It is official. After three weeks in my RV full time,  I have learned four important things about living in and RV.  Some good and some not so good.  Either way, it is a major lifestyle adjustment. Honestly, don’t know if I like it all that much. Reading about this lifestyle and watching videos hasn’t really prepared me for the first hand experiences. The learning curve is a lot more than I had expected it to be.

Not ready to pack up and call it quits quite yet. These four things have the biggest influence on me. It is a mix of good and bad.

HEAT (MANAGING THE PROPANE). For me, this is the major negative point so far. Having lived in a house or a condo all of my adult life, managing my heat has always been a simple adjustment on my thermostat.  As a newbie, this is one of the most important things about living in RV!

Vancouver, BC has mild winters compared to the the rest of Canada. We don’t normally get snow. If we do, it is gone quickly. It rains a lot, but getting much below freezing is not common. That is why I chose to live here.

With that being said, the last ten days have been about -4 at night and only about 7 during the day. It seems that no matter how many layers I put on, the chill is always on your skin.

My trailer has two propane tanks. Inside I have a vent blowing air into the bedroom, one vent in the living area and one in the bathroom. When the heat is on and the door is shut, the bedroom gets cozy! But my living area is more than twice the size of the bedroom. The warm air blowing is only enough to take the

I only have single pain glass on the windows. Even with the warm air blowing, there is a draft around the windows and I can’t quite get it really warm.

Running out of heat in the middle of the night. I was pissed. In my rain boots and bathrobe at 314am I had to go outside and switch the tanks. Not fun. So much lack of fun I cried myself back to sleep.

Since I am at an RV park with full hook ups, I am plugged into power. Several people have suggested that I get a little space heater to plug in to warm up the larger space. But I want to do some boon-docking during my travels. This means no power and being dependent on the propane.

This is a major annoyance and something to consider for sure.

WATER. Fresh, grey and black are all types of water I now know a lot about. Being able to effectively manage these tanks are another major annoyance. And something else I never have to worry about living in a sticks and bricks home.  Water management is another very important thing about living in RV.

Thankfully, at the full service sites I have electricity and propane to heat the water. It heats up fast and there is plenty enough to have a good shower.

When I picked Freya (this is what I call my trailer) up after getting warranty work, they told me she was winterized. I told them to just leave it. It won’t be very long before I head south so it won’t matter. I have heard horror stories about pipes cracking in the cold and I don’t want to take that risk.

Being completely honest with you, and myself… When I told them to just leave it, I didn’t fully understand what ‘winterized’ meant. I thought they had prepped it for me so I could use it in the winter.

If you are like me and don’t know what this means, let me explain. Currently there is an antifreeze like chemical in the pipes. I will have to flush it when the weather gets warmer. However, this means I can’t use the water in my trailer right now. ANY of the water. No toilet. No water to wash dished. No shower.

Thankfully, the RV park has clean and warm bathrooms. But costs $1 for a seven minute shower.

FAWK. A major pain in the ass right now…and another thing that has made me cry. WTF am I thinking?!

I am going south soon. Suck it up and for now and plan for warm weather soon.

AMAZING PEOPLE. I spent 5 years in my condo and no one wanted to talk or connect. There was no sense of community. I grew up knowing the neighbours on my street. We had company over when I was a kid and we socialized with others in the community. Life doesn’t seem to be like that anymore… unless you are in an RV.

While staying in my RV I have met the mostly friendly, helpful and kind people. I share my fears and stresses and they offer so much support. They all love this life and can’t imagine living any other way. I am given phone numbers and email address and told I can reach out anytime if I need help.

The staff at Travel Land https://www.travelandrvcanada.com where I bought my trailer have blown me away with their knowledge. Grand Design, the company I bought my Imagine 2600RB travel trailer from are quick to answer all of my crazy questions. Strangers in facebook groups reach out to answer all my random questions.

As I take this journey on alone, I feel like I have more support than ever. My fears and anxieties regarding this lifestyle are met with understanding. In fact, I am also part of a facebook group that is only solo female RVers. Looking to get away from life, just like me. Wanting the freedom to go where they want, when they want and take their home with them.

TRAVEL. This, for me, is the best part about living in any type of recreational vehicle. My house has wheels and home is where ever I park it. Being able to go on some adventures is the main reason for my lifestyle change.

This can be as simple as moving to a different location within an RV park. Don’t like your neighbours, just move! My first practice week with Freya was over the summer up in Whistler. Just two hours north of my home city, it was easy to get away.

A quick look on google maps reveals that RV parks are everywhere. The idea of traveling this entire continent with my house on wheels is motivation. I can drive from Alaska, Prince Edward Island, Mexico and everything in between.

National parks, national monuments, hiking, food and scenery that I have only seen in photographs. Life is not about the destination but rather the journey. There are so many places to see.

Traveling like this means I have my own bed with me. The very expensive mattress that I picked out all on my own. It is the softness that I like. The pillows are perfection. Every night I get to sleep in the comfort of my own bed. And Jasper can sleep at my feet. Just like at home.

But why stay close to ‘home’ when I can actually get far, far away. I am doing the research right now so I can go to Mexico for a few months. But even just planning the trip down there is so many amazing things to see and do. Las Vegas and Pheonix both sound phenomenal.

When your house is on wheels the world is your oyster.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I am not enjoying this. Part of me thinks that over time, the good will outweigh the bad. Maybe the amazing people and places that I can travel will make me forget about the heat and water issues.

Please, if you are reading this and you have some words of wisdom, I would love to hear from you.  It seems as if the important things about living in RV are different for different people.

I am not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Too many people love this lifestyle for me to walk away yet.

Lacey Lee Elliott