10 Drawbacks of Full-Time RVing - In No Particular Order

There are drawbacks to Rving Full-time, but then there are drawbacks to many things in life. The rewards often overshadow the drawbacks, creating memories that last a lifetime, making this life just a little worthwhile.

1. Medical/Dental Emergencies - With today’s busy doctors and dentists, it is hard to get an appointment when needed, and it can often be hard to stay in an RV spot long enough to receive the care you might need. When I broke a tooth in Myrtle Beach, I obtained an appointment with a dentist quickly enough to have it looked at, but it was three weeks before they could get me in to fix it. Since, I was unable to find an RV spot without moving several times, I opted to wait until I returned to our home state. Thankfully, the tooth did not hurt.

2. Making Friends - One of the benefits of RV traveling is meeting new people. It is also a drawback. We have had the good fortune to meet the most amazing people on our journey, some we will stay connected with online, but many we will never meet again but will remember with fond memories. We are usually so busy in a location, zipping around doing tourist stuff, returning to camp late, so there is no time to interact with others. When we do meet someone in the park, it is often the night before we leave or they leave, giving us a few precious moments to enjoy their company. Then it is a quick goodbye before we are off to the next location, the next adventure, the next travelers to meet. Our connections with others may be short, but oh so meaningful.

3. Family and Friends - Thankfully, there is Facebook and other online platforms that help keep us connected to the loved ones we left behind. Phone calls help keep the connection strong and give us a sense of belonging, but there is nothing like a good hug, a face-to-face conversation, a meal with those who know you, or a solid shoulder to cry on.

4. Travel fatigue - The thrill of the adventure, the anticipation of the next location, and the beauty of the road attracts many to this lifestyle but the constant set-up and tear-down, the go-go-go, and the eternal moving can wear on a person. We discovered very early on that we needed to pace ourselves, to allow for days of downtime. We have been stationary for a few months now, creating a different kind of travel fatigue and we are anxious to hit the road.

5. Privacy - or lack thereof - Being on the road full-time, you are constantly engaged with your travel companions in a small space, day in, day out, allowing little time for privacy. Most of the time, this is not a problem, but once in a while we have to remind the other, “I just need a moment, please.

6. The constant route planning - I thought I would enjoy this since I love to plan, but the hours I can spend route planning and researching and worrying about where is our “next home”, can wear on me. I often wonder if I would love to “just wing it,” but still being a newbie and someone who needs to know “where to,” I think it would be rather stressful. I am getting better at it though.

7. Eating out - Food, Food, Food. Traveling provides the opportunity to taste the world in a new way. It is hard to resist the temptation of trying something new, tasting the cuisine of an area, or enjoying an old fashion diner, but this adds to the bottom line and blows up a well-planned budget. Yet, it is often worth every bite, every morsel of deliciousness, every delectable adventure.

8. - PARKING. Damn, we’re BIG.  - When hitched, we are about 50’ in length, too long to just pull in anywhere. This means we have to be cautious when it comes to gas stations, even worse, parking lots, or heaven forbid narrow roads. Even when not hitched, our truck is too big for some roadways and too big for tight parking lots. In some of the towns we have visited, our truck struggled through narrow lanes and tight downtown roads, and forget about finding parking that fits a large truck. I would often find myself missing the days when I had a small Subaru that could fit just about anywhere.

9. Weather - Weather is a constant concern. An Airstream owners greatest fear is - HAIL. We always try to travel on good weather days.

10. Break downs  and Maintenance - One of the hazards of RVing is breaking down or a blown out tire. The highways (and back roads) in this country are a challenge to say the least, some are downright dangerous and can destroy a rig with every bump. Most RVs are not meant to be lived in full-time, add the constant miles, the less-than-superior quality, the bouncing, and the RV will start to need maintenance sooner, rather than later. This is a costly expense of RVing.