It’s been over a 12 months now that we’re Fulltime within the RV. We really wouldn’t commerce this way of life for the world. However we’ve come to comprehend that generally we do miss the safety of the stick and bricks. At instances it isn’t even the safety, however simply “issues.” Doug just lately wrote an article concerning the 10 Issues That Suck About RV Dwelling. Nonetheless, on this article, I’d wish to concentrate on issues which might be missed if you not have an precise home.
When Doug and I began out we didn’t have a lot. Each of us are employee bee’s and made one thing out of nothing fairly rapidly. We’ve each at all times strived for enchancment or to achieve our subsequent objective. Shopping for a house. Transferring to a greater faculty district. Surviving the lack of every part we’d labored for in Hurricane Sandy. We simply preserve going. That’s what we do. Objectives are set with the intent of assembly them. Transferring into the camper was a kind of objectives. And we achieved it.
However generally, having a home would actually be superior. There have been loads of issues that we each simply MISS from the Stick and Bricks!
Safety Of The Stick and Bricks
Yeah, you’re proper, there are nonetheless doorways and home windows. However they’re a lot thinner now. Sure, we are able to nonetheless lock every part up, and we do. My neighbors are lots nearer now although. You don’t have a chance to know your neighbors both. Yeah, you’ve mentioned hello. You’ve even shared dinners. However do you KNOW them? Like actually know them the identical method you knew your outdated neighborhood? Do you could know every part about them? Simply if you suppose you’re comfy, certainly one of you strikes! Onto new neighbors as soon as once more.
Campground theft is an actual factor. At my home, I may go away my bicycle within the driveway over evening. Since transferring into the camper, it must be locked up on a regular basis. Whether or not staying in a Nationwide Forest or a Campground Resort, theft has been a problem in all places. We weren’t on the resort in South Florida for 10 minutes earlier than we had been instructed of e-bikes being stolen. Not by fellow campers, however by folks within the surrounding neighborhoods. Out to House Depot for some thick cable and Amazon for bike alarms.
Even foolish issues like new sounds outdoors could make you search that safety of a home extra. While you dwell someplace for some time, you develop accustomed to the noises. Creeks within the floorboards. Trains going previous within the distance. Street site visitors. Something. However if you’re continually on the transfer, these noises are at all times altering. Even Lagertha has her ears tuned in additional to the completely different sounds.
A Family Kitchen
The camper we selected for our Fulltime Life-style was partially chosen due to the dimensions and format of the kitchen. In all honesty, I can’t say that my camper kitchen is little per se. The range and the oven ARE little although. Consuming out all the time shouldn’t be an possibility. First, it’s method too costly. Second, it’s critically unhealthy. I get pleasure from cooking! We prepare dinner within the camper. Exterior house and cooking devices are a should, and we use them ceaselessly too. However have you ever ever tried to make use of your camper oven for one thing giant? Like perhaps a turkey breast?
The oven doesn’t even maintain a normal pan. I needed to exit and get a particular 13×9 cooking pan with little or no handles to slot in there. Overlook about making a cake. You may solely do one layer at a time. Cookies too! The tiny cookie sheet I used to be capable of finding holds 8 cookies at a time. A batch of cookies is now an all day challenge.
Other than the dimensions of the oven and range is counter house. Within the camper, every part has a really particular house. Any deviation from that house creates litter. Maybe I’ve at all times been spoiled with a big kitchen. However discovering a spot to prep any meal or goodies is like discovering a needle in a haystack. Not inconceivable, simply unlikely. And definitely not with out some sort of mess taking place.
Sidewalks
I didn’t know I missed these. Actually, till our final house, we by no means even had them. We’ve at all times lived in fairly rural places and sidewalks didn’t exist. In our final house although, we lived in a improvement that had sidewalks. On a regular basis I’d take Lagertha out for a stroll up and down the sidewalks in our neighborhood. She knew to sit down on the finish of the street and anticipate me to inform her it was okay to cross. We didn’t fear about vehicles driving down the street. They had been within the street. We had been on the sidewalk.
Now that we’re in campgrounds or out on public land, there isn’t a such factor as sidewalks anymore. I’m glad there aren’t… It could actually look a bit ridiculous. However I miss them! I miss having them there once I go for my day by day stroll with Lagertha. She’s fairly good about staying on the facet of the street, however generally… “SQUIRRELL!” We’ve to be much more vigilant listening for vehicles developing behind us. Not at all times a simple activity with electrical vehicles as of late.
