It’s been over a 12 months now that we’re Fulltime within the RV. We really wouldn’t commerce this life-style 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 just lately wrote an article concerning the 10 Issues That Suck About RV Residing. Nonetheless, on this article, I’d prefer to give attention to issues which are 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 shortly. We’ve each all the time strived for enchancment or to achieve our subsequent objective. Shopping for a house. Transferring to a greater college district. Surviving the lack of all the things we’d labored for in Hurricane Sandy. We simply hold 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 all the things up, and we do. My neighbors are loads nearer now although. You don’t have a possibility to know your neighbors both. Yeah, you’ve stated hello. You’ve even shared dinners. However do you KNOW them? Like actually know them the identical means you knew your outdated neighborhood? Do you might want to know all the things about them? Simply whenever you assume you’re snug, considered one of 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 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 all places. We weren’t on the resort in South Florida for 10 minutes earlier than we had been instructed of e-bikes being stolen. Not by fellow campers, however by folks within the surrounding neighborhoods. Out to Dwelling 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. While you dwell someplace for some time, you develop accustomed to the noises. Creeks within the floorboards. Trains going previous within the distance. Street visitors. Something. However whenever you’re consistently 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 scale 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 the entire time will not be an possibility. First, it’s means too costly. Second, it’s significantly unhealthy. I take pleasure in cooking! We cook dinner within the camper. Exterior house and cooking devices are a should, and we use them often 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 possibly can 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 undertaking.
Apart from the scale of the oven and range is counter house. Within the camper, all the things has a really particular dwelling. Any deviation from that dwelling 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 unattainable, simply unlikely. And positively not with out some sort of mess occurring.
Sidewalks
I didn’t know I missed these. Actually, till our final dwelling, 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 dwelling 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 anticipate me to inform her it was okay to cross. We didn’t fear about automobiles driving down the street. They had been within the street. We had 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 will actually look a bit ridiculous. However I miss them! I miss having them there after I go for my every day stroll with Lagertha. She’s fairly good about staying on the aspect of the street, however typically… “SQUIRRELL!” We’ve to be much more vigilant listening for automobiles arising behind us. Not all the time a straightforward job with electrical automobiles nowadays.
Lagertha has selected her personal, that she doesn’t go to the toilet on our web site. Placing up somewhat fence for her to roam in on the location isn’t actually an possibility for her. We have to take our stroll on a regular basis. Hikes are fantastic, and considered one 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 had been going to overlook. Doug positively misses it greater than me, however rattling! I didn’t understand simply how a lot we had been going to overlook having a spot to work on issues. Issues go fallacious 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 undertaking was extra sophisticated we actually have a pal with a full mechanics store.
Not everybody has entry to the entire above, however earlier than shifting into the camper, all of us doubtless 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 web site. 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 desirous about portray and transforming our lounge within the RV. I’m not about to begin this undertaking 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 all the things out and do it there. However I don’t. So this undertaking requires much more logistics and artistic considering 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 actually do NOT miss yard work like mowing and weeding. However, we do miss simply letting Lagertha outdoors. She misses sunbathing each time she desires. Some mornings we’re busy doing issues and all she desires 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 liked and welcoming brings me pleasure. We’re solely often at any given camp web site for two weeks. I’m not adorning my web site 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 prefer to carve a pumpkin for my entrance steps. However I don’t have entrance steps anymore. And I actually don’t have house for giant ol’ carved and adorned pumpkin.
A Actual Bathe
As soon as once more, that is one thing that we knew we had 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 strain was extra regular. However even with the entire modifications, we nonetheless don’t have a REAL bathe like we did in our home.
Each Doug and I agree {that a} scorching bathe is fairly rattling near the highest of the record of all time greatest innovations. After an extended strenuous day of climbing an extended scorching bathe feels wonderful. Nonetheless, in the event you dwell in a camper, you greatest go discover the bathhouse if that’s what you need. Lengthy scorching showers are a factor of the previous. At greatest we will get an extended reasonably heat bathe. Or a brief scorching bathe. By no means lengthy AND scorching 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 scorching bathe for so long as I would like. Let the water beat on my face to assist break all the things up. Sadly, that isn’t an possibility. Thank God for Vicks, or I could not be capable to 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 the entire belongings you’ll be giving up although. Take into consideration the issues that you just’re gonna miss. Make a listing and skim different’s articles. You must be sure that each factor in your record is one thing which you can dwell with out. Lacking issues are one factor, however are you able to actually give them up?
