Cons of RV Living After 3 Years | Stationary and Travel Family of 6
Welcome back, friends! Did you hear the news that we are leaving full time RV living after 3 YEARS!? It's so sad, but true! You can find last week's blog post HERE for “All the things we WILL miss about RV living.” We have experienced both traveling on the road, as well as stationary living in our 3170bh Grand Design Imagine Trailer. As much as we have LOVED, and THRIVED in this tiny lifestyle, there were certainly things we won't miss. Stay tuned for my next post on “Items that made RV living easier for us!!” To find out what we won’t miss…keep on reading!
Running out of hot water
No one likes to run out of hot water, and in our RV…everyone did! Unfortunately, in RV living that's just the way the cookie crumbled. It affected both our length of showers, and dishwashing abilities. This was a HUGE inconvenience to my self care and homemaking routines. Every night, (after I finished making dinner), my husband would shower which only meant one thing...NO washing dishes! (If I washed dishes while he was showering, he would not only lose hot water, but the water pressure would go down.) How rude!
Fear of trees falling on your RV
Unfortunately, this is a very real thing when it comes to RV living. Thankfully, it doesnt happen all the time, but it can happen! In fact, our current RV park hires a tree service to survey the surrounding trees in the park to ensure that they are firm in their foundation, and have less chance of falling. I don't think I'll ever forget looking out of our RV windows, and seeing the ominous, dark sky, and trees swaying back and forth in a thunderstorm. I'm so grateful to the Father that He's kept us safe during our RV years!
Our NOT so spacious bedroom
We knew that our RV bedroom would be small, but we never anticipated the overflow of items that would stealthily make their way into what should've been our sacred place of peaceful sleep. Once we grew into a family of 6, the main bedroom became the "catch all drawer" of the RV. To any family considering full time RV living, we would strongly recommend, (if financially able of course), to start with a used fifth wheel! There you will find much more spacious storage options (especially in the bedroom) which means a better chance of not outgrowing this wonderful lifestyle.
We can't fit at our own table
When we first started our RV living journey as a family of 4, we had enough room for ALL of us to sit at the dinette...BUT after adding two more children to our family, the dinette no longer worked for us! We eventually took the dinette out which helped free up more space and added versatility...but still, its not quite possible for the whole family to comfortably sit together and eat.
MINIMAL counter space
Preparing meals in a tiny kitchen with a foot of counterspace is something I definitely won't miss. This kitchen DID teach me more life lessons than any kitchen ever did. I learned about working with less, servanthood under difficult circumstances, and being thankful for what I have because someone always has less! I also managed to cook anything my heart desired in our tiny kitchen (challah bread, cakes, pies, cookies, cupcakes, delicious and fancy meals). It is possible, BUT prep and clean up in a tiny space is a challenge.
NO washer/dryer hookups
When we bought this travel trailer, we knew not having washer, or dryer hookups with multiple toddlers would be a huge challenge! Three years and two more children later, and we were right! In the first few years, it was doable as many RV parks had laundry rooms, laundromats were always nearby, and we leaped at every opportunity to do laundry at our friends’ and familys’ houses. By year three, our weekly loads piled up, and we were spending $30 a week at the laundromat! We are definitely ready for our own washer/dryer set up, and we will NEVER complain of having to do laundry again.
The RV floors shaking when you walk
When we first toured this RV, we couldn't ignore the crazy shake! Once stabilizers were put on, the shake improved greatly, but not entirely...and with four children running around... you do the math! Babies eventually learned to nap despite the shaky floors, but I never felt like I could have a solid morning routine in the RV because movement in the early morning would wake our children.
Getting my RV oven to start
Who knew something sounding so simple as “turning on an oven” could be so difficult? Sure, I have mastered it now, but it took hard work and dedication. To turn on a stove in a sticks and bricks home, you simply turn the knob. In an RV, you have to push down a knob, while simultaneously pushing down another knob, allowing heat to build up, and then clicking the knob until the fire finally lights. Tired yet, haha? You're almost guaranteed to lose the flame several times before you finally get it to work, but hey, “practice makes perfect.”
Our walk-through bathroom
We knew having only ONE bathroom would be a challenge with our growing family. At the time, a larger walk-through bathroom seemed like the smartest option with young children needing assistance in the bathroom. (We didn't want a teeny tiny bathroom that could only fit one person at a time. We didn't want to “pop a squat” only to hit our knees against the sink!)
Since our walk thru bathroom sits right in between our kitchen and access to our bedroom, this became very inconvenient at times. I won't miss not being able to get to my bedroom because someone is using the bathroom. I won't miss using the bathroom and having others interrupt me to get to the bedroom. After 3 years of feeling like a wild animal in a nature documentary...I'm ready to do my business is PEACE!
The sound of the AC
Ever try having a conversation with an RV AC blaring over you? It's nearly impossible! You really have to experience it for yourself to believe it. The scary part is that after 3 years…you almost get used to it!
The black tank that stank!
What is a black tank and how does it work? A black tank is the tank under the RV that holds all the poop. I'm not joking! It's the least glamorous part of RV living, and a blaring reminder that you are not like stick and brick dwellers! When you flush your RV toilet, and hear that water rising up a little too close for comfort, thats how you know it's time to empty the black tank! This means you have to immediately go around back the RV, and pull the black tank valve to release all the...you know. Then you have to close the black tank, and pull the fresh water tank valve to let the fresh water clean out the remnants from the hose. During this time, it does tend to smell, and it's decent (and way less embarrassing) to avoid doing it when your neighbors are enjoying a delicious meal outside. Let's just say there's a whole lot of “black tank etiquette,” and with how short life is, I just won't miss it!
Being overstimulated by junk
We chose not to have a storage unit while RV living. We wanted to keep everything very minimal so when it was time to take a leap somewhere new we wouldn't have a bunch of things to sift through. Unfortunately, the downside of this decision led to being surrounded at times by a lot of clutter we couldn’t get rid of. In our next living space, we will be forever grateful for every ounce of space we gain!
Looking for places to sleep
Sure, there exists great resources like Harvest Hosts that can help you find unique places to sleep while on the road, but what do you do when you can't find a safe place to sleep? We have had to sleep in some very shady and undesirable locations while traveling. Truck stops, Walmart parking lots, gas stations, and rest stops have given us our share of interesting stories!
No personal space/lack of privacy
Without a doubt, the BIGGEST reason we are leaving RV living is due to lack of privacy and personal space. I always said that we could have lived in this RV way longer IF we had our OWN land! When you live tiny inside, AND have a tiny outside, it’s very easy to feel exposed with no boundaries. We were blessed with the RV community we had during our stationary years, but there was simply not enough space and privacy to feel at peace.
I hope you enjoyed reading about the things we WON’T miss about RV living! Even though this RV living chapter has closed for us, we know there is more adventure up ahead! Thank you for being here, and stay tuned for more fun to come! :)
