Where we got this crazy idea

How it began…

While driving home from Zion six months ago…

Me: "I wish we didn't have to go home, that we could just live in the RV and travel around."

We both slowly turned to look at each other, both with the same question in our minds…. {Could we?}

That's how fast a fantasy became a question of possibility!

A couple weeks later the numbers had been run, the budget written and the decision made. We were going for it! 

First we would need a new RV. Ours was perfect for us, except it was made for vacations, not to be lived in. We needed one with full insulation for the winter, lots of storage and a separate bedroom with room to play for the kids. We found the Keystone Laredo 335TG fulfilled our requirements and then some, like outdoor shower and kitchen, central vacuum, 3 slide outs and electronic, well, everything. It's a fifth wheel meaning it hooks into the bed of our truck and easily disconnects once parked so we can explore in only our truck.

Our new home!

 Our main kitchen with fridge, oven, stove, microwave and lots of storage. 

We also have an outdoor kitchen with fridge, stove, grill and sink. 

Both the table and the couch fold out to make beds. The kids enjoy sleeping in all of the beds for something different.

We have a bunkhouse model with the kids' room at the end of the RV with a door that closes.

Originally the RV came with a couch on the right, but we removed it and built this toy

 box using the bunk bed as a lid. We can lift it to access whatever toys the kids want to play with. When the kids are older, they can use the opposite bunk if they choose.

They only have four drawers for clothes, so we use the bench seat for additional 

storage. We move so often, we need to have fall and summer clothes always accessible. 

Stairs leads to the bathroom and our bedroom.

We quickly found that our main air conditioner can't handle the 100+ degree days very comfortably, so we've added the silver air conditioner you see here as well as the little heater for chilly nights.

Our bathroom.

Next I joined half a dozen online groups for full-time RVers. Yes, you'd be shocked at how many people live this way and many of them have kids. One family has 10 kids with them and they do it, so 2 should be cake, right? The discussions in the group offer valuable insight into the peaks and pitfalls of this life. They are also good for tips on campgrounds- those to not miss and those to avoid. We plan to stay at state and national parks as much as possible, but sometimes you just have to go to a privately owned campground. 

Last we have to go thru everything we own, keeping only a few weeks of clothes, packing a few sentimental items to store and sell or give away everything else. We are still in the midst of this process and it is overwhelming at times and just plain difficult to let go of some things. I keep thinking, the more we get rid of, the closer we are to being on the road! 

A little background

Our family really enjoys being outdoors. Whether we're hiking, climbing or just sitting outside reading while the kids color, it makes us happy.

My husband and I have loved camping since we were kids. Hiking and climbing is actually the reason we met, but that's a whole 'nother story! Our twins, who are now 3yrs old, first camped while still in my belly, about 4 months along. They ended up being born prematurely at 29weeks and spent 80 days in the hospital NICU. After such a long ordeal between the pregnancy, birth and NICU, we were anxious to not only get them home, but to get back to what we loved to do. Six weeks after they came home from the hospital, we took them camping at Zion National Park, in a rented RV. We were used to tent camping, but an RV was the safest way to have the babies away from home and they were still on apnea monitors, so we needed electricity.

We quickly realized we needed our own RV to allow our family to travel often and keep everyone comfortable. We had our first RV, a 29ft travel trailer, for 17 months and spent 56 nights in it. It reignited our passion for traveling and spending our time outdoors, which led to our decision to become full-time RVers. That RV was perfect, but not made to be lived in, so we replaced it with the 5th wheel we have now.

A few photos from that first camping trip:

 Doesn't he look excited to be camping?

 And this is our family now….

A whole new adventure is coming

If you have spent any time with us, you are probably aware that we enjoy camping with our twins and do it every chance we get, even then, what I'm about to say will probably still shock you.

Do you know what the worst part about going camping is?

The packing and unpacking. So we've decided to stop.

Packing, that is. Stay with me. After months of planning, sorting and getting rid of pretty much everything we own, next month we will pack what is left into our RV for the last time and take off on a trip around the US. We plan to be full-time RVers for at least a year, but if we really enjoy this lifestyle and don't kill each other (300sqft shared by a husband, wife, two 3yr olds and an 80lb dog…well, you get the picture) then we'll continue traveling indefinitely.

I'm starting this blog to allow our family and friends to follow our adventures as they happen.