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Stepping out on the tightrope

When was the last time that you did something for the first time?

Earlier this year, I would have had a hard time coming up with an answer for this question. It’s absurd really. In our lifetime, we could devote each new day to tasting a new cuisine, practicing a new sport, exploring a new destination, or speaking a new language, and still only scrape the surface of what our world has to offer us. Why then are we prone to stagnation? We master what is comfortable, the things which provide us peace of mind yet do not challenge us in the ways we all deeply crave.

Trying something new can feel a bit like stepping out on a tightrope. One foot extends over open air, wind that can barely be felt on your skin sends shockwaves through the rope and up into your leg. Your other foot stands attached to solid ground, stubbornly refusing to join the rest of your body as it leans into unknown territory. Your nervous system sparks fireworks as it fights to calibrate your balance. This is the stance I currently take. 

As I write, I sit in the remnants of what used to be my State College home; the culmination of our belongings either sold, donated, or sparingly stored in my parent’s basement where they will wait for the day that Drew and I stop wandering. I look out the window and see our RV, reminding myself that I must learn to call it not RV, but home.

A solitary mattress serves as my desk, my back against the wall as the bed frame has since been disassembled. I feel myself swaying back and forth, the tightrope reminding me that I’ve already chosen its path. It is in this moment that I am reminded by one of my favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt, that “you must do the things you think you cannot do”, and in the discomfort of doing so, we push ourselves into becoming the people that we were always meant to be. So with Charlie barking in encouragement, a gentle push from Drew on my back, I fight the urge to look back at the life of academia I have chosen to leave behind. I take a deep breath, lift my anchored foot to join the rest of me in space, and trust my body to not let me fall.

If you are on the tightrope of discovering RV life, let me assure you that you are not alone. Many have successfully completed this challenging process before you, and absurdly enough, I can now officially say that I am one of them. As exciting as this transition is, it comes with an abundance of stress as you navigate this unknown territory. I am just now coming out on the other side of this transformation which sometimes felt like a long and dark tunnel, and so I want to make that tunnel a little brighter for you. To do this, I have created a basic guide to help you with the adjustment of becoming full-time travelers, or to help you officially determine if life on the road is for you.

Please enjoy the following eight steps to becoming full-time travelers.

1. Think twice

Why not start off on a cynical note, right? All jokes aside, before we dive head first into the steps that will enable you to become full-time travelers, I think it wise to double check your decision. What awaits you is not a world of glamour, but hard work, adjustment, and a steady dose of unsettled energy. I have more than once given the comparison that the adjustment into RV life is a bit like moving to a new country. Things that have been the same for your entire life now operate a bit differently. Remember to not let the flush pedal snap-back after depressing it: A few cold showers may be in your future: It is now your responsibility to think about the source of every drop of water and every volt of electricity that you use. To be frank, it can be a bit overwhelming. 

To create a few positive hues, I am a firm believer that we are all capable of much more than we think we are. I have been absolutely amazed at the speed at which I have learned to drive the rig, fix electrical issues, and diagnose minor plumbing mishaps. On several occasions, I have held an intelligent conversation with family about how the ability of our Jeep Cherokee to easily “disengage the drive shaft” makes it an ideal candidate for flat towing. While I still have little clue as to what that actually means, no one has pushed me far enough in conversation to discover my lack of mechanical knowledge, and I see that as an absolute win.

In short, I have soon discovered that living in an RV requires that you be a travel agent, electrician, plumber, mechanic and general handyperson all in one. It also enables you to travel from location to location at your leisure, and to see everything that this country has to offer. If none of this is enough to dissuade you from the traveling lifestyle, then by all means, grab the bull by the horns, just be sure to brace yourself for a few bucks along the way.

2. Set a date

When I began the journey of telling people about our plans for life on the road, almost all of them had the same response: “I was going to do that one day, and I just never got around to it.” These replies helped me grasp how privileged Drew and I are to be able to live this dream which has been held by so many. It also opened my eyes to the importance of setting a date for when you plan to officially hit the road. 

Once again for the people in the back: SET. A. DATE... and do it in pen!

