Where The Itch For This Lifestyle Began?
Have you ever had the crazy idea to just leave your old life & make a new one? Decluttering all of the mess to simply have less? Or perhaps just desire to travel more with less obligation to come back to the same place every time?
Since my Husband was a small boy, he always wanted a cabin in the woods. We have talked about making that dream come true, and almost every time, we can never agree on where it would be built. We would like one on many different mountain ranges but that isn't realistic. Why not one that we can move where ever we go?
I remember being a young girl, watching the classic Movie: My Girl.
Jamie Lee Curtis did a good job at making that 'RV Life' seem pretty magical (at least for me) I would watch that movie countless times as a girl, feeling just like Vada Sultenfuss. I connected with her character as she studied Shelly DeVoto (Her dads new girlfriend) applying make-up like a grown woman, learning about true beauty, learning from her to not listen to bullies, and just how she lived like a gypsy out of her very own, very cool, motorhome. I thought she was a woman who had it all figured out.
I wanted to feel what it was like to be a kid in front of that huge steering wheel looking out that front glass on the open road. I loved that she filled it with only the few things she needed most - A cookie jar of stashed money and lots of books (that Vada quickly noticed.) What a simple way to live! When I grew up, I was going to one day try it out for myself! -- and that was the start of it for me.
Much later in my life, this dream was solidified. My Husband and I have always been in love with the Great Outdoors/Traveling. Before we met, we both had traveled to other countries and immersed ourselves in different culture. We fell in love with exploring new places that held new opportunity and good people.
Our first year of marriage we worked together for an Outdoor Publication where we got to travel the country. We were in search of the best qualified Guiding Services. We would visit them for a tour, and based off our experience, determine if they qualified for the Publication/DVD opportunity. We wrote the Articles and filmed the DVD's of our experience. Those Episodes were Featured on websites and on TV in the Outdoor Retail Stores.
Each Adventure being filmed for us to watch over and over, only made us more antsy to get out there more. The mountains and the beach have always been our favorite "RESET Button" when we need to recharge and feel rejuvenated again. Why not just make Home Where We PARK it!?
When we became Pregnant with Kyla, I was hit with a tidal wave of AWFUL morning sickness that lasted all day. That brought on my impulse to binge watch Grey's Anatomy, starting from the very first Episode. (My thoughts were why the heck I hadn't ever watched it before. I loved it.) This was my saving Grace through my rough pregnancy. (Even my husband started watching it with me lol)
What does this have to do with moving into a Home-On-Wheels? Any Grey's fans out there? - you will know where I'm going with this... indeed, Derek Shepherd's dreamy silver bullet Airstream, surrounded by lush green trees with a great view! If a sophisticated surgeon, and also not-so-fictional-to-me fictional TV character could live this lifestyle, so could we! Ha-ha -- None the less - SOLIDIFIED!
When we bought our first little Travel Trailer, we took it all over the beautiful mountains of Utah. We enjoyed watching the colors of seasons change, the fresh-air, and convenience of having a nice little cozy-abode to getaway in, for however long we wanted. We had always been fine with regular camping in a tent, but when our little baby girl came along, the little trailer with a heater/AC and a little bathroom made things much easier and enjoyable -- WE WERE HOOKED!!!
We sold off our little bumper-pull to the next little couple looking to enjoy it and we shopped around for our new Home-On-Wheels.
Finding The Right Rig
Basically, a lot of discussion about this "idea" of living this life, led to a lot of imagining what it would be like, how free we would feel for us and eventually led to the decision to go ahead and just do it.
We searched for a long time for the perfect one. We decided, for us, a 5th Wheel was going to make the most sense. We looked at several online and in person. We narrowed down what we could do without vs. what we HAD to have. We finally found the one that had all that we were hoping for within our price range we were willing to spend.
*Make a list of MUST HAVE'S and DO WITHOUTS*
To elaborate further on how we decided on this one...
-We knew we did NOT want an Island. For us, we did not need extra counter space, if it meant sticking up in the middle of the floor plan. We saw it as more of an unnecessary obstacle rather than a plus. We also noted that Islands are actually pretty heavy and add a lot of unwanted weight.
