Contents
- 14 First Steps To Prepare For Full Time RV Living
- 1) Decide Where You Want to Go
- 2) Downsize Sooner Than Later
- 3) Create Your Plan for Getting Out of Your Current Home
- 4) Decide on a Home Domicile State
- 5) Create a Plan for Getting Medical Care
- 6) Create a Mail System
- 7) Consider Your Social Obligations
- 8) Save Money in Smart Ways
- 9) Agree on a Budget Early On
- 10) Consider Ways to Make Money On The Road
- 11) Research RVs Beforehand
- 12) Get An RV and Use It
- 13) Learn Basic RV Maintenance
- 14) Create an Exit Plan Before Leaving
- In Conclusion
- Additional Reading:
14 First Steps To Prepare For Full Time RV Living
Dreaming of a future full time RV lifestyle can be exhilarating. But you need to keep in mind that there are a number of things you must do before this dream can become a reality for you. This post was written so we could go over 14 first steps you’ll need to explore before joining the full time RV lifestyle.
We encourage you to thoroughly read these 14 steps so you can be better equipped for the challenges of a full time lifestyle.
1) Decide Where You Want to Go
Some full-timers want this lifestyle to hit the road and keep moving around and exploring all the country has to offer. Then there are those people looking to relocate to someplace permanently, maybe for a warmer climate or for health reasons. Actually, most people combine both in the process.
It’s common to begin traveling to different destinations and hang around an area until they’ve been able to explore and do all the area has to offer.
There’s a reason this can be an important first step. By deciding what type of full-timer you plan to become, you’ll be better prepared when making decisions on topics like what type RV will be best for your style of travel. (Easy to setup and take down daily or better suited for long-term everyday RV living lifestyle.) Also, topics like mail forwarding and medical access are affected by how much you move around.
Will your plan include stopping for weeks or even months at a time? Are you a person that has considered moving into your RV with the intent of staying in one area and only traveling with your RV for occasional road trips or vacations?
You’ll find making choices are easier if you’ve decided this part of full time RV living in advance. It also gets easier to find RV campsites near me.
Another reason this is important is because things like your lifestyle, budget, and most other travel planning will all be affected based on how much you plan to travel.
Here’s an example, if your plans include staying in one location, then finding a local job for extra money will be easier. Otherwise, if your plans include constant travel, you’ll need to investigate options for remote or web-based jobs. If your plans end up being to move around but you’re willing to stay in one area for a while, then a seasonal job like workcamper or campground hosting are worth looking into. Campground hosts can often score a FHU site at no cost in exchange for a little work around the campground, and it’s a great way to meet other like-minded campers.
2) Downsize Sooner Than Later
You might consider yourself to be a minimalist, but you’ll quickly find out that you own more stuff than you can fit in an RV.
Even if you’re currently in a one-bedroom apartment now, this space might include things like a couch, a couple end tables, and maybe even a dining room set that you won’t be able to bring in the RV.
So, now is the time to begin your downsizing efforts, even if this means creating a list of things that must go before you go full-time. Downsizing early might also free up extra money if you can sell some of the things you won’t be able to take in the RV.
The extra income you might collect from selling some possessions might also make the thought of giving up prized possessions a little easier.
If you’re one of the people who decides you’re not ready to begin giving everything up, that’s OK. You might want to consider looking into storage options if that is your situation. You might have family or a good friend that would be willing to store a few things in an attic or garage. Now would be the time to see if they’d be willing to help you with storage for a year or two. If you find this is not an option for you, then begin looking into paying for a month by month or long-term storage unit.
3) Create Your Plan for Getting Out of Your Current Home
Have you given thought to what you’ll do with your current home? Here are your three basic options to consider now.
Your first option is to keep your home for now. If you have concerns if this full-time lifestyle will be right for you then this might be a good option. If this becomes the direction you go, then consider looking into a house sitter.
Find a good house sitter and they should be able to take care of simple tasks like taking care of your yard and forwarding your mail, so you won’t return to any big surprises.
You have another option in renting out your home. If you have the option of finding a good tenant, this could be a great option since you can generate income while continuing to build equity in your home. This is a popular practice with many full-timers since it provides them with extra income and a place they can eventually return home to.
Your third option is to go ahead and sell your existing home. Some do this as a way of funding their new RV lifestyle. They will sell the home and use the funds to buy their RV and might even have money enough to travel the country never having to work again.
4) Decide on a Home Domicile State
You’re going to have to decide on a state to call your home state. This is called your domicile state. You might decide to declare your state domicile based on where family members live. You might decide on a state where you plan to spend most of your time, or you might make your choice based on legal advantages.
