Full-time RVers should move as often as they like, keeping in mind that circumstances can also affect this. We preferred stays of one or two weeks, but work, weather, campground rules, cost, services and transportation changed our schedule. If moving begins to cause stress or costs more than it provides, stay longer when you can.
There Is No Required Moving Schedule
Living in an RV full-time does not mean that you must keep travelling. The RV is your home whether you move it every day or leave it in one place for a year.
We experienced both. We lived in our travel trailer for more than a year without moving it. After buying our motorhome, we sometimes travelled each day and sometimes stayed in one place for months.
During our summers in Alberta, our stays ranged from one or two nights to a month. We used municipal campgrounds, monthly campsites and Boondockers Welcome locations.
Each schedule served a purpose. Moving each day helped us reach a destination. Staying for weeks or months gave us time with family and friends. Remaining in one place allowed Judy to continue working at a job she could not do remotely.
What Determines How Long You Can Stay
Access to electricity, water and waste disposal can determine how long you can remain at a site. When we stayed in parking lots or driveways, we sometimes had electricity but no way to empty our black-water tanks. We had to move the motorhome to a campground or dump station when the tanks were full.
At my motherâs church, we had permission to park without services. We used the generator for power and reduced our water use by showering and preparing meals at my motherâs home. We still had to move the motorhome when we needed to dump the tanks.
Campground and membership rules can also set the schedule. My brother belonged to an organization that let him use its designated campgrounds for about $200 per month. The catch was that he had to move to another campground every two or three weeks.
Because he worked from his RV, he used a weekend to tear down his campsite, move the RV and set it up again. The membership reduced his campground costs, but it required him to arrange his moves around his work.
Weather also affected our schedule. When we travelled from Alberta to Ontario in the fall, snow and freezing temperatures followed us across the country. We kept moving because we wanted to stay ahead of them.
On our return to Canada, we faced the opposite problem. We had to cross the border by a deadline, but we did not want to arrive before the weather improved. Many Canadian campgrounds had not opened, so we had to find sites that operated through the winter.
Your Preferred Schedule May Not Be Practical
We preferred to stay in one place for a week or two and then move somewhere else. This gave us time between travel days without making us feel that we were living in one place. We followed this pattern during much of our summer travel in Alberta, although some stays lasted only a night or two and others lasted a month.
We planned to travel the same way in the United States. We wanted to stay in each area long enough to see the sights before moving to the next place. To do that with a motorhome, we would have needed another vehicle for day trips.
We decided not to tow a vehicle because of the cost. What we had not understood was how much that decision would affect our plans. Once we set up the motorhome, we could not take a day trip without borrowing a vehicle or breaking camp.
We both wanted to spend time with friends and visit different places. Staying with our friend in Mississippi worked, but travelling from place to place without another vehicle did not allow us to explore each area as we had expected.
Choose a Schedule You Can Sustain
Consider how much work each move requires. You may need to plan a route, find a campsite, store loose items, disconnect services, drive, empty tanks and set up again.
Moving each day may work when you need to reach a destination, but it can become stressful as a regular schedule. Longer stays reduce the number of travel days and may reduce the cost of RV living, but they may limit where you can go.
Choose a schedule that gives you enough time to recover from one move before preparing for the next. If moving takes too much time, costs too much or becomes difficult to manage, stay longer when you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Far Should You Drive in an RV Each Day?
There is no distance that works for everyone. We averaged about 300 kilometres per day while travelling from Alberta to Ontario. Your distance should leave enough time for fuel stops, meals, finding the campsite and setting up before you are too tired.
Do You Need Another Vehicle When Travelling With a Motorhome?
It depends on what you plan to do after setting up camp. We did not have another vehicle most of the time, so we planned to stop for groceries, to see attractions, etc., as part of our travel days. Without another vehicle, you may have to break camp whenever you need groceries, want to see an attraction or need to visit someone.
Does Staying Longer at Each Campground Save Money?
It can. Some campgrounds charge less per night for weekly or monthly stays. However, memberships that require you to move may cost less than remaining at one campground. Include fuel and moving costs when comparing the options.
Can You Work From an RV While Moving Between Campgrounds?
Yes, but travel days need to fit around your work. My brother moved on weekends so he could work during the week. You also need time to tear down, drive and set up at the next campground.