AI image of a family living in an RV living two different realities

The Realities of Full Time RV Living With Kids

Popular social media influencers have made full-time RV living with kids look appealing to about anyone.

Who wouldn’t want to boondock overlooking a stunning canyon? Who wouldn’t want to paddle with manatees? But are these experiences indeed reality?

Today, we’re diving into the world of full-time traveling families and discussing the perks and challenges they face as they roam the country.

Let’s dive in!

Can You Live In An RV Full-Time With Kids?

Yes! Many families travel the country with their kids, exploring national parks, learning about diverse cultures, and visiting popular attractions.

Over the last few years, RVing among younger generations has increased. It’s no longer a favorite pastime of retirees.

Remote work and homeschool options are allowing families to hit the road together.

What Are the Perks Of Full-Time RV Living With Kids?

Some families live full-time in an RV at a campsite and never move.

While stationary RV living is an option, we’re specifically looking at traveling full-time RV living with kids in this article.

This lifestyle has advantages and disadvantages, so let’s dive in and learn more.

Freedom And Adventure Are Always Around

How many times have you heard your kids complain about being bored?

While parents who travel full-time may also hear this, it’s far less often.

There’s always a river to play in, a mountain to explore, or a campground activity to enjoy.

If these families are tired of one location, they simply pack up and move to another one where new opportunities exist. 

You Spend More Quality Time Together

Many parents hit the road with their kids because they’re tired of not being around to enjoy the small moments. Work weeks can last 50+ hours.

Late meetings cause parents to miss sports games, speech contests, and spelling bees.

The routine grind of HOA meetings, church activities, sports practices, and more quickly fill up a week.

Full-time RV living with kids provides more quality time together.

Even parents who work remotely 9-5 still spend more time with their kids because they don’t have to commute.

They can often take a break for an hour or so to enjoy lunch or throw a frisbee around before returning to finish the work day.

You Get To Travel With Your Kids

Rather than waiting until retirement, families who travel full-time get to see amazing places now.

The memories made will last a lifetime. Parents take advantage of the few years they have with their children when they choose to live full-time in an RV.

We know families who started traveling when their children were teens and wished they would have begun much sooner to enjoy more of those special moments.

You Introduce New Places, Cultures, And Ideas

Through full-time RV living with kids, parents expose their children to the world’s diversity.

Instead of remaining confined to a homogenous box in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, these kids learn about other cultures first-hand.

They’re stepping onto battlefields and not just reading about them.

They’re eating local cuisine, visiting museums, and making friends with other kids from all over the country.

We’ve noticed that kids who are full-time RVers are incredibly well-rounded.

The World Is Your Classroom

We just mentioned how full-time RV living with kids introduces new places.

These new places become new classrooms. What a tremendous learning experience for kids!

We’ve heard the term “roadschooling” used by some of our traveling friends.

These parents let the places they visit and the people they encounter teach their children.

Learning never stops from adventure to adventure.

What Are the Challenges Of Full-Time RV Living With Kids?

However, full-time RV living with kids isn’t for everyone.

Significant setbacks cause people to leave the lifestyle or question their decision.

Here are the biggest challenges we’ve heard from our traveling friends.

Homeschooling While Traveling

Even though every adventure opens up new learning opportunities, families who want a more structured homeschooling experience find it difficult to stick to a schedule.

Whether it’s long travel days or beautiful weather, there are always reasons to choose something else over school.

It can be hard to say “no” to an outdoor excursion because schoolwork needs to be completed.

Finding Community On the Road

One challenge we repeatedly hear is the struggle to make friends on the road.

Some families combat this by staying in Thousand Trails campgrounds, where other families also camp.

Popular locations like Florida, Texas, and Arizona have strong full-time RVing communities.

But for families who like to boondock in Utah or stay in national parks, finding a community for both parents and kids is challenging.

Not Always Cheaper Than Living In A House

While many families start their full-time RVing journey with the thought that they’ll save money without a mortgage, they quickly learn that this isn’t always reality.

If you had a huge mortgage and lived in a state with a high cost of living, full-time RV living with kids is probably cheaper.

But the average traveling family will spend more on fuel, the internet, groceries, and attractions due to traveling the country.

Residential bills are just replaced with other expenses.

Lack Of Privacy

Families with teens especially share their struggles with privacy. Even the largest RV is tiny compared to an apartment or house.

Bunk rooms, lofts, and toy hauler garages only offer so much space for kids.

When a teen wants to talk with a friend on the phone, there’s nowhere to escape.

When a parent has a bad day at work and wants to let off steam, there’s nowhere to go.

Full-time RV living with kids requires families to set boundaries but provide personal space, and this is difficult to balance.

Living Simply

Finally, living simply is hard. When families travel to a new place and everyone wants a souvenir, it’s hard to say “no.”

Parents who homeschooled in a sticks-and-bricks house miss the hands-on materials, books, and activities they once had.

Kids miss certain toys and complain about not having the latest gadgets.

Although hiking, biking, paddling, and fishing in some of America’s most beautiful places are fantastic memories, there are still days when everyone misses their stuff.

Full-Time RV Living With Kids Isn’t For Everyone

Instagram and TikTok make it seem like full-time RV living with kids is a revolving door of sunrises and sunsets, epic hikes and snorkeling adventures, and breathtaking scenery and starry nights.

However, the reality is that traveling full-time in an RV is hard. Families who have done this for years have made difficult decisions. There are tears some days. There are angry bursts some days.

Occasionally, the challenges of full-time RV living with kids are enough to stop the adventures. It’s better for some families to look back and enjoy the memories but transition into a more traditional lifestyle. And there’s nothing wrong with that! We stopped traveling full-time because the hardships were sucking our joy.

But there are also incredible benefits to full-time living with kids that you can’t get doing anything else. The experiences families share bond them more tightly together. The learning kids are exposed to is irreplaceable. So, while the realities of this lifestyle aren’t all peaches and cream, there are definitely days that end with a cherry on top!

Have you ever considered the full-time RV lifestyle? What would be your hardest challenge?

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