Full Time RVing – The GOOD, The BAD and the UGLY!
03-16-2015
Author: in RV Full-Time with Us
I thought that taking some time to look at a few areas that are pain points about being a full time RVer would be a great subject to talk about this week. I do want to point out that when I speak of pain points it’s all a matter of perception. What I mean by that is honestly there is very little bad and or ugly about being a full time RVer and I just want to give you some insight on some things to think about before you start your individual journey or if your already enjoying your journey that you are not alone.
Full Time RVing – The GOOD
Honestly I could write about all of the things that are good about full time RVIng for days, literally! Deciding to go on the road and travel full time was the best decision we ever made. Because Vicki and I are not of retiring age (in our 40’s) and the subject comes up that we are full time RVers we get asked a lot, what’s it like?Well it truly is a journey, it’s knowing that every day is going to be a little different then the day before. I think that the most exciting part about being a full time RVer is the community itself. When you become a full time Rver it’s like joining a very large community. Full time Rvers look out for one another, and when I speak of a community look at it this way. Remember when neighborhoods were more connected then they seem to be today.
You know what I mean, where you had block parties, the neighborhood would come together on a regular basis and do things. Well-being on the road is very much like that today! When you go to campgrounds there truly is a sense of “community” within the groups. I cannot tell you how many pot lucks we have been to in the last 6 months. If you really want to know what it feels like, go outside and get under your Rig guarantee that if you have a tool box out and are laying under your rig at a campground that you will get several individuals stopping by to see if there is anything they can do to assist you. The overall sense of togetherness within the RVing community is truly awesome and I’m glad we are a part of it.
Full Time RVing – The BAD
When I speak of “bad” in relationship to being on the road full time it’s based on your level of perception. What I’m talking about is TV reception, that’s right the only bad I can come up with is TV reception. I know some of you are thinking right now, well get satellite and I understand that however let’s look at it a little closer. First off you have to ask yourself how important is TV to your everyday life? For Vicki and I we are not huge TV buffs, don’t get us wrong we do enjoy sitting down in the evening and watching a couple of our favorite shows but it’s not a do or die situation if we don’t have it.Sometimes we stay at campgrounds such as the one we are at now and we have 0 channels, it’s been that way on 2 out of 3 campgrounds this month. So the easy fix is to get satellite but on a personal note when it comes to the cost of satellite I have a very hard time justifying the cost to the overall benefit. If you only watch a few shows and they are on the Networks then it feels like a very big expense when you are trying to keep expenses down. If you do decide that satellite is something you absolutely have to have then look into the tailgate system by Dish.
Dish Satellite is the only provider that seems to cater to full time Rvers, they offer a package that allows you to turn the service on and off. Unfortunately because of some of the parks we know we are going to stay in throughout the year I feel like sometime in the next couple of months I will have to go ahead and bite the bullet and get a satellite system. Not really happy about it but it may become a necessary evil.
If I do, I know that our friends at RV Handbook have us covered with their article, Satellite TV in you RV.
Full Time Rving – The Ugly!
We live in a technology driven society and because of that the ugly when it comes to Rving fulltime truly is THE INTERNET!I have spent numerous hours researching and trying to come up with a solution to this problem however there are very few that I have found and none that resolve all of the issues you will encounter. Because you are on the road you are relying solely on WIFI therefore your internet connection is never going to be “great”.Most RVers utilize a hot spot off their phone and if you are doing that then you are dependent on how good your provider’s reception is at your particular location. Even if you are at a campground that provides WIFI, you are going to attach to a network that numerous other individuals are attaching to thus even with a great connection (which is rarely the case) the bandwidth is small because so many individuals are on it.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying if you go on the road you will be disconnected from the world of the internet I’m just saying you will have some days of frustration where things are going to take a little longer then you would expect. Another part of the internet that you have to be aware of is your data plan. Think of how much you really do use the internet and be sure that before going on the road to have a data plan that will handle your monthly needs.
Trust me you won’t be utilizing services such as Netflix or Hulu because there is no real “Unlimited Data” plan. I know a couple of full timers that if they are in a park that offers WIFI they will set their system to download Movies from Netflix over night when there are less individuals on the internet and then watch them at a later date.
There are some companies that offer WIFI boosters and I have researched a few but as of yet have not found one that I feel will solve the issue at this time for our needs. I will keep searching and if and when I find the combination that addresses this issue you can be sure that I will post it here for everyone!
If you have found a solution or have any suggestions please be sure to shoot us a note and let us know would love to share it with the rest of the full time RV community.
Till next week, Safe Travels!
About the Bloggers: Matt and Vicki Hulbert are full time RVers who decided to begin a life on the road and enjoy the Rving lifestyle while still in their mid-40’s. With no real savings, no retirement to speak of and only a dream they took the plunge into this way of life. They like to consider their selves “21st Century Gypsies”, they figure it out as they go. It has not always been an easy road but they are living proof that with a dream, good work ethic and a little luck you too can achieve this wonderful lifestyle. Follow the adventures of Matt, Vicki and their 3 Pugs, see where their adventure takes them next. If you are one of those individuals or couples that are sitting there right now saying “one day” then maybe Matt and Vicki can help you find out that “ONE DAY” is TODAY and you too can start living the dream!
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Author: Matt & Vicki Hulbert
