7 of the best personality traits for full-time RVing (and a quiz: Is full-timing right for you?)

Many folks are jumping into a new lifestyle – full-time living on the road. It sounds exciting and invigorating! Just think, you can sell your bricks ‘n sticks home and say goodbye to lawns that need mowing, exterior siding and interior walls that require painting, and general maintenance that will keep you busy from now until Sunday. You can say goodbye to obnoxious neighbors and that finicky furnace, too. You can work remotely while watching seagulls fly or deer prance about and you can check off your “Things to See Before I Die” list, as well.

But before you stab that “For Sale” sign on your lawn, take this very unofficial self-survey. If you find you have most of the character traits necessary for life exclusively on the road, maybe full-time RVing is for you!

Personality traits useful for full-time RVing

Score one point for each personality trait question you answer “Yes.” Then check your results below.

Are you adventurous? The adventurous person is one who enjoys seeing and experiencing new things. They willingly take on risks and welcome new ways of doing things. For example, carting your “Blue Boy” a half-mile to the dump station. Over rough gravel. Downhill. (A “Blue Boy” is the portable, wheeled tote used to transfer waste from the RV black tank.)

Are you resourceful? A resourceful person can think creatively when an unforeseen challenge happens. They rise to any occasion with a “can do” attitude. Like changing the RV’s highway-side flat tire during a metropolitan’s rush hour. Yipes! Or calling for help.

Are you organized? Organized folks know where things go and actually put everything in its place. While you may not associate this trait with camping, you’ll need it! Trust me. If the sewer hose gets misplaced, you’ll never again fail to put it in the sealable sewer tote or back bumper! And living in a much smaller space requires you to be organized. Think: All of your clothing is stashed inside three drawers. Three! Or a pantry the size of a shoebox. (Note: There are many resources online to help the organizationally challenged.)

Are you adaptable? An adaptable person has the energy and willingness to face problems head-on. They can pivot when circumstances shift or change. Adaptable folks tend to think ahead and are constantly on the lookout for ways to do things better. Like when the campground you booked lost your reservation somehow and now you must dry camp in a Walmart parking lot.

Are you patient? Patience is being able to calmly endure a problem or delay without complaining. Patient people are not easily provoked and approach even difficult situations with coolness and poise. Think: Making reservations months in advance (good resourcefulness) only to be put on hold for two hours and forty-seven minutes.

Are you self-reliant? Much like a resourceful person, a self-reliant camper is confident in their abilities and are able to do things for themselves. If you camped as a child or have RVed for years, you have built up a repertoire of skills and knowledge about camping. If not, you’ll learn. By golly, you’ll learn!

Are you humble? By this I mean if you don’t know something are you willing to ask someone else for help? Full-time RVing can be complicated. There is so much you can learn from others who have been there and done that. You’ll enjoy full-timing if you remain humble enough to let others share their expertise with you. Really.

And now … your results!

• Seven points: Get that “For Sale” sign in the yard. You’re good to go!
• Six points: So close! You’re still ahead of most, so go ahead and buy that RV.
• Five points: Ah, middle ground. Not a bad place to be, really. Toss a coin to determine your future.
• Four points: Did you fill out the survey for yourself or did your camping partner answer for you? If it’s the latter, retake the survey for yourself. I’m sure your score will improve.
• Three points: While three isn’t a two or a one, it’s still a low score. Get in the camper and try full-time living three days in a row. If it seems to be working, go for it.
• Two points: Huh. Maybe try living in only two small rooms in your sticks ‘n bricks home for a while. See how that feels. Who knows? Maybe you were just a little too hard on yourself when answering the survey.
• One point: First off, I’m sure you are a nice person. And just look at that one trait! I mean, it’s better than nothing, right? You can build on that one trait. I’m positive you can.
• Zero points: Look. RVing full-time (or anytime) is not for everyone. You may want to consider something like a new hobby. Or something else. Anything else except full-time RV camping.

All kidding aside…

It’s important to have at least some of these personality traits if you want your full-time RVing life to be satisfying. Be realistic. You can count on things going wrong at times, but remember that the good far outweighs the bad. Living in your sticks ‘n bricks home is not without its challenges either.

What additional character traits did I miss? Which trait do you feel is most important in order to make full-time RV living work? Let us know in the comments, please.

Related:

That’s just not true! 13 common myths about RVing

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