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. However we’ve come to understand 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 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. Each of us are employee bee’s and made one thing out of nothing fairly rapidly. We have now each at all times strived for enchancment or to succeed in our subsequent objective. Shopping for a house. Shifting to a greater faculty district. Surviving the lack of the whole lot we’d labored for in Hurricane Sandy. We simply maintain going. That’s what we do. Targets are set with the intent of assembly them. Shifting 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 the whole lot up, and we do. My neighbors are quite a bit 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 Like actually know them the identical means you knew your outdated neighborhood? Do it’s essential to know the whole lot about them? Simply while you assume you’re snug, one in all 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 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 problem all over the place. 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 House 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. If you reside someplace for some time, you develop accustomed to the noises. Creeks within the floorboards. Trains going previous within the distance. Street visitors. Something. However while you’re consistently on the transfer, these noises are at all times altering. Even Lagertha has her ears tuned in additional to the completely different sounds.
A Family Kitchen
The camper we selected for our Fulltime Way of life was partially chosen due to the scale and format 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 just isn’t an choice. First, it’s means too costly. Second, it’s severely unhealthy. I take pleasure in cooking! We cook dinner within the camper. Exterior 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 giant? Like perhaps a turkey breast?
The oven doesn’t even maintain a typical pan. I needed to exit and get a particular 13×9 cooking pan with little or no handles to slot in there. Overlook 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 mission.
Apart from the scale of the oven and range is counter area. Within the camper, the whole lot has a really particular house. Any deviation from that house creates muddle. Maybe I’ve at all times 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 inconceivable, simply not going. And definitely not with out some form 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 at all times lived in fairly rural areas and sidewalks didn’t exist. In our final house although, we lived in a growth that had sidewalks. On a regular basis 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 watch for me to inform her it was alright 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 is no such thing as a such factor as sidewalks anymore. I’m glad there aren’t… It might 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 have now to be much more vigilant listening for automobiles arising behind us. Not at all times a simple activity with electrical automobiles today.
Lagertha has selected her personal, that she doesn’t go to the toilet on our website. Placing up a little bit fence for her to roam in on the location isn’t actually an choice for her. We have to take our stroll on a regular basis. Hikes are fantastic, and one in all 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 notice simply how a lot we had been going to overlook having a spot to work on issues. Issues go incorrect in a camper. Repairs will have to be made. Earlier than shifting 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 mission was extra sophisticated we also have a buddy with a full mechanics store.
Not everybody has entry to all the 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 website. Which is fairly full with the camper and the truck already. Not to mention the instruments that we now 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 occupied with portray and transforming our lounge within the RV. I’m not about to begin this mission at a campground, Harvest Host, or boondocking location. Area 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 the whole lot out and do it there. However I don’t. So this mission 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 definitely do NOT miss yard work like mowing and weeding. However, we do miss simply letting Lagertha exterior. She misses sunbathing every time she needs. Some mornings we’re busy doing issues and all she needs 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 now not an choice.
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 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 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 definitely don’t have area for giant ol’ carved and embellished 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 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 checklist of all time finest innovations. After an extended strenuous day of climbing an extended sizzling bathe feels superb. Nonetheless, in case you reside 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 will get an extended reasonably heat bathe. Or a brief sizzling bathe. By no means lengthy AND sizzling in the identical bathe.
Identical goes while you aren’t feeling nice. I’ve been preventing a head chilly for per 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 the whole lot up. Sadly, that isn’t an choice. Thank God for Vicks, or I could not have the ability to breathe out of my nostril.
Nonetheless Wouldn’t Give It Up
There are in all probability a number of extra issues that I might add to this checklist. Little issues. Easy issues. Belongings 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 checklist.
Earlier than you make the leap and determine to go fulltime, actually take into consideration all the stuff 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 should make it possible for each factor in your checklist is one thing which you could reside with out. Lacking issues are one factor, however are you able to truthfully give them up?
