Approximately five months later, our house was rented, and we were living on The Rambler full time. It’s been a huge change, and we’ve learned a lot during the transition. It’s been very rewarding, but it’s also had some challenges. If you’re considering a similar lifestyle, below are five things you should know before becoming a full-time RV er.

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1. Everything!!! (Or, at least, everything you can)

As far as decisions go, this is a big one. For myself, it’s probably one of the biggest decisions I’ve made in my life. I think of myself as a planner and I love to know as much as I can before making any decision. The transition to the RV life was no different. I spent months online, watching videos and reading blogs and articles about RVs and the lifestyle. I had dozens of conversations with people in my sphere about their RV experiences. I went to look at several RVs and asked as many questions as I could think to.

Obviously, it’s impossible to know everything, and we’re no experts, but through all that research, we learned a lot. It kept us from making some big mistakes. In our eagerness to buy an RV with a budget in mind, and knowing we were going to renovate, we looked at several fixer-uppers. But after seeing how much work was required to fix water damage in online videos, we made sure to limit our search for RVs only needing cosmetic updates. It also made certain decisions much easier.

 How else would you know you wanted a compost toilet until you experienced the dreaded Black Water Tank Dump?
If there’s one thing I can’t stress enough, it’s to do as much research as you can before making the switch to live in an RV full time. There are many online resources, such as blogs, video channels and social media groups dedicated to full-time RVing. And Motorhome’s RV Tech Q&A is fantastic. These can be a huge help in the transition. Ask your friends about their RVs. Rent or borrow an RV for a few days and try it on for size. You may realize that it’s not for you. Or, like us, you may realize you’ll love it!

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2. Things Will Go Wrong.

While you can learn a lot before becoming a full-time RVer and try to anticipate any challenges or casualties that may come up, something will eventually go wrong. You will make mistakes. Things will break. It’s just that simple.

 I like to think of myself as pretty handy. I’ve worked on my own vehicles since my teens. I’ve remodeled kitchens and baths. There aren’t many messes that come up that I feel I can’t tinker my way out of, so I feel pretty comfortable with the idea of buying and renovating an older RV. What could go wrong, right? Well, within two hours of buying our vehicle, I had buried it in 12 inches of mud in my brother’s yard — where we kept the RV while we renovated. The next day I overheated the engine trying to climb my way out of the mud. Then, I burned up the 30-year-old starter trying to start it again too soon after overheating. As far as mistakes go, this one wasn’t too bad. A quick call to my insurance company and a tow truck was dispatched to pull us out of the mud. A few hours and less than $100 later, and I had replaced the starter and we were mobile again. In the end, we only lost a day from our renovation schedule.

That’s the real lesson here. Inevitably, something will go wrong. It’s how you handle it that makes the difference. I knew something would go wrong and I moved on to the solution. I did what I could on my own and got help with what I couldn’t manage. Things will go wrong. As the Beatles said, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da!”

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3. You’re Not Crazy

Despite what many of your friends and family members will tell you, you’re not nuts for choosing to become a full-time RVer. At least, I don’t think we are. When we started discussing the possibility of making the jump, many of our loved-ones offered words of encouragement, even envy. Still, even more people offered words of concern and unease. Here are a few of their concerns:

4. This Is Home

The traditional RV is not really intended for long-term living. Many of the system components like black- and gray-water tanks, battery banks and fuel tanks are designed for a limited time in use. It seems evident that the designers and fabricators of RVs were thinking in days or weeks, not months or years, for most models. That said, this goes for interior design as well. Most RVs come with the standard; somewhat utilitarian, interior aesthetic suited for the temporary stay away from home. But what about when the RV is your home?

Downsizing will, of course, come with its limits. Perhaps your grandmother’s fine china or that tuxedo you’ve worn once in that last decade may find themselves in storage or the bag marked, “Goodwill.” However, when transitioning to full-time RVing, we believe making your new home feel as much like “home” as possible is very important. This is why we renovated the Rambler and included many of our favorite art pieces from our house. It’s why I built a custom console for our turntable and records. These were the things that made our house feel like home and they remain the things that make our RV feel like home. Remember: This is Home! Make it feel that way.

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5. Have Fun!

This is probably the most important thing you can know before becoming a full-time RVer. Have fun! That’s what this lifestyle is all about. Nothing makes life more enjoyable than new experiences, and the full-time RVing lifestyle can make this a daily occurrence. Waking up in a new location each morning can make each day brim with exciting possibilities. The morning coffee run can turn into an adventure. The afternoon dog walk is an opportunity to see something you’ve never seen before. Even the typical work day, looking out the window at your new parking spot can make the most mundane of chores completely enjoyable.

Tips to Survive in RV Living when in bad weather

Living in an RV or any small space can have its challenges. The first year of full time RV life flew by in the blink of an eye. As we celebrate our three years of RVing, I want to share some tips that helped us survive the transition to RV living. Whether you’re a solo RVer, family of five or a couple with a dog, I hope you find these tips helpful.

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1. Communicate

The key to our survival is good communication. There is limited room in an RV and it will start to feel small fast. If you’re frustrated or angry with each other, that space will feel even smaller. Sure you can take a walk, sit outside for a while or jump in the car (if you tow one) and go for a drive, but temporary distance won’t solve the issues.

