Tag: pros and cons

We’ve been living the RV lifestyle full-time for close to a year now. We sold the house, the cars, virtually all material possessions; all in pursuit of a lifestyle full of travel and endless adventure. Do we sound crazy for doing this? Of course. But we aren’t the only ones running away from the traditional norms of society. Plenty of people are hopping on the bandwagon (or RV-wagon), especially after COVID and in light of the current housing market trends.

Time to read:

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The [Pros] of the RV Lifestyle

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1. RVs are much more affordable than housing. Did you know the median home price in America is $428,700? Compared to $20,000 for a lower-end travel trailer that you can pull with most trucks or SUVs – that’s wild!
2. Monthly rates at most RV parks or campgrounds can easily be cheaper than the average mortgage. Most monthly rates are around $800 (or even less). This rate includes your lot rent, water, power, and waste in most cases.
3. You are mobile! With a motorhome, RV, or camper, you can take off on the open road anytime you’d like. You aren’t anchored to any specific location like you are in a house. If you’re tired of your surroundings or want to seek out better weather (looking at you snow birds) then you can put the pedal to the metal and chase the sunshine.
4. Taxes and insurance are MUCH cheaper on a RV as compared to a home. In 2020, the average single-family home taxes in America were close to $3,700. This is also combined with paying home insurance, which is close to $1,800 per year on average. We’re talking about $5,000 per year (or more) in taxes and fees for an average home. RVs and campers have the advantage of being tremendously less expensive in this category.
5. If you enjoy privacy, you can have more of it – all of the time! You won’t have to deal with nosey neighbors. We all know how this can go … Instead, camp out on BLM land or on a sprawling 500 acre farm with Harvest Hosts and you’ll enjoy the freedom to roam.
6. Keep your mind sharp: imagine a world where your surroundings can be different every week. That’s how we currently live – your life continues to feel shaken up and exciting because you can travel freely. I personally, got bored in the same old town doing the same old things after 26 years.
7. Story telling … release your inner storyteller by sharing stories about your travels. We’ve found ourselves stopping to pause when telling others stories about our epic adventures when we realize we’re talking about reality – punch me! Experience life, rather than being the one hearing about others experiencing life.
8. Create a flexible schedule that allows for travel, experience new things, and work a lot less. We find ourselves working a whole lot less than full-time right now, because we have built a lifestyle focused on experiences instead of a paycheck.
9. Travel with man’s best friend, Fido! Your pets can come along on your adventures when you live in a motorhome or camper. No longer will you have to leave them back home and get someone to dog sit for the weekend. They get to come along with you now!
10. Unlimited adventure is outside of your window. No, literally. When we wake up in the morning, we get to sit outside while we work with our internet hotspot. Working custom hours, choosing adventure more often, and chasing a lifestyle of freedom is a feeling you’ll come back to; no more sitting at an office cubicle, that’s for sure.
11. Chase a new career or passion like blogging, photography, or recording podcast episodes. Creativity is amplified by travel. Can you imagine trying to write blogs about the same hometown you live in every day? The content just doesn’t scale like it can when you travel.
12. Being out in nature will improve your mental health and regulate your body’s chemicals. Do you want a happier, healthier life? You can find this by connecting with the great outdoors. Traveling allows you to consistently sit outside at new places, breathe fresh air, plan hikes and nature-based activities, and more. Build an active lifestyle!

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The [Cons] of Livin’ in a Van Down by the River (RV Lifestyle)

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1. RVs do not hold their value, as they are a depreciating asset (anything with wheels and motors is typically depreciating) The majority of homes will increase in value an average 3-4% per year, at a minimum they hold their current value.
2. The majority of RVs and campers are not built for all four seasons. This means that you will definitely notice hot summers and cold winters in a home on wheels – and it can be rough. However, there are RVs that are specifically made for all four seasons – Airstream is a great example of these.
3. RVs just aren’t built with the quality a home is. There are not nearly as many code regulations and inspectors focused on the build of RVs or campers. In a traditional home there is usually a city planning committee, plan examiners, codes that must be followed, and code inspectors that help hold a standard of quality.
4. You’ll get a TON more life out of a home. Sticks and bricks homes are built in a completely different way than most of your run-of-the-mill campers. Homes can last 100 years (some historic places have lasted longer!) compared to an RV which will deteriorate within 15-20 years – if you’re lucky.
5. Maintenance is an ongoing disaster with a RV. Part-timers put close to 3,500 miles per year on their rig while full-timers drive closer to 14,000 miles per year. Because of the constant driving and banging around, you’ll expect a lot maintenance repairs – tires, brakes, axles.
6. Community is very hard to build while constantly traveling. We can speak first hand about this, we find ourselves feeling a little lonely sometimes while on the road. You’ll live a mostly digital lifestyle in an RV – where you interact with others on social media, blogs, and other online communities.
7. Finding regular health care services can be difficult while on the road, especially if traveling consistently. You’ll have to do in depth research on new cities to find available health care while you are there, and they can be weeks out when scheduling an appointment to see you.
8. Privacy can be seriously lacking when you stay next to others at certain RV parks. You’ll hear barking dogs, noisy neighbors banging around, and the couple next to you fighting while they try to back in. This can feel pretty reminciedt of life in a college frat dorm.
9. Complex budgeting can be a monthly hassle. We try to budget weekly, (at a minimum definitely once a month) so that we can stay on top of our spending and monthly budget. It will fluctuate month-to-month A LOT – especially if you are traveling frequently, so expect to spend a few hours here a month planning.

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Speaking of budgets, we have a RV Life Budget sheet that is an example budget we’ve used before, and we give you a template where you can make your own next to example budget.

Enter your email below to sign up for updates to our blog, then you’ll be able to download the RV Life Budget sheet below.

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Just Announced: We have camping & outdoor merchandise now!

We custom created our lines with the outdoors in mind. We carry everything from stickers, water bottles, RV pillows, to blankets. And there’s plenty of clothing options too – t-shirts, shorts, yoga pants, sports bras, hoodies, socks. All of our merch is perfect for the RV lifestyle that we live and breathe.

You can click the above hyperlink, any of the below images, or copy and paste the link below into a new browser window to shop (we try to make this thing as easy as possible.) Any of these will get you to our new merch store – and we hope you’ll find something to fit your fancy while you’re there! (If you don’t, shoot us a DM and let us know what you’d like to see us add to the list.)

Here’s the shop link: https://noplacelikegone.creator-spring.com/

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Thanks for taking the time to read our blog today. We hope you got plenty of useful tidbits and feel more confident about trying out this insane RV lifestyle (or more confident in your decision not to – ha!). If you want to keep the conversation going – shoot us a DM:

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Please consider joining the gone community by subscribing below & following us on social media. It’s 100% free, and well worth the price of admission. We’ll update you with the newest RV lifestyle stories, tips and tricks, mental wellness tips, and so much more. DMs are always open to chat, and we’ll answer any questions you have about this lifestyle – it doesn’t have to be scary! We also promise not to spam your inbox with junk – we don’t care for that either.

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