We know the struggle. You’ve been considering and planning for full-time RV travel for months or years. The planning and preparation process is likely daunting. Choosing a travel trailer, motorhome, or fifth wheel is a huge step. Downsizing your belongings to fit in your new tiny space can be an emotional and overwhelming process. You might have even changed jobs or quit working altogether. We get it because we’ve been there. Mentally, logistically, and financially preparing for your big adventure can take a toll.
We’re not going to sugarcoat it. Full time RVing is a major life transition that comes with its own set of hurdles.
We’re here to remind you that those first few weeks and months will be a big learning curve. Especially if you’re new to RVing. It might take some time to adjust to your new lifestyle. But it will also be a time of excitement, wonder, and awe. You’ll feel a sense of unparalleled freedom. You’ll travel to new places you’ve never been before and get to experience the sense of refreshment that only comes from an RV move day.
If you’re planning to travel with family in an RV, you’ll be able to spend so much more time together on a daily basis. After all, the re-prioritization of family time is probably one reason you decided to full-time RV in the first place.
Here are some helpful tips to get you through this transition.
- Be patient with yourself and your travel companions. This might be a stressful time and this is expected.
- Check in with yourself (and your family) about your honest feelings. Often just taking the step of naming reasons you’re feeling a negative thought helps identify and work through that thought.
- Enjoy the journey. Absorb as much as you can from each moment.
Eventually, you’ll develop a sense of the pace and style of travel you enjoy the most and an idea of what works best for you and/or your family in your new space and new life.
Maybe you’re planning to RV for a year, maybe two years. Your time frame might still be up in the air and that’s ok. When we started RV life, we were only guaranteed 6 months on the road, and we made the best of it. Truly, we jumped in with both feet first and had no clue what we were getting ourselves into. Yet here we are, three years and several major life transitions later, still living it.
And if you decide full-time RV travel is not what you expected, you can always cut your losses and find a house to rent or somewhere new to settle. Worst case, you might end up right back where you began. Either way, you’ll be proud of yourself for trying something new and getting outside of your comfort zone.