-We first wanted a 5th Wheel with a garage, but after weighing our Pro's/Cons, we decided having an actual room for our little girl was much more necessary then a garage for toys that we haven't even bought yet. When we do get new toys, we won't want to travel the country with all of them. They will probably stay at home and only be taken out on trips.
-We didn't want a bumper pull for various reasons. Our 5th Wheel pulls like a champ and turns great!
- We didn't want an airstream because they all felt too skinny for a family like us who love open space. We found them to be very nice for other types of families or even for us when we retire, but overall the Airstreams were more glamorous than practical for us and our needs. (we do love them though! So props to all of our friends out there who have been enjoying their beautiful Airstreams, especially those of you who have remodeled your own! I love seeing that!)
*We wanted:
- washer/dryer hook ups
- 2 bathrooms and wanted 1 to be accessible from the outside. (which we have now)
- to have an open floor plan, with slides for more space. (ours has slides on both sides)
- lots of places for storage (ours has tons of storage)
- a king sized bed with at least 2 other beds (we can sleep 10 in ours)
- an extra room for our baby to have a place to play and keep her things. (ours has that)
- a fireplace, a large deep sink with a tall faucet, a table that wasn't a "U" shape (ours is more of a space saver that easily converts into a bed.)
- We wanted a nice 5th Wheel that didn't weigh TOO much. (our trailer is a Lite)
- We wanted a lot of windows for the sunlight and nature views (we are glad we decided that, because cabin fever is real, and its no bueno, so let in the light.)
Price Range and Decision To Purchase
This part is just like when you choose to purchase a car, but when you are going to purchase a rig to become your full-time home? ITS A BIG DEAL. Make sure you are very careful with what you want.
When it came down to finding the right price range, many factors played a part. The right place, The quality/reviews, the right salesman, how we were treated and spoken to, how we were accommodated, and how well they were able to negotiate. It's important to pay attention to how they treat you. Are you just another pay check to them, or do they also show your business and trust is valued? They knew this was not a small purchase for us because this was going to become our new home for full-time travel. We never settled when people told us they couldn't do any better on price, because that just wasn't true. We found the price range we needed because we kept searching until we found it. When RV's sit on the lot, the companies want to push them. They want them moved. We knew that, and we knew that before the warmer weather really got here, most of the inventory has just been sitting until the crowds come in during the warm seasons to buy. Beat the crowds if you can. We also shopped around a lot! Online is great to compare pricing. Remember that many places will actually throw out bait (a pretty price) just to get you to drive all the way to them, only to tell you that they have extra charges you were unaware of, but you already drove THAT far, so you feel theres no going back and you are more willing to bite it. Compare reviews and pricing of different companies within your own state. They are all competing with each other. One of them are going to be able and willing to beat the other prices! Negotiate and see how willing they are to "throw-in" this or that with your purchase. Theres no going back from the decision, and that feels kind of scary, but it is also very liberating in the sense that you are setting out on a new exciting journey.
We searched near and far, and ultimately, our overall best experience was within our hometown. They are real about beating their competition. Its important to them.
** MAKE SURE YOU GET A REALLY GREAT BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY - TOTALLY WORTH IT!**
Making The Transition From Your House To Your Home-On-Wheels
This is so different for everyone, but our experience of this transition was not long ago and fresh in our memory. The first days were pure excitement and unconfined energy to get rid of our clutter and bust out this move in no time. It's like taking a big breath of fresh air and saying, "Lets do this!"
At first, it will not really feel like "Home" at all. Then, you take a few of your most cherished family photos, small decor items, some tiny plants and comforts of home, and voila! It will feel more and more cozy with bits of you and your loved ones around to spruce it up.
First step is to begin by eliminating items from your house and from your new Home-On-Wheels that don't spark joy! I started this by first removing anything I didn't see as vital or beautiful inside the 5th Wheel. One thing I was looking forward to the most living here, was all of the beautiful natural light and open windows. When I walked in, I loved everything except the bulky ruffled valances and material hanging around each window. They were dark and made the space feel much smaller. Taking them all off, but leaving the pull down blinds, was one of the best things we did! Now the sunlight floods in beautifully and the place feels much bigger and more clean.
