Chickery's Travels

Chickery's Travels logo. A blue-green Earth globe with continents surrounded by dots with an arrow denoting movement or travel and "Chickery's Travels" as part of the dotted circle. Next to this is a photo of their blue and white Arctic Fox 5th Wheel with the awning out.
  • Home
  • Campground Reviews
    • Alternatives To National Park Campgrounds
    • Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types
    • Best Waterfront Campgrounds For Every Budget
    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
    • Arizona
      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
      • Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)
      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
    • Arkansas
      • Catherine’s Landing (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
    • California
      • Best Campgrounds in California
      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Delaware
      • Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
    • Florida
      • Best Campgrounds in Florida
      • Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area (Pensacola, FL)
      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
      • LazyDays RV Resort (Tampa, FL)
      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
    • Maryland
      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
      • Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA (Coinjock, North Carolina)
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
    • Texas
      • Best Campgrounds in Texas
      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
    • Tennessee
      • Camp Margaritaville (Pigeon Forge, TN)
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Luray KOA (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
    • West Virginia
      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
  • USA
    • Arizona
      • Apache Trail: A Crazy, Scary, Beautiful Drive
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves
    • District of Columbia
      • Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.
      • Favorite Hikes near Washington DC
      • Indoor Skydiving and TopGolf: Just Another Day of Family Fun!
    • Florida
      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
      • Blowing Rocks Preserve – Jupiter Island, Florida
      • Bok Tower Gardens
      • Daytona Beach – The World’s Most Famous Beach
      • Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
      • Gasparilla – Tampa’s Pirate Invasion
      • 3 Days on the Nature Coast 
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
      • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
      • Island Hopping at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks
      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, Florida)
      • Sunny Sarasota
      • Tampa
        • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
        • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
        • The 5 Best Beaches in the Tampa Bay Area
        • Why We Love Tampa
      • Tarpon Springs – The Gulf Coast Town with Greek Flavor
      • Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
    • Georgia
      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
    • Illinois
      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
    • Maine
      • Coastal Maine Vacation
      • Monhegan Island Maine
      • Two Days in Acadia National Park
    • Nevada
      • Planning an RV Trip to Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
    • Tennessee
      • Burgess Falls: 3 For 1 Waterfall Special
      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
      • Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!
      • WWII History in Tennessee
    • Texas
      • Best Eats in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
  • RV Resources
    • 3 Simple Steps to Find the Best RV Campgrounds
    • 5 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret
    • Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience
    • Tips for Boondocking Success
    • Essential RV Gear
      • Essential RV Gear Guide
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • RV Must Have: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
      • RV SnapPads Product Review
      • RVLOCK Keyless Entry Door Handle Installation and Review
      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
      • Top RV Gadgets & Accessories
      • WeBoost Cellular Booster Review
    • Living in an RV
      • 9 Lessons From 2 1/2 Years on the Road
      • Biggest Regret Full-Time RV Living
      • Dealing with my Biggest Full-Time Travel Struggle, Missing Family While Traveling
      • Downsizing: 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact
      • Full-Time RV: 2019 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review
      • How Full-Time RVers Celebrate the Holidays
      • How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel
      • Internet Solutions for RV Travelers
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
      • Short-Term RV Storage: Leaving The RV Behind
      • Top 3 Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret: 3 Years Full-Time RV Living
      • What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing
      • What You Need To Know Before Selling Everything And Moving To An RV
      • Why We Are Traveling Full-Time In Our RV
    • Maintenance Tips
      • DIY Power Upgrade – “Solar Ready” Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
      • An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater
      • How to Reduce the Likelihood of Tire Blowouts on your RV
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
      • RV Roofs – What You Need to Know
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
    • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
    • RV Remodel
      • Planning an RV Remodel
      • RV Kitchen Cooking Videos
      • Painting Your RV Interior
      • Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More
      • Updating Your RV Window Treatments
      • RV Bedroom Makeover
      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
      • Vintage Camper Renovation
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • RV Travelers: How to Read Books While Saving Space and Weight in Your RV
    • Slow Travel
    • Small Kitchen Cooking
      • Cooking Videos
      • Eating Healthy on Travel Days
    • Staying Healthy
      • Traveling with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Other Chronic Pain Conditions
    • Trip Planning
    • Traveling with Pets
      • RVing with Your Cat
      • Traveling with Restricted Breed Dogs
    • Why I Prefer RV Travel Over Flying
    • Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer
  • Travel Finance
    • 5 Tips to Save on RV Travel
    • 5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel
    • Full-Time RV Expenses
      • Annual Full-Time RV Expenses – The Big Three
    • Five Credit Card Strategies To Improve Travel
    • How Much Do Campgrounds Cost?
    • How Much Does it Cost to RV Full-Time?
    • How to Camp for Free
    • How to Start a Profitable Blog
    • How to Save Money on RV Fuel Costs
    • How to Save on Food While Camping
    • How We Earn A Living While Traveling Full-Time (And How You Can Too)
    • How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing
    • Learn How to Finance Your Dreams
    • The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time
    • Roadmap to Financial Freedom
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report April 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report May 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report June 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report July 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report August 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report September/October 2018
    • RV Purchasing
      • RV Purchasing: Understanding RV Types
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The Costs of RV Ownership
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Why You Should Attend An RV Show
    • Save Money Using the Public Library (On More Than Just Books)
  • Military Travel
    • Guide To Using Military Campgrounds
    • Health Care for Retired Military Full-Time RVers
    • Why Military Retirees Should Fly Space-A
  • Videos
  • About Us
    • RV Shows We’re Attending
    • Contact Us
    • Follow Us
    • Why We Are Full-Time RVers

