Welcome to the ultimate guide for transitioning to full-time RV living! If you’re anything like we were, you may want to jump right into full-time RV living but have no experience and aren’t sure where to start. You’ve come to the right place.
Bookmark 📂 this article so you can come back as you make your way through the list and we continue to add resources. One last note – you’ll see that we added the timeline in which we completed each piece of the transition. We made the decision to make this transition at the end of April and hit the road in the 2nd week of August. It was a crazy fast transition so please don’t feel the need to go as quickly as we did. Once you know what has to be done, you can decide what your timeline looks like.
Now let’s get to it!
Step 1: Set Your Budget
Our Timeline: April 2020
Step 2: Choose Your Setup
Our timeline: May – June 2020
Once you know how much you’re comfortable spending on your new setup, now comes the fun part – choosing your home on wheels! Do you envision yourself cruising down the highway in a massive motorhome, towing a cozy travel trailer, or perhaps living the van life in a converted camper van?
Consider your lifestyle, needs, (wants), and your budget to find your first setup. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find the absolute perfect set up that you’ll never need to change or upgrade – most full-time RVers go through about 3 set up changes once they settle into the lifestyle and realize what they like and don’t like about certain setups. Find the set up that is affordable, learnable, and will get you on the road.
We opted for a 26′ travel trailer to get us started because it gave us a good balance of space, comfort, and affordability. Plus, we loved the idea of having the flexibility to unhitch and explore without hauling our entire home around. But trust us when we say, this was not an easy process for us 🫠 – check out the video below 👇
Step 3: Choose Your Domicile
Our timeline: June 2020
Your domicile is the state in which you fulfill your civic duties, like voting and jury duty. It also determines things like your income tax or insurance rates. Choosing a domicile state might sound like a bureaucratic headache, but it’s worth the research. Look for states that offer RV-friendly regulations, like no income tax or lenient vehicle registration or visitation laws.
We chose to keep our domicile in Michigan to keep things simple. We used a family member’s address who lived in our same county so all of our voter registration and local affiliations stayed the same. Our mailing address, however, is through a mailing service in North Carolina. More on that later. Here are some resources on domicile that may be helpful 👇
More Resources
Step 4: Make Your Health Care Plan
Our timeline: July 2020
This step involves choosing your health insurance and also making a plan for your actual health care if you have special medical needs. We both happen to have the same genetic autoimmune condition 🧬 👀 (that’s another story for another time) so it’s important to consider what we need to manage our condition on the road.
If you have similar medical needs, you’ll want to consider if you can get your medication nationwide, if you can get care from your medical team via telemedicine or see doctors in other regions, and understand if anything about your travels might upset your medical equilibrium.
If you will keep your current health insurance, make sure you can use it nationwide. If you’ll need new insurance, check out health insurance options for full-time RVers, including plans that offer coverage nationwide or allow you to access healthcare providers in different states.
Your health and well-being are paramount to this lifestyle. If you’re not healthy enough to explore the towns, hike the trails, see the sights, or honestly, even just sit upright – then it can put a real damper on the possibilities. Bottom line, make sure you have a comprehensive plan in place to manage any medical challenges that may arise while living the RV lifestyle so you can make the most of it.
Here are some resources that may help 👇
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Step 5: Order of Operations to Transition
Our timeline: May – August 2020
Transitioning to full-time RV living is like orchestrating a symphony – it requires careful planning and exceptional timing. There are hundreds of micro steps in figuring out the logistics of your new life, and the biggest unanswered question we had when doing it was – what order do you do these things? Do we sell our house then get an RV? Do we get the truck first or the trailer? When do you find a mailing service? Can you change your domicile while you still have your house? So many questions on the order of operations.
Here’s a very basic outline 👉 Start by decluttering your life (Marie Kondo style), selling or donating belongings you won’t need on the road. It seems daunting but downsizing feels like a weight lifted off your shoulders. Then, tackle the logistics – selling (or renting) your house, finding temporary storage, and lining up your new essentials.
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Step 6: Plan Your First Trip
Our timeline: July 2020
Time to plot your grand adventure! Research potential destinations, map out your route, and make campground reservations in advance. We didn’t realize when planning our first trip that availability would be so limited. Consider factors like weather, activities, and amenities when planning your itinerary.
Our first trip was from northern Michigan, where we were saying goodbye to our hometown, to the coast of Virginia for a family wedding. We stayed in 4 campgrounds across 4 states in 4 days. Ambitious. But we will never regret it because it allowed us to hook up our trailer and unhook it 4 days in a row, solidifying the process in our brand new baby RV brains. And while we advocate for planning ahead, you’ll find throughout this lifestyle that flexibility is key – sometimes the best adventures are the ones you stumble upon unexpectedly.
Here are some resources that may be helpful for you when planning your first (or 50th!) trip 👇
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Step 7: Things to Buy Before Your First Trip
Our timeline: July 2020
Before you hit the road, you’ll want to make sure you have the essential RV gear and supplies. Think leveling blocks, chocks, drinking water hose, water filter, sewer hoses (you’ll definitely want to upgrade from what the dealership gave you, if anything), gloves for handling your sewer hose, a surge protector, and propane.
Your list of supplies will vary based on what kind of rig you and/or setup you buy. Our supplies for a travel trailer differ from our supplies for a fifth wheel, but the essentials stay the same – safety, water, electricity, sewer, and propane.
Here are more resources that may be helpful as you get ready for the road 👇
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Congratulations, you’re one step closer to full-time RV living! The journey ahead is undoubtedly full of firsts – good and bad – but if you remember to always put safety first, and embrace the adventure along the way, you’re about to enter one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life.
Whether you’re chasing sunsets, exploring new towns, or simply seeking a change of pace, we hope your journey is everything you wanted it to be. Safe travels!