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.
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