Living in an RV full time used to be a pipe dream that not many people could attempt. But thanks to online work and school, it is now easier than ever to live on the road.
In this article, we will discuss our best tips for those looking into living in a travel trailer or motorhome. Read on to learn where to begin and what to consider.
There are a number of things to consider if you’re going to switch from living in a brick-and-mortar home to living in an RV full-time. Where will you work? Where will you stay? How much does it cost? Here are the steps to live on the road, in the order they should be done.
Plan Your Finances
You’ll first want to make sure you can afford to live on the road. Here are the things to plan before you live out your dream of road tripping every day.
Make a Budget
You’ll want to start working out your costs while on the road, also. For a lot of people, RVing is cheaper than paying a mortgage, plus insurance, property taxes, and other fees. However, you want to have a realistic idea of your expenses. Here are some things to budget for:
- RV or truck payments: If your rig or tow vehicle wasn’t paid for in full when you bought it, you’ll need to budget for those payments. You’ll also need full-timer’s insurance while you’re living in your RV.
- Roadside assistance: You’ll be glad you have this service if your RV breaks down while you’re driving! Be sure to look for an RV-specific roadside assistance plan.
- Medical insurance: If you’re not covered by the company you’re working for from the road, or if you’re temporary or a freelancer, you’ll need to find your own medical insurance. The Health Insurance Marketplace is a good place to start when you’re looking for insurance.
- Campground fees: Campgrounds with lots of amenities or in more popular areas are generally more expensive than primitive sites or those in less-traveled spots. Some campgrounds will give you a discount if you stay for a full week or month. You can also save by dispersed camping. Some stores and truck stops will also let you spend one night in their parking lot, which can be useful in a pinch. Finally, consider camping memberships to Passport America, Boondockers Welcome, Harvest Hosts, Thousand Trails, or Coast to Coast.
- Phone and internet: You’ll need your phone, and – especially if you’re roadschooling or working remotely – you’ll need to pay for internet service.
- Fuel: RVs are fuel guzzlers, so you’ll see an increase in what you’re spending at the pump. You may also need propane. You can save on gas and diesel by using apps like GasBuddy and joining Good Sam Club for discounts at certain gas stations. You can save on propane by using electric appliances when parked in campgrounds where electricity is included.
- RV maintenance: Set aside money for RV repairs and maintenance – if you don’t need it just yet, you will! Ideally, you’ll want a $5,000 emergency fund for repairs.
- Sightseeing and activities: Set aside money for the museums, parks, amusement parks, and other places you want to explore on the road. And don’t forget money for activities at those destinations – like kayak rentals or ski passes. Check online before you visit a place to see if there are any designated free days or coupons for discounted admission. If you have an AAA membership, that also offers a lot of discounts for various attractions. Some other RV memberships, like Good Sam, do as well.
- Roadschooling expenses: There may be costs for the curriculum you choose, for standardized tests, and for other elements of an online educational program.
Determine Your Work
There are two big ways to think about work on the road. If you’ll be staying at one destination for several months or longer, you can look for temporary work there. Jobs at national parks, resorts, campgrounds, and in areas with a tourist season often hire seasonal workers for a few months at a time.
You can also work remotely and use your RV as an office, along with its many other functions! If you already have a job that can be done anywhere, you’re set. If not, you’ll want to allow yourself some time to figure out what kind of remote job you can do and to find work. For remote work, you’ll likely need a spot in your RV where you can work undisturbed. You might also need storage for office supplies, a computer, a headset, or other items. If you’ll be doing Zoom calls, you’ll also need to work out where you’ll handle those. Finally, you’ll need reliable WiFi or a way to get online on work days. You may even need to plan your campsites around your work, so you can be sure you’re in range when you need to be.
Prepare for the Transition
Once you have your finances straight, it’s time to make the practical preparations for life on the road.
