WHAT WE’VE LEARNED AFTER 2 YEARS OF FULL TIME RV LIVING

It’s official, we have been traveling full-time in our 2018 Thor Motor Coach for over two years now! Looking back we could have never guessed this is the life we would be living. However, time moves fast and here we are. We’ve learned a lot about our RV over the past two years and have had both good and bad times living full-time out of “Georgia”. Georgia is our home, our only constant, our travel buddy, and our pride and joy.

If you haven’t already, check out our blog post RV LIFE: TIPS WE’VE LEARNED AFTER 1 YEAR, where we discuss everything we learned after owning and living full-time in our RV. While all of that information is still accurate, there is quite a bit more we’ve learned after another year of RV living. Some great, some not so great, but overall still worth it!

MAKE YOUR RV YOUR HOME

Let’s start with the good. In our first year of full-time RV living we made a few changes immediately to the RV to represent our style and brighten the place up a little bit. After a few mishaps (you can read about it here) we decided to just leave things as they were to avoid having to redo anything else. We started thinking more practically, simplified our needs, and tried to be as minimalistic as possible. I think that the first year helped distinguish our needs vs. wants. While all of that is great, our RV didn’t quite feel like home yet.

After surviving the first year, we knew that Georgia was going to be our home for years to come. So we decided to actually make it our home. We added pictures, and wallpaper, changed cabinet handles, bought a new couch, added flowers, and displayed the things we loved. Yes, we still try to live a minimalist lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be colorful, or include what makes us happy. Georgia is our home and it finally feels like it.

LESS IS MORE

One of the best things to come out of full-time RV living was our perspective on what our future home may look like. As much as we love Georgia and living in our RV now, it’s not something we see forever. Eventually, we’d like to have a home and fill it with kids and dogs and love and laughter, but we thought that we needed a huge space to make that happen. We don’t think that anymore.

Before I go further, let me remind you that we don’t have kids or dogs. It’s just me and my wife, and our tiny home on wheels which is perfect for the two of us. Throw a kid and dog in here and maybe everything that I’m about to say is going to go right out the window. BUT for now, I think we could be really happy living in a much smaller space than I once imagined.

We don’t need a mansion, we don’t need spare bedrooms, or a house so big that I don’t know where my wife is. Also, cleaning is way easier in smaller spaces! Living in our RV for two years has brought my wife and me so much closer together and the thought of raising a family in a smaller space excites me! I truly believe that RV living has changed my perspective on what I need in my life and what I cherish the most. We’ve found that less truly is more and we’re better for it.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP

Our first year of RV living was fun, but rough. If I’m being honest we didn’t do a whole lot of research before purchasing the RV. Therefore, when we had the RV we had to be on our toes. It can be scary especially when you’re on the road, away from people you trust and who are great at fixing things and know more than you do. Nevertheless, we are problem solvers! We can do anything, we just can’t be afraid to ask for help!

As soon as we purchased the RV we joined some Facebook groups (there are so many great resources out there). These groups are communities that all share similar interests and probably have the SAME questions you do. The first year we didn’t participate much because honestly, we were scared. Why?! We started to participate more in these groups during the second year anytime we had RV-related questions. Whether that was what the best campground near a specific location was, how to fix a frozen pipe, a leaking toilet, etc. These groups became really resourceful for us!

When we couldn’t find the answers we were looking for, we just so happened to be in RV parks where tens to hundreds of other RV’ers lived. Maybe one of them has the answer. My point is, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Owning and living in an RV full-time can be stressful, but there is a community out there for you willing to help!

GLAMPING IS AMAZING

As a travel physical therapist, my contracts are anywhere between 3-6 months long. During those working months, we try to stay at one campground if possible. Sometimes there’s no availability for the entire time so we have to move locations, but other than that we don’t move the RV unless it’s in between contracts. On the weekends my wife and I will go exploring and either tent camp or rent a hotel/Airbnb/etc. But, I always find it funny when people ask me if I take our RV on our weekend getaways. We do not. Some people might, but for us, that sounds like a hassle that isn’t worth our time or money when we’re perfectly fine with tent camping.

However, when we travel between contracts we usually take off for about a week and visit any National Parks, Monuments, or points of interest on the way. We obviously have our home with us and let me tell you how much fun it is to stay at a campground with your home! So much fun! We clearly do this every single day, but staying at National Parks and campgrounds that have fire rings and picnic tables and then getting to go INSIDE and sleep in your OWN bed is next-level camping.

I love tent camping so much and would go every weekend if I could, but being able to glamp in between contracts has me second-guessing taking our RV out on weekend adventures…not really though. Moreover, traveling in between contracts with our home on wheels has been so much more fun because we get to travel the world with our home and enjoy the perks of glamping.

NOT ALL CAMPGROUNDS ARE MADE EQUAL

Now you may be thinking, “Oh you don’t have a fire ring or picnic table at your campground even though you live in an RV?”. No, we do not, most of the time. Not all campgrounds are made equal. We have had our fair share of great campgrounds, but also our fair share of not-so-great campgrounds. The worst part is having to move to a new location and booking a campground based purely on what you see on the internet. Make sure to do your research people! Check reviews, photos, multiple websites, and blogs to make sure you fully trust and are okay with where you plan to move to.

RV HOUSING OPTIONS

We typically stay at RV campgrounds or RV parks. There are also RV Resorts, State Parks, sites connected to houses you can find on Craigslist, Hipcamp, and so many more options. The campsites can come in all different sizes, with different hook-up options, different amenities, and different pricing options depending on daily, weekly, and monthly stays. Some parks, state parks specifically, will limit your stay to 14-28 days. Others require at least a one-month stay. Finding housing options for our RV is still the worst part of being a travel physical therapist. Check out our blog post TRAVEL THERAPY HOUSING PROS & CONS for the pros & cons of an RV and other housing options.

