Taking risks
The Lord moves in mysterious ways, but you don't have to. Use your turn signals. ~ Anonymous
We would all like to believe that RVing is all sunsets, campfires, and margaritas. But the truth is that there are a lot of bad and even ugly parts of living the RV life. Not enough bad things to make me change my mind about loving this life, but they might change your mind when you realize how bad things can really be.
I've never heard anyone say, I wish I had waited longer before I started RVing. They all say they wish they had made the decision and started a lot sooner. If you think you might want to live full-time in an RV (and you must be thinking that or you wouldn't be reading this article), then you're on the right path. You're doing your homework, learning about the lifestyle and getting your questions answered.
Some people get stranded in this phase and never feel like they have all the answers. The truth is that they don't. You will never know everything you need to know to hit the road. There will always be a lot of unknowns and "What if?" - questions in your mind. Accept the fact that . . .
Every decision you make for the rest of your life will be made with incomplete information
Accept that fact. The decision to start living in a RV is no different. Accept this fact and move forward.
Do a reasonable amount of research, get answers to most of your questions, and make your decision.
The RVing lifestyle is the easiest to get into and the easiest to get out of. You won't be taking a big risk if you start living in an RV.
Fear is the real thing holding you back
No one likes to admit that fear is keeping them from making a decision or taking action, but if you're honest with yourself, you know that fear is the only thing holding you back.
You have a lot to learn before you can make an informed decision about whether RVing is the right life for you.
If you've done much research about RVing by watching YouTube videos, reading books, or following RVing blogs, I'm sure you've heard a lot about how wonderful the lifestyle is. There's more to the lifestyle than just the fun part. Most of the bad things about RVing are told as funny stories if they are even told at all.
Will Rogers said, Everything is funny if it's happening to somebody else.-
Probably if you've heard any bad things about the RV lifestyle, you've heard them in the form of a funny story. The reason it's funny is that it's happening to somebody else.
Telling someone about RVing is like talking about grand kids or pets
Most people tend to talk about all the good and wonderful things and leave out the bad, heartbreaking, and expensive parts. Maybe not intentionally, but it's just human nature to remember and talk about the good times when it comes to RVing, grand kids, and pets.
The RVing lifestyle is not all sunsets, campfires, and margaritas, but enough of it is to make a lot of people decide that they don't want to live any other way.
Of course, not everyone feels this way. It's not the right lifestyle for everyone. Maybe it's not the right lifestyle for you. If it's not the right lifestyle for you, it's better to find that out before you sell everything and hit the road.
Having a problem-solving mindset and attitude is a great thing to have as an RVer. But don't worry if that doesn't describe you. It's something you will developed as you continue RVing.
If you take risks, you're going to be wrong as much as you're right. And that is the pain of life and the joy of life.
The Bottom Line Truth of the Matter: RVing is a wonderful life, but it's probably way different from anything you've ever done or experienced before. It's not for everybody. In addition to the practical changes you'll experience, the emotional aspects of the new lifestyle are way more than many people are prepared to deal with.
Note: The picture at the top of the page is of a 26-year-old Toyota camper van. It has a 4-cylynder diesel engine, 4-wheel dirve, and the steeringwheel is on the right side. Some friends of mine boought it in Japan, had it shipped to Canada, and then brought it to the US. They're visiting me now in the NC mouontains.