Any Living in Your Rig 365 Days 24 Hour 7 Days a Week?

[Trekking]

How do you manage it? Is it stressful or very relaxing? Going from a house to an
Van or RV year round. What kind of work do you do in the winter time?

 

[caseyc]

I'll let you know next year if I made it to 365 days, as I started on 3/1/2014 of this year.

The stressful part is moving daily finding a new parking spot, but that's become easier over time. Not easy, mind you, but manageable.

The relaxing part is... I'll let you know when I find out.

 

[Lucky mike]

been doing it since 1989........after awhile it just becomes normal......normally there is no such thing as winter for me .....follow the sun!!!!

the last 3 years Ive spent in New Hampshire tho....winters are brutal up here and I spent alot of time boondocking in the Hospital parking lot!!!! as I spent my days inside being a lab rat as they attempted to cure me

 

[Iggy]

Lucky Mike, that is an impressively long time living the life! Hope I make it as long.
Like Caseyc, I've only done this a few months. For the most part, it has been quite relaxing, both day and night. It is still a bit difficult coming into a new town and trying to find the right spot to sleep. I wish there was an app that listed all the towns and cities that have made it illegal to park overnight. That would take a lot of the stress away. I do sleep better when I'm sure that no police or security guys are going to knock on my door. I sleep best at Indian casinos that allow overnight parking. I also sleep better when I have a lady to cuddle with but the daytime aggravations so far with them negates the night time enjoyments

 

[compassrose]

Fulltime (again) since 2006. I work fulltime for Home Depot. We live in one place (until we move Sept 7, 2015) after one of my daughters gets married. Then we move east to FL(?), buy a home base and, hopefully, we will have the jewelry business running well enough to support us. If/When the jewelry business takes off, we will try to spend winters in FL and summers in TN mountains. We live in a 40 ft self converted school bus.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Full time since 2011. Loving it.

 

[Drifted_Cowboy]

We've been doing it for 3 days. Two adults 3 kids between 6 and 1 and a 5 month old blue heeler full time in a 19 ft class c.

So far it's not much different than before. We all sleep in one big room now and our fridge is smaller. I called some coyotes within a few hundred yards from my bed last night. I think we could easily do a 30 ft sailboat if we so chose.

I used to be a marketing whore and have some residual things I own. My wife works via some global communication medium or other. The plan is to drive at regular intervals for short distances spending a good amount of time absorbing each location. We homeschool and work on the road. We don't make very much money. We budget, live within our means, buy used when possible, and just do what needs to be done to make our dreams a reality. Is my dream a 40 year old 20 ft jalopy more befitting ma and pa kettle than green acres? No. But this is the plan I have come up with and it's a damn pleasing first rig to be sure.

It's relaxing and worth it so far. My kids are well behaved in all the right ways and they prefer to be outside. We have no tv. We know nothing of "current events" save the same morbid undercurrent we all feel as of late. Our neighbors are high quality moral folks who enjoy good food and good music.

We are learning. We are relatively safe. We are as free as this world will seem to allow. 3/3 ain't bad my good man.

 

[David]

This month marks a full year since I left my apartment and went to a mobile life style. I did however have a 3 month break where I stayed at my parents place while fixing up my first van. Since that 3 month lay over I've been in the van full time.

No stress about living in the van other than when I had a break down, that was easily resolved. I'd say that has been my only real concern due to me road tripping around the county in a 30 year old van. Worrying about something breaking is the only stress I have and even that is not much, I just take things as they come and deal with it.

In fact I love the freedom that comes with it. The only draw back to me in no hot shower each night.

 

[66788]

I also sleep better when I have a lady to cuddle with but the daytime aggravations so far with them negates the night time enjoyments

I hear you loud and clear. Married and divorced 3 times. I don't want a relationship that lasts more than an hour.

 

[Patrick46]

The only draw back to me in no hot shower each night.

That's easily remedied. There's lotsa easy ways to rig up a shower for yourself.

There are threads on here explaining several different ways folks handle this.
Frankly, I'm kinda suprised you haven't done one.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

We, Margie, Bindi, and I have been fulltimers since 8/12. We recently traded out of the RV into a maxi van and are very pleased with our lifestyle choice.
We love to travel and as long as we have wheel estate we're happy as clams.

