It’s 2014 and Marissa and I collapse on the couch to watch our favorite pastime. Newborn Hensley asleep in the next room. Dinner in hand. Lights dimmed. We lifted the remote and began the journey for the night — RV tours on YouTube.
One after another, we watched people walk through dream rigs: shiny Airstreams, massive fifth wheels, cozy Class Cs. We imagined our family in each one. Which would be “the one”?Tour after tour after tour — until the realization hit us. None of these would work. At least, not until we were ready for them to work.
The first step to RV life isn’t buying the RV someday.
It’s living small where you are today.
Truth be told, we owned way too much stuff. We didn’t know how to live in a small space, manage our money, or even set up an RV. (We’d never actually been inside one.)
This post is part one of a two-part series called My Honest Advice to Someone Wanting to Live in an RV. I'm revealing seven lessons I wish I’d known before we launched — the ones that would have given me the confidence to RV months earlier and skip a lot of early road bumps.
1. Live in your home like you’re already in an RV
You are what you practice. Start living smaller now. If you have a four-bedroom house, close off one room. If you have two cars, try life with just one. This mindset shift is your first step toward freedom.
2. Tour Multiple RVs (or Go to a Show)
The best classroom for future RVers is inside an RV. Visit local dealers or, better yet, attend a big show like Hershey or Tampa. Step inside dozens of rigs. Sit at the table, get in the shower, climb into bed, and ask: Could I live here?
3. Rent Before You Buy
Today, it’s easier than ever to rent an RV and test the lifestyle.
Try these options (from least to most adventurous):
- Stationary stay: Rent an RV or tiny home on Airbnb to feel out the space.
- Delivered rental: Use Outdoorsy or RVShare and have the RV delivered to your campsite.
- Hit the road: Drive it yourself through Cruise America, Road Bear, or Outdoorsy.
We once rented a stationary bus in Alaska — it didn’t move, but it taught us a ton about small-space living. Sometimes it takes just one night to know: nope, not for me.
4. Don’t Go All in on Your First RV Purchase
When we decided to hit the road, we wanted an Airstream. One problem: we couldn’t afford one.
Enter the Earthbound Telluride — an Airstream-quality RV from a short-lived company that went out of business in 2011. We found one 500 miles away for a steal.
It wasn’t perfect (28 feet, no slides), but it gave us priceless clarity: we needed something bigger.
Bonus? We sold it later for a profit — all thanks to buying smart and marketing better than the seller.
5. If your house isn’t your “forever home”, sell it
We loved our house… but we didn’t love our house.
Selling it gave us breathing room and flexibility. Ten years later, we still miss that place, but it made our RV journey possible. And honestly? Watching renters destroy it would’ve hurt worse.
6. Keep a “Home Base”
Ironically, we didn’t learn this one until after six years on the road.
In 2020, campgrounds started closing, and full-timers scrambled. We decided to go 50/50 with Marissa’s mom to add utilities to her land.
Now we have a small home base in Tennessee — simple, low-maintenance, but filled with joy: a trampoline, treehouse, zip line, and fake grass for easy upkeep.
If everything went sideways tomorrow, we’d have a place to land.
7. Take a Shake Down Trip
Our first trip in our Airstream was 500 miles long — and nearly 500 miles too far.
On our maiden voyage to the Tampa RV Show, our new Airstream was controlling our tow vehicle instead of the other way around. We white-knuckled it through Atlanta, made it to Florida, and learned the hard way: never make your first trip a long one.
Before your “real” trip, do a weekend nearby. Test your hookups, your brakes, your nerves. Work out the kinks when home is still close enough to fix them.
🧭 WRAP-UP
RV life is a journey long before the road begins. It starts with small-space living, simple choices, and honest expectations.
These lessons aren’t just about avoiding mistakes — they’re about building confidence before your wheels ever roll.
Whether you’re in an RV or a house. It’s all part of the Journey.
See You Down the Road!
-Nathan
P.S. - Coming in 2 Weeks: “My Honest Advice: What I Wish I Knew After the Launch”