RV Life Lessons: Finding Balance in Full-Time Travel 

Are you ready to start planning the ultimate bucket list trip? Or need to make a complete lifestyle change, but have no idea where to start? As more people are trading in the traditional way of living for a more freedom-filled, adventurous nomadic life on wheels, these RV life lessons helped us find balance in full-time travel and the RV lifestyle. 

While most people think the RV lifestyle is like being on vacation all the time, the reality of traveling full-time in an RV takes communication, patience, and compromise. Keep reading to learn what RV life lessons we learned at the beginning of our journey.

RV Life Lesson 1: Ignorance is not Always Bliss

One of the most eye-opening life lessons that all nomads learn is that the RV lifestyle isn’t for everyone. It takes patience, compromise, and a little know-how. You’re always learning what works best and how to improve things (especially on travel days).

You don’t have to be an expert traveler or even a full-time RVer, but learning these essential RV concepts will make your next camping trip easier, safer, and more fun for everyone.

• How to drive or tow your motorcoach, 5th wheel, or travel trailer.
• How to properly connect your sewer hose.
• How to better organize your RV and home.
• How to maintain balance while living in an RV. 

RV Life Lesson 2: Learn How to Go With the Flow 

With any new adventure or season of change, fear has a way of finding its way into your life. It creeps into your thoughts and paralyzes you to the point of stopping your forward motion. 

At the beginning of any full-time RV journey, fear of the unknown is always there. For my husband and I, fear and self-doubt were certainly there. We sometimes felt like our dream of full-time travel was impossible and that we were crazy to think we could live and work full-time on the road.

We constantly asked ourselves:

• What if a family member got sick?
• How would we know what destinations to visit?
• How were we going to manage the finances?
• Would we be happy living in such a small space?
• What if we didn’t like the RV lifestyle?

Questions like these were always on our minds until we learned how to just let go and go with the flow. The RV lifestyle is ever-changing. When plan A doesn’t work out, go to plan B. And you may want to have a plan C and D, too! Be flexible in your journey; learn to roll with the punches and take life one day at a time.

Pushing through fear into the unknown is part of the journey. It’s never about the end destination but how you handle the journey along the way!

RV Life Lesson 3: Find the Right Travel Pace

Full-time RV life is a far cry from the occasional weekend camping trip. It often requires a different way of thinking when it comes to your travel pace or how quickly you travel from one place to another.

When camping part-time, you have a destination, you’re on a schedule, and eventually, you have to go home. You are limited in how far you can travel and what you can see or do. You only have a little time to enjoy the trip before returning to normal daily life.

On the other hand, when living full-time in an RV, you’re never on a set schedule. You’re not limited on how far you can travel, and your home is always with you. So finding the best travel pace is essential.

When we began our new adventure, I made the mistake of planning our travel days the same way I did when we were camping part-time. I planned our driving times, our nightly stops, and the time it would take us to get from one place to the next. 

We drove, set up, ate, slept, tore down (after my morning coffee), and drove some more. 

In my mind, we had a destination, and we had to get there as quickly as possible. I didn’t realize that our new RV lifestyle meant we could slow down, relax, and enjoy life without being limited with time.

The RV lifestyle is much more than just a way of living – it’s about adventure, making memories, and living life with no regrets. So, when planning your travel pace, be sure to slow down, take time to smell the roses (as they say), and don’t miss the amazing travel destinations you’re journey has to offer.

RV Life Lesson 4: Living Minimally Means Having a Budget

Some people decide to live full-time in an RV to save money and pay off debt. Others retire and have a set income to live everyday life.

When making a budget, here are a few things to consider:

• Total household income.
• Campground fees.
• Daily travel expenses like gas, groceries, and incidentals.
• Eating out and entertainment.
• Extra activities like museums, guided tours, and amusement parks.
• RV maintenance.
• Unexpected expenses and emergencies.

The RV lifestyle can be as expensive… or as inexpensive as you want. However, even though living minimally means creating a budget; it doesn’t mean you have to limit things to do when traveling full-time.

In most cases, you can always find budget-friendly or free things to do when traveling, like hiking, biking, and exploring new places.

RV Life Lesson 5: Space is Limited in an RV

When living in small spaces like a camper or travel trailer, things can sometimes feel a little cramped! You’re constantly bumping into one another, you’re together all the time, and have you ever tried fitting more than one person in the bathroom? Not an easy task!

Communication is Key When Living in a Small Space

When people say women are from Venus; Men are from Mars, believe them (especially when living full-time in an RV)! Communication is the key when living in a small space.

These are a few communication best practices when traveling full-time in an RV.

• Listen first; speak second.
• Be respectful when communicating.
• Ask questions so there is no miscommunication.
• Be open and honest when listening to the opinions and ideas of others.
• Compromise always.

Sharing the Chores Helps Find Balance

Whether living in a traditional, sticks-and-bricks home or traveling full-time in an RV, life still happens, and chores still need to be done. This is especially true when living in such a small space. For example, the dishes need to be done, the trash needs to be taken out, the bed needs to be made, and someone still needs to clean the toilets (which is not my favorite)! 

If you’re not careful, stuff can pile up quickly when living in small spaces, and life can get tense fairly quickly. However, when sharing the chores, everyone in the family contributes to the lifestyle, daily life tends to go more smoothly, and there is a healthy balance.

Respect Boundaries

Healthy boundaries help all relationships grow and thrive. The same is true (maybe, even more so) when living, working and traveling full-time in an RV. Again, space is limited, and it’s important to have alone time, as well as family time.

Like many full-time digital nomads, I still work remotely (thanks for reading, BTW), and technology often plays an important role in funding our lifestyle. So, our dining table often serves a dual purpose – it’s an office during the day and an eating space at night. 

During the day, you’ll find me at the table with my phone, computer, and tons of paperwork scattered from one end to the other. But, at night, it’s transformed into a nice, quaint (and clean) eating space just for the two of us. This is just one of the many boundaries we have set so we can eat in peace without our phones’ constant *DING*. We eat in peace! 

Boundaries are healthy for every relationship and all lifestyles. Therefore, they should be discussed regularly, respected always, and recognized by the whole family.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a full-time digital nomad has been one of the best decisions my husband and I have ever made. We’ve been able to explore some amazing travel destinations, experience many unique travel adventures, and enjoy our best life in our own way and on our own terms.

I can tell you – it hasn’t been easy! We’ve had our fair share of challenges living the RV lifestyle, but the memories we’ve made will always far outweigh the hiccups we’ve experienced along the way. 

Whether you’re considering making a lifestyle change or becoming a digital nomad, these top five RV life lessons are not only necessary; they are essential in finding balance in full-time travel. So what lessons have you learned? How have you made RV life better for your family? Share some of your RV lifestyle tips by leaving us a comment below.

Have more questions about full-time RV travel, consider reading