Could You Be A Full Time RVer?

Here are some points to consider if you are thinking about becoming a full time (or even short term) RVer.

1. Do you need a lot of space? 

The house where we lived in Ada was probably about 800 sq feet and other than storage space, we really only used about 3/4 of the space or less. I'm not sure I could go as far as the tiny house people, but I've realized I can make do in cozy confines.

If you're thinking about going full time, maybe try just living in one or two rooms of your house/apartment for a few weeks and see how you feel about it.

Some people park their RV at a campground near their homes and live there for a few months (sometimes keeping their jobs too) to see how they really feel about living in close quarters.

2. Do you need a lot of stuff? 

This goes along with number one. However, I will say that there is more storage space than I would have expected and we aren't even using what we have very creatively or efficiently. If you are someone who likes to display photos and knick knacks, then RV living might be a challenge since there isn't much counter space or empty wall space. I suppose you could go with the old stand by of hanging things on the fridge w/magnets.

I'm not sure how I would have done as an RVer before the advent of Kindle ereaders. I do have a few books along, but I had already thinned my library before we moved. With my Kindle, I happily have access to tons of books without taking up much space at all.

We usually like to have a well stocked pantry and freezer so that's a bit of a challenge, though extra freezers can be purchased and kept in the bays. However, often we kept a full larder because we didn't want to run out in bad weather. So, I'd rather just avoid the bad weather and shop more often.

3. Are you status conscious? 

If you like living in a neighborhood where all the houses are as nice (or nicer) than yours, then RV living might not work too well for you. Our neighbors change on a regular basis, so that's good, but there are also a lot of people who are living in campgrounds in some less than glamorous accommodations. Neighbors can also be pretty close. Our site here is probably average size and space from our neighbors (and fortunately we only have neighbors on one side) but if we have the windows open and our neighbor is sitting outside chatting on his phone, we can hear most of it.

There are some very nice RV resorts out there and we would like to get a job at one of them sometime, but most KOAs seem to have a variety of residents.

4. How do you handle unexpected events/changes in plans? 

Life is full of surprises no matter where you live or how well you plan, but it seems things can be a little less predictable on the road.

As you know, we had plans to go to a KOA in South Carolina in mid-April but we decided to change plans and stay here. About ten days ago, we heard about an opportunity to work and camp at an amusement park nearby (more on that when/if we get that nailed down) so we might be going there in a few weeks.

Sometimes there are breakdowns while traveling that cause a change in plans (and unexpected expenses). If we had been traveling when our jacks quit working, we would have had quite a problem. Instead of loading up and heading out for a day of travel, we'd have had to find a repairman, stayed put for however long it would have taken him to make our repairs (not to mention order parts) and deal with whatever changes we had to make to our schedule due to the delay.

Our friends. Tom and Joni, have been traveling for two or three weeks and even though they had a plan for their trip, it seems like they had a few surprises too. They had planned to travel in our direction for a short visit en route to their next job, but because of bad weather they decided to take a more southerly route. One afternoon they arrived at the KOA where they had a reservation, spent an hour or more trying to get their RV to fit on the site and finally gave up and had to find another place to stay that night.

This is numbers 1-4. Come back next time to read 5-7 (or more. I haven't written the post yet.)