A recent question asked in a RVing group:
‘What has been some of the most surprising things about RVing that you discovered?’.
That’s a great question, and I thought this might make a fun little blog post.
So here goes… in our experience, some of the most surprising discoveries of our full time RVing lifestyle have been:
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Only a week to make 600 miles??? How fast time goes by on the road. The sentiment of ‘Wow! We have a whole month to get from Point A to Point B’ quickly becomes ‘Ugh.. we only have a month to get from Point A to Point B’. There’s just so many amazing experiences and beautiful locations that we frequently find ourselves wanting to stick around longer than we intended. After 7 years (?!?) on the road, there are so many places we’ve yet to get to, and so many places we want to visit again!
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We only fully set up if we’re somewhere for more than a few days. How much we enjoy a variable pace. Like many new RVers, we exhausted ourselves in our first year by moving every couple of days with no break – afterall, we had to ‘see it all,’ right? We’ve learned to listen to our hearts, and know when it’s right to put down the landing gear for a few weeks to months, and when it’s right to hop around a bunch. We also found that no matter how much we simplify the setup and take-down process, it takes time and mental energy that is not sustainable for us to do constantly. We’re also constantly amazed when we stay still for a little bit, how much awesome catches up to us.
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We love being temporary neighbors! How many people have invited us to be temporary neighbors. When the invitations first started coming in for us to driveway surf with relative strangers, I felt sheepish about accepting them – after all, I didn’t want to seem like a freeloading moocher. We got over that, and realized we’re not guests – we’re temporary neighbors, and most our hosts enjoy living a bit vicariously through our adventures. Now we have nomadic ports across the country with people who genuinely love having us as part of their lives (and us them), and who get disappointed if we don’t ‘mooch’ off them. These have become invaluable connections in our lives.
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We have made so many great friends.. but we seldom see them. Adapting to a new sense of community. I didn’t fully realize the positive role a regular & local community had in my life. It took a while for me to adapt to a new concept of community – one in which almost all our friends are far away at any given moment, and quality time with close friends is temporary but intense bursts. Actually, I can’t say we have fully adapted to that, but we have learned to ride the ebbs and flows a lot better.
- How easy some things are. Many of the feared little logistical things like handling laundry, dumping tanks, making minor RV repairs, finding great campsites without lots of pre-planning, navigating always changing resources (grocery stores, managing food restrictions, urgent care services, etc.), just turned out to not be that big of a deal.
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Mobile banking has gotten a LOT easier, but our setup is still not ideal. How complex some things are. Things that we knew would be difficult turned out to be even more of a challenge – staying connected online, figuring out where to have shipments catch up with us, setting up a great mobile banking solution and finding primary healthcare providers that are ‘nomad friendly.’
- The varying attitudes folks have towards us. The reactions we get from people range from we’re living a carefree, cheap and isolated from ‘real’ society lifestyle… to an expensive, overly complex and socially immersive lifestyle. Fact of the matter is, full time RVing can be either of those extremes and anywhere in between.
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A rare MINI adventure a couple hours from ‘home’. How homebodied we actually are. When we arrive to a location, we don’t normally venture too far from home. We’ve found we like the variability of our immediate surroundings – which is why always living in the perfect spot became so important to us. We’re not the type to park the RV and use it as a basecamp to go explore lots of touristy locations… we’re good with embracing our nomadic homebodied nature.
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Great views, LTE and under $20/night? Yeah, we’ll take that! How RV parking options vary so darn much. From closely spaced ‘row’ parking where you can smell what your neighbor is making for dinner, to parks designed for a sense of privacy with ample spacing and separation. And oh gosh, the variability of costs! How pricier ‘resorts’ are usually our least favorite style, and cheaper ‘campgrounds’ and even ‘trailer parks’ more often provide the amenities we like best. We’ve learned to roll with it, and try to appreciate each experience for its merits.
