It’s been over a 12 months now that we’re Fulltime within the RV. We really wouldn’t commerce this way of life for the world. However we’ve come to appreciate that typically we do miss the safety of the stick and bricks. At instances it isn’t even the safety, however simply “issues.” Doug lately wrote an article concerning the 10 Issues That Suck About RV Dwelling. Nevertheless, on this article, I’d wish to concentrate on issues which might be missed whenever you not have an precise home.
When Doug and I began out we didn’t have a lot. Each of us are employee bee’s and made one thing out of nothing fairly rapidly. We’ve each all the time strived for enchancment or to achieve our subsequent purpose. Shopping for a house. Transferring to a greater college district. Surviving the lack of the whole lot we’d labored for in Hurricane Sandy. We simply maintain going. That’s what we do. Objectives are set with the intent of assembly them. Transferring into the camper was a kind of objectives. And we achieved it.
However typically, having a home would actually be superior. There have been loads of issues that we each simply MISS from the Stick and Bricks!
Safety Of The Stick and Bricks
Yeah, you’re proper, there are nonetheless doorways and home windows. However they’re a lot thinner now. Sure, we will nonetheless lock the whole lot up, and we do. My neighbors are quite a bit nearer now although. You don’t have a chance to know your neighbors both. Yeah, you’ve mentioned hello. You’ve even shared dinners. However do you KNOW them? Like actually know them the identical manner you knew your outdated neighborhood? Do you have to know the whole lot about them? Simply whenever you assume you’re snug, one in every of you strikes! Onto new neighbors as soon as once more.
Campground theft is an actual factor. At my home, I might depart my bicycle within the driveway over night time. Since shifting into the camper, it must be locked up on a regular basis. Whether or not staying in a Nationwide Forest or a Campground Resort, theft has been a difficulty in every single place. We weren’t on the resort in South Florida for 10 minutes earlier than we have been advised of e-bikes being stolen. Not by fellow campers, however by folks within the surrounding neighborhoods. Out to House Depot for some thick cable and Amazon for bike alarms.
Even foolish issues like new sounds outdoors could make you search that safety of a home extra. Once you dwell someplace for some time, you develop accustomed to the noises. Creeks within the floorboards. Trains going previous within the distance. Highway site visitors. Something. However whenever you’re continuously on the transfer, these noises are all the time altering. Even Lagertha has her ears tuned in additional to the completely different sounds.
A Family Kitchen
The camper we selected for our Fulltime Way of life was partially chosen due to the dimensions and format of the kitchen. In all honesty, I can’t say that my camper kitchen is little per se. The range and the oven ARE little although. Consuming out all the time will not be an possibility. First, it’s manner too costly. Second, it’s significantly unhealthy. I take pleasure in cooking! We prepare dinner within the camper. Outdoors house and cooking devices are a should, and we use them regularly too. However have you ever ever tried to make use of your camper oven for one thing giant? Like possibly a turkey breast?
The oven doesn’t even maintain a normal pan. I needed to exit and get a particular 13×9 cooking pan with little or no handles to slot in there. Overlook about making a cake. You’ll be able to solely do one layer at a time. Cookies too! The tiny cookie sheet I used to be capable of finding holds 8 cookies at a time. A batch of cookies is now an all day venture.
Except for the dimensions of the oven and range is counter house. Within the camper, the whole lot has a really particular house. Any deviation from that house creates muddle. Maybe I’ve all the time been spoiled with a big kitchen. However discovering a spot to prep any meal or goodies is like discovering a needle in a haystack. Not unimaginable, simply unlikely. And positively not with out some form of mess taking place.
Sidewalks
I didn’t know I missed these. Actually, till our final house, we by no means even had them. We’ve all the time lived in fairly rural places and sidewalks didn’t exist. In our final house although, we lived in a improvement that had sidewalks. On a regular basis I might take Lagertha out for a stroll up and down the sidewalks in our neighborhood. She knew to sit down on the finish of the highway and anticipate me to inform her it was okay to cross. We didn’t fear about vehicles driving down the highway. They have been within the highway. We have been on the sidewalk.
Now that we’re in campgrounds or out on public land, there isn’t a such factor as sidewalks anymore. I’m glad there aren’t… It could actually look a bit ridiculous. However I miss them! I miss having them there after I go for my day by day stroll with Lagertha. She’s fairly good about staying on the facet of the highway, however typically… “SQUIRRELL!” We’ve to be much more vigilant listening for vehicles arising behind us. Not all the time a straightforward job with electrical vehicles as of late.