A lack of communication in the first month of transitioning to RV living put stress on our relationship. Once we figured out the communication breakdown and addressed it, life was much more enjoyable. Good communication is something we continue to work on everyday especially living full time in a camper van.

2. Have the Right Gear

Having the right gear will help prevent many headaches down the road. The best thing we did before transitioning to RV living was doing extensive research on the best gear. Having an electrical management system (EMS) and essential RVing apps made RV living a breeze.
For a list of our favorite gear, check out these posts or head to our store:

3. Know Your RV

When we took delivery of our first RV, it came with a suitcase full of user manuals. It contained a manual for every component in the RV. There was even a manual on Michelin RV tires. We read through every manual and downloaded the online versions as a backup. Having a PDF version will make searching for a specific topic faster and easier.

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There were also build sheets, diagrams for each fuse box and information on roadside assistance. We referenced all the information many times throughout our first year of RV living. When a fuse goes out at 1a.m., you’ll want to know which fuse box to check. Our first RV had four fuse/breaker boxes and two of them were outside. When it’s pouring rain outside, it’s not fun to run around wondering which breaker box to check.

4. Spring Cleaning

It can be a challenge to figure out what to bring for full time RV living. “Is one pair of sandals enough or do I need a second pair for campground showers?” We ended up having way too much stuff. After a month of RV living we decided to sell the bicycles because we never used them. A few months later, we performed a spring cleaning by re-evaluating everything in the RV. Many articles of clothing ended up in the donation pile because neither of us had touched them since we moved in.

“I’ve been looking for this!” The spring cleaning also reminded us of things we’d brought that we forgot about. This is also a great time to reorganize and optimize storage. After the initial cleaning, most of our bays, cupboards and drawers ended up half empty. That’s also about the time we realized a small Class A motorhome was too much space for us. Now we travel full time in a Class B camper van.

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5. Share the Drive

Looking back on the miles we drove in the first year, neither of us can imagine doing it by ourselves. Unless you don’t have plans to move very often or for long distances at a time, it’s good to share the drive. Whenever I pull up to a campground, the neighbors always stop by and say to Joe “I wish my wife drove.”

If you’re not comfortable driving an RV, there are driving classes available. The more you drive, the more confidence you will have. Before you know it, you’ll be thinking to yourself “this is a piece of cake”. You might even start looking forward to taking your turn behind the wheel.

6. Develop a Checklist

After too many items flying off the counter and drawers coming unlatched around a corner, we knew it was time to have a checklist. Just like pilots have a pre-flight checklist, it’s important to have a pre-departure checklist for your RV.

Every checklist will be different depending on the type of RV and the gear. The important thing is to make a comprehensive list and check it EVERY time you leave. We got complacent a few times and inevitably we would forget something.

7. Everything Has A Place

Just like the cupboards in your house, everything has a place in an RV. The difference is, when the RV is going down a bumpy road and that bottle of vinegar gets loose because it was put back in the wrong place, you might end up with a mess on your hands. It also makes packing up a much faster process because you know where all the pieces of the puzzle go.

8. One In, One Out

This rule applies to anyone looking to prevent a build up of “stuff” in the RV. The “one in, one out” mentality changed the way we shopped. A trip to Costco meant we bought what we needed at the time, not what we think we might need in six months. Just because there’s storage space doesn’t mean it needs to be filled.

A minimalist approach to RV living worked the best for us. Once we got the hang of it, life became much more enjoyable. We no longer had an “explosion” of stuff when we camped somewhere for a week or longer. It ended up becoming a “one in, two out” policy naturally and the bonus for us was saving money.

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9. Expect the Unexpected

Whether it’s severe weather, a flat tire or a windshield repair. Be ready for the unexpected. Have an RV repair fund to pay for that unexpected problem. Carry a spare in case there’s a flat tire. Develop an emergency plan for those unexpected situations.

If you have to evacuate the RV, do you have your essentials in one place with easy access? What’s your plan if there’s a flash flood and the river you’re camped next to is flooding? What happens if there’s a medical emergency and no cell phone signal?

This video shows a glimpse of the severe thunderstorm tornado warning we experienced in Florida.

10. Be Flexible

It’s good to have an idea of where to go, what to do and how long to stay but don’t have a rigid plan. Be flexible enough to have the option to stay a few extra nights or leave early. Every town we drive into is a new experience. Sometimes we love the town and sometimes it’s just not our cup of tea. Having a flexible schedule means we can stay longer in places we enjoy and take off early if we’re not feeling it.

11. Fun Fund

Have a “fun fund” for those spur of the moment adventures. If you decide that today is the day you want to go for that hot air ballon ride, do it! Having money set aside for these experiences will make that transition to RV living more enjoyable and fun. We always seek out free and cheap things to do in our travels, but there are some experiences that are worth the splurge.

For us, our big splurge was RV camping at Fort Wilderness and going to Walt Disney World.

12. Enjoy the Journey

Most importantly, enjoy the journey. There are headaches associated with RV living, but there are many more pleasures.

How to make money when living in an RV?

My wife and I were camping at a hot spring in Arizona when a small camper van pulled in. We watched a man get out and remove many large plastic bags, which he piled on the roof. He was making room, so he could spend the night in his home on the road.

Later, around a campfire, we asked him about the bags.

They were full of used stuffed animals he bought at thrift stores, and he said he made about $4,000 per month selling them alongside various highways and roads as he traveled.