During this move, as days go by, you are caught up between feelings of:
a) saying goodbye to your old home where you made so many great memories!
b) Overwhelm for all you are doing and still have yet to do!
c) How crazy excited you are for the future adventures!
"The Purge!" This is SO important.
*ONLY KEEP THINGS THAT ARE FREQUENTLY USEFUL AND OR SPARK JOY!*
Remember, you are downsizing to live more simply, so you are going to need to have an organized plan for how you sort your things.
For us, this order was us sorting every single thing in our house, into one of the 6 following piles:
1) Keep & take with us
2) Keep & take to our indoor storage
3) Yard Sale
4) Donate to Friends/Family
5) Donate to Charity
6) Take to The Dump
-The stuff that came with us had to be vital. It had to be Useful and or Spark Joy!
-If it went to our indoor storage it was our most expensive items, furniture, heirlooms, etc.
-Yard Sale items were basically all of our EXTRA stuff. For example, we only took 4 spoons and 4 forks, the leftover 30 extra were sold.
-Donated items were things we would not have a use for any longer in a 5th Wheel, that a family or friend was in need of. We gave them all of our good pantry items, food in our fridge, freezer & chest freezer. (This didn't feel like a waste at all! It felt so good to know we were able to help feed families we care for)
-All other items that were donated to charity were more charity appropriate extra things, or things that were donated to us once upon a time, etc.
-You might be surprised how much garbage or old unnecessary junk you have in your household. We were definitely shocked! Moving really brings everything out to your attention. We took all kinds of junk to the dump. old shredded documents, cleaning rags, old garage stuff, things we never fixed, paper towels from cleaning, weeds and branches from yard work, old wood, signs, etc.
There are so many things that add up in a house so fast. Filling the spaces with stuff that ultimately does nothing for you, other than sit there for long periods of time, wasting space. Just because you have the room, doesn't mean you should fill it with stuff! More stuff means more to clean, more to dust, more making of dust, more stress, more junk in the way. Having less stuff, creates more freedom, ease of cleaning, clutter free space, less stress and cleaner air. Less really is More!
The purge was the most freeing part of all... realizing that we just cleared out every inch of our entire house in the most organized/effective way! We felt our burdens of overwhelming amounts lift off of our shoulders. Suddenly we became more focused and frugal.
We never want to ever accumulate that much stuff ever again. It was eye-opening. Donating felt good! Cleaning & downsizing felt liberating! We were finally going "Minimal" and only living off of the basic needs with no extra bulk tying us down. I look around our 5th Wheel thinking to myself, "All I ever need, is right here! No more, No less!" It helps you to refocus on the true material things that matter... "Quality over Quantity" and also to "Love People, and Use Things." We got back to focusing on our Family more! BEST DECISION EVER!
The Long and Grueling Process Of Moving
*Things to do a week or so before you move into the new adventure wagon*
Change Of Address
-Get a P.O. Box - valuables/packages can always be sent to a close relative, if not able to be shipped to your location or if you don't need it right away.
-Tell the post office your last 2-3 addresses if you have moved around in the last 5 years (just in case)
Notification
-Notify your Banks, Insurance, and any other companies you have accounts with, to switch everything you can to “paperless” and the rest to the new P.O. BOX.
Internet Connection
-Internet / Cell plans should be updated to your needs on the road. We researched the different internet options and we are a couple that NEED constant connection due to working on the road. The ideal would be for us to go with the Satellite option attached above that is also movable from one end to the other depending upon the trees around the camp site and where we would aim to get best connection. However, that is a very expensive option. It will have to be at a later time. The next best option is HOTSPOT through our phones. With our Cell Plan - it was definitely neccesary to switch to a plan that would accommodate more data and also set up our mobile Hotspot.
We are loving this lifestyle! Life is simplified in so many ways and we have been much more centered on our family and making each day count with adventures and memories! We have found we have a lot more time to do things together now, with less stress of cleaning all day and more freedom to roam! We encourage anyone who dreams of making this jump to just dive in and do it! It is not for everyone, but for those that want to live with less quantity to make more quality memories and life a life of travel, than take the leap! If you think you will like this life, I will tell you, you will end up actually LOVING it!
Life is meant to be a grand adventure,
XO
Ashley
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