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.

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.

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!

This is the real deal book on the subject of RVs, buying an RV, and living the untethered lifestyle. I've been reading Alyssa's Facebook group page and also her blog (with husband Heath) for the past few months and the content and tone is so welcoming, so helpful -- this book only adds to the total amount of information both Alyssa and Heath generate and share. The distinct advantage to owning this book and having it handy is that the questions it answers and subjects it addresses are in a single, concise, well-written, and informative package. It's also just fun to read, as well. This is the definitive guide to planning, getting, and thriving -- on the road. Thanks Alyssa!!

Super handy guide. I'm a little while away from living the dream so I can't speak from an application standpoint, but there were some solid answers to almost every question I had. So much excellent information. Alyssa references apps to help you find free camping and I was surprised to see how many were around. I live in Idaho and thought I knew most of the campgrounds but these apps picked up some free sites that I didn't know about. The book is worth the money for that alone plus other little tidbits. Definitely keeping this on hand. Only thing not discussed is how to pick out a used RV in terms of mechanical and structural soundness. She mentioned they bought a Class A from Craigslist for 10 grand.... Seems like a gamble to me. Just imagine being hundreds (thousands?) of miles away from home and the engine or driveline catastrophically fails. You can and should hire a pro to look it over but you should know what they're doing and what their findings mean. Consider also that if you don't know what to look for how do you know that the pro looking over it is being thorough?

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!"

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.