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The full-time RV life isn’t for everyone. It’s also sometimes just for a season. We’ve been traveling full-time for years, but now it’s time we have a place to call home that isn’t on wheels.
Although we’ve loved our time on the road, here are five reasons why we’re glad that chapter of our lives is closed. Let’s dive in!
What’s the Difference Between a Full-Time RVer, Part-Time, and Weekend Warrior?
Not everyone sells everything they have and hits the road to live full-time in an RV. Some people are snowbirds or travel part of the year to enjoy sunshine and beaches during harsh winters.
Others travel part-time during the summer when the kids are out of school. And then others just enjoy heading down the road a few miles to their local campgrounds on the weekends.
Camping season is a time to escape the day-to-day grind. It’s a chance to relax around the campfire for a few nights before returning to work on Monday. You’ll find many weekenders decompressing at the campground before heading back to work the following week.
What Challenges Do Full-Time RVers Face?
Full-time RVers, the travelers who live in their RVs year-round, have challenges that part-timers or weekend warriors don’t necessarily face.
First, an RV is a tiny space. You don’t get much privacy. Typically, it’s not an issue for a couple of months or just a weekend, but it can feel very cramped when this space is home.
Maintenance and repairs can also start to add up when traveling full-time. The more you move, the more stuff seems to break. And it’s not easy to just call a shop to book an appointment for a repair.
The RV is your home. So figuring out where to stay, unloading food from the fridge, and packing clothes and other items for just a couple of days or longer can become stressful.
Finally, constant planning can take a toll. If you live full-time in an RV and aren’t stationary, you can’t take a break from looking ahead. You always have to search for the next campground or boondocking spot.
With camping reservations being more and more critical over the last few years with the influx of travelers, this never-ending planning can also feel stressful.
Pro Tip: If you want to snag those hard to come by reservations, you’ll want to read this next: Does Campnab Really Get Reservations at Sold Out Campgrounds?
Why Would Anyone Choose to Live Full-Time in an RV?
So why would anyone choose this full-time RV lifestyle? Well, you can’t capture the sights, sounds, and experiences of travel in a sticks-and-bricks home.
You can’t see red canyons one week and crashing waves the next when you live in a house. The ability to go anywhere is genuinely amazing!
The outdoor recreational opportunities also draw many travelers. Whether they want to surf on the Pacific Coast, hike the Narrows in Utah, or paddle the Rio Grande in Texas, the country turns into a playground when you live full-time in an RV. These memories are priceless.
Finally, many families have turned to RV living because of a shift in priorities. Work has become less important for some parents, and spending quality time with their kids has become the priority.
Even for parents who work remotely from 9 to 5, the small space, the outdoor lifestyle, and the weekends of hiking, biking, and swimming have brought their families closer together.
5 Reasons Why We’re Glad We Quit Full-Time RV Life
We enjoyed traveling the country. We’ve met amazing people and shared unbelievable experiences.
But we’ve also had our own setbacks and challenges. When we decided to buy and house and quit the full-time RV life, we knew we had made the right choice.
5. We Really Missed Certain Creature Comforts
We truly missed some creature comforts while living full-time in our RV, such as having a dishwasher, owning an oven that actually cooks food evenly, soaking in a bathtub, and having access to our own washer and dryer.
Now we can enjoy these technologies and items that make our lives easier and more enjoyable! We no longer have to hunt down laundry mats or take navy showers when we don’t want to.
Pro Tip: While boondocking has cons, we love it. If you’re ready to give it a try, make sure to read our Dry Camping and Boondocking Tips For an Effortless Trip!
4. We Have Been Able to Establish a Routine
We know some folks can keep a routine in an RV, but we are not one of them. For some reason, the RV life was horrible for our routine.
We never got up at the same time, we didn’t have a set schedule, we’d work too much, we wouldn’t explore enough, and any type of workout routine was out the window.
Every time we settled in a new place, it was time to move again. But now we have morning and night routines, set specific work schedules, and go out to explore our local town.
Keep in Mind: One thing that did keep us organized on the road was our checklists. You can get them yourself here: RV Checklist for Camping: Over 60 Printable Pages!
3. Our Analysis Paralysis Has Ended
One of the challenges of full-time living is constant planning. We were getting so overwhelmed with all of the small decisions we had to make. It took away from our enjoyment of the journey.
Eliminating that task has helped us return to enjoying life and the beauty around us. Not having the simple tasks required for full-time RV living has helped us focus on the big picture.
2. Our Mental Health Is Way Up
The full-time RV life can be physically, emotionally, and mentally draining. Since we moved into a house, we have started moving our bodies more, setting clear goals, having a routine, and meditating.
We also spent the last year working on ourselves. As a couple, we’ve made sure to have more date nights and spend time off our phones.
1. We’re Excited to Travel Again
Finally, not traveling for over a year has given us the time to work on what we needed to. Now our spark for travel has returned, and we’re so excited to hit the road again (part-time, of course).
The next journey will be more enjoyable because our passion for travel is now greater than the stressors and challenges of full-time RV living.
How to Know If You’re Ready for a Break From Full-Time RV Living
If you’ve been traveling for a few years or even just a few months, you may feel like a break is in order.
Perhaps you still love seeing new places, trying new foods, and meeting new people, but the mounting challenges may become too much.
You may feel like us and finally get settled somewhere just to pack up and move the next day again. Or, you may long for bubble baths and home-cooked meals.
Your tiny space may feel like it’s closing in on you. These feelings are normal and may be signs to step back from full-time RV living, too.
Keep in Mind: Before you decide to stop RVing full-time, you should know it’s harder to quit right now than you might think.
We Will Be Hitting the Road Again As Part-Timers
We can’t wait to hit the road again. With a new fire and passion, we look forward to exploring more of this country.
But we’re glad we’ll have a home base to return to. We’re glad we made the decision to come off the road to settle down and get into a routine. It’s been better for our marriage and our personal lives.
Where will we see you when we start traveling again as part-timers?
I’m still new at F/T living and have a love-hate relationship with it but that’s mostly due to being in a 21’ travel trailer. I think I may get a bigger trailer this year but I am also buying land in the mountains of Colorado to build an off grid home for summers. I hope that will make my F/T living work for me. Baja in the winters have been awesome and I’m getting a temporary visa so I can stay longer.
Thanks for sharing! We quit after only one year and #3 was probably our biggest reason for wanting to move on. We just felt so stressed all the time trying to constantly plan! We stayed nomads for three more years and slowed our travel down, but have since settled down in Hawaii with plans for part-time travel and I agree it has been great for mental health – and getting back on track with physical health also! I always struggled with staying on track while on the road. Best of luck! Brooke