What we’ve come to find is that on average RV parks are the cheapest ranging anywhere from $500-600/month plus electricity. (Obviously, this depends on the time of year and location. Some can be anywhere upward of 1,000/month) They typically do not have picnic tables or fire rings because these are more long-term sites that are stacked on top of each other.

We tend to stay away from State Parks because we need monthly stays, not weekly stays, and they’re going to cost a lot more, but might have a picnic table and fire ring! If you can afford to stay at RV Resorts, this is the way to go! They are usually gated, giving you peace of mind for your belongings, and have fun amenities such as a hot tub, pool, gym, pickleball courts, etc, but are going to be in the 1,500-2,500/month range. RV Resorts may also be 65+ depending on location.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

When we’re searching for our next RV campground or site there are a few things we look for. Most of the time we probably won’t get everything we want, but if we can check a few boxes that works for us!

NECESSITIES:

• PRICE $500+ELECTIC IS IDEAL
• FULL HOOK-UPS
  • 50 AMP
  • WATER
  • SEWER
• SITE BIG ENOUGH FOR RV+2 CARS
• SAFE CAMPGROUND/NEIGHBORHOOD

LUXURIES:

• LAUNDROMAT ON SITE
  • SOME MAY ADVERTISE THIS BUT COULD BE GROSS OR DON’T WORK
  • GOING TO A LOCAL LAUNDROMAT WORKS FINE FOR US THOUGH (JUST MORE OF A HASSLE)
• FIRE RING
• PICNIC TABLE
• SPACIOUS SITE
• WALKABLE (WE LOVE OUR NIGHTTIME WALKS)
• GYM
• POOL/HOT TUB
• GREAT VIEWS
• AWAY FROM PLAYGROUNDS!! (WE HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE PRIOR)

Most of the time we know that our RV site is going to be basic, crowded, and just enough space for the RV itself and our cars. The campground won’t be fancy or have nice amenities and there won’t be great views, but at the end of the day where we stay isn’t want matters. For us what matters most is exploring the surrounding area we’re living in and feeling safe in our home. We’ve had some great stays at Rainier RV Park in Washington, Hill Country Lakes & RV Campground in Texas, Californian RV Resort in California, and Grand Mesa RV Park in Colorado. Here’s to hoping for more great stays in our future!

SURPRISE, SOMETHING ELSE IS BROKEN

I’m sure every homeowner can relate to this, but why is something always broken?? As soon as you fix one thing, something else inevitably breaks. Our first year we had our fair share of leaks, broken steps, wrong calibrations, and more. The second year has been better in the sense that it doesn’t bother us as much anymore. We’ve sort of become immune to how often things break. This is probably a bad quality trait to have and I 100% recommend fixing the problem as soon as it arises. However, we’re human, and we procrastinate, we say we’ll get to it and then 6 months pass and the bathroom door still doesn’t close. It’s okay, we’ll fix it next weekend…

My point is there’s always something broken and unless it’s urgent and needs to be fixed ASAP, we’ll get to it when we get to it. This brings me to my next point.

RV’S ARE CHEAP

RV manufacturers make things as cheap as they possibly can. One reason things break so much inside is that one, the material used is trash and you’re constantly dealing with stripped screws, and two, the quality of the work is poor. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve found pieces screwed on backward or upside down. Our motor home is a 2018 and “knock on wood” we’ve had fairly good luck when it comes to our RV, but the amount of horror stories we hear from brand new RV model owners is scary!

If you’re interested in living full time in an RV just know that things are bound to happen, just like any other homeowner. It’s hard to tell when purchasing the RV what could go wrong/already is wrong, but trust your instincts, do your research, and pray for the best!

LIKES/DISLIKES OF RV LIVING

LIKES	DISLIKES
A CONSISTENT HOME BASE	TRAVELING WITH ALMOST ALL OUR BELONGINGS CAN BE SCARY AT TIMES
BECOMING A MINIMALIST	CAN’T PURCHASE EVERYTHING YOU WANT
ROAD TRIPS ARE FUN	GAS IS EXPENSIVE
CREATE BETTER PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS	HAVE TO DO YOUR BUSINESS WITH NO DOOR
GET TO EXPLORE THE WORLD MORE FREELY	FINDING RV HOUSING OPTIONS CAN BE HARD
BECOMING A SNOWBIRD (FOLLOW THE SUN)	MISS WINTER ACTIVITIES
GET TO LIVE IN MULTIPLE STATES EVERY YEAR	HAVE TO DO TAXES FOR MULTIPLE STATES
GET TO VISIT ALL THE NATIONAL PARKS	NO PRIVACY/BACKYARD
MEET NEW FRIENDS WHO BECOME LIKE FAMILY	DON’T GET TO SEE OUR FRIENDS & FAMILY
LIVE A NOMADIC LIFESTYLE	CAN BE $$$ AND STRESSFUL

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The past two years have taught us a lot about both ourselves and our RV, Georgia. Through all the broken bits and stressful situations, there have been wonderful memories made and personal growth developed that has come with full-time RV living. We wouldn’t change a thing and are so excited to see where Georgia takes us over the next few years. To follow along our journey be sure to follow our Instagram and sign up for our monthly Newsletter. If you have any questions regarding Travel PT, RV living, or places we’ve explored please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best on your journey!