Living in the United States, you will want to check out which state holds the most advantages for you. A couple examples, if you’re a high-income earner, you might want to consider a state with no state income tax. Some who own a larger RV might look for a state that doesn’t require a special RV license.
You might want to consider consulting a tax professional and a lawyer in order to explore your best options before declaring what state you will call your home base once on the road. In the end, you’ll still have to pay taxes, keep vehicle registration up to date and have insurance, so where you call home is a very important decision to make in advance of going full-time.
5) Create a Plan for Getting Medical Care
A possible tricky consideration will be finding medical care once you go full time. You’ll find that different insurance plans will have different options and it can become complicated to find consistent healthcare if you’re having to switch doctors as you move around.
One option would be to schedule and return to where your regular doctors office is located if you don’t need ongoing medical care.
For example, if you’re currently living in Des Moines, Iowa, you might plan to keep that as your home state moving forward. You could then plan to head back to Iowa annually for regular checkups maybe scheduled during a family visit.
This would possibly allow you to have somewhere to stay with family or friends should you end up dealing with any long-term medical issues.
A health issue shouldn’t be reason to keep you from your full time RV lifestyle, however it’s wise to plan precautions prior to going out on the road. If you’re dealing with serious health issues, then you should speak with your doctor prior to starting this full-time adventure.
When you’re out on the road, it’s wise to travel slowly so you’ll have the opportunity to research local hospital and urgent care facilities ahead of where you’re going so you know your options once you arrive.
6) Create a Mail System
Getting away from junk mail is a desire everyone shares, but you’re going to find you want or need certain mail to get to you on a timely basis.
Once you hit the road, this can get complicated if you don’t plan for it in advance.
Creating a plan to know how and where you’ll have mail delivered will be helpful. Not being able to get important mail sent to you on a timely basis could prove disastrous.
There are options like getting a P.O. Box, or having mail delivered to the campground you’re heading for. You might even have your mail sent to a friend or relatives’ home if you trust them.
Whichever system you decide to use, you’re going to want to work proactively to reduce the amount of mail being sent to you. You don’t want to overwhelm a P.O.Box or family member with lots of junk mail.
Think you don’t get much mail now, leave it unattended for a month or two and see how quickly it piles up. Look for a mail forwarding company that can get you a real mail address. This will help where a P.O.Box is not allowed, and they can also contact you promptly on important mail.
7) Consider Your Social Obligations
For many, full timing will become an exciting experience and they meet many new friends while traveling, but for others this can become a very lonely and isolated experience that might ruin past relationships.
It’s important to take family and friends into consideration before you leave. Communicate with them to make sure they understand you’re not abandoning them. Make plans to be able to visit them regularly as time goes forward.
Friendships will be easier to maintain if you find ways to keep in regular touch while your unavailable to spend in person time.
Some people who’ve gone full time, end up giving up because they become lonely out on the road. So, while you’re making new friends, it’s important to keep in touch with your current friends. Keep this idea in mind and you should never encounter this loneliness issue.
8) Save Money in Smart Ways
Living the RV lifestyle doesn’t have to be expensive, however it does cost money. Your RV will need things like maintenance, insurance, fuel for travel, and a place to park. You can find ways to reduce these expenses, but you’ll never eliminate them completely. You might consider finding campsites near me when you're first starting out.
Beyond the RV expenses, regular everyday life expenses will continue even out on the road. You’re going to need money food, entertainment, and things like health insurance.
A good rule of thumb is to have at least a few months of living expense money saved back before you begin this adventure.
Research what you believe your typical expenses will be and begin to save some money each month up to the point you reach your financial goal.
If your plans include not working on the road, then you’ll need to plan on having even more money available when you leave. Some can set aside enough money for several years on the road without every having to worry about money. If you plan to be one of those people, you may find yourself saving for quite a bit longer before you begin your RV lifestyle.
9) Agree on a Budget Early On
Have you already sorted out how much you’ll spend each month as you travel? If you haven’t, you might want to give this some thought. So many assume that RV living is cheaper than their home upkeep, however it can actually cost more.
The RV lifestyle has several unforeseen costs associated with it. For instance, many tourist destinations have entry fees, and many campgrounds can actually cost more than an apartments monthly rent.
You may also discover that many places or services that were once free now have added costs.
