How Do You Know if RV Life Might Be for You?

written by Nancy Carter of Making My Own Lane

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for more information.

Today I'm going to offer you a few test questions for you to ask yourself and reflect on as you think about whether full-time RV living might be for you.

While RV life is definitely right for me right now, I do know people who tried it for a year. They gave it a fair shot and they decided it wasn't for them.

Maybe it was too hard, too lonely or just too much work. but at least they tried. They're not going to look back on their life and 20 years and say I wish I'd done that, or what would have happened if I'd done that.

I am going into my third year of RV life, and I would be lying to you if I told you I never thought about stopping - just read some of my other posts or watch some of my YouTube videos to see some of the challenges that I have faced.

Then there are other posts and videos that show you how amazing this life is. The “wow” moments, when you just sit and look out over a beautiful sunset, or a river, or a lake, and you just think “wow”.

When you experience breathtakingly beautiful spots or when you meet new people that turn into friends or when you figure out a solution to something that you never even knew could be a problem until you started RV living, but you figure it out.

And your confidence grows.

I like to share the good and the bad and the average days. After all, I am not on vacation. This is my life. Complete with laundry grocery shopping, paying bills, babysitting for my granddaughter and dental appointments.

So let's dive in.

First, do you like to travel?

I know that seems like a given, but do you really like to travel? Frequently? Do you like to explore new places? Are you okay with waking up and opening your front door to a new view every day?

Right now I'm only moving every two to three weeks. I'm more stable for the winter, but there are times that I have moved every day for 5 to 7 days in a row. Or every 2 to three days for a month.

That changes according to the weather, my mood, and the availability of campsites. Can I stay longer? Can I leave earlier?

Two: Are you a Risk Taker?

Are you ready to take on an outside the box lifestyle that's different from a mainstream lifestyle?

You do get some interesting looks living in an RV full-time. And it’s always a conversation starter.

Almost all of the people I have met are of two different camps. One is, “Why would you ever ever sell your house and do that? And the other one is, “That is exactly what I want to do!”

Three: Are you comfortable with living a minimalistic lifestyle?

I still feel like I have all the comforts of home, and then some. I'm just more aware of some of the creature comforts, like water and electricity.

I also make changes regularly, as I get to know my RV and my camping style better.

It's all based on making my life easier, more enjoyable,safer and less stressful.

I have found that making these adjustments and changes is part of the fun. Finding solutions and then learning to fix some things on your own gives you a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I even feel like a bit of a badass.

Everyone is different, and with this lifestyle you have the flexibility and freedom making this life uniquely yours, without judgement from others in the RV community.

I don't have a lot of room for stuff. Everything needs to have a place, and everything needs to be put back exactly where I found it, or I will never find it again.

Everything has a purpose … maybe two or three purposes.

As you camp in different places and areas of the country, you will find different situations and different solutions.

I am constantly looking at what I have and purging.

My goal for 2025 is to not replace things after I purge them just because I find I have extra room in my RV to put something.

Learning to live with less is a journey all of its own.

Four: Are you flexible, open to change, adaptable and resourceful?

These are all important characteristics of someone who's living on the road full time.

Finding your way around each new grocery store in different locations that you visit.

Not being able to buy everything just because it's a good deal or on sale.

Having safe water to drink for you, and your pets (if you have pets), and planning time at your home base area for doctor's appointments, catching up with family, dental visits, vet visits and keeping up with general business.

The nice thing is, I can do it in the four months that I'm more stationary, and enjoy the other eight without really having to think about all the other stuff that much.

Then there's figuring out how to get your mail and packages, and finding reliable internet at reasonable prices, or not having Internet.

I've been lucky that my T-Mobile home and AT&T service on my cell phone with a hotspot that I can use has worked almost everywhere.But there are times and places it doesn’t.

I've learned that instead of stressing out when there's no or low connectivity, to just enjoy where I am in the moment. Maybe read a book, watch a movie that I've downloaded, or go out for a walk and just enjoy nature and the quiet of this lifestyle. Although I do enjoy it more when I'm connected.

Five: Are You Prepared Financially for RV Life?

RV living may be less expensive than living in a house with a rent or a mortgage, but it's still not cheap, at least for me.

Having an emergency fund for those unexpected repairs or medical bills is crucial.

If you are thinking about hitting the road full time, and trying to figure out how much this lifestyle might cost you, get your own FREE RV Living Budget Calculator https://makingmyownlane.com/rv-budget-worksheet and create your own, personal guesstimate.

Number Six: Practice Before You Start.

Before I sold my house and almost everything in it, I did a test run or two or three.

I had already chosen my RV, and I had bought that right before I quit my job, thinking that I would just use my RV for weekends and travel with friends.

If you are not sure how to choose your first RV, read this blog post.

I started with a one-week trip kind of close to home. Then I did a 4-week trip a little farther away from home.

And when, after 4 weeks, I realized I still didn't want to go home, that's when I started to think that this life could be for me.

Once I went full-time, the first year I traveled to places that I was very familiar with and where I had friends or family along the way, in case I needed help.

The second year I was pretty much on my own. I learned a lot and I got to see a lot of great places and meet a lot of new people, but it was completely different for me.

Next year is going to be the biggest adventure, as I go out west, where I've never been for any length of time, let alone in an RV.

It's going to be a bigger and longer journey than ever.

My goal was to travel the US in my RV for five years. I take it one year one year, one trip at a time.

In my corporate world life, I always had a month plan, a year plan, a five year, even a 10 year plan.

I love that I've been able to relax and let that go, and just enjoy where I am in the moment.

Now I live year-to-year, taking life one campground at a time and enjoying the uniqueness and the opportunities that every place I stop has to offer.

If you're finding the information in this blog post helpful as you consider possibly starting your own RV life and deciding if this might be for you, please join the friends of Making My Own Lane community and share this with friends or family.

You can subscribe below for updates as we travel, or leave a comment here.

Hi there! I'm Nancy.

In 2023, I ditched my heels for hiking boots, sold my house, and decided to travel the US full time in my 2005 Lazy Daze Class C RV.

I love to share the places I travel to and what it's like to live in an RV full-time.

If you have ever thought about hitting the road and traveling in an RV, either in your free time or full time, you are in the right place!

Follow along for weekly blog posts about my adventures as I travel the US with my two dogs, Rufus and Willie, and my cat, Katie.