On Instagram, it looks like the typical day in the RV life is filled with hikes to majestic locations, visits to cool museums, and evenings around the campfire with friends.
Although this does happen, this isn’t a typical day. So what does a typical day look like? Is there such a thing? Let’s take a look at different days within the RV life.
Then you can decide if a typical day truly exists.
Let’s dive in!
Beginning a Typical Day in the RV LIfe
A typical day in the RV life probably looks similar to a typical day in the life of someone who lives in a traditional sticks-and-bricks house. Instead of driving to school or commuting to work, it all just happens in the same space at home.
After breakfast, the kids begin their homeschool routine. Another parent may start the workday in a separate space in the bedroom. After a few hours, everyone might gather together for lunch. Then a parent may return to the workday while the kids play at the camp playground.
Or the kids may have chores to complete, like cleaning up their room. Other chores like doing the laundry or washing dishes get done in the afternoon, too.
At dinner, everyone gathers to eat. Maybe they eat a grilled meal on the picnic table or an Instant Pot meal at the dining table. After dinner, the family might go for a walk or drive into town to get groceries. The evening might end with a movie or game night.
For couples or individuals who travel, their routines may look very different. Without kids who need a homeschooling routine, these RVers schedule their days around their own work. And depending on the type of work they do, their typical day might look similar to a 9-5 work day or have a more flexible schedule.
Homeschooling and Working During a Typical RV Life Day
There’s no typical homeschooling day that fits all RVers. Some families follow traditional homeschooling methods with a set curriculum. Other families choose to “unschool” and follow no curriculum or particular routine. And then, other families allow the traveling schedule to dictate their homeschooling routine.
Most days that involve schooling will start after breakfast. The kids will work for a couple of hours before lunch, eat lunch, and then enjoy the afternoon playing outside. Some roadschooling families will visit a local place like a museum or cultural center to have hands-on learning. This could take half of a day or longer.
Then in the afternoon, when the schooling part of the day is over, the parent might do some of those RV chores mentioned below. Or, if the parent works part-time, they might get some work done before dinner.
For parents who work or RVers who don’t have children, the workday schedule can vary just like the homeschooling schedule based on the type of work. For someone who transitioned to remote work but stayed in their previous position, the day will start early and run all day long.
These RVers tend to have a separate workspace in their rig. They need to be able to work uninterrupted and in a quiet setting.
For other RVers, who have flexible work schedules, the day begins whenever they want it to begin. Maybe they’re early risers and enjoy working for two hours before the sun comes up. Or maybe they’re late sleepers and don’t start working until after lunch. There really isn’t a typical workday because the types of jobs RVers have vary so much.
RV Chores During a Typical Day in RV Life
Usually, there aren’t specific days set aside to do RV chores because they have to happen all of the time. Unlike travel days or adventure days, there isn’t a specific “RV chores day.”
If the tanks need emptying and cleaning, that has to be done. An RVer can’t wait until Saturday to do that. If the dirty laundry is overflowing, it’s time to get out the quarters. Sometimes this is scheduled based on location. For example, if an RVing family is boondocking for a few days, they’ll wait until they get to their next destination with full hook-ups and laundry facilities.
Getting chores done also depends on the RVers and their personalities. Someone who likes to keep their rig neat and tidy will wipe down counters and sweep the floor daily. Someone who doesn’t mind the dirt or works long days might only tidy up once a week.
But these chores are similar to the chores someone who lives in a traditional sticks-and-bricks house has to do. They just don’t take as long because the space to clean and maintain is much smaller.
What an RV Travel Day Looks Like
Travel days sometimes start earlier than other days. Everyone has their own job to do, even the kids. Loose items like plants, coffee table decor, shower items, etc., have to be stored away. This includes items in the refrigerator, pantry, and inside cabinets. Tension rods and canvas baskets help. The slides have to come in, so someone has to move any furniture or rugs or toys in the way.
RVers usually empty their tanks before packing away the hoses and cords. They pack the sewer accessories separately and use gloves. They handle all outdoor toys, bikes, chairs, and the patio mat the night before.
Before heading out on the road, most RVers check the tire pressure and put in air as needed to ensure safe driving conditions. Once the slides are in, everything is unhooked and packed away, and the doors are locked, it’s almost time to head out. If an RVer has a towable RV, they hook it up before removing any wheel chocks. Once they hook it up, raise the stabilizers, and remove the wheel chocks, everyone loads up. They do one more walk around just to make sure everything is in place.
Most RVers use an RV-friendly GPS to ensure they’re taking the best route for their rig. They take breaks every three hours or so. Most RVers like to stop at truck stops or rest areas, so they don’t have to travel far off of the road.
Once the RVers reach the next location, they check-in and head to their site. Then they have to set up all over again.
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Some Days Are Preventative RV Maintenance Days
RVers have to schedule maintenance into their routines. Certain preventative maintenance tasks need to happen every month, every three months, every six months, and once a year. Most RVers have a spreadsheet or checklist to keep track of everything.
They might inspect the roof for cracks or holes, check and lubricate seals, and wash and wax the RV. These days aren’t fun, adventurous, memory-making days. But they are necessary for those fun, adventurous, memory-making days to happen.
Preventative maintenance days usually take all day. They can’t make any other plans because they might have to deal with repairs if they find an issue. If they don’t run into issues, perhaps they get to start the campfire up early. But preventative maintenance days can be tiring, so the night usually looks like a movie with popcorn or a campfire with s’mores.
Pro Tip: Leaky roof? Use these 5 Simple RV Roof Repair Hacks to stop it from raining inside your RV.
Other Days Are Adventure Days
On these days, RVers appreciate having done the preventative maintenance days and the long travel days to get to where they are. Adventure days might include an early sunrise in a new location followed by a morning hike. Or it might be something like visiting an amusement park, museum, zoo, or cultural center. Other adventure days mean drives to national parks for day-long hikes and picnics.
These are the days that we see on Instagram and TikTok. Adventure days are what people imagine when they think of RV life. However, every day isn’t an adventure day.
There are the working days, the travel days, and the preventative maintenance days. Without those other days, RVers wouldn’t have the money to spend on fun activities, and their RV would fall apart.
Is There Really a ‘Typical Day’ in RV Life?
Clearly, there’s no typical day in RV life. For most RVers, the adventure days don’t happen all of the time. Sometimes a whole week goes by without leaving the campground because school, work, and maintenance take priority.
So even though it may appear on social media that your favorite traveling RV family is doing something fun every day, that’s probably not the case.
How do you imagine RV life? Drop a comment below!
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😂 Not my typical day. Never married and no children!
This article pretty well nailed it. My most difficult challenge is my being more of an extrovert than my husband. This makes it difficult to form relationships with other RV families because he doesn’t want to meet and get to know new people.
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