You guys are cute, but the only comment I want to make is when you have a small amount of milk/orange juice, etc, just pour it into a small glass jar and save yourself some space. I do it in my regular size fridge when it's trash day and I don't want to have the big jug with 12 oz or so in the fridge. Just a thought :)
I am so happy that you have learned that less is more - it really is! We have had 3 motorhomes, never a road-worthy trailer, but loved those motorhomes! We also had a permanently set up trailer in a beach campground (with the tie down straps you described) and loved that place too! In the past years we raised 6 kids in a large one-floor home we designed and had built with 4 bedrooms and two baths. it was necessary then. Twenty five years ago when kids all went their own ways, we moved into an old log cabin with two bedrooms and one bathroom and open to the ceiling eaves. It was built for my parents as a summer retreat in the 1960's. Well it is now my retreat home and is so wonderful to be here. It is across from the previous big house on the lake and I feel great happiness to live here. Yes, less IS more!
Having lived for a short time in a camper with a 6gal water heater it sure does go quick. Recently bought a Montana with a 10gal water heater. The two can't even be compared, almost endless hot water.
What a great video! We are 70 y/o and at age 66, we retired from big city Houston area and moved to NE Texas. 350 miles from both families...but...we had to find a place we could live on SS alone...we raise animals and have gardens and we pretty much raise/grow our own food supply. We knew when we bought this 27 acre place that we wouldn't be able to live long on it so far from family. Our plan is to live here until we know it's too hard to do. Last December, we bought a 2020 Salem XL 273QBXL. One owner that had for 9 months and traded in for a larger 5'th wheel. I really like the floor plan and it is very similar to yours with the exception of not having two more slide outs in the bunk room...That is very very nice...our bath is exact to what you have but love what ya'll did with the wall paper. I put in 3 clear hanging shoe bags from master, bath and bunkroom doors...can hold all kinds of stuff in them. Dollar Tree and Walmart were my friends as well as watching YT videos on how to organize and make space in an RV. So, when we can no longer handle all the animals and land, we plan to sell, find an acre, with electric and water if possible. Move the camper there and set up permanent home. I love all you talked about, great info! We would be closer to our families and we can visit them and being closer, they can come to us as well...Fixing to watch your video on on the wood stove!
That was my thought too and it upset me because I had one not too long ago and donated it. My cookie sheets were a perfect fit and I have no complaints anymore. I'm sure the stone would radiate a lot better though and extend what you get out of that small propane burner. Good tip!
My wife and I with two cats and a basset hound did the same thing you all did. And I agree with everything you all have shared.. it changed our lives for the better..👍 From Cadillac Michigan
The husband and I, plus our 3 year old are in a 24 ft. I can’t believe the difference several feet make. Your place looks massive in comparison! Do you struggle with any invasions? We do in the summer. All good goes into a zip lock, but it’s still a constant fight. I can agree with your struggles to not pop breakers. It’s a juggling act of what can be run simultaneously versus alone. You learn real quick which appliances take the most ‘juice’ 😊 Thanks for sharing your world
Thanks for sharing. This was so encouraging and I love the honesty. We’re about to do stationary rv living and we need all the advice we can get. Not sure how we’ll survive as a family of 7 without killing each other though. lol. Just subscribed. We also have a channel and would love to be friends and connect. Totally looking forward to watching more.
Thanks for the overview and perspective on things. I have found your channel a few weeks ago and semi-binged all of them and now i am up to date. Watching you guys build your own future really inspires me to do better to. Thanks for showing all the personal quirks and progress that has been made, it really was a joy to watch. And about using tools they are not build for but it still works. For good quality tools usually it is the difference between being able to pass a tool on or not. Please keep posting and also love all the great places like the cemetery and findings of early American history items. Greets from the Netherlands, Erwin.
Hi Erwin! Thank you so much for your nice words of praise. Hearing that we inspire others to live a similar, more down-to-earth lifestyle, is very humbling. Living out in the woods has really changed our lives for the better. We spent yesterday harvesting walnuts and hickory nuts with our kids and I told my wife, Meg, that I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. Thank you for watching and routing us on! Lots more coming in the future.
That’s crazy about the hot water. Me my husband and our daughter live in a wild wood lodge 40foot camper park model and we have a 20 gallon hot water tank and a full size washing machine inside and we usually hang our clothes to dry but we have a dryer in our shed we converted into another room. I love seeing different peoples setup. Maybe I’ll make a video of our setup pone day!
