It’s been over a yr now that we’re Fulltime within the RV. We really wouldn’t commerce this life-style for the world. But we’ve come to comprehend that typically we do miss the safety of the stick and bricks. At occasions it isn’t even the safety, however simply “things.” Doug just lately wrote an article concerning the 10 Things That Suck About RV Living. However, on this article, I’d prefer to concentrate on issues which are missed while you now not have an precise home.
When Doug and I began out we didn’t have a lot. Both of us are employee bee’s and made one thing out of nothing fairly rapidly. We have each all the time strived for enchancment or to achieve our subsequent purpose. Buying a house. Moving to a greater faculty district. Surviving the lack of all the pieces we’d labored for in Hurricane Sandy. We simply maintain going. That’s what we do. Goals are set with the intent of assembly them. Moving into the camper was a type of objectives. And we completed it.
But typically, having a home would actually be superior. There have been loads of issues that we each simply MISS from the Stick and Bricks!
Security Of The Stick and Bricks
Yeah, you’re proper, there are nonetheless doorways and home windows. But they’re a lot thinner now. Yes, we are able to nonetheless lock all the pieces 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 mentioned hello. You’ve even shared dinners. But do you KNOW them? Like actually know them the identical manner you knew your previous neighborhood? Do it’s worthwhile to know all the pieces about them? Just while you suppose you’re comfy, considered one of you strikes! Onto new neighbors as soon as once more.
Campground theft is an actual factor. At my home, I may depart my bicycle within the driveway over night time. Since transferring into the camper, it must be locked up on a regular basis. Whether staying in a National Forest or a Campground Resort, theft has been a problem 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 Home 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. When you reside someplace for some time, you develop accustomed to the noises. Creeks within the floorboards. Trains going previous within the distance. Road site visitors. Anything. But while you’re always on the transfer, these noises are all the time altering. Even Lagertha has her ears tuned in additional to the totally different sounds.
A Household Kitchen
The camper we selected for our Fulltime Lifestyle 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. Eating out all the time will not be an possibility. First, it’s manner too costly. Second, it’s critically unhealthy. I get pleasure from cooking! We prepare dinner within the camper. Outside house and cooking devices are a should, and we use them continuously too. But 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. Forget about making a cake. You 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.
Aside from the dimensions of the oven and range is counter house. In the camper, all the pieces has a really particular dwelling. Any deviation from that dwelling creates muddle. Perhaps I’ve all the time been spoiled with a big kitchen. But discovering a spot to prep any meal or goodies is like discovering a needle in a haystack. Not unimaginable, simply not going. And definitely not with out some form of mess taking place.
Sidewalks
I didn’t know I missed these. Really, till our final dwelling, we by no means even had them. We’ve all the time lived in fairly rural places and sidewalks didn’t exist. In our final dwelling although, we lived in a improvement that had sidewalks. Everyday I’d 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 forward to me to inform her it was alright to cross. We didn’t fear about vehicles 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 is no such thing as a such factor as sidewalks anymore. I’m glad there aren’t… It would actually look a bit ridiculous. But I miss them! I miss having them there after I go for my day by day stroll with Lagertha. She’s fairly good about staying on the aspect of the street, however typically… “SQUIRRELL!” We should be much more vigilant listening for vehicles developing behind us. Not all the time a straightforward job with electrical vehicles lately.
Lagertha has selected her personal, that she doesn’t go to the lavatory on our web site. Putting up just a little fence for her to roam in on the positioning isn’t actually an possibility for her. We must take our stroll on a regular basis. Hikes are fantastic, and considered one of her favourite issues. But 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.
Garage / Shop / Driveway
This is one we KNEW we had been going to overlook. Doug undoubtedly misses it greater than me, however rattling! I didn’t notice simply how a lot we had been going to overlook having a spot to work on issues. Things go improper in a camper. Repairs will have to be made. Before 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 undertaking was extra sophisticated we also 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 doubtless 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 web site. Which is fairly full with the camper and the truck already. Let alone the instruments that we now not have. Time to finish a restore in a campground is way tighter too. We solely have so long as we’re there.
I’m fascinated about portray and transforming our front room within the RV. I’m not about to begin this undertaking at a campground, Harvest Host, or boondocking location. Space 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 may lay all the pieces out and do it there. But I don’t. So this undertaking requires much more logistics and artistic pondering to perform. And as soon as once more, I’m again to the time for completion.
A Fenced Yard
This is completely a double edge sword. We definitely do NOT miss yard work like mowing and weeding. But, we do miss simply letting Lagertha outdoors. She misses sunbathing every 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 may let her out to run round. She may get her train with out us dropping what we’re doing. Since being within the camper, that’s now not an possibility.
I miss adorning my yard. Sounds foolish, and it kinda is. But I miss placing my pretend flowers out for each vacation. Making my yard and residential really feel cherished and welcoming brings me pleasure. We’re solely normally 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. But we don’t have house to retailer decorations. Halloween is developing proper now. I’d actually prefer to carve a pumpkin for my entrance steps. But I don’t have entrance steps anymore. And I definitely don’t have house for giant ol’ carved and embellished pumpkin.
A Real Shower
Once once more, that is one thing that we knew we had been sacrificing once 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. But even with all the modifications, we nonetheless don’t have a REAL bathe like we did in our home.
Both Doug and I agree {that a} sizzling bathe is fairly rattling near the highest of the listing of all time greatest innovations. After a protracted strenuous day of mountaineering a protracted sizzling bathe feels superb. However, should you dwell in a camper, you greatest go discover the bathhouse if that’s what you need. Long sizzling showers are a factor of the previous. At greatest we are able to get a protracted reasonably heat bathe. Or a brief sizzling bathe. Never lengthy AND sizzling in the identical bathe.
Same goes while you aren’t feeling nice. I’ve been preventing a head chilly for every week now. There isn’t a lot I wouldn’t do to simply stand in a sizzling bathe for so long as I need. Let the water beat on my face to assist break all the pieces up. Unfortunately, that isn’t an possibility. Thank God for Vicks, or I could not be capable to breathe out of my nostril.
Still Wouldn’t Give It Up
There are in all probability a number of extra issues that I may add to this listing. Little issues. Simple issues. Things you don’t even take into consideration till they’re not there. But we aren’t able to commerce the wheels in for bricks simply but. The execs nonetheless outweigh the cons on our listing.
Before you make the leap and determine to go fulltime, actually take into consideration all the belongings you’ll be giving up although. Think concerning the issues that you simply’re gonna miss. Make an inventory and skim different’s articles. You must ensure that each factor in your listing is one thing which you can dwell with out. Missing issues are one factor, however are you able to truthfully give them up?
