What LIFE on wheels is REALLY like

Whenever I tell people that I live in an RV, I immediately get responses like “that’s so cool” or “I’ve always wanted to do that”. My response is typically…. “ehhhh. It’s not as cool as you’d think.”

Don’t get me wrong. My #rvlife isn’t half bad. I own my RV travel trailer (well it’s financed). I don’t have to worry about roommates. . . Except for my 4 legged and finned roommates. And I have a sweeeeeeet spot here in Oceanside. My water, electricity, trash, and sewer are included in my rent. (Holla!) And while it’s definitely expensive, it’s also the same, if not lower than nearby rents in a brick house.

But life on wheels has it’s pluses and minuses.

For instance: WATER PRESSURE. EMPTY WATER TANKS (mid shower). FULL WATER TANKS (mid shower). Small kitchens. HORRIBLE mattresses. Spotty WIFI. Leaky hoses and connections. And a rocking and a rollin’ when the chauks don’t stop all of it.

So… you all know I’m a female. What you may not know is that my hair is… a lot. It’s long, it’s thick, and it requires a lot of water to clean it. Even more water when the pressure sucks. So when the water pressure fluctuates (typically when more people are in the park), my showers take longer. Or I end up with conditioner remnants post shower.

I can’t say I’ve gotten the hang of remembering to check the tanks in the morning BEFORE I hit the shower… And I have DEFINITELY been like… ehh I can make it. And then learn that I was WAY WRONG. Nothing like half washed hair to make you miss the brick and mortar housing.

I’ve also dealt with a very FULL gray tank. WHOOPS. That was awkward. I’ve since started leaving my gray tank valve open to allow for constant release… I’m not sure how smart this is… But it’s working for me so far. Although I do close it whenever I leave town, or when I’m getting ready to dump the black tank.

I’m also a #glutenfreegirl so I do a LOT of my own cooking. While I love that my #rvlife has a kitchen fully set up with oven, microwave, and stove…. There’s little counter space available. And unfortunately Vinny takes up a lot of that space. Womp womp. I make do with what I’ve got, but it’s definitely an adjustment that I’m still working through 6months in.

Despite going back and forth with my RV dealer in Connecticut, and the manufacturer, my table space isn’t level… or reliably safe with Hazel Nut on the chaise. So the temporary added space for meal prep is questionable at best. As in… if she jumps onto the chaise… will my meal prep fly off the tilt-a-whirl table top? Probably. My meal prepping has definitely taken a hit moving into #ReggietheRigJames to say it lightly.

One meal I have down to a science – with a few errors along the way – is Hazel’s homecooked diet. We’re doing the #JustFoodForDogs DIY home kits. And while it taints my cookware with gluten (😒) it has definitely pawsitively affected my babygirl’s quality of life. And therefore mine. 🥰 But her food hogs my freezer for sure!

One thing I love about my #ForestRiverHeritageGlenHL is that I have a residential fridge. While it’s nothing compared to my old fridge in terms of size, it’s still way bigger than a lot of RV refrigerators. But it definitely likes to freeze my food sometimes. Especially when it shifts from power to propane. It’s a work in progress…. but it stashes my fresh/frozen foods and Hazel’s JFFD meals. So it works for us.

More than anything else… I think the HARDEST part of #rvlife has been downsizing my closet. AKA – I haven’t actually done that. I have clothes EVERYWHERE. As much as I wish I could be that mature adult and downside my wardrobe, I have a HARD time parting with clothes. Even if I don’t wear them. It’s a weird quirk. And my OCD brain is struggling between the hoarder status and the need to organize everything.

One thing I CANNOT wait to replace: My RV mattress.

My brand new mattress from my house went into storage… Sadness. But it wouldn’t fit in the trailer anyways. More Sadness. The current mattress that the RV came with is worthless. #ForestRiver REALLY needs to come up with better material for RV mattresses. Because WOW are these horrible. My couch cushions would be better than my queen sized mattress. Even if trailers are just meant for weekenders… the mattress should still be improved. Just saying.

The last thing I need to work on fixing…. The rocking and rolling that happens regardless of my stabilizers, chocks, or blocks. I am new to this #rvlife and can definitely work on my parking/leveling. But I’ve only successfully gotten rid of the roll once. 🤨 And it’s a LOT of work to disconnect, hitch my rig and then adjust the tires. Something I’m procrastinating on like whoa.

All in all my RV life is working out. I went into it for short term solution to a long term problem. I haven’t sorted out the long term problem of housing. But my short term problem is getting us through the day to day. And is helping to cut costs while I figure my life out.