Living in an RV: 10 Reasons Why I’m in Love

Living in an RV full time is incredible.

I’ve been away from the RV for 15 days now and miss it so much. It is strange how easily I’ve adapted to this lifestyle and prefer it over the sticks and bricks (that’s RV talk for house.) There are just so many differences between living full time in an RV and living in a house. Here are the top 10 reasons I have so easily fallen in love with living in an RV.

10. Neighbors are neighborly

Let’s be real. When was the last time you knocked on your neighbor’s door in the hopes of just hanging out? If you live in an RV park full time, this happens… like a lot. I love my neighbors and I have yet to meet an unfriendly person in the park. I love that if I am tired of being in my small space I can just walk outside and find someone to talk to or walk around with. Being complete noobs, Ed and I have needed help and someone is always there very willing to give a hand. In the same way, as we learn we want to help other neighbors. It is a wonderful community.

9. I have to go outside

Alright so I don’t have to, but living in an RV gives way to a more outdoor lifestyle than when you are occupying a ton of square feet. My RV has many windows so anywhere I stand or sit I am looking outside. This makes me want to go outside! Also, if we’re being honest, sometimes I have gas and don’t want to get a divorce. Doesn’t fresh air sound nice, Ed?

8. My dog loves it

Haley Bear is timid and very well-behaved, but she is still a dog. She wants fresh air and she wants to be right where you are. Living in an RV allows her to have both. She is always around us and when we are outside, there is plenty to smell and lots of grass to run around. I love that I can even see a difference in her from this lifestyle.

7. My bathroom is in my bedroom.

Alright Liz, you are weird. I’m just gonna stop reading.

No, wait! Hear me out!

If you checked out my picture tour, you know that the bathroom is basically in the bedroom. If you didn’t check it out, click here. Anyway, I love it. I drink a ton of water and have to get up to pee at least once a night. In the last year or two I have had trouble falling back asleep, but with the bathroom being so close, it doesn’t cause me to wake up as much as walking to another room would. With this feature of RV living, I’m able to fall back asleep every time.

This may also sound weird, but I have seen Chelsea learn so much from this. I used to brush my teeth before getting Chelsea out of bed, but now we get ready as a family. Chelsea sits on the bed and lets me brush her teeth as Ed brushes his in the sink. She is eager to do as we do and mornings have become so much easier.

6. I can be outside while Chelsea is sleeping

I confess, I leave Chelsea in the RV alone when she is sleeping. I work at my picnic table or do laundry in the laundry room. I shower in the bath house and if I’m feeling froggy, I even run hill repeats. All these things I can do within yards of my RV, and I hope I don’t have to convince you I can hear her screaming if she is awake and ticked. I would never leave our little circle, but it is freeing to know I can get some stuff done without her, or just relax outside without thinking my baby might die in a fire.

5. My kitchen is efficient

And I didn’t have to design it myself or pay someone a ton to do so. I don’t think I can fully explain how much I love my kitchen. When I’m cooking, holy crap! Everything is within arm’s reach! Could you ever imagine a world so incredible? If I forgot an ingredient, it’s just three steps away. If I need another pot, just bend down. Knives? Right there. Sink? Oh yeah, right behind me. I have yet to be frustrated while cooking trying to remember where I put my stirring spoon or in what drawer that spice was put.

4. If we’re all home, we’re all together

When I lived in my townhouse, I couldn’t wait for Ed to get home from work so he could stay downstairs with Chelsea so I could go upstairs and get some alone time, do laundry, shower, run away from my toddler, you know, whatever. I felt like I deserved it and needed my alone time. I didn’t really think about how this behavior was affecting my time with Ed and our time as a family.

Now that we are living in an RV, I realize how much time we spend together compared to the townhouse, and I love it! I know appreciate my husband and his help and think of him as more than just a babysitter. I love that we are so close knit now; all three of us are a unit.

For some of you, this might sound like a nightmare. No place to escape, Liz? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? No, I’m really not. If we fight, we fight until we fix it. And we better fix it because Chelsea is right there looking up at us, no way she’s letting us go in our room alone. It really has put us on the fast track to a successful and well-communicated marriage, which we really needed after being apart for a WHOLE YEAR.

3. My husband is a huge part of our child’s life

Ed wakes up and leaves for PT at 430am. He comes home and wakes her up two hours later and they have breakfast together while I get the day ready (all in the same room). When Ed leaves for work, Chelsea and I leave to the gym and other mom/baby errands. We get home a few minutes before Ed arrives for lunch. He stays almost an hour, and after being gone 30 minutes I put Chelsea down for her nap. 3 hours later Ed gets home and wakes her up himself. We do the nightly routine and we put her to bed together. To Chelsea, Daddy is home and with her almost all day, and it is beautiful.

In a tradition house, we didn’t have this. Ed would eat breakfast alone while Chelsea played with her toys on the other side of the room, or maybe I was feeling lazy and we girls stayed upstairs while Ed went downstairs. Living in an RV has really brought daddy and daughter together.

2. Our finances are improving drastically

*checks bank account* WOW! Yeah, it’s like that. We are saving so much money. Yes, of course we are having to sacrifice some modern conveniences, but ohmygosh I hardly even notice any more. The rent at the park is much lower than we could imagine in a house or even apartment. Did I mention it includes power, water, sewage, trash, wi-fi, and cable TV? All for $425?

Living in an RV has changed our minds about how we look at the value of things, too. We don’t want to buy stuff because there is no room for it. Like, do I really want to be looking at that dollar store stocking stuffer for months on end? We are forced to think about every purchase. We are also rethinking debt and working on being completely debt free by December 2017. With a big goal like that, it keeps us focused.

1. There is so much less to clean

Of course this would be my number 1. I mean seriously, it could be the only thing on the list for me. I was a slob as a kid, a disgusting excuse for a 20 year old, and simply felt so overwhelmed as a new mom.

Don’t get me wrong, RV life does not equate to no cleaning. The small space just makes it more manageable. If there is something out of place, then I see it and want to remedy it immediately. I have made a house rule to never leave a room messier than when I entered. This is really rubbing off on Chelsea. She drives the lady at gym childcare crazy when she insists on cleaning everything up before she leaves. I absolutely love it. It took me years to learn how to clean properly. If my kid learns early, I count that as a win.

Anyway, there was one week where I was feeling super gross and SUPER lazy. Within days, the RV looked puh-retty rough. I was not looking forward to cleaning it, but when I finally got off my butt, I finished within 45 minutes. Now, this includes putting away laundry, cleaning mirrors (Dixie has a ton), doing dishes, wiping counters, toy organizing, the works. Can you believe it? Ya betta!

So there you have it, 10 reasons why living in an RV has caused me to fall in love with the lifestyle. Don’t forget to comment and share!