I watched your video and have to admit I really love your trailer or RV. 1st of all you've done a wonderful job with the decor and the remodeling. But what's more important Is what you made for your children. I have watched so many of these videos where the parents go on and on about their master bedroom, the huge bed, closet, dressers and everything to make it look wonderful with the rest of the trailer or RV especially the buses. And then they show where their children sleep and they go on and on about their kids having these dark bunk beds especially in a bus where they are in a bunk with a couple of toys which is all they are able to bring on one side of the bunk and they sleep on the other. Cramped in there. And then there's the both of you who actually admit on the video how you would love to have that bedroom that you gave to the kids because it was spacious and there was so much room in there but you knew how wonderful it would be for your 2 children and how lovely you fixed it up for them. What a sweet area They have everything they need and I give you so much credit for that you are both primo in my book.
After living in an RV with two youngest kids and going back into a house so missed the simpler life we had in the RV. So much upkeep needed for a house
Hi Jon and Meg! We’ve missed you guys! I think you may miss the house camper and it's closeness (except for the bathroom) when you get the house built! What a change! It's fantastic for you to lay this out. We are getting ready to put a pop-up on our space soon! Being outdoors really does rejuvenate the mind and the body!! I look forward to your videos each week!
Thank you, Bryce! We seem to be on a very similar path. I find myself routing you guys on and celebrating for you with each milestone. You're right about the bathroom. I mean, it does the job, but when you're tall, it's a bit annoying maneuvering around in there. On the other hand, I'm thankful we have a hot shower. We have plans for an outdoor shower off the master bedroom of the house, which I'm really looking forward to.
My husband and our two kids are prepping to move to Virginia from SC and move into our 32 foot camper! We are excited and I've been watching so many people's experiences. Thank you for sharing all the practical tips and things you've learned. This is by far the most practical and helpful video I've watched so far.
@@WalnutsandWineberries Thank you! Rewatching this video as some of your ideas come from only experience and we will be looking to some of these tips and tricks as we continue to live full time in our camper. Three weeks and going! So far so good even without water or power yet.
Hi, John and Meg. I've just come across your channel in the last few days but I wish that it had been sooner. I've commented on a couple of your other videos but I wanted to tell you that you two are some of the most down to earth people that I've ever seen. You welcome people into your home and your lives and you are just good people. I hope that all your dreams come true. My wife and I live in a 2 bedroom cabin in the mountains of Pennsylvania. We are both retired and what started out as a hunting camp became our home and we couldn't be happier. John, if I lived closer and had a trailer big enough to carry it I would have loved to bring my tractor down and help you with your driveway. God bless you both and you leave this old man with a smile on his face every time I watch one of your videos. 👍👍👍😊
John, I appreciate all the kind words. I read this one aloud to Meg and it gave her a big smile. We are certainly enjoying ourselves on this adventure. We may do things the hard way or the long way, but it's all intentional for self-gratification. We're looking forward to the end of the cold winter so we can really get going on the house!
My wife and I just watched this video and we are planning on moving into an RV in August when our lease is up. This was really inspiring and my wife and I just think you guys seem like some really great people and just wanted you to know that.
Great tour! We’ve part timed in a lance 22 foot, and a Sunseeker by Forest River, but when my wife and I started building in Arizona we actually lived in our 6x10 trailer!! 60 sq feet, but our living room is 40 acres 😀 our daughters were all grown then of course. Thanks for all your work in sharing and fun in doing!!
I like that, Adam - living room is 40 acres. I feel the same way! I come in the camper to sleep, eat, and help the kids with their homework. That's about it. Oh, shower too once in a while. Haha!
Wonderful shared insight, how your perceptions of space have changed, it really does give the phrase "less is more" meaning. The RV area which is 7.5% of the house you left behind, which has been 'replaced' by a big wide open space that you all want to be in and use. One can consider this reality in a couple of ways, the first, humans have spent most of the time on this planet in 'caves' (a secure place required when sleeping) with open areas for all the other activities required, secondly town planners often forget this basic need and densify the housing, then compound that stupidity with neglecting (out of greed?) to provide adequate space around the houses. No wonder we are doomed unless we change our ways. Good luck to you guys here!
