8 Not so great things about RV living!

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We often get asked about what it is like living full-time in a RV. I talk about how much fun our adventure has been so far, and really it has. It is so exciting to enjoy the sights and sounds of this beautiful country. Our new lifestyle has resulted in better health for both of us, much less stress, and excitement around every corner.

But in an effort to keep things real for those of you that might be considering this particular lifestyle, Dave and I wanted to point out a few things that are not so great about full-time RV living.

Granted, we have only been full-timers since April of this year, and I imagine in another year, our priorities may be different and our list of things we love and do not love might change. But for right now, here are our top 8 things that we do not love about RV living:

#1 The Poop Issue

When living in a RV, one has to deal with poop on a much more personal level. Both our poop and the dogs’ poop. While the bathroom in our RV is definitely several steps above a port-a-potty, I have to admit that it is still a toilet situated over a poop holding tank.

A poop holding tank that is full of…well… poop.

We have two holding tanks. The gray water tank holds leftover dishwater, shower water, etc… The black water tank has the job of holding the poop. Every few days, Dave flushes out the black water tank with water from the gray water tank. He then adds a bit of water and a tank treatment, which helps keep odors at bay and breaks down things.

In general, the bathroom smells fine. But dealing with poop is much more labor intensive than simply flushing a toilet.

This is coming from someone who goes on eight hour plane flights and never uses the bathroom once due to the fear of accidentally getting locked in there with all that blue water and the potential of turbulence. Heck, I can’t even use the public restrooms without having to run some water in the background!

The hubby says, “Then just use the woods!” But I pee on my socks every time…

Too much information? Ha! Sorry…

#2 Walking the dogs

While we are talking about poop, we cannot leave out the dogs. I have to say that I do miss the days when we could just put the dogs out the back door and let them do their business.

Granted, walking the dogs is good for all of us. But they do need walked several times a day, rain or shine. Waking up in the morning with rain pelting the roof and knowing that I have to go out in the pouring rain and stand while Ralph takes ten minutes, deciding what area he would like to pee in, definitely puts a damper on my morning.

Unlike Faith, Ralph took a while to get comfortable going to the bathroom on the leash. And to this day, he has to circle an area for a while before he finds the perfect spot.

And whatever you do, do not watch him. He will quit in mid-poop. And then we will have to start all over again!

Oh, and then there is the fun bit about carrying fresh warm poop bags to the dumpster.

#3 Washing dishes

Yeah, I knew about this going in. Working full-time at the campground, running several websites and crafting in between, leaves me not so much time to do those things I really do not like doing in the first place. As a perpetual procrastinator, I tend to leave dishes until the last possible moment, resulting in emergency dish washing in order to get dinner on the table.

#4 Problems with the RV

Currently, the steps to the front door go up on their own accord, which could be a potential issue if we are ready to go to the next campsite, and they choose not to go up that day.

Two televisions turn themselves on occasionally without our help – usually coinciding with the slamming of the front door.

We called out the local repair guy and both the steps and the televisions worked seamlessly. Of course!

This past month, one of our sliders quit working, resulting in a stay at the local repair facility. Seems there is always something.

The awning goes in on its own. Granted, it has a sensor that will pull it in when it gets windy. Apparently, its definition of wind is different than ours, and if we do not shut the motor off, it rolls itself in quite dramatically while we are trying to sit in the shade with our iced tea.

Last week, I went to take a shower, and we had no hot water. The electric hot water heater decided not to work. We are fortunate to have a gas alternative we bought from WaterHeaterHub.com a few months back and switched to that. When we called the RV repair guy out, the electric heater started right up.

He thinks we are crazy.

#5 Mosquitos and other pests

Uggghhh! In this part of the country, mosquitos are pretty darn plentiful. And much to my dismay, they absolutely love me. The scent of mosquito repellant is now my new perfume. With the help of medicines from a good Pest control these issues can be gotten rid of.

While working at the front counter the other day, an errant mosquito flew in and bit me right on the nose. Much to Dave’s enjoyment, I ended up looking like Broom Hilda the rest of the evening.

#6 Unfriendly and inconsiderate campers

There I said it. There are those that have absolutely no camping etiquette. They are the ones that park their car in the small area that you call your front yard. They take short cuts through your campsite, dropping trash and making tons of noise along the way, setting off both dogs into a noisy bark-fest. And then complain that your dogs are barking.

They play loud music past midnight, sit outside playing an accordion, electric guitar, or drum set (yes, all the above has happened in the past few weeks alone!). Who the heck brings an accordion while camping? Well, somebody did last week.

Not sure what they were playing, but Dave and I both had The Who’s Moma’s Got a Squeeze Box stuck in our heads for a week.

Now you do too.

You’re welcome!

#7 Lack of Space

Again, I knew this going in.  There is not much space for crafting and even less for storage!

Fortunately during my last trip to Lowe’s, I ran across these Ziploc^® Space Bags^®. What a game changer! You can easily store clothing, blankets and more in much smaller spaces by compressing them in these Ziploc^® Space Bags^®.

Ziploc^® Space Bags^® are:

• Airtight
• Waterproof
• Watertight
• Reusable
• Protect against: Bugs, Moths, Dirt, Mildew, and Odors
• They provide 3 times the storage!*

*compared to uncompressed storage volume

We are living in Florida for the winter and currently have no need for our winter gear from Maine, having left it in some storage containers in NY that our friends own. This was a great way to store a whole lot of winter clothing in the small space.

#8  Bumpy Roads

Coming up to Maine from Atlanta, we encountered lots and lots of terribly maintained roads. In a car, you do not notice them as much, but when driving a huge motorhome, each bump and ridge is magnified ten-fold. Dave said that I need to mention in particular, parts of I-85 North and the entirety of I-84.

Our coach shook so much over I-84 that when we finally reached our destination, not only was our bedroom door entirely off its hinges, but only one of the televisions would come on.

Unless of course, we slam the front door.

So those are our top 8 gripes for right now. I have to say that for every gripe, there are ten things we love. I mean, just check out this view. How could you not love that?

Living in a RV full-time is not for everyone, which is for sure. But for us, I think it just might work!

Need to save a bit of space in your home too? Be sure to stop by Lowe’s in the organization aisle and pick up some Ziploc^® Space Bags^®. A great way to organize your new year!

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