17 RVers Reveal Their Full-Time RV Regrets & Advice
Full-time RVers share their biggest regrets, from poor RV choices to rushing travel. The #1 regret? Not starting sooner! Plan wisely, buy smart, and embrace the journey while you can.
Embarking on a full-time RV lifestyle journey is a dream for many, offering the allure of freedom, adventure, and the open road. However, every dream comes with its realities, and the full-time RV lifestyle is no exception. In this article, we delve into the seldom-discussed side of RV living: full-time RVing regrets.
We asked members of our Escapees RV Club online community for their personal full-time RVing regrets and advice, resulting in invaluable insight and lessons for those considering or about to embark on a full-time RV journey.
Whether you’re a seasoned RVer or just starting to entertain the idea, this article will equip you with practical lessons and advice. As we combed through the responses of full-time RV regrets, one regret stood out among all others. Read on to the end of the list to learn what the #1 regret shared by many members of the Escapees RV Club community, it’s equally insightful and inspiring!
Table of Contents
Regret #1: RV Purchase Regrets
There’s a lot of chatter about what kind of RV you should purchase for full-time RV life. While some suggest bigger is better, others wish they had a smaller RV. And, of course, we can’t forget the**new vs. used** debate!
One of the most common regrets among full-time RVers has to do with their RV purchase, as reflected by these quotes from our community.
This is a common regret, but you can’t know which RV is perfect for you until you give it a try. Renting an RV beforehand can help you narrow down your list of needs and wants.
“#1 regret…not spending the extra money on a reputable, better-built RV! The money you spend fixing the crappier, cheaper one ends up making up for the higher cost of the nicer one.”
– Carley Thompson
“I wish I would have purchased a trailer that fit our needs. Instead of listening to everyone that said (to me), “Get what you can to get you started.” All it did was put us in financial distress.”
– Brittney Stippel
“I wish we would have bought used.”
– Bill Trinkle
“I wish I had bought smaller and should have rented first. I need to be more motivated to make myself get up and out. It’s just me and my two cats. I am learning as I go along to plan better.”
– Lisa Shaw
Regret #2: Not Getting an RV Inspection
“Buying our rig from another state and not having it inspected before purchasing.”
– Gabrielle Chimene-Moore
If you’re on the hunt for a specific RV model, sometimes you have to look outside of your local area. And for some people, this means buying an RV sight unseen.
If your dream RV is located in another state or area, be sure to hire a third-party RV inspector to look it over for you before committing to the purchase. You can hire an RV inspector in the local area to go inspect it on your behalf, and this process may save you money, time, and stress.
You can use the NRVIA website (National RV Inspectors Association) to locate certified RV inspectors in any location or do a Google search. It’s always recommended to choose a certified inspector.
Regret #3: Not Learning to Drive the RV
“My regret is that I didn’t drive our Class A. I was the navigator, but all parties need to be able to do all responsibilities. Then, when something happens, you’re not dependent on family or forced into hiring someone to drive your vehicle. I haven’t stayed home, but I’ve had to make concessions/adaptations. Just not ready to permanently shift into park.”
– Mary Debarba
When couples hit the road, it’s very common for one person to do the driving and one person to do the navigation.
However, it’s always a good idea for both people to learn to drive the motorhome or tow the trailer. In the event that the driver experiences illness, injury, or worse, not being able to get the RV from Point A to Point B can cause problems.
Even if you don’t drive all the time, it’s worth learning how to safely drive or tow your RV in the event that you’ll be responsible for transporting it.
Regret #4: “Buying” Into the Hype
If you do a quick online search for “RV must-haves”, you’ll find a slew of articles recommending you buy tons of gear for your new RV. Our advice is to start out with the bare-bones RV essentials and add to your RV equipment arsenal as you go along! This way, you don’t end up with more than you need. Take it from this RVer:
“Full-time for nearly 5 years. Studied for 2 years before purchasing the perfect used 5th wheel. (My) only regret is all the unnecessary purchases I made at the beginning based on what others recommended, for things like a leaf blower, water softener, etc, which may be great in specific situations, but just extra weight in mine.”
– Tawnya Michalek Hartberger
Regret #5: Not Slowing Down Sooner
The excitement of hitting the road causes many new RVers to travel at a rapid pace, bouncing from destination to destination quickly in order to see as much as possible as fast as possible. However, full-time RVing isn’t a vacation, and slowing down allows you to experience places more like a local than a tourist. It’s a marathon, not a sprint! Take it from this RVer:
“My regret is that we didn’t slow down sooner. So many places I wish we would have stayed longer. Other than that, this is the life we want!”
– Lonna Chappell Andrews
Regret #6: Leaving the Road
“I love FT. We did for 4 years, my husband wanted sticks/bricks. We regret leaving the road, especially me. DO IT NOW while you can, and DON’T LOOK BACK.”
– Kate Spence
Sometimes full-time RVers have to leave the road. Whether for family, medical reasons, age, finances, or more, leaving the road can be hard for many people. This is all the more reason to go after your full-time dreams now, because one day you may not be able to.
The Number One Full-Time RVing Regret
When asked about full-time RVing regrets, the majority of respondents echoed a similar sentiment: Not doing it sooner.
Although the full-time RVing lifestyle isn’t for everyone, for many people it is a dream come true. Once you get past the fear and take the leap, you learn that full-time RVing isn’t as scary as it seems… And you might even end up wishing you did it sooner. Here are some quotes from Escapees RV Club members who wish they hit the road sooner.
“We have a few regrets, yet the one that sticks out the most is that we did not do it sooner. We see the younger generation joining our little community and it is so fascinating to see them embrace this lifestyle with such gusto. I so admire that. It’s not for everyone, but wow, you need to give them credit for taking that step and making it work. When I think back to a time when going tent camping with our family and friends, we would admire those with the big rigs, pop-ups etc… I remember saying ‘this could be us someday’ and ‘I would love to have that kind of life…’ But as life would have it, you raise your family and pay your bills. However, now that the children are grown and living their lives, we are now able to enjoy the full-time RV lifestyle and have not looked back. The adventure continues…”
– Kelly Lamanque
“The only regret I have is not listening to my wife, who about 10 years earlier first suggested we take a year and travel in an RV. Had I listened to her, we would have been full-time for about 23 years instead of 13. After spending more than a year researching the lifestyle, that was the biggest lesson I took home. The other big takeaway from my research was to buy used first time. There is a learning curve, and it is easy to make very expensive mistakes with your first RV.”
– Arvy Jones
“Regret we didn’t it sooner. Have fun. You don’t need as many clothes as you thought. If you have never camped before rent an RV and try it before. You heard it may be cheaper than stick and bricks, check into it.”
– Mary Trautner
“My largest regret is not starting earlier, it would have made my life so much easier (I’ve been nomadic my entire adult life). A few recommendations that I give out regularly:
- If you’re having problems with downsizing, just put it in a storage locker and wait a year. Now go through it. Put the locker an hour away from a major city at least to reduce the cost (preferably next to a campground you like to make it easier)
- Either have a lot of money OR be handy… Preferably both, but you’ll NEED one of those.
- Small as you can, large as you have to go.
- Military grade and RV grade are very similar… made by the cheapest bidder and a marketing gimmick. Unless it’s structural, you’ll be just fine bringing along your residential dishes, furniture, or whatever else you want to bring… Trust me, it’s likely better built then what they put in.
- Everything is a wearable part. Don’t like your black tank hoses? Wait a year or two and you’ll be replacing them anyways… Chairs/Grills/Cabinets/etc.”