Lagertha has selected her personal, that she doesn’t go to the lavatory on our website. Placing up just a little fence for her to roam in on the positioning isn’t actually an possibility for her. We have to take our stroll on a regular basis. Hikes are great, and one in every of her favourite issues. However typically, she simply must do her enterprise. And going for a stroll is what we do. Having a sidewalk to take action on, would actually be good typically.
Storage / Store / Driveway
That is one we KNEW we have been going to overlook. Doug positively misses it greater than me, however rattling! I didn’t understand simply how a lot we have been going to overlook having a spot to work on issues. Issues go incorrect in a camper. Repairs will should be made. Earlier than shifting into the camper, we had a storage. If the car Doug was engaged on didn’t match within the storage, we had the driveway. And if the venture was extra difficult we actually have a pal with a full mechanics store.
Not everybody has entry to all the above, however earlier than shifting into the camper, all of us possible have a driveway. Or a spot the place we will pull issues out and work on them. When issues break now, we’re actually quarantined to our website. Which is fairly full with the camper and the truck already. Not to mention the instruments that we not have. Time to finish a restore in a campground is way tighter too. We solely have so long as we’re there.
I’m fascinated with portray and reworking our lounge within the RV. I’m not about to begin this venture at a campground, Harvest Host, or boondocking location. House is required! I’ve to have the ability to pull all of it aside to color. Put it outdoors to dry. If I had a driveway, I might lay the whole lot out and do it there. However I don’t. So this venture requires much more logistics and artistic pondering to perform. And as soon as once more, I’m again to the time for completion.
A Fenced Yard
That is completely a double edge sword. We definitely do NOT miss yard work like mowing and weeding. However, we do miss simply letting Lagertha outdoors. She misses sunbathing at any time when she needs. Some mornings we’re busy doing issues and all she needs is to be outdoors. If we nonetheless had a fenced in yard, we might let her out to run round. She might get her train with out us dropping what we’re doing. Since being within the camper, that’s not an possibility.
I miss adorning my yard. Sounds foolish, and it kinda is. However I miss placing my pretend flowers out for each vacation. Making my yard and residential really feel cherished and welcoming brings me pleasure. We’re solely normally at any given camp website for two weeks. I’m not adorning my website each time we transfer. Not solely as a result of it isn’t my property to embellish. However we don’t have house to retailer decorations. Halloween is arising proper now. I’d actually wish to carve a pumpkin for my entrance steps. However I don’t have entrance steps anymore. And I definitely don’t have house for giant ol’ carved and embellished pumpkin.
A Actual Bathe
As soon as once more, that is one thing that we knew we have been sacrificing after we determined to go fulltime within the camper. The showerhead has been upgraded. We modified out our mixing valve to have separate cold and warm dials. Doug even put a holding tank in so our water stress was extra regular. However even with all the modifications, we nonetheless don’t have a REAL bathe like we did in our home.
Each Doug and I agree {that a} sizzling bathe is fairly rattling near the highest of the listing of all time greatest innovations. After an extended strenuous day of mountaineering an extended sizzling bathe feels wonderful. Nevertheless, should you dwell in a camper, you greatest go discover the bathhouse if that’s what you need. Lengthy sizzling showers are a factor of the previous. At greatest we will get an extended reasonably heat bathe. Or a brief sizzling bathe. By no means lengthy AND sizzling in the identical bathe.
Identical goes whenever you aren’t feeling nice. I’ve been combating a head chilly for per week now. There isn’t a lot I wouldn’t do to only stand in a sizzling bathe for so long as I would like. Let the water beat on my face to assist break the whole lot up. Sadly, that isn’t an possibility. Thank God for Vicks, or I’ll not have the ability to breathe out of my nostril.
Nonetheless Wouldn’t Give It Up
There are in all probability a number of extra issues that I might add to this listing. Little issues. Easy issues. Stuff you don’t even take into consideration till they’re not there. However we aren’t able to commerce the wheels in for bricks simply but. The professionals nonetheless outweigh the cons on our listing.
Earlier than you make the leap and resolve to go fulltime, actually take into consideration all the belongings you’ll be giving up although. Take into consideration the issues that you simply’re gonna miss. Make an inventory and skim different’s articles. It is advisable to guarantee that each factor in your listing is one thing that you may dwell with out. Lacking issues are one factor, however are you able to truthfully give them up?
