Wheel-estate

So, let’s talk about my life lately, we have been living in our 30ft travel trailer for almost 3 months while our new home is being built. I know what you are thinking, ok trailers have such a bad rep, trailer trash. I was totally thinking that when my husband first came up with the idea of us purchasing one. We looked at hundreds of them before finding the one that best fit our family. We chose a Forest River Vibe. So, living in less than 300 sq feet when we were used to living in over a 3,000sq ft home takes some adjustments, and a lot of things in storage. Here is what worked for us and to be honest, helped our marriage. Motto we live by: Happy wife, happy life!

The kitchen is roomy with an island, plenty of pantry storage and enough room for me to cook normal meals in it. The fridge is not the size I am used to, we are going to the grocery store multiple times a week due to it. When we are at a campground and hooked up with power we can use our outdoor kitchen fridge as well. We also bring our Mini fridge as well and hook up outside when we have long stays, because HELLO I love food! I have my main kitchen gadgets in here: Vitamix, Le Creuset roasting pan, nice wine glasses, cast iron pans large and small, and our coffee maker (aka life machine). Without these I would not be a happy camper. I have multiple food sensitivities so eating out can get sketchy. And honestly, I prefer eating healthy daily so being able to cook for Matt and I helps not only our budgets but keep our tummies happy.

 

Another big feature that we cared about was storage, we have two mini closets next to our beds as well as lots of closet and storage space in our bathroom, we chose a style that had a huge bathroom with storage inside. I mean who really wants to run from the bathroom naked to where your clothes are?! There is also storage over and under the couch, and under the kitchen table seats. I am one of those people who does not travel light, so even though most of our things are in storage we still have a bunch of stuff. Like clothes I mean we’ve been through every weather possible since we’ve been in here full time: snow, rain, 80 degrees and sunny, and 50 and chilly! So obviously I need places to store all my shoes, active wear, regular clothes, hair dryers, three kinds of shampoo (I know I’m not the only one), curling wands, my husband’s things (I mean I guess I can share) ok I think you get the point. But storage is key in these things, because you don’t want to be tripping over things daily.

I used to allow vacations as a time to de rail and go balls to the walls eating everything and not working out, and all that did was screw up my digestive system and leave me bloated and a few pounds heavier.  Well since we would at least be on vacation for 3 months I couldn’t let that happen. So, another feature I cared about was empty space, I work out daily to stay sane. So, I need somewhere I can watch a video and workout without running into Matt or the dog, although the dog is annoyed that I use the yoga matt and he does not get his own (spoiled dog problems). I have successfully worked out 5 days a week while being on the road! I have enough room for my yoga mat, as well as extra space that I can stretch, do lunges, and starfish crunches in without running into walls, or couches. I keep 3 sets of weights, sliders, booty bands, and a foam roller to keep my workouts and recovery interesting. My home gym has a lot more equipment, but I had to bring small things but had multiple uses. We also have a big rug outside where I can do more hiit training and cardio moves, so I don’t rock the trailer. Another <must have> item is Bluetooth headphones. Matt gets so annoyed listening to my workout videos when he is trying to work, so this helps me hear my videos and music and he gets to focus. Win win! Most Bluetooth headphones are over $150, they are probably amazing, but my friend Whitney recommended some off amazon that are about $30, and they work amazing, honestly, I don’t know what else headphones could do lol.  I get super bored with workouts so for me beachbody on demand has been awesome. Currently I am doing the 80-day obsession and I love it, every workout is different and challenges me in the best way. If I get bored I have thousands of other workouts I can stream from or download to my phone if we don’t have service! If you are interested this is my coach (Holli and I love her, she is a badass mom who is so positive and great to follow! She is not pushy at all, she leads by example! If I am not feeling a toning workout I always have the option to lace up my sneakers and go for a walk or run with the dog. Gotta keep him healthy too! Keeping a routine while being on vacation is a must for me, we still wake up early, have our coffee, walk the dog on the beach (I know tough life), have breakfast, and then we workout, and have the rest of our day to do what we please, like explore the town we are visiting.

 

The best part of having your home on wheels, is having your home on wheels. You want to be near the beach, find a campground or RV resort near the beach. Want to be near the mountains go to the mountains. We have explored southern California, central Arizona, northern Arizona, and now the central coast. The central coast has a big place in our hearts, so we’ve spent the most time here. We have a Good Sam (Campingworld) and KOA (Kampgrounds of America) memberships which help discount our night stays, you can also find some places that will honor a AAA discount. Being able to experience locations in our trailer has been very affordable vs being in a hotel room. Not only is the daily rates cheaper, but we get to sleep in our bed (we upgraded the mattress and added a foam pad) but we get to cook like how we do at home, and the best part (and the biggest reason I agreed to this) was our dog Bentley gets to come with us. Most of you know that traveling with a pet can be tricky, and expensive. He loves living in the trailer because he gets to be with us 24/7. We always double check to make sure the areas we are visiting are dog friendly, have dog parks, running trails, restaurants, and dog beaches. Our 10-year-old pup is very active and loves being outdoors. Because of all these things we’ve successfully been full time living in our trailer for 3 months together. My husband was living in it prior due to his work keeping him out of town. We’ve made other minor adjustments, adding in a reverse osmosis system for drinking water (helps us with storage issues in the pantry and fridge), portable vacuum and Swiffer. Another must when living/traveling in a trailer or RV is making sure you are using biodegradable soaps, since you have to deal with your own sewer system you want to make sure you are clogging your pipes and tanks.

 

My husband’s tips for living in the trailer: Portable heater to help reduce propane usage, staying clean and organized (we love Mrs. Meyers for our cleaning products, non-toxic and smell great and work well). Having items that are multitasking, so you can reduce the number of items in your trailer. Having good communication with your partner when pulling in/out of your space and each having your jobs with set ups and packing up.

 

All in all, if you are considering getting a RV or travel trailer, my advice is do a bunch of research for the kind of trailer you need for your family right now, because in 10 years I know you will want a new one or an upgrade. We don’t have children at the moment so there would be no need to have bunk beds even if we had twins at this moment because they wouldn’t need their own beds for 8-10 years. Look at a bunch of models and brands, some people want all fancy upgrades with granite and washers and dryers and are ok with having a smaller kitchen. So, make sure what you are getting works for your family’s lifestyle. Do you like to entertain? Having a bunch of couch space, or do you want a recliner so watching TV is more comfortable? Do you guys have desert toys and need a place to store them? Or do you prefer to be able to sit inside and look out your big window at the back of the trailer. There honestly is a trailer and a style for everyone so happy shopping, and better yet happy traveling!