It may be an unusual way to make a living, but many people live in and work from motor homes, trailers, truck campers and conversion vans.
“Workampers are adventurous individuals, couples and families who have chosen a wonderful lifestyle that combines ANY kind of part-time or full-time work with RV camping,” explains Workamper News, a website dedicated to people who make money from the road.
Are you ready to hit the road and make money while living in an RV?

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What Kind of Work Can You Do While Living in an RV?

Many campers get seasonal jobs working in campgrounds or parks, Workamper editor Steve Anderson told CBS News.

He notes businesses are also common. “We have literally hundreds of members running businesses out of their RVs and living in multiple places every year.”

Anderson mentions the following examples of businesses his

 subscribers operate while traveling in their recreational vehicles:
• Sales of RV-related products
• Consulting services
• Dating services
• Law practices
• Contract nursing
• Business consulting
• RV repair tutoring
“With the advent of the internet and especially now with the tools for bandwidth to connect to the internet, the door is open to do multiple things from an RV,” he explains.

Not even selling bulky items is out of the question, because you can drop ship them or carry them in a trailer behind a motorhome.

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Who Is Living in an RV, and How Much Can They Earn?

Many people who live in their RVs are retirees who supplement their retirement or Social Security income with jobs or businesses. But Anderson says, “We have people in their 30s and 40s who are successfully living the RV lifestyle and running businesses.”

And your income may not be as limited as you might think. For example, Steve McMahon told Entrepreneur he sold about 5,000 “high-gain cellular-telephone antennas” for $70 while traveling the country in his 37-foot motorhome. That’s $350,000 in total sales.

The same article says Richard Dahl made and sold more than 1,300 RV water filters at $30 each while traveling for a couple years.

He expanded his business to include hundreds of items, and started The RV Water Filter Store website, shipping items from any post office he passed as he traveled. In addition to covering his living and traveling expenses, the profits allow him to save $30,000 per year.
Terry Cooper was a college instructor before hitting the road with his Mobile RV Academy. Now he runs five-day courses teaching people how to maintain and repair RVs.

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Attendees pay $1,644 in tuition, and Cooper had courses scheduled in 10 locations around the country in 2015.

Not every job or business on the road has to be RV-related. Your RV can be just a way to move from job to job or move where you like if you have a business. Software developer and author Bill Myers says he’s talked to many people living in an RV, including:
• Internet entrepreneurs
• Campground hosts
• Construction workers
• Tourist area workers (They move with the seasons.)
• Aerospace engineers (working on a spaceport in New Mexico)

Michelle Brunner runs ReMiks Jewelry from her motorhome. “I crisscross the country full time in my RV in search of natural and organic elements, as well as recycled treasures,” she explains.

How to Work While Living in an RV

Selling everything and starting a vagabond lifestyle is a big transition, but it doesn’t have to be expensive.

Myers offers the example of a couple who bought a $5,000 used motorhome and cut their cost of living from $6,000 per month to about $400 per month. He also says he bought a 26-foot travel trailer for $4,000 and ran his newsletter business from it.

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How do you learn what you need to know? Try hanging out in the Workamper forums for a while.

Where to Find Work on the Road

Talk to others who are living and working from their RVs, or start with these resources:
• American Crystal Sugar Company: This company needs RV campers for the sugar beet harvest, which starts around the end of September in Montana and North Dakota. “Sugar Beet Employees can make up to $2,500 in a two-week time frame,” the company says.
• Camphost.org: Look for campground host positions on this job board.
• RVParkStore.com: You’ll find various job postings here. Examples include park management jobs, front desk positions and sales work.
• Workamper News: A subscription is $47 per year, but you can see featured companies for free. Under “Job Resources” click “Featured Employers” to find a list of companies and organizations that hire RVers.

Of course, jobs are not your only options. In fact, starting a business will give you the most freedom to go where you like. If you look over this list of ways you can make money from home, you’ll find dozens of businesses you could operate from an RV.

Do’s and Don’ts When Living in RV

 Do Watch Your Money

Just because you’re living in an RV and don’t have the typical monthly expenses of living in a stationary house doesn't mean you shouldn't be frugal. While we don’t have rent or a mortgage, utilities, or other monthly expenses like that, there are still costs that come along with this lifestyle. The biggest cost is typically fuel, but a close second in our life is food. We have found that we love to find local restaurants around the country, much more than we enjoyed eating out when we were in Arizona, but we’ve also discovered that grocery prices vary significantly from city to city. We also spend a chunk of money on sightseeing that we never had to budget for before.

Regardless of how you are spending your money, you need to make sure you are keeping a tight watch on your budget. We’ve met more than one couple who has had to make a more permanent home in a town because it’s where their RV broke down and they were out of money to fix it. Always make sure you have a rainy day account for fixes, and make sure you have money coming in quicker than you spend it.

Do Have a General Idea of Where You’re Going

Living in an RV allows for a lot of flexibility in travel plans. At any point in time, you can pick up and move to a new location. This is amazing, but it can also be overwhelming because there are so many great places to see. Plus, the more people you meet on the road, the more recommendations you get for amazing places. What we’ve found helps is having a general idea of where we are going, and goal dates to arrive in certain cities. It keeps us on track, and helps us prioritize the places and things we really want to see, but it gives us flexibility to deviate or stay longer if we really fall in love with a location.

