Folks full timing has it created more peace of mind or more stress
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AimlessWanderLust
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We full time in our truck camper, still stuck staying in the city working to pay off our student loans.
The short answer: 100% more peace of mind.
The longer answer: While there are some added "stresses" to vandwelling, I consider them far less burdensome than sticks and bricks dwelling. We have the full amenities, so that means we periodically (about every 2-3 weeks) have to empty and refill our holding tanks. Along with that we need to continually buy black tank chemical. Since we're in the middle of Colorado winter, we burn a crap-ton of propane. Our waste holding tanks are insulated and heated, but only heated by the forced air furnace, so that means we have to run that power hog 24/7 (it cycles on and off with thermostat, thankfully). When it's around freezing and above, the rig is insulated enough to only burn about 30lbs. every 2 weeks, when it drops to say 25 degrees F and below, we burn about 30 - 40lbs. every WEEK. When it's that cold, it's like burning cash, so it's a bit more "stressful". There are other things like cleaning solar panels, fixing tidbits here and there, but I consider them minor compared to maintaining a full sticks and bricks house.
It can be a little more unsettling when parking in a new area for the first time, but it's not too bad, I just generally "sleep lighter" and am a little more jumpy from noises.
The short answer: 100% more peace of mind.
The longer answer: While there are some added "stresses" to vandwelling, I consider them far less burdensome than sticks and bricks dwelling. We have the full amenities, so that means we periodically (about every 2-3 weeks) have to empty and refill our holding tanks. Along with that we need to continually buy black tank chemical. Since we're in the middle of Colorado winter, we burn a crap-ton of propane. Our waste holding tanks are insulated and heated, but only heated by the forced air furnace, so that means we have to run that power hog 24/7 (it cycles on and off with thermostat, thankfully). When it's around freezing and above, the rig is insulated enough to only burn about 30lbs. every 2 weeks, when it drops to say 25 degrees F and below, we burn about 30 - 40lbs. every WEEK. When it's that cold, it's like burning cash, so it's a bit more "stressful". There are other things like cleaning solar panels, fixing tidbits here and there, but I consider them minor compared to maintaining a full sticks and bricks house.
It can be a little more unsettling when parking in a new area for the first time, but it's not too bad, I just generally "sleep lighter" and am a little more jumpy from noises.
Patrick46
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OK...maybe I'm not full timing it right now, but I was for awhile, and 1 thing I've noticed reading this forum (and the old one) and just from my own experiences, was that even though the place you're living in has changed (oftentimes dramatically), you don't change much.
Meaning...I don't have property taxes, my usual monthly bills, and a 9 to 5 job like I used to, but I still have things that I hafta deal with on a daily basis. I've still gotta feed mysself, I've still got (some) bills to pay, and I still need to maintain my home (even though it's now on wheels.)
I still get stressed about the neighbor's rotten kids, and their stereo being too loud. Gridlock still makes me crazy, and sometimes, I still just wanna stay in bed all day. I'm still ME inside, and I've still got ambitions I'd like to accomplish in my lifetime, and things that I'd like to do, but know deep in my heart are not gonna come to fruition. Certain things that drove me crazy in the past....still do, and things I was passionate about, I still am.
However...
The freedom of not having to keep up with my 3rd car and mortgage payments no longer looms over my head. I don't need to worry about if my lawn is getting too tall to upset my neighbors, nor am I worried that I've got this mountain of JUNK in my home and garage that I need to figure out what to do with.
That sunset sure is gorgeous tonight, and I no longer worry that I'm taking too much time to enjoy it, nor does just sitting here by this lake. I now have the time and the freedom to come and go as I please, and if I don't like my sorroundings, I can simply pick up my megar belongings and move on! It's all up to me now.
So, I think that the peace of mind comes from knowing that your life and your time is now fully yours, to enjoy however you please, WITHOUT worrying about the constant overhead of a house, and the belongings in it, and the crappy jobs to maintain it all, is where the stress goes out of your life.
and THAT, to me, is what makes this lifestyle worth more than any of those extravagant possessions can never give back, and that's what makes it worth the sacrifice of giving that all up.
Meaning...I don't have property taxes, my usual monthly bills, and a 9 to 5 job like I used to, but I still have things that I hafta deal with on a daily basis. I've still gotta feed mysself, I've still got (some) bills to pay, and I still need to maintain my home (even though it's now on wheels.)
I still get stressed about the neighbor's rotten kids, and their stereo being too loud. Gridlock still makes me crazy, and sometimes, I still just wanna stay in bed all day. I'm still ME inside, and I've still got ambitions I'd like to accomplish in my lifetime, and things that I'd like to do, but know deep in my heart are not gonna come to fruition. Certain things that drove me crazy in the past....still do, and things I was passionate about, I still am.
However...
