Lessons Learned From A Semi-Newbie RV’er
Our beloved semi is getting the brake lights fixed, which really did not happen!
I find it fascinating when other people show how wonderful or glamorous fulltime rving is. Freedom at the snap of your fingertips, numerous campgrounds, yours for the picking. Your options are limitless and all the wonderful sights to see, places to go, photos to take to amaze your friends and family. I will throw in a wrench and say, buckle up buttercup. You are in for a ride! It is not always what others make it out to be.
When John and I were planning for his retirement (he is a bit older then me), we wanted to travel. Traveling costs money, sometimes a lot. For us, though, we would not have a lot of money, but be on a “fixed income.” So we had a choice to make: either stay in our house and live within our means and limited travel or sell everything and live in a trailer and travel whenever we wanted.
We chose the latter as we enjoy traveling and want to do it while we have the ability to travel. Relatives thought we were crazy and tried to talk us out of it, but to no avail, as we did not want their advice, but would have appreciated their support instead. We watched many YouTube videos and did research online about this new way of life, a lifestyle that would change us forever.
Now that we are 3 months into this, we have learned what fulltime rving really is (at least so far) and the lessons we learned. I think living this new lifestyle has changed us and helped us to realize that things are not always going to be what we think they will be, and to expect the unexpected. Here are some things we learned and tips to overcome the challenges:
Lower your expectations: I think this is the most important and thus on the top of this list. I had high expectations to embrace this new lifestyle, to find the ultimate camping spots and share with others about these scenic places. I did not put in the factor that other people camp and take spots that you may want. It is important to have a plan B, C or even more in case you cannot find that perfect spot. Lowering expectations will help to find future camping spots, even if it is not the most scenic, but would be a content spot for a time.
Weather: The incredible wind we have been through! OMG! I did not know we could experience so much wind. Sometimes we would stay in the camper as it was not safe to travel in the wind. I felt stuck at times, but I would find something to do within the safe confines of the camper. I have a Windy app and I check the weather, but isn’t it funny that weather sometimes likes to change on you? Weather is unpredictable. But if you ever feel like you are in danger then leave. We did not feel in danger with the wind, it was incredibly annoying and we had to cancel outdoor activities because of the fierceness of the wind. This is when you want to plan indoor activities until the weather is pleasant again, or leave. That is the beauty of this lifestyle: if you do not like the area you are in, then leave! There are some great spots out there!
Things will break: Even though we have been camping for a short time, things will still break. We had a macerator pump fail us and this is an important tool. This tool helps to pump out human waste and water from the trailer to a 100 gallon bag we have outside of the trailer. This is when having a handy person in the family is helpful. My husband fixed it as much as he could, but we still ended up buying a new one, but a different brand. Lesson learned was to have extra tools or items on hand in case if something breaks, and inevitably it will.
So far, these are the top 3 lessons I learned as a newbie RV’er. Life is full of learning experiences and even some expectations. As time marches on, I have a feeling I will add to this list, but it is my hope this will help soon-to-be fulltime RV’ers. Life happens whether you have a sticks and bricks (house) or a trailer. Things break, do not go your way or whatever does not happen, it will happen.
If you are planning a life of fulltime rving, then take into consideration that there will be good times and not so good times. But you can make it as we are, and have a great time exploring many beautiful places!