RV vs House: pros and cons of living in a motorhome

In this blog post, we will discuss RV vs House: advantages and disadvantages of living in an RV. We hope that after reading this article, you will be able to make the best choice. 

RV vs House: What is right for you?

RV vs House: what is perfect for someone may be a breaking point for someone else. That is why below you can compare the benefits of living in an RV and living in a house:

If you are wondering if living in an RV is possible, it is because you already know how expensive some rentals are. To this add everything you save on services such as water, electricity and condominium. And forget about the mortgages. Overall, the issue of savings has caused more and more people to decide to live in an RV as a way to avoid the high prices in the real estate market.

The next thing to take into account when choosing to live in an RV is that you gain a lot in the mobility aspect, something very important mainly during the holidays since with a motorhome you can travel everywhere within or outside the country. And here we return to the issue of savings because you will not have to spend a penny on hotels.

Wherever you go or wherever you are, you can always prepare food to your liking and convenience, since not only can you have a kitchen like any other at home, but you also have a refrigerator for the preservation of meal components.

Why you shouldn’t live in an RV

Of course, living in a motor home also has its drawbacks, and it can all start with having to adapt to living in a confined space where everything seems to be crammed together. This makes you feel obliged to be very organized in the best of cases, especially if you live with other people, be it friends or people from the same family.

There are many who have given up on the idea just by imagining some discomforts present in the day to day life. To begin with, the fact that you may be in constant motion moving from one place to other forces you to put it on and level it, control the drinking water level and never neglect to empty the tank of dirty water and other residues.

Another thing is that you have few opportunities to spend a lot of time at “home”, and most of the activities will be carried out in its surroundings. When you have to wash your clothes, you will be obliged to remain vigilant, since you will have to hang them outside to dry.

In the same sense, if you take into account that you cannot park your motorhome within urban areas, you will be forced to spend the night in less crowded areas and this creates additional concerns regarding safety.

You may feel some kind of discouragement when you realize that your motor home is not integrated into any sewer network, nor does it have a general water or electricity connection.

The acquisition cost of an RV is usually high, and also maintenance costs are not available to everyone. Add to that other expenses such as annual insurance and road tax, together with other disbursements that you will have time to know.

There are many who have gone through this experience and feel more than pleased, but there are also those who have realized in time that it is better for them to look for a rental in a cheap area of ​​their city or to look for a rural house when they go on vacation.

Costs of living in an RV

Some people, particularly retirees, are drawn to the idea of ​​living in an RV full time. The decision to pack and live in an RV should be made with planned costs in mind. You will need to consider the financial changes that come with making such a lifestyle decision before you can consider the decision to move to an RV as fiscally responsible.

Since you are moving into an RV full time, you can deduct some of your previous expenses. You will no longer have to pay rent or mortgage or homeowners association dues. Property taxes and yard maintenance will also not be a concern for you when you root your motorhome.

The first and one of the most important financial considerations to consider when making the leap to live in an RV in the parking fee. You will need to park your motorhome and flush the greywater from your bathroom and laundry room. You can park in the basic park facilities with only the most essential services, or you can choose to park your motorhome in an expensive motorhome complex.

Since you won’t need your furniture, and even the most spacious 45-foot Prevost RV will likely be smaller than your current address, you’ll need to consider what to do with your furniture and personal belongings. Consider the size of the storage unit you will need and how much it will cost on a monthly basis.

Making your home on the road will require you to sign up with a mail forwarding service to receive your physical mail. Also keep in mind that you won’t always have access to Wi-Fi hotspots on the road and you may need to connect your cell phone to your laptop for internet service, which will require an unlimited data plan.

RVs are not as fuel-efficient as a standard car and truck, so you will have to calculate how much gas you will consume based on how much you will drive in your motorhome.

Where to park an RV in the US

While travelling with an RV in the United States you will be able to sleep in the middle of nature for ridiculous prices. The range of campsites is brutal. You can find campsites that are under the domain of the government within the national parks and campsites of private companies.

The campsites controlled by the government have a number of places to be occupied without prior reservation with the “first come, first served” system, that is, in order of arrival. And another number of places that can be reserved online at www.recreation.gov.

But for those of us who do a Road Trip visiting a different place every day, we cannot travel expecting to find a camping spot without having previously booked. It would be a major upset to lose the morning waiting for someone to check-out to access a camping spot.

There are also private campsites everywhere, where you will find all kinds of services depending on what you want to pay. There is a campsite search engine for motorhomes called Campground Reviews where you can see the services, equipment and opinions of other travellers as if it were a hotel search engine. 

FAQ on RV vs House

What driving license do I need to drive a motorhome in the United States?

Unless you want to reserve a bus-type “motorhome”, the “B” driving license is enough to drive a motorhome in the United States, apart from the international driving license that is usually necessary to drive more relaxed.

 What do I have to bring to travel by motorhome?

Don’t even think about packing towels, dishes or a blanket for your motorhome trip. Companies often offer a kitchen kit with everything you need to cook and eat for about $ 100.

In addition, they will offer you to rent a coffee maker or toaster for about $ 8 the whole trip. They also offer a personal kit for $ 50, which includes a sleeping bag, pillow, blanket, bath towels and sink.

What are the energy sources of a motorhome?

The most important is gasoline, with which the vehicle moves.

• Propane gas, with which the kitchen fires, the refrigerator, the heating and the water heater for the shower work.
• Electric batteries. The motorhomes are equipped with 2 batteries, one for starting the engine and the other auxiliary for the interior light, the water pump and, to a limited extent, the fan and heating.
• Electric generator. This generator is connected to supply 230v electricity to the microwave, the television, the air conditioning and the electrical outlets while the motorhome is stopped unless we have the vehicle connected to an electrical outlet in our camping space.

References

• 29 Reasons Living in an RV is Better Than Living in a House (2020 …
• Which costs more? Full-time RV living vs. home living – MultiBrief