When Albert and I first started talking seriously about RV life, we had a lot more questions than answers. (Read our post about why we chose the full time RV life here!) Actually, “questions” might be putting it mildly. We knew we liked the idea of traveling, simplifying, seeing more of the country, and doing something completely different for this next season of life. But we didn’t know what it would actually look like to live and work in a considerably smaller house on wheels. So, before we put the house on the market and buy the rig, we’ve been doing tons of research.
We have probably learned the most from watching YouTube Channels and joining Facebook groups. So, if you are considering the RV Life I would highly suggest you do the same! We’ve read reviews, compared RV brands, looked at floor plans, learned terminology we didn’t know existed, and probably watched far too many people dump their poop tanks on camera. And the more we learn, the more we realize just how much there is to learn. I did have a few moments where I ask myself, “What in the world are we considering?!” I will probably go into more detail about some of these areas in future posts, but for a general overview, here is what we and you if you are researching this lifestyle need to consider.
The first big decision is what type of rig we wanted for full time RV living. If you don’t know, your rig is your motorhome, either a Class A, B, or C or Travel Trailer or 5th Wheel. Your ‘tow vehicle’ is what is pulling the rig, if needed, and the ‘toad’ is the vehicle you tow with your rig. Who knew?! We have heard over and over and understand that there is no perfect answer. It really depends on your preferences and how you want to live. From our research it feels like most people who live full time in an RV have a 5th wheel. They are quite large and so I see the draw.
You also have to consider your finances, of course. We do not own a large truck and did not want to go in debt for one to pull a large 5th wheel. Because of this and several other reasons, we plan to purchase a used Class C RV on a Ford Chassis. (I won’t go into this here, but deciding the chassis is important, also, for quality, availability and cost of parts, etc..) We have decided to flat tow a vehicle behind our RV. This means selling the vehicles we have because neither can be flat towed!
That being said, driving or pulling a home on wheels is hard on the rig. We’ve also learned one of the biggest issues with buying or owning an RV is moisture and mold damage. Sometimes this isn’t visible on the surface. There are also so many systems including plumbing, electric, appliances, slides, awnings, generators, batteries, etc. packed into a relatively small space. So there is plenty that can go wrong. The need to find your own private certified RV Inspector is huge! We don’t plan on buying an RV without hiring one.
After you decide on your rig, you have to think more about how you want to do this lifestyle. This requires a totally different kind of research. It’s one thing to imagine waking up somewhere new every few days or weeks. It’s another thing to figure out what actually happens between those Instagram-worthy moments.
How often do we move? How long can we stay in one place? Where do you get water?
Where does the wastewater go? What happens when we don’t have hookups? How much electricity do we use? What about showers? Laundry? Cooking? Heating and air conditioning? And perhaps the question no one puts on the postcard: What exactly do you do when it’s time to dump the poop tank? Yes. We have learned about black tanks. We have learned about gray tanks. We have learned about hoses and sewer connections and tank treatments and flushing systems. We’ve discovered that RV life involves a surprising amount of conversation about wastewater! Who knew?!
Deciding where we want to stay on the road is a huge part of how we will do this lifestyle. We are so blessed to be able to park for free at my parents when we are visiting with them or if we need to save money for an extended period of time. I’m sure there may be times we would to stay in a typical RV park, but overall this is not our jam. We would much rather be in state parks with cheaper, larger sites or we would love to Boondock!
Boondocking is another new term and world we’ve had to learn. It is basically the idea of being able to pull somewhere beautiful, without ‘hookups’ of water, sewer and electric and stay for awhile. This way of camping is so appealing to us! There is so much BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) here in the US where you can park for free for up to 14 days. You can continue to boondock, but you just have to move locations. Most of this land is out west. So, for this type of living there are questions like how much water do you need? How much battery power? What about solar? What happens when the batteries get low? And how do you run the things you need without being plugged into electricity?
We’re slowly learning about solar panels, batteries, generators, portable dump tanks, water filters, etc. and determining when/if to install. It’s definitely a learning curve. This is a huge monthly savings for a full time RVer, but you do have to invest the money up front.
We do not have an endless supply of funds or a big trust fund, so Albert and I will both be working from the road! I truly love what I do and want to keep working. But, we will need a really strong and reliable internet connection to do so. It’s important not only for work, but also to research our next location or where the closest dump station is. We want to stay in touch with family and friends and, of course, watch our current favorite Netflix binge or sporting event on a rainy day. There are several options for internet like hotspots and other devices, but the standard for full timers who work and travel often is Starlink.
We had no idea what Starlink even was, but now we feel like experts! It’s basically a satellite you put in or on your rig where you can get an internet connection anywhere. Sometimes you have to avoid areas with tons of trees. There are 2 different sizes and many different plans to choose from based on your needs. But it’s not cheap! For those who just take occasional trips in the RV or are weekend warriors you could probably get by with other set ups depending on where you camp and what you need.
So considering all of this and more we haven’t even touched on, what will full time RV life actually cost? RV life can look inexpensive when you only think about the fact that you’re not paying for a traditional house. But there’s a lot more to the budget.
There’s the RV payment, if you have one. (Thankfully, we will not.)
Fuel.
Campgrounds and hookups.
Propane.
Food. Laundry.
Internet.
Rig Insurance.
Health Insurance.
RV memberships.
Unexpected expenses. Maintenance.
Unexpected expenses. Repairs. (We’re also learning that RVs break! All of these systems bouncing down the road all the time will cause this! This might be one of the most important lessons we’ve learned. We’ve watched enough RV owners to know that learning a few basic repairs and having the right tools isn’t optional. Neither is knowing where to find a good RV technician. We’re trying to go into this understanding that something will eventually break. The goal isn’t to prevent every problem. The goal is to be prepared when something does happen.)
RV memberships.
We’re learning that RV life isn’t necessarily cheap life. It can be a different way of spending money. And depending on how you travel, it may even save money in some areas. But we don’t want to make the mistake of assuming that selling a house and buying an RV automatically equals financial freedom. We do have to decide what’s important and build our budget around this.
On a final note, when thinking about our entire home moving down the highway suddenly that drawer full of random kitchen gadgets doesn’t seem quite as necessary.
Neither does the closet full of clothes we wear once a year.
We’re learning that RV life requires intentionality.
Every item needs a place.
Every item has weight.
And every item takes up valuable space.
That makes the question less about “What can we fit?” and more about “What do we actually need?”
And honestly, we think there’s something pretty freeing about that.
We have researched a ton of products that real full time RVers are using! Click here to view a list we’ve started on Amazon! We will continue to add to it as we research and plan for ourselves. **These are affiliate links and we do receive commission off of your purchases. Thank you!
After all this research, we’ve realized something:
There is no perfect RV.
There is no perfect floor plan.
No perfect campground.
No perfect internet setup.
No perfect budget.
No perfect travel schedule.
And definitely no perfect way to do RV life.
There are simply choices.
You figure out what matters most to you, what you’re willing to compromise on, and what fits the life you’re trying to create.
And maybe that’s actually part of the adventure.
We’re still researching.
We’re still learning.
We’re still changing our minds about some things.
We’re still asking questions.
But somewhere along the way, our research has started to feel less like preparing to buy an RV and more like preparing to change the way we live.
And that’s the part that really excites us.
We’re not just researching RVs.
We’re researching a different kind of life.
A life with less stuff.
More experiences.
More flexibility.
More places to see.
More room to dream.
And hopefully, a little more courage to say yes to what’s next.
We’re not sure exactly where this road is going to take us yet.
But we’re learning how to get ready for the ride.
Live life with Nothing Reserved,
Marla and Albert
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