This Life: Our Home on Wheels

 

If you just want a visual tour of our rig, watch the video above! The information I share below is extra :)

Choosing Our Rig:

If any of you have ever shopped around for an RV before, you know it can be an ordeal. Our search started out as a “just for fun, let’s see what’s out there.” We had never camped in one before and didn’t have any idea what we were looking for. We spent our first few weeks just visiting different dealerships and researching floor plans online, and Justin even took a trip up to the Denver Convention Center for an RV trade show. 

Our search started with “bumper pulls” since that seemed the logical choice given our current fleet of vehicles. We soon realized, however, that it wasn’t going to work for our family as a full time option (not enough storage space, a low ceiling height and not enough space in general for the towing weight we were limited to). 

We then transitioned to fifth wheel RVs after deciding that we didn’t want to “drive” our rig and would rather have a larger vehicle we could unhook and use… plus Class A’s were just out of the price range. We did like some toy haulers, but with a “garage” area with no insulation that can be 10-15 degrees different from the rest of the rig, plus a bedroom situation that would require kids to all share a space and us to move beds up and down each day, we decided that wasn’t our favorite option either. 

Many of the floor plans started to look the same after that: a master in the front, a smaller bedroom in the middle with a low loft on top, and the kitchen/living area in the back. Many were nice, but just didn’t feel like they “fit” us. We had a few other choices to narrow down:

2nd Bathroom: This was a definite “no” for us. One shared bathroom was just fine and we didn’t want to waste any additional space on a second one. 

Washer/Dryer: This was also a “no.” We knew we’d be dry camping a lot, which meant we’d have to conserve water and electricity. With the amount of laundry we go through as a family of 6, it just wouldn’t have made sense. Plus, the hookups are often in a closet and we really preferred having the extra closet space.

Solar: Although we had no idea what we were getting into with this yet, we knew we needed some sort of solar capability. (As it turns out, the sad little panels and baby batteries that come with newer models are all but useless, but that’s another story. We were just ignorant in this area at the time.)

Tanks: Again, knowing we’d be going without hookups to water and sewer on a regular basis meant we needed larger tank capacities (fresh water/gray water/black water), as well as larger propane tanks. 

Sleeping Arrangements: I knew I didn’t want to have to do anything extra to prepare beds at night; no pulling out couches or bringing down bunks, etc. This meant we had to have enough sleeping space/beds for 6, whether that meant a bunk room with 4 bunks or an additional loft space.

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All that said, we ended up with a Heartland Milestone 370FLMB. It’s nearly 45ft long with a less common layout: the tri-couch living space with a TV and electric fireplace is in the front of the rig. It has the lowest ceiling height being “up stairs,” but I love the coziness and separation it has from the rest of the common space. (Two of the couches fold out to make additional sleeping space if we ever needed it.) 

Our kitchen with an island is set up with a large refrigerator and nice pantry, with the dining table in its own slide out nook. Our second bedroom is behind that with double bunks for the girls and a good-sized closet plus under-bed storage. Above that is the high loft with plenty of space for our boys and the pull-out ladder tucked nicely away on the back of the pantry door. 

Next is the bathroom with a standup shower and high ceilings, then our master bedroom in the back, also with high ceilings and a bunch of drawer, cabinet, and under-bed storage space (we don’t even use it all). There’s also pass-through underbelly storage on the exterior. Cap it off with an outdoor shower hose and a nice big awning! 

We have two 30lb propane tanks and a large bladder with 15-20 extra gallons of water to extend our fresh water capacity (the rig has a 50-gallon tank). We also put a 4-bike bicycle rack on the back of the trailer, extending our length to about that of a regular semi!!

Overall, we have a little over 400 square feet of indoor living space. Since we’re constantly changing our surroundings, however, it hasn’t at all seemed too small - even with 6 people! We’ve learned to live without a lot of things and haven’t missed a beat. Just as Paul writes in Philippians 4: “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation… I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Although we haven’t quite experienced plenty and want to the extremes that the apostle had, the principle is the same, and we are content!