10 Years Living The RV Life Taught Us These 10 Things

Check out the top tips that experienced RVers Mike Wendland and his wife, Jennifer, have to offer from their 10 years of hitting the road, including how to drive, keeping the RV organized, and learning maintenance basics. 

Jennifer and I are what I like to call “near full-timers.” We travel about ¾ of the year but spend the remaining time at our sticks and bricks home.

And we’ve done that for the past 10 years. So, some rough math means we’ve lived and traveled in our RV for about 90 months of the last decade! 

Needless to say, we’ve learned a lot about living the RV life along the way. While we’ve learned more than I could possibly fit in an article (or even a book!), there are some lessons that stand out. 

So, I’m going to share those top 10 things we’ve learned and provide some helpful resources pertaining to each. That way, you can learn from our experiences and better prepare yourself for life on the road.

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10 Top Things Living the RV Life Has Taught Us

We’ve learned both practical and philosophical lessons on the road. The best of which I’ve outlined for you below. 

I hope you enjoy these insights and share some of your own in the comments at the end.

1. PRACTICE BUILDS CONFIDENCE

We’ve had small Class B or Class C campervans for most of our RV life. So, adjusting to driving our RVs wasn’t much different from driving a minivan. 

However, we’ve recently purchased a fairly big 5th wheel and tow vehicle. Pulling a 5th wheel trailer was pretty far out of my comfort zone. Jennifer’s too.

But, over the years of RVing, I have learned that practice in all things builds confidence. Whether it’s setting up camp, doing basic maintenance… or pulling a 5th wheel trailer.

So, Jennifer and I took on the challenge head-on. After less practice than we expected, we’re both confident in our abilities to drive it. 

Here are some helpful resources if you can use a confidence boost as an RVer:

• How to Build Confidence as a New RV Owner (7 Tips)
• “Backing Up an RV” Learner’s Kit: Everything You Need
• RV Setup Checklist: 15 Tips on How to Setup Your RV
• What’s Holding You Back From Full-Time RVing? (& Solutions)
• Learning to Camp Alone After the Death of a Spouse

2. MORE QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY (VS. QUANTITY)

Now, it’s obvious that an RV opens the door for more quality time with the people you travel with. However, most people don’t realize that it can greatly increase your quality time with those you “leave behind.”

When we started off, we were really worried about the time we would lose with our family and friends by our sticks and bricks house.

But we were happily surprised by the reality. It turns out that whenever we were in town, everyone excitedly got together and we spent more quality time together.

Helpful resource:

• Becoming Full-Time RVers? How to Tell Family & Friends in 5 Steps
• 11 Insightful Ways to Embrace Being a Senior RVer

3. THE 330 RULE IS A GREAT RULE

If you haven’t heard of the 330 Rule yet, get ready for it to change how you travel! As the video above explains, the 330 Rule will save you from RV burnout and enable you to have a more enjoyable time overall.

The 330 Rule goes like this: Don’t drive more than 330 miles in a day & arrive at your destination no later than 3:30 pm.

The video explains the reasons why, or you can read this article to learn more. (Including why we prefer it over the 3-3-3 Rule.)

4. YOU NEED TO TAKE LESS THAN YOU THINK

When we first started RVing, we thought we were being minimalistic. Well, we quickly learned that we were still overpacking even in our attempts to “edit down.”

I recommend you check out our FREE RV Packing List (PLUS 3 Best RV Checklist Apps). Those resources will help you pack and stock your RV better.

5. A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING & EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

On that same note, whatever you do bring into your RV needs a specific place just for it. This follows the Marie Kondo organization method. 

You need a place for everything and everything needs to be put right back in its place after use.

If you don’t, clutter will quickly amass in the small living quarters of an RV. It will start to feel messy and uncomfortable, stealing joy from your travels.

Read the full article from RV Lifestyle here.