Pick an RV
If you don’t yet have an RV for full-time living, start looking for one now. If you do have one, evaluate whether it’s suitable for full-time use. Consider:
- People: Think about how many people you’re traveling with. Little kids might be able to share a bunk with a sibling for a weekend, but that might not work every day on the road! Make sure there are enough beds and living space for everyone.
- Activity Space: If you will be working or roadschooling while traveling, consider where this work will happen and make sure there’s enough space for that.
- Pets: If you’ll be traveling with pets, you’ll want to make sure they have the space they need as well. Figure out their sleeping and feeding area, storage for pet beds or fences, and anything else they need.
- Storage: Along with storage for pet supplies, you’ll want to think about whether you have other storage needs. Are you bringing bicycles, kayaks, or paddleboards along? Any other large items that require a spot? Figure out where you’ll keep all your gear.
- Transportation: If you’ll be using a large trailer like a fifth-wheel, make sure you have a vehicle that can tow it. If you’re traveling in a Class A motorhome or Class C camper, you likely will want to tow a vehicle behind you that you can use when you’re set up at camp.
- Travel Style: You’ll also want to consider the type of full-time RV living you’ll be doing. Will you move campsites every few days as you do a lot of sightseeing? Staying in one spot for a month or two before moving on? Or even staying in one spot most of the year, but living in an RV? You may not want an RV that takes a lot of setup time if you plan to move every few days, for example.
- Budget: And, of course, you’ll want to consider your budget for an RV as you do your research. Determine how much you can spend and which factors are most important to you for the money.
Our list of manufacturers can be a big help as you begin your research. Also, you can rent some models from RVshare to try out for a weekend or longer and see if they would fit your lifestyle. That way, you can see any potential problems or perks before you make a permanent decision.
Downsize
When you’re almost ready to take the plunge, it’s time to downsize. If you’re not keeping your brick-and-mortar home, you’ll need to decide if you’re getting rid of everything you’re not bringing along. Do you plan to rent a storage unit or have a very nice family member who will hold onto your stuff for you? If not, you can try to sell your things on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Be ready to donate any of the things that have trouble selling.
Hopefully, this article has helped you to understand the steps to take before living in an RV full time. With a little planning and practice, you’ll be ready for life on the road!
If you want to try out an RV to use before committing to buying one, be sure to check out RVshare’s rentals. We have a variety of options so you could rent several to try them out first.
Practice Ahead of Time
If you haven’t done much RV travel before now, you’ll want to get some practice in before hitting the road. Try some weekend trips with everyone who will be living on the road with you. Then try a week or longer to see how you all do. You don’t want to make the big decision to live on the road and discover you really don’t like it at all.
You can also take this time to brush up on your RVing knowledge. Learn to make some basic roadside repairs, so you’re not always at the mercy of roadside assistance. Make sure you know where the specs for your RV are located, so you can determine whether you’ll fit in certain parking garages or under bridges and overpasses. Having a general working knowledge of your RV will be a valuable tool when you’re driving and camping.
Decide Where to Stay
Before you take to the road, plan out your early routes. You may even want to plan out the full first six months of roadtripping, so you have fewer surprises. Make reservations at any popular places you want to stop, like national parks or state parks, during peak season. Plan routes so you avoid things like mountain passes in winter or roads that close during certain seasons.
At the same time, leave some room to be flexible. It helps to have a general plan, but if you end up at a campground you love, you might want to stay longer.
Roadschooling Planning
If you’ll be living in an RV full-time with kids, you’ll also need to make arrangements for their schooling on the road. Figure out the educational requirements for the state you’ll claim as your residence (more on that in a minute). You may want to research which curriculum you want them to follow, or get guidelines to set up your own.
You’ll also want to have a school area set aside for the kids, along with storage for books, art supplies, and anything else they need. You may also want to line up your visits on the road to correspond with things they’re learning. Visit nature preserves or national parks to learn about ecology, biology, and the natural sciences. Check out national historic sites to learn about the nation’s history. Head to an art museum or aquarium or a number of other attractions to supplement what they’re learning about in books. This is the fun part!
