Making
the decision to become a full-time RVer is one of life's "big
ones." Only in a few other instances will the average person
have the opportunity to choose a new direction for his or her life
that will have the impact this one does. The change from a
conventional life to a full-time life on wheels has outcomes as
dramatic as going from single to married, from being childless to
becoming a parent, or from an idle life to fully employed. It affects
where you are, what you do, how you do things, who you are associated
with -- in short, it's a whole new ball game. For that reason, it is
definitely a question that deserves your very best attention and
thought before you take the plunge.
It is a fact that not everyone is suited for full-timing. True, anyone can do it, but not everyone can do it successfully. For example, theoretically, anyone can jump out of an airplane with a parachute; anyone can raise goats on a farm; anyone can live the life of a hermit in a shack in the desert; but the reality is that most people don't want to do those things.
By the same token, from the standpoint of being physically able to, anyone can get a motorhome and live it it full-time, but not everyone wants to.
Psychological makeups are the deciding factor; not everyone has the attitudes necessary.Which takes us to the question: How do we know if we are suited for full-timing? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply take an attitude test and the score would tell us whether or not we should go for it? However, there are some characteristics of successful full-timers that are readily apparent to anyone who observes such people carefully. A review of some of them might help a person who wonders about his or her prospects for the full-timing lifestyle.
Anyone considering making the dramatic change in lifestyle that full-timing calls for should ask him/herself these basic questions:
Am I dissatisfied with the way I am living? If you are completely happy with the life you are living, why make a big change in it? If you get up happy, spend the day happy, love the people around you, enjoy your home and where you live, why on earth would you want to change it? On the other hand, do you have the feeling that you would like to go more, do more, see more -- a feeling that you want something more in your life than what you have and that something has to do with seeing other places, other people and other things? If your answer is "yes," then you are beginning to fit the full-timer mold.
Do I like adventure and excitement? Surprisingly, not all people do, but it is definitely a characteristic of most full-timers. They're the people who are always looking at maps and seeking new roads and places to visit. They're curious and have enough daring spirit to tackle the unknown. They listen to others tell of wonderful places they've been to, and it makes them want to go, too. Most have some of Daniel Boone's genes!
Am I a daring person? Very simply, you have to be rather brave just to tackle driving a motorhome or pulling a big trailer. Most full-timers' motorhomes are quite large because they serve as homes, so it isn't unusual for the rig to be 30-plus feet long and weigh 10-plus tons. Getting behind the wheel of such machines and joining the traffic in a city or on a winding mountain road isn't a task for a timid person. Successful full-timers are people who don't mind a challenge.
Am I a gregarious person? Full-timing is definitely a "people-intensive" lifestyle. The best illustration of that point is that RVers talk to each other. They don't need formal introductions, they don't even need reasons to greet each other and start chatting; they simply do it naturally. RVers live close to each other in parks; they have to be good neighbors in order to get along. On the other hand, if you are shy and reticent around strangers, you might find that you have a problem fitting in with the RV crowd.
Above all, do I have a good relationship with my spouse? Full-time RVers live very close to their spouses even in the largest motorhomes. It takes real understanding and the ability to compromise for a couple not to get on each other's nerves. In a house, they can get away from each other relatively easily by going into another room.
It is a fact that not everyone is suited for full-timing. True, anyone can do it, but not everyone can do it successfully. For example, theoretically, anyone can jump out of an airplane with a parachute; anyone can raise goats on a farm; anyone can live the life of a hermit in a shack in the desert; but the reality is that most people don't want to do those things.
By the same token, from the standpoint of being physically able to, anyone can get a motorhome and live it it full-time, but not everyone wants to.
Psychological makeups are the deciding factor; not everyone has the attitudes necessary.Which takes us to the question: How do we know if we are suited for full-timing? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply take an attitude test and the score would tell us whether or not we should go for it? However, there are some characteristics of successful full-timers that are readily apparent to anyone who observes such people carefully. A review of some of them might help a person who wonders about his or her prospects for the full-timing lifestyle.
Anyone considering making the dramatic change in lifestyle that full-timing calls for should ask him/herself these basic questions:
Am I dissatisfied with the way I am living? If you are completely happy with the life you are living, why make a big change in it? If you get up happy, spend the day happy, love the people around you, enjoy your home and where you live, why on earth would you want to change it? On the other hand, do you have the feeling that you would like to go more, do more, see more -- a feeling that you want something more in your life than what you have and that something has to do with seeing other places, other people and other things? If your answer is "yes," then you are beginning to fit the full-timer mold.
Do I like adventure and excitement? Surprisingly, not all people do, but it is definitely a characteristic of most full-timers. They're the people who are always looking at maps and seeking new roads and places to visit. They're curious and have enough daring spirit to tackle the unknown. They listen to others tell of wonderful places they've been to, and it makes them want to go, too. Most have some of Daniel Boone's genes!
Am I a daring person? Very simply, you have to be rather brave just to tackle driving a motorhome or pulling a big trailer. Most full-timers' motorhomes are quite large because they serve as homes, so it isn't unusual for the rig to be 30-plus feet long and weigh 10-plus tons. Getting behind the wheel of such machines and joining the traffic in a city or on a winding mountain road isn't a task for a timid person. Successful full-timers are people who don't mind a challenge.
Am I a gregarious person? Full-timing is definitely a "people-intensive" lifestyle. The best illustration of that point is that RVers talk to each other. They don't need formal introductions, they don't even need reasons to greet each other and start chatting; they simply do it naturally. RVers live close to each other in parks; they have to be good neighbors in order to get along. On the other hand, if you are shy and reticent around strangers, you might find that you have a problem fitting in with the RV crowd.
Above all, do I have a good relationship with my spouse? Full-time RVers live very close to their spouses even in the largest motorhomes. It takes real understanding and the ability to compromise for a couple not to get on each other's nerves. In a house, they can get away from each other relatively easily by going into another room.
You need to answer these questions truthfully before charging ahead with the fulltime RV lifestyle.
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