A Look Into The Lives Of Full Time RVers Michelle And Wesley Gardner And Their Journey On The Road
When Michelle and Wesley Gardner purchased their first RV a little over one year ago, it was supposed to be for weekend getaways and road trips. Little did they know, that they would soon become addicted to the lifestyle, and go from the weekend getaway, to full timers, and a larger RV.
“We sold our house in July of 2015,” explains Michelle. “We downsized and have pretty much donated or given away nearly everything that we own. We kept childhood things and photo albums, and those are at my husband's parent's home.” On the difficulty of selling their home, Michelle states that “Selling our home was a little sad at first… at least it was for me. It was the home we bought together when we were just 20 years old and we had grown into adults in it. There were lots of memories there. However, I knew that RVing would lead to many more memories!”
Michelle says that the transition from living in a regular house to living full time in an RV really wasn't a difficult transition. “It took some learning and getting used to once we got our Class A, but overall it's been a pretty easy transition. We really, really love the RV lifestyle.” When asked how much traveling they had done before they began RVing, Michelle said that they had spent almost a full year traveling out of their car. She says that “Life before we went full-time consisted of us traveling nearly full-time in our car, but still having our house as a home base”. However, they find traveling with their RV is much better, especially with and 80 pound Brittany/Boxer and a 15 pound French Bulldog.
Michelle and Wesley were fortunate, as Michelle was able to still maintain her career as a personal financial blogger (Making Sense Of Cents), and it has allowed her to continue making the same income that she had been before they became full timers. “It allows us to travel freely and to retire before 30 if we truly wanted to.” she says. Michelle and Wesley say that there are many other rewards of full time RVing as well. “We love being able to see new things, really get to learn new areas because we are staying at them longer, constantly feeling like we're on vacation, meeting interesting people, and more. We are able to work anywhere due to our business, so being able to wake up and work in amazing new places is really a great thing!” But Michelle laughs when says that since they are horrible about making reservations at popular RV spots, that can be a bit of a challenge. One serious problem the couple has run into, is repairs on the RV. As per their own experiences, the say that if you have a new RV and are getting warranty work done, then you may be in the shop for weeks or even months. For example, one time their RV was in the shop for 5 weeks, which can be quite a difficult situation when your RV is your home.
For those who become full time RVers, it is usually the husband who has been bitten first, not the wife. And it was the same with Wesley and Michelle. But for Michelle, it was just RVing itself that she needed some persuasion with. “My husband always wanted an RV, and funny enough, it actually took me some convincing. Now, I don't know who loves RVing the most.....me or him!”
For now, Michelle and Wesley continue to travel the country and see new places, meet new people. Although they have thoroughly enjoyed most every place they have been, two of their favorite destinations have been Tuscon and Moab.
“We loved Tucson mainly because of the RV park. We stayed at Diamond J RV park. It's super beautiful and it backs right up to Saguaro National Park with its' hiking trails, mountain biking, and more right outside our door. And we love Moab because it's an outdoorsy person's dream and an unlimited amount of things to do, such as Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park.”
But what does the future hold for these two? Forever in an RV? Another house someday? According to Michelle “We already see ourselves doing this for at least a few more years. Then, after that, we plan on trying out full-time sailing as well as moving abroad. Full time RVing has really gotten us interested in trying out all kinds of fun lifestyles.”
And even though for most, full time RVing means leaving a lot behind, when asked, Michelle says
“Our lifestyle has definitely improved. We wake up nearly every single day and say to each other,”I can't believe this is really our life. We go on fun hikes all of the time, try new things, eat delicious food and more. Best. Decision. Ever!”
Kim Pezza
A graduate of State University Of New York At Fredonia with a BA in Creative Writing, Kim is an author for Hatherleigh Press [Random House] and Seaside Publishing. She enjoys camping, cheese making and historic crafts.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Justin's Diamond J RV Park, who welcome their campers to share in the pleasure of camping aside 40,000 acres of desert offering hiking and biking trails originating from our location, birding, spectacular sunsets and the occasional sighting of desert wildlife.