This month marks three years on the road for us. It feels like it was only yesterday that we started this journey, yet we can hardly remember our lives before. We’ve had many ups and few downs living an in RV, but we’re quite content with our lives. Part of this may come from the transformation we’ve experienced since we’ve been traveling full-time. 

How Living in an RV has Changed Us

We know we changed as the years passed, but this was recently confirmed when we visited some friends from college. The last time we had visited was two years ago, only one year into traveling full-time. This visit, they couldn’t get over how much we’ve changed, especially Brandon. It helped us to see there were more changes than we realized happening and we knew it all stemmed from our experience on the road.

Curtailed Consumerism

When you live in an RV, you adopt a mantra: one in, one out. There just isn’t the room to collect things. We started paring down our collection of stuff in preparation for living in an RV, but once you’re in it, the lack of extra storage space really helps to curtail any retail therapy you may employ. The fact that we no longer watch much TV and even fewer commercials means we’re not as bombarded by messaging to buy, buy, buy and have less impulse to go shopping. We now collect memories and sunsets with a few smashed pennies and stickers thrown in for good measure.

Additionally, we enjoy slowing down, sitting around campfires with friends, hiking, exploring in our off-road capable toad, and generally just hanging out. We aren’t out to see everything possible and spend every dime we have to get into theme parks and such. We take pleasure in what’s around us and the company we keep.

Laid Back Planners

While neither of us were ever crazy planners, Kerensa did like to have a general plan of where we were going and what was around when we got there. Sometimes that skill still comes in handy like planning for the Florida Keys, but for the most part, we don’t make reservations anymore. We prefer to stay loose with our plans and be able to adjust quickly to meet friends, dodge weather, or choose a destination on a whim!

Our lives have become more laid back and we have become more laid back with them. Going to Mexico for a dental check-up was not something Brandon would have entertained three years ago. Now, it’s just part of the RVer life. When things break, we don’t stress too much. We just make a plan to fix it, adjust, and move on.

Super Social

We both identify as introverts and only keep a few close friends. But living in an RV has made us more social than ever. We are usually up for any kind of RVer meet-up and we’ve made so many friends this way. Connections are made quick, but deep. Never before have we felt such a strong sense of community while living in a fixed location. We keep up with our friends digitally when not together, but we will go out of our way to meet-up when possible. We plan gatherings in the winter and try to attend Xscapers convergences when we’ll be in the area. We have more friends in our circle now than all our years before! We wrote more about how we stay in touch in Staying Social on the Road.

Only a small portion of the friendly faces we’ve met on the road

Best Things about Living in an RV

There are many reasons we love our life on the road. The top one is being able to travel, of course, but the RV life has afforded us other opportunities we didn’t think about when we took off three years ago.

Spending Extended Time with Family and Friends

Instead of taking a few days off of work and flying out to see family twice a year, we can now park nearby and visit like we’re neighbors. This also applies to friends scattered throughout the country. When you have limited time to travel, you may only get to see some friends every few years if at all. Now we’re working on making a second loop to visit everyone again!

Living Like Locals

Again, we’re not stuck to a vacation timeline. We are not on vacation, this is our life. So instead of pulling in for a week and cramming our days full of sightseeing, we balance our days with work and play. We choose what we would like to see, but don’t feel compelled to “get our money’s worth.” We may stay a few days or a few weeks depending on what we want to explore in the area. During this time, we’re carrying on a normal life similar to a resident by shopping at local stores, eating at local restaurants, and participating in daily life. I cannot say we are true citizens by any stretch, but it does give us a better sense of place than a vacation usually does.

Wild Camping or Boondocking

We didn’t start doing this one right away, but, boy we were happy when we did! It really opened up the possibilities for us and made us love this life even more. Upgrading our batteries and adding solar upped our game and allowed us to get off the grid even if it’s just at a Harvest Host or casino. But being able to camp amongst the red rocks of Sedona is something special, especially when it’s just you or a small group of friends. It’s a good breather between campgrounds and something we try to do as much as possible. And can you really beat the low, low price of free?

Worst Things about Living in an RV

We actually have a hard time with naming the worst things. That’s not to say everything is perfect and all rosy in RV living, it isn’t. It’s just that nothing seems so awful that it needs to be called out. Maybe it’s our more laid back attitude or just knowing things like dumping the black tanks are just part of life, but it never seems that bad. Still, we feel compelled to come up with something, so here are our least favorite things about living in an RV.

Getting the RV Serviced

This is mainly because it is our home and office and it can be disruptive. If we need to be out of the RV while work is being performed, we have to find somewhere else to work or wait with our pets. We’ve done this at the service center, at a friend’s house, and once we just rented a hotel room because we didn’t want to work in the car all day with two dogs and two cats. We don’t think they wanted to sit in the car all day either. We’ve also spent the night at service centers which are not the most scenic locations, but really aren’t all that bad. Sometimes you even get to plug into power.