February 22, 2021 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel

In this article I’ll share some of the basics for preparing for full-time RV travel. This information also applies to snowbirds who want to travel south for the winter, or those who are planning an extended RV trip. Specific topics include what to do with your home, where to establish a domicile, how to get your mail, how to plan for healthcare, and how much it costs to RV full-time.

What Do Full-Time RVers Do With Their Homes?

This is a common question for homeowners. I’ll give you some ideas of different options to get help you get started thinking about your plan.

Leave your home vacant. This option applies to those who are either planning to snowbird, and then return home, or those who want to maintain a home base that they can utilize when they return home to visit family. If you choose this option, there are a few things we recommend. The easiest are things like stopping the newspaper delivery and setting the thermostat at an energy saving level. Even more important, is to make sure your home is being looked after–and not just the outside. Most people who are away from home for an extended period think about setting up a lawn service and stopping the mail, but don’t think beyond that. For instance, what if you have a water leak while you’re gone? We all know that things can go wrong, and typically will at the worst possible time. That is why you want someone (that you trust or a professional that is insured) to periodically inspect the interior of your home as a safety precaution.

Rent your home on a temporary basis. This option can also be used if you’d like access to your home for part of the year. What I’m talking about here is an Airbnb or VRBO type of concept. All that means, is that you rent your home, typically furnished, out to tenants on a weekly or monthly basis. We met a couple who owns a home in central Florida in a trendy retirement area called The Villages. Each winter they took their RV down to Key West and rented out their home for four months. The first year they had three different tenants over those four months, so they were very short-term tenants. All the subsequent years, they had one tenant for the full four months. The thing about that is you can usually charge a higher rate than a standard non-furnished rental that’s on a year-to-year lease. They made enough money not only to pay their mortgage, but they were also able to pay for their campground down in the Keys (and those aren’t cheap).

Rent your home on an annual basis. This is the most common route. Selling your belongings or putting them in storage and using a standard rental agreement (or lease) on an annual basis. This was the option we choose when we decided to live and travel full-time in our RV. I wasn’t fully convinced that we would enjoy full-time RVing. So we did a one-year lease and put our stuff in storage. We ended up loving it so much that we later did sold our home and most of our possessions (more on that next). The annual rental was a great option was great for us because it paid the mortgage and allowed us to continue to grow our equity while experimenting with the full-time RV life.

