How a Family of Five Can Live Comfortably in an RV

Because RV living is such a niche way of life, there are many people who are unfamiliar with the concept. Many of these folks won't even try to understand why people make the decision to live their life on the road and will often make assumptions about what it's like. 

One such assumption is that living in an RV restricts you from the possibility of raising a healthy and happy family. And while it's understandable why people would think that, it's not necessarily true. 

Yes, it would arguably be easier to raise a family in a more traditional home, in a neighborhood with shops and other facilities nearby, as well as a school and a local doctor and numerous other conveniences. Still, it's not the only way to do it.

RV living has so many benefits. From being a cheaper, more minimalist way of life to offering you total flexibility of movement to allowing for a much deeper connection with nature, there's no reason why you can't enjoy those benefits, even while raising a family of five.

It will take some planning and effort, and of course, it's important that every member of your family is happy with the decision, but it's definitely doable. Here's how a family of five can live comfortably in an RV:

Secure Your Income

There's no real argument against the fact that it's cheaper to live in an RV than it is to live in a city or the suburbs, but you still need to earn money. And that's somewhat more difficult when you are constantly on the move.

Having said that, if the last few years have had any positive impact on us, it's been proved that working remotely has a ton of benefits both for businesses and their employees. And so the opportunities you have as far as working on the road are pretty numerous now.

If you are a trained professional in a job that would normally be done in an office, try to find a company willing to hire you exclusively for remote work. Then, you can spend your days doing that from the RV and get moving on evenings and weekends.

You could also look into various freelance jobs, such as writing, reselling, web or graphic design, illustrating, or many, many others. Nowadays, quite a few sites can help you find clients for these kinds of jobs.

There's also some stuff which is more specific to being on the road. You could help with the upkeep of campsites (workamping) as you move around, you could offer maintenance for other RV users, or you could take up a traveling trade like nursing or contract construction work.

If you have also been interested in imparting some of your knowledge or training others in a skill you have mastered, teaching might be an option. Which brings us to:

Learn About Road Schooling

Your kids' education is equally important as your own income, and if you aren't prepared to find ways to road school them, then it's not fair to take your family on the road. This is one of the biggest challenges that RVing families face.

When you live in an actual house, the schooling system is easily accessible, and your kids can settle into a routine and make local friends. It's a big decision to deprive your children of that, and you have to replace it with something equally as effective in securing their future.

As we said above, some others who live in RVs might be teachers, and so you can try and seek those out so that your kids can take private classes when you stop at certain campsites. Because you can't necessarily guarantee this, you should also enroll them in an online schooling service.

Much like the rise of remote work, this has gotten even more widespread in the last few years. Take a look at some of the online learning resources available to you and see if any suits your children and your mobile setup.

Some young children will get restless in quiet campsites or when constantly on the move, so this can serve as a good way to keep them focused and occupied while working or driving.

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Maximize the Space

Even if you are taking a more minimalist approach to life, you are still probably going to be stuck for space in an RV, especially when you need to accommodate enough food and clothes for five people.

You need to think differently about where you put things than you would if you were in a house and recognize that the vertical space available to you is to your advantage. Don't think about utilizing floor space because you want to allow as much movement as possible; instead, look to the walls.

Everything that can be wall-mounted should be. Install shelving units for things like shoes, books, and other odds and ends, get adhesive wall hooks so that jackets and coats can be more easily accessible, and discourage your kids from using their bedroom floors for storage.

You will have to sacrifice a certain amount of storage that people who don't live on the road enjoy, but you will be surprised by how much vertical space you actually have once you start making use of it.

Make Good Nutrition a Priority

It's hard to make sure that everyone can eat healthily while living in an RV for several reasons. First, because, as we mentioned above, storage tends to be limited, so there is less room for good food, and also because it's not as easy to cook in an RV.

You might find yourself settling for snacks and microwaveable dinners. These things are fine every once in a while, but they aren't conducive to a healthy lifestyle on a regular basis. Instead of trying to stock up on a lot of food at once, try and buy on the go.

Have enough fresh fruit and vegetables so that everyone can have some daily, and invest in good quality cooking utensils so that you are encouraged to cook healthy meals. 

Also, having a good supply of clean water is pretty tricky on the road. You should avoid buying a lot of bottled water because it will take up space, instead make use of the wells that are common on campsites.

Well water is usually reliable, but you can test it if you want to make sure it's drinkable. Wells will be the perfect source of water for you as you're on the move.

Raising your family in an RV is not an easy life, but if you think about it, is there such a thing as an easy life? It's entirely possible for a family of five to live comfortably and happily in an RV as long as you take the right approach.