There are some things we do ourselves, but it’s not like we carry a full mechanic’s tool set for everything that comes up. Installing our sway bars in the desert sounded like a good idea, but after a couple missing and broken parts were uncovered on the RV, we had to put it all back together and go to a shop.

Driving Around Big Cities

We were city dwellers before heading out on this never-ending trip. We drove daily to work in big cities like Dallas and the area around New York City (for her part, Kerensa will readily admit she took public transportation daily in NYC and was already out of practice).  Doing it in a car is one thing, but in a motorhome is an altogether different experience. Cars tend to zip around you and most people don’t realize how long it takes for an RV to stop. It can be a little nervewracking. To combat this, we try to avoid rush hour and may take alternate routes. PSA: Don’t cut off an RV in traffic. You may think you’re jumping ahead, but you may be dooming yourself to being rear-ended by something 5 times your size.

Remembering to Book Holiday Weekends

This is a little bit of a whiny thing to say, but it’s real. Holiday weekends tend to just blend into the calendar now and it’s easy to forget to plan ahead. We’ve been lucky so far and already had holidays booked totally by accident, found boondocking, and spent Independence Day parked in a dive buddy’s driveway, but we have forgotten holidays and so have our friends. Memorial Day weekend campground reservations may be booked months in advance and we just don’t think like that anymore. Maybe now is the time to set reminders.

Boondocking in Buffalo Gap National Grassland outside of Wall, SD

Highlights of Our First Three Years

There are so many things that we’ve loved that it’s hard to choose, but there are a few stand-outs.

Wintering in the Desert with Friends

Last winter, we spent the week leading up to the new year with around 40 other rigs in the Anza-Borrego desert. It was truly one of the most memorable New Year’s Eve nights we’ve ever experienced. We sang karaoke (well, not us, we watched karaoke), burned a plywood borrego, and ate like kings at a potluck out in the middle of nowhere. It was pretty fantastic. From there, we broke off with a smaller group in search of better internet and continued with the community happy hours. We then hiked it up to Quartzsite for an Xscapers convergence and another gathering of close friends. It was a pretty great way to spend a month, especially before we all dispersed in different directions for the spring.

Meeting People

We already discussed becoming more social, but meeting other full-time RVers in this community is one of the best things that has happened to us. There are some people we consider friends that we haven’t even met in person yet. The RVing community is welcoming and open and we often start friendships online through Facebook groups or Instagram before crossing paths in real life. 

And beyond RVers, we have met many interesting people living all over this nation. We’ve watched artisans work their magic in New Orleans and listened to teachers in small towns describe what it’s like teaching in a school of fewer than 10 students. Traveling has shown us different perspectives. Moving around the country, we realize that people are more alike than different. They all have their individual struggles and are just trying to get by the best way they can. What brings us together is a sense of community and we love to help foster that.

Being Surprised by Places

This comes with the territory as we are always exploring, but there are some places that just sneak up on you. Case in point is the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in Wall, South Dakota. We stopped in Wall to see the Badlands and visit Wall Drug, but ended up being blown away by the beauty of the grasslands. We were able to wild camp on the edge of the Badlands for free (thank you USDA Forest Service!) and witnessed some of the most beautiful skies and scenery. This beautiful and peaceful site is easily one of our favorite places we have camped so far!

We already knew we enjoyed Vermont having traveled up to the southern part of the state a few times when living in the area. But we were still surprised by how much we enjoyed Burlington once we got up there. We only had a few weeks, but could have easily spent the whole summer there. It really seems to come alive and Vermonters make the most out of the season. Brandon was able to dive Lake Champlain multiple times and explore a wreck only a handful of people had seen before. And seriously, we’re out of maple syrup, so we may need to go back this year.

Getting a New RV

When we say new, it’s only new to us, but that’s how we prefer it. Let someone else shake it down. After hemming and hawing over trading in our previous RV, we finally decided to go for it. We knew our old one was too big for us and we didn’t want to invest in upgrades like solar when we didn’t feel like it was ours. It was the right choice and we’re very happy with our current set-up. We installed solar panels, so we didn’t have to worry about the batteries overnight or running the generator twice a day like on our old coach. We have more options as to where to stay with our smaller size and off-grid capabilities and that makes us very happy. Now we just need to redo the interior a bit and it will be all ours.

Low Points of Our First Three Years

Living in an RV doesn’t magically make the world stop and we’ve had our share of heartache and frustration over three years, a lot of it personal. Kerensa lost two grandparents within a year and when you’re on the road, it can be hard to get home. And sometimes things just go wrong.

