The Story Of Why They Decided To Become Full Time RVers After A Trip Gave Them A Glimpse Of What Living On The Road Looks Like
In September of 2014 Chris and Rachel Baumann took a trip to Portland and stayed at the Caravan Tiny House Hotel.
The couple hiked to the top of Multnomah Falls, visited the beautiful Hood River, and took a train ride to Mount Hood. When they returned home to Houston, it didn’t feel like home anymore.
“We were really sad to come home to the concrete jungle and kept asking ourselves, "Why are we still living in Houston?" Rachel said. “This wasn't the first time we felt this way. In 2012 we took a long road trip up to California, and we had so much fun, that we really wanted to do one again. We felt like half of the fun was just being in the car together and singing stupid songs at the top of our lungs. Of course, we also loved visiting new places.”
The couple discussed buying a tiny house and moving to Portland. Then they started thinking of all the other places around the U.S. they wanted to explore. They knew that they wanted to get out of Houston but weren't sure exactly where they wanted to settle down.
After researching for a year, the couple found out that there are plenty of young full- time RV'ers, who work from their rig. Rachel’s sister and her husband are also full time RV'ers. He is a traveling nurse. Some of their favorite vacations over the years were visiting them in the beautiful places they were staying.
“We just never really thought this would be an option for us due to our office jobs,” Chris said. “I really like my job, and I have a great boss, so I decided to talk to him about possibly allowing me to work remotely. “
Chris’s employer was so excited for the couple that he bought him a new laptop, printer and Wifi Hotspot to take on the road.
Rachel, 35, started crocheting last year, posted some photos of her creations on Facebook, and began to take orders.
“ It was something I was really enjoying so I started my own company called ChiChi's Whimsical Crochet where I sell mainly a variety of small animals(amigurumi's),” she said. “ I donate 10 percent of the revenue to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation because my nephew, Max, has Type I diabetes.”
At first the couple looked into purchasing a fifth-wheel, but in the end purchased a Fleetwood Bounder complete with an oven, washer/dryer combo, 4- door- fridge. Chris also likes that the passenger seat is perfect for his office.
“However great the floor plan and amenities have been, it really has been one problem after the other with the rig,” Rachel said. “ We delayed leaving for a month to try and get a leak and the refrigerator fixed. What a terrible time that turned out to be. The leak didn't get fixed after being in the shop for a month so we just decided to leave anyway. The fridge still is not working properly after a change of the computer board. Though we have had our share of problems, all of the great places we have seen and people we have met have made it well worth it.”
The couple left for the road in May of 2016. Since they left Houston in the rear-view mirror, they have traveled to places such as Shenandoah Valley, Biloxi and Santa Fe.
“In Shenandoah we enjoyed going to some of the wineries on the Shenandoah Valley wine trail, went to the national park and loved being surrounded by the beautiful mountains. When we stayed in Biloxi we were right near the beach and enjoyed watching the sunsets. I kind of got a fried green tomato addiction there,” said Rachel laughing. “Santa Fe was beautiful, artsy, and had so many things to do, we can't wait to go back. One of our favorite things was the Meow Wolf's- House of Eternal Return. It is an immersive art complex owned by George R.R. Martin. We haven't really been to any terrible places. I think we have been able to have fun in every city we stayed no matter how small.”
Candice Reed
A graduate of Kelsey-Jenny College in Communications as well as a certified grant writer, Candice has written for The Los Angeles Times & The New York Times. She loves entertaining and all things French.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Jantzen Beach RV Park, which is on the mighty Columbia River in the beautiful Portland area has the quiet open, fresh-air feel of the country, with all the conveniences and attractions of nearby city.