Is full time RV living right for you? Photo via Flickr Creative Commons
The Nomad RV Life Might Be For You, If . . .
For many, full time RV living is a dream come true. The freedom to go where you want, when you want, is pretty magical. You can check off all the destinations on your bucket list with all the comforts of home in tow.
That said, RV life isn’t for everyone. There are some, who despite what they believe, would be miserable living in a tiny RV and moving from place to place without any real home base. On the other hand, there are people who thrive living in a small space, seeing the world at their own pace, and making new friends wherever they roam.
Top 10 Signs That Full Time RV Living Is Right For You
Wondering if the full-time RV life is right for you? Below we’ve compiled a list of 10 signs that you will adore this lifestyle. See how many match your personality.
1. You crave adventure
The most obvious reason to hit the road full-time is for the adventure. After all, one of the best things about this lifestyle is the ability to see all of the amazing sights the world has to offer. If you crave adventure, full time RV living might be right for you.
That said, it is important to consider other factors before jumping in purely for the fun and adventure. You will want to know the full truth about full time RV living before making the leap.
2. You value experiences over things
As you already know, RVs aren’t very big living spaces, and even the largest RV can’t hold that much stuff. That said, not everyone needs a lot of stuff to be happy.
If you’re one of the individuals who values experiences over things, and you’re ready to let go of your house and the stuff in it, full time RV living might be for you.
3. You get bored with routine
Routines make some people feel comfortable. These folks enjoy doing the same things day in and day out, to some extent.
On the other hand, if you’re bored easily, you might be looking to escape from the usual daily routines. RVing full-time allows you to do just that by putting you in new places and situations as often as you please. Heck, even grocery shopping is more interesting when you’re in a new town every few days!
4. You’re spontaneous
Do you enjoy doing things on a whim? Does hitting the road for a trip without any planning at all appeal to you? If so, you’ll likely love the freedom that RV life gives you. When you’re living in an RV and working remotely, you have the ability to pack up and move to a new location anytime you see fit.
5. You’re flexible and handle stress well
While there are a lot of awesome aspects of RV life, there are also some negatives. You never know when something may not go according to plan, and you have to be flexible and willing to take those things in stride and make the best of the situation without stressing out.
If you have a hard time with flexibility and find yourself feeling anxious a lot of the time, you might have a hard time living on the road.
If you can deal with unexpected RV issues, RV life might be right for you. Photo via Tony DiGirolamo, Flickr Creative Commons
6. You enjoy learning new skills and love a good DIY project
Speaking of things going wrong, it’s important to note that when you’re living in an RV, things are going to break more often than they might in a sticks-and-bricks home. You could, of course, take the RV to the shop every time something broke, but you’d be spending a lot of time and money getting things fixed.
For this reason, RV life is ideal for those who enjoy learning new skills and love DIY projects.
Most things that can go wrong in an RV are pretty easy to repair. If you’re willing to invest in the tools, watch some YouTube videos, and get a little dirty, you can probably fix a large majority of things that break in your home-on-wheels.
7. You want to get closer to loved ones
As we mentioned before, RVs are tiny homes. This means you will be super close to whoever you’re living with almost all the time. While this can be irritating at times, it can also be a really great thing.
Being physically close to the people you love forces you to interact more often and become closer emotionally. If this is something you feel your family needs, the RV life could be just the key.
8. You enjoy making new friends
Many people worry about having a community as they travel full-time. Oddly enough, a lot of full-timers actually end up with more friends on the road than they ever had while stationary.
RVers are wonderful people who are almost always happy to hang out around a campfire. In many places all you have to do is walk out your front door to make a new friend. That said, joining RV clubs such as Escapees and Fulltime Families can also be helpful, especially if you can attend events.
The catch? You have to enjoy making new friends and be willing to go out there and strike up a conversation with someone you’ve never met. Once you have a good collection of friends, you’ll likely find you run into them all over the country.
9. You need to save money
We should start by saying that RV living comes in many forms, and not all of them are budget-friendly. That said, if you’re in a bind and need to save some money while still living a wonderful life, RV life could be exactly what you’re looking for.
