Living and traveling in an RV or Recreational Vehicle was traditionally associated as an activity undertaken by older, retired couples, or as a short term rental family vacation. However, more and more people are turning towards RV living as a long term life choice. These days, with technology enabling us to live and work remotely, the idea of postponing your dreams of travel until retirement doesn’t make sense.
There are loads of young people who are giving up the monotonous routines of 9-5 jobs and struggling to make rent and are instead choosing to adopt non-traditional lifestyles by living exclusively in vans, RVs, and other vehicles. Even though RV traveling has been around for decades, it has become more popular because of more modern amenities being available in these vehicles, sharing economy websites, better resources, easier RV loans and financing options from My Financing USA , and support from online communities has made it very easy to live and travel in an RV full time. Here are a few pointers for you if you are contemplating living in an RV.
What does life in an RV look like?
Most couples split their time in RVs between campgrounds and dry camping. Life in an RV has all of the basic chores you need to do in regular life. RV or not, you still need to get groceries, shop for other essentials, cook, clean, pay bills, do laundry, and other housework. Additionally, you have to take care of maintenance and repairs of the RV itself. Living in a home on wheels means that you have to always be on high alert for anything that needs to be fixed, to tighten loose screws, replace worn out parts, check tyre pressure, engine oil and fix anything that is broken.
Do I need to have mechanical skills to manage the upkeep of an RV?
When your home is also your vehicle it is a huge advantage if you are somewhat mechanically savvy and handy with tools. Even if you are not so, you should learn a few basic skills by seeking answers from the RV communities both online and in person. When you live in an RV you soon become reasonably experienced and skilled to handle minor repairs, for complex jobs, you should go to an experienced RV repair person.
How much money should I have before committing to RV life?
The money you should have depends on the kind of lifestyle you want to have in your RV and what your general budget looks like. As a rule of thumb, it is better to have enough savings to take care of the living expenses for two to three months. Additionally, you will need an adequate backup, enough to manage unforeseen challenges and expenses. You should also try to pay off as much of your debt as you can before you begin your RV journey. Generally you should expect roughly the same expenses to manage your RV life as you spent in your regular life.
What RV, trailer, or van is best for my needs?
Buying an RV is not cheap. As with other vehicles, RVs also depreciate over time. So before you commit to a purchase, do your research to find out which choice is right for you. Some pertinent questions to ask are how many people you plan on traveling with, how much traveling so you intend to do, and where you plan on going with your RV, as these will help you determine what kind of RV will be good for you.
In general practice, it is always advisable to choose the smallest RV that you think you can comfortably reside in. The smaller your RV, the more flexible your travel plans can be. Larger RVs may be more comfortable for extended travel but smaller RVs can be taken almost anywhere.
Final Thoughts
You should remember that living in an RV full time is not a vacation, it is a lifestyle choice. While RV living can be exciting, you should set a sustainable pace to go everywhere you want to. You should also not be over ambitious in terms of the size of the RV you need to be comfortable. Lastly, don’t over-equip your RV right at the starts. Start your with just the essentials, and then you can guy gizmos and gadgets according to your real needs, making sure they fit your preferred life style.
