‘Wall Street Journal’ Explores the Full-Time RVer Lifestyle
After Covid-19 decimated the hotel industry and caused closures throughout the nation, Wendy Heineke, 55, found herself at a crossroads. With 35 years of experience, she resigned from her position as a senior vice president at a hotel real-estate investment trust, sold her house in Maryland and hit the road full time in a 42-foot luxury motor coach with her fiancé, Jimmie Steinberg, 53, a serial entrepreneur.
The first year was uneventful, and the couple had “an amazing experience” in the $635,000 RV, Ms. Heineke said, traveling 16,000 miles criss-crossing the country. But then they faced an unexpected challenge.
The couple had paid $5,500 in March 2022 to reserve a spot at an RV resort in Webster, Fla., hoping to move their rig to a warm location for the winter. A month before their lease was scheduled to start, the lot owner defaulted, refusing to honor their lease.
“It was very stressful,” Ms. Heineke said. “We had to find something for the winter, but Florida was filling up.”
Locating a new spot was no easy task. There are currently 1.6 million RV campsites in the U.S. and a record 11.2 million households own RVs, according to 2021 data from the RV Industry Association, a trade group. About 400,000 of those RV owners are considered full-time RVers, many of whom chase warm temperatures and reserve their spots many months in advance.
Ms. Heineke and Mr. Steinberg, who usually move every five to seven days, solved their problem by purchasing a lot at an RV resort in Foley, Ala., where they’ll spend winters. The lot, which cost $250,000, includes a small “casita” with indoor and outdoor kitchens and a shower.
Full-time RV living can seem like a dream, especially since the increase in remote working makes it a viable option for more people than in previous decades. But full-time RVers face logistical challenges that homeowners don’t. Mail service, health insurance and even reliable internet service, vital for those with full-time jobs, sometimes require creative solutions. Avoiding interpersonal conflict and maintaining the peace when multiple humans and pets live 24/7 in small spaces is a necessity. Those who make a go of it have one thing in common, says Ms. Heineke. “You have to be a pre-planner in order to do this,” she said. “You can’t fly by the seat of your pants.”
Source: https://rvbusiness.com/wall-street-journal-explores-the-full-time-rver-lifestyle/