Lagertha has selected her personal, that she doesn’t go to the lavatory on our website. Placing up just a little fence for her to roam in on the positioning isn’t actually an possibility for her. We have to take our stroll on a regular basis. Hikes are great, and certainly one of her favourite issues. However generally, she simply must do her enterprise. And going for a stroll is what we do. Having a sidewalk to take action on, would actually be good generally.
Storage / Store / Driveway
That is one we KNEW we had been going to overlook. Doug undoubtedly misses it greater than me, however rattling! I didn’t understand simply how a lot we had been going to overlook having a spot to work on issues. Issues go unsuitable in a camper. Repairs will have to be made. Earlier than transferring into the camper, we had a storage. If the automobile Doug was engaged on didn’t match within the storage, we had the driveway. And if the challenge was extra sophisticated we actually have a good friend with a full mechanics store.
Not everybody has entry to all the above, however earlier than transferring into the camper, all of us seemingly have a driveway. Or a spot the place we are able to pull issues out and work on them. When issues break now, we’re actually quarantined to our website. Which is fairly full with the camper and the truck already. Not to mention the instruments that we not have. Time to finish a restore in a campground is way tighter too. We solely have so long as we’re there.
I’m fascinated with portray and transforming our lounge within the RV. I’m not about to begin this challenge at a campground, Harvest Host, or boondocking location. Area is required! I’ve to have the ability to pull all of it aside to color. Put it outdoors to dry. If I had a driveway, I may lay every part out and do it there. However I don’t. So this challenge requires much more logistics and inventive pondering to perform. And as soon as once more, I’m again to the time for completion.
A Fenced Yard
That is completely a double edge sword. We actually do NOT miss yard work like mowing and weeding. However, we do miss simply letting Lagertha outdoors. She misses sunbathing at any time when she needs. Some mornings we’re busy doing issues and all she needs is to be outdoors. If we nonetheless had a fenced in yard, we may let her out to run round. She may get her train with out us dropping what we’re doing. Since being within the camper, that’s not an possibility.
I miss adorning my yard. Sounds foolish, and it kinda is. However I miss placing my pretend flowers out for each vacation. Making my yard and residential really feel cherished and welcoming brings me pleasure. We’re solely often at any given camp website for two weeks. I’m not adorning my website each time we transfer. Not solely as a result of it isn’t my property to brighten. However we don’t have house to retailer decorations. Halloween is developing proper now. I’d actually wish to carve a pumpkin for my entrance steps. However I don’t have entrance steps anymore. And I actually don’t have house for giant ol’ carved and embellished pumpkin.
A Actual Bathe
As soon as once more, that is one thing that we knew we had been sacrificing once we determined to go fulltime within the camper. The showerhead has been upgraded. We modified out our mixing valve to have separate cold and warm dials. Doug even put a holding tank in so our water stress was extra regular. However even with all the modifications, we nonetheless don’t have a REAL bathe like we did in our home.
Each Doug and I agree {that a} sizzling bathe is fairly rattling near the highest of the checklist of all time finest innovations. After an extended strenuous day of mountain climbing an extended sizzling bathe feels superb. Nonetheless, if you happen to dwell in a camper, you finest go discover the bathhouse if that’s what you need. Lengthy sizzling showers are a factor of the previous. At finest we are able to get an extended reasonably heat bathe. Or a brief sizzling bathe. By no means lengthy AND sizzling in the identical bathe.
Similar goes if you aren’t feeling nice. I’ve been preventing a head chilly for every week now. There isn’t a lot I wouldn’t do to simply stand in a sizzling bathe for so long as I would like. Let the water beat on my face to assist break every part up. Sadly, that isn’t an possibility. Thank God for Vicks, or I’ll not be capable of breathe out of my nostril.
Nonetheless Wouldn’t Give It Up
There are most likely a number of extra issues that I may add to this checklist. Little issues. Easy issues. Belongings you don’t even take into consideration till they’re not there. However we aren’t able to commerce the wheels in for bricks simply but. The professionals nonetheless outweigh the cons on our checklist.
Earlier than you make the leap and determine to go fulltime, actually take into consideration all the stuff you’ll be giving up although. Take into consideration the issues that you just’re gonna miss. Make an inventory and skim different’s articles. It is advisable make it possible for each factor in your checklist is one thing you can dwell with out. Lacking issues are one factor, however are you able to truthfully give them up?
