Society & Culture
Big Family, Small RV Living - Living in an RV with 4 Kids RV living holds a romantic appeal to some people. In fact, many people dream of dropping out of the 9 to 5 and living in an RV full-time. Many will dream about it, but few families actually pull it off. One of those families are the Royals, and today I talk to Bryanna Royal about RV living. In addition, we discuss what it's like moving from large RV living to progressively smaller vehicles. ::: Like what you’re hearing? Then please subscribe, rate & review Epic Education Radio. We would be extremely grateful! iTunes is a search engine as well, and so when you rate and review us, you help others find us. Thank you! ::: Big Family, Small RV Living - Living in an RV with 4 Kids Living in an RV can be a challenge for many people. Living in an RV with four children can be an even bigger challenge. Now go from a massive Diesel Pusher Class A rig which (think 18-wheeler) to a micro-mini trailer and a 12-passenger van. That's a big drop in size and space! Read on for more about small RV living and living in an RV with children. IN THIS EPISODE 02:37 Intro to the Royals 04:56 Favorite RV Living Destinations 06:30 Letting Go: From the Big Decision to Actual RV Living 13:28 Transitioning to Small RV Living 18:10 RV Size Pros & Cons & Travel Styles 20:58 Differences Between RV Class Sizes 24:37 Limits of Minimalism: From Large RV to Small RV 32:45 Utilizing RV Space 36:26 Internet & Living in an RV 40:48 Work & RV Living ABOUT Names: Bryanna Royal, her husband, and 4 kids (10y/o, 8y/o twins & 6 y/o) Hold passports from: USA Type of travel: Living in an RV - RV Living in the US, Canada & Mexico A few places they've been: All over the US, as well as Baja, Mexico and several places in Canada RV TRAVEL LINKS & RESOURCES Why They Decided To Downsize How They Afford Fulltime Family Travel The Steps to How We Became A Fulltime Traveling Family How To Start A Virtual Business So You Can Travel Full Time Bryanna's Course on Starting a Virtual Business RECOMMENDED GEAR FOR RV TRAVEL Solar Panel Sea Eagle 370 Inflatable Kayak Adult Life Vest Kids Life Vest Lap Tray for kids Tablets Headphones Water Bottles Gas Can Gas Can Holder Buff headband TBA Gear Chair FIND THEM ON Crazy Family Adventure | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Youtube RV Living — From Large to Small Living in an RV can be a challenge for many people. Living in an RV with four children can be an even bigger challenge. Now go from a massive Diesel Pusher Class A rig which (think 18-wheeler) to a micro-mini trailer and a 12-passenger van. That's a big drop in size and space! From 2,700 ft Home to Living in a Small RV Bryanna tells me about their gradual transition from a large house to small RV living. Believe it or not, living in an RV was not their dream over the years. In fact, these high-school sweethearts bought a home with the intent of settling permanently. "We thought the house would be where grandbabies would come and visit us," she says with a laugh. However, life as they knew it began to feel confining. They started thinking about RV living as a way to explore more with their kids. The transition wasn't quick or easy. For example, it took almost a year from when they decided to try RV living to actually selling the house and living in an RV. "At first I thought 'Why wouldn't everyone do this?'" says Bryanna upon reflection. "Then once we started I understood. It's hard." We discuss the process of minimizing your belongings. Living in an RV means living with less space. A lot less space. That's why minimalism plays an important part of the process for RV living. Getting rid of furniture and appliances is one thing, but what about kids' toys? What about photo albums? Bryanna tells us more about their process in the podcast. From Big RV Living to Small RV Living The Royals started out living in an RV around 39 feet (11+ meters) long. When they first set out, they thought bigger would be better. Yet while they still see value in large RV living, they soon realized that they wanted to try something smaller. RV living at this size gives lots of comforts and amenities, she explains. On the other hand, it also comes with certain limitations. For example, big RV living can limit where you can go. Some roads and bridges can't handle the weight of RVs this large. Besides, RV vehicles this size don't do well off of paved roads. Bryanna tells me that if you're planning to stay in one place for months, then large RV living might be a good option. Having said that, she and her husband realized that they wanted more freedom of movement. This required living in an RV much smaller than what they had. Bryanna details each vehicle and their pros and cons in the podcast. They first traded in their massive RV for a somewhat smaller one. Then later they went even smaller to the RV they live in today. And they love it. Now they have the freedom to go offroad more often and see and drive to places that were once off-limits to their vehicle. Small RV Living and Managing Space With each move to a smaller RV, the Royals had to assess what they carried with them. What would stay and what would go? Small RV living means utilizing every bit of space available to you. That goes double when living in an RV with kids. Bryanna talks about decision process on what stays and what goes. This deals with everything from clothes to toys to kitchen utensils. How They Work While Living in an RV Before they left on their "Crazy Family Adventure," Bryanna's husband worked a full-time job. At first, he was able to convince his employer to work remotely. Yet eventually, that became a burden as well, since he still sat in front of a laptop 9-5. Fast forward to today, and he has found new opportunities, while Bryanna has her own online business. We discuss that internet is like in RV living, and how they manage. Running an online business while living in an RV is a challenge, but they have found a way. Listen in to hear more. Have You Thought About Living in an RV? Does RV living appeal to you? Have you dreamed of leaving the house and the office for living in an RV and traveling? If so, tell us about it. And get in touch with Bryanna — she has the first-hand experience that may be what you need! Are you living in an RV? Can you help others considering RV living? Let us know in the comments! Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you, we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help you with RV living. Are you living in an RV? Can you help others considering RV living? Let us know in the comments! Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.