- Traveling to see the vastness of the country.
- More time with your family.
- The freedom to explore.
All of these are reasons people consider the RV lifestyle. And it’s no wonder why! The RV lifestyle provides all of that and more.
RVing is the perfect lifestyle for those who enjoy traveling, adventuring, exploring and sightseeing while also being in the comfort in your own home. RVing literally provides a home away from home with a constantly changing backyard.
I mean, does traveling get any better than that?
The RV Life
There’s been a growing trend over the past few years of families and couples selling it all to hit the road and live the RV lifestyle full-time.
But, is that the only way?
Do you really have to sell it all to truly embrace RVing?
Absolutely not!
You can experience the benefits, freedom, and beauty of the RV lifestyle no matter how much time you’re planning to spend in your rig.
Full-time, part-time, vacationing, or just out for the weekends, RVing gives the freedom so many are seeking and choose to embrace!
So maybe you have the freedom to hit the road full-time, but you’re not quite sure if the full-time RV lifestyle or the part-time RV lifestyle is right for you.
Deciding to hit the road full-time is a big, life-altering decision, so making sure you’re well informed of not only all of your options but also all of the downsides and benefits is important, too.
How to Determine if Full-Time or Part-Time RV Life is Right for You
Here are some things to consider when trying to decide which RV lifestyle is right for you:
Do you have a timeline for the amount of time you would like to be on the road?
Many people have an amount of time in mind when making their decision for this lifestyle. Some are planning to hit the road for 12 months, and some are setting out with an indefinite travel timeline. And, for others, you hit the road, but that set timeline gets turned upside down for one reason or another. However, having an idea and a plan is probably the first place to start because that will impact more of the decision-making when determining how long you’ll be in your rig, on the road.
Will you be returning to the place you launched from?
This is another huge determining factor in the RV lifestyle you embrace. If you’re planning to return to the area you launched from after a set amount of time, then that decision will affect several others, like what you decide to keep or sell, and even if you plan to keep your sticks and bricks house or not.
If you do plan to return to your launching point, then consider keeping your house and simply renting it out while you’re on the road. Many people decide to sell their home and all, or almost all, of their belongings when they hit the road, but if you’re planning to return to your hometown, then renting out your house and storing your belongings may actually be the better way to go.
The market may seem like an unbelievable opportunity for sellers at the moment, but what happens if the market doesn’t go down and you want to return and settle again after 12 months? You’ll be stuck in a position of possibly not being able to purchase in your area of choice again. So, definitely consider where you’ll be landing once your time on the road is over.
Next, don’t forget to take the rising cost of inflation into consideration when you’re ready to replace the things you sell or get rid of. Furnishing a house post-2020 is nowhere near the cost of returning a house to pre-2020 condition.
Maybe you like the thought of keeping your home and not selling it all to hit the road for the RV lifestyle.
Maybe you like the thought of returning to your sticks and bricks as a home base every once in a while.
Many people like the opportunity to hit the open road to explore and adventure with their home on wheels but also like the thought of returning to a sticks and bricks every once in awhile.
The RV lifestyle is amazing and really has no comparison, but don’t forget adventure can also be exhausting. So having a place to land every so often is really appealing to some people. Especially if you don’t want to relocate after your time on the road.
What about family dynamics? Can everyone handle full-time road life, or is having a home base more ideal for your family as a whole?
The idea of full-time road life is absolutely alluring to many. But, can you really take it? Or, can everyone in your family really take it?
Along with the incredible sights and newness of the constantly changing backyard comes being with every member of your family 24/7. I mean, you’ve got to really like each other! And, if you don’t know when you launch, you’d better learn to do it really quickly.
Depending on your family size you may have quite a few different personalities to take into consideration when deciding how long, or how much, you’ll be on the road.
Many families are in desperate need of a life reset, so hitting the road full-time is redeeming for their family, in a sense. However, not everyone seeking the RV lifestyle is in need of a drastic life reset. Many are simply seeking out adventure, connection with each other, and some really great travel.
If you’re in need of a life reset, then selling it all and RVing full-time might be exactly what you need for a fresh start! Just make sure every family member can handle the constantly changing views and scenery. If you think that there are members of your family who may not be able to thrive in full-time travel mode, then consider part-time RVing with a home base as an option to have the best of both worlds.
Do you have an exit plan?
If you decide that hitting the road full-time is the right decision for your family, then make sure you have an exit plan. It may sound a little silly when thinking about a life decision, but the truth of the matter is, 99% of people will eventually get off the road.
So what is your plan when you decide it’s time for full-time RVing to come to an end for you? This is a big deal when deciding how you’re going to support yourselves on the road and fund your RV lifestyle. There are people who decide to sell the house and everything else and spend a year living off the equity of the house they just sold, but what about when you’re ready to settle again? You’ll need an income and the finances to get back into stationary life. If having a remote job is an option you can find, then it is definitely wise in the long run to keep that income coming in.
Even if you choose the part-time lifestyle, you’ll obviously have to have a way to fund both your sticks and bricks home and your house on wheels lifestyle.
The Right Time for RVing
When deciding between going full-time or part-time, there is no right or wrong answer across the board. Every family, couple, or individual has different needs and reasons for pursuing the RV lifestyle, and the beauty is that RVing can provide a way to make the adventure happen all the time by full-timing or part-time by keeping one foot in both ways of life!