Not everyone has to be as headstrong as Drew and I, who gave ourselves roughly eight weeks to prepare to flip our lives upside down. You could aim for one year in the future, or perhaps even two. The important thing is that you have a definitive goal and you hold yourself accountable to it. Like any other large project, if you don’t give yourself a deadline then you will find yourself in ten years, still talking about the life you may someday have. Make that someday today. 

Bonus tip: Sometime before you hit the road for good, try to squeeze in at least one trial run. This allows you to work out the kinks (which I promise you, you will find), while still having the comfort of returning to your sticks-and-bricks home while you flatten them out. We took two trial runs, where we fixed a small water leak, unclogged the piping in our toilet system, and quickly realized we needed a lower gauge for our 15 amp extension cord if we ever wanted to stop blowing fuses. If we had to figure all this out on the road, it would have surely put a damper on our first road trip as full-time RV-ers.

3. Decide on your rig setup

I could probably make a whole post about how to find your dream rig setup, but for brevity, I’ll give you the CliffNotes. In order to decide on your rig, let me first tell you that there is no perfect rig. Each combination of motorhome and/or tow setup will inevitably contain unique advantages and drawbacks. There are, however, a few things you should educate yourself on which will put you on the fast track to finding the best rig setup for you and your needs.

First familiarize yourself with the main five categories of RVs: travel trailers, fifth wheels, class A motorhomes, class B motorhomes and class C motorhomes.

Travel trailers, and fifth wheels are both tow behind trailers with the main difference being that fifth wheels are designed to extend above the truck bed of the towing vehicle, thus increasing the living space of the trailer. Both of these trailers differ considerably in size and will require a truck or other suitable towing vehicle that would be able to transport it. 

Class A, B and C motorhomes, as the name implies, all contain a motor and can therefore drive themselves from location to location. Because they don’t need to be set up behind a towing vehicle every time they move, they tend to be the preferred option for full-timers who travel quite often. The chassis, or base frame, on these motorhomes is their main differentiating feature. Going off of size, which differs from their alphabetical order (Don’t ask me. I don’t make the rules), Class B motorhomes, better known as camper vans, are the smallest as they are built on a van chassis. Class C motorhomes are built on a truck chassis, typically intermediate in size. And of course, Class A motorhomes are the largest of the three, built on a bus chassis, and often containing the largest storage capacity as well. While having a big rig can provide valuable benefits such as holding more personal items, and comfortably accommodating guests, the larger your rig, the harder it will be to drive. This will require you to think critically about whether you will prioritize comfortable living space or ease of transportation.

If you have chosen to go with a Class A or Class C motorhome, then I would also encourage you to consider towing a car behind you. There is a lot to consider when choosing a tow vehicle: the towing capacity of your hitch, the combined weight that your motorhome is certified to safely move, and whether your chosen towed vehicle is optimized for dolly, trailer or flat towing. It’s a process, but it’s a process that ultimately enables you to be able to scoot around town in a small and easily maneuverable vehicle which is a drawback to most large motorhomes. 

For those of you that are interested, Drew and I chose to go with a Class A motorhome, buying a 2017 Forest River Georgetown which is approximately 32 feet long. We accessorized our rig with a 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk which serves as our tow vehicle because it is easily flat towed and therefore makes for the fastest hookup to the motorhome when we want to hit the road. Getting the Jeep flat tow ready was a large undertaking in itself, and we got a lot of help from our friends at Jeff Daniels Jeep Customization who hooked us up with the installation of our Roadmaster tow bar and Invisibrake system which has worked better for us than we even expected.

4. Check your clutter

I hate clutter. I hate junk. I hate tchotchke. If you ever want to get me heated, ask me about the burden that over consumerism puts on our planet and the wallets of the working class consumer.

Still, in the process of downsizing to fit into the RV, the amount of items I ended up gifting, trashing or donating was quite shocking. Humans tend to fill the spaces which they inhabit. It’s the way of us. It’s not really our fault, but it is something that you will have to overcome if you wish to fit into your new tiny home. A big turning point for me was when I sat down and made a list of physical objects that brought me joy. I’m not talking about things that bring minor conveniences, but pure, genuine joy. You know what? The only two things that I put on my list were my yoga mat and my Bible. Two objects. TWO. Why oh why do I have closets full of things that I have hoarded over the years?