Related Article : https://www.rvlivingusa.com

Don’t Freak Out When Things Go Wrong

Notice I didn’t say IF things go wrong, rather WHEN, because things will go wrong. Ask anyone who has been on the road for longer than a month, and they can tell you a list of things that have gone wrong. From leaks to engine trouble to accidents, there are so many things that can go wrong when you are driving your home down the road every day. What we’ve found helps is to get to an RV park or campground and start talking to the other RV owners. Chances are high that someone has had a similar challenge and can offer you advice or a helping hand. Stay calm and know that you’ll be able to work through almost any problem you encounter.

Do Check for Leaks EVERY TIME It Rains

Every time you move your RV, it’s like taking your home through an earthquake. Things shift, and seals can come unsealed, especially if you have an older unit. Whenever you get to a new location, we’ve found it’s a good idea to take a quick peek at the roof and make sure that everything still looks good. Then, every time it rains, we check around for leaks. Leaks are pesky, and they are elusive, disappearing as soon as the rain stops, so check every time to figure out where the water is coming in. Catching leaks early is key to preserving both the integrity of your RV, as well as your sanity!

Don’t Sacrifice Comfort or Style

Just because you’re living on the road doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on comfort. In our RV, we added a plush memory foam topper to the mattress and use a great set of percale sheets. We also have nice towels, real dishes, and our favorite cooking pans and utensils. While it may be tempting to set up your RV like you are on an extended camping trip, think of this as your home on wheels instead of your camper. Having nice dishes instead of plastic ones, good towels instead of the ones that are almost rags, and luxury sheets helps make an RV feel like a real home. Don’t skimp on these items, but also know that you need to take care of them a little differently when you’re on the road.

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Do Secure EVERYTHING Before Moving

Speaking of caring for your items, the most important thing you can do to care for 90% of the things in your home on wheels is to secure them when you move. I’ve talked with people who have lost every dish in their cabinets when they took a corner too quickly. We’ve found that the squishy foam type of shelf liner works great for helping to make sure things don’t move or break during a move. We have all our shelves lined with it to prevent things from sliding, and we also use strips of the liner in between all our dishes to make sure they don’t rattle against each other. Whatever you choose to use in your RV, make sure things are secure, or you’ll be cleaning up messes each time you arrive to a new location.

Don’t Stay Inside All Day

One of the greatest things about this lifestyle is the ability to get out and see different parts of the country (or the world). At almost every stop we get to though, there is a couple who appears to hunker down in their motor home the entire day. We were recently at a beautiful beach campground, and there was a family there who spent almost every hour inside watching television. There are going to be days where the weather forces you to stay inside, so take every advantage you can of the sunny days and get outside and explore.

Don’t Buy in Bulk

When we moved in to our RV, I thought it would be smart to stock up on a few things that we use frequently. That’s what we had always done in our home, so why wouldn’t we do it in the motor home? Well, space is a very limited commodity in an RV, so those stashes of toilet paper, paper towels, and rice have taken us months to work through. The whole time we’ve been on the road, these bulk items have been taking up precious storage space. The lesson we’ve learned is to only buy enough items to keep you stocked for a few weeks at a time.

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Do Think Multipurpose

When stocking items in the limited space of an RV, it’s important that things have multiple uses. For example, we use our salad spinner to wash and spin greens, but also as our large serving bowl. We have a stick blender that has a food processor attachment to grind coffee beans and cheeses. We even recently changed out our plastic food storage containers for glass ones so we can use them in the oven as well. The more things that can have multiple uses, the less clutter you have in your tiny home on wheels.

Where to park and live in an RV?

Most people think RVs and travel go hand-in-hand, but depending on your life situation, you may not be able to travel full-time. You might have a job that requires you to go to an office every day (I do!), you might have kids that go to a local school or you might simply love your home base, that’s cool too.

If you are staying put, I want to lay out some helpful tips and tricks for where to park and live in an RV– legally!

I’m about to say something scary, okay? I AM NOT A LAWYER! And depending on the place you live, it may be illegal to live full-time in a RV. In the state where we live, it is illegal in many counties to live full-time in a RV. Different counties and different cities will have different rules. Sometimes it’s illegal to live in anything on wheels. Sometimes it’s illegal to live in something without a permanent foundation. Sometimes it’s a square foot thing and it’s illegal to live in something less than 1,200 square feet. You’ll want to check your county and cities requirements and decide if the risks are worth the rewards.

Related Article : https://www.rvlivingusa.com

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to the places you might be able to park your RV.

Your own land

If you can afford it, buying a small piece of land can be ideal for a RV. If the land isn’t yet equipped for electric, water and sewer that could make your parking a bit more difficult. Some areas, even if you pay for it, won’t run power, sewer or water without building permits for a house and all the requirements that follow. If that’s the case, you could look for land that already has utilities or you could go off-grid completely!

Realtor.com is a great place to start looking for land to buy. You can search by land in your area and review the properties to determine if they’d be a good fit for your RV.

Zillow.com works similarly to Realtor.com, but has a more graphic interface with an interactive map of houses for sale and land.

RV Parks and Mobile Home Communities

If you can’t afford your own land, don’t fret, there’s options out there. I’d suggest looking into local RV parks and mobile home communities. Some RV parks will let you stay long-term if you periodically move your home and/or leave the park for a couple of days. That’s a small price to pay for the freedom of living in an RV.

