18 Pros and Cons of RV Living

ByChristine Updated on

Like everyday life, there are good and bad things, ups and downs. RV life is no different! Here are lists of some possible pros and cons of RV living, to give you some things to consider if you’re thinking of RVing.

And spoiler alert! The pros outweigh the cons for RV life. That is good news for all of us RVers and those considering it!

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Cons of RV Living

A man smiles while setting up RV waste equipment, holding a water bladder and pump beside a portable blue waste tank and coiled red hose. This behind-the-scenes view highlights one of the practical aspects of full-time RV living.

1. Doing Dishes By Hand

Most RVs will require you to do dishes by hand. If you’re only going on a weekend trip or short getaway, you might not think this is a big deal. But the longer you are on the road in your RV, or the more kids you have, the more tedious this becomes.

It may just be something you live with and tackle like any other chore, but you could also look into installing an RV dishwasher like we did. This was a lifesaver and one of our best RV remodel decisions!

2. Laundromats

Many RVs do not have their own washer and dryer inside. Instead you’ll have to go to the campground or community laundromat. This takes up extra time and it costs extra money. You’ll need to have coins on you for some machines as well. Laundry can cost a surprising amount of money if you have to do it a lot for larger families especially.

Instead, you might want to look for an RV that has a built in washer and dryer like ours. If it doesn’t, it may already have the hookups so you can add one. Smaller spaces might mean you’ll need a combo unit that does both the washing and drying in one.

3. Dumping Tanks 

Dumping your gray and black tanks is one of the worst parts of RVing. Eventually it has to be done, and no matter how careful you are, it’s still kind of gross. At the very least it stinks.

We’ve been in a situation where we discovered our sewer line was too short and we had to make sure we have two sewer hoses on hand to be able to reach connections that are placed further away in some campsites.

Our first time out in our first RV the dealer had left the black tank valve open and we hadn’t noticed which made dumping the tanks an adventure to say the least!

4. Things Breaking on Your RV

Things will inevitably break on your RV or need regular maintenance. Our first issue was leaky plumbing and we had to deal with several RV dealers that didn’t fix it properly until we finally did it ourselves the third time around.

These days we try to tackle all our fixes and maintenance ourselves as much as we can.

That has included a lengthy list of things such as changing tires, replacing the blower wheel in the RV AC after it exploded, redoing caulking, replacing a toilet, fixing our fireplace after it stopped working, plugging holes pests could get into, and more. Just expect things to break and be prepared deal with it.

5. Having to Plan Your Travel Route More Carefully 

Unless you have a van or very small RV, you’ll need to give extra thought to your route before heading out. Bridges, tunnels, low hanging trees, winding roads, steep inclines are all hazards. It’s unfortunately not as easy as simply following your favorite navigation app.

Make sure you plan ahead. We use a combination of truckrouter.com and Google Maps.

Choose gas stations carefully as well because you need a lot more space. You’ll need to consider how easy it is to maneuver in and out as well as the height of the gas station canopy.

6. Taking Longer to Get Anywhere You Are Going 

It will take you longer to get everywhere you are going. Or at least it probably should the larger your RV is. Everyone on the interstate will probably be going faster than you. Whatever time estimate your route planner gives you, plan on it taking more time.

7. Limited Space

You are more limited both on living space and storage space. This can mean keeping a more limited wardrobe, your kids picking out less toys to bring along, and not buying things that are too large to fit in your storage bays.

Limited space also means you’ll need more patience with your family and friends who are traveling with you, as smaller spaces can sometimes lead to bigger emotions so communication and understanding will be key.

8. Missing People Back Home

You will probably miss some people as you travel away from them. Some people might not understand why you are living or traveling like this or give you a hard time for it. Some days RV life will feel lonely for you or your kids. But take a look at the pros to RV living in the next section for some ways to combat this!

Pros of RV Living

A couple stands on top of their large Jayco Pinnacle RV with arms outstretched under a clear blue sky, surrounded by desert landscape and red rock cliffs. This photo captures the adventurous spirit of their family travel blog and RV lifestyle.

1. Freedom to Roam

One of the biggest perks of RV travel is the freedom it gives you. Do you want to stay longer at a beautiful lake? Done. Do you feel like changing your route at the last minute to chase better weather or follow a recommendation from a local? You can.

With an RV, you’re not tied to rigid itineraries but control where you go and how long you stay. If you love to plan all the details or prefer spontaneous adventures, RVing gives you the flexibility to do it your way.