By paying cash for a solid older rig, staying stationary for longer periods of time, utilizing memberships (such as Thousand Trails), investing in a reciprocal membership or two, and picking free attractions when you can, you can actually live well for very little. Not only that, you’ll be living an amazing life others will be envious of!
For budgeting tips, check out our previous article on How To Live And Travel On Less Than $2000 A Month.
10. You’re looking to make a big change
Lastly, if you’re unhappy with your current life and find there is too much hustle and bustle, too much stuff, and not nearly enough happy times and fun experiences, the RV life might be your ticket to happiness.
This big change isn’t for everyone, but when it is the right choice, it can be a chance to completely turn things around and create a life you love.
Read more about full time RV living:
- The Dirty Truth Of Full-Time RVing
- Downsizing Your Kitchen For Full-Time RVing
- Pros & Cons Of Full-Time RVing In A Fifth Wheel
- 3 Things That Shouldn’t Stop You From Full-Time RVing
Chelsea Gonzales is a full-time RVer, freelance writer, and roadschooling mama who loves sharing her expertise about RVing with kids, roadschooling, and full-time RVing. The entrepreneurial and free-spirited author is also artistic director of the Aistear Mobile Irish Dance Academy, and currently travels with her family in a 27-foot travel trailer. Chelsea’s informational articles about full-time RVing, raising children on the road, camping, and destination features appear on her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander. throughout the RV LIFE network, and in RV industry media outlets such as Outdoorsy, Coach-Net, and RV Share.
Really missed a big one. I have seen some married couples who have separated and then divorced soon after full-timing. The common denominator has been how they spend time together previous to FT. Couples flourish who are in the same room most of the day/night at home. Those where one spends time in their office and the other person in the shop/kitchen/craft room will find it more difficult to remain in FT status.
thank you.
not ready yet but after this Coved-19 is given the ‘clear to go’ signal. Were ready. 🙂
To Whom It May Concern:
I am new to the full time RV life my wife and I as we just retired three months ago. I am connected to you guys via my email as I have joined some sites and I am always looking for help and comments so keep up the good work keep doing your YouTube and eventually I will get helpful information as we travel.
Also, my wife and I are very interested in volunteering in campgrounds and we need that information so please email me back as soon as possible as it will help us as we travel
You totally described Me!
I did this at 25, for over a year. They were the happiest days of my life, exploration, making new friends, I missed my calling as a travel guide! I became a Chiropractor, got married, had kids, gave them the experience in our Van, ” Chitty Chitty Bang Bang “. After 240,000 miles on a 1978 Self Converted Dodge Tradesman, Chitty was set to rest, possibly a rebuild with a raised roof or a play house as the girls would not let it go. We could not pass a wrecking yard without the girls spotting a roof for Chitty.
We stopped exploring weekends, van camping, cross country trips, life, MATERIALISM set in, as divorce destroyed our family, my girls rightly speculated, “when we stopped ours trips we dug the grave to our unhappiness”. Things and money did not provide happiness, only a desire for more.
At 67, I have been considering an Adventure Bike to travel the world, but I’m really leaning to a Van with a smaller adventure bike on the rear hitch! That’s more my style of minimalism.
A traveling Chiropractor, will work for a new connections! Wish me luck, I’ll keep you posted.
Whomever wrote this list is clueless. Craving adventure, meeting new friends, enjoy challenges? Please, none of this is true. Do it yourself? Unless you have the skills in elec., plumbing, etc, forget it.
I been camping all my life in either a tent or rv. My question to you after I was diagnosed with ms I kind of stopped. How do you fill about someone with ms doing it full time.
You really need to be more than DIY. You need to be a Jack Of All Trades have the tools and know how to use them.
It’s true, we have more friends now than we have had all our lives.
You need to love your spouse unconditionally as we live in a 40’ box. We do everything together. The thought of divorce has never crossed our minds. She is the love of my life.
I am 76 and Patti is 69. We are now contemplating selling our home and seeing this beautiful country, visiting family that are fairly far from us that we don’t normally see, seeing landmarks.
We will begin investigating selling the home and stuff we won’t require. Plan is to get a small home to put on our Daughter/SIL property in two to three years.