13 Major Drawbacks of RV Retirement Life
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Are you interested in the RV retirement lifestyle? Imagine exploring the country, meeting new people daily, and living life on your own terms.
You also need to imagine the exorbitant maintenance costs, cramped interior living conditions, and the emotional toll an RV retirement lifestyle can take on you if you’re unprepared. Here are 13 drawbacks of the RV lifestyle for Baby Boomers.
1. You Must Downsize Your Entire Life
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Are you ready to downsize your entire life so you and a spouse can fit into the cramped interiors of an RV retirement lifestyle? You would have to spend months downsizing your current life, selling or shuttering a home, storing goods, selling items, etc. Could you handle the emotional struggle involved in downsizing your life to squeeze into an RV? Many retirees struggle a lot more with downsizing their lives from a house to a much smaller house or apartment.
2. RVs Are Expensive
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The typical RV can range between $10,000 to half a million or more for the luxury models. Before buying an RV, you must plot out your budget, lifestyle needs, insurance, travel itinerary, and space requirements. You also need to consider the cost of RV off-season parking and storage and maintenance costs. You also have to pay to park in an RV park or campground. Nothing is free in an RV retirement.
3. Rent or Buy?
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When calculating all of the cost factors involved in RV retirement, choosing to rent or buy an RV might be your most important decision to make. If you plan to spend a lot of time traveling, it may make more sense to buy. A rental could end up being more expensive if you buy a lemon or experience a lot of unexpected expenses while traveling. The best reason to rent an RV is for short trips and to test out your RV retirement dreams.
4. RV Fuel Economy Will Get You
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The national average for a gallon of gas is currently $3.60. An RV can have a fuel economy ranging anywhere between 3 to 14 MPG depending on the model, size, and how often you drive it. An RV is a gas guzzler by nature, so you need to have your finances in order long before you embark on your RV retirement dreams.
5. Pick Your RV Class
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RVs come in several class sizes. Class A RVs are usually the largest and roomiest of the classes. Due to their size, you may need to get a driver’s license endorsement. Class B are the smallest and lightest RVs. Class C RVs are suitable for small families that don’t require a lot of space. A travel trailer or camper is a small-sized RV trailer that needs a tow vehicle. A fifth-wheel RV is a larger version of a travel trailer. Every class of RV will require you to become expertly versed in operating and maintaining them.
6. RVs Don’t Have a Lot of Room
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The average Class B or travel trailer RV is only 8 feet long by 10 feet wide. Even if you have the funds to buy a more spacious luxury RV, you won’t have a lot of interior space for habitation. Some retirees break up or get divorced because they have too much time together in their post-work lifestyles. Could you handle living a cramped, RV retirement lifestyle alone or with another person for the long term?
7. RVs Are Tricky to Drive
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A typical Class A RV can be 25 feet long and up to 45 feet wide. An RV can be the size of a large bus or a really small house. Would you be able to maneuver an RV for long periods efficiently? Consider renting and test driving an RV before committing to an RV retirement long term to get the hang of driving one.
8. You Must Empty Your Own RV Toilet
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RV bathroom sludge must be manually pumped out regularly. You will have to carry drainage pipes and RV waste management equipment with you. You’ll have to map out every RV park, campground, and gas station that offers RV waste tank dumping services. Many places are phasing out such services. Also, it isn’t free. The average cost to legally dump your RV waste could start at $25, but don’t be surprised if you experience price gauging on the road for this service.
9. You Must Stay on Top of RV Maintenance
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An RV has specialized tanks for showers and sinks, fresh water, and waste. Propane tanks and other hazardous supplies need to be secured and inspected often. You must inspect the RV often to make sure wild animals or critters don’t invade when you least expect it. It’s hard to find RV mechanics and they are expensive to hire when you can, so you should learn to fix whatever you can when possible. Stay fit and exercise because if don’t take care of your RV retirement maintenance needs, who will?
10. WiFi Connectivity Becomes a Challenge
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An RV retirement will mean that WiFi connectivity could be intermittent and unreliable. You could pay for portable WiFi devices, but that would just be an added cost on top of your other expenses. Baby Boomers use the internet just as much as younger people, and it will be frustrating to miss it. You may have to schedule hotel and RV campground stops to map out known WiFi hotspots.
11. RV Parking Isn’t Free or Easy
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You must pay to park your RV in an area where you can access electricity, potable water, and waste dumping areas. Along with RV campgrounds and national parks, some state turnpikes and mega mall parking lots will let you park for a fee. Still, you must do heavy research before you travel and be prepared for disappointment. RV retirement living can be an adventure but you can take nothing for granted.
12. An RV Retirement Can Be Lonely and Crowded
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The worst part of an RV retirement can be the loneliness you feel on the road. A third of retirees report feelings of depression after retiring. Some Baby Boomers can feel aimless in life after starting a post-working lifestyle. Feelings of loneliness and depression can worsen if you downsize your life and rush to live in an RV for the foreseeable future. Worse, RV living and the van life are quite popular lifestyles now. You are bound to experience noisy, like-minded RV-traveling crowds wherever you go.
13. You Must Always Be On Guard
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RV and RV campground-based crime statistics are not nationally uniform and vary according to region. While you are not likely to experience a serious crime in RV retirement, you must always remain on guard, vigilant, and aware of your surroundings.
RV Retirement Life is Not for Everyone
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If you crave adventure, can weather the financial costs, and are able-bodied enough to handle RV maintenance responsibilities, then an RV retirement might be for you. Just make sure to plan ahead, budget, and research thoroughly before committing to RV life. This lifestyle is not for everyone and RV regret might be more than you can bear afterward.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
