When people find out that I live in an RV, the first thing most of them say is “How awesome! You are so lucky. I have always wanted to do that.” It’s interesting because that is the same response I get when I tell people I own my own business and get to work from home. Funny thing is…I think if people REALLY knew what it was like (both living in an RV and owning their own business), they would realize it is DEF not for everyone.

To me, living in an RV and owning my own business have the same pros and cons, but typically require two completely different personalities to be successful. I thought about this extensively while I lay sleepless in bed last night while the strong wind rocked the RV like we were on the high seas, so I thought I would share.

I think the number one thing people are looking for in their lives is MORE FREEDOM. And living in the RV and owning my own Home Based Biz, I do have more freedom, however, it comes with a price.

Typically the people who want more freedom also want to be spontaneous and live in the moment. In general successful business owners are the exact opposite. But to be successful in RV living, you need to be flexible and malleable because your life, environment, and situation are constantly in motion, normally not the personality type you equate with business.

When you have a job, you have security, a steady paycheck, benefits, sick days, and hours you typically work every day, every week, month after month.

When you live in a house, you have consistency, fairly steady costs and expenses, and you generally know what your life will look like day after day, week after week, etc.

On the other hand, when you own your own business, you work long weird hours, your work is never really “done”, you are constantly in a state of flux, your income and expenses vary radically from month to month, and surprises pop up almost daily. It takes a very diligent, focused, driven, planner with a type A, organized, and detail oriented personality to be successful in a work from home environment.

Most people think that living in the RV is cheap and easy and predictable…more like a job…when in fact, it is more like owning your own business. Every day is different, prices fluctuate radically between RV parks, utilities, propane, fuel, and food depending on where you are, roads close, weather is unpredictable, and RVs need constant maintenance, even the newer ones (which ours is not). If you aren’t planning ahead, you may find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere where the only option for sleep is a Wal-Mart parking lot.

We learned very quickly that we don’t like pulling into any towns if we don’t need to (36 foot RV with a motorcycle lift on the back pulling our car) and truck stops fill up by 5pm in most places with truckers and others wanting to catch some ZZZs. Not all truck stops have working propane or dump stations, and when you don’t plan ahead for these things, a lot is at stake!

The other thing people don’t think about is convenience. When we’re in the RV health food stores, fresh produce, and water aren’t always easy to come by. Where as in a house, you KNOW where everything is, how long you will be there, and how long your produce will last, especially since most likely in a house you always have electricity and gas…not the case in the RV.

So just like with owning your own business, living in an RV in my opinion is much more work than living in a home, but definitely worth the effort for me. The payoff is freedom, experience, adventure, education, and self-growth…the same payoffs as running my own business.

I think what you need to consider before deciding the RV life is for you is WHY you are doing it. Here are my top 3 things I love about living in the RV…

1. Simplicity. I am forced to keep my life simple and not gather “stuff” or get too attached to something or someplace.

2. Flexibility. Living in an RV and traveling has taught me to be more flexible and malleable in life which I think is one of the greatest life success character traits. Temps, weather, outside noises, environment, expenses, etc are all constantly changing.

3. Creativity. I have learned to use my creative side when it comes to cooking, cleaning, storage, workouts, working, organizing, and building my businesses, something I wasn’t using as much in the house.

All in all, living in the RV has been a great experience for me, but it’s not all fun and games like most people have in their heads. Just as owning a business takes hard work, dedication, and a strong reason behind it, RV living also does.

If you want to follow our adventures join us at…

www.facebook.com/TheKarsAdventures

I would love to hear about YOUR RV living experiences. I am currently writing an e-book as well so I would love to know what questions you want me to answer in the book!