I do often hear concerns from folks about having tenant problems and being so far from the home. We actually had the worst case scenario happen to us: the tenant didn’t pay the rent, had to be evicted, and left damage behind. However, we’re proof that does not have to derail your plans. That is because we had a property manager that took care of everything from collecting rents (when they were paid), managing the legalities of eviction, dealing with the repairs, and finding better tenants. IN fact, the problem with the first tenants is that we found them ourselves through an advertisement and didn’t use a property manger with a vetting process. Finally, all costs were tax deductible. The main thing is that you need to have an emergency fund set aside for the worst case.

Sell your home. If you know that you aren’t planning to return to the area you currently reside in or if you know that you will want a smaller home in the future, you may choose to sell it. If you do sell your home and are lucky enough to make money on it, please do not put that money on an RV. A home is an appreciating asset. That means over time, except in rare circumstances, it will continue to increase in value like an investment. An RV, on there other hand, is not. In fact, every type of RV depreciates significantly. We conducted a comparison of four RVs (motorhome, Class C, fifth wheel, and travel trailer) and found that the depreciation was an average of 33% over the first two years.

In addition, the majority of full-time RVers do not continue to live that way long-term, even when it is originally their intention. Most couples either go back to a traditional home or choose a part-time home base after three years. If you put the proceeds of your home sale into an interest bearing savings account or into a safe investment, you will start your journey with an “exit fund,” which will allow you to enjoy the journey and not feel the stress of being boxed in to any one way of life.

Where Full-Time RVers Establish A Domicile or Legal Residency

No matter it you sell or rent your home, as long as you have moved away from the area (even if it is moving to the open road), you may choose to change your domicile or legal residency in your former state. One of the main reasons full-time RVers do this is to reduce taxes. If you live in a state with income tax or personal property tax for your vehicles, you may want to establish a domicile in a state that does not.

Three states that are very common for full-time RVers to establish a domicile are Florida, Texas, and South Dakota. The reason why these three are so popular is they’re considered RV-friendly. That means that they usually have better deals on registration, no personal property tax, and no state income tax. These states make it very simple to get a driver’s license and to establish residency. There are many other states if you’re retired that don’t tax retirement income. We always recommend that you do some research on your own to determine the legal entanglements you may have with your current state of residency. The last thing you want is to be sued for back taxes because you didn’t properly make the change. Escapees RV Club is geared towards full-time travelers and has a lot of terrific information (as well domicile addresses) in these three states. Membership is only $49.95 a year, and there are a lot of great benefits. Please note that if you are not yet Medicare eligible, health care should be a factor in your domicile decision.

What Do Full-Time RVers Do For Healthcare? 

We cannot emphasis the importance of researching you health care options before embarking on your full-time RV journey enough. Medical expenses are the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States. Luckily, you do have options, but they will vary by individual situation.

First, if you are working remotely, don’t assume your health insurance will work in all 50 states. Some insurance plans only allow for emergency care when you are outside of your coverage area. That’s an emergency defined by the insurance company and not by you. You need to ask your insurance in advance about portability, that means what is covered outside your network. It may be that you have different plan options, and you could ask which one would work best for a full-time traveler.

If you need to purchase health insurance on the exchange, a lot of people pick Florida for a domicile. Florida has some of the best plans that are completely portable across the U.S. that you can only purchase if you are a resident of Florida.

If you are retired and Medicare eligible, it is more straightforward. However, you will want to check on any supplements you have to make sure they are portable. Finally, if you are retired military, check out our guide to Tricare on the road.

A great place to start your research is the RVer Insurance Exchange. They are an independent insurance broker for all insurance types, and health insurance for full-time RVers is one thing they do. They can quote you a policy for whatever your particular need is as far as health care insurance.

Finally, another health care item is prescription medications. We use a mail-order pharmacy (see next item on how to receive mail). It works well for us as most standard medications (even those requiring refrigeration) can be shipped. If you move too quickly to allow time for your prescriptions to be shipped, you can also typcially use a chain pharmacy like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, or any national chain pharmacies. However, it is important to be aware of controlled substance laws and regulations. Some medications can’t be refilled at all.