Handle Paperwork & Logistics
There are some unavoidable administrative details you’ll need to organize at this point in your planning.
Establish a Domicile
If you aren’t keeping your sticks-and-bricks home, you will need to establish residency somewhere. If you want to vote, register your vehicle, file taxes, get health insurance, and otherwise participate in civic life in the U.S. you need a permanent residence.
To do this, we recommend using one of the many mail forwarding services available to RVers to create a “home” address, and making the state in which the mail forwarding service is located your domicile state.
Most RVers choose one of the following states to domicile in:
- South Dakota
- Florida
- Texas
Using a mail service also allows you to get your mail forwarded from that address to wherever you want to pick it up.
Set Up Medical Care
You will also need to be able to get medical care while RVing full-time. The best way to do this is to choose a primary care doctor who is covered by your insurance in the state you choose as your domicile. Make a point of returning to that area a few times a year for routine care.
If you need health care in between your regular checkups, you can use a combination of telehealth services, urgent care centers, and emergency rooms.
Secure Internet Access
Above, we talked briefly about budgeting to stay connected to the internet while traveling. You have a couple of options for doing this.
One option is to have a mobile hotspot that connects to cell towers. For more reliable coverage, you can have two or three hotspots, all connected to different carriers. It also helps to invest in a cell booster.
Another option is to stay connected through satellite internet. Currently, the best satellite internet option is Starlink. We like that Starlink can connect even in the most remote places. It does cost a pretty penny to set up, however.
Life on the Road
You’ve planned, prepared, and handled the paperwork. Now it’s time to enjoy your adventure!
Creating Community
Even though they’re wanderers, full-time RVers do have community. In fact, traveling communities are some of the closest communities out there. Join some travel clubs before you hit the road, and plan to attend some rallies and events as soon as you head out so you can start building your road family.
Real Advice from Full-Time RVers
One of the best parts of creating community with other RV travelers is the real-time practical advice they can give you. Here’s some advice from Fiorella Yriberry, one of our own RVshare writers, who lives full-time with her family in an RV.
“Ask yourself what you want to get out of this experience and prioritize accordingly. This is even more important if you plan to balance work and/or a family while on the road. Be ready to lean into discomfort and for plans to be ever-changing. RV life is unpredictable; you never know when the next breakdown or roadblock will come. Having a flexible mindset will ease your experience.”
Fiorella also says it’s important to divvy up chores and check in with each other. “Going full-time can be exhausting; there is a never-ending list of things to do (emptying tanks, refilling water, finding a place to sleep), so make sure you take time to check in with yourself and your partner often. We have found that dividing the chores and creating easy-to-follow systems is the best way to alleviate the weight of the to-do list.”
You can learn more about Fiorella’s experience in this podcast episode – it’s a great way to make sure you’re ready for life on the road!
The Reddit community at r/FullTiming is also a trove of advice on everything from the best memberships to purchase to RV maintenance tips to recommendations on where to travel.
Here are some of the pros and cons that full-time RVers have shared.
Pros for Full Time RVing
- The freedom to explore and travel where you want, when you want
- Lower cost of living
- Simplified lifestyle and less stuff
- Adventure and lots of learning opportunities
- A sense of community with other campers
- The ability to follow good weather
Cons for Full Time RVing
- Limited space means you must constantly be organized
- Maintenance issues that can happen anywhere
- Vehicle breakdowns can be stressful and expensive and prevent you from moving on
- Internet connectivity challenges
- Finding healthcare can be a challenge
- Missing family and friends
- Lack of privacy when everyone’s so close together
Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand the step-by-step process for transitioning to full-time RV living. With proper financial planning, careful preparation, and the right paperwork in place, you’ll be ready for life on the road!
If you want to try out an RV before committing to buying one, check out RVshare’s rentals. We have a variety of options so you can test several before making your decision.
