If you’re thinking of making the leap into RVing, you’ve probably wondered: How will I shower? What about electricity? How can I get internet? What about laundry? Where do I poop?!
We all share the same basic needs: food, water, shelter, internet access… so, before you hop into the driver’s seat, it’s important to know how you’ll access these daily necessities!
In order to help you decide if RVing is right for you, here’s a list of the most frequently asked questions about RV life!
#1. Where Do I Get Electricity?
Powering your rig: Understanding how a RV’s electricity works is essential in order to live comfortably. To get a deeper grasp on RV electric systems, read this. But for a cursory understanding, here’s how appliances generally work:
RVs are built to be “off-grid ready”, meaning, their internal systems are made to be able to run (at least for a time), without the input of electricity. For electricity, RV appliances run off of AC (Alternating Current) or DC (Direct Current).
AC current is what you use when you want to run an energy-hungry appliance like a microwave, hairdryer, blender, toaster, phone, laptop or air conditioner.
In order to get AC power, you need to either: plug into the grid (referred to as shore power), turn on the generator (included in the RV), or have a good solar system with an inverter. Having one of these options will allow you to plug your appliances into the wall outlets and run what you need.
The other source of power in a RV is DC (Direct Current). This is powered through your “house batteries”, and runs appliances that don’t use much electricity like the lights and fans. If you’re off-grid, this battery can normally last a while, but you’d want to keep on eye on the batteries and make sure to recharge them.
#2. How Do I Run a Fridge or Freezer?
RVs come with fridges and freezers already installed. These come in various sizes (from dorm-sized to regular-sized) and have the capability to run off of both AC electric power or propane gas, depending on your needs.
If you’re plugged into shore power, the fridge will run off of AC. If unplugged, this appliance should automatically shift to run on propane.
Fridge/freezers can also be solar-powered, with popular choice being the Dometic fridge/freezer. These can plug into AC outlets and run just as well as traditional units, allow you to choose the temperature from your smartphone, and will shut off to conserve power while turning back on automatically to keep the chosen temperature homeostatic.
#3. Where Do I Get Water for my RV?
RVs are built with off-grid camping in mind, and no one could camp long-term without access to water!
In order to be a “self-contained” house on wheels, RVs have two tanks installed: Fresh water and grey water.
Fresh water tanks are large tanks under the RV that you fill up with clean water from an available hose. This can be from a dump station’s refill area, or a friend/family member/neighbor’s hose.
Or, if you choose to use jugs instead of the internally-built system for fresh water, you can refill those at filtered water kiosks in many grocery stores.
Fresh water is the water you’ll use for kitchen/bathroom sinks, the shower, and toilet flushing system.
Your RV will have a second tank, the “grey tank”, that serves as the receptacle for the dirty water from sinks or showers. These need to be dumped in designated dump station areas when the tank becomes full (if you’re off-grid living).
If you’re parked somewhere with hookups, you’ll hook up a hose to one end of your RV and attach the other end to the campsite’s septic system- grey water would flow directly into the outside septic hole and wouldn’t require dumping the tank.
#4. Do RVs Have Showers?
Many people want to know how RV showers work. Assuming you’re thinking of a regular RV or trailer, your RV will have a normal shower (albeit, small). If you’re thinking of a converted van, then having a shower will depend on whether or not you want to build one into the vehicle.
Traditional RVs come equipped with a full shower (but not bath). One downside is they use a lot of water: If you’re on hookups, then there’s nothing to worry about. If you’re boondocking (ie off-grid), then you’ll need to do a cost-benefit analysis…
The more fresh water used, the more often you’ll need to drive to a dump station, dump your tanks, and refill. And depending on the size of your tanks and number of people in your RV, you might find daily showers more of a hassle than a boon.
Personally, we used our shower for the first few months of RV living, but soon got tired of our frequent dump station visits. Instead, we washed our hair daily, but took full-body showers less frequently. We’ve also used friend’s/family members showers.
Many vanlifers who live in a Class B vehicle have opted to not have a shower. There are many reasons for this, including: saving space, lighter van weight, less hassle.
Besides an on-board shower, there are other options available:
- Solar Shower
- Gyms
- Family + Friend’s Showers
Purchasing a gym membership for shower access is popular among vanlifers, as is making use of friend’s/family member’s kindness! Solar showers (camping showers warmed by the sun) are another option- although not for everyone and certainly not for every climate, solar showers are still a cheap and (surprisingly) nice alternative to on-board showers!
#5. Where Do I Poop?!
Just like showers, traditional RVs come with toilets already installed. These are more or less like regular house toilets, the only real difference is there’s a bit more leg work involved in taking care of your poop.
When you flush a RV toilet, your waste goes down a pipe and into a black tank. These are tanks that are solely made to hold human waste. Once filled- just like a grey tank- it must be dumped at a designated RV dump station.
If you’re planning on using a regular RV toilet, know that you’ll need to use RV/Marine toilet paper (it’s quick dissolving and won’t clog your pipes), as well as chemical treatment (to break down waste/liquifies poop, and allows for easy dumping).
After seven years of using our RV toilet, we decided to remove and replace it with a Thetford Port Potti. Before deciding on this alternative, we researched many other toilet options, including: Compost toilets and incinerating toilets. To read about the variety of options available beyond traditional RV toilets, read THIS.
#6. What Do I Do For Heat?
RVs typically come with an internal heating system that runs off of propane. Just like in a traditional home, these heaters have a thermostat that you will set yourself.
In Class B vans or converted vans, there are other options beyond an internal propane heater…
One of the most commonly used heaters is the Mr. Buddy Heater. This is a camping heater, small in size, that runs off of camping propane tanks and has the ability to warm up smaller spaces.
