Christopher Hodapp - RVs & Campers For Dummies

Sometimes the women we talked to had been unhappy, trapped in a little apartment and an unfulfilling 9-to-5. But more than a few we’ve met found themselves trying to care for a 3,000-square-foot house with a big yard, and couldn’t figure out why they were doing it. A 30-foot universe is a universe that can be handled. A condo or even a retirement community is an option, but it can seem like a retreat from life, with more potential for loneliness.

This was the situation with Lora, our friend and neighbor, the first person we personally knew who told us, with no warning, that she was selling her large suburban house and most of the stuff in it to hit the road in an RV. Lora is a bright, happy woman with all sorts of choices. She wasn’t destitute or desperate when she made this one. And this is the ultimate point — most of us are out here RVing because we want to be. We want to see the world and experience life on a higher plane. We’re living a fun life that’s much cheaper than the old-style suburban house, car, and 9-to-5 job. We’re here, out on the road, because we’re nomads by nature. And when we pull up stakes to move on, we don’t ever say “goodbye,” we say, “See you down the road!”

The sudden about-face in the economy in 2020, compelled millions of Americans to change their lifestyle dramatically almost overnight. Sales of RVs to people no longer able to afford their homes, or who have become work nomads pursuing jobs in the gig economy, are also at an all-time high. For a big group of retirees, day-to-day living on a paltry Social Security check is nearly impossible. As full-time RVers, they can subsidize their retirement by seeking part-time jobs and traveling to wherever the work is. Many RVers pick up jobs as campground hosts, Amazon workers, seasonal tourist attraction or resort employees, and sugar beet harvesters in Nebraska and North Dakota (or other agricultural jobs).

For many years, Amazon has employed thousands of transient workers (many of them retirees) living in trailers, who chase seasonal warehouse jobs across the country. The Amazon CamperForce program arranges for campground sites so these temporary workers have a place to park their rigs while working for several months at a time. Wages are low, hours are long, and the work itself can be tedious and exhausting, but Amazon’s appetite for workers is inexhaustible. It’s entirely possible that the box that arrived this morning with your favorite tea, a bargain box of soap bars, and a Frisbee for the dog was packed by a CamperForce RVer.

More and more companies are beginning to realize the benefits of these types of mobile employees. Some openly prefer older workers, who tend to be more dependable. Workers on Wheels ( www.work-for-rvers-and-campers.com ) and Workamper News ( https://workamper.com ) are two websites for connecting RVers and employers. They let you subscribe to a free daily email newsletter with job listings and opportunities.

The nationwide closing of schools for the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the number of families who decided to “road-school” their children in the family RV. Children no longer tethered to classrooms, are learning about their country and the world in national parks and national historic sites. Zoos, parks, museums, monuments, nature centers, even shopping for groceries, all become learning experiences and teachable moments.

Fulltime Families ( www.fulltimefamilies.com ) is an online community that provides guidance, information, and resources for parents and children, including recommendations for road-schooling. While many states have reporting requirements for homeschooled children, many RV families make Florida or Texas their legal state of residence because they have beneficial homeschooling laws and are welcoming of full-time RVers.

We talk about boondocking in Chapter 20, but since the very earliest trailers were designed, the goal has been to last as long as possible without external electric and water connections. If the desire to live “off the grid” with the smallest possible carbon footprint keeps you awake nights, an RV may be the answer. The green movement and the tiny house movement are natural bedfellows with the RV world. Innovations that cram more features and conveniences into cramped spaces have been the trademark of trailers and motorhomes since the 1920s.

As solar and battery technologies continue to improve, more and more people look upon RVs as the ultimate “green machines.” RV builders today are offering solar-ready trailers and motorhomes, and conversion of older units to accommodate solar panels and lithium batteries is becoming the most common request for RV dealers and service centers. Look for a “solar ready” sticker on RVs when you go shopping. It means the rig is prewired for easily adding solar panels. (Be sure to check both Chapter 14about electrical systems and Chapter 20on boondocking.)

The RV industry has its own environmental certification program for vehicles. To earn a Certified Green sticker, RVs have to meet or exceed specified energy- and water-efficient requirements, by using LED lighting, stronger composite construction materials, sustainable materials in interior design elements, and energy-efficient appliances.

Meanwhile, electric cars and trucks aren’t quite up to towing RVs of any substantial weight for an extended length of time or distance. Not yet, anyway. (We talk about the anticipated electric truck market in Chapter 7.) And there are currently no electric motorhomes on the market. But they will doubtless be available very soon. Unfortunately, what can’t be depended on is the ready availability of electric charging stations. Until there are a sufficient number of quick-charging stations at rest areas, truck stops, shopping centers, and other convenience points, electric vehicles won’t be practical for any kind of long-range road trips, much less as tow vehicles.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from boondockers are the glampers (a mash up of glamorous and camper ). If you’re a certain age, you may remember comedian Billy Crystal’s Fernando Lamas character exclaiming, “You look MAH-velous!” It could be the unofficial motto of glampers.

Glampers celebrate the good life with all the comforts and conveniences of home, but in an elaborate tent or a dazzling (usually vintage) trailer. If boondockers want minimalism, glampers want maximism. That means beautifully decked-out classic trailers, with lots of retro decor, mood lighting, gourmet food, and a big dose of cuteness. Glamper trailers are designed by their owners to make you go, “Aw, that’s so cute! ”

Sticking with a particular theme (like ’30s Western dude ranch, Paris boudoir, ’50s living room, or ’60s “atomic modern”) is a major plus. If a 1950s wall lamp looks coolly retro, wrapping it in a string of phony pearls ratchets it up to glamper level. In fact, a proper glamper is dressed to match her rig, and regards a string of pearls as a proper accessory while whipping up lobster thermidor and truffles over the campfire. If this kind of thing is up your personal alley, get inspired by picking up MaryJane Butters’s Glamping with MaryJane (Gibbs Smith). Girl Camper ( https://girlcamper.com ) is an online community and resource specifically for women on the road, with a strong emphasis on glamping. And for those who can’t afford to jump in and start such an undertaking themselves, a growing number of high-end campgrounds offer glamper accommodations in vintage trailers.