The freedom of not having to keep up with my 3rd car and mortgage payments no longer looms over my head. I don't need to worry about if my lawn is getting too tall to upset my neighbors, nor am I worried that I've got this mountain of JUNK in my home and garage that I need to figure out what to do with.
That sunset sure is gorgeous tonight, and I no longer worry that I'm taking too much time to enjoy it, nor does just sitting here by this lake. I now have the time and the freedom to come and go as I please, and if I don't like my sorroundings, I can simply pick up my megar belongings and move on! It's all up to me now.
So, I think that the peace of mind comes from knowing that your life and your time is now fully yours, to enjoy however you please, WITHOUT worrying about the constant overhead of a house, and the belongings in it, and the crappy jobs to maintain it all, is where the stress goes out of your life.
and THAT, to me, is what makes this lifestyle worth more than any of those extravagant possessions can never give back, and that's what makes it worth the sacrifice of giving that all up.
Lucky mike
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As you say...the first couple of weeks takes a little adjustment (major!)....just the solitude of being by yourself and trying to remain in an invisible mode will play with your mind...
I found once I got a routine in place and the ability to notice others doing the same it helped.
adding solar , WiFi , TV and such made it better......when I moved to the RV it all of the sudden became Heaven....Full bath , kitchen & living room all solar and can fly 2 weeks at a time without needing to dump or take on water!!.....but now its a little tough to Stealth it!!....(thank the spirits for walmart and the like).
but the piece of mind knowing That ones basic needs are taken care of all by itself are gratifying......I have had to decide whether to put the last 20 in the tank and look for better pastures or hunker down for a week in Walmarts parking lot....run inside and buy 20 dollars of cheap meal fixings and stick it out....
that being said you start to learn who is in the same boat as you , and sharing a bit to get you both on your way......I see a ton of people in walmarts lots...I've learned to distinguish between the Scammer's and those just like me.......there is not one of us out here that I would think would not get the stress build up that comes with this lifestyle
I found once I got a routine in place and the ability to notice others doing the same it helped.
adding solar , WiFi , TV and such made it better......when I moved to the RV it all of the sudden became Heaven....Full bath , kitchen & living room all solar and can fly 2 weeks at a time without needing to dump or take on water!!.....but now its a little tough to Stealth it!!....(thank the spirits for walmart and the like).
but the piece of mind knowing That ones basic needs are taken care of all by itself are gratifying......I have had to decide whether to put the last 20 in the tank and look for better pastures or hunker down for a week in Walmarts parking lot....run inside and buy 20 dollars of cheap meal fixings and stick it out....
that being said you start to learn who is in the same boat as you , and sharing a bit to get you both on your way......I see a ton of people in walmarts lots...I've learned to distinguish between the Scammer's and those just like me.......there is not one of us out here that I would think would not get the stress build up that comes with this lifestyle
Much more peace of mind! At first it was weird and we worried a little about things. I can remember how strange it felt to be eating lunch in a parking lot or along the street with people walking inches away from our dinette table window. Now we don't even notice. Our RV is our home and we're just as comfortable as when we lived in a stationary home whether we're in a parking lot, at a campground, parked in someone's driveway or boondocking in the forest.
One big difference for me is that I live much more in the present. While living in house I was always planning for the future or thinking about all of the stuff that I needed to do. Living like this now is so much less stressful.
One big difference for me is that I live much more in the present. While living in house I was always planning for the future or thinking about all of the stuff that I needed to do. Living like this now is so much less stressful.
Van-Tramp
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More peace of mind, by far.
There can be stress, but it scales down significantly.
There can be stress, but it scales down significantly.
Peace. True peace. The nuts and bolts of how you live are unimportant. Those are things you just have to do, one way or another, like it or not.
The months spent alone, no phone, no Internet, no TV, almost monk-like, led to a place I didn't know existed. It's a precious place of peace and tranquility.
The months spent alone, no phone, no Internet, no TV, almost monk-like, led to a place I didn't know existed. It's a precious place of peace and tranquility.
Simran
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I not sure I can call myself a full timer but I live in my van more than I live in a house. I have a house & family and see them either every two weeks or once a month depending on what time of year it is. Winters its once a month because of roads and weather. We live up north.
My stress level has decreased since I got my van because I no longer need to find housing continually. I am also more able to live normally as I can carry a few more things with me now that I'm living in a van.
Living in the van has given me a freedom I cannot really explain as well; it can only be experienced
My stress level has decreased since I got my van because I no longer need to find housing continually. I am also more able to live normally as I can carry a few more things with me now that I'm living in a van.
Living in the van has given me a freedom I cannot really explain as well; it can only be experienced
Obviously you have a biased sample here: the people who find full-timing stressful have ceased full-timing. Just like if you ask questions on the traditional RV forums you won't get answers from the people who spent over $100,000 for their rig, found it unenjoyable and quit after a few months then sold their rig resulting in tens of thousands of dollars of losses.