We recently purchased a Mr. Buddy Heater for our RV, and actually prefer it over our in-built heating system! One 1 lb. propane will give you approximately 6-8 hours of heat, so keep that in mind if you plan on living in a cold climate.
Fireplaces are also common in converted vehicles. There is certainly an ambiance that only a real fireplace can give to a living space…
There are two kinds of fireplaces that are commonly found in vehicles: Wood burning or propane-burning.
Wood burning fireplaces are powerful for heating, use wood (either that which you cut and gather yourself, or purchased pre-made bricks/logs). The downside is these can make it difficult to live “stealthy”: The fire’s smoke needs a chimney, and dark smoke will be seen from your vehicle.
Marine propane heaters, like the Dickenson marine/RV propane fireplace, are a very popular option for Class B vans: These give a beautiful light in your home, and although they do require a chimney as a fire-burning fireplace does, propane heaters do not emit smoke. So… You’d still be able to be “stealth” as you live in your RV.
#7. Where Do I Do Laundry?
Similar laundry options apply to RVing as they do to a regular home or apartment.
Laundromats are commonly used by RVers to get laundry done, especially if living in an urban environment. Just make sure you have a roll of quarters and detergent at the ready, so you can wash your clothes when needed.
If you prefer to have an option within your RV, Washer/Spinners can be a convenient alternative to driving to a laundromat.
Washer/Spinner combos are great for RVing as they don’t use much energy as a traditional (or even miniature) washer/dryer. Washer/spinners do not use heat, nor do they actually dry clothes. Instead, the washer portion is filled with water and detergent, cleaning clothes as it spins clock- and counter-clockwise, oscillating between the two.
When laundry is clean, clothes are placed in the “spinner” portion, and are spun until damp. Then hang clothes up to air dry completely. Depending on the fabric, dry times will vary.
If you want something smaller than a combo and prefer a unit that doesn’t require any electricity at all to run, foot-powered spinners are also available. These do require you to continuously pump a peddle to clean your clothes (5-10 minutes) and typically don’t have a spinner portion, but if you’re looking for something quiet, small, and electricity-free, this option might fit your lifestyle.
To see your full range of options for doing laundry on the road, check out our post, “RV Washer and Dryer Sets” here!
#8. How Do I Get Internet?
Having access to the internet is important to everyone, and when you’re RVing it’s good to know there are a couple options to keep you connected:
- Mobile Hot Spot
- Free WiFi
For us, our T-Mobile hot spot has been a life saver and it’s monthly rental fee of $10 is embedded in our phone service bill.
This small device is easily stored and charged, allowing us to have access to the internet wherever we go.
The only downside is that streaming videos eats up the data very quickly, so we typically cast our video (Netflix and YouTube) from our phones to our flat screen TV.
Regardless of your cell phone carrier, mobile hot spots are certainly available and accessible. Check out the wide variety available to suit your personal needs here.
#9. Where Do I Park?
When living in a RV, places to park and sleep requires a bit of consideration (primarily due to legal issues and whether you’re living in urban or rural areas).
Typical options include:
- Boondocking (“Dry Camping”, “Off-Grid”)
- Family + Friend’s Property
- Rent a Space
- RV Reports + Paid Campsites
- BLM Campground Land
Boondocking or “dry caming” refers to parking in an area without hookups. Boondocking is a popular way to live in the city while not paying rent or needing to pay for campsites.
Staying with friends or family is another option many RVers choose if the option is available. If not for 24/7 parking, this can serve as a “home base” and a place for mail to be sent.
Renting a space, lot or driveway is another option for parking your RV. There are plenty of people who are willing to rent out a cheap place for you to park for a couple hundred dollars a month. Check out Craigslist and similar sites to search for a cheap place to rent.
RV Reports and Campgrounds are a good option, especially if you plan on travelling. However, this option can add up to big bucks depending on location, duration of stay and time of year.
For example, we live in southern California- a place popular for its beaches. If you want to camp overnight at many of these sites, it could $60 or more per night.
This can put a dent in you wallet fast.
You can definitely find cheaper overnight sites that will run $10 and up- just make sure you research RV sites before venturing out, if that’s what interests you.
BLM Land is another popular option many RVers take advantage of- this is government land open to the public for camping, mose often for free, but some do charge between $8 – $50 per night.
Many BLM sites have amenities like potable water, electric hookups, trash cans, and public restaroom, however this is not true of all sites.
Like with everything in RV life, do your due diligence before taking any trips!
#10. How Do I Get Mail?
Getting your mail while in a RV can be done in a few ways: Renting a PO Box, using friend’s or family member’s address, or using an online service like VPM (Virtual Post Mail).
Each has its pros and cons; your personal RV lifestyle determines which to choose.
Renting a PO Box costs as little as $10/month, and is accessible to you during PO Office hours. If you’re living in the city and are close to your PO Box, this might be a good option for you.
Some people have reported not being able to use a PO Box for daily functions like using a PO Box in lieu of a home address for job applications, however, this is not a standard rule. Just bear in mind you might come up against some limitation with a PO Box address.
Friends + Family, if available to you, can be a good option for receiving mail. Personally, we’ve used my sister’s home address to have mail sent, as well as deliveries. Since we live in the same city and also work close to her home, this was a convenient option.
VPM (Virtual Post Mail), or similar service, is a virtual “mailbox”, making your mail available to you online. If you plan on travelling, not staying in the same area for a long period of time, or simply don’t want to deal with physical paper-based mail, VPM might fit your needs.
Virtual Mail Boxes offer you the convenience of online mail viewing, forwarding mail, mail shredding/disposal, signature upon deliveries, check deposits, and more.
Prices vary, but monthly virtual mail boxes can start as little as $20/month. Ease of use and accessibility on the road makes this a good option for nomads.
