Is It Worth It?

There are many reasons why you should make the change to the Full-Time RV life. You can enjoy a lower cost of living, sense of freedom, and it can be a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

We’ve been living in a 250-square-feet renovated Montana Mountaineer 5th wheel for the past 15 years. Although we love living full-time in our RV – I’m writing this from inside our RV right now – the RV lifestyle isn’t always glamorous. There are several things we dislike and even hate about the lifestyle.

When you live in a tiny home on wheels, things tend to break often because you’re moving around a lot from location to location. Expect to learn some basic woodworking, electrical, plumbing and mechanical skills. If this is something you’re not up for, then you may want to reconsider full-time RV living.

Living in a small space with someone else means you’re living in a small space with someone else! With not much room to move about, it can get a little annoying because you’re constantly bumping into each other. Finding personal space can become an issue. With such a small living area it’s hard to find privacy. You also have to see each other all of the time, which can create more conflict.

If you want to live the RV lifestyle, know that you’re going to be putting a lot more wear and tear on your vehicle. When you’re towing an RV that weighs thousands of pounds, you have to inevitably change the oil and tires more frequently. You’ll also be putting on more miles than the average car owner. This means more repairs more frequently.

Small spaces get dirtier quicker as there’s less room for dirt and dust to move around. Since you don’t want to live in that filth, you’re constantly cleaning. Moreover, an untidy RV just looks cluttered. But on the flip side, it takes much less time to clean your home living in a RV.

When you’re on the road, finding experts who specialize in RV repairs can be challenging. As the RV industry grows, it harder and harder to find qualified people to work on your RV in a timely fashion. And, one that would deplete your bank account. So if you plan on traveling in a RV full-time or weekends, you need to get familiar with all the systems in your RV.

If you plan on living full-time in your RV in cooler climates, then you’re going to have to ‘winterize’ your RV. Skirting your RV so the air doesn’t go under your RV is a must so your pipes will not freeze and burst. We successfully spent one winter in our RV in the Midwest and stayed warm without issues. But, it was not easy nor comfortable.

Mold and mildew are not uncommon issues to encounter with an RV. We often run our dehumidifier or portable air conditioner to dry out the inside of our Montana. Even so, our humidity can still spike, especially if we’re cooking or taking a hot shower.

Depending on your driving skills and comfort level, towing an RV or Montana can be a stressful experience. You can feel the sway, especially on very windy days! But, for the most part, towing our Montana is easy to do as long as you remain focused on the other drivers around you.

If you’re not boondocking or have free places to park, camping fees can add up and get expensive. This is especially true if you’re traveling during the high season or staying for less than a week in the same place. The only time you find real deals at RV resorts or campgrounds is if you commit to spending long-term there.

If you like to have a lot of stuff, full-time RV living isn’t for you. When you live in a small space, downsizing your life is a must. If you have too much, your space will become cluttered. The last thing you want is to end up on an episode of Hoarders.

Every kind of lifestyle comes with ups and downs. Social media & YouTube makes it easy to glamorize living in an RV, Montana or van. But we will be real with you. It’s not always easy living this way. It’s important to know all of the struggles you may face before jumping in. We must say though, even with all the struggles, we love this lifestyle and are so happy we chose to live this way.

We hope our honest insights into full-time RV living gives you a realistic perspective of what it’s really like to live & travel in a small space.

Thanks! Dora & Ed