My biggest piece of advice to you would be to declutter a little bit at a time, give yourself plenty of time, and go closet by closet. Touch each item that you own. If you have no idea what it is, trash it. If you haven’t worn it in the past year, donate it. If you couldn’t possibly bear to part with it, think again, and consider gifting it to a close friend. Do not underestimate the amount of junk you have in your house. You have it. You know you have it. Try to embrace letting things go, because in the end, when you drive off with everything you own in your RV, you’ll be amazed at the relief you feel without the weight of all the items which have been weighing you down.

5. Staying Healthy

Making sure you have wide coverage in your healthcare is key to a successful life on the road. In general, I would advise you to learn about your healthcare plan and ensure that you will be covered for medical emergencies nationwide. Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) plans have the greatest chance of keeping you covered as you jump from state to state. Other types of plans, such as Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPO) and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) have a greater likelihood of limiting your healthcare coverage to your home state. If you happen to take any medications, there are many safe and secure online pharmacies, such as goodrx, who will refill and mail your prescriptions to you for free. Just make sure you have a way of getting mail on the road (more on that in point 7).

I would also advise you to consider a fitness membership as well. I have heard great things about Plant Fitness which has over 2,000 locations, and can provide reliable access to showers if you plan on drydocking often. Personally, I’ve never liked gyms and much prefer to exercise outside. Drew and I enjoy exploring our campground by going for early morning jogs, and I have been a loyal member of Inner Dimension TV, an online yoga subscription service which enables me to exercise and meditate with nothing but my yoga mat and an internet connection. That actually reminds me, you’ll have to decide on a mobile internet provider, which is mentioned in point 6.

6. Internet package

My initial thought when preparing for full-time travel was that I would simply go to the Verizon store, and add an unlimited hotspot to my plan to have internet with me wherever I go. However, after a brief chat with the Verizon consultant, I remembered that “unlimited” doesn’t really mean unlimited. When it comes to most major cell phone companies, they will throttle you to absurdly slow internet speeds after you’ve reached a certain amount of data usage for your billing period. Since Drew relies on the internet for his job, this wasn’t a great option for us.

Fortunately, there are third party companies who operate by buying the unused internet from these major cell providers. They package this data and sell it to customers in a monthly service with unlimited data usage and no throttling. There are a plethora of these companies to choose from, but Drew and I decided to go with The RV IT Guy because of their affordable prices, long lasting battery within their hotspot device, and fantastic customer service which has led us to speaking with an actual person instead of a computer every time we have called.

7. Mail Forwarding

How do you get your mail when you don’t have a mailbox? Luckily, obtaining a private mailbox (PMB) is one of the easiest things to do on this checklist. Ipostal1 is the company which Drew and I use, which enabled us to choose a physical address in any of the 50 states for a low monthly fee. After signing up for the service, and changing all of our documentation to reflect this new address, we receive app notifications every time we get a new article of mail. We then have the choice to scan, shred, discard, or reroute the item to a local campground or post office that we can pick-up from at our convenience. Choosing to change the state of your permanent address, or domicile, can have tax implications which you should make yourself aware of prior to making this decision. It will also require your driver’s license to reflect the change as well as your vehicle registrations and inspections, if applicable.

8. Join an online community

As I said in the beginning of this post, remembering that you are not alone is essential if you want to transition into full-time traveling with all of your sanity still intact. Giving up your sense of a physical community can be jarring and isolating. But, hey, we live in the 21st century! Online communities are in abundance. Before we hit the road we joined Good Sam because of its extensive online network, active forum for its members, and discounts at many RV parks, and gas stations, nationwide. We have similarly heard wonderful things about Escapees RV Club which provides a place for members to talk about their mobile lifestyle, and create a stable sense of community. Members of these forums have helped me to troubleshoot problems I have had with my RV, and are an endless supply of recommendations of affordable campgrounds, good eats, and hidden gems.

I really wouldn’t be doing the full-time RV community any justice by not mentioning that the people I have met while traveling in our motorhome have been some of the nicest people in the world. On more than one occasion, my temporary neighbors have freely come over to give me a hand when they noticed me quizzically looking at my inverter. All this to say, living life on the road can be a scary thing to do, but it becomes much less scary when you realize there are lots of people who want to help you.

Thank you for joining us at Discovery Detour, where the destination is always unknown.