Full-time RV'ers for nearly 2.5 years

Since Husband and I have been together we have lived in 10 different homes.  That is an average of approx 2.5 years in each - of course we were in some places for a very short time and the longest 8 years.  Nevertheless we've moved a lot.  We've lived in 7 different cities and two states.  We moved for jobs, for opportunities, for adventure and for dreams.  We've moved for practical reasons and because of what we imagined was possible.  Nearly 2.5 years ago we moved from a 4000 square foot house into a 200 square foot RV.  It was much to small for our family, but because we were committed to making some significant changes to our way of life and wanted to test out RV living. 

Our first house on wheels

Living area in the Hideout

We lived in our tiny, 200 square foot Hideout for a year and a half (Inside it was ~ 26' long by 8' wide).  We traveled over 6,000 miles with it.  In January of this year we bought a new truck and RV to substantially upsize our living space (to 315 square feet).  The rig is longer, (just over 30') but it has two deep slides so we have an open area inside.  

Extra width in our new place

Living area in the Mesa Ridge

Living in an RV has a number of advantages - most significantly we are debt-free and have been saving a significant portion of our income for 2.5 years.  Secondly, moving is a breeze - We've been in situations when we needed to move for a job, but were unable to sell our house for what we paid.  Like many Americans we have experienced being house poor.  We have experience as landlords...forced into renting out a property because we couldn't sell.  I am very content that I don't have the burden of home ownership weighing on me.   I am also nervous about the housing market in 2020 and beyond - economists say the housing market has recovered from the 2008-09 financial crisis but there are reasons to think another large recession is coming soon.  It seems working Americans can't get a break - we put all of our money into our homes only to have our homes fall in value as a result of the irresponsible actions of those motivated by greed in the financial sector.  So, yeah, I am glad that I am not currently invested in a house.  Third, we've been able to hit the road for two summers in a row to tour our National Parks and appreciate the beauty of this country.  Our RV provides the comforts of home even off grid due to a solar system.  Fourth, our whole interaction with the material world has been transformed - we cannot accumulate stuff like we used to.  We have donated and sold a huge majority of our possessions.  We are deliberate in our purchases and our things are practical.  Lastly, though the space is easily cluttered, it is also easily cleaned!

Living in an RV has a few disadvantages as well.  The biggest one I see in our future is that Brother and Sister will not want to share a tiny bunkhouse for too much longer.  Brother has the larger (wider) bed above the cabinets and Sister has the longer (narrow) bed above the table.  They each have one drawer, the space under one of the benches as well as a closet.  Their possessions (other than stuffed animals which compete for bed space) fit in those spaces.  As they grow, as their clothes get larger, this space will seemingly shrink.

Having friends over is challenging - it's not that we can't  entertain, it's just not a very comfortable set up and we have to spend a good amount of tine outdoors as there are not enough seats inside.  We've been invited more than we have invited and I dislike my failure to reciprocate.  Lastly, and this is a big one....I miss my desk!  I would love to have a home office....sitting here in my massage chair is awesome, but having two monitors and a desk would be amazing.  Along those lines - we still have the problem of not being able to adequately spread out for school/work.  We thought having the bunkhouse would help, but we still do school and work at the kitchen table.  Perhaps if we had a house we would still do school at the kitchen table...that is where homework used to take place when we had a house and Brother went to school...

Yes, massage chairs!!!

There is a stigma that comes with this lifestyle choice because being frugal is not appreciated in this society.  Most people are all wrapped up in identities associated with their consumption and purchases.  Homes and cars make people feel successful (or not).  If your identity is associated with  home ownership and the type of car you drive you probably won't have many positive words for a family that lives in a travel trailer.  Additionally, for a family in AZ, it is really hard to find a decent RV community since so many cater to the 55+ community.  There are also more and more people/families pursuing the full-time parked life due to the low cost, so it is hard to find long-term lots.  We've rented monthly lots in four parks and each has pros and cons (some parks only have cons).  Good parks require criminal background checks and do some sort of screening prior to letting you move in.  In bad parks your used tennis shoes may be stolen from your steps (yes, that happened to me).

Despite the cons, it has been a great adventure and it's fun to reflect upon as we approach our 2.5 year anniversary.  After the holidays my parents will snowbird (in their RV) to AZ from MI and we will enjoy having them around....then we will be planning summer 2020!