14 struggles of living in an RV that no one tells you about (2024)

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You feel like you're a giant in a bathroom made for elves.

There's a scene in the 1995 movie "Tommy Boy" where actor Chris Farley struggles to change in an airplane bathroom and almost gets his head sucked through the toilet. That's my everyday reality when changing clothes (minus the head in a toilet part). I'm constantly bumping my legs against the cabinet or feeling like the walls are closing in.

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The shower only stays hot for five minutes.

A bath is out of the question — the tub is too shallow — and taking a shower can be something of an Olympic sprint. As soon as you turn the water on, you better be disrobed or you'll waste precious seconds of hot water.

There's a button on my shower head that stops the water, so I can sud-up with soap and take my shower in short bursts of water.

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It's almost impossible to cook anything in the stove ...

Want to cook a batch of homemade cookies or a loaf of bread? Then you might be out of luck if you're living in a camper.

Our oven's so small that it reminds me of an Easy Bake my sister had as a kid. It's gas powered and we have to lean inside to light the pilot's light. There only seems to be two temperatures: off or the temperature of the sun. Rarely does food (fresh cookies included) leave the oven without a couple scorch marks.

... and it gets really hot in the camper when you do.

Cooking indoors during the summer can be a miserable experience. The heat from the stove turns the entire camper into a makeshift sauna. No matter how much the air conditioner tries to cool things down, it can't compete with the kitchen's gas stove.

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You have to go grocery shopping on almost a daily basis.

This may vary based on the size of your family, but with seven of us, there's barely room in our fridge and freezer for more than a day or two of groceries. Having to go grocery shopping so often can be annoying, especially when you have to do mental gymnastics to determine whether your fridge can really fit that carton of eggs or whether you should put back the milk.

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You have very little privacy when you're in the camper ...

You may expect not to have much privacy, but many of us don't consider what that means until you're actually living full time in a camper with others. Besides a bathroom hidden behind a thin plywood door, it's hard to get away from others, especially when they're sleeping 2 feet away from you.

There's no room for secrets if you're living in a camper. Any conversation can be heard within ear shot of others. You'll either grow closer to your family, or find out that you secretly hate them. Maybe both.

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... or when you're outside of it.

If you thought subdivisions were bad, you've never been to an RV campground where the gap between campers is about 5 feet or so. Given the nomadic nature of RV-ing you may not have the same neighbors for long, but you'll get to know them well.

It can be difficult to sleep at night because of the noise.

Whether it's my brother opening the fridge at midnight for a glass of juice or activity outside my window at three in the morning, I find it difficult to sleep most nights.

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Life on the road means it can be tough to guarantee strong WiFi signal at all times.

Depending on where you're located, you might have the best WiFi signal in the country or your computer might load so slowly you would swear it was the '90s. When traveling to your next location, you never know what to expect. Each area also has its own service providers, so unless you're using a mobile hotspot, you'll have to switch over when you arrive.

Not having a dryer or washer can also be frustrating.

Given the limited space within most campers, most don't come equipped with washers or dryers. Fortunately, there's a communal laundry room where we're staying.

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There's no disabled friendly way to get in the camper.

The only way into our camper is a set of steps. I have a disabled brother who cannot walk on his own. Helping him get in and out of the camper can be a bit of a struggle. We have to help lift him over the steps and into the camper itself. It's not very handicapped accessible.

Hauling the camper to a new location can be an expensive trip.

Before my parents bought their camper, they thought they were going to be saving money, but there are hidden fees that people don't consider. Moving our camper ate through the gas in my dad's truck, and it felt like we were stopping every five minutes at the gas station. Driving on a toll road can be a nightmare for RV camper owners because, depending on the road, the cost is based on the number of axles.

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Towing a camper can cause wear and tear on your vehicle.

Before getting a camper, you should make sure your vehicle has the towing power to pull such a heavy trailer. Towing a camper with your vehicle could damage your transmission or wear down your brakes.

When something breaks on your camper it can be difficult to fix.

When your air conditioner goes out in your house, you can call a repair technician. When something breaks in your camper, many repair shops want to keep your camper overnight ... which is hard when you're living in it. It's an entire to process to get that broken heater fixed or the floor remodeled. If you get a flat tire, suddenly your mobile home becomes a lot more stationary.

• Read more:
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• Before-and-after photos show how a woman transforms vintage RVs into chic vans fit for glamping
• The best campsite in every state
• 19 of the most beautiful campsites around the world