Time inside

[deltarat64]

Sorry if this post is in the wrong forum but I couldn't find a better spot.
So I have a question for those who actually live on the road now, how much time do you actually spend in your mobile dwelling?
My wife and I will be hitting the road in the next year or two and both of us will be pretty much retired so no job to go to and I'm trying to see how much space we will really need.
Do you pretty much spend time inside sleeping and cooking or?

Thanks in advance.

 

[akrvbob]

It's hard to generalize that. I work at my computer a LOT and find doing it outside in the sun unacceptable, so I am inside quite a bit. I have a friend who is almost NEVER inside unless it is bad weather or he is sleeping. Most of us fall somewhere between those extremes. My girlfriend is outside about half the day, maybe more. That's probably about average.

The more comfortable your home is, the more time you will spend inside. I'd guess most RVers are inside more than most vandwellers. But that is an assumption and we all know how they work.
Bob

 

[SternWake]

Make/size the interior comfortable enough you can spend all day inside if you want or need to. Then you have options, it does not mean you have to spend all day inside.

 

[Suanne]

Hi deltarat64,

I think the amount of time I spend in my vehicle depends on several factors. First is the weather. If it's too hot, too cold, too windy or too wet, I'll hunker down inside. Or, I'll take advantage of my wheels and move to a better climate.

Another factor is the interior comfort of your vehicle. I find I'm more likely to stay inside our 20' Class C (with all of its amenities and space), than I am when I'm using my Prius liftback. In fact, when I'm in my Prius I say I live "out" of it, not "in" it. In contrast, I find myself staying inside the RV even when the weather is good (to cook, go online, lounge, etc.).

A third factor is your reason to be in a mobile dwelling. Will you be on the move? Do you plan to be outside exploring? Or, do you plan to stay in the same place for long periods of time? Can you move if the weather goes bad?

Each of us is different in the amount of time we spend inside of our vehicle, by necessity or by preference. Only you can decide for yourselves. But, I hope you're getting some ideas about how you can sort it out.

Suanne ... bouncing back and forth about using the RV or Prius for snowbirding

 

[Iggy]

I'm a bookworm, an introvert, and like confined spaces, so can easily spend a few hours each day inside. I force myself to be active physically and engaged with the outside world. But there are a few days that I'll spend 90% of my day inside. Especially if it is raining.

 

[caseyc]

Even when I was living in a stick house I was outside most of the day. I only came home to nap/shower/sleep. When I'm indoors for too long, I start feeling cooped up and longing to be outside. Now that I have a van, my same habits apply the same as when I was in an apartment. I'm only in my van to sleep. That's about all.

 

[deltarat64]

One of the reasons I ask is I'm not quite sure what we are going to do with all of the "extra" time. I don't plan on getting any kind of satellite tv only Internet.
My wife has been retired for two years now and spends a lot of time watching tv, and reading, pretty much staying inside.
Once we cut ties and get on the road I'm hoping to spend more time out exploring the area's we are at.

 

[PastTense]

OP: What do you and your wife have in the way of hobbies? If you spend a massive amount of time watching TV or interacting on the internet that is not going to take up much space. But hobbies can take up a lot of space.

 

[deltarat64]

Sailing is our major Hobby and we plan on hauling our sailboat with us in our adventures. But no at least at this point other than my Contractor's tools we don't have any space consuming hobbies.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

i still struggle with this a year in. a lot of times i just end up vegging out on youtube or something. ive tried a few hobbies and sometimes i swim for a few hours to keep cool but it all just feels like im killing time still. im still working so i dont feel confident in traveling too far to explore, which is something i like to do.

 

[rvwandering]

This is such a hard question. You'll want something big enough to be comfortable but small enough to allow you to be adventuresome but that means different things to different people. At the very least you'll need comfortable seating for both of you, enough room to move around without tripping over the other person and storage room that doesn't involve constantly moving stuff around.

We manage very well in a 25' RV. We spend a lot of time inside but we have many screened windows which stay opened so it's like being outside.

 

[Patrick46]

for the OP...

you're going to be bringing along your Contractor's tools??? In like: circular saws, jig saws, sawhorses, levels, all the hammers, straight edges, T squares, string lines, not to mention shovels, rakes and the lot???

It sounds to me like a good size motorhome is what you folks are gonna need. Your wife will want a nice bathroom and space to enjoy her shows & reading comfortably, and you're gonna need the ability to haul all your tools around (a belly compartment will be the least you'll need).

 

[deltarat64]

We've considered a Motorhome but they just don't have the towing capacity we need for the sailboat. And if I have the motorhome, then I have not vehicle to take to the jobsite if I need to.

 

[PastTense]

How much traveling do you expect to do? You might consider driving two separate vehicles--I assume both you and your wife can drive: she drives a small RV; you drive a cargo van with your contractor tools towing the sailboat.