Losing Both Cats

We only had our little Gypsy cat just over a year when she snuck outside in San Diego during our pre-desert stay. The next month was filled with constant searches, fliers, and talking to anyone in the neighborhood, but we never found her. A short time later, our older cat Dylan was diagnosed with lymphoma. This is something most cats can live with, but six months after losing Gypsy, we lost Dylan, too. We did learn about coordinating intensive long-term medical care for a pet on the road and where all the animal oncologists on the west coast practice. Thankfully, our initial oncologist was so helpful in making sure she was looped in with what was happening along the way that we felt we had a primary vet on staff.

Mini Catching on Fire

Yes, we’d say having our car catch on fire in west Texas definitely ranks as a low point. We had stopped at a pull off area in between the small town of Alpine and the smaller town of Marfa looking at wildflowers when Brandon noticed the car smoking. Brandon ran back and found a fire in the engine compartment. We pulled our small fire extinguisher out of the trunk and knocked the flames down. Brandon was able to pull everything out of the car while Kerensa called for help. The signal is very spotty out there and we were able to maintain signal just long enough to get our location to the operator. When she asked for a call back number in case we were disconnected, the line died and the signal never recovered. Thankfully, the sheriff and fire department were already on their way and they were able to put out the fire and take us back to the campground.

We scrapped our plans as our car was towed off to be repaired in El Paso and we had to move to a bigger city to find a rental. It turns out that Minis have an issue that can cause them to catch on fire at any time. Not trusting it after that, we switched it out for the Xterra. It was a pain at the time, but now it’s a story to tell around the campfire.

The Future

So you may wonder after three years on the road if we have plans to buy land, jump on a boat, or keep driving. We can whole-heartedly say we want to keep driving. We love the RV lifestyle and what it has brought us. So much so that we are diving in even more and focusing on RVing in our work lives, too. We have big plans for the coming year and we are excited about what we are doing next. We want others to share in this journey and know that they can do it, too.  

RV to Freedom: Our new Facebook community to help others learn about living in an RV.

We are opening a Facebook group called RV to Freedom: Learning to Live in an RV where anyone can come and ask questions to learn about living in an RV. We truly hope to help people get over their fears, cut through the clutter of opinions and information on the internet, and learn how to live on the road. We hope you’ll join us and share your experiences, too. The full-time RV community is welcoming and open and we want to encourage everyone to join, participate, and form connections. It makes us better prepared and better people. We hope to see you there and on the road!

Share our post or tell your friends to join by going to RVtoFreedomGroup.com. We can’t wait to chat!

Join the RV to Freedom Facebook Group!
Ask questions, share your stories, and connect to other RVers on the road or in the planning stages
RVtoFreedomGroup.com

One of our first meetups with fellow RVers and bloggers The Democratic Travelers and Wandering Kass.

Updated 3-21-2016 and 2-2-2017

When we took off on our full-time RV journey, I had no idea how many other working age full-timers were out there. I thought we’d visit our friends scattered around the country and meet a few people along the way, but had accepted it would be me and Brandon for most of the time. And while the majority of the time it is just the two of us, I had no idea just how social full-time traveling could be. My best friend has even joked how I’m such a social butterfly, a moniker that would have never been applied to me before. So how did I find all these other RVers to connect with and create our own little community? The power of the internet.

We’ve been fortunate to meet up with The Snowmads a few times. Here we’re at the National RV Tradeshow checking out their new digs.

Blogs:

We had talked about starting our own blog to keep our family and friends updated and because I always like to share finds and tips about places with other people. When I started looking for other RV blogs, the number of like-minded people I found amazed me. It gave me another reason to blog myself if it could help me connect with these other awesome RVers. I made sure to follow them on Facebook or Instagram and reached out when I saw someone headed our way. This led to a few great friendships.

Brandon and some new dive buddies he met through Facebook diving in Vermont.

Facebook:

Beyond following other RV blogs on Facebook, there are multiple RV groups. Some are big and some are small, but RVing is the central theme. We initially connected with some other RVers through the groups before meeting them in person. There are big groups that encompass questions (for newbies and old-hats), sharing statuses, and general RV topics (Full-Time RVers, FTRVing, etc). Some are for more specific subsets (Xscapers, Full-Time RV Travelers, Full Time Diesel RVers, Internet for RVers, etc). Others focus more on social aspects (NuRvers, RV Happiness, etc). You’re bound to find one that fits you (search RV and related terms); just be sure to read the description and pinned post to make sure you and the group are a good match.

Brandon has also used Facebook to find local dive buddies when the dive exceeds my limits or comfort range. He checks on Scubaboard regionally first, but usually has better luck finding local dive groups on Facebook. There he can post when he’ll be in town and see if anybody is available for a dive. It’s worked out pretty well allowing him to dive in places like Vermont and Texas. He’s even used Facebook to create a group of past dive buddies to keep connected and easily share related things.