How Do Full-Time RVers Get Mail? 

One of the biggest questions we always get when we’re doing seminars at RV shows is about mail. The best solution will depend on your RV travel scenario.

USPS Mail Forwarding. If you’re going to be away from your home and are going to snowbird down south for several months, you could use the U.S. Postal Service and simply have your mail forwarded. That’s an easy way to do it if you’re going to one location. If you’re going to be on the move, you can change the forwarding address, but it gets trickier.

Mail Forwarding Services. Another benefit of Escapees is their mail forwarding service. With their service, you get an address in Texas regardless of where your domicile is. They hold all your mail until you tell them where you want it shipped. Depending on the service level you want, it costs between $95 and $135 a year plus shipping. Other mail forwarding services are St. Brendan’s Isle in Florida and America’s Mailbox in South Dakota.

Packages. Most campgrounds will allow you to receive mail and packages, but always check first. If they don’t allow it, you may be able to use the local post office for General Delivery. However, not all post offices accept packages that were not sent via USPS. Many cities and towns have something called Amazon Lockers at various retail stores. These have a one time code that you can use to pick up Amazon packages.

How Much Does It Cost To RV Full-Time? 

Another essential part of long-term or full-time RV travel is establishing your budget. It is so important to make sure you can cover all the costs associated with RVing, including emergencies. I’ll cover some of the basics below, but we also have a course Full-Time RV Finance where we go into the weeds on all aspects of full-time RVing-related costs, as well as other financial topics like saving money, making money, and paying off debt.

You can download our free full-time RV budget worksheet to use a guide as you go through the planning process.

Define your travel style. When you’re talking about extended RV travel costs, the first consideration is defining your travel style. This has a considerable impact on costs because just like hotels, you have your low-end motel, and then you have elaborate resorts. Campgrounds can be the same way. You can have your basic campgrounds, you can have dry camping, and you can also have high-end RV resorts. Another thing about travel style is how far you are going to travel. If you’re going south to Florida for the winter and that’s the only drive, and you’re going to stay at one campground, that will have a lower cost than if you’re trying to go from New York to California and back in that same period.

Campground costs. Campground costs can easily be one of the most expensive items on your extended travel budget, but it doesn’t have to be. It all again goes back to that travel style. First, let’s start with the free one. Boondocking is also known as dry camping. Many extended and full-time RV travelers enjoy doing this. It gets you off the grid and out in nature. Here are some examples of free camping in Florida.

The next option, public campgrounds, are between boondocking and the higher-end places. By public campgrounds I mean national parks, state parks, city parks, and county parks. One that we really enjoy are the Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds. Since some form of government run these, they are lower cost because your tax dollars subsidize them. Another thing to know about these campgrounds is that while some have full hookups, many do not.  Full hookups mean you have water power and sewer right at your site. A partial hookup means you don’t have all of that, and it can be different combinations, but usually, the first thing you lose is sewer. However, many publicly owned campgrounds that don’t have sewers do have a dump station on site. These publicly owned campgrounds typically run in the mid-20’s per night. However, there are exceptions like state park campgrounds in southern Florida that are more like mid-40’s per night or concessionaire-run campgrounds at national parks like at the Grand Canyon, which can be in the mid-50’s per night.

Finally, you have privately-owned campgrounds. These also can range in price. There are little “mom and pops” that are no-frills, but with full hookups. They might have some laundry facilities. The higher-end private campgrounds have many amenities like swimming pools, hot tubs, mini-golf, all sorts of planned activities, and some of them even have restaurants. And you know the saying, “you get what you pay for.” That is true of campgrounds. You can see several examples of pricing at campgrounds we’ve stayed at over the years here.  

