With any lifestyle change, there are often sacrifices one must make. Moving to full-time RV living is no exception. You are likely to be leaving your home, job, family, friends, and creature comforts. It is a transition that changes your life mentally, emotionally, and physically.
During this time of adjustment, it’s important to be aware of the challenges one might face when moving to an RV. That way you can prepare and develop skills to cope with these troubles. Here are a few issues you may face along the way and how you can manage them.
Expectations vs. Reality
You won’t be the only one who’s fallen for the films and advertisements portraying the false realities of living in an RV. RVing is the perfect vacation as you explore new places and have no commitments or plans. This may sound lovely, but living in an RV isn’t perfect.
When living in an RV you can never be sure what life may throw at you. You are living in a vehicle that could potentially break down. You may get lost and cause you to have a mental breakdown with your partner. Someone will have to empty the septic tank and clean the pipes.
Living in an RV isn’t glamorous and it will take a lot of patience. So take a moment and remember that you will experience the unexpected with life on the road.
Downsizing
We all love our things. It is never easy parting with your most prized possessions. The harsh reality of an RV is that there isn’t a lot of space. If you are no longer keeping your home or a storage unit, you will have to get rid of a lot of your things.
During this time, it’s crucial to be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to keep what you can but don’t go overboard. This is a time to declutter and get rid of all that unnecessary junk you’ve been hoarding for years.
This is also an opportunity to earn a few extra bucks by selling your things online. You can put this income towards your living in an RV fund.
Parting from family and friends
Life on the road will have you far from home. Staying in touch with family and friends will become increasingly difficult. With lack of signal in remote areas and no Wi-Fi, there will be difficulty in contacting anyone.
Being a solo traveler can become especially lonely. This may be an intended goal for the individual to allow for self-reflection but it is never healthy to remain unsocial for long periods of time. It may be helpful to stay close by to family or friends, in case of an emergency or someone were to become seriously ill.
One thing to keep you on track with maintaining contact is arranging a time or day to Skype or talk weekly or bi-weekly. This will avoid you from getting busy and forgetful and keep you in touch with your loved ones.
Lack of space and privacy
This is a particularly big issue for couples or families living in an RV. When in a confined space, there are little options of where to go or get away. There is often a bed, sitting area, kitchen, and bathroom.
This is a time to use the outdoors to your advantage. When you need to get away from your partner or family members, take a walk outside or find a tree to lean against and enjoy a book. It is healthy to take time and get space. Everyone needs to be alone sometimes to recharge and reboot.
Maintenance of vehicle
With any home, there is maintenance that needs to be done to keep everything in working order. One of the perks of having a home is when you have a plumbing issue, you can call a plumber to come and tend to the issue seamlessly. With an RV, there is no one to call when your toilet is clogged. When things aren’t working in your RV, the issue is on your shoulders to fix.
To prevent clogged toilets and other sewage problems, check out some of the best macerator pumps for RV’s. This avoids you getting to up close and personal with your waste and allows you to empty your tank with ease. Some Macerators can empty a 30-gallon holding tank is as little as 3 minutes.
Amenities are harder to come by
It is no surprise that RV’s don’t encourage one to remain super connected. There are times where you will not have cell phone signal or Wifi, let alone a TV or gaming system. These things are all extras that are fun to have but not completely detrimental to use on an RV.
One amenity that would be most useful to a full-time RVer is Wi-Fi. With this, you can skype with family, check social media, and stream TV shows and movies. Most technology starts with good Wifi and most good Wifi starts with a quality router.