How to Live in an RV Full-Time
RVs rose to their current place of prominence in America primarily as vacation machines, but with the rising cost of living across the United States, full-time RVers are becoming increasingly popular! If you’re exploring this new lifestyle, read on to learn more about how to live in an RV full-time.
Embracing a somewhat nomadic lifestyle while significantly downsizing your physical possessions has so many benefits. If you decide that full-time RVing is right for you, remember to protect your most valued asset an RV carport. Start your journey with our free Build & Price tool to customize the perfect homebase for your RV.
Have the Right Mindset
Having the right mindset before transitioning to full-time RV life is essential. It’s important to understand that living in an RV doesn’t mean that you are permanently on vacation. Your life will still have the ups and downs that it already has, and there will be tough times along the way. If you go into the RV life expecting nothing but fun and excitement, you are sure to be disappointed.
That doesn’t mean that this can’t be a wonderfully rewarding way to live. But it isn’t always going to be easy and it’s important to understand that from the start. If you are focused on the big picture of what this can mean for your life, while knowing that struggles are inevitable, you’re already off to a good start.
Finding the Right RV
A big part of your success with this venture is simply finding the right rig to live in. If you go too small, you’ll likely feel uncomfortable and stressed when you can’t find space for things you need. On the other hand, an extra-large RV is more expensive and might stop you from accessing some cool places that have size limitations.
There is no one right answer here, so take some time to think about the space you need and what you can afford. When in doubt, consider starting smaller with the possibility that you will move into a larger RV later on—much like purchasing a starter home.
Secure the Right Job
There are costs with living out on the road just like there are costs associated with living in a traditional home, so you’ll need money available to pay for what you require. Unless you are retired and have an income stream available through something like a pension, you must have a way to work and earn money while living in an RV. At this point, there are a few options:
- Stay put. No rule says you have to be constantly traveling while living in an RV. You could choose to live in your rig while mostly staying in one geographic area and working a standard job.
- Remote work. More and more jobs can be performed remotely, as long as you have an internet connection. If that’s possible in your field, talk to your employer about making this change a reality.
- Save up. You might also choose to work hard for a while to save up as much money as possible for a date in the future when you can step back from employment and enjoy your life out on the road.
Other Important Factors
Some of the other key points you need to think about include how you will handle kids and pets if you have them. It’s certainly possible to live the RV lifestyle if you have kids and/or pets, but there are more variables to keep in mind and sort out before you get started.
You really can’t do too much planning when considering this kind of major life change, so write as many things down as possible and list out all of the matters you need to settle before hitting the road—for example, schooling.
Find Your Homebase with Carport Kingdom
We hope this guide on how to live in an RV full-time was helpful! After all, it could be just the type of life-changing move you need.
If you decide to settle on a home state for RV living, remember to protect your most valuable asset with the help of an RV carport. Explore our free Build & Price tool at Carport Kingdom to get started!