Update: We created a Facebook group called RV to Freedom: Learning to Live in an RV that is open to RVers of all experience levels from thinking about living on the road to having done it for 22 years!  We invite you to join, ask questions, share stories, and make connections. That’s what makes this life great!

Instagram:

The RV community is vibrant on Instagram and has become one of the top ways to connect with other RVers. Here you’ll find individuals, couples, and families posting photos of their travels under their own names, blog monikers, or other fun handles that describe their style. We post fairly often when exploring new spots and make sure to tag where we are with the “name this location” option and a hashtag. These tags allow others to see where we are and offer up advice or jump up and say, “I’m here, too!” Instagram has even contributed to informal gatherings of RVers like New Year’s Eve in Borrego Springs which has grown substantially the past couple of years through word of mouth and people watching the happenings unfold on IG. I love keeping tabs on other Instagrammers’ travels and have found a few spots I’d like to visit based on their photos and stories. It’s fun to see where everyone else is and what their #RVlife looks like. We’re starting to keep track of our community and create connections using the hashtag #RVtoFreedom.

Paddling with Gone with the Wynns in Florida: We got to do a little diving and swim with manatees while there.

RVillage:

This social platform for RVers launched last year with the intent of creating connections and a community for RVers. The main benefit I have found is being able to check in to your current location and see who else is around you. A by-product of these check-ins is a personalized map of your travels which is fun to view. You can also connect with friends just like you would on Facebook. There is a home feed, groups, and maps to find other RVillagers, parks, and services.

In our first year of full-timing, we were able to attend a get-together planned on RVillage, stay in touch and reconnect with people from that gathering, and meet some neighbors we might not have spoken with otherwise. Although it’s been a bit slower for us lately, it’s still a tool I use at least whenever we move.

The first official Xscapers convergence during the 2015 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta          photo credit: Melanie Carr

Xscapers:

Xscapers is an off-shoot of Escapees RV Club with which many RVers are already familiar. Technically considered an RV Lifestyle Group within the Escapees umbrella, Xscapers receive all the same Escapees benefits (you are automatically a member of both) with additional support for the working-age RVer. Part of this support is an active Facebook group and convergences happening throughout the year.

We were lucky enough to attend three gatherings within its initial year. The first was soon after Xscapers was announced and very casual with just a few people in attendance that happened to be in town. We were able to meet the founders Melanie & Travis and hear their vision for the club (props to Technomadia for advising during the creation of the group and hosting the gathering). In October, we attended the first official convergence at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival and followed up with the next convergence in Quartzsite in January. The great thing about the convergences for us younger full-timers is they are not jam-packed, scheduled weeks where you are paying for meals and such. It’s a little more laid back taking into account that most of us work full-time or home-school and cannot attend every event or meal. There is a schedule of talk and happenings, but some pop-up like our grilled pizza demo in which people participated making it an easy potluck, too. We aren’t going to be in the neighborhoods of the next convergences, but they also encourage Xscapers to make their own gatherings, too, wherever they are.

Viewing the Wind Caves with few of the other #BorregoNewYear2016 attendees: WatsonsWander, The Scenic Route, The Kuhl Odyssey, @Jessiemonsters, and 2 Wander Away. We had previously met all them before because of their blog, Facebook, Instagram, and the Xscapers convergence.

Wander Slack:

Slack is a messaging app that many work teams already use. Since many in the RVing community work in computer-based jobs with Slack already open, Mike of Bold & Adventurous decided to make a team chat for RVers. Appropriately named Wander Slack, you’ll find channels specifically for boondocking, connectivity, and off-roading along with a general chat. The regulars are a friendly bunch and try to answer any questions they can. If you’re already on the computer during the day, hop on and chat away with your fellow travelers.

Not only did we get to meet the couple from Wheeled & Free, but we also got to see Kate’s bike (pictured) at an awesome Handbuilt show in Austin.

Twitter:

I was late to jump on the Twitter bandwagon. I joined personally a few years ago, but could never get into it. It took me even longer to set up our drive dive devour account. But another RV friend urged me to do so and I’m glad I did. I finally participated in a Twitter travel conversation and had direct conversations with other RVers. I finally felt like I got it. It’s still not my favored social platform, but it’s worth having a presence.

We’ve known the folks from Live, Breathe, Move for awhile digitally, but have only recently met in person.

This is how I built my community of RVers that makes me feel like I am a part of something larger. I may not have the same neighbors every day, but I know I’ll run into friends, old and new, along the way and can even plan meet-ups with the tools at my disposal. I love RVers and I love meeting them in person; these outlets keep us connected until that can happen.

What social media platforms do you use to stay connected? Are there any I missed that you would recommend? Please share your thoughts in the comments and let’s build a stronger community!