Many people associate RVing with retirees who have saved for years to travel in an RV. While they make up a good portion of the RV community, so too do young solo travelers, couples, and families in all stages of life. Many have even sold their houses and embraced the full-time RV lifestyle.
There are a lot of benefits to living in an RV, but if you’re wondering whether the RV lifestyle suits your preferences, you should know that renting an RV is a great option when you start. That way, you’ll have more experience to draw from when deciding whether to buy a new or used RV.
The Benefits of Living in an RV
There are many benefits of living in an RV, from the flexibility to work anywhere to the chance to set up a seasonal RV basecamp for your favorite adventure sports. Full-time RVing isn’t reserved for retirees anymore.
Here are a few reasons people are choosing the RV lifestyle.
Live Simply
The idea of downsizing and traveling lightly appeals to many. RVing forces you to consider every item you bring on your journey, forcing you to purge possessions that might be weighing you down.
Chores and upkeep are simplified, as maintaining an RV can be simpler than keeping up with household maintenance. And cleaning and organizing an RV definitely takes less time than tidying up around a 2,000-square-foot residence.
Overall, RVing is ideally suited to the simple life: more time outdoors, quality time with family, being present with a partner, and the endless pursuit of adventures.
Better Focus
Spending time with those who are most important to you is easier in an RV–not just because you’re traveling in close quarters. Our modern lives can be filled with many distractions that take away from being present with our surroundings. Living in an RV may help remedy a feeling of disconnect, from family or self, thanks to its ability to put us in the present.
And while RVing is best when the weather is at its finest, your family can bond over your favorite board games or puzzles on rainy days. Or, enjoy movies, music, sports, or TV shows using your RV’s entertainment center. Some comforts of home come with you when you travel in an RV.
Travel For Less
Imagine visiting any part of the country without paying for lodging, airfare, and rental cars. Even fully equipped RV parks are less costly than conventional travel lodging. With an RV, your hotel and transportation are one and the same.
Sure, you may opt to stay in a campground to enjoy more amenities, but there are plenty of states with unique boondocking spots if you’re interested in saving money and camping for free. If you drive a class A RV or class C RV, you might explore public transportation in cities once you have your RV parked at a campsite.
But with smaller class B RVs, it’s easier to navigate and find parking to explore. If you have a towable RV, you’ll be able to disconnect your tow vehicle from your travel trailer and use it to get around, eliminating the need for a rental car or paid transportation.
If you become a Good Sam member, you can also enjoy fuel discounts at Pilot Flying J gas stations across the US and in parts of Canada. Explore more travel savings and benefits of a Good Sam Membership.
Enjoy a Flexible Schedule
Living in an RV full-time allows you to come and go as you please. Traffic can sometimes be a nuisance, but you won’t have to wait in security lines, suffer flight delays, or abide by hotel check-in and check-out times.
Flying also puts a finite limit on how much time you spend in a location. Rebooking a flight by a few days could cost hundreds of dollars. Full-time RVers can stay or leave with flexibility, depending on whether you have more to explore or feel like you’re ready for the next destination.
If you become comfortable with boondocking in an RV, you’ll also have more control to arrive and depart from campsites on your own schedule, and you’ll probably have the views all to yourself.
Embrace the Freedom to Work Anywhere
Many jobs only require a laptop and an internet connection. With improvements in data coverage across the nation, not to mention free Wi-Fi at most restaurants, coffee shops, campgrounds, and travel centers, more people are opting to work on the road instead of checking in to an office daily.
That doesn’t even mention the many RVs that are now built specifically for working remotely. Fleetwood even recently announced a new motorhome in their Frontier lineup with a floorplan that features a corner office.
RV accessories like cellular signal boosters allow remote workers to access the internet from mobile hotspots while living on the road. And many RVers are exploring the benefits of Starlink internet for their remote work needs.
Bottom line: there are more resources for remote workers than ever. So why would you want to settle for the same view out of your office window every day when hitting the road gives you a different one on a weekly or monthly basis?
Take the Comforts of Home on Your Travels
RV life truly is the best of both worlds. Travel anywhere and take in new experiences all day. Return home and sleep in your own bed every night. Cook in a fully equipped kitchen in the evening.
Grill on your patio as you watch the sunset. Tune into your favorite shows or sports games. Enjoy a hot shower after a long day of sweating on the trail. Relax and soak in nature under an awning that offers protection from sun and light rain.
Even if you don’t have one of the most luxurious modern RVs, most RV campers enjoy a “glamping” experience. You don’t have to go outside if you need to use the restroom in the middle of the night, and you don’t have to wake up in a wet tent.
And when you’ve been spending a lot of time pushing your physical limits and you’re feeling a little run down, a folding sofa or reclining chair is the perfect place to get off your feet and rest.
So Why Live in an RV?
Photo by Camping World
RVing could be a perfect lifestyle if you want a simpler, more flexible, and less expensive way to travel (or live). You can enjoy all the amenities of a traditional residence in a mobile package that can be relocated when you desire new surroundings.
You can also travel extensively and test out new cities if you’re searching for your next home base. RVing allows you to explore for more than just a few days. You to stay for an entire season or longer, so you can decide if that new city or town feels right for you.
Finally, full-timers that embrace RV living tend to learn new skills, encounter new communities, and explore new cultures and customs. There’s a lot to see in the US alone (like our wonderful national parks!), and you could honestly spend a lifetime exploring!
If you’re ready to explore the benefits of living in an RV, Camping World can help you get there. With the Personal Shopper program, you’ll have someone by your side throughout the entire process to help you find the perfect RV for your needs. Or, try renting an RV with Good Sam RV Rentals to see if the lifestyle feels right for you.
Do you know of any other benefits of living in an RV? Or do you have questions about full-time RV living? Leave us a comment below!