Things We Missed While Living in an RV Full-Time

I love new beginnings.

New Years. New Homes. New People. New Adventures.

Research shows that trying new things helps stimulate our brains by releasing chemicals that make us feel good inside. There’s just something about stepping outside of our normal routine that helps energize and motivate us to do more than we thought possible.

Last summer we made a radical change. We moved out of our 5-bedroom, 3-bath house, into a 200-square-foot RV. Which we shared with a cat and a motorcycle.

When our daughter told us she was expecting our first grandchild in March 2021, we immediately thought of how we could be with her during this special time. This led us back to Colorado after our fifth project with the SOWER Ministry.

Moving into a house setting again has come with its own challenges, but it’s also come with huge dividends. Here are just a few of the benefits of moving out of our RV and back into a house.

1. On Demand Hot Water

The hot water heater in our RV holds 5 gallons. It takes 10 minutes to heat the tank. In order to reduce propane costs for an item we use about once a day, we would only turn on the tank when we needed it for showers and washing dishes. Which we usually did all at once.

This meant no hot water for hand and face washing most of the time, unless there was some leftover heat in the tank. In warmer climates, the tank would stay warm without assistance.

I can’t tell you how nice it is to turn on the water and have heat in seconds to wash my face each night. Even washing my hands or dishes is a much more pleasant experience. Of course, the addition of a dishwasher helps a little bit.

2. Stairs for Exercise

One of my favorite simple exercise routines is walking up and down a staircase. We had two in our old house and they kept me in shape. The two steps to get out of our RV did little to help keep our muscles toned.

The small space also reduced the total number of steps each day, which I actually enjoyed at first. I wasn’t running in circles around a large house trying to find things. However, it meant we needed to be more proactive at taking walks or riding our bikes.

3. Closet Space

While our RV has an awesome pantry with tons of storage, the closet space in our bedroom left much to be desired. A 12-inch rod tucked in the front bend of the rig was hard to access most of the time. There is a table below it which is nice to set items on for easy access, but the stuff on the table prevented the closet door from opening. Even with my items on a tray to slide out of the way, it was very difficult to reach inside the dark hole. Plus, I never knew what creature may have tucked itself away back there.

4. Floor Space

We chose an RV without slides because my husband knew how often the slides would malfunction and how difficult and expensive it would be to fix them. This meant less interior space to move around, and when our back patio was closed, it could feel claustrophobic. Fortunately, the deck was down for part of most days. The ease of access to the great outdoors was something we had never experienced before. We enjoyed breathtaking views at many of our parking spots.

Even though we live in a 150-square-foot room now, we still have plenty of floor space. Most of our belongings are tucked away in two large closets and under the bed. The bathroom is separate with plenty of its own space and the kitchen is in another part of the house. Our stuff is more spread out, but that’s okay. We’re building back our daily step count!

5. Quality Wi-Fi

One of the biggest challenges of traveling is consistent phone and internet service. While many of the places we served offered wi-fi to guests, the signal was often far from our RV and difficult to access inside an aluminum box. We purchased a wi-fi signal booster which we were able to mount on the back of our rig when we were parked for an extended period. However, if we chose to boondock, we were completely dependent on our phone data service plan. And sometimes we had no access.

We are grateful for super-fast internet speeds we now enjoy since we aren’t sharing a network with an entire camp community. Working online is much easier!

6. Room for Guests

While we were able to fit up to ten people (most of them kids) inside our RV with the deck down, we were limited to two guests for interior dining or a sleep over. It was so nice to host a baby shower for our daughter in a spacious setting. Guests had room to move and their was plenty of space to decorate for the occasion.

7. Consistent Temperature

The most affordable RVs do not include all-season protection. Living inside an aluminum box meant dramatic temperature changes. The air conditioner struggled to keep the air cool enough at times, and when I say cool enough, I mean under 80 degrees. The heater also had a hard time keeping up with cold temps sometimes. We set it for 63 degrees overnight and slept under an extra sleeping bag.

One night spent on the Gulf Coast in October was so hot and humid that no one could sleep. The next night we were freezing. Camping on the beach was amazing, but next time I think we will opt for the RV park a block away just so we can plug in.

8. Cooking Space

I enjoy cooking and baking and making a giant mess in the kitchen. This was not possible in a tiny home with no counter space. Everything had to be done one step at a time on top of the glass stove cover, or wire sink rack. Sometimes I used our table top for extravagant dishes, like pizza.

I had to learn a whole new way of cooking. I found myself shying away from anything that created more dishes to wash. One pan meals were key. Shakes became my go-to breakfast option.

Today, I have an island in the middle of the kitchen. I'm looking forward to trying some new recipes from the cookbooks I got for Christmas!

One Day at a Time

As a married couple, this is our first time living in someone else's home. We've had people live with us over the years, including adult family members, foster children, and a foreign exchange student. Apparently it is our turn to learn what it is like to adapt to someone else's familiar territory.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to be with our daughter during this special season. Plus, we get to stay put for at least 4 months. It makes working for an actual income a little easier. And while we will miss the SOWER work days, we trust God will use us right where we are right now.