Living off the grid in a travel trailer will require a lot of personal assessment and research on how to achieve unconventional living in the best way. You will have to make lots of adjustments to your lifestyle, as you may not have a permanent place where your friends and family can see you regularly. This is one of the drawbacks to not living in a suburban city neighborhood, where you can socialize with other people and connect with a particular community. Living off-grid means you live in a more rural area that might be many miles away from the nearest city limits.

There are different ways to live off the grid. Either you live on a cabin by the woods, in a yacht, or the most common way by living in RV trailers. An off-the-grid lifestyle will mean learning to become very self-sufficient for your everyday needs and having alternatives for utilities like providing electricity and water to your travel trailer. If you are serious about keeping a simple RV life, you must ready yourself to assess all of your personal and home essentials. Developing a list of all your needs will lead you to choose the right RV trailer design and type to suit your immediate and long-time needs.

You should make sure to get an RV trailer with enough storage space for your things. Be particular with the sewage system, the electrical and mechanical functions of all the equipment and appliances that you intend to place inside your RV trailer. You should have a solar panel installed in your RV trailer, which you will need for your electrical equipment and gadgets. Storage for your water supply is also as crucial as your electricity. You can ask for customized water storage in your RV trailer based on your needs if your travel trailer does not have sufficient storage tank sizes for long term living.

There will be fewer demands for essentials that will need to be installed in an RV trailer for people who choose to have a temporary off-the-grid living space, such as for a hunting cabin or other getaway. Other uses may involve vacationing for summer or spring living, with people still returning to their permanent regular homes in cities and storing their trailers for their next long road trip. Yet, some people are keen on living off the grid for years and making their travel trailer a permanent home. The size and design of the RV travel trailer you pick will also depend on the number of people who will live in the travel trailer with you. A small or regular type of RV trailer will do for two adults, but for a family with several children in tow, they will need a family-sized travel trailer. Your choice of RV trailer design needs to follow your personal needs and specifications. Make sure to make a complete checklist of what you want to see on the trailer and the specific layout which will be convenient and comfortable to access all your essentials.

Maximizing the space of the RV will mean maximizing your expenses as well. Smaller in size and amenities will mean less in the price of the trailer. It will also mean less maintenance but with the same convenience as a large and spacious RV trailer. Be compact and observe a minimalist design where you only keep the basics and be spared of future clutters.

You can customize your RV trailer in countless ways. It won’t hurt to spend a minimal amount on putting an add-on in your RV trailer. It will be an advantage for older adults to keep the RV trailer secured with additional safety features like a second door and window. It will also be better to place even a simple backup rear camera in your RV and purchase a modular garage or cover to avoid possible scratches, leaks and keeping the RV trailer clean. As you consider solar panels as a means of electricity, it will also be practical to add a stand-by generator during the rainy and winter season. The sewage system would be the next important consideration when getting into your RV trailer’s right design.

The toilet and the water system should be functional. The bathroom essentials should all be working and in place, including an effective shower system. Your water storage tanks should be large enough for all your everyday needs, from bathing, restroom use, and other cleaning activities that require the use of water. The essentials that you will find in an RV travel trailer will always depend on your kind of lifestyle. It is also a consideration regarding the number of occupants there will be in the trailer. There are several types of RV trailers that you can choose from, which will suit anybody’s need. You can either get a towed RV trailer, motorhome, or a camper van. These three types are the most common recreational vehicles preferred for off-grid living.

When buying an RV trailer, the budget will always be a primary factor considering the price of a travel trailer. The maintenance alone may incur quite a chunk of your finances. Try to learn from the RVs manual guide for some minor DIY maintenance that will spare you from quite an amount for service and repairs. A little knowledge about the essentials of a car and RV troubleshooting is advantageous, particularly when traveling in remote places where service and repair shops are out of the way. Calling for motorist assistance certainly costs quite an amount. There are several advantages for off-the-grid living, which often works for people who can identify their needs and backed up with a definite reason for choosing an unconventional way of living. There are also disadvantages should you fail to find the right RV for your needs and the manner of living that you want.

Living in a travel trailer may not be as convenient for some compared to living in a regular house, but there will always be reasons that can satisfy both your expectations and reality. An RV life can always be satisfying for everyone, the adventure life for the young people, less stressful city life even for professionals who can still do their work and do business online, and peaceful life for the older ones. RV trailers are probably one of the best options for off-grid living provided you have a clear idea and did your research on how to maximize its many choices and features, particularly on how to take care and properly maintain your RV.

Author

Carey has been living full time as an RVer for several years, traveling extensively around the United States and some parts of Canada. As a digital nomad he lives like a vagabond while managing his companies remotely with a laptop and internet hotspot.