Pros & Cons of This RV Life
Like everyday life, there are good and bad things, ups and downs. RV life is no different! Here are lists (one of my fortes) of some pros and cons of this lifestyle, specifically as we’ve experienced it, to give you more insight into our day to day and some things to consider if you’re thinking of RVing.
Cons:
- Doing dishes by hand
- Laundromats
- Dumping tanks
- When you discover your sewer line is too short and have to buy a new one
- Leaky plumbing and RV dealers that don’t fix your RV properly until you finally do it yourself the third time around
- Knowing that everyone on the interstate will be going 20 mph faster than you
- Taking longer to get anywhere you are going
- Choosing gas stations carefully because you need a lot more space
- Needing a scouring pad to scrub the bugs off of your windshield
- Having to plan your travel route more carefully
- A more limited wardrobe
Pros:
- The ability to see many places
- Instant mobility any time you want to move on
- Meeting lots of friendly people
- Atmosphere of the RVing community
- Having both air conditioning and heating as well as lots of windows to open for fresh air
- Being able to cook basically anything you could at home by using the stovetop, oven, microwave, or grill
- Tinted windows so you can look out and enjoy the scenery without feeling like you’re on display
- The RV acting as your basecamp for many adventures
- Many comforts of home
- Full bathroom (sink, toilet, shower) and not having to walk to the facilities
- When it’s raining outside and you can sit dry and warm inside or under the awning; also, the amplified yet soothing sound the rain makes on the roof
- Having a full-time RVing Dad who gives you a gift of an RV surge protector so that when it storms and the electricity goes out, nothing is damaged!
- Realizing you bought your RV new for $10K+ less than many used versions currently on the market
- Cooking and heating the RV since its purchase in September 2012 and not having used up a single propane tank yet
- Saving money through Passport America, Good Sam, and KOA memberships
- Knowing this RV will last us many years to come and we’ll enjoy many more experiences as a family traveling in it
- Having a husband who can maneuver the RV in just about any location and has become a pro at backing it into camping spots
Priceless:
A travel companion that is happily in it with you through both the pros and the cons. This is where I praise my husband a bit. I am so grateful to have a husband who is so helpful and takes the “partner” piece of marriage to heart. He does so much to make RVing smooth and even takes on some of the less desirable tasks such as dumping the tanks. K is kind and caring and balances and complements my personality in a lot of good ways. Living in such a small space, it’s a blessing to have K because as we’re cooking and cleaning and living, it’s all us doing things together. And during those times when we have a disagreement and the cozy space becomes cramped, we’ll work through it and become stronger for it, as individuals and as a couple. And even if the cons list multiplied, and I somehow forgot about all the other pros, this one would be enough.
So…the pros outweigh the cons! I guess we can keep at this then. Well either way, despite the cons, we try to keep the “glass is half full” outlook in life, and in our current situation, the glass overfloweth. Life is good!
