“I’m done with full-time RVing.” A friend of mine recently uttered these words and I couldn’t believe my ears. I actually asked her to explain why she’s quitting full-time RVing. She said, “I’m done. Full-time RVing just isn’t for me anymore.” What followed was an hour-long conversation in which my single friend, Kate, listed several reasons for her decision to end a full-time RVing lifestyle. She freely admitted that the negative aspects of living in an RV full-time finally outweighed the positives for her.
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Why she’s quitting full-time RVing
You might be surprised, but rising gas prices, crowded campgrounds, and other oft-mentioned negatives about today’s camping scene did not make Kate’s list of frustrations. Instead, here is her list of negatives—her personal reasons for abandoning a three-year-long nomadic lifestyle of full-time RVing.
Tired of traveling
What?! I didn’t think that was possible. As she explained it, Kate had seen what she wanted to see and was exhausted. Moving from place to place was no longer exciting to her. It was tiring. She was done with the driving, setting up, and settling in, only to tear down, drive, and repeat the entire process again.
Done with “box living”
Kate explained, “It gets to feeling claustrophobic after a while—the restricted space, I mean.” She went on to explain that she spent much of her time outside. However, the heat and/or cold temperatures often drove her inside her RV for the day. To hold in the air-conditioned or heated air, Kate covered her windows with cardboard and pulled down the RV’s blinds to hold the cardboard in place. This arrangement helped to keep the desired temperature inside her rig. However: “After a while, it felt too much like living inside a cave. I’m ready to live in a larger, unrestricted space.”
Missing friends and family
“Occasional phone calls just aren’t enough for me. I get lonesome. I want the freedom to see my family and friends more often.” During her journey, Kate visited far-flung relatives and enjoyed meeting new people, too. She just wants to have a greater connection with her immediate family now. “None of us are getting any younger,” she explained.
Budgetary bungles
“It’s getting harder for me to make and stick to a budget. Prices for food, fuel, camping sites, and RV repairs fluctuate—depending on where I travel. My personal cost of living changes from month to month. Even though I regularly revise my budget, I never get it quite right.” She’s ready to have set monthly costs where budgeting is a bit easier—she hopes.
Missing hobbies
“I want to garden,” Kate explained. “I mean really garden. Rows and rows of peas and beans, more tomatoes than can grow inside a container, vines with cucumbers and melons.” Yum! I had to admit, gardening is limited when full-time RVing. Kate continued, “And then I want to cook. Really cook! I want countertops that are bigger than a cutting board. A full-size oven would be great! I can’t wait to get my Bundt and angel food cake pan from storage.” My friend’s passion was palpable. She definitely missed her hobbies while full-time RVing.
A personal decision to quit full-time RVing
Kate’s made her decision. She put her RV in storage—for now, she says. I look at her reasoning and it seems valid—for her. Full-time RVing isn’t for everyone. Nor is it always forever. As with so many things in life, deciding to live exclusively in an RV is a very personal decision.
You may be full-time RVing now. Or you might be considering the full-time RVing lifestyle. There’s a lot of hype about a nomadic, no-strings-attached lifestyle. More folks are opting to work remotely, and full-time RVing makes that possible. As you make a lifestyle decision that is right for you, I think it’s helpful to at least balance the many, many “pros” with some potential “cons.”
Are you living full-time in your RV? What “cons” or downsides do you see as you experience the full-time RVing lifestyle?
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I can relate to some of Kate’s reasons. I too miss gardening, but for now the positives of full time RV living just mean more to me. Last year we bought a small RV lot in a large RV community. This has given us 6 months of winter “base” living. We know many people here and I have met even more. I feel more a part of a community here than I did at our last stx-brx home. Even when we checked in in October we didn’t stay put. We were out for three weeks for the holidays near family, two weeks for a mini exploration and (unfortunately) ten days for repairs instead of a three day “shake up the bugs” visit to a new park. Now we are preparing to leave for 6+ months of travel. During those 6 months we will travel from AZ to TN to MI to WA to BC then down to WA, OR, CA and back home in AZ. The longest we will be in one place is 11 days on a driveway at our friend’s house in TN. There will be long drive days, but we usually stay for 3-5 days to explore local areas. 6 down ?? more to go.
Too much greed anymore has ruined this nation. From over priced RV’s to over priced RV parks that have waiting lists and reservations out a year or more. Personally I partially blame so many “remote workers” who do their “work” on computers just about anywhere they want to be. I have seen this in many RV parks in many states. What will Americans foul up next?
God bless Kate in her new life, and there’s more room for me now out on the road. ❤
I can’t wait to get back on the road again. We full timed for over 15 years and came back to our sticks and bricks for a year now. This house is nickel and diming me and it’s paid for. This month a new survey termite inspection and tree removal. Last month a new dishwasher and wash machine. Rv 10 minutes to clean up, house an hour. Deep clean RV 2 hours, deep clean house, endless or hire a maid. At the house very troublesome neighbor, weird neighbor at RV park…… move
Starting my 20th year May 3rd. Thought I would full time for 10. No exit plan then or now. Still own a house in Florida that I said I would never live in again. With the ridiculous cost of real estate I have changed my mind and will live in the house again some day.