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RVparking.com is a website where you can search or browse for an RV park in your area. Each park will have different rules, so be sure to check with the management for long-term parking.

Campendium is a searchable RV parking website. Campendium is great for short-term parking as well. In addition to RV parks, Campendium shows National Park/Forest camping and free camping.
MH Village is a marketplace to buy, sell or rent manufactured homes and RVs. The website also includes a searchable mobile home community database.

Remember to also do a Google search for RV parks or mobile home villages in your area that might not show up on the sites previously mentioned.

Tiny House Options

If living in an RV park or a mobile home community isn’t your style, that’s ok. Tiny Housers have difficulty parking their homes too. Those crafty tiny housers have created the following websites can help you locate an alternative place to park your home.

TinyHouseCommunity.com is a resource that connects tiny house owners with builders, communities, and fellow tiny housers. The Places page on TinyHouseCommunity details counties that allow tiny houses, as well as communities that welcome tinyhouses or RVs.
TinyHouseMap.com is an interactive map that you can use to search for fellow tiny housers, tiny house builders and tiny house communities for parking.

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TinyHouseParking.com is also an interactive map, which can be configured to display parking places available for rent or purchase. On TinyHouseParking you can even create a “parking wanted” ad.

Backyard Livin’

If all else fails, you can always ask if friends or relatives will let you stay in their backyard in exchange for chores or a small rental fee. Dee Williams, one of the tiny house pioneers, began her tiny living journey in a friend’s backyard. Again, according to those pesky zoning laws, living full-time in an RV in someone’s backyard might not be legal. I am not a lawyer and I can’t give legal advice. It’s up to you to decide if you are willing to skirt the law.

How to live full in RV?

Over the past few years, there has been an explosion of people giving up the daily grind to live and travel in vans, RVs, and other nontraditional abodes. While traveling in an RV has been something people have been doing for decades, new sharing economy websites, better resources online, more modern vans, and a growing community that can provide support have made it easier for anyone to travel full-time in an RV.

What used to be traditionally and predominantly an activity for older, retired, or family travelers is now something people of all ages are trying to do.

 “How do you travel in an RV?” is one of the questions I’m most asked.
So today, we’re going to the experts and talking full-time RV with nomads Marc and Julie from RV Love. This couple joined my blogging program a few years ago, hoping to find a way to spread the gospel of living and traveling in an RV to the wider world. (Spoiler: they did. And they just published a book with Simon & Schuster about it too!)
They’ve been driving around in their RV for nearly five years and, today, they share their wisdom about how to travel by RV:
Nomadic Matt: Tell us about yourselves! How did you get into this?
Marc and Julie: We’re Marc and Julie Bennett, full-time RVers since 2014, living, working, and traveling in our motorhome as we explore North America and the world! We met on the dating website eHarmony while both living in Colorado in 2010, married in 2011, and hit the road three years later!

Related Articles : https://www.rvlivingusa.com

Why did you pick traveling in an RV as your way to get around?

We knew we wanted to do a lot more extended travel while we were still working. We get such little vacation time here in the USA, and we didn’t want that to limit our lives. So we started exploring different ways to bring more travel and adventure into our everyday life without Marc having to give up his job as project manager of operations, which he was able to do from home.

We considered international travel, but there were two main reasons why wasn’t a fit: the challenge of time zones, and more specifically, we wanted to travel with our dog Coda. Plus, we love to drive, so RVing was really the ideal solution for us. We love that wherever we go, we’re always home, and we’re not living out of suitcases.
We’re both passionate about driving, so it makes sense that we would choose to live and travel by RV, although we usually prefer more sporty rides when it comes to entertainment, as we both have a love for sports cars and convertibles.

What’s life like living and traveling around in an RV?

We just entered our fifth year on the road full-time as RVers, and we recently changed from a 2012 36’ gas Class A motorhome to a 1999 40’ diesel motorhome! We bucked the trend and went bigger (and older and cheaper, but much higher quality), and we’re actually doing a complete remodel of our RV this summer.

Traditionally, we spend about 80% of our time in campgrounds and about 20% dry camping, but we recently installed a big lithium battery bank and solar system on our RV, so we plan on spending a lot more time camping off the grid out in nature in the coming years. We try to spend 2-3 weeks in each location, but that varies on where we are, the weather, and what projects we have on our plates. We moved pretty fast in our first 3+ years, having visited all 50 states while still working full-time.

This year, we have so many big and exciting projects on our plates, we’re really feeling the need to slow down, catch our breath, and get caught up on our content! We tend to wing our plans a lot more than we used to, as we’re more comfortable and confident RVers now.
An average day depends on whether you have to work or not. We love that we no longer have a commute and that the views outside our windows change every week or so. Nature is a big part of our everyday life, so it can be easier to get in more walking, hiking, biking, or kayaking. We definitely get to see more sunsets — that’s a big thing for a lot of RVers.

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RV life is still life. You need to go grocery shopping, make meals, do laundry, pay bills, and do housework. Then there’s RV maintenance and repairs! There’s almost always something to do on an RV — tighten screws, replace parts, troubleshoot issues, check your tire pressure, fix whatever’s broken.

