One definition of “roughing it” is “to spend the night in the open; be without a home or without shelter.” Another is “to live without the usual comforts or conveniences of life, endure rugged conditions.”
By the first definition, few (if any) RVers are really “roughing it.” The second definition, “to live without the usual comforts or conveniences of life, endure rugged conditions” might apply to some, we think.
Another word, “camping,” once meant living without the amenities of ordinary home life. But now, it seems, many if not most RVers bring every comfort of home life with them in their portable dwellings.
When you think about your life in your recreational vehicle, does the term “roughing it” even come to mind? How would you best answer the question about roughing it as it applies to you?
My wife’s version of “roughing it” is walking barefoot from the room to the pool! She will not camp without her own bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. We have a 34’ travel trailer and travel about 6-8,000 miles per year to keep up with kids, grands and greats scattered across the country. The time will come when we can’t continue, but with god’s help and a tank of diesel or two, we’ll keep at it.
The poll did not think of an obvious condition which is “camping” sometimes with full hookups and sometime totally boondocking. That’s us.
Might be roughing it a bit. Only 30 amp service, no sewer. And the damned satellite won’t pick up both the 110 and 119 satellite (trees and an old tailgater I suspect)
I admit we are not roughing it. My wife and I both came from camping families. We camped in tents in state parks, Scout camps, or public lands. When we had our own children we also took them camping in a large family tent. But now that we are over 60, and full-timing, we have a 44-foot 5th wheel with five slides. Of course we have heat, A/C, 50-amp power, but we also have continuous hot water with a full-size shower, a convection microwave, dishwasher, large residential refrigerator, apartment-sized washer, dryer and gas range/stove with an oven you can cook a turkey in, two electronic fireplaces, a large screen TV with surround sound…. We even have a real, residential toilet!
We aren’t camping, we aren’t glamping, we are living in a smaller house that just happens to have wheels on it. We are living in a truly “mobile” home! We have to use a Chevy 3500 dually to pull it!
For us, roughing it is having to use our onboard holding tanks, freshwater, batteries, and generator!
My, how far we have fallen….. Maybe I could go buy a small tent for us to go camping!
We’re roughing it now by staying in this VRBO.com place while work is on-going on the RV. This place is a fire trap!
420 square feet (42′ Rig):
Washer/Dryer – Check
Dishwasher – Check
Microwave / Convection – Check
Refrigerator – Check
Stove – Check
Coffee Maker – Check
Ninji – Check
Ceramic Dishes – Check
Real Glass for Drinking – Check
TV – Check
Satellite – Check
Stereo – Check
Recliners – Check
Theater Seat – Check
Dining Table – Check
Bed – Check
Shower – Check
Indoor Toilet – Check, Check, Check 🙂
Sink – Check
Solar – Check
Lithium – Check
Generator – Check
Food/Beer in the Pantry/Refrig – Check 🙂
Heat – Check
A/C – Check
Water – Check
Roof over the head – Check
Walls – Check
Floor – Check
Garage – Check
Stairs – Bummer 🙁
It doesn’t matter where we park. It’s still not roughing it. If you have many or most of the items, it would be hard to say that your roughing it in any form of the fashion.
I have what I consider to be a tiny home on a driveable chassis. My tiny home is not really big enough for washer/dryer, dishwasher, a recliner and wood burning stove. So, if roughing it means wood burning outside, recliner under the stars and hand-washing some items, I am roughing it.
We’re not roughing it. We have heat, air conditioning, power, gas and water. Even though we have a hybrid, it is still pretty comfortable. To us, camping is living in a beautiful area for a few days other than home.
I answered “not roughing it at all”. Although, our sewer system isn’t visible at home and doesn’t need to be “dumped”. Then again, my husband is in charge of that, so, I, personally am not “roughing it”. LOL.
We roughed it when we started back in the 1960’s with a 12 foot umbrella tent, in the 1970 and 1980’s with various tent campers and trailers. Our first Class A in the mid 1990’s had no slides so that was kind of roughing it. But now on our 3rd Class A DP with bath and a half, stackable washer/dryer, push button everything, it is almost just like being at home. Not everyone can afford our lifestyle and we are very grateful for what we have. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.
Years ago I roughed by camping out in the open. However now I am in my late 70’s and can’t take sleeping on the ground in the open. So now we rough it in a nice 5th wheel. So much better on the bones, lol.
Sticker on back of motorhome says it all, nicely.
Roughing it Smoothly. (Tiffin)
Thanks, Robbie. “Roughing It Smoothly” appears to be the name of Tiffin’s newsletter. Great name! 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
We prefer the term boondocking to roughing it. Our ideal campsite is beside a mountain creek with no one else in sight. Or inside a western forest with tall Lodgepole pines all around the campsite. Tho we do camp with others at no-hookup sites like a distributed camping area just outside Tetons.
Our little camping trailer is 6.5′ X 10′, we call it a metal tent. How much “ruffing it” depends on where we are camping. We have enough solar and batteries to run a small fridge and fans but when in the southwest in summer we will seek a site with power for the air conditioner. The trailer has no stove or oven, we have a porta potty and a pump up sprayer for showers when needed. We spend our time outside as much as possible even in the SW and are amazed at “campers” around us that are never seen outside except to level up the trailer when they arrive and when they get ready to leave.
We are definitely roughing it. When out in our trailer we have to make coffee with a Malita instead of the Mr. Coffee we have at home. The horror . . . !
Oh no!!! 😆 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Traded double bed for King Sleep number in RV, messy wood fireplace for electric fireplace, barely air conditioned house for three AC and heat pump units, cracked and worn carpet for porcelain floors, washer and dryer on one floor, dishwasher for two not ten, four TVs with surround sound (if I could figure out how to work the surround sound) and currently no neighbors as we are boondocking with solar in the desert. Yup better than our old five bedroom home. Did I mention happier and healthier too?
And yes, I read negative comments all the time about peoples posts and expect some on this post about “luxury glamping”, but I will have to say that I was still living as well as at our home when we had a very small truck camper with NO bathroom, two kids and a 10 gallon water tank with manual pump handle. We were still adventurers, camping together and happy!