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 occasions it isn’t even the safety, however simply “issues.” Doug not too long ago wrote an article in regards to the 10 Issues That Suck About RV Residing. Nonetheless, on this article, I’d wish to give attention to issues which are missed if 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 shortly. Now we have each all the time strived for enchancment or to achieve our subsequent aim. Shopping for a house. Shifting to a greater college district. Surviving the lack of all the pieces 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. Shifting into the camper was a kind of objectives. And we completed 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 are able to nonetheless lock all the pieces up, and we do. My neighbors are rather a lot 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 Like actually know them the identical manner you knew your outdated neighborhood?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 that you must know all the pieces about them? Simply if you suppose you’re snug, one among you strikes! Onto new neighbors as soon as once more.
Campground theft is an actual factor. At my home, I might go away my bicycle within the driveway over evening. Since transferring 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 informed of e-bikes being stolen. Not by fellow campers, however by folks within the surrounding neighborhoods. Out to Residence Depot for some thick cable and Amazon for bike alarms.
Even foolish issues like new sounds exterior could make you search that safety of a home extra. Once you stay someplace for some time, you develop accustomed to the noises. Creeks within the floorboards. Trains going previous within the distance. Street site visitors. Something. However if you’re always 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 Life-style was partially chosen due to the dimensions and structure 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 is just not an choice. First, it’s manner too costly. Second, it’s critically unhealthy. I get pleasure from cooking! We prepare dinner within the camper. Outdoors area and cooking devices are a should, and we use them incessantly too. However have you ever ever tried to make use of your camper oven for one thing massive? Like possibly a turkey breast?
The oven doesn’t even maintain an ordinary pan. I needed to exit and get a particular 13×9 cooking pan with little or no handles to slot in there. Neglect 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 challenge.
Apart from the dimensions of the oven and range is counter area. Within the camper, all the pieces 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 type of mess occurring.
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 areas 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 take a seat on the finish of the street and look ahead to me to inform her it was alright to cross. We didn’t fear about vehicles driving down the street. They have been within the street. 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 once I go for my each day stroll with Lagertha. She’s fairly good about staying on the facet of the street, however typically… “SQUIRRELL!” Now we have to be much more vigilant listening for vehicles developing behind us. Not all the time a straightforward activity with electrical vehicles lately.
Lagertha has selected her personal, that she doesn’t go to the lavatory on our website. Placing up somewhat fence for her to roam in on the positioning isn’t actually an choice for her. We have to take our stroll on a regular basis. Hikes are fantastic, and one among 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 flawed in a camper. Repairs will have to be made. Earlier than transferring into the camper, we had a storage. If the automobile Doug was engaged on didn’t match within the storage, we had the driveway. And if the challenge was extra sophisticated we actually have a good friend with a full mechanics store.
Not everybody has entry to all the above, however earlier than transferring into the camper, all of us probably have a driveway. Or a spot the place we are able to 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 far tighter too. We solely have so long as we’re there.
I’m serious about portray and reworking our lounge within the RV. I’m not about to begin this challenge 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 exterior to dry. If I had a driveway, I might lay all the pieces out and do it there. However I don’t. So this challenge requires much more logistics and inventive 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 exterior. She misses sunbathing at any time when she desires. Some mornings we’re busy doing issues and all she desires is to be exterior. 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 choice.
I miss adorning my yard. Sounds foolish, and it kinda is. However I miss placing my faux flowers out for each vacation. Making my yard and residential really feel liked 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 brighten. However we don’t have area to retailer decorations. Halloween is developing 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 area for large ol’ carved and adorned 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 hot 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 record of all time finest innovations. After a protracted strenuous day of climbing a protracted sizzling bathe feels superb. Nonetheless, should you stay in a camper, you finest go discover the bathhouse if that’s what you need. Lengthy sizzling showers are a factor of the previous. At finest we are able to get a protracted reasonably heat bathe. Or a brief sizzling bathe. By no means lengthy AND sizzling in the identical bathe.
Similar goes if you aren’t feeling nice. I’ve been combating a head chilly for every 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 all the pieces up. Sadly, that isn’t an choice. Thank God for Vicks, or I’ll not be capable of breathe out of my nostril.
Nonetheless Wouldn’t Give It Up
There are most likely a number of extra issues that I might add to this record. 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 record.
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 just’re gonna miss. Make an inventory and skim different’s articles. It’s worthwhile to make it possible for each factor in your record is one thing you can stay with out. Lacking issues are one factor, however are you able to actually give them up?