Upon arrival at a destination, it usually takes less than 30 minutes to set up. It may sound like a hassle, but if you’re staying a week or more, it becomes a small percentage of your time. And RV life can be as social as you like. We tend to mostly stay in campgrounds, so it’s not too difficult to meet new people. And we also go to RV rallies to meet up with our RVing friends, who we stay in touch with online. It can take a little time to build your RV community, but if you put yourself out there, it can happen pretty quickly!

Why RV living may be more affordable?

Somewhere, perhaps through magazine articles and online photos depicting luxurious RV resorts, a picture of the RV lifestyle has emerged; a picture rimmed with dollar signs. Add to that picture the high cost of gas or diesel, and it looks like an expensive lifestyle.
Let me create an accurate picture for you. The house that has been like a stone around your neck is finally sold. All the “stuff” of many years, sold or stored. The household utilities, canceled. The extra commuter car, sold. All the old toys, sold. This leaves you with a fat wallet and ready to hit the road full-time. New friends and adventures await!

In this example, you do not run to the nearest RV lot and roll out with the first RV the salesperson shows. Six months before the house is sold, you start a campaign to find the perfect RV, just like you did when you bought the house (at least I hope so).

Choosing the right RV: There is a huge savings right from the start if you choose a used RV. There are additional savings down the road if you choose the type of RV that most suits your travel plans. Pick a motorhome for adventure, or a fifth-wheel for resting a season in one location. Always hire an independent RV inspector to check it out before you sign on the dotted line, no exceptions. This is $100 well spent.

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Do your research on this. If you choose correctly, there is no need to start again with another vehicle a few years later (and pay the tax and interest again). If you pay cash, you start with a huge savings.
Housing and utilities: Chances are good that the RV you choose costs less than the house you sold. On the road, all utilities are paid by the RV park except electricity if you stay 30 days or more in one place.

 That means typically no bills for electricity and no bills for garbage, water, or sewer come due. And if you decide to park on public land and enjoy nature at its finest, it is free. I have many friends that boondock (primitive parking without utilities) half the year. What a savings!

RV parks and camping: While the average price for a camping spot has gone up, you can lower your costs by joining a half-price RV club like Passport America and/or a membership park system. (Some RV clubs have members who offer travelers a place to stay.) You can also boondock on public lands or overnight at Walmart parking lots or volunteer/work where you stay in order to receive a free or low-cost RV site.

Fuel: Save money on fuel by traveling shorter distances and staying longer in one place. Take advantage of weekly and monthly rates and explore an area. You'll enjoy it more and spend less money.
Food: Food is a controllable expense if you use your RV's microwave oven. Eat out less.

Entertainment: Park your RV where you like to play. If you enjoy the outdoors, camping in national parks or forests allows you to open your door and step out for hiking, photography and exploring.

Clothing: Clothing is the smallest expense. The RV lifestyle is casual to the extreme. Space is limited so the quantity of clothing is limited, one item in, one item out. The budget-conscious can pick up nice jeans, shorts and shirts at used clothing stores, saving even more.
Gifts and purchases: The best use of space limits acquiring "stuff." There is simply no place to put it! Limit gifts to inexpensive but unique items picked up in your travels.

Staying in touch: If you need a second cell phone, a prepaid cell allows you to budget your calls. You can often find a free Wi-Fi signal at an RV park, library or coffee shop. Use the built-in webcam in your computer to use Skype or Facetime to stay in contact for free.

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Taxes: Choosing the full-time RV lifestyle allows you to choose the place to call home. Many RVers choose a no-income-tax state like Texas, South Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, or Florida. If you live on retirement income or income earned in one of these states, you do not pay state income tax on it.

Since you can adjust your spending on most of the categories above as needed, it allows you to live on any budget. If you overspend in one area, you can cut back for awhile in another. Visit RV Lifestyle Expert’s budgeting tool for more budget information and a sample worksheet.
How might you adjust your spending as needed? Suppose you have costly repairs… then stay in one place for a while, reducing your fuel costs. Or you might boondock on public lands for a few days, greatly reducing or eliminating your camping costs while doing so. If needed you could even add to your income by working at a short-term or temporary job.

Join me in the RV lifestyle! You too will find you can save a bundle living in your RV.

Things you should know before living in RV

Thinking of moving into an RV? If so, there are nine basic things you need to know before you make the leap from standard living to motorhome or camper living. You are going to need to do a great deal of research to make sure that doing this will be beneficial to you. For some people, it is great, but this is not true for everybody.
This article will provide the type of basic information you will need to help you find out whether changing the way you live will be the right thing for you to do.

Things you should know before deciding to live full time in an RV.

You may be dreaming of living year round in a recreational vehicle, but you need to understand that doing this can change your life in many ways, not all of which may be pleasant for you.
This is why you need to do some research before you make your move.
Is Full Time RV Living the Best Choice for You? is a good resource, so you might want to take a look at it. In the meantime, below is some information that will give you an overview of this lifestyle.

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Possessions

You must decide whether your possessions or your desire to live a simpler, less burdensome life is more important. Most people who become full-timers sell their homes and all but one of their vehicles (the one that either tows their travel unit or is towed by it).
They also shed themselves of furniture, artwork, anything that takes up a lot of space (such as hobby materials, holiday decorations, boxes of family photos, libraries, magazines, newspapers or collectibles), pets, unless they are very small, bulky electronics, excess clothing (especially bulky items), duplicate household goods (such as second sets of dishes and silverware), decorator items, heavy cleaning equipment (such as full-sized vacuum cleaners), duplicate tools and recreational equipment (such as kayaks, skis and clunky sports equipment).

