Living In An RV: Pros And Cons

Awkward and uncomfortable or freeing and exciting? In this post, we’ll be diving into the pros and cons of living in an RV to help you decide whether it’s for you. 

If your soul is constantly torn between craving travel and feeling home-sick, you might find that driving from place to place in an RV is your happy medium.

Alternatively, you might discover that much as you’d like it to, life on the road just doesn’t fit with your lifestyle.

Whether you’re looking into van life for a season or forever, we will cover the most significant advantages and disadvantages of living in an RV.

Pros Of Living In An RV

While living in a tiny, moving home may not be for everyone, there are many advantages of living in an RV. We’ll list a few of the main benefits to inspire you.

Complete Freedom

When you have a standard home, you are always tied to it in some way. You can’t drag it with you anywhere you go and as such, you’re limited by its location. However, with an RV, you can up sticks whenever you fancy a change of scenery.

Are there annoying new neighbors on your campsite? Want to stay in the middle of nowhere to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis? Easy peasy. Simply turn the engine on and cruise on to the next destination on your list.

An RV is the perfect solution for those who aren’t ready to settle down yet or are looking to find their dream location. Alternatively, those who love to travel and have a strong desire for a place to call home will enjoy the balance that living in a van brings. 

It’s also especially nice to travel with all of the comforts of home that you love, rather than chuck your hairdryer out of your suitcase at the last minute because your luggage is too heavy.

Lower Monthly Expenses 

You can easily save a sizable chunk of money every month simply by living in an RV. The biggest expense is the RV itself which can be quite costly.

However, it pays for itself as once you move in and hit the road, you’ll have no mortgage, homeowners insurance, and all the other fees that go with owning or renting a home.

If buying an RV outright isn’t on the cards for you, there is the option to finance one for a few hundred bucks a month. While this will increase your monthly living expenses, you’ll likely still find it cheaper than living in a traditional home.

You can use the extra money to participate in activities you love, travel to your dream destination, or save a nest egg for the future.

Unlimited Travel

An RV allows you to travel all over the country, or even across the continent at the drop of a hat, without much planning.

Unlike plane travel, you don’t need to do many preparations to drive to a new destination, and you’ll see more of the place than you traditionally would on a vacation. This is because you can access hard-to-reach spots and weave your way slowly through a location without time restraints.

When you live on the road, time isn’t such a big deal, and you can decide to stay longer in a place you love or skip out on not-so-hot towns that you don’t enjoy.

Nature-Filled Outdoor Lifestyle

Another benefit of living in an RV is that van life traditionally embraces a more natural way of living. You’re always just a couple of steps away from the natural world, and activities such as lake-swimming or hiking are often more accessible from an RV.

With limited indoor space, you’ll naturally gravitate to the outdoors for anything from working to cooking, eating, and relaxing. Being at one with nature is addictive, and after a few weeks of living in an RV, you’ll be unable to imagine spending your evenings stuck inside in front of the TV.

Spend time considering which destinations you’ll visit if you wish to spend the most time outdoors as possible, and opt for those that have minimal rain and maximum hours of sunshine.

You Become Adaptive

Ever wanted to test yourself? Buy an RV. You’ll learn many new skills out on the road, from cooking without an oven to emptying the toilet tank.

You’ll realize how adaptive you are to different environments and be able to experience new things, which is, after all, essential for a fulfilled life. Living in an RV is very different from living in a brick-and-mortar home, and choosing to do so evoked a level of discomfort that most avoid.

If you can embrace that discomfort, you’ll discover things about yourself you never knew.

Cons Of Living In An RV

The RV lifestyle can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not for everyone. Here are some of the main cons of living in an RV that you should ask yourself if you can deal with before you set out on the open road.

Cramped Living Space

The most apparent disadvantage of living in an RV is the limited living quarters. While some motorhomes can be pretty spacious, you’ll never have as much room in your RV as you would in a brick-and-mortar home.

You may need to have quite the clear-out before swapping to a house on wheels, but it’s not all bad news. You’ll learn ALL the secrets to making the most of storage, and minimizing your possessions often goes hand in hand with moving into an RV.

Many van-lifers start their RV journey to simplify their lifestyle, reconnect with their loved ones, and enjoy the outside world more.

Downsizing like this is excellent for the mind in more ways than one:

• Reduces stress
• Give you more time to spend on hobbies you love
• Less time spent cleaning
• Improves your sense of peace

Limited Sense Of Community

One of the biggest drawbacks of living in an RV is how it limits your ability to build and maintain connections. While you live in an RV, you’ll often spend your nights parked up in a spot deep in nature, without another soul around.

That’s not the kind of place you want to hear a knock on your door in the middle of the night.

Alternatively, you may rely on campgrounds, which are a fantastic place to meet like-minded people. However, it can be hard to create strong bonds as one of you is constantly moving on.

Even though it may be difficult to “find your tribe,” don’t despair. A great way to make friends on the road is through Facebook groups. There are groups for full-time road trippers, RV nomads, and everyone in between.

Adjustment To Driving A Big Vehicle

Even if you’re used to driving a big car, such as a 4×4, you’ll find that there’s an adjustment period to driving an RV. You’ll come across country lanes that aren’t made for vehicles of its size, and don’t get us started on parking in a bay.

While you may feel completely at ease immediately when you start driving your RV, that’s not the case for most people.

If you’re concerned about whether driving a large vehicle is something you can do comfortably, take one for a test drive before buying. Better still, ask around and see if a friend has one that you can hop into the driver’s seat of.

Unpredictable Weather

If there’s one thing we cannot control, it’s the weather. Another con of living in an RV is that if you experience sudden heavy showers, you’ll be trapped in your vehicle until the storm clears up.

Likewise, it’s possible to wake up in the morning and find your motorhome buried under 10 inches of snow.

A surefire way to make you realize how small an RV is is to be confined to it on a rainy day. Consider this point when you’re buying an RV, and make sure there are a couple of different spots throughout your home where anyone can go to be completely alone for a while.

Maintenance

When living in an RV, if you get a flat tire, that’s you done for the day. Your plans will have to wait.

Covering so many miles in one vehicle means there are bound to be hiccups along the way, such as immediate unexpected repairs that need doing or accidentally filling your petrol motor with diesel before you’ve had your morning coffee.

While these are generally not serious and a minor inconvenience at worst, they can be irritating and throw off your lifestyle. While you’d usually return home after dropping your car to the mechanic, it’s not as convenient as that when the car IS your home.

These unplanned repairs can also add up on top of general maintenance of an RV which can be quite costly, considering its usage.

Final Thoughts On Living In An RV

There are many pros and cons to living in an RV. Depending on the type of person you are, the thought of downsizing all of your possessions and moving into a home smaller than a bus could be frightful or exhilarating.

Be honest with yourself about whether you’ll be happy living constantly on the road before you set off on this epic adventure. If you decide there are more benefits than disadvantages of living in an RV and decide to become a van-lifer, you’ll never turn back.

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