5 Pros and Cons to RV Life

Pros & Cons to RV Life

Have you ever considered selling everything you have, buying an RV, and traveling the country? I definitely have. We may not travel the country, but we did sell everything to live in an RV. For the last two years, our family of four has lived stationary in an RV. While it isn’t always glamorous, we’ve learned a lot. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, but for the purpose of this post, let’s stick to the top five of each.

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Pros

1. Low Cost of Living

For us, RV life has cut our cost of living in half. More than half actually. We utilize our own property to live stationary in our RV. This means we do not pay to rent at a campground. Our living expense comes from our RV payment and insurance.

This isn’t the case for everyone though. If you travel full-time renting spaces can get quite pricey. You can stay cheaper if you book longer stays and move during off season.

2. Financial Freedom

With a low cost of living, we’ve been able to have financial freedom. Not only have we cut our living expenses in half, but we’ve also been able to cut out spending in half. With a small space, there isn’t room for stuff, which means less spending. RV living has helped us be more intentional with our purchases and cut out unnecessary spending.

3. Small Space to Clean

400sqft isn’t a lot, which makes cleaning a breeze. It doesn’t take long to deep clean our RV. When we lived in a house, I would spend the entire weekend cleaning the house and all the rooms were never clean at the same time. Now, I can deep clean my house in a few hours and enjoy every space clean at the same time. Not for long though.

4. Easy to Relocate

With a home on wheels, it is easy to go wherever you want. You can change your view everyday if that’s what makes your heart happy. RV life is great for people who want to travel more or who travel for work. You can have the convenience and comfort of home, wherever you need to go.

5. Find Joy in Moments Not Things

With such a tiny space, there isn’t much room for stuff. Instead of finding joy in the tangible things, you learn to find joy in the intangible. RV life teaches you to embrace the moments and live for adventure. We have learned the value of time together. We cherish each other so much more because we aren’t distracted by stuff.

Cons

1. Black Tanks

Oh, the dreaded black tank. If you don’t know what a black tank is, consider yourself lucky. It’s the tank that holds on the crap, literally! These tanks are known to stick, especially if not treated regularly. One of the hard truths about RV life is that your black tank is going to stink at some point. Especially if you are stationary!

2. Small Living Space

It’s not surprising that RVs have tight quarters. Our RV is on the larger side at 40 feet long and sometimes it feels tiny. Like really tiny. The hardest time to live in an RV is during hot/cold seasons or when weather is bad. When you’re stuck inside for days on end, it can be really tough. If you’re not up for close living quarters, then RV life isn’t for you.

3. Judgement & Negativity From Others

RV living is not normal and many people have an opinion about it. There’s a good chance that the people in your life won’t understand why you chose this lifestyle. You will have to explain yourself over and over. Get used to the ridicule, because you’ll always find it.

4. Not Great In Extreme Temperatures

RVs are made with lightweight material and not well insulated. Because of this, extreme temperatures are not great in an RV. We live in south Florida and it is HOT in the summertime. Like really hot. When it’s 100º+ outside, it’s hard to keep the RV cool. The same goes for cold climates. In cold climates, it’s even worse because your pipes can freeze and things can ice over.

5. Lots of Outside Noise

Like I mentioned before, the insulation isn’t great. You can hear a lot of outside noise inside. If you stay at a noisy campground, there’s a good chance you’ll be up all night. Or be woken up early if you’re near a busy road. If you’re a light sleeper or like your privacy, RV life might not be fore you.

Are those cons a dealbreaker for you? Or do you think the pros outweigh the cons like we do? RV life may not be for everyone, but it has changed our lives in ways we never imagined. To see the day to day of RV life, follow us on Instagram. We share our everyday life in stories. For RV content, subscribe to our blog!