Some people find it difficult to make the transition all at once, so they put their belongings in storage units they can rent by the month.
Those who are lucky enough to be able to place their belongings at the homes of family members or good friends buy storage sheds. In the long run, this is less expensive than renting a unit and is often more secure.

A one-time purchase of a shed will pay for itself in a year or so, and it can be sold later in the event people decide either to return to living in a house or sell off their belongings because they feel their new lifestyle works for them.

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Storing items makes people feel more secure and gives them an "out" if they change their minds. This also allows them keep their most valued items in a way that doesn't crowd them.

Your Coach

When you live in a limited amount of space, comfort and privacy are important.

Therefore you must make sure that the unit you use for full-time living is big enough to serve your purposes and has everything you will need to keep yourself comfortable. Otherwise, you will be miserable.
Coaches are rated for living and traveling in various types of weather. It is best to choose an all-weather unit to ensure that it will hold up to temperature differences and be comfortable no matter its location.
If you join RV Consumer Group, you will be able to access books and magazines which provide this and other important information for any specific make, model and year of motor home or camper. It costs a good bit to do this, but can save you money and problems in the long run.

Setting Up a Home Base

Many people set up home bases by

• renting campsites on a long term basis,
• purchasing a deeded RV lot or
• purchasing and developing properly zoned land.
Doing this gives them a permanent address and provides a sense of security they might not otherwise be able to have. However, having a home base is not always necessary.

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Some folks just rent as they go. I this situation, you generally pay nothing but a nightly, weekly or monthly fee. Although this sounds simple, it can get pricey because campgrounds always charge more for visitors who don't stay for long periods of time.
On the other hand, people who choose this route can often camp inexpensively or even free in a number of places. What Is the Maximum Amount of Time Allowed for Campground Stays? and How to Live Rent Free in Your RV provide more information about this.

Children

It is probably not a good idea to full time with children because RV parks are not the safest places for them and rarely offer child-friendly amenities.

Also, too many bodies make for major discomfort, and more than two people living in even the largest unit definitely creates a problem. Children living in a coach translates to clothes, medications, special foods, special equipment and toys.

People do full time with youngsters on board, but it is not the most enjoyable way to live. Traveling is one thing, but day to day living is quite another.

Pets

Many people enjoy keeping animals with them in their coaches, but the truth is that this also can create problems.

They require special equipment, toys, medications and food. Some parks do not allow them or require residents who own them to camp in special areas and pay extra fees. There also are usually size and type requirements.

Furthermore, some pets can smell up an RV, dirty it, damage upholstery and cabinetry and leave hair, ticks and fleas everywhere. If they annoy other campers in any way or their masters do not pick up their waste matter, parks will terminate the lot rental, eject the perpetrators and will refuse to give refunds.

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The most successful pet situations I have seen are those where people keep very small dogs, wash and groom them regularly and take them out only to do their business.

People who travel with multiple animals, large dogs, pigs (yes, pigs!) and horses cannot possibly hope to do well with full timing.
Think carefully before including pets in your full time RV living plans.

Communicating

Keeping in touch for personal or business matters is important, but is easily managed these days. One only needs a cell phone, a laptop with wireless capabilities and sometimes a mail forwarding service.
Mail forwarding services are inexpensive (as little as $10 per month plus postage), safe and convenient. When you use them, you automatically become a legal resident of the state where the service is located. Therefore, it is important to choose one such as Florida or Texas where fees and taxes are much less costly than places such as New York or California.

Signing up is very easy:
1. Choose the service you wish to use.
2. Submit a formal change of address to your local Post Office.
The Post Office then sends all of your incoming mail to the service instead of to your old address, and the service keeps it until you call to tell them where to send it.

Mail forwarding services can generally be started or stopped as needed, but each company has its own rules, so it is wise to find out what they are prior to signing up. The best and most reasonable one I know of is offered by The Good Sam Club, but you may have to join in order to access this benefit.

There is always a delay when using this method, and it costs a bit to do because you must pay postage fees in addition to the monthly cost. However, if you have no home base or do have not made arrangements with someone you trust to handle your mail for you, it is the only way you can access your mail.

Insurance

Arranging for insurance coverage is much the same for full-timers as it is for everybody else. However, people without home bases must make sure that they carry health insurance policies that will cover them completely no matter their location.

HMOs and other limited service area policies will not provide coverage unless these folks happen to be in the same area as their mail forwarding services.

For those who travel a great deal, it is a good idea to purchase emergency coverage that will not pay medical costs, but will, under the appropriate circumstances, provide regional medical referrals and oversight as well as a means of getting travelers and their vehicles back to their home bases at no cost. Good Sam Club sells one that costs around $110 per year and covers all travelers.

Auto insurance policies generally cover travel units, but not all do, so ask before you buy.

Why you choose RV Living?

You can live by the beach, mountains, desert, and anywhere else.
Living in an RV means that you can live wherever you want to live. The United States has so many beautiful places to see and live, and because it would be hard to just pick one place, RV life allows us to live in as many as we want.