I spend 6 months on my own lot in Quartzsite and travel the rest of the year.
I am not concerned about gas prices but am concerned about finding campgrounds. I have been just about everywhere so I don’t have to go to areas that are tourist areas.
Now I mainly go to auto racetracks I haven’t been to so I move a couple times or more a week. By the end of racing season I am happy to settle in Quartzsite, ride in the desert, have a fire with friends and go to jam sessions several times a week. Works for me.
I’m new at being a camper owner living in it and I knew it was for me. I love every thing about it! My only draw back is finding a place where I can keep my camper full time in Georgia so if anyone has any ideas for me I welcome all feedback! I love the great outdoors.
We have had this problem when traveling internationally or to go home for emergencies etc. We have found the best resource is to ask the rv park owner or the ranger at the park we are staying in.
Dixie RV Park, Vienna, GA might work for you. Although it’s been years since I was there. Look for it on RV Parky. Mine is the only review for it.
With 2 years of full time RVing
we are still very much enjoying the life. We spend most of the summer in Missouri with family and the rest of the year wandering around visiting friends and family and seeing our amazing country. But after being away from the grandkids for 6 months or more we feel the pull towards family.
We don’t miss all of the stuff that we got rid of and only occasionally feel confined.
(Usually when having disagreements). Not ready to tap out yet. The adventure and unpredictable directions that become our path still out weigh a predictable life style.
I started RVing in 2010 and became a Full Timer in 2018. I did multiple extended RV treks a year and I was becoming more and more concerned about the safety of my house (my immediate senior neighbor died and her son was NOT as reliable & trustworthy). The neighbor on the other side of my house was a total nut (multiple psych committals) who opened his house to “undocumented” persons. The final straw was that, on a house I owned free & clear, cost me ~ $12,000 / year JUST for insurance & property taxes! If I wanted to do something “exotic” like shower or turn on a light, that was extra. Covid has me still “Isolating in Place” but, I’m in a good RV park that has reasonable rates for extended timers. I would love to resume my RV treks but, I am not DYING to do so. I will be getting my second booster next week. Still SO much I want to see & do. The ONLY things I miss are the whirlpool tub & deluxe shower my house had. I can always buy another house.
It seems like she should have been able to figure out full timing wasn’t right for her in the first place.
I understand the decision. Years ago, with a partner in the booming I.T. industry, we were fortunately able to travel full time for/to work assignments. Sold the house and everything in it, and we hit the road.
It was THE best of times. Bought two new Class A motorhomes over the course of 8 years. We had….so. much. fun! Plenty of adventures. Met the most interesting people. Saw a lot of the U.S. Some places a couple of times. Never worried about a reservation, or place to stay. Full timing was relatively easy in those days.
Quite a different life for two who were just in their early 40’s at the time. We were usually the ‘youngsters’ everywhere we went.
Was sorry to see it come to an end….but as they say, things change.
Today….we still own a small motorhome, and enjoy it for occasional trips and travel.
Retired, with no desire to full time again. Too much hassle today.
We enjoy our homes, hobbies, friends, family.
Our pattern works for us, so far. We have a place in a SKP Coop – Jojoba Hills SKP Resort where we spend almost 6 months. We have an apartment in Rochester NY where we spend 3 months. In between we travel across the country. We have also included extensive foreign travel in the mix. We enjoy the travel and enjoy landing in either of our fixed locations where there are friends and family and, in the coop, serious work to do. The variety means we don’t get stale and bored.
Where do you SAFELY store your rig when you do foreign travel? I’ve taken three cruises since I started RVing and that has always been an issue for me. Before Covid, I was looking into an around the world cruise. Of course, ANY cruise or foreign travel would be risky these days.
Seven years into fulltiming and not ready to settle down yet. We are VERY comfortable living with less “stuff”. We are stationary 6 months and 6 months we workamp. Getting ready to travel across USA 3000 miles from west coast to east coast for our summer gig. Life is an adventure, some just can’t live without certain “stuff”.
After almost 10 years of full-time RVing me and my wife stopped OCT 1 of last year we entered Mexico in our old tow, VW Jetta, fully loaded.
We now live in a place that has a temp between 70 and 85 degrees highs all year. So we don’t need to snowbird. We live in a 3bd 2.5 bath house with a yard and views off our 3rd-floor patio of mountains and a great lake.
This house costs us less per month than a good RV spot! We have tons of solar so we only pay $3 every 2 months for electricity and $20 a month for propane. $5 for a good meal I mean better than $25 ones in the US all-natural no cisco crap.
We are getting a 2020 ford transit van for $15000 with only 25k Kilometers on it!. And we can get all the carpentry work done for less than 3k! Now we can travel to see sights with our new RV van and still pay less for everything down here!
Leaving full-time life in the USA RV was the best thing we ever did after 10 years of it. Was great but the new RVers are just horrid and the prices and not being able to find spots is just stressful filled.
hello Susan, where is this wonderful place in Mexico?
We are getting out shortly after 15 years. It’s become a racket.