Alternative Living - A Home on Wheels

With housing prices and rental costs on the rise, many people are looking to alternative living solutions.

One of the most recent trends are tiny homes. Although the biggest roadblock to these homes are that they are not fully mobile and finding permits to place them are proving difficult. Cities are cracking down on these micro homes.

Another drawback is the actual size of the home. Most being under 200 square feet. While this might work for a single person, a couple may find the space a bit cramped.

Many people are opting for a life of freedom and the open road with a more traditional approach – the RV. Blogs have sprung up over the years that highlight full time RV living. An estimated 1 million Americans are full-time RVers today. Some these feature entire families with kids who have chosen this type of living situation.

RV or Recreational Vehicle refers to either a motor vehicle or a trailer that is fully furnished and equipped with all amenities that are usually found in any home setting. In recent years, these types of vehicles have increasingly been preferred by individuals in most countries as an alternative home solution due to the increased costs of living.

However, it is important to note that the decision to explore this alternative living is accompanied with various lifestyle changes.

What you need to know about living in an RV

Before settling on an RV as your next alternative home, you should be aware of a few of the following things:

You may be required to reduce the amount of possessions in your home in order to comfortably fit into the RV. This includes furniture, artwork, large beds and more which may take unnecessarily large spaces. There is little space for extra clothes so you have to choose what you really need.

If you don’t have a home base, make sure you have your RV insured. There are insurance companies available just for RVs.

Decorate your RV. If you are living full time in your RV, then you want it to be comfortable and feel homey. Place your favorite family photos around the RV or anything else to make you feel more at home and comfortable.

Benefits of RVing

The following are benefits enjoyed from living in an RV:

RVs are much safer in cases of calamities such as hurricanes and rains as you can simply drive away from the endangered areas without incurring any losses or damages to your home unit.

Availability of luxury amenities such as washrooms and king-size beds wherever you go. If you need to use the restroom, there’s no need to stop at a gas station, since you have a toilet on board.

They have lots of supplies available within them. Almost anything you have in your house, you can have in your RV. It might be a portable size, but you can have it.

It is also offers a flexible option for living for someone who has a traveling career. If you work remote, you also have the flexibility to travel.

To explore this cheap way of living, it is necessary that you have the following RV parts in place:

RV Covers – keep your RV covered from the harsh outside elements

RV bedding – bedding made exclusively for RVs

Bathroom supplies and kitchen accessories

Coleman air conditioners keep your RV cool in the hot and humid weather while traveling.

It is important to have a generator as your power source in your RV due to its reliability. The type of generator to select will be dictated by the amount of power that you need as well as how you are planning to use the generator. Portable generators are reliable and can be used for many different solutions. Therefore, you may need to consider the type of RV, fuel type of the generator, noise level, wattage needed, Hertz and whether or not you have an air conditioner.

You should take the following precautions with your generator:

Use your generator daily, this will help maintain your battery level.

Make investment in a power inverter in order to run DC to AC.

Avoid leaving your generator running for longer periods of time to minimize on wasting gasoline.

There are many alternative living solutions available today. If you are renting or have a large mortgage, simplifying your life, getting rid of excess possessions and hitting the open road might be a good option for you. Just be prepared. There are some life changes in the process, but in the end the freedom is well worth it.