The Challenges of Living in a RV

Living in an old RV is not as easy as some people want you to believe. There is not enough space for two people. Take for instance a 1978 – 32 feet Kings Highway RV which is too old for most campgrounds. Some campgrounds don’t allow RV’s older than 10 years. So your choices are limited by the age of the RV. If your RV is self contained that means you have a stove, an oven, a microwave, a refrigerator, a freezer, a washing machine, a dryer and a shower. It also has a heater, kitchen sink, toilet, bathroom sink, and air conditioner so you will require full hookups. Some campgrounds that allow older versions of RV’s have problems with the full hook ups. For instance, the sewer connecting to the RV is clogged up. So you wind up with a toilet and bathtub that get full of sewage water. Major problems develop until the campground manager contacts a plumber to fix their sewage system. Sometimes, the electrical outlet doesn’t work and you encounter another problem at the campground. They have to call an electrician to fix their electrical system.

It is amazing how human beings adapt to living in a RV. If you are used to an apartment or a house the first thing you notice is the cramped quarters in the older RV ‘s. There is no room to walk in. The RV has beds and the aisle you walk in does not fit two people. So one person has to stand aside or sit when the other person is walking by. If you want to use the microwave, then you cannot have the washer, dryer or air conditioner on. The RV is not made to have all the appliances on at the same time.

There is no room to cook as the kitchen is very small. All your cooking has to be done in a tiny space and you have to be able to juggle the dishes and pans around to get your food cooked and served all at once. It is a challenge and it never ceases to amaze me how a person can cook a large dinner in an old RV. Taking a shower is also very interesting, as the showers were made for petite people. If you are a tall or heavy person, it is impossible to really shower well in the tiny stall that comes in a 1978 RV. The newer RV’s are different as they are roomier and more comfortable. The newer RV’s have a full kitchen and are wider than the older versions. The showers are larger and the storage space is adequate.

Because the RV is old, you don’t find campgrounds with a club room. There are no activities nor facilities in the typical campgrounds so if you want to participate in different activities you have to find them in town. On privately owned campgrounds sometimes the residents have activities such as parties and barbecues inside the campground. Some of the residents in these campgrounds stay inside their RV’s or fifth-wheelers and do not go to town for recreation. Life is very different in a RV in comparison to living in an apartment or a house. Housework is easier, there is no garden to attend to, unless you have container plants that you carry with you wherever you go. One good thing about living in a RV is that if you don’t like where you live you just pack up, turn the ignition on and drive to another spot. The challenges are many but they provide you with the ability to live in any situation you may encounter in life.