If you’re considering renting or purchasing an RV, you may be faced with a lot of decisions. What kind of motorhome, camper, or trailer should you rent or buy? Where should you travel in it? What sorts of accessories and appliances do you need?
There’s a lot to decide when you begin RVing, and it may leave you wondering – how do I know if the RV lifestyle is right for me?
Many avid RVers will happily tell you – yes, it is! Although you put a lot into your RV trip, often you get even more out of it. Here are 10 reasons to love the RV lifestyle.
10 Reasons Why We Love the RV Lifestyle
1.) It allows you the freedom to go wherever you wish
Unlike a package vacation, you can wake up in the morning and decide where you feel like traveling that day. Want to head out on the road? Done! Did you discover an awesome campground or a secluded boondocking spot and want to stay longer? Up to you! While you may have some constraints when it comes to reservations during peak travel times at popular RV resorts, if you’re willing to head off the beaten path you can pack up and go on a whim.
2.) It allows you to be self-sufficient and self-contained
When you travel with your home, you don’t have to worry about a landlord or noisy neighbors in an apartment above you. You also don’t have to worry about shared facilities as you might when you’re camping. Everything you use is used only by you and the people you travel with, which cuts down on germs and keeps your things clean. You also have the pride of knowing that you are in charge of your little home on the road and you’re making it work.
3.) It allows you to meet new people
Every time you switch RV resorts or campgrounds, you get a whole new set of neighbors! You can meet people from all over the world when you’re RV camping, and learn about new cultures, new areas, and new points of view. You may even make some very good friends you stay in touch with after you leave.
4.) It allows you to focus on what truly matters
When you pare back your lifestyle to just what you can bring in your RV, it helps you focus on what really matters. You end up spending more time with your family when you travel with them. You learn things about your travel companions you never knew before. You have less stuff to care for or clean or worry about. The minimalist living of the RV lifestyle means you really get at the important stuff and let the rest fall away.
5.) It’s an inexpensive way to see the country
Ok, there is the initial cost of renting or buying an RV. But if you calculated plane tickets to every place you now drive, and hotel costs, and car rentals, and all the other costs that you don’t incur with a motorhome, you may find it to be a cheaper alternative. You’ll also likely see more of the country this way – when you fly to your destination, you only see that one spot. In an RV, you see everything along the way to your destination…and as we mentioned above, you then have the freedom to travel wherever you want after that!
6.) It allows you lots of fresh air and time in nature
As you’re traveling about the country, you have the opportunity to stay in many beautiful RV campgrounds at national parks. Furthermore, just about every state in the nation has wonderfully maintained state parks, many of them with RV camping as well. You can spend a lot of time taking in nature, and you get to see and appreciate how the natural environment changes in the different areas where you travel. A nature walk in southern Florida is going to be very different than in New England, or Montana – but you can experience them all!
7.) It allows you to have new experiences
You open yourself up to so many new experiences when you test the RV lifestyle. From the actual experience of RV living to the many new things you’ll see and do on your trips, you’re sure to broaden your horizons when you head out in a motorhome.
8.) It allows you to make great memories
If you’re traveling with a family, your children are sure to remember these trips. The outings will bring you closer together as a family (you’re kind of forced to when you’re in such close quarters – like it or not!) You’ll have wonderful memories of the places you travel, but also memories of your time together in the RV camping or just hanging out.
And yeah, we know not every trip goes smoothly and not every experience is a blissful one…but those make great memories, too. In fact, if you think about the tales you tell when joking with your siblings or parents, often the worst experiences together make the best stories afterward. No one tells stories about how everything goes perfectly all the time.
9.) It allows you to learn new skills
You’re going to learn everything from how to manage RV hookups to how to fix things that go wrong to how to back up in a massive vehicle or trailer. You’re going to challenge yourself – and probably impress yourself – with the new things you learn as you figure out how to manage your RV.
10.) It allows you to travel with your furry family members
It can be tricky to travel with dogs or cats…unless you’re bringing your home with you. You can learn how to train your dogs for an RV lifestyle – it’s something they need to get used to along with you! But you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing your pets are safe and well cared for because they’ll be right there with you.
You may be considering living the fulltime RV lifestyle, and wondering if it is cheaper to live in an RV than a home. Of course, that depends on a variety of factors, but yes, it can be. You may also be considering the RV retirement cost and wondering whether retiring and living in an RV is for you. If you want to test out the RV lifestyle, RVshare can help! You can try out a variety of RVs, campers, and other rigs and rent them for a short time to see if you want to try this out fulltime.
We hope these 10 reasons to love the RV lifestyle have helped you see the value in RVing and exploring the world!
