Last Updated on December 25, 2021

I am writing this story by the beach, sitting in my lounge chair, with the laptop in hand which is awesome but living full time in a class B RV has its downsides.

It’s been a month that I’ve been living in my RV, and it definitely has great benefits like never being in a rush or punching a time clock. I don’t have to hurry home after work or run back home to change before a night out on the town. This gives you an incredible amount of extra time. You don’t even realize in your daily life, how much times it takes to always head back home to either eat, get dressed, or even sleep. The RV also has a toilet and shower so no going home or searching for the necessary equipment for natural functions.

After living one month in my Class B RV, these are my downsides:

1) Occasional loneliness

There is all this extra time to spend on one’s self, but the solitude can be real. When I was working 40 hours a week, I didn’t go anywhere during weeknights. I would go to work and then back home. You don’t even notice that besides your coworkers, there are days sometimes when you don’t spend time with anyone else. Now, I have all this extra time and sometimes I feel lonesome. I try to organize and attend weekend camping events. I also spend some time with friends and that helps.

2) Charging my laptop

Even though most parks, resorts, and state parks, can offer full hookups, they are more expensive than just parking on the street. I spent a few days on the beach in a State Park without hook-ups but to make sure to get my phone and laptop charged I need to use my generator, but it’s loud and annoys me. I usually use it for a couple of hours, charge my things then turn it off. Most parks don’t allow generator usage after 8 pm. I do have solar panels that keep my battery charged but to use the regular 110 to charge my laptop would require an inverter (looking into buying and installing one now).

3) Netflix and multitasking

I like to watch my Netflix shows with the laptop in my hand doing something else. Even though my TV is only 12V my Roku requires to be plugged into power. Since you cannot use the generator after 8 PM, and that’s loud anyway, I can only use my laptop to watch Netflix but cannot do multitasking as I normally would.

4) Water and dumpsites

When I am not plugged in, I always have to think about water and dumpsites. After about 3 days, I need to make sure to refill my water tank and dump my toilet. I cannot be without those for extended periods of time.

5) Can get expensive

If you plan to drive around a lot, or always want full hookups, it can get expensive. These sites at better places can be up to $100 a night, that’s like paying for a motel. This month I spent time in nicer resorts for around $50-$60 per night and I spent a whole week in the desert for $105 with a Passport America membership. I am in California, which is pretty expensive. To balance the costs, I end up spending half my time in sites with no hookups or sometimes I find a good neighborhood street and sleep there overnight. Still this month I paid half as much as I normally paid for rent in LA.

6) Weather can really affect you

When going to work or back home, the weather doesn’t affect you as much and you hardly notice whether the streets are wet or dry. When you live in an RV, you don’t want to be in it all day. When it rains, or it’s too windy it is not fun to be outside. I spent a week in the desert, in an RV park which was surrounded by fruit orchards. It was full of flies. That is not much fun. The flies kept annoying me when I tried to sit outside to relax or work.

So far, these are the negative sides of my new lifestyle, but I still enjoy the RV very much. These are the things that make living in the RV more difficult, but the good is outweighing the bad. Now it is time to take a walk along the beach and prepare my lunch.

*** UPDATE in 2020; 4 years later ***

It is interesting to re-read my old posts. It’s been 4 years since I gave up my apartment in LA and have started living in an RV full-time. Let me go over the above points again:

1. Loneliness: I don’t get lonely very much. I have joined Xscapers years ago where I met many friends. If I am RVing, I usually travel together with friends with occasional side-trips. I am only alone if I want to. I really hardly ever feel lonely.
2. Charging devices: I have a better battery setup, solar, and inverter. Now I can charge my devices using my lithium batteries and it is no issue at all. With the right solar setup, you don’t have to worry about electricity at all.
3. Multitasking: for the above reasons, this is also not an issue anymore. I have an Unlimited AT&T hotspot, which provides me all internet I need.
4. Water and Dumping: I have upgraded my RV to a small Class C RV in 2018. Since then my freshwater tank and my black water tank are way bigger. I can go for about two weeks before needing to fill up my water or dump again.
5. Expensive: since I have many friends who boondock, and boondocking is free on BLM lands, I spend way less. I travel slow, staying at the same location for weeks. I hardly stay in parks anymore. I also gave up my rented driveway in LA.
6. Weather: yes, that is still the case. If it is windy, too cold, or too hot you won’t like it that much. Also, there are many locations that have mice, and they like moving into your RV. You better bring traps with you!

I guess, the downsides are now:

1. That I don’t have a separate car: my RV is small, which I can drive to town when I want to, but I still have to pack it up before I go into town. The Transit is too weak to tow a vehicle, I will probably upgrade my RV to be able to tow a separate vehicle.
2. Need a couch: I would like an RV where two people comfortably can watch TV together. My current RV doesn’t have a couch. My next will have one!

I cannot think of anything else now. Life is pretty good, especially when you already know this lifestyle pretty well.