I’ve been on the road as a fulltime RVer since 2018. I once met a couple in a campground who had sold everything for fulltime travel– only to discover this is NOT the life for them. They were going to get rid of their new motorhome and go back to living in a house.
I know RV life is NOT for everyone. While I have no regrets, I recommend if at all possible to NOT sell your house until after you’ve given RV life a test ride. And not just for a little while, like on weekends. Ideally, you really need to do some long distance travel for weeks, if not months, before selling your house and going full force into life on the road.
As you can imagine, selling all those material things you spent decades acquiring is more than a little painful.
I gave up a beautiful house which I decorated to my heart’s content. I loved having people over for dinner and parties, as well as displaying my professional photographs throughout the home. I had all the cooking and entertaining accessories as well as a dream kitchen.
Liz’s former home- and dining table that seats 10.
While giving up my material stuff was not easy, it was worth it to have the FREEDOM and JOY that this life of travel brings. Honestly, I don’t think about my past life. I am too busy being overjoyed to finally be living my dream. The reality is that all thoseTHINGS required time and energy. Every possession requires some kind of cleaning and maintenance and for me, that ended up holding us back from our dreams.
So how do you know if fulltime RV life is right for you, especially if you are a couple? Here are some key areas of concern:
How compatible are you in a small space?
Are your diets and eating habits similar? Do you like the same music? What about temperature? How well do you like each other? How quickly do you get over arguments?
You need to be minimalists—or it sure helps. Be fine with less space, less stuff, more life. You will each need to agree on what to take and what to leave behind.
You each need a separate existence.
Earbuds so one can watch Tv, YouTube or audible while the other reads, knits, etc. Also: biking, hiking, walking, going to fitness center, pool, without the other.
Teamwork
How well do you work together as a team? Backing up is often a high stress time. How do you handle that?
Decision making
Overall, how do you make decisions as a team? How do you handle division of labor? Setting up, tearing down, hitching up, driving the rig. If you’re used to having a cleaning service or a certain level of mess, know that Rv living pretty much requires the small space be kept neat—and good luck finding a maid on the road! When you are in a small space – there is more cleanup needed. Floors mopped more often- plus dishes washed by hand typically not a dishwasher. And laundry at laundromats.
Who is going to do the setup including the dumping and who is going to take care of the inside cleaning? Also decide who is going to do the driving. A lot of times it is the man driving the big rig, which can be limiting. We really recommend both people in the couple at least know how to drive the rig.
Boondocking vs parks
What is your comfort level with boondocking (camping without hookups, often on BLM land- or even at Walmarts and rest stops). How much of that do you want to do versus staying at campgrounds. And if you do stay at campgrounds—what do you need—gated entrance, pool, fitness center?
Change adverse?
Another thing to talk about: how much change are you comfortable with? Do you want to move camp every few days, every few weeks, or every few months?
Need to talk about budget—
agree on a monthly spending amount AND how much do you want to spend on eating out and sight seeing? Some places are quite pricey.
Social Outlets
You need more social outlets than just your spouse or partner. It sure helps to be comfortable talking to strangers and being able to make friends easily.
Uncertainty
Have to be comfortable with a certain amount of uncertainty: not knowing what the next campground will be like, or not knowing if you will like boondocking somewhere. Recognize there will be places you don’t like. Acknowledge that—and remember, your house is on wheels so you can move.
Planning
How well do you plan? Someone (or both) needs to take the lead in plotting out a course and making reservations—or it just won’t happen and you may find all the campgrounds full.
Safety
One (or both) of you need to be safety conscious. And if it is just one of you, there needs to be an agreement from the other that safety is a priority. That means checking the tire pressure, making sure everything is correctly hitched, performing regular maintenance, agreeing to a safe speed and even a maximum number of hours of driving per day.
Weather Awareness
One (or both) of you needs to be weather aware. Having alerts on your phone or a weather radio with alerts is super important when in a trailer or RV. You are much more vulnerable than in a house. You are susceptable to high winds, tornadoes, fires, intense storms, etc.
Commitment
You both need to be equally committed.
