Learn our least favorite things about full-time RVing so you’re not surprised when you make the transition into the lifestyle.

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📍- Life-on-the-road

10 months ago, we drove away from our stationary home in State College, Pennsylvania. I recall walking through the house one last time, my hand sliding against the powder blue walls, saying goodbye to the collection of wood and nails that spent the past two years making us feel safe and secure. With a final sigh, I backed out of the front doorframe. I slowly locked the handle and I listened to the familiar click of the bolt sliding into place.

In the driveway, my husband, Drew was busy setting up our tow-behind Jeep so that we could begin RV life as one glorious unit. We secured the tow bar, plugged in the electrical components, and entered the RV to verify the proper functioning of the auxiliary braking system by means of a small, red, LED light near the right side of the steering wheel. This light, one that had reliably signaled proper braking of our Jeep every time we had used it up until this point, decided that it wanted to take the morning off. Over and over, Drew stepped on the brake in the RV, staring expectantly at that little red light. Perhaps he was hoping that if he stared at it long enough, he could command it to his will. What on earth was going on, and how were we supposed to fix it? 

We spent an hour in that driveway, fiddling with the connection and reading every owner's manual that we had on file. We were about to disconnect the Jeep, and admit defeat by having me drive our car separately to our next location when one last check of the system finally gave us the satisfying red glow that we had been looking for. Feeling conflicted about whether I should feel relieved or frustrated, I washed the grease from my hands and flopped down in the passenger seat like I used to do as a teenager when I was annoyed with my mother. Little did I know, this anticlimactic start of RV life was an initiation into the struggles that life on the road can bring, and that getting our towing system to work properly would be a persistent problem that we still wrestle with to this day.

Before we go any further, allow me to clarify that, despite the preceding, irritating saga, we adore full-time RVing. Life on the road has gifted us more freedom than we ever imagined would be possible in our modest lives. We have the flexibility to work wherever we please, dub a fresh landscape our temporary backyard as frequently as we feel like, and create so many memories that I sometimes worry my brain will run out of storage. But like anything, this life comes with tradeoffs, and there are some things about RV living that we just aren’t fond of. 

No lifestyle is perfect, and if you’re thinking of giving RV life a try, we think it's important that you’re well versed in both its best and its worst parts. So, here we are giving you our top 10 things that we hate about full-time RV living after 10-months of living on the road.

1. Groundhog Day - Maintenance Edition

I wouldn’t exactly describe Drew or I as being particularly “handy”. Before moving into the RV, we rented a house that was two blocks away from our landlord. If anything broke, we knew that a fix was a simple phone call away. 

On the road, if you’re looking for a handyperson, the best place to go is into your bathroom and to stand squarely in front of the mirror. Yup, you’re looking at the person who will likely be handling all the maintenance in your rig. It’s not a secret that the RV manufacturers prioritize lightweight and inexpensive materials over quality ones, so you can bet your bottom dollar that things will break… and they will break frequently. Unless you’re willing to wait weeks on end to get your rig into a repair shop, you’ll have to get your hands dirty, again and again, as you keep your home-on-wheels in fighting shape.

2. Gas Guzzling

When considering finances, living out of an RV, skoolie, or van is one of the best ways to escape the burden of an expensive mortgage or monthly rent payment. However, it should not be assumed that RV life is “free”, even if you are partaking in free camping options. Unless you know something I don’t know, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an RV that is fuel-efficient. Most of them, ours included, are gas-guzzling monsters that burn fuel at a rate that hurts my eco-friendly heart.

This is bad news for the planet and for our wallets, and with the recent acceleration of gas prices around the world, this is not something to be taken lightly. If you’re thinking of starting full-time RVing, be prepared for a hefty gas bill every time you move, or consider moving less frequently to decrease this financial burden.

3. Noisy Neighbors

Something that never even occurred to me before we were already living in our RV is that we would have to deal with a revolving door of neighbors. Every time we move, we risk another Nosy Nancy being parked in the spot next to ours.

When in RV parks, most of the guests are there on vacation, so it probably doesn’t even occur to them that the annoyed-looking couple in the Class A motorhome is staring daggers out the window at them because their blaring radio is disturbing their work. After all, who would be crazy enough to work full-time while traveling in an RV…

When camped in free dispersed camping spots, quiet hours simply aren’t a thing, and it is common to encounter loud parties that can stretch long into the night. These scenarios aren’t ideal, and even if you’re lucky enough to avoid them for a while, you will face noisy and inconsiderate neighbors if you live on the road for long enough. It comes with the territory and you will simply have to learn a way to navigate it.

