Do You Have