Fuel costs. Next to campground costs, fuel costs could be your second highest or even your highest expense. RVs (or their tow vehicles if you have a fifth wheel or travel trailer) aren’t known for great gas mileage. It will really depend on how far you want to travel in a given time period. In addition to the distance you travel another variable is if you have another vehicle for your daily driver to go sight seeing. Finally, it is important to note that cost of fuel varies significantly by location. Please read our guide to saving money on fuel costs.

Maintenance. Maintenance is an expensive item that so many people overlook. There is a lot of preventive care, and the more diligent you are about keeping up with it, the less it will cost you in the long run. One of the best things you can do is get out all those books that came with your RV and read them. They will have all of the preventive maintenance items you need to do to each of your RV components. If your RV didn’t come with the books, look at your particular component’s make and model and find that manual online. Learn to perform the basic preventive maintenance items, and that will go a long way. You only need a basic set of tools to do most of this. If you’re not sure how to do it even after looking at the manual, go on YouTube and find a video. We guarantee there’s a video there on how to do the preventive maintenance. The more comfortable you get, you can move into some of the more significant repairs, saving you a ton of money. 

Savings. A critical piece of any budget needs to be savings. Savings is necessary because things happen. That’s just life. Whether you’re full-time or on an extended trip far from your home, you’re going to want to have that little bit of buffer. We call it our emergency fund. We had one month where we had to have a significant repair not covered by insurance or warranty. We also had a two-week period where we had two flat tires, and I broke a tooth (my insurance only covers half of the cost for a crown). We know people who were full-time RVers who had to stop where they were and get second jobs to earn enough money to make a significant repair to their truck.

If you need help creating your full-time RV budget, ideas for making money on the road, tips for saving on RV travel, or a guide to paying off debt to realize your dream lifestyle, please check out our program Full-Time RV Finance.

Filed Under: RV Life, RV Resources Tagged With: costs of full-time rv life, full-time rv travel, prepare for full-time rv living

October 19, 2020 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel

So you’ve decided to take the leap into full-time RV living, now you’re wondering what you need to do to get there. 

There are many reasons to live and travel full-time in a recreational vehicle from saving money to a desire to see more of our beautiful country. 

In this article I’ll cover a few key steps you can follow to prepare yourself and your RV in a stress-free way!

The RV Purchase

Before you start looking at RVs, first consider your RV life. How you plan to live and travel in your RV should have a huge impact on what type of RV you choose. Consider these questions for a start: 

  • How quickly do you plan to travel? Breaking down and moving often can be more cumbersome with some RVs than others. 
  • Which room is your home is most important to you? If you enjoy cooking, you may want an RV with a large kitchen. If you work remotely, you will need to consider a comfortable work space. 
  • What type of activities do you enjoy? Will you want room for indoor activities or space outside the RV to carry bikes and kayaks. 
  • Do you plan to stay mostly at privately owned campgrounds or would you like to frequent national parks? Most national park campgrounds have smaller sites and restrict larger RVs. 
  • Would you like to dry camp or boondock often? If so, you’ll need to consider your power sources, water tanks, and 

Here’s a video we created discussing some tips on choosing the right RV for you. 

Download our free RV shopping tips here. 

If you are in doubt about what type of RV to purchase, we recommend renting first. Peer to peer RV rental services have all makes and models of RVs.You can even rent a fifth wheel or travel trailer and have it delivered to a nearby campground if you don’t have a truck yet. 

One great way to save money and yourself from a very costly mistake is to purchase used. Read this article to answer the question should I buy new or used? 

RV Gear

Once you have your RV, there will still be work to get it ready for your full-time RV travels. This will include purchasing the essentials and completing any required modifications. This ranges from electrical and water systems to safety gear and comfort items.

Electrical Systems

There are a few key items you may need for your RV’s electrical systems. 

The first and most important is a Surge Guard electrical management system. This is much more than a surge protector. It provides total electrical protection for your RV. Any surge or even low voltage issue can wreak havoc with your RV’s sensitive electrical components, so don’t try to cut costs by skipping this item. 

