The number of people living full or part-time in RVs is growing by leaps and bounds every year.
Many are retired or about to become retired. Others are part of the expanding group of working age folks who are embracing a location independent lifestyle.
Are you considering taking the leap from a traditional home to an RV? Do you dream of life on the open road, but are not quite sure if you’re ready to make the commitment?
If so, this article is for you.
To help you along, and hopefully tip the scales in favor of RV living, here are nine reasons why living in an RV is better than living in a house.
1. More time outside
Living in an RV encourages you to spend more time outside. In part because of the small interior space, but also because most campgrounds are great places to enjoy the outdoors.
Crank out the awning, set out your chairs, grill up some burgers, read a book, go for a hike, or gaze at the stars, all while enjoying the great outdoors.
2. No lawn to mow or yard work to do
Photo: Pixabay
Ever feel like you spend all your free time mowing, weeding, and raking? No time to enjoy your yard because you spend so much time maintaining it?
Well guess what?
There’s none of that when you live in an RV! The workers at RV parks and campgrounds do all the yard work for you. It’s like having your very own gardener…for a fraction of the cost.
3. Follow the weather (or run away from it)
Photo: Wikipedia
One of the greatest advantages to living in a home on wheels is the ability to go where you want, when you want.
This especially comes in handy when the weather turns bad.
If it’s too hot, too cold, too humid, too rainy, or too dry then all you have to do is pack up and drive somewhere else like the southwest.
4. Clean a lot less
There is no denying that a smaller space is quicker to clean. Do you want to spend hours and hours vacuuming, dusting and scrubbing?
Or would you rather spend 30 minutes cleaning your RV and move on to more exciting activities?
Not only are RVs smaller and easier to clean, but they also tend to be equipped with more drawers and cupboards to stow your stuff, helping to keep your small space neater.
5. If you don’t like your neighbors…then move
It’s a fact of life that you’re not going to like everyone you come across. As much as you may try to get along with everyone, some people are just down right impossible to get along with.
The beauty of living in an RV is that when (if) you come across these type of folks you can simply move to another spot.
6. A million dollar view for less than $20 per night
Have you always wanted a house with an ocean view but couldn’t swing it because it was too expensive, inconvenient, or far from work?
Or maybe you only want to live near the ocean part of the time, and high in the mountains the rest of the time?
Or maybe you want to spend one week with a view of the water, one week deep in the forest, and one week in the middle of a city.
Well, by living in an RV you have just given yourself the chance to live virtually anywhere you want, with any view you can imagine. Freedom is huge part of RV living, and the freedom to pick your view, and change it as often as you like is an amazing thing.
7. Less things, more experiences
Minimalism is a necessary part of living in an RV. Without giant closets and extra rooms to store all that stuff you might need one day, you will be forced to adapt a minimalist lifestyle.
For most people it doesn’t take long to realize just how little stuff they actually need to live, and live well.
An incredible thing happens when you shed all that extra stuff. Inevitably you start to focus less on things and more on experiences, which leads to a happier, more fulfilled you!
8. Make new friends
Photo: KOA
RVing tends to be a social lifestyle. It’s easy to meet people while walking the dog around the campground, or your chat with your neighbors around the campfire.
Often these casual meetings turn into long lasting friendships, as people bond over the type of RV they own, or the activities they like to pursue.
RVing attracts all kinds of people, and living in an RV presents an unique opportunity to meet people who you may not normally come across while living in a fixed location.
9. There’s no room for relatives
Photo: Youtube
Just kidding. 🙂
In addition to making new friends, living in an RV makes it easy to visit distant friends and relatives.
While it can often be difficult and expensive to travel across the country to visit great Aunt Sally, in an RV it’s only a matter of pointing the wheels in the direction of her house and driving.
The best part?
You’re always an excellent house guest who brings along your own kitchen, your own bathroom, and your own bed.
So this is my exact dream, yet I’m only 23 years old! I don’t know how to afford full time RVing if I were to leave my job. Any ideas??
Greetings from an RV located somewhere in the desert southwest.
In my eleventh year as a full time RVer I like to think of our lifestyle as shucking the yard work and squabbling neighbors for a life of freedom on the road. We are ScribeCave.com. Home of the Hawkins Investigations Suspense series where the private investigators are full timers.
See you down the road.
That’s awesome Kaye! What the smallness of the camper lacks is totally made up for in the fact your Harley touring!! There’s no place as free as behind bars! (Harley of course)! May your travels be amazing and your spirits be free, and thanks to your family for their service! Fellow Harley lover Tom
Hubby & I did this for 8 years before he died. Don’t regret one minute of it. Hope to get back to it soon.
I was bedridden for 10 months, I’m in wheelchair and on disability. I recently signed purchase agreement to buy a 1995 Georgie Boy Swinger 34ft, my journey starts in 9 months. I can not wait, I realized while bedridden, if I end up paralyzed and have to look at 4 walls, I’d go nuts, in a rv it won’t be bad as everyday will be a new adventure, even if I can only look out of windows lol.
My husband has been retired for a few years now so it is my turn to retire. We are in the process of selling everything and go RVing full time. I can’t wait but nervous at the same time. We have been campers for many years so it’s nothing new but it will be nice to not have to come home and back to work.
We will be selling our house next year and doing exactly that. We just ordered our new fifth wheel set up for full-time use.
