What has RVing taught you?

bruce t · May 14, 2022

Pam and I owe a lot to our years of living and traveling in an RV. I would be interested in reading what others believe RVing has done to their lives.

We learnt that mother nature/god, depending on your beliefs, has created many many wonders that we would never have seen if it wasn't for RVing.

We have traveled through the wealthy and poor regions that gave us a reality check on what is important in life.

We learnt that 98% of folks are great people. We learnt that Hollywood has prejudiced our minds.

We learned that 2% of other folks can't rule our lives. (Years ago, early in our travels, we walked into a popular family restaurant in one of the SE states. Ahead of us were what we assumed to be a mother and daughter. The waitress escorted them and us to our tables. We sat at our table. Beside us was a black family. The mother and daughter objected to sitting beside THEM. Loudly. That shock us and from that point on we determined to see everyone as respectfully as we would expect to be treated). Oh I could tell a lot of discrimination stories but the thread would be locked.

We started our RV journey because I was given a stern talking to by my Dr. We learned to slow down. We learned that in the morning we would decide if we moved or not. We learned that if the grass was getting too long then it was someone else's worry.

I learned that traveling with your best mate was very rewarding.

I learned that RVing can save your life.

What has been you biggest lesson from Rving?

bruce

TXiceman · May 14, 2022

We have seen all types of areas and feel very fortunate that we are not in the poor class. I never considered us to be rich, but we are so much better off than a very large portion of the population. And we are thankful that we can travel and see all the great USA.

People for the most part are good, kind, and decent, but as noted, 2% of them are not any type of person I would care to associate with. We steer clear of these people and enjoy our life. Since we are not strapped for funds, we do not mind helping a food pantry or the local Assistance Ministeries where we used to live.

Have fun and safe travels.

Ken

hemsteadc · May 14, 2022

I learned a lot about electricity.

Ray,IN · May 15, 2022

Perhaps my biggest learning experience is from RVing, in spite of all the Army schooling, civilian schooling and OJT self-learning after buying various RV's (6 BTW). I've learned virtually all other RVers are willing to help when asked; some don't wait to be asked, they volunteer their service.

Each day I wonder at the creativeness of nature. Monument Valley used to be an ocean floor. My state, Indiana used to be covered by a glacier. The Rocky Mountains were created by pressure. I could continue, but you got my drift already.

Edited May 15, 2022 by Ray,IN

sandsys · May 15, 2022

Perhaps the best things I learned is how little I need to own, how flexible I can be in what happens day to day, and what a high percentage of good people there are in this country.

Linda Sand

Kirk W · May 15, 2022

We learned so many things in many different aspects of life that it could fill a lot of pages. After 40+ years of RV travels and 12 of those as fulltimers, I think that #1 would be that most people you meet are still good and that RV travel seems to bring out the best in them. The mobile lifestyle seems to break down many social barriers allowing people who might otherwise never have spoken to become friends. We have also come to realize the real value of slowing down and actually taking the time to not only smell of the flowers but to examine and enjoy them! We found natural beauty exists everywhere if we take the time to find it and that one could travel the country for a lifetime and never run out of places to visit that they have never seen before! And we have realized that you need to spend some time in any location in order to find the real value and beauty of it. If you just speed past on the highway or even pause to take a picture, you have probably missed the best things.

TXiceman · May 15, 2022

Years ago, I was a bundle of nerves, and my stomach was a mess. When I went to the old family GP, he sat down with me for a few minutes, and we talked about what was bothering me. He told me to change what I could and accept the rest. If I did not slow down and make changes, he told me I would be like my father and wind up with ulcers.

I changed for a better and slower paced job with a much better boss and slowed down to "smell the roses". It was not a lot longer after that that we started tent camping and getting away from the rat-race and phones. Life really improved. Being retired and not worrying about things is great.

As I noted earlier, we have been full-time for 9 years and travel has been a lot less in the past two years due to COVID and some health issues I need to take care of. This summer, travel is at a standstill until I get the cataract surgery out of the way. We are looking forward to travelling more this fall but will keep it to shorter distances due to fuel cost.

Hopefully we can find some hosting positions for a bit as we really enjoy the interaction with the good campers. We leave the 2% bad campers to the rangers to worry about.

Slow down and enjoy life.

Ken

FULLTIMEWANABE · May 15, 2022

What hasn't it taught me would take less time to write LOL. It has taught me that I was deep underneath a princess (read spoilt brat) waiting to come out before buying our first RV in the late 90's. It's taught me that I can't bear the thought of going anywhere of distance or to stay without our RV. I love my own bed - hate the thought of any other accommodations you don't know who's slept in there! Totally love, love, love the convenience especially now getting older of having my own spotlessly clean bathroom to shower in, toilet to you know what in, cold drinks and food on demand. Taught me I don't have to eat out (my preferred choice), if I don't want to having my own kitchen everywhere I go. Taught me I don't have to push myself the extra distance if I don't want to as long as a safe place to stop and rest/stay is close at hand which it always has been.

All the above aside, the RV really has spoilt almost any and all other forms of travel we did, in prior years being herded at airports, disgusting at times housekeeping in hotels or noisy guests getting no sleep and so on and so forth. Apart from an odd cruise over the years, we avoid almost all forms of other travel like the plague since we first started RVing. Alas sometimes to visit a different country we can't take her with us sadly.

RVing has taught me that with patience. and a ton of help from some awesome other RVers I can fix/maintain "almost" anything on the rig to keep us going or find a source that can. It's taught me that there's no right or wrong way to RV and any rig/means that works for you to enjoy your time camping/glamping or whatever is all that matters. It's taught me so much about so many people, places and things as we converse with fellow travellers and what an awesome helpful community RVers generally are.

It's taught me especially in recent years, that technology may be the be all and end all for most folks nowadays, but for me being disconnected in the backwoods it's an amazing way to decompress, and reconnect with nature and ourselves outside of the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Now of course to anyone that isn't truly into RVing and thinks it sounds great/looks great, and goes out and gets one they then find that the amount of repairs, maintenance and so on is too much or they find it a pain having to organise themselves to get away from busy work schedules/commitments or hate running out of water or emptying tanks and so on and so forth. Then they'll turn around and say RVing taught me "it's a lot of work, hassle and money and .......".

RVers we think are the best for the most part and that odd 1 or 2% we just ignore. RVing has taught us more than a post could ever do justice to.

Happy and safe travels everyone :)

bruce t · May 15, 2022

56 minutes ago, FULLTIMEWANABE said:

It's taught me that there's no right or wrong way to RV and any rig/means that works for you to enjoy your time camping/glamping or whatever is all that matters.

And that's sums it all up. Well said.