Embarking on the extraordinary: Six years of full-time RV living

Join Lauren and Aaron of The Wanderpreneurs as they reflect on the wonders, challenges, and community they've discovered

- Photo courtesy The Wanderpreneurs

Are you still RVing full-time?

We have lived and travelled in our RV full-time since 2018 and are still going strong! This past year we put our home on wheels in storage for four months and travelled overseas to Europe, and we will do that again next year! So when we’re in Northern America we’re in our RV, but when we venture farther away we put it in storage!

What has been your biggest surprise so far, when it comes to the full-time RV lifestyle?

Our biggest surprise in full-time RV travel has been the wonderful community we’ve gained. We knew there were some other families who did it, but had no idea just how many. We have made so many lifelong friends in our journey, and that has been so sweet. We are almost always with friends, as we meet up with our favorite families over and over and even caravan from place to place together at times. 

What has been your most daunting challenge, and how did you deal with it?

Our biggest challenge has always been balancing work and play. Aaron and I are both self-employed and it can be tough to be disciplined when our backyard is always changing! We don’t work nearly as many hours as a lot of people, because spending quality time with our kids and friends is a top priority for us. It's just a struggle to find that work/play balance sometimes!

- Photo courtesy The Wanderpreneurs

What tips do you have for other RVing families?

The quicker you learn to roll with the punches, the happier you’ll be. Make plans but hold them loosely. Things can change in an instant, and being flexible is key. Sometimes you need to change reservations or plans because someone gets sick or something breaks. Don’t let it ruin your day/week! Looking at all the ups AND downs as just part of the adventure will make this lifestyle so much better. 

Do you tend to keep your RV in one spot for an extended period, or are you always on the move?

In the first few years on the road we were moving about every seven to 10 days. Now, in year six, we tend to be more seasonal. For instance, our kids started to miss playing on organized sports teams, so we decided that each fall we’d stay put for three months and sign them up for recreational baseball and soccer. We also realized that staying in Baja, Mexico, is our favorite way to spend winter—so we spend at least three months each winter around the Baja Peninsula. Springs and summers tend to change a lot and we tend to move more quickly in these seasons. 

If you could start your journey over again and do one thing differently, what would it be?

We really don’t have any regrets or anything we’d do differently! The past five years have been pretty incredible and life-changing for our family. Our goal was to grow closer as a family and we have definitely done that! 

- Photo courtesy The Wanderpreneurs

What are your plans for the future?

All four of us still love full-time travel, so we have no plans to stop. We are continually evaluating each person’s feelings and taking that into consideration as we make plans. We can’t say we will do this forever, because we know that we may feel differently at some point, but for now, we can all four say that we can’t imagine a more fun or fulfilling way of life!

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

When we first started our full-time RV travels, we created a travel blog and social media channels where we documented everything. We showed the downsizing process, created all kinds of content around the places we visited, the experiences we had, etc. As we started getting the attention of people who were intrigued by our unconventional lifestyle, we got a lot of questions about how we did what we did! We were happy to answer them, as we were grateful to the people who answered our questions when we ourselves were investigating what full-time RV travel could look like for our family!

I decided to compile all the information into an e-book, so I had one source I could refer people to that explained everything. I wrote Your Complete Roadmap To Becoming A Travelling Full-Time RVer, which outlines everything someone would need to consider and plan for if they wanted to start travelling full time in an RV. You can find it on our website at www.thewanderpreneurs.com.