And, it’s more than just going on a vacation, which is nice too, but I love being able to bring my entire home with me. This way I’m not forgetting anything, and because my home is always with me, I still get to live comfortably.

If you want to spend your summer in the mountains and your winter near the beach, you can do that. If you want to do the opposite the following year, you can do that too.

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If you want to have your front window open up to a beautiful national park, you can even do that.

By living in an RV, you can choose to live wherever you want.
You can spend more time outside.

One of the best things about RV life is that you can park your home wherever you want to. We love being able to do things outdoors, and we usually pick places that make that even easier. So, we like to park next to hiking trails, bike trails, rock climbing routes, and more.
This is great because we can usually just walk or ride our bikes to wherever we want to go, which allows us to spend a ton of time enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

One of my favorite spots we stayed in 2016 was at Pine Cove Campground (pictured below). This was pretty much just a parking lot, but it had great views and it was right on the water. It also provided several hiking trails, mountain biking trails, paddle boarding, and more. Plus, Breckenridge was just a bike ride away with all of it's yummy food and delicious beers.  It's a great all-around spot and it was just $20 a night.

It’s amazingly beautiful living in an RV.

You simply cannot beat the views we’ve seen out the window of our RV.
And, there have been many of them.
We’ve seen beautiful national parks right outside our window, amazing mountain ranges, desert landscapes, lake views, wild animals, and more.

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 Our dogs love RV life.

Okay, so I can't be exactly 100% sure about this since my dogs can't talk to me, but they seem pretty happy whenever they are able to explore new places (like the picture above), sniff new things, go on long hikes, and so on.

Our dogs are much more active now than they ever were before and seem pretty happy to me.

You can follow the weather.

Since we can park our home wherever we want, we can follow the weather. We like to stay in temperatures that are just perfect – somewhere around 70 degrees year round.
Following the weather is something that we truly love.
After all, who wants to be too cold or too hot?
Thankfully, the RV life lets us just leave whenever the temperature is something that we don't fully enjoy.

We really only have clothes for one season, so we avoid places that are cold. I pretty much wear dresses, sandals, shorts, and/or tank tops year round, which is really nice and comfortable.

 Downsizing is liberating.

Living in an RV means that you’ll have to downsize. While some people dread this, getting rid of nearly all of your stuff is extremely liberating.
When we sold our house and moved into an RV, we donated and got rid of a lot of our belongings. At first it was difficult to get rid of so much, but it became easier as time went on.
These days, all we have is what we have with us. We have a small amount of everything, and we like it best this way.

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We are much more mindful of what we buy, we waste hardly anything, and this is allowing us to save money as well.
Plus, when you’re RVing, you no longer have a need to buy as much stuff because the outdoors take up all of your time. Before we would waste time going to the mall, Target, and other stores- but we hardly ever do that now. Instead, we spend a lot of our time exploring new places.

 No more yard work or other house work with RV living.
One of the best things about not having a normal home is that we save a lot of time when it comes to routine things that come with a normal house.

This includes dealing with monthly bills, such as electricity, water, sewer, trash, etc. Now we just pay one fee whenever we go somewhere.

We also don't have as much maintenance and repairs to do. While RVs aren't perfect, there's less that goes into an RV than a house, which means that we don't have to do things like rake leaves, mow the grass, and so on.

Food tastes better when living in an RV.
Me and Wes always talk about this, but it’s true – meals in an RV always taste better. I think it has to do with always having great views (as mentioned above) and just being happier with life in general.

RV living means you can move if you don't like your neighbors.
I think pretty much everyone has lived next to a neighbor that they didn't like. The great thing about RV life is that if you have a crazy neighbor or someone who you don't get along with, then you can just move your home!

And trust me, we have done this a few times in order to get away from some not-so-friendly and/or crazy RVers.

You can work and travel at the same time.

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Yes, you can do both.

We’ve met many amazing people while RVing. Some are retired, but others are like us and also trying different things in order to make their traveling dreams a reality. I know that thinking about making money while traveling can be a scary thing for many people, but it has really allowed us to live our dream life.

This factor is something that holds many potential full-time travelers back, but it shouldn’t! Don’t let making money on the road hold you back from living your dream, because even though it may seem big, it’s something that can usually be worked around.

Related articles on how to make money while traveling:

• How To Make Money While RVing
• 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
• 10 Ways To Make Money Online From The Comfort of

 Your Home

• Ways To Make An Extra $1,000 A Month
• My Tips On Successfully Traveling And Working At The

 Same Time

To be able to live in an RV full-time, I run an online business which consists mainly of this blog- Making Sense of Cents. It is a lot of fun being able to work and travel at the same time.

At first, I thought it would be difficult. I thought internet would be hard to find, that I would be too distracted, and so on.

I've come to find that I'm more motivated than ever when it comes to working, and having a great view out my window each day definitely helps as well.

If I want to take a break from work and go on a hike, I can do that. If I want to go on a mountain bike ride in the morning before I start answering emails, I can do that.

The list goes on and on!

Living in an RV makes traveling and working (and living) much more enjoyable because I can bring my home everywhere I go. I don't have to worry about forgetting something, bringing a suitcase, or anything – I just have it all with me.

Also, I’ve had a lot of you ask what I’m using for internet. I am using a Verizon MiFi Jetpack. I also have AT&T for our cell phones so that we are always covered. This may sound crazy, but every RVer we’ve met has the same set up.