Myth #4 - Fulltime RVing is a Carefree Way of Life

That’s right! Every day is paradise...Not a worry in the world...Everyone you meet is friendly....There’s a gorgeous sunset at the end of every day. And, if anything about the place where you're parked isn't perfect, you just move on down the road.

Now, stop right there!

Utopia is a very small town in Texas. And, despite what you may have heard, fulltiming isn’t Utopia. As we’ve said, there is a lot to like about this lifestyle. In fact, we love it. But, we’re going to dig a little deeper into the parts of fulltiming that aren’t exactly carefree.

First and foremost, you’re living in a fiberglass box. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) Whether it’s 200 or 400 square feet doesn’t make much difference. Any way you slice it, it’s a little box. Most days it’s a small sacrifice for the privilege of exploring the continent and sleeping in your own bed every night. And, adaptable human beings can learn to live quite comfortably in a small space. But, there are days when the walls close in. When the weather keeps you inside longer than you like, your cozy rolling home can become a claustrophobic cave. Sure, there are lots of things you can do to keep cabin fever at bay, but the point here is that your average RV is 1/5 the size of the average American home. And, while living in a small space can be wonderfully simple, it can present many challenges to daily living. Sure, it takes less time to clean 300 square feet than 3,000. But, RVs are dirt and dust magnets. If you want to maintain the upper hand, chances are you’ll need to clean your rolling home much more frequently.

And, even if the dust-covered walls never close in, the roof will leak. In an RV, it’s not a matter of if, but when. If it’s not the roof, it’s one or more of the other thousands of parts in your rolling home that’s in need of repair. And, if you ignore it, it’ll only get worse. Talk to any group of RVers and, sooner or later, you’ll hear this familiar lament: It’s always something.

Essential services such as water, electricity, sewer and broadband access, which all just magically happen in a typical house, are subject to the place you’re staying and need to be monitored. Sometimes, like it or not, you have to live without one or more for awhile. You can just about bet that when you most need some smoking hot wifi to pay bills or whatever, you’ll be in some seemingly non-remote spot where the promised wifi is a figment of a park owner’s imagination and you can’t get even one measly little bar on your air card.

Can’t you just pick up and move? Sure, but, that’ll cost you. In most campgrounds and parks, when you pay for a week or a month at check-in, that’s it: No refunds. And, if you plan to dodge bad weather, you can’t fool Mother Nature. Those seeking to live perpetually in the 70s had a very limited choice of places to be this winter! And, just like life in a typical neighborhood, the average RV park or campground will usually have at least one resident with multiple barking dogs, something with a loud motor or music that’s just not your taste. The majority of folks you meet when you’re parked will be good people, but the rest can be real characters.

One more thing about the weather. As a fulltime RVer, it is a continual focus of your attention. Whether you're traveling or sitting still, you experience weather much more acutely than when you lived in a “stick and brick” house and drove a sedan. You never have to wonder if it’s hot, cold, windy or raining, because you know. You can feel it! And, when the National Weather Service issues any kind of advisory, you pay attention, because chances are it means you’ll be staying put or make some change in your plans. When you’re living on the road, Mother Nature calls the shots.

It’s easy to think of this “carefree” lifestyle as a perpetual vacation. But, there are always bills to be paid, household repairs to be made, doctors and dentists to locate and relationships to tend to. Have you ever done your taxes in the middle of a vacation? When you’re living fulltime in an RV you get to manage all of that “real life” stuff on the road...in 400 square feet or less.

Managing relationships on the road can be anything but carefree. When the folks you most care about are almost always far away, keeping in touch can be a challenge, especially when internet and cell access are sketchy. When your home is on wheels, it’s easy for these good people to think you can swing by for a visit for this and that special occasion. No matter that you're 1,000 miles away! After all, you’re retired and can go anywhere you want, right? So, if you choose to visit a National Park instead of attending Aunt Gladys’ birthday party, you might just find yourself in the family doghouse for awhile. (And, you thought living in a small space was tough!) Of course, when a family emergency does come up you’ll drop everything and head wherever you’re needed. And, those extra long travel days under duress are far from carefree.

We’re not complaining, mind you. We’re simply sharing a slice of real fulltiming life. This lifestyle, like any lifestyle, is about life.

And, if you’re still looking for something that’s totally carefree, you might check out this town in Arizona.