I find it a lot less stressful. We have more time to do things we want and go where we want to be. Right now we are heading to Florida to see my parents. Before that it would have involved a weeks vacation and driving from the farm in Indiana to there and then back home.
Now we left Las Vegas 20 days ago and have only made it A third of the way there. We keep finding things to see and do that we would not have had the time to find before.
Now we left Las Vegas 20 days ago and have only made it A third of the way there. We keep finding things to see and do that we would not have had the time to find before.
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I'd say conservatively 10,000 times more peace and less stress!!! 
Bob
Bob
It can and will do both, as will any lifestyle chosen. Peace and stress are things you can control to a very real degree. Remove any source of negativity from your life. Negativity and its companion stress will bar peace and contentment. Realize your value as a person. Then share that value with others.
steamjam1
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I don't find living in my van full time stressful at all. At the same time it doesn't give me any sense of relief. If anything, it's giving me the sense that my life is finally moving forward instead of being in this strange ouroboros circle of working to live then living to work. I want to go and see and do things I've always wanted to but couldn't up until a month ago when I finally stopped chewing on my own *ss. It's also not really about freedom. I'm locked into a job. It's a decent job that I admit that I really love. It's taught me skills that I can take anywhere in the world and I'll have a job pretty quick. I'm nearly 10 years in here I don't think I'll be leaving it anytime in the foreseeable future.
To borrow from Star Trek, which borrowed from Peter Pan: "Second star to the right, then straight on till morning."
To borrow from Star Trek, which borrowed from Peter Pan: "Second star to the right, then straight on till morning."
jeanontheroad
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Full-timing for me is definitely less stress. I wouldn't say that I am OCD, but DH does. When we are in the RV, I am in control. I can have everything neat and spotless in less than an hour a day. House living drives me crazy - always a weed or a dustbunny or clutter, somewhere. DH, will hoard years of useless clutter if he has room. If he lived alone, would be found crushed to death under piles of his own junk. Every drawer and cabinet door would be open and the toilet would be running. We are much happier in a space that is too small for either of our mental issues to bloom.
MrNoodly
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Let's see... No more worries about covering the mortgage payments... No more dealing with a 60 year old house that needs constant repair... No more feeling like I'm trapped in a town that just doesn't suit me...
That's just the beginning. So, yes, I have more peace of mind. Simpler lives have fewer things to worry about.
That's just the beginning. So, yes, I have more peace of mind. Simpler lives have fewer things to worry about.
TheMadTitan
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We're not full-timing on the road yet, but we have been staying in our van for last few months (up until we began the full conversion). It is so far everything I thought it would be. Not worrying about the electric bill, or the cable bill, or working well over full-time just to make ends meet is transformative. I have a skill set that means I can either make money by helping people fix computers, building and selling computers, or doing manual labor anywhere in the country and with the reduced money demand that means I am free to pursue the things that I never could because of my limited free time. It's just like anything else though I imagine. If you don't make the best of it then you will be missing out.
It does help quite a lot that I have my fiance and dog with me to help out with the loneliness, but I have no doubt that if they weren't here I would have made the switch a long time ago, and I don't think I'll ever go back to regular living. Instead of buying a house and taking on a mortgage we're going the tiny house route when we do settle down again, and we're looking at the van as a great experiment to make sure that we can survive in a small space for an extended period.
It does help quite a lot that I have my fiance and dog with me to help out with the loneliness, but I have no doubt that if they weren't here I would have made the switch a long time ago, and I don't think I'll ever go back to regular living. Instead of buying a house and taking on a mortgage we're going the tiny house route when we do settle down again, and we're looking at the van as a great experiment to make sure that we can survive in a small space for an extended period.
VanLifeCrisis
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Ive lost a lot of stress but have gain some new and different ones. Overall i gain i think.
D
Donedirtcheap
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We are not in our RV full time but we did quit working. To be away from the stress of work, the games, the back stabbing, the manipulation, lying and cheating and to just wake up and be free of it is amazing. I love it every day.
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jeaneontheroad wrote:
We are much happier in a space that is too small for either of our mental issues to bloom.
==========
I know two people that their counselors actually recommend they live in a van. One has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the other had a severe Traumatic Brain Injury and their lives were hell until they moved into a van. Now they are heaven.
My mental issues aren't diagnosable, but I know they are there. They disappear in a van! Especially fear!
Bob
We are much happier in a space that is too small for either of our mental issues to bloom.
==========
I know two people that their counselors actually recommend they live in a van. One has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the other had a severe Traumatic Brain Injury and their lives were hell until they moved into a van. Now they are heaven.
My mental issues aren't diagnosable, but I know they are there. They disappear in a van! Especially fear!
Bob