2. So Many Sights to See

RVing opens up a ton of destinations, including some that you might otherwise skip. From small towns with hidden gems to big cities full of attractions, the possibilities are endless. Then there are the iconic spots in state and national parks for you to explore.

Many people create bucket lists of places they want to visit, but the funny thing is, the more you travel, the longer that list seems to get. Ours does! There’s always something else interesting we discover every time we check another place off our list.

3. Go at Your Own Pace

RV travel lets you set your own speed. Some days, you might feel like covering hundreds of miles to reach your next big stop. I know we’ve sometimes found ourselves hauling it across the country.

Other times, you might drive just an hour or two and then settle into a relaxing campground. With kids we’ve found this can be especially necessary. You can choose slow travel, taking time to soak in each stop, or fast-track it to fit as much as possible into your journey.

4. Meeting New People 

There’s something really special about the RVing community. It’s one of the friendliest travel groups you’ll ever encounter.

Whether you’re chatting with neighbors at a campground, attending an RV rally, or connecting at local events, you’ll quickly find yourself surrounded by people who share your love of the open road. Many RVers form lasting friendships along the way and even continue traveling together.

There are so many families that live this lifestyle as well so our kids frequently make new friends. One of our favorite way to meet other RVing families is through Full-Time Families.

5. Visiting Family and Friends Anywhere

RV travel makes visiting loved ones so much easier. Instead of trying to squeeze in short visits over the holidays, you can simply park your RV nearby and spend quality time with family and friends.

It allows you to extend your stay, share meals, and create more meaningful memories together. We’ve spent more time with grandparents, siblings, and best friends than we would have without our RV.

And if you ever find yourself missing home, the best part is that you can just drive back. The flexibility of RVing makes staying connected with people you care about more convenient than ever.

6. The RV is Your Home

An RV is more than just your vehicle. It’s your home on wheels. That means no more packing and unpacking suitcases, no more forgetting essentials, and no more living out of hotel rooms.

Everything you need is already with you, from your favorite pillow to your kitchen essentials. Every time we travel away from the RV, I always say that my bed is the best of any other I’ve slept in.

RVs come with all the comforts of home: a bed, bathroom, kitchen, and cozy living space. You’ll always have a comfortable and familiar basecamp to return to.

7. Embracing Minimalism

Living in an RV will encourage you to simplify. The smaller space pretty much forces you to get rid of the extra and unneeded that tend to clutter up daily life.

This has the potential to be incredibly freeing both physically and mentally. Instead of being surrounded by things, you’re making space for experiences and focusing on what really matters.

As we all know, when living in a house as compared to an RV, it can be incredibly easy to fill it up with stuff.

8. Potential to Save Money

RVing may help you save money. I say maybe because it all depends on your own lifestyle. If you travel more slowly, use cost savings memberships such as Thousand Trails, Passport America, Good Sam, and KOA, cook mostly in your RV, and choose free or cheap activities like hiking in nature, you can live pretty cheaply.

However, you can do the opposite and choose lavish and costly RV resorts, eat at expensive restaurants all over the country, and pay for pricey experiences and tours and you definitely will be spending more than you would otherwise.

To get a better idea of the costs you need to consider when RVing, you can sign up to download our free spreadsheet and input your own budget and actual costs.

9. You Can Bring Your Pets Along

You can bring your furry friend with you in the RV. Not all hotels allow pets or you are more likely to have to pay extra for them. You don’t have to board them while you’re away traveling.

We traveled with our dog Maggie in our RV for many years. When we visited National Parks and other places where she wasn’t allowed, she was comfortable in our RV nearby.

10. Bonding With Your Family

Travel companions that are happily in it with you through both the pros and cons of RV living make it all worth it. During those times when there are disagreements and the cozy space becomes cramped, you can work through it and become stronger for it.

And even if the cons list multiplied, and you somehow forget about all the other pros, this one would be enough.

Infographic showing pros and cons of RV living in adjacent lists.
Pros and cons of RV living in an easily comparable infographic.

Do you want to know more about navigating the pros and cons of RV living?

We offer one-on-one family travel consultations where you can pick our brain about any facet of RV life or other kinds of travel with kids!

Christine is the co-founder of Never Stop Adventuring, and an avid traveler who started traveling the world as a child growing up in a military family. She even lived in Germany for numerous years. Since then she has been to 48 U.S. states, 17 countries, and traveled the U.S. in an RV for over 7 years.

With her 3 kids, the adventures continued family travel style. She has planned and coordinated travel with kids for the last 10 years and shares family travel tips and tricks, destinations, costs and even the mistakes so you can be empowered to take your own family trips with confidence!