Well, I’m into 20 years now and, like you, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Canada in the summer, fishing for walleye, So Texas or FL in the winter, soakin’ up the sun ‘n surf. And all the places in between. ABQ for the Balloon Fiesta, The North, back entry into Yellowstone……what a drive! Going over ‘Goat Head Pass’ into Telluride CO. Leave there and go SSE to explore the ‘Cave Dwellers’. Enough! I’m gettin’ ready to explore some more.
Thanks Doug and Marilyn for your comment. LOL that is pretty funny with the 6-4-2 rig 🙂
we have always enjoyed RV’ing & would make sure we got out of the AZ heat in Lake Havasu City for the summers, leaving a pretty expensive house empty, but still paying for all the expenses of house payment, home-owners insurance, utilities, pool, yard, taxes & maintenance, etc…to the toon of about 3 grand a month…selling our residence & a rental home, afforded us the opportunity to buy a large diesel pusher & we just started full-timing in May of ’14…we were convinced that 3 grand a month would buy us a lot of diesel…have met many full-timers in our travels & all the stories are similar to what you have posted…most started with a couple years in mind, but end up staying on the road a long time…your 9 points are well taken & very true…we love the “home is where you park it” attitude & like telling people we have a 6-4-2 Rig…6 for cocktails…4 for dinner…2 for sleeping…”Happy Trails” to you all…:-)
Great plan Kaye!
Thank you so much for the advice ,unless there is a DRASTIC change in our lives, we plan on doing just that as soon as we possibly can. We have one grown child, and know exactly where he will be. We have moved a lot with USAF anyway, so we aren’t so dug in that it will be hard to leave the area we are in. We have a tent camper (small scale I know) that we pull with a Harley Davidson,, We take as long as we can off and explore the Texas Hill Country every summer.. READY FOR FULLTIME!
All agreed upon..It simply is the best way to go. :]
Thanks for your comment Dave, means to an end!
Great! Loved the images. I just wish I’d been able to start sooner. Maybe 50 years sooner:-)
Thanks for your comment Steve
Been in our for 13 1/2 years now and wouldn’t have it any other way
Thanks for your comment Lorene. What an adventure!
We did it..!!! ALL OF IT. Rving is the best life for retirees. FREEDOM!! 17 full-time, roaming years in all USA, Canada, Mexico, Alaska! …..We’d kissed whales in Baja, climbed high mountain peaks, saw glaciers calve in Alaska, icebergs… soared to great heights in balloons, drove thru trees in Redwoods, were extras in a Hollywood movie twice, white water raft trips, caves, spelunking, beaches, all Natl parks, crewed balloon fiesta, worked at DisneyWorld as cast members, led Adventure Caravans to Mex Copper Canyon and Alaska, saw giant waterfalls, 50 ft tides Bay of Fundy, rode…tidal bores, explored deep Paria canyons, Indian cultures, …wine country…..well there is no end to seeing sights. Best to make and complete that Bucket List NOW….,and do it. The rewards, fun, enjoyment have no end, until, of course, you get too old to drive a big rig. All I can say is save..save…save your money, sell the house, take to the road. You both have to love travel, however. It is YOUR time of life, so don’t worry about your kids, grandkids. There is freedom to visit them in an RV. TRAVEL IS SO REASONABLE IN AN RV. Take lots of pictures, videos, keep moving, exploring and make new friends. We are back to stick house at age 76, but oh the wonderful memories we have! No regrets.
Wow, that’s inspirational RVgeeks! Look forward to more of your helpful videos.
I would love to be able to fulltime rv. Hopefully in the future. To all out there-fulltime or not-Enjoy your time out there & be safe. Godspeed
What a great post. We’d never even been in an RV before we started full-timing. We bought a motorhome, then sold, donated or tossed everything we owned and hit the road. The plan was to spend 2 or 3 years locating “the perfect place” to settle down. That was over 11 years ago and we’re still out here with no end in sight. Not only do we really, really hate cold weather (snow birding rocks!), but one of the greatest perks is the low cost of living. That allows us to earn less and therefore work less, giving us more time to enjoy life more fully. Can’t imagine going back. This way of living is truly addictive.
Thanks Mark for your kind words
Yikes! It’s always a grin and bear it feeling with real estate taxes Denise
Love your ideas for full time r.ving.
In suburban NY, our taxes are over $1000 per month. Getting rid of the house and living “on the road” will let us put that 15K to a lot more fun uses! Three more years!
Hi Donna,
This post might help you. While it might be difficult to park in an urban area, your best bet would be to find someone who will allow you to use their property for a short time.
http://www.doityourselfrv.com/boondockers-welcome-helps-find-free-rv-parking-safely-easily/
Question:
When in a suburban or urban area where (and how could a person find out) can you park an RV? Motorized of course. I guess something like an Airstream could only be parked at a campground I guess…but so many campgrounds close for part of the year? I’m so confused…
Thanks for your comment Jesse
Great post. All great reasons to call an RV home. I especially like running from the weather. 🙂
Best decision we feel we ever made; sold the brick-n-motar Oct 2013 and haven’t looked back! Every analogy you gave and more. Wonderful.
Glad you are having fun, Alyssa
LOVE this. Full timing is pretty much the best decision we’ve ever made. Every day is an adventure!