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Retreating to a RV ‘Resort’ to stay cool during a heat wave last summer. How difficult it is to actually follow the weather. Seems this is a frequently stated goal of many RVers, to always live where you can leave the windows open and wear flip-flops. I don’t think we’ve yet had a temperate full summer experience despite our intentions, and the places that do have good weather for the season tend to be crowded and expensive (with good reason). And the reality simply is; events, visiting loved ones and logistical issues rule our routing – which do not often align with ideal seasonal patterns.
How about it fellow full timers? What have been some of your most surprising discoveries?
We used to full time 20 years ago but work forced me to squat in various places like Alaska and Wyoming.Now that we are both at retirement age I feel it is time once again to hit the road and to heck with mortgages and yard work…see ya out there.
Your last comment about following the weather is sooo soooo true! We talk about that being the ideal path for this lifestyle but our truth, much like yours, has been more about choosing our route based on family and friends.
We have wintered in the Northeast and summered in the hot desert. Getting across the country in any season, unless you can do it in under a week (ha, right!), you’ll inevitably encounter ‘bad’ weather! It’s never “perfect” and that’s ok.
Cheers friends!
Curious where you wintered in the Northeast? We are considering it as newbie full timers (just now 6 mos), but we got “frozen in” in Asheville last winter, and we’re feeling skittish about giving it another try.
We’ve actually never even RV’d in the NE, nevermind wintered there. Maybe someday 🙂
Hi JR!
We wintered in NJ – and also got frozen in. Most parks much north of that are not even open in the winter but, there are a few. All will likely get snow and ice… so you’ll need some extra insulation and fortifications. We wintered in the ice and snow to be near family. So it was worth it to us to go through that. Enjoy!
Great insights into the full timing life. I believe we are in a period in this country where more and more people will come to prefer and embrace this kind of nomadic lifestyle. I know I have! Every time I make that monstrous mortgage payment I think of all of you guys out on the road. You’re smart.
There do seem to be a good number of folks giving the lifestyle a shot, and were loving have more of a roaming community out here. After all, you can always settle back down in one spot again.
I’m a son of a military man. Spent my early years moving every two to three years. Loved it so much, I joined the military. Met my wife, who was going to same training as I was. So far we have spent 37 years together traveling the world, mostly by military. I recently lost my job, and found we had acquired a lot of stuff. We are in the process of selling our assets, and looking forward to full time RV. We have friends and relatives already scattered about the USA, that we stay connected with. My wife was a small town girl, never been out of Maine, but after dragging her around for years, I have to run to stay up with her if we say, Lets go there…
Where oh where is the site in the picture with the caption “Great views, LTE and under $20/night? Yeah, we’ll take that!”? Are you willing to tell? 🙂
Sure.. that spot was a state park near Platte, SD – https://www.technomadia.com/2013/06/the-journey-continues-going-upriver/
I myself have been a dreamer doing this as i rebuild my RV for the road.
So many things to think of ahead of time! about to gut some of the stuff out and rewire.
love reading all the posts. Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed it, cant wait to be enjoying my old 1955 Flxible and driving it down the roads.
I’m retired and getting prepared to get on the road. Recently purchased a used 29ft Georgie Boy class c out of state and will be going back home in SC. Will be traveling around Fla January and February. My companion will be my cat, Minny. Fulfilling my dreams. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I have much to learn and you are helping.
YES!! YES!! YES!! To most of these – the ones we have experienced first hand. We’re too new to this lifestyle (shy of 2 months) to have experienced everything you mentioned. I get behind on our own posts sooo quickly. I’m having the time of my life but I have no idea where the time is going :-)! Thanks for the great post and validation of our experiences
We just started (it’s been about a month and a half) and have ended up “parked” in one spot unexpectedly for medical care (in Salem, Oregon) for half that time.
