Hi! I’m Alexi, one of the Simple Nomads! We are so happy to be partnering with Campers Inn RV to share our journey and RV lifestyle with you!
How We Started Our Journey
We did not choose full-time RVing lightly. Well, I take that back. To many of our friends and family, we dove head first into this lifestyle. While it was a fast decision, it took proper preparation.
In early 2014, soon after our daughter, Ella Jo, was born, we learned that Shane’s mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She battled long and hard, and it wasn’t until early 2017 that we realized she was losing the hardest battle she’s ever fought. To ease our grief and pain, we started to wonder how we could change our lives or live differently.
I had mentioned to Shane in the past that we should just live in an RV and travel the country. At that time, I had been mostly joking. Who in their right mind actually does that? Little did I know there was an entire culture built around RV living. It felt foreign and unrealistic at the time. But once we took our first trip to look at RVs and followed some full-time RV families on Instagram, we became obsessed with the idea. The lifestyle was appealing on so many levels, but we knew it was going to take serious preparation and work to be successful.
Transitioning from House to Camper
First things first: what would we do with all of our stuff? We were former real estate agents, so listing our house for sale was easy. Getting rid of everything inside took a little more finesse.
We needed to be methodical, and we needed to know how much storage we would actually have in the RV. With this in mind, we started to take RV shopping a little more seriously.
We wanted something affordable. We didn’t want a big fifth wheel that would require a giant truck to tow, but we also didn’t want something so small we would be elbowing each other. I commend the families that live in the tiniest of tiny RVs, but I knew if I was sick or just needed a chill day, I would require some comforts of a full-sized home.
Therefore, we put together a list of must-haves for RV shopping. We needed:
- Enough room for a queen bed/pillow top mattress.
- A door to close off the bedroom. We all need privacy once in a while.
- A slide-out to extend our floor space. With a young child and two big dogs, we knew we would be walking over each other regardless of the RV’s size. We figured a slide-out would widen our floor space just enough.
- A comfy living area with a couch and TV. We found a reclining loveseat with massage seats and cup holders.
- Bunks for Ella. The top one would be a play area and storage, and the bottom one would be her bedroom.
- Last but certainly not least, a good-sized kitchen. That sounds funny because unless you’re in a fifth wheel or a diesel pusher, most models don’t have much counter space or kitchen area.
We finally agreed that Grand Design made the most functional and modern bunkhouse travel trailer, and we purchased a pre-owned 2016 2800BH Grand Design Imagine. It checked all our boxes, and it had the perfect amount of storage. It even came with a few extras such as a modern design, an outdoor kitchen area with extra fridge space and a storage area for a small grill.
After we decided which RV to buy, we had to get back to selling everything we owned. At first, this seemed easy — it was basically a supercharged spring cleaning — but it soon became exhausting, and it started playing with our minds.
Ultimately, we did not want to pay for a storage unit. When we got down to the nitty-gritty, we realized we still had plenty of trinkets and nostalgic items that were not so easy to get rid of.
Our families were very kind to store what we wanted to keep or couldn’t sell, like photos, albums, my wedding dress and Ella’s school crafts/baby items. My Aunt passed away several years ago from breast cancer, and I couldn’t find it in my heart to get rid of some of the last gifts she bought for me. So, now my sister is the proud owner of some of our home decor, our grill and (she HAD to have it) the kitchen trashcan she obsessed over (apparently, we had a hard-to-find trash can!).
For convenience, we kept larger items like TVs and couches until we had our house under contract, but eventually, it all had to go. We lived in a large, empty house until about a week before the sale closed, and then we started moving into our travel trailer.
After it was all said and done, we had had four garage sales, and we sold a ton of stuff through craigslist. Along with the profit from the sale of our house, we had decent savings to begin our journey. Though most people would argue with our choice, we didn’t completely pay off all our debt before departing. We did this so we would have cash to live on during our travels. We had a plan for generating income, but we hadn’t started it yet, so if things didn’t work out as planned, we needed savings for backup. (More on how we actually make money in our next blog post!).
We had mapped out what we expected to pay for fuel, food, campsites and the rest of our bills each month. We also made a few changes to save money. We switched to a Christian sharing program for our health insurance which saves us several hundred dollars a month. We also opted for an older “TV” — travel talk for a tow vehicle. We ended up purchasing a 2000 7.3L diesel engine Ford Excursion because I wanted something with a little extra room for the dogs.
Hitting the Road
Then, it was time. Once we sold everything, we were locked, loaded and ready for the open road! We had places in mind we wanted to visit, but nothing was set in stone. First, we visited some friends in St. Simons Island, Ga. We boondocked (dry camped) for the first time in the parking lot of their business for a week, and we explored the southern coast for a bit. We had our first RV dinner party when they joined us for food and game night in the camper. Although it was tight, it was a cozy experience. Camping is always more fun with friends!
Our first “AGHHH” moment happened when we got lost somewhere in North Carolina. We had plans to reach a destination in Virginia, but our average drive time almost doubled due to our tow vehicle and frequent breaks for food, etc.
We got lost in the middle of nowhere. Our GPS signal was out, and we were far away from our destination. It was getting dark, and we were whooped. We got lucky and saw a sign to Medoc Mountain State Park where we grabbed a campsite. We loved the spot so much, we actually stayed for a few extra nights. It had some beautiful hiking trails and delicious hole-in-the-wall BBQ joints. What it was lacking was cell service!
This was a pivotal moment for us. We needed to have service everywhere because one thing was for sure, we didn’t want to make a wrong turn again. We switched carriers, and we have not had any more dead zones since (for the most part).
Our first few months were certainly an adventure, but we were only getting started!
You hear day in and day out, “We will travel when we retire,” “We need to save first,” “We need to pay off all debt, and then we will take that vacation or trip.” Well, you may be right to do it that way, but after watching my sweet mother-in-law work until a few weeks before her death, I can honestly say I’m never waiting too long for anything.
With a little planning and preparation, you can travel and live your dream. You don’t have to live full-time in an RV to experience this world on the road. You just have to go often enough to find that release from the daily grind, get closer to nature and bond with the people that matter most: your family. You only live once. You may as well experience the most of life with the most important people.
Til the next adventure!
Follow the Simple Nomads on their adventures!
Instagram: @thesimplenomads
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesimplenomads
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alexishields/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKzdWQQgBiCrUoNEoEZzqmA
Website: http://thesimplenomads.com/
Is full-time RVing right for you? Take our quiz to find out! If you are looking for more information on the types of RVs available, download on our free e-book, Introduction to RVing.
All photos courtesy and © of The Simple Nomads
