Terry and Julie have been living nomadic lives since June 2019.  Terry is an artist and traveling gives him endless inspiration for his medium of watercolors and gouache. Julie is retired after having spent 30+ years in sales, marketing and web design.  Here is a peek into their LV life.

 

 

Places Visited:

Our goal was to boondock as much as possible and explore the country outside of busy RV parks. We love Arizona, and spent most of the winter there for about 2 1/2 months off-grid in the desert before heading to Organ Pipe National Monument for another 4 weeks of dry camping. We also enjoy spending time exploring various towns, trails, national monuments and parks.

 

 

 

Any previous experience with trailers, mobile living, etc.? 

We started our full-time RV adventure in a 26’ class C. It was a good choice for us at the time but we always dreamed of owning a Living Vehicle. The quality of LV is far above a standard RV. No more staples, particle boards, and cold floors! 

 

 

What are your 3 favorite features and why? 

We might surprise you with this but the GVWR! That’s the carrying capacity of a vehicle. We were constantly overweight in our class C. When you live in a rig you’re minimalists already but, with the LV, we don’t need to assess and reassess the pros and cons of bringing every single item.

That leads us to the second feature we appreciate. Storage. So much storage! We also truly appreciate the huge refrigerator upgrade in the 2020 LV. After making do with a 7 cu ft fridge for over a year we have to say the LV fridge is a true luxury. 

Bonus - the deck is a sanity saver for tiny living. 

 

 

What would you say to others considering a change in lifestyle?

Downsizing was liberating! We feel so much lighter - figuratively and literally - without all the material possessions and a house to maintain. The only thing we really wanted to keep while we were traveling filled a 6’x6’ storage unit. Some people might have regrets about giving up the things around them but we had a good laugh and felt grateful to be free from encumbrances of material things. 

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How did you incorporate your hobbies and passions on the road?

Terry is an artist and really enjoyed painting the various landscapes we encountered while on the road. The patio is an excellent vantage point to enjoy the sights from and gave him plenty of space for his easel, paint supplies, etc. It was a great way to preserve memories of our time in the LV!

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What was the experience of downsizing like?

It’s not an easy process!  We had to deal with so much “stuff” it was overwhelming and sometimes sad to think of letting things go. Some of the very sentimental things we actually put in storage to deal with another day. For the bulk of the house, we found it easier physically and emotionally, to hire out an estate service rather than liquidating things ourselves. In the end, there have been no regrets. 

 

How has LV changed your outlook on life?

We’ve had to really team up to adapt to full-time life on the road and it’s given us pride in our capabilities to explore our beautiful country.

 

Words to live by: 

Life is better with mindful attention to the world around us

The most precious thing is love

Happiness is joy