The Ew & Awes of Family Rv Life

For this entry I’m going to play devil’s advocate and share the wonderful and the not so wonderful about the traveling life. Most families I know that are living this lifestyle have an end goal and it’s a stepping-stone to their dream lifestyle. Tired of renting and just throwing money away but still needed to save to reach their goals. Family RV life is not for the faint of heart it is tough, rough, and just downright stressful at times. You live in a small space with a maximum length of 45ft, you WILL step on each other’s toes (it’s not a question of If it’s When). Privacy is little to none, whether it’s parents trying to have a moment to themselves, trying to get some work done QUIETLY, or just simply going to the bathroom, the walls are thin, and you have very limited number of rooms to hide in. I’d be lying if I said I never hid in the shower because it’s the only door my toddler can’t open and sometimes Mommy is just OVER being touched, climbed on, jumped on… Also clutter & a mess is just a blink away, literally a blink, and it’s amazing how quickly things pile up because a few things didn’t make it back to their place. Being handy never hurts because things will break there is no way around it, your house moves and travels with you down all those bumpy ass roads, so screws will come lose, pipes will move, EVERYTHING in your cabinets will shift and if you don’t secure it well enough things will get broken as you pull your home behind you. Maintenance is another big key to living this traveling lifestyle, for example your tanks, you get a Fresh Water (self-explanatory), Grey Tanks (for used water in sinks or the shower) and a Black Tank (where all your waste goes), you have to pull a lever to dump each of them and you also need to raise and clean them out regularly. It’s not difficult just kind of gross and can be a pain because of how often it needs to be done. And I guess the last thing and one thing we DID NOT see coming! Finding a freakin RV Park… now if you are just staying a week or less, it’s no biggie but when you are Full-Time the cheapest and best route is to look for MONTHLY spot and it’s very slim pickings. Some parks close for winter or shut off the full hook ups and just offer electric, which just isn’t feasible sometimes. So, locating a spot to park for the few months you’ll be there can be stressful, super time consuming, and takes a lot of planning and organization!

          BUT!! Your backyard changes with every new job or if you don’t like it somewhere just pick up and move to a better location! Anytime we visit family we have our very own place to stay and with my list of allergies it has been a lifesaver, so we’ll forever have a travel trailer just on that fact alone! I mentioned the lack a space and the bad side of it but, I’ve also found living in a small space forces you to be close (physically & mentally), if me and the hubby fight, going outside is about the furthest away you can get from each other typically, so it makes you talk things out a little faster and we’re reminded that we choose this lifestyle for a reason because together we have a dream, an end goal and then that argument doesn’t seem all that important anymore because at the end of the day we’re a team and neither of us could do it without the other. We haven’t even started talking about the scenery and different experiences that just become unmatched because you’re not a tourist, not a local, but you do live there and hubby works with the locals so they tell him all the cool family spots to take the kiddo! When you get the park search down you can find RV Parks that are out of the craziness of the tourist areas, so you can actually enjoy the lifestyle they have there. The RV lifestyle allows you disconnect and be as much in nature as you want to be… Want to disappear into the woods away from all people? Done. Want to go and park by the beach? Done. Want to go to a 4-day long concert but still have the comforts of home (food/bathroom/bed) whenever you need it? Done. Want to go stay at a super bougie park with valet, pools, and activities for days? Done. The possibilities are endless (*parks & permits very by location*). And when it rains, it’s just one of the coziest things in the world to snuggle up with your little family under the blankets and watch a fun movie or play games while hearing raindrops on the rooftop in the background (peaceful).

    For me it gave me space to regroup and find myself after some major life changes and it’s given us the opportunity to pay things off and save for our dream house. This lifestyle was also something that we drove around late at night talking about, just a couple of kids daydreaming together, so we saw the opportunity as a dream come true (after the proper research was done, of course!). It’s an adventurous, boring, hectic, calm, normal, extraordinary, keep you on your toes kind of life and though I can’t wait to cross that finish line and have a dishwasher again, I’m enjoying this adventure with my family and exploring all across this beautiful country we call home. It’s the memories, lessons, and experiences that will always make me grateful for the time we lived in a travel trailer.