January 31st marked the one year anniversary of our saying goodbye to a brick and mortar home. It’s what those in the trade might refer to as a “major lifestyle adjustment.” Like any such adjustment, there were ups, (many, many way ups) and some downs. (thankfully, no way, way downs)
Starting with 4 people, a dog, a cat, 2 ferrets, a big lizard of some kind and a hedgehog, (yeah, all of it in a 33ft RV) and now, many passengers safely delivered to their destination in Vancouver, WA., and down to the core 2 people, 1 dog and the cat. With 5982 miles, 5 states and 2 countries in our rear view mirror, we can look back and evaluate the journey so far. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, so to speak. So, starting with the bad here, and look for the good and the ugly in upcoming parts 2 and 3.
10 things we like least about full timing.
- 10) Short stays – either boondocking or RV park – We’ve been up and down the west coast, from San Diego, California to British Columbia, Canada, with jaunts into Nevada and Arizona, and the best times were when we were in an area for at least a week. A two or three day stay just doesn’t cut it for maximum area absorption. So far, our flow works best kinda like this: Day 1 we arrive at our site, usually in the afternoon as we are purposefully being very relaxed about our pace and enjoying the journeys from one spot to the next. Also, neither of us are early risers, so we typically aren’t on the road till 10 or 11am. (sometimes noon.) Then, set up inside and out, clean and organize a bit from the move, because there’s always something (often several something’s) that needs doing after moving any distance. Day 2 is relax, recovery and enjoy the new environs time. Medically speaking, it’s much easier on Kathy if there’s some full on down time built into the schedule so she’s not overtaxing herself, and I’ve found that I benefit (knees and back) from the “off” day as well. Day 3 is for need-to-do errands. Grocery store, (or Costco if there’s one close. We do love us some Costco) pharmacy, pet store, (for the many pet things Kathy thinks she needs) hardware or camping/RV stores, (because things need fixin’) and any other day-to-day operational errand on the to-do list. It’s really not until day 4 that we’re able to get to all the great things that most areas have. Sight seeing, photo excursions, local pleasure shopping and interest browsing, etc… It’s a rare destination that doesn’t have at least a couple of days (if not more) full of things we’d like to see or do, so a 1 to 3 day stay just isn’t cuttin’ it. Sure, we can and have squeezed more into a shorter stay, but it feels squeezed and rushed, and how is that fun? I need that week long.
- 9) Moving day – We’re always looking forward to getting to a new place and the scenery along the way, but the actual ground game mechanics of the move are not that enjoyable, and it is pretty much true that no matter how you look at it, it is a throwaway day. Pack and secure everything, drive most of the day away, break it all out again and set up for use, and BAM, the day is gone.
- 8) The stairs – Mostly on a pure comfort level, the steps up into the RV, and for our 5th wheel, the steps up to the bedroom, while not a killer, are just inconvenient enough for Kathy (and me… knees and back) to be a minor irritant in the long run. Not a terrible part of day to day life, but it would be just that much nicer if they weren’t part of it.
- 7) Insulation – I can’t speak for ALL RV’s of course, but we did purposefully pick one that was a 4 season model, and it still feels like a tin can insulation wise. When it’s cold outside, it’s cold inside, (Soooo many cold spots) and when it’s warm, the sun just beats down on it. It gets cold or hot SO fast. I honestly wonder what a non-4 season model feels like.
- 6) Flimsiness – RV’s are really not made to live in. Stuff is flimsy and not very durable, and construction can be a bit… oh, let’s say, sloppy. I have a whole blog post in the works on all the things I’ve had to fix or replace so far, (Remember, only one year in) and the things that are messed up or not working quite right and not fixable.
- 5) Very limited space – Both for storage and day to day living purposes, space is at a premium. Physical space as well as overall weight. We have a max towing capacity and only so much storage to go around. Not only that, but philosophically, we spent the better part of two years preparing for this lifestyle; paring down and getting rid of 40 plus years of accumulated stuff. Every new thing we pick up now feels, to me, like we’re just building a new pile of stuff. So, any purchase has to pass those three factors. Is there a place to keep it when not in use, will the extra weight push us over the maximum, and, “do we really need it?”
- 4) Mail – Mail and packages have been a challenge. Correctly guessing mail and shipping arrival times and coordinating them with where we’re going to be for receiving important deliveries isn’t as easy as it seems like it should be. A couple of times this has been a big headache. The longer stays referenced above make this much easier, but isn’t always in the cards.
- 3) Only one vehicle – We are both very much children of Southern California car dependent culture. We both had cars early in our lives and have never been without one. As a couple we always had two cars and a lifetime of being used to getting in our car and heading out anytime we want to go somewhere, and especially if it’s a place the spouse doesn’t want to go. And there were no worries about leaving someone stranded at home while we were out. That is not the case now. This means it’s going together to all the places all the time, or sometimes I’m out doing guy things, and she’s out doing girl things and the odd person out kinda gets stuck. It’s a bother.
- 2) Cell service – This is probably on me and a classic, “I wanna have my cake and eat it too,” situation, but all the best cool places we’ve been, and all the roads less traveled we’ve found ourselves on are also places without cell service. This is a bummer. C’mon, I really dig camping out in the middle of nowhere, and just the roads into some of those places are typically awesome experiences in and of themselves, but I still want to be able to access the internet, send and receive texts and phone calls and be connected to the world if we need to be. Particularly – and even if only – in case of an emergency.
- 1) Internet, or lack of – This is the killer, so number one with a bullet. Internet on the road is bad. Like New Coke or Charlie Sheen bad. Ishtar bad. This does not work for me. Internet connectivity is not something I’m interested in sacrificing. For work, personal creativity and entertainment we need a decent – preferably better – internet connection. Finding this at an RV park or campground is like finding a unicorn. We both have data plans and hot spots with our phones, but my 24GB a month plan is less than a gig a day and I can go through that without even trying. (Also, see number 2 above) This has me humbled and looking for public WIFI in the wild, and spending (too much) time I didn’t anticipate at Starbucks, McDonald’s, local libraries and other places that offer (usually) decent WIFI. Not to mention the extra expense. I can’t pop into Starbucks for a few hours without paying my way by picking something up. (Green tea lemonade… not a coffee drinker) Sure, it’s not a lot, but it adds up over time. Clearly this is a challenge I’m still working to get a handle on, and I’ll updating any progress and new developments as we go.
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Panera’s have decent Wifi too :0)
Good to know!! I’ll give them a try. 🙂