Surprises: how non-catastrophic it is to drive a pickup towing a 20-foot travel trailer on narrow roads; how many people in Reno, Nevada seem to live permanently in, and go to work from, tiny RVs; how impossible it is to get authentic spicy Asian food in Salem [it’s always bland!]. (Except we just found one place…)
Great post! Can’t wait to be able to contribute some insights… Awesome to hear that you have been able to form a community of people, despite always being on the road.
We are in dreamer stage now. We have been following your Nomadic lifestyle for just over 1 year now and love reading all the posts. Thank you for sharing! We really enjoy the Tales from episodes on you tube, cant wait to be interviewed ourselves someday.
After almost 11 months on the road (we’re still new) we are finally ready to slow down and are now in the “we only have 10 weeks to get from Maine to Florida?!” phase. Also, was surprised that when talking to people one can see us as homeless vagabonds (and end our conversation rather abruptly) while another can see it as an amazing adventure…and of course, a third will view us as “lucky, rich people”…lucky? maybe…rich? definitely not…going after our dreams while we can? absolutely. Great post! Our other surprise…how little we can live without (like clothes and skin care products and hair ‘stuff’ and cooking appliances)…our routines have gotten less complex and more fulfilling.
Let’s see, it’s been 3 1/2 years now and a couple things come to mind. First, I’m surprised at how stressful things were in the beginning compared to how relaxed and easy things seem now. Driving a 40 motorhome and towing a car behind that just seemed like way too much bulk to be allowed on public roads, lol. There also seemed to be a billion things to remember everytime we wanted to move it anywhere. A long checklist was our best friend for the first couple months. Now, I barley give it a second thought. I’m also surprised at how much I like the lifestyle. Even though I assumed it would be great, it’s much better than that! Safe travels…
Visited the Lighthouse at Cape Blanco today. Can’t wait around for you all to show up, but I think you are going to enjoy your new “gig” when you get here. The folks we met were so very friendly. Have fun. Dave (Marica and Bubba and Skruffy) GoingRvWay.com
Awesome – enjoyed your post and photos about Cape Blanco!
Say guys hope u got a good (more then one) set of long johns and a cat coat it’s 57 now and snow for next week there looking at 2ft u can snow shoe to the lighthouse cool
Get it cool
Did u do the portland japanese garden (best in the US) to late for the rosees sorry and the weekend river walk downtown Portland it’s a foodies paradise and thay got way to much pottery. Ok one more coffee cup
Joy your day
Joy your day
We went to the rose garden yesterday – if that was ‘too late’, I can’t imagine what a full bloom would be like. They were gorgeous!
Two weeks ago I asked myself the question “what do I need for my life?” The answer came immediately – get an RV and get out on the road, fulltime (solo). I quickly came upon your blog and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the education. Plans and ideas are coming together quickly. I am hoping to be out on the road in a year.
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your nomadic homebody life with us! Looking forward to lighthouse stories!
So glad you found us, Deborah! Welcome!
Been on the road for 12 years with a 5th wheel lots more places to see and to return to only three states we havent been in
SAFE TRAVELS
Congrats on 12 years!
Six years for us (so far), and we still fall in love over and over again with this beautiful country (cities, not so much). Still have a lot left to see. 8^)
*whew* So glad to hear that we’re not the only ones left with a long list of things left to see! I somehow think we’ll never get to them all…
Hey guys,
Did you get my email about Bagby Hot Springs. It’s a really awsome place to visit. Portland was my home for near 40 years, and Bagby is one of the reasons I really miss being in the PNW. Hike Multnomah Falls, Crown Point, Silver Creek Falls, Larch Mountain, Timberline Lodge, Smith Rocks and the Cascade lakes Hwy near Bend, eclectic/eccentric Cannon Beach, so much to see and do there. Micro brews all over Portland, YUM. Mt Tabor in Portland… stand in the mouth of a volcano. Priceless.
There is so much to do around there area. When you’re just in for a week, and have a full plate of work to get through – you have to prioritize your time and energy. Our primary reason for being in Portland this time around is to catch up with some dear friends.