If you are at a campsite with power, you’ll need a power cord. While your RV likely came with one, you’ll want to check and see how long it is and where it plugs into your RV. The last thing you want to do is arrive at a campsite after a long of day of driving and realize the power post at the rear of the site is too far for your cord. If you have a 50 amp RV, you may also want to purchase a 50 to 30 amp adapter known as a dog bone. This will allow you to connect to the 30amp power pedestals often found at state and national parks. 

Another essential piece of equipment you’ll need if you want to do any off grid camping a generator. For RV’s, the type  you specifically need is called an inverted generator. Not only are they quiet and compact, but they provide a more stable stream of power. With a generator you can power your entire RV, from wall outlets to convection ovens and lights no matter where you are camping.

Water & Waste Systems

You’re going to need a few items to manage your RV water and waste systems. First, you’ll want a long potable water hose to connect to a water source at your site or at a potable water fill station. In between the water spigot and the hose, you’ll also need to add a water pressure regulator and a water filtration system. 

You’ll also need a sewer hose to empty the black & gray water waste tanks either at your full hook-up site or a dump station. We’ve used the RhinoFlex hose for years. We are glad we got the 20′ because not every campsite and dump station is created equal. Some are placed quite far from where you’d expect. The clear elbow and 4-in-1 dump station fitting will make life much simpler too.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

The most important piece of safety equipment you can buy is a tire pressure monitoring system, or TPMS. It consists of a series of sensors system that screw onto each tire’s valve stem to monitor tire air pressure and temperature. We have the sensors installed on the Fifth Wheel and truck tires. The TPMS alerts the driver if a tire gets too hot or has pressure outside the desired range (too high or too low). This gives you time to pull over safely before a blowout occurs. We personally recommend the TST 507. 

Those are the basics, but see our list of 17 essential items that every RVer needs for more recommendations. 

RV Modifications & Renovations

No RV is perfect. You will likely want to make some changes to make it feel like home. Our two major projects were a solar and lithium power upgrade and interior decor renovations. 

Watch our four-part series on our RV solar and lithium power upgrade:

See the costs associated with our RV remodel:

Take some time to think about how you plan to use your RV, then prioritize what projects you’ll want to undertake to make it your own. 

RV Familiarization

Now you have your new RV home, you’ll want to get to know it well. If you are an experienced RV traveler, or you’ve had your RV for quite some time, this should be a fairly easy step. But if the RV is new to you, give yourself some time before you move into it full-time. 

One thing to be aware of: an RV comes with stacks of user manuals, not just one. The reason for this is that your RV manufacturer makes the body of the RV, but all the components like the air conditioner, furnace, oven, microwave, stairs, leveling jacks, etc. are made by other manufacturers. You’ll want to test all of these components and make sure they are working well before you move into your RV. It is much easier to leave your RV at the shop for warranty work if you have another place to stay.

You’ll also want to get some practice driving and parking before you set out for a cross country adventure. A great place to start is with an RV Driving School. Simply go to their website and find an instructor near you for personalized training for parking and driving all types of RVs. 

Downsizing

To state the obvious, an RV is considerably smaller than your average house. With a smaller space, it’s important to reduce the number of “things” lying around which can cause clutter. 

Secondly, you can start to reduce the size of your closet. You may love clothes, but do you really need them all? 

Lastly, the other extras such as books, cooking utensils, and extra bedding or towels. All of these extras can be sold in person, online, or even donated to charity shops. 

A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t worn it or used it in the last month, you probably don’t need it. 

The hardest items to part with for many are those with sentimental value. Check out my article on tips for overcoming common hurdles with downsizing.

The Take-Away

Now we have covered the major steps to prepare for full-time RV living: RV purchase, RV gear, RV modifications, and downsizing.

The steps can seem fairly basic, however, it’s easy to forget some of the most important things to check when you have so much to think about. 

While it can feel like a huge change you should now hopefully feel more confident to tackle, and even enjoy, preparing for your new lifestyle! 

Filed Under: Living in an RV, RV Resources Tagged With: full-time rv living, full-time rv travel, prepare for full-time rv

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