The full-time RV life isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it’s just for a season. We’ve been traveling full time for years, but now it’s time to have a home that isn’t on wheels.
While we’ve loved our time on the road, here are five reasons why we’re glad that chapter in our lives is closed. Let’s dive in!
What’s the difference between a full-time rover, a part-time rover, and a weekend rover?
Not everyone sells everything they have and sets out to live full time in an RV. Some people are “snowbirds” or travel part of the year to enjoy the sun and beaches during harsh winters.
Others travel part-time during the summer when the kids are out of school. And still others enjoy driving a few miles to their local campgrounds on the weekends.
Camping season is a time to get away from the daily grind. You can relax around the campfire for a few nights before heading back to work on Monday. Many weekenders relax at the campground before going back to work the following week.
What challenges do full-time campers face?
Full-time RVers, travelers who live in their RV year-round, face challenges that part-time or weekend travelers do not necessarily face.
First, an RV is a tiny space. You don’t have a lot of privacy. Usually that’s not a problem for a few months or just a weekend, but it can feel very cramped when that space is home.
Maintenance and repairs can also add up if you travel full time. The more you move, the more things break. And it’s not easy to just call a repair shop and make an appointment for a repair.
The RV is your home. So finding a place to stay, unloading food from the refrigerator, and packing clothes and other items for a few days or more can be stressful.
Finally, constant planning can take a toll. When you live full-time in an RV and are not location-based, you can’t take a break to look ahead. You always have to be on the lookout for the next campground or site for your RV.
As campground reservations have become more important in recent years due to the influx of travelers, this constant planning can also be stressful.
Pro Tip: If you want to snag those hard-to-get reservations, you should read this next: Does Campnab Really Get Reservations at Sold-Out Campsites?
Why would anyone want to live full time in a mobile home?
So why would anyone choose to live in an RV? Well, you can’t capture the sights, sounds and experiences of travel in a house made of wood and bricks.
When you live in a house, you can’t see red canyons one week and the sound of waves the next. The ability to go anywhere is truly amazing!
Outdoor recreational opportunities also attract many travelers. Whether they want to surf the Pacific Coast, hike the Narrows in Utah, or paddle the Rio Grande in Texas, the country becomes a playground when you live in an RV full-time. Those memories are priceless.
Finally, many families have chosen to live in RVs because priorities have shifted. For some parents, work has become less important and time with their children has taken priority.
Even for parents who work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the small space, outdoor lifestyle and weekends of hiking, biking and swimming have brought their families closer together.
5 Reasons We’re Glad We Gave Up Our Full-Time RV Life
We have enjoyed traveling around the country. We have met amazing people and had incredible experiences.
But we’ve also had our own setbacks and challenges. When we decided to buy a house and give up the full-time RV life, we knew we had made the right decision.
5. we really missed certain amenities
We really missed some amenities when we lived full-time in our RV, such as a dishwasher, an oven that cooks food evenly, a bathtub, and access to our own washer and dryer.
Now we can enjoy these technologies and items that make our lives easier and more enjoyable! We no longer have to look for laundry mats or take marine showers if we don’t want to.
Pro Tip: Boondocking has its drawbacks, but we love it. If you’re ready to give it a try, be sure to read our dry camping and boondocking tips for a hassle-free trip!
4. we have managed to establish a routine
We know that some people can keep a routine in an RV, but we are not one of them. For some reason, living in an RV was terrible for our routine.
We never got up at the same time, we had no set schedule, we worked too much, explored too little, and any kind of exercise routine was out the window.
Every time we settled in a new place, it was time to move again. But now we have a morning and evening routine, set hours, and explore our city.
Don’t forget: One thing that kept us organized on the road were our checklists. You can get them here: RV Camping Checklist: Over 60 printable pages!
3. our analysis paralysis has come to an end
One of the challenges of full-time life is constant planning. We were so overwhelmed with all the little decisions we had to make. It took away from our enjoyment of the trip.
Eliminating this task has helped us enjoy life and the beauty around us again. Eliminating the simple tasks required for a full-time RV life has helped us focus on the big picture.
2. our mental health is much better
Living in a full-time mobile home can be physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting. Since we moved into a house, we move our bodies more, set clear goals, have a routine, and meditate.
We’ve also spent the last year working on ourselves. As a couple, we’ve made sure to have more evenings together and spend more time without our phones.
1. we are excited to travel again
After not traveling for over a year, we finally had the time to work on what we needed. Now the travel bug is back, and we’re excited to get back to traveling (part-time, of course).
The next trip will be even more enjoyable because our passion for travel is now greater than the stress and challenges of a full-time RV life.
How to know if you’re ready for a break from full-time RV life
If you’ve been on the road for a few years, or even just a few months, you may feel that a break is in order.
You may still love seeing new places, trying new foods, and meeting new people, but the increasing challenges may be getting to be too much for you.
Maybe you’re like us and you finally settle somewhere, only to pack up and move again the next day. Or you may long for a bubble bath and home-cooked meals.
You may feel like your tiny room is closing in on you. These feelings are normal and may also be a sign that you should retire from full-time RV living.
Remember: Before you decide to quit full-time RV driving, know that quitting now is harder than you might think.
We will be back on the road again as part-time travelers
We can’t wait to get back on the road. With renewed fire and passion, we look forward to exploring more of this country.
But we’re glad we have a home base to return to. We’re glad we made the decision to get off the road, settle down and develop a routine. It was better for our marriage and our personal lives.
Where will we see you when we’re back on the road as part-timers?