We spent some wonderful time in the gorge on our way in tho.
Surely do enjoy your blogs. Snowbirded for 6 to 7 months for 3 years, been fulltiming since Oct. 2012.. I totally agree with your list. Once we “slowed” down it all came together. Working our way “Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico”. Soooo interesting driving The Great River Road. Keep up the fun and blogs. Hope we run across each other down the road! “Rolling Earthquake” CHARLIE
Oh the Great River Road is a lovely drive with some darling small towns, and some great riverfront campgrounds along the way! Enjoy it, and whatever future adventures you explore, at whatever pace works for you!
#1 is because the bus/motorhome is too slow 😉 At least that’s our problem. It takes a different mindset.
I wouldn’t mind if the bus moved a little slower personally 🙂 Would be easier to get better photos of the scenic drives, and catch the cool stops along the way before you pass them by.
Yes! Buzzing along, not very fast, but even so, you see a gem of a spot and — oops, too late to turn in there, and no place for 10 miles to turn around!
What a well-grounded list and I totally agree with all of them! We STILL haven’t found a primary care provider and we ALSO get the complete mix of reactions to our lifestyle (from “wish we could do it” to “why are you wasting your life?”). I guess like everything in life RVing is a mix of experiences. Wonderful summary!
Nina
P.S. I love the “nomadic homebody” title. I think that describes us too.
Thanks, Nina! Glad it resonated with you guys too.
Nomadic Homebody is a great descriptor, eh? Noticed my link was bad, so corrected it to the relevant article.
Have been full-timing for almost 3 years now. Grew up in Silicon Valley and have traveled all over the world. The most surprising thing we experienced since we started and continues to this day is the RAT RACE. Normally living at 120MPH in the past, but now at 30MPH, each metroplex we enter or are near to becomes rather scary. So many people and cars all scurrying around, like chickens with their heads cut off. Thats how WE used to live! Having the freedom to be more rural, so to say, our realization of our prior lifestyle compared to now is a huge surprise and most welcomed.
Oh gosh can I empathize with this. We’re having a tough time acclimating to ‘big city’ life here in Portland this week. We got so spoiled living in small friendly and slower paced towns with little traffic. It’s been a bit overwhelming, and yet a great reminder of how much more there is to life!
Nodding my head in agreement with your list. Another surprise to me was how interested all of our acquaintances are with our travels. I expected less-positive feedback than we receive, and am always surprised when people say things like, “oh wow – wish I could do that,” which kicks off the conversation – “You can!”
Totally.. we encountered a similar thing. Which started our ‘No Excuses: Go Nomadic’ series.
Going into our 3rd month now…
How easily it is for 2 adults and 4 children to manage living space
How difficult it is to decide where everything should go.
Surprised at how much space we have with 6 people
I am so thrilled to hear the big bus is serving your family well, Sean! And so looking forward to meeting up with the turtles on the road!
Great list! Totally resonate with this.
Thank you.. and thanks for stopping by!
we’ve been on the road for one month.I don’t know what my top 10 surprises are yet. Everyday brings a new surprise.
And may they continue to.. Enjoy the journey!
I don’t hate blacktopping. While I am not fond of truck stop or rest area overnights I don’t mind Walmart or Cracker Barrel stops at all.
I agree! They have been some of our most peaceful night’s rest!
Hey, did I read you are on your way to Oregon? You are farther south than I am in Portland but if you find your way in NW Oregon would love to say hello.
If not and you get here early or want to stay a few days after your duties are done, check out Sutton Lake campground N of Florence and Cape Lookout campground S of Tillamouk. You won’t be disappointed.
Hi Elia – we’ve actually been in Portland a couple of days, and will be heading down south to Cape Blanco (Port Orford) later next week for our lighthouse hosting duties. I’ll have Chris get in touch, and hopefully we can meet up before we head south!