The wife and I started out our married life in a 17' camper trailer with two Dobermans for our first two years. Your camper is a mansion by comparison, love it. Since you are looking at a year or two more with your build, if you continue to experience the moisture problem, I hardily recommend a dehumidifier. We have had one for a couple of years now in our 2500 ft trilevel home and it works wonders. The wife got ours from Amazon but it is similar to those available from Lowes or Home Depot. I follow a channel on RU-vid that does some rather interesting experimentation on numerous topics and he recently did one on sun powered waterheaters. I'll have to look up his name if you might find it interesting but it will need to be later because she who must be obeyed is calling.
It really changes your life for the better. Makes you realize how much stuff you DON'T need. We did get a dehumidifier a while back and it definitely kept everything a lot dryer and more comfortable. This winter, we installed a mini wood stove and it's been a great dual purpose solution (dry and heat). BTW love Dobermans. They are beautiful dogs!
@@WalnutsandWineberries Just in case you might find the subject interesting, a youtuber called Tech Ingredients posted a video on how to capture heat for hot water from the sun. Really sort of simple set up.
Sounds like I’m a couple years behind you. We have the storage units too. As soon as you said that, I definitely subscribed. Funny how people have so much in common.I lived in a big house and things changed in Michigan and now I’m in Kentucky thinking about RV living until we can get a builder but it’s as if they don’t exist. They are very hard to come by. Thank you for your information. It’s very very helpful. Good luck I’ll be watching your all your episodes
Good luck on your adventure, Becky! We recently upgraded our hot water tank to a tankless gas system and it's been a game changer. Our small 6-gallon one rusted out and a replacement was the same amount as the tankless version, so we upgraded. It actually saves a lot of propane. Anyway, let me know if you have any questions. Happy to advise with first-hand experience.
Great video tour. Funny you mentioned not using the hot water heater and burning through propane just for doing dishes. I use an electric tea kettle and heat up what little hot water that I need for dishes as I need it. Propane has gotten so expensive! If the power were out and I had no electricity, I would use my Sun Oven to heat up water. It's a little extra work, but very doable.
I have one of the oil heater that heated a bedroom and bathroom. It was so warm and felt so nice. My family member wouldn’t allow to have the heat going in the house. So crazy.
Haha! Frances, you are making me feel like a celebrity! They are Dr. Martens. I can't find them on their website any longer (I got them last year) I did find them on Zappos though here is the link www.zappos.com/p/dr-martens-work-belsay-ns-teak/product/9416917/color/1676? I have worn them almost everyday for a year now and they are great!
Enjoyed the video. We are Forest River owners too and just found you. I really like what you’ve done with your home. Look forward to watching more. Feel free to stop by our channel and say hello sometime. Marshall & Joanne, Red Pup Adventures
I tried to do the same, but my county didn't allow me to put anything on my land. I live full time in a camper but on a campground. what county do you have the land?
I think the term full-time RV living and living in an RV is to more clearly target your audience might be helpful. Generally, full-time RV living usually refers to people traveling in an RV full time, as opposed to part-time (like weekend vacationers). I have found, joined, and then quit FB pages after being momentarily confused by the titles of subjects, and there is no formal dictionary. We travel in our RV full-time, which is why I clicked on your channel. But the majority of tips and tricks and setups for full travel as opposed to full-time stationery are frequently completely different and are not interchangeable. If you find you have viewers who do not stick around, you might title your vids differently to better capture repeat viewers. This is in no way a criticism it is a suggestion since it targets different audiences and many social media content providers blur and confuse the purpose. I bet there are many out there that keep searching full-time RV'ing only to find those who travel, when they are really looking for living in a stationary RV full time, who don't find your channel.
Hi LW! Thanks for stopping by and for the feedback. I hope you still found some of our RV updates and decorating inspirational. I took your advice and updated the description of the video to include "stationary" so the searches will reach more searching for RVers like us. Hopefully all RV lovers stationary and on the move will find us now. Thanks again! :)
We did them with cold water for a while. That tiny 6-gallon water heater was recently replaced by a tankless and it has made life a lot easier living in an RV
You guys are always having fires and you seem to enjoy creating things rather than buy them, have you ever considered making your own smokeless fire pit? Something like this? Would love to see it on the channel!! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qyjxklycfJ4.html