What possesses anyone to seek out a grand adventure, to leave the norms and comfort of a “regular” life, especially the one that we have, and sell it all, pull up our roots, our sticks and bricks home, many of our possessions, our furniture, and decide to live on the road?
I suppose it begins with inspiration. Inspiration in the form of significant intrigue and wonder when we’ve learned of others’ journeys. I’m talking about people who have traveled around the world on a sailboat, folks who have circumnavigated in a small plane or hiked across the continent. Do you read or watch these stories and shake your head, thinking, “Wow, these guys are nuts?” Or do you watch intensely, thinking, “OMG, I wanna be that guy!”
We have been watching YouTube videos, featuring over-the-road adventures, like no tomorrow! I have been following technical content, model and type content; every bit of RV and bus conversion content I can get my hands on. I’ve subscribed to every valid channel I can and the end result, after about 6 months of doing so, is that I’ve learned so, so much about RV’ing. I know, without a doubt, when our journey begins, I will be so much more familiar and knowledgeable than otherwise. But the more relevant outcome from this obsessive “research,” is that we are hooked! Totally and absolutely confident that this is something we want to do.
So, okay, there’s definite enthusiasm and intrigue over the physical elements – the machines! I don’t know what’s come over me, but I could look at RV’s and coaches ‘till the cows come home! Both exterior and interior, both production RV’s and custom Prevost conversions, although we’re favoring Newell – a limited production, all-metal coach, manufactured in Oklahoma.
However, the main take-away is that there’s nothing about the machine, the interior floor-plan, the accessories, etc, that doesn’t turn us on. But wait a minute…We’re not talking about a weekend getaway. Is this something that we can live in, and I mean LIVE IN, for a minimum commitment of 2 years. And then decide from there. So, what is it about life on the road that would have us believe we can pull up our bricks and mortar life and live with wheels underneath, instead?
That’s what we’re going to explore!
As best I can explain it, those who have made this choice before us, which is estimated to be several hundred thousand, across the country, all share a few common characteristics. There are also estimated to be approximately one million RV’s that are the sole residence for folks, but the lower number refers to those who are mobile, at least some of the time.
Many of us suffer from permanent wanderlust. “A strong desire to travel.” But living the RV life is beyond just rolling down the highway. In fact, if you are putting miles on your coach all the time, you greatly increase the cost of operating, as well as tire yourself out, in a big way. RV life is more about combining the joy and excitement of discovering and soaking in new places, new scenery and experiences, along with the exhilaration of doing so in a 45 foot long, 8 wheeled, rolling condo. That includes the ever-present challenges of keeping it running smoothly and effectively. Which, strangely, is incredibly exciting to many of us.
Most full-time RV’ers will have an ebb and flows in their routine. They will spend more time during a particular time of the year traveling more and typically, that is during the summer. So during the winter, it’s not unusual that the coach is parked for weeks, if not months, at a resort or other accommodating location.
However, the challenges and excitement don’t end there. Keeping most coaches running smoothly, even when stationary, is usually still an adventure. These machines are built with a miraculous combination of artistic rendering, high tech, and what’s especially miraculous is the meshing of both residential and mobile methods and materials. For instance, it would only take one, very small, residential HVAC unit with a heat pump to efficiently and effectively, heat and cool a 500 square foot condo.
A coach, however, can require as many as 4, air conditioning units, along with heated floors, an electric fireplace with forced air output, AND a small furnace. Or a combination of the above, seldom just one system alone. Obviously, there are far more opportunities for issues and problems, simply from the number of systems attempting to operate in sync, providing a pleasant climate in the heat of summer, or chill of winter. But most late model RV’s and coaches are equipped with technology that at the very least allows the occupants to control the temps and the devices that provide climate control, if not coordinate everything on autopilot.
This is an example of how technology has helped enhance the experience, but nonetheless, you’re always staring at something that needs to be adjusted or monitored and it’s something that those of us who get off on that type of thing, enjoy. I know I have, during my limited total of a little over 3 weeks of rental RV operation over a couple of summer vacations.
Then there is the intangible aspect of life on the road, travel, nomad living, etc. A theme I have heard repeatedly, is the lifting of the explorer spirit, which is common in those who choose this way of life. What I’m specifically talking about is that most people find that living this way, compels them to get out in their surroundings and experience what a park, a town, a desert, a mountain or lake – whatever is around them – far more than they would ever do if they were back in sticks and bricks.
This includes exploring surroundings and also can prompt a “clearing,” of one’s mind. Stress is always a part of existing, but I hear so many folks talk of how this life, this freedom, brings with it a more relaxed state of mind. And I’m not just talking about retirees! Perhaps I should have made that clear from the outset. We will continue to work, but more on that later. The lifestyle seems to relax people and the freedom brings more excitement than stress and frustration. This state of mind allows you to explore, to experience, and to enjoy what you discover with a heightened level of pleasure. I know it all sounds too good to be true, but I get it.
So, how do we plan to support this way of life and not end up broke, shortly after we hit the road? We aren’t independenty wealthy and I think that seems to be the case with a lot of couples and families that are living the nomadic lifestyle. I suspect that most people who have more money than they know what to do with, wouldn’t think it right to live in a motorcoach, exclusively.
Most people we know of who are living on the road, who are pre-retirement age, continue to work and earn a living. This has certainly been made far more doable, given the explosion of telecommuting jobs in a variety of fields, not just high-tech code writers or software developers. Sales, for instance, of many types, can be handled with a reliable phone and a laptop. This is essentially what my wife, Chris, is going to continue to do. I have a digital marketing company and my only employees are off-shore anyway and frankly I’ve never met, face to face. So, provided we have a solid cell or internet signal, we’re up and running. This is a common situation for plenty of road warriors.
So, we will set out on our adventure, within the next 9 – 15 months, doing exactly what we are doing for a living. Our business associates, clients and customers, won’t even notice that we’re parked at an RV resort in Palm Springs, or a slot at a campground in Idaho. Provided we have 4G minimum cell signal, we’re good to go. From what I understand, it can be a hindrance at times when you want to be somewhere remote, but there are databases and apps that will direct you to the areas of coverage, vs areas that are spotty. There is also hardware that will capture and enhance signals to ensure it is as close to business as usual as possible.
We know we have plenty to consider, to plan, to accept and to prepare for and if there’s one thing I hear consistently from those who have set out to do this, before us. It is that you must be ready for the unexpected and be prepared to roll with the punches. Weather can cause difficulties when you least need it to turn against you. Mechanical problems can hit you, issues with campgrounds, resorts or whatever location can arise, and God forbid, even medical problems can be greatly compounded when you’re in the middle of no-where. But just about every problem will have a solution and we can’t wait to take it on.
So, the decision has been made and we hope that you’ll come along for the ride! Part of our personal adventure includes documenting our journey, both in blogging as well as VLOGs. I.e. video. We can’t afford an around the world journey and we certainly aren’t hiking campers…but every aspect of this mission has us completely consumed with anticipation.
We simply cannot wait!
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