A good example of this would be laundry expenses each week to wash your clothes. You probably had a washer and dryer set at home, now you’ll need to visit a laundry facility to do laundry. You might not think a few dollars each week for laundry is a big thing, but it all adds up during the year in extra expenses.
Combine this with added fuel costs and maintaining equipment and you might discover that you’re spending more to live in your RV than you did living in your home or apartment.
10) Consider Ways to Make Money On The Road
There are many people living the full-time lifestyle that have already retired. These folks are probably financially ready to go full-time without money concerns. They will just set a budget that feels right to them, and they can then live indefinitely in their RV.
Still others will be required to continue to earn money while on the road. There are many ways this can be accomplished. If you’re capable of the RV lifestyle, then you’ll be capable of finding ways to make money while living the full time RV lifestyle.
Do you have a skill that you could use to make money online? People with skills like customer service representatives, marketers, writers, computer programmers, and IT specialists can find plenty of job opportunities online.
If you’re not trained in some of these fields, then you might have to consider other options of localized work where you are staying. This might include seasonal work or a job that allows them to travel. A good example might be an Uber driver that could use their tow vehicle to make money taxiing people around the area they’re living in during the evening hours.
Some find a popular option is to find bartending or retail jobs in the cities where they travel. These are both universal skills that can be taken from location to location.
11) Research RVs Beforehand
So, now you’ve planned everything out, it’s probably time to begin planning on the right EV for your journey and RV lifestyle. Are you already an RV owner, will this unit be the right fit for your full-time lifestyle?
You need to think about the traveling you’re about to undertake in order to research the type of RV that will be best suited to your needs. One consideration will be whether you plan to tow your RV with a vehicle you’ll use to drive while stopped or if you’ll have a drivable RV that might require a TOAD vehicle you pull behind in order to tour during your stays.
How long you plan to stay in location might impact the size of unit you’ll be looking for. The longer you stay in one location, the larger unit you might prefer for more living space. As mentioned above, a larger Class A RV might require a tow set-up to haul a car or jeep behind.
With this option they can leave their camping unit hooked up while they might travel to town with their towed vehicle for work or to buy supplies or explore.
Do your research, talk to other people, and consider renting different RV’s so you’ll be better informed before deciding on the best unit before you make a final purchase.
12) Get An RV and Use It
Before you go full time, I can’t stress enough the importance of spending some time with your RV by taking shorter trips and getting familiar with how everything works and where it’s all going to fit. Do this before you jump completely into full-time living. I can’t stress enough how stressful the idea of picking up a new unit just before you head out will be.
This period of getting use to your new RV will give you a chance to find out if living in this smaller space away from everything you’ve known feels right for you.
Many find that while they’re loving the RV lifestyle, it might not be something they want to do week in and week out for months at a time. It can be popular to make several long vacation trips during the year while maintaining their current home. If they had rushed into the decision to sell their home before leaving, they would no longer have a home base to return to.
13) Learn Basic RV Maintenance
One of the most valuable things you can do by spending time getting to know your RV with shorter trips before going full-time is to get familiar with basic maintenance that will be required. Learn basics like how to repair an exterior leak, clear your plumbing systems, and even change an RV tire if you’ve never experienced these things. This way you’ll have a basic knowledge of these tasks once on the road, even if you hire this work done in the future.
Understanding basic maintenance of your particular unit will be very helpful in an emergency service situation and this will ultimately save you money on the road.
You’ll also find peace of mind if you find yourself needing to perform some basic repair while traveling through a remote area.
14) Create an Exit Plan Before Leaving
Some will plan on a full-time RV lifestyle and enjoy it for several years before deciding they’re ready to get back to a home base lifestyle, while others will plan to RV until they die. No matter your plans now, you need to decide on a possible exit plan should your situation change forcing you to exit from your full-time lifestyle. There could be several reasons why you might be forced to change plans, and it will be helpful to have an exit plan in place before you start.
This plan will be especially helpful if you’re forced to end the lifestyle for an emergency. An example might be you or a family member developing a health issue that might stop your full-time remote living.
In the event you encounter some form of unexpected reason to stop, having a plan in place will reduce the stress and help make the transition back to stationary life simpler.
Another possible reason for such an abrupt change might be a financial emergency. In this case, if you’ve saved enough money to be able to get back home and transition back into a stationary lifestyle, you’ll always have some breathing room while you search for a new job and transition back into that lifestyle.
In Conclusion
There are several steps to consider before going on a full time RV adventure. We’ve outlined 14 of them and encourage you to research each further and not rush any of these steps. The more time you spend thoroughly planning, the better your RV lifestyle adventure will be.
