Did We Use Our RV More During Covid?

Having a way to drain our tanks at home on our RV is a game changer really!

It's no secret that RV sales and use are at all time highs.  I have encountered stories of people camping more and others not being able to find campsites at all.  RV owners have sold  their rig's for their original price they paid several years ago.  None of it makes sense.  We have used our RV more during the last 18 months for many different reasons.  I'm so glad we have an RV because of all of the ways it has benefited us both at home and on the road.  If you are having a case of the RV blues because your are stuck at home, your camper may come in handy more than you think!

Driveway camping?  Yes please.  We enjoyed meals outdoors just like we were at the campground!

Did We Our RV More During Covid?

At this point, I don't know what we would have done without our RV.  It has been one of the best decisions we have ever made for less obvious reasons than you think.  An RV doesn't just have to be for camping at the campground.  And, we have lived up to that statement over and over again lately!

My home office set up in our RV was actually pretty sweet!

The Home Office

In March and April of last year, our RV was my permanent home office.  I could have everything set up and stationary without having clutter all over my house.  My family was not having to listen to my calls all day long, and I wasn't constantly being interrupted at home by a child doing school from home and a husband teaching from home.  That's a lot going on in a small house!  Full-time RV'ers do it all of the time.  You can too!

We have a 30 amp plug on our home that allows me to plug in and have electricity.  We kept our freshwater tanks filled for the bathroom and water as needed.  It was perfect!  If you are working from home, a home office set up in your RV could be better than you think.  And if you don't have an electrical hook up for your RV at home, this might be the time to invest.  I believe this cost us a couple of hundred dollars, and it has been well worst the investment over time!

Who says you can't enjoy a campground meal at home?

Driveway Camping

I saw multiple families last spring and summer camping in their driveway at home.  We did it too.  It was a way to escape the walls of our home and have somewhere different to go.  I cooked in our RV and did everything just like we would at the campground.  I even set up a table outdoors for our meals.  Spending time in another space really helped us keep our sanity. 

Our RV became our oasis in our yard.  While these little weekend "campouts" were low key, we made the most of that time.  With numbers spiking again, this may be the next best thing to hitting the road.  Definitely don't knock it until you try it.  Make the whole campground experience at home memorable with outdoor movies, a campfire or anything else that will make your time feel special and different from every day life.

Hang a hammock in your yard and enjoy some time and fresh air.  Cook a meal on your camp kitchen set up.  Do something different to give yourself a break.

My quarantine kitchen set up was kind of cluttered, but it worked for me.

Quarantine

This is definitely my least favorite use for our RV.  When I tested positive for Covid this month, I quarantined in our RV.  Since our son has some compromising conditions as a result of him being born at 25 weeks, the doctor recommended that I stay away from everyone.  This is a difficult feat.  He wants to be with me constantly when I am home.  But, I mentioned that we had an RV I could use.  She immediately said to do this to be as careful as possible.  I returned home from the doctor and went straight into our RV for my 10 days to recover and work from home there.

Getting some fresh air and sun while on quarantine really helped with my breathing as well as my spirits.

I didn't realize how much that long NICU stay still impacts me today.  I couldn't hold our son until he was 4 months old.  Being told I had to be separated from him for those 10 days seemed like a death sentence, and I cried endlessly over it.  It was like reliving that nightmare all over again.  But, we made it through.  I'm happy to say that I'm finally off of my 10 day quarantine and back among the living.

This was the best plan, and we all suffered through it.  I was able to work from this space and have everything I needed.  While sad, I am also thankful we have our RV at home where it can be in use like this!  And, if you are riding the Covid train, God forbid, an RV could be a great quarantine spot.  I just leaned in the cool, dark quiet of that space and rested when I could and enjoyed how comfortable I made everything inside.

Our murphy bed is a super comfy spot to rest at the end of a long day.

I made the most of it.  I got out my cute décor.  I sat outdoors at night in my little chair and enjoyed the air as much as possible.  Since we have a murphy bed, I would climb in one of our lower bunks to nap in the afternoons when needed.  I feel like I have gotten to know every square inch of this RV in a new an intimate way that I wasn't planning, but I also love it more now than ever.  Plus, it really is a comfortable  place to recover.  I am so thankful for the upgrades to our mattresses, bedding and more.  It made my 10 day quarantine much better.

While it wasn't a fun vacation, I did try to make it less dreary just to keep my spirits up.  And, we made it through just fine.  

My dreamcatcher and little home like touches made each day less dreary while stuck out in our RV alone.

More Camping!

But, all of our use wasn't at home.  We also camped more.  We have taken more and longer trips, and it has been wonderful.  Sure.  We had to plan way in advance.  We had to shift plans and rethink things at times, but we used the heck out of May Belle during the last 18 months!  It has been the best way to travel, and I feel like we have gotten really good at it.

If you are feeling forlorn and like you have an RV that you aren't using as much, look for alternative ways to use it.  I don't recommend the quarantine route.  Avoid that at all costs.  But, it served a specific and needed purpose!

Embrace your RV for all it has to offer.  You will love it a lot more and get a lot more use out of it overall.  And whatever you do, make it homey and unique.  Those little touches will make everything so nice and appealing no matter when and how long you use your RV.  

Until next time...

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