A Beginner's Guide to Living in an RV: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Full-Time RVing Across America (RV Travel Books)

This delightful book is nothing short of brilliant. It is dense and practical: every page is packed with useful information. It is entertaining: Padgett's writing style is wonderful, humorous, and insightful. It is timely: after reading this book you will have a sense of what a modern RV is, what RV living is nowadays, and what you need to do to prepare, whether it's a lifestyle or a hobby for you. The only caveat I'll offer is that it was published in 2017 and a few things have changed: unlimited data plans and mobile hotspots are easier to come by, and smartphones are a lot better at navigation today. This is a book that you want to have on hand all the time as you prepare for your new RV, or any long term trip. It is a book that you can - and will - read cover to cover, over and over. I don't give out a lot of 5 star reviews, and certainly not to first time self-published writers. But in this genre, Padgett stands head and shoulders above the rest. Buy this book.

This is a must read for anyone considering a lifestyle that includes full-time work and play while living in a recreational vehicle rather than a “traditional” home. I have owned a travel trailer and taken numerous extended family vacations to state and national parks, bureau of land management properties, and private land. The thought of doing this full-time has been a lifelong dream. Now that my wife and I have retired I hope to soon realize that dream of exploring and experiencing places that we have not yet ventured out to see, and revisiting those that we have enjoyed in the past, in one continuous journey from one destination to the next. I had questions that needed answers...Alyssa provided answers to many of those questions. Establishing ones legal domicile, insurance plans that work, and equally important, insurance that does not work. She has detailed good and bad experiences and explained what worked and didn’t work in her context. She provides experience with real situations, for example when a disabling breakdown occurred and a call was required to secure emergency services when traveling, or the plan versus the reality of scheduling and obtaining necessary routine maintenance and when warranty work is needed for minor repairs to the RV. These examples were insightful and informative. I appreciate the variety of RV resources hi-lighted, both free and especially pre-paid, including the ROI analysis for each based upon her firsthand experience. Thanks for a great read!

I'm a 42-year-old, self-employed single guy who has always dreamed of owning and living full-time in an RV. I've always pictured it as something I'd do in the distant future (retirement, etc.), but lately I've been thinking, why put off until tomorrow what I can do today? I purchased this book as one of my first steps in turning this dream into a reality, and it turned out to be just the kind of helpful, practical, and inspiring beginner's guide that I'd hoped it would be. The writing style is simple and conversational, almost like you're texting back and forth with a good friend. This makes it a very quick and easy read that is also packed full with lots of substantive information and fun, useful tips. I would have liked a more detailed, step-by-step guide to filling and emptying the RV's water and waste tanks, hooking everything up at RV parks, etc. But otherwise this was a very entertaining and educational read that will no doubt continue to serve as a handy guide for many months and years to come.

I am planning to buy a fifth wheel, a subject I know nothing about. I am going to retire, travel the country, and maybe go fulltime for the cost savings. I have 4 siblings I can stay with as backup! I just now bought my first ever truck, Ram 2500 6.4L, and now I'm looking for a fifth wheel to pull. I want to know not only how to do it, but how to deal with the problems that always come. I grew up camping in tents and pop-out campers, so at least I have been face to face with mother nature, and had to "survive". This is the first RV book I purchased and it was a great choice. Instead of my blow and go past, I am trying to put the research in before spending the money! I love Alyssa's first person approach to her writing. She starts the book when she knew nothing about RVs, like most of us. Then she presents a travel chronology, giving good coverage of every mistake they made, and the many resources/ways/tools to fix it. She talks about the all important el dinero, and how not to spend a lot. She talks about pros and cons of different brands, and types, of RVs. She reviewed all the different ways to tow a car behind an A class RV, and sure enough, I see most RV'ers pulling their car 4 wheels down. Her "what we put in our RV" list really scared me, because I will have to either put everything in storage, or give rid of 99% of my "stuff", including my sacred real paper books. She compares different brands when appropriate. She gives you actual cost up front for everything. I thought the emergency breakdown and repairs topic was especially helpful because you're often looking at $$$$. She covers every essential topic I can think of, including how to get a snail mail address, health insurance, emergency roadside repairs, and more. Last of all, she puts her own brand of unique humor into it that makes it fun to read like an adventure novel. Married couples will love it too since she travels full time with her husband, who is also a full time writer in terms of work. Thanks Alyssa! I really hope I will run into you on the trails one day.

Highly recommended for newbie RVers! My fiance and I are getting ready to transition into full-time RVing at the ripe age of 28 and this book answered all of our questions/concerns and everything we didn't even know we needed to know before we hit the road! We feel so much more confident in our upcoming adventure, thanks to Alyssa! A lot of the content in the book can be found on her blog (@heathandalyssa), but it is so much more convenient, in-depth, and accessible in this book! The book includes lots of references and advice on getting starting, including what to expect on the road, expert opinions, and lessons learned. It is an easy yet very informative read with tons of information that we will certainly be referencing again and again.

The author shares a lot of good info, but I'm not sure how realistic and applicable it is to most readers who are considering living in an RV. It reminds me of an old Steve Martin shtick-- "You can be a millionaire and never pay taxes. First, get a million bucks!"

Alyssa Padgett (along with her husband Heath) is a fresh and knowing new voice in the RV world. As the editor of WinnebagoLife I've really enjoyed getting to know the Padgetts as friends and contributors. As an RV owner (80,000 miles of travel in the past five years) and editor read Alyssa's guide wearing both an editor's and RVer's hat. Honestly, this is a remarkably comprehensive portrait of the RV owner experience from what to buy, to where to go. Written in an easy to understand, humorous, and well-organized style, "Living in an RV" is a perfect jumping off point for anybody who's thinking about buying an RV and especially living in one full-time. This is definitely not a gratuitous five-star rating. I know from experience that the book is a very accurate account of RV products and lifestyle. It's all the information you could spend hours scouring the web and talking with owners to find out, but in one easy to access book. Well done!

I have to admit that while we were contemplating making the leap to full-time RV life, I spent most of my time saving RV pins on Pinterest or mooning over fabulous Instagram photos, leaving my husband to deal with most of the actual research. If this book had come out a year ago, I might've quit dreaming and started learning. Still, it's valuable insight I'm glad the author shared. We did get an RV, but haven't yet graduated to full-time life (soon, though!!!). I learned a lot from the book, and it was an enjoyable read. Unlike most of the RV books hubby bought :D The author is knowledgeable, experienced, sassy, opinionated and at times pretty damn funny. This makes what might otherwise be a fairly mundane topic a pleasure to read. I dinged my rating by a star because of minor editing lapses near the end, and because she presents a few of her preferences as fact rather than a choice based on ones circumstances. But it's such a great guide for newbs like me that I wish Amazon would let me give it 4.5 stars.

Out of all the RV life books I have read, this is one of the best ones relating experiences, and tips. While not a page by page guide on how to make a mobile home, it gives many tricks and tips of the ups, downs, and in between’s of RV life. Highly recommended to people curious about van life, or anyone really!

I’ve been following the RV Entrepreneur podcast for some time and I cannot speak highly enough of this for its motivating ability I’m moving to full time RV life, and also development of a sustainable income. The book brings together the best advice possible that Alyssa is constantly asked by people about making the shift to Living in an RV.

I highly recommend it! It is interesting, it is very well writen and gives tons of good tips and information. I hope it is just the beginning of a series of guides for everyone who wants to dream or live on the road.

WILL START READING SOON

It was an easy read with some quick ideas to make the transition to rv living easier