In Fla, I had a sailboat that I lived aboard for 5 yrs. That's where Margie came in to the story.
Before that, I traveled with backpack/thumb, a bike, motorcycle, sports car, several vans and a few RVs, even rode the rails for a short while.

I don't worry about stealth and park about anywhere I like that it looks safe. We sleep quite well....except when a truck with reefer parks next door

We know how to kick back and relax no matter where we are. (find authors you like and read everything they've written and go to the next on the list)
We gave up on TV, but do enjoy having laptops, which are fed by "borrowed" wifi. The affairs of the world are none of mine....as long as they leave me alone I won't screw with them.

I collect social security that finances our travel on a tight budget, but we get to see lots of things, meet cool folks, and do fun stuff as long as we don't get extravagant.

You'll get the hang of it quickly. Its really no different than living in any sort of shelter. You're still the same person. You still like the same activities. Live isn't about hiding in a box, its about getting out and enjoying what's around you.

 

[SternWake]

24/7/~339 days a year, for 13 years. Much of the more recent time just stagnant with a private parking spot though.

I can't imagine paying someone else's mortgage, or funding their travels or shiny object obsession.

 

[Lucky mike]

We, Margie, Bindi, and I have been fulltimers since 8/12.
We love to travel and as long as we have wheel estate we're happy as clams.

In Fla, I had a sailboat that I lived aboard for 5 yrs. That's where Margie came in to the story.
Before that, I traveled with backpack/thumb, a bike, motorcycle, sports car, several vans and a few RVs, even rode the rails for a short while.

I don't worry about stealth and park about anywhere I like that it looks safe. We sleep quite well....except when a truck with reefer parks next door

We know how to kick back and relax no matter where we are. (find authors you like and read everything they've written and go to the next on the list)
We gave up on TV, but do enjoy having laptops, which are fed by "borrowed" wifi. The affairs of the world are none of mine....as long as they leave me alone I won't screw with them.

I collect social security that finances our travel on a tight budget, but we get to see lots of things, meet cool folks, and do fun stuff as long as we don't get extravagant.

You'll get the hang of it quickly. Its really no different than living in any sort of shelter. You're still the same person. You still like the same activities. Live isn't about hiding in a box, its about getting out and enjoying what's around you.

Like button.......Like Button........Like Button

 

[MrNoodly]

I've been doing it only nine months, but it quickly became the new normal for me. I was surprised at how easily I adjusted. I guess I was meant for this life. When I visit family and friends, it seems like they're surrounded by so much stuff that they don't use. I appreciate their showers and easy electricity, but all the rest of it? Nah.

 

[caseyc]

I miss showers at home any time day or night, especially long hot showers just to wind down. Oh well, the gym will have to do, it's not quite the same but will suffice. I also miss coming home from work and crashing on the sofa while watch Entertainment Tonight TV show. I haven't kept up on celebrity dirt news for some time now. I don't know who's in and who's out anymore. I also notice I don't drink an occasional beer in the evenings anymore, which I did when I had a "home" to go to. Since I now need to drive every day for parking and such, I don't want to risk driving under the influence. :-( Oh well, I pretty much got over these small but nice creature comforts. There are always alternatives.

 

[Spirituallifetime]

Sold the house and got out of Las Vegas in 2005 when it seemed to be getting to expensive to live there. I have been living in travel trailers on property we bought since 2005. However I'm getting bored of being in 1 location and working all the time.

 

[decodancer]

On my third year fulltime. Moved out of my apartment in NY and into a 17 foot TT in May of 2012. Worked at a campground in NH. Traded up to a 33 footer sold it then moved to a campground in PA. I bought another 33 footer and sold that one to buy a nicer 28 footer. Now I'm converting my high top van for a trip to Kentucky to work for Amazon during the holiday season. From there, back to NY, out to Quartsite for the RTR and down to Florida to visit family. I'll leave my TT here in PA and plan to come back for the summer season 2015. I don't miss the 9 to 5 at all. I do at times get tired of trying to make ends meet on a very low income. I used to blow money right and left, now it's the bare necessities.

 

[SoulRaven]

Jay TV on a laptop is no problem.

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