Don’t Try Full Time RVing Until You Read This
I have met a lot of people in my years of full time RVing. There is a general theme that arises when you begin talking with them about their experiences. I’ve met people who have only been doing it for a few days and people who have been doing it for more than 10 years; people who do it solo, as couples, or have a whole family involved together; and every kind of RV setup from factory made to custom.
Here’s What I Wish I Knew Before Going on The Road
It is always great to talk to the longtimers because they really have stories to tell. In the end, we chat about what we love and what we wish we knew before full time RVing. Here is a compilation of those stories.
1. You don’t have to do it all in a few days and move on.
We meet people all the time that are getting stressed or thinking about leaving RVing. The planning and organizing for the next place and leaving the current one is too much for them.
We discussed whether we wanted to stay a couple of weeks or a month in a place. At first, we thought two weeks would work. At three weeks, we were ready to bolt. We stuck with one month. It has been both financially and mentally rewarding.
2. Read campground reviews before making reservations.
I follow several steps now when we make reservations. You think this is a simple no-brainer, but it can become very complicated. You don’t know in advance that parks close, reduce services, limit access, change pricing, have road closures, or that you won’t have cell service or Internet. Try searching RV LIFE Campgrounds for more information from other RVers firsthand.
We had one place try and tell us a higher rate when we arrived, but I had a copy of their email with the lower rate. We were supposed to arrive at another campground, and I happened to call the night before to find out they had shut down due to ill staff. They didn’t have my information because they said they had plenty of spots. Now I follow several steps during the reservation process:
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- Give them all my contact information.
- Get all of their contact information.
- Get the final rate in writing – including what amenities it does and does not include.
- Find out if it is OK for pets and motorcycles.
- Do a Google Earth check to make sure our rig can get in and out of their property OK.
- Search campground reviews to see if we have cell coverage (or any other services you may need access to).
3. Something always needs to be fixed or upgraded.
I don’t know why this came as a surprise because problems are always going on with a stationary home. What didn’t sink in is that when you are having to do these repairs, your RV, entertainment zone, and work area are now tied up during the repairs. Your whole life is on hold when you wait for a fix – most of the time.
I learned to get creative. If you need to work, take the laptop out to the picnic table while they shut off all your services, and enjoy the weather. If you have a flat beside the road, pull down your steps, pull a drink from the fridge, explore the plant life, and relax. Yes, your work and home are on hold, but you know it can and will happen, so be prepared to live in the moment. You can reduce some of these events by staying on top of the maintenance of your RV.
Are you full timing or are you on vacation? There is a difference!
4. You are not on vacation.
Do not spend like you are. Stick to your budget. We started this from the beginning and was able to avoid overspending (most of the time).
We go somewhere and stay a month. It gives us time to live like locals, see the sites, ride our motorcycles, and get our jobs done. Then we get to explore a new place.
Even if you full time, you still need to plan vacation time. When you are not working, plan to stay in resort campgrounds for more amenities, or join a caravan of RVs exploring. Read up on some RV LIFE articles to get trip ideas!
5. You will be very close.
There are few places to go in an RV to get away from each other if you travel with others or need space. You need to know if you can deal with that while full time RVing.
My spouse and I spent our whole marriage moving around the country, staying in small rental condos, and being in places for just a short time. One time, we even lived six months in 300 sq ft before we finally settled down in a brick-and-mortar home. But we were made for full time RVing!
6. Location, location, location.
I’m an organizer (and a travel agent), so planning our trips is right up my alley and I love it. If you don’t enjoy that kind of thing, slow down your location changes, and utilize the tools that will help make your planning easier.
For all of your camping and trip planning needs, look no further than RV LIFE Campgrounds and RV LIFE Trip Wizard. RV LIFE Campgrounds is a trusted source of campground and RV park reviews offered by camping and RV enthusiasts just like you. With its accompanying RV LIFE App, RV LIFE Trip Wizard gets you to your camping destinations utilizing RV-friendly routes specific to your RV and travel preferences.
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Since 2019 Lucinda Belden has been a full-time RVer and travel writer specializing in topics such as living on the road, working while traveling, RVing with outdoor recreation toys, and discovering unique location experiences. She is also the Program Director for MyRVRadio, a non-stationary radio station for RVers broadcasting news, events, culture, expert advice, humor, and entertainment. As a skilled entrepreneur, promoter and travel industry consultant, she and her husband Will Belden organize national events for the outdoor industry, such as the Direction Wide Open RV & Motorcycle Rally. She draws daily inspiration from the full-time RV lifestyle, motorcycling and world travel expeditions.
Regarding tip #2. We found that the campground reviews and ratings in the very popular Good Sam campground rating book are inaccurate and in some cases they were downright wrong. We took a one year RV trip in 2016. We visited 25 states, 54 campgrounds, 5 National parks, and 3 state parks. There were cases where we used the rating book as our guide to where we decided to stay when we were on the road. Some of the ones that were rated 8 and above were disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. We spoke to some of the campground owners that had immaculate, beautiful parks that were rated 5 and below and they told us that they gave up with Good Sam. They believed that Good Sam rating system was corrupt and that they believed the larger parks were PAYING Good Sam to give them high ratings in their book.
Also, what we learned is that there are not enough high quality, clean RV parks with the amenities need. If the park doesn’t have excellent Wi-Fi, Cable, and spotless bathrooms and showers, we leave. We were very disappointed that RV parks don’t focus on quality amenities. They charge too much for what they don’t deliver.
Hi Mari,
Thanks for this great experiential information. Rating systems can be tough. We rely heavily on google earth to see what things really look like as well as photos posted by past guests. (We know some photos can be post card ready and don’t include all the details).
I considered full timing, but I’ve never stayed in one spot for more than two weeks. After 20 years of rving, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a fulltimer.
I love full-timing and don’t see stopping anytime soon. But I love to organize and travel so I’m addicted. I hope you get to continue RVing no matter what your time capacity is! Thanks Richard.
I’m full time, and a traveler, not a tourist. There is a difference. A traveler wants to learn things about the places and the people and the culture. A tourist just wants to go somewhere to have what they call fun. Hence places like Vegas or Cancun.
Hi Bob – very true. A traveler and tourist are not the same. That might be a good clue as to whether you want to full-time. Full-time is definitely for a traveler. It is a wonderful learning experience and it opens up your mind to what is important and to see things from others perspective. Thanks for sharing such insightful information.
My wife and I started out full time in a 16 foot fully self contained cab over camper. For 2 year her, 3 cats and I lived. Eventually we up graded to a 35 foot 5th wheel. After about 4 year when she became pregnant we settled down in a house. Now after almost 18 years in a house we are thinking about hitting the road again in a new to us 35 foot 5th wheel.
Now, with all that being said. I am 57 years old retired and have traveled extensively through the years. My best information for anyone thinking about RVing full time is to go to your local camp grounds and talk to the out of state plate RVers. Then move into 2 rooms of your house/apartment, the kitchen and bathroom. Utilizing just what you need. Lol.
Because believe it or not that is pretty much how it works. Up to 400 sqft is all you can have.
Ha ha Wes, that is a great way to whittle down your space in a real life scenario 🙂 Yes, your space is much smaller. You have to not mind being very close and you have to be good at finding your own space when you need it! I hope you all are able to go back into full-timing and enjoy it event more this time around.
Very good article. It seems that one needs to be online for a few years before buying and going full-time. There are excellent RV forums online that you should join years before buying or heading out.