4. Privacy? What Privacy?

Unless you plan on embarking on a solo traveling journey, alone-time is something you can basically kiss goodbye. Even though you are probably expecting the discomfort of an extreme downsize, living in such a tiny space with your spouse, partner, or family can still be a bit of a shock. Personally, I consider our rig to be quite spacious at around 300 square feet. We have two slide-outs, a door that closes off the bedroom, and a loud fan that gives us some ambient noise when one of us has to use the bathroom. Let’s face it, these thin, plywood walls don’t leave much to the imagination.

I guess it’s a good thing we like each other.

Even if you will be traveling alone, you will probably find yourself in a sardine can posing as a campground at some point in your travels. Some of the spots we have stayed in on the road have been TIGHT, like, don’t open your blinds your you’ll be staring at your neighbor and be close enough to see that they’re eating store-brand Cheerios tight. These are our least favorite types of sites, and although we try to avoid them at all costs, we do find ourselves in them on rare occasions, and you probably will as well.

5. Dirty Jobs

One of the things I gave up when we began living on the road, was the fantasy that my nails would ever sustain an intact manicure. As a matter of fact, I threw out every bottle of nail polish that I own and haven’t been to the nail salon since, although I must admit that as I write this a quick glance at my feet gives me the evidence that I am in dire need of a pedicure. Pronto. 

Honestly, RV living is dirty. Between having to dump your septic tank, frequent mechanical work, and the dust and mud that you will find yourself driving through, you’ll often find yourself in some messy situations. Although I have a husband who is more than willing to do every one of these jobs on his own, I like to pull my weight, and so I find myself elbow deep in dirt and grime more frequently than you may assume. On the bright side, there is something very satisfying about working with your hands and getting some dirt under your nails to get a job done. 

6. Changing Time Zones

I’m not aware of anything more disorienting than unexpectedly changing time zones. This happened to us while visiting Page, Arizona, a visit that surprised us by both the beauty of the town and by the fact that it fell in line with the majority of Arizona that apparently does not follow daylight-savings time. While trying to figure out why I was starving during early-bird special hours, I realized that our clocks had automatically jumped back an hour, leaving us to adjust to a new time zone that we didn’t even realize we had stumbled into.

If you are traveling between the coasts, you’ll have to anticipate these changes, and hopefully do better than we did in notifying your work, family, and friends of your change in time zone before it causes you any trouble.

7. Electrical Monitoring

If you are going to be doing any sort of boondocking, or camping without electrical hookups, then you will absolutely have to deal with monitoring the electrical load on your rig. Everything that runs on electricity will drain your batteries from your microwave to your hairdryer to simply charging your laptop. Either by solar power or by running an onboard generator, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that you keep up with recharging your batteries and ensuring they do not slip below an unsafe level of charge. Otherwise, you risk damage to your batteries. This is an ever ongoing process and is draining not just to your batteries, but to you as well. In fact, this whole process is the biggest contributor to what we like to call “boondocker’s burnout”.

8. Adjustment Fatigue

Until you are doing it on a constant basis, it's hard to wrap your brain around how much mental energy it takes to navigate a new place. From locating the cleanest laundromat to determining where they keep the toilet paper in the local grocery store, it is taxing on your brain to be in a constant state of adjustment. 

One of the biggest pitfalls that I see new RVers getting stuck in is traveling way too fast. With the excitement and adventure that each new destination brings, it’s easy to see why. However, as full-time travelers, you’ll have to keep that adjusting to a new place will be taxing on your mental well-being. We recommend slowing it down and not pushing your limits, or you risk some serious burnout on the road.

9. Short Showers

There are a plethora of modern conveniences that you have to give up as a full-time RVer. Personally, I enjoy the simpler way of life that I am afforded without most of these, but if there is one thing that I miss about living in a sticks-and-bricks house, it’s having the ability to take long, uninterrupted showers.

RV showers are similar to military showers. You get in, you do your business, and you get out without any unnecessary lollygagging. When camping without hookups, I take showers that clock in at under 5 minutes, and I do so while turning off the water flow as I lather up. Even when we have hookups, when I can afford to dilly-dally in the water a bit, I still turn off the water while I lather because we are limited to a five-gallon hot water tank.

If I’m being honest, I have gotten used to showering in this way. It’s only after I have the luxury of showering at a friend’s house that I remember how much I miss the luxury of what feels like unlimited hot water.

10. Missed Celebrations

Last on this list, but certainly not least, is the reality that it is not easy to be without a stable, physical support system. In-between national park-hopping and city-exploring, life on the road can be a little lonely. 

While you are gone, the life of your family and friends will continue to roll forward. You’ll likely miss out on holidays, birthdays, and other celebrations that you may have attended otherwise. Sure, you can try your best to be there virtually, but nothing really takes the place of being there in person. It is one of the sacrifices that we make as travelers, and it’s something that you’ll have to come to terms with if you want to live your dreams of exploring this country in your very own home-on-wheels.

Are you thinking about giving RV Life a try? What is your biggest concern about the lifestyle? Be sure to leave them in the comments section, along with any other questions you may have for me!

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