If you’ve been following us, you know that Steve, Hershi and I have been living and traveling in our RV for a little over 3 years now. We have learned so much during our time as full timers that I wanted to share my guide to full time RV living part 1 with those of you who are considering this awesome lifestyle. Part 2 of my Guide to Full Time RV Living will publish on Thursday.
It was love from our first trip on!!!
We began RVing in 2006, when we bought our first RV. Our catering company had closed thanks to Hurricane Wilma and I turned my jewelry making hobby into a new business. We decided to begin doing Juried Art Shows and traveling in an RV made perfect sense. Little did we know back then, that it would become an obsession. We totally fell in love with the lifestyle after “living in” 23 states and never having to pack or unpack.
Guide to Full Time RV Living Part 1
After 3 years of enjoying our obsession, I can honestly say that we still LOVE living wherever our RV is parked!!!
Has living on the road been all fun and adventure? Of course not. Life has its obstacles, setbacks and breakdowns. Living in an RV full time means that you have things to deal with. You will need to be flexible and have solid problem solving skills. Is it worth it? You bet your bippie!
Things you need to consider
Our first RV was a 2005 Damon Intruder 35′ with 2 slide outs.
There are many things to consider before moving into an RV and getting on the road. Everyday life will be a bit different in your home on wheels. That’s why you’ll need to plan first.
Costs
One of the major benefits of RV life is that you can pare down your cost of living to a certain extent. Life on the road in an RV can be as budget friendly or extravagant as you can afford. The most expensive items of full time living are campsite fees, RV and car/truck payments, fuel and whatever activities you partake in. You’ll also need to budget for maintenance including repairs (Last year we needed new brakes and this year new tires!), groceries, cell phones, WiFi, insurance and assorted supplies.
Income
If you are lucky enough to be retired, awesome. If you are like us however, you’ll still need an income to live. Many RVers, like us, work online. But many others find short-term jobs and work in a location for the duration of their contract, before moving on to the next destination.
Should you sell you sticks and bricks?
Before you sell your home, I strongly advise taking a long trip in the RV. We were on the road for a little over 6 months in our first RV. That long trip made us realize that we would be fine living in close quarters without killing each other. But you have to remember that an RV is waaaaay smaller than a house. So you can either sell your home to fund your new lifestyle or you could rent your house and store your belongings until you are ready to settle in one place again.
We sold our house and never looked back!!!
Domicile state
Now that your home will be on wheels you will need a legal, domicile address. You will still need a somewhere that’s considered “where you live” that determines where you pay taxes, register vehicles, vote, get your mail and show as identification on your driver’s license. You can use the address of a property that you own as your domicile or you can ask a family member if you could “move in” and use their address as your legal domicile.
You could also do what we did and use a service for RVers, such as Escapees, to establish your domicile. Because income taxes and laws are favorable, the most popular states in which to establish your domicile are Florida, South Dakota and Texas.
If you are using a family member’s address, you can have them manage your mail. If that isn’t an option for you, you can use a service like Escapees to receive and forward your mail. You should budget about $100 a year for this.
Insurance
Big rig requires a big tow truck!
Brake failure in California meant being towed 4 miles to the mechanic.
It’s very important to purchase good insurance policies for your vehicle and RV. And it’s vital to ensure that your policy covers full-time RV travel. We have also found that joining a roadside assistance program specifically for RVs is also a must. When we needed to have our RV towed to the mechanic because our brakes had failed, it would have cost us $1,700 if it were not for FMCA Roadside Assistance! We paid nothing. Make sure that you continue your health insurance through your employer or in your domicile state. If you’re traveling with a pet, ensure that your insurance is established in your domicile state and carry updated vaccine records.
School
If you’re traveling with school aged children and roadschooling them, make sure you’re complying with the homeschool laws in your domicile state.
Internet
Most full time RVers don’t depend on campgrounds for WiFi access. It’s not secure and you usually are not allowed to use it for streaming your TV shows. If you must have an internet connection for work or school, you need to research your cellular data hotspots or satellite internet options. But you need to be aware that no mobile internet solution works everywhere, so you’ll likely need to plan where your campsites are or purchase multiple connection options.
We have been using T-Mobile’s Home Internet with reliability for over a year now and we’re very happy with it. It’s definitely not perfect, but it’s much better than the hotspot we were previously using.
RV Maintenance
Steve and I have certainly learned that if you live in your RV all of the time, it’s not a question of if something breaks, but when. As I mentioned before, our brakes failed, we needed new tires, we have replaced both air conditioners, put in a new toilet, lost our living room slide topper in a wind storm, have had slide room issues and the latest bugaboo is that 3 of our 12-volt lights are not working. There are plenty of excellent RV service centers, but they require taking your RV to them. If it’s your home, that would mean staying in a hotel overnight or longer.
We prefer finding mobile mechanics, but that’s not always possible – like for brakes and tires. The ability to diagnose and repair some issues on your own will make full-time RV living so much easier. Fortunately for us, Steve was a handyman by trade before we started our full time journey. But even if neither of you is not that good at fixing things, bring a toolbox and travel with small replacement parts. Some things are really easy to fix yourself! You.tube will become your best friend. There isn’t anything on the internet that you can’t find a solution to.
Part 2
My Guide to Full Time RV Living Part 2 will publish on Thursday with more helpful hints to assist in your decision as to whether or not to begin the journey of a lifetime in your RV.
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