A couple of months ago we were challenged by one of our full-time RV friends to participate in the 10 Question RV Challenge. What initially began as one RVing couple’s informal challenge around a campfire has now made its rounds throughout the RV community. It’s interesting, though, to see how each person responds to the challenge. Each of us has different RVs, different camping styles, different lifestyle challenges. I think, for those who wish to gain a better understanding of full-time RVing, there is value in the diversity of answers.
With that in mind, after nearly two years of traveling full time in our fifth wheel, here are our challenge answers:
What Would You Change About or Add to Your RV?
Overall we have been extremely happy with our RV. It’s a Forest River Sandpiper 389RD, and has a very spacious and comfortable layout for full time living. Our first big add-on was a monster solar system (which you can see here on our YouTube channel), a necessity for those of us who prefer boondocking in the wild to RV parks. We couldn’t list this as a change for the challenge, though, because we had already installed the system a year ago.
I think our biggest complaint with the rig (and this is minor), is that the massive, 24 foot awning ends at the front door and does not extend any further forward. We have a television mounted on a swing arm in our basement so we have the option of watching tv, such as a NASCAR race, while we’re relaxing outside. The way our RV is designed, it leaves us sitting in the sun (or rain) with daylight glare on the tv screen.
What Didn’t You Expect When You Bought Your RV?
I had worked as a salesperson at an RV dealership for a while, so I already knew that service departments were typically overworked, understaffed and generally difficult to get into. We were really surprised, though, at the difficulty of finding good RV service on the road. Our experiences with mobile RV techs has been disappointing to say the least. We have telephoned a few, for varying reasons, and haven’t EVER even received a phone call in return. We’re lucky – my husband is very handy – and he’s been our one and only RV tech since we’ve been on the road.
What Made You Decide You Wanted to Live in an RV?
When Bubba’s job first took him to Denver, he found himself living in a rented three bedroom house with nothing more than his sleeping bag and a laptop, while I stayed behind in San Diego finishing up some things with my job…and the whole house full of furniture. He entertained himself at night by watching YouTube videos on his laptop, and came across some people who were living in their RVs full time and vlogging about it. When I arrived a month or so later (with the furniture), he showed me the videos. We decided full-time RV living was a great idea for retirement. It called to the gypsy in both of us.
At the same time, the housing market in Denver was skyrocketing. Home prices were rising on practically a daily basis. We had already decided we didn’t want to buy a home there, because we didn’t plan to stay in the area more than a couple of years.
One day our landlord, out of the blue, sent us a letter saying he wanted to sell the house. We had first right of refusal to buy, but whether we bought the house or moved out, we had a 30 day deadline. The house was decent, but needed a new roof, new windows and some structural work where the foundation had settled. We felt he wanted too much money in light of what would need to be put into it, so we decided to move out. Available housing in Denver was 99% occupied, and we had a big dog to boot. We were finding it difficult to locate a new place to live, and it seemed like each place we liked, we were up against 800 other applicants (who didn’t have pets).
It was at that moment we decided to buy an RV and jump feet first into full-time RV living, while still working in Denver. We paid cash for a 1993 Pace Arrow motorhome, put our furniture in storage (our safety net if we hated it), and secured a long term spot in an RV park.
We loved it!
Two years later we traded in the motorhome on our fifth wheel trailer, donated everything in storage and hit the road full time.
What is Your Favorite Camping Meal?
Since we live in our RV full time, I cook in it just like I did in a house. The meals I make are the same, and so are most of the tools I use to cook. I learned to make a couple of small adjustments so I don’t overcook the bottom of things in the oven, but overall it’s pretty much the same.
I learned how to make a copycat recipe of Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp. I’m allergic to shellfish, so I make it with chicken and serve it over brown rice. Bubba loves it and that’s his favorite meal (tied with my loaded baked potato soup that I make in the Crock Pot).
I love anything we cook on our tailgate-sized Pit Boss smoker, served up with a vegetable stir fry.
What is Your Must-see RV Destination?
Alaska. ‘Nuff said!
What is Your Favorite Thing About RVing?
Our mobility.
We love being able to wake up in a different place every couple of weeks. We can stay in a place as long as we want to really get a feel for it, or pick up and move on if the place or the weather isn’t to our liking.
If you don’t like your neighbor, you can move. If you don’t like the scenery, you can move.
It gives us the freedom to explore places in the depth we want to explore them, in the order we want to and at the time of the year we want.
It also makes it easy to catch up with friends and family who are scattered all over the country, and we don’t have to impose on them by staying in their house. We sleep in our own bed every night, with all of our own things.
What is Your Least Favorite Thing About RVing?
Probably the most difficult time on the road is when things go wrong. It happens to everyone who travels eventually, and sometimes those things happen in groups. (Like with us lately. Learn about our visits from Mayhem here and here).
When something goes wrong on the road, several questions spring to mind. How do I get out of here? Where do I go? Who is going to fix this thing? Where is it going to get fixed?
When you own a home, at least you have a place you can run back to and regroup. When you live on the road, you have to decide these things on the fly, while also figuring out your living arrangements if your home needs to go into the shop for a while.
Canyon, Texas.
We have been very lucky with Walmart allowing us to park in the north 40 and work on the rig when need be. We usually end up buying parts, groceries, etc. while we’re there, too. Truck stops are another good option, if you have a problem you can fix relatively easily.
Then there are boondocking spots, if you can get your rig out to one. Since most RV parks prohibit vehicle repairs or maintenance, sometimes you have to get creative about where to work on it.
Then there are the RV repair shops, but we try to avoid them whenever we can, both because of inconvenience and expense.
If You Were Going to Get Another RV, What are Your Must-haves?
We would want an even beefier solar system than we have now, and actually I think just improving our battery bank would make the difference. (We’ll do that once we wear our current batteries out).
Since we love to boondock, bigger holding tanks, or at least more fresh water capacity, would be nice.
And finally, as much as we love all our slides, they can make stealth camping (such as at Walmart) challenging because they limit what you can reach when everything is pulled in. For example, we can get into the fridge but we have to lean over the kitchen island to reach the stove). If we ever do decide to buy a different RV, ease of use with the slides in will be a major consideration.
What is Your Favorite Adult Beverage at Camp?
Bubba – whiskey and water or beer.
Me – red wine.
What is Your Favorite Indoor RV Accessory?
Bubba loves his ice maker, which is conveniently installed in our residential refrigerator. A lot of other RVers we know have the portable, countertop type. When fellow campers find out we have ice, it’s amazing how many show up with a bag or a cup to be filled!
My favorite gadget is my Instant Pot. I can make so many one pot meals in it, which really helps minimize clean up after dinner (an important aspect of water conservation when boondocking).
Hopefully you have found our answers interesting and insightful. If you have any questions about our rig, our setup or what full-time living is like, drop us a comment here or email us at tipsymarlintravels@gmail.com.
