Unconventional Uses for RVs

Freedom, self-sufficiency, and nonstop adventure – these are probably the first things that pop into your mind when you think of RVs. And for the most part, you would be right. For the past few years, however, there have been some more unconventional uses for RVs other than travel popping up all over the map, and we couldn’t help but wonder: just what is it that made you buy your rolling home? Here are six unique ways to use your RV.

#1 Hotel alternative

Many vacationers are searching for alternatives to plane travel and hotel stays. And, some are finding it RVing. Recreational vehicles are on the upswing due to people’s need for safe places to prepare their meals, sleep, and use the bathroom without the risk of coming into close contact with those outside of their household. But besides the health and safety benefits, there’s this little thing we call budget – the thing that can sway you one way or another when planning a vacation. Families have revealed the savings that come into play when you skip staying in expensive hotel rooms and taking five people into a restaurant three times per day.

Indeed, RVs will likely be better for your wallet than hotels since you can save on food and nightly room charge. What’s more, you will have your own private oasis, enjoy home-cooked meals, sleep in your own bed, set your own cleaning policies, as well as choose what view you want to wake up to every morning. They’re your home away from home.

#2 RV tailgating

RVing and sports go hand in hand, don’t you think? Whether it’s for out-of-town youth tournaments, middle school and college athletics, or professional games, your motorhome can get you there and make the experience enjoyable for the whole family. Sure, it might not be the most conventional use of your RV, but many RVers like to wake up before the big game, drive to the tailgate lot, set up their RV, grill out and relax with their friends and family to take in all the excitement of the game day. And the perks are numerous:

• You can prepare your game day feast using your RV full kitchen.
• You don’t need to wait in lines for a bathroom when you have your own.
• Carrying your own sports equipment is much simpler.
• You can stay cool, thanks to air conditioning, and dry in case of rain.

#3 Food truck

Got mad cooking skills? Hop on the trendiest small business idea and convert your RV into a food truck. The popularity of these rolling kitchens has grown so rapidly over the past few years – the “roach coaches” of yesteryear have morphed into a well-respected choice for your daily lunch. While most of the trucks we see on the streets are built specifically for cooking, there will always be a few that stand out among the crowd – and that’s precisely what you need to propel your food truck into the mainstream meal choice of the people in your community: uniqueness. For this reason, RVs make great food trucks. Not only is it an unusual way to use an RV but also, it’s not every day you see a food truck looking like one.

Don’t forget that there are a variety of state food safety regulations and industrial kitchen standards by which you’ll need to abide to be up to code. But the sweet satisfaction of seeing someone chow down on your handmade creation will make everything well worth it. Not to mention that it’s a great way to make some money with your RV!

#4 Storefront

But don’t feel limited to food alone. Do you have crafts you could sell? Quality services you could offer? Utilizing your RV as a storefront and taking your goods to your customers is an excellent way for all of you daring nomads, adventurers, and travel lovers to make some extra cash while on the road. Nobody said you have to be held to conventional methods when building your business. Build lean, remote teams, save on marketing dollars and rent, and crush your competitors who are still stuck doing “business as usual”.

#5 Office space inside of your rig

Working from an RV is hardly a novel concept, but it’s been gaining popularity recently and ushered in a new normal for the workforce. RVs have offered the solution to digital nomads who want the best of both worlds: a job that allows the flexibility to work and travel to remote locations simultaneously. Similarly, those who had a hard time with a lack of dedicated office space in their homes and just needed a quiet place to do their work found that place, parked it in their backyards, and souped it up for video conferencing. And when the temperature drops, you can prepare your RV for winter, store it safely in a storage unit, and work from there.

Caption: Lacking the space for your home office? RVs can be easily converted into a quiet and comfy working space.
Alt-text: A laptop computer next to a potted plant.

#6 Use your RV for charity purposes

Right now, there’s one thing that is abundantly clear: the world could use a little more love, peace, and understanding. At every corner, there’s suffering to be eased and wrongs to be righted.

So, what can you do? For instance, when disaster strikes, a motorhome is the ideal vehicle for providing disaster relief to both volunteers and victims in the affected region. Stock the rig with supplies, and use your RV as a mobile command center for providing food, water, warmth, and air conditioning for those who need it. Another way you can use your RV is as a rolling food bank. These are typically stationary places that people in need must travel to in order to get help. Stock your RV full of non-perishables and deliver them to areas where people don’t have access to transportation. It can serve like a meals-on-wheels program that has both hot meals and essentials provided to people on regular schedules.

Sure, these might be some quite unconventional uses for RVs, but helping repair the world just a little bit will, no doubt, leave you feeling like one happy camper.

Author’s Bio:

Oliver Huxley is a backpacker, outdoor enthusiast, photoholic, and freelance copywriter in the midst of a never-ending love affair with globetrotting. He has travelled across over 40 countries and seen all seven continents, all the while sharing his on-the-road tips and hacks in blog posts for websites like Santa Fe Storage and Moving. His life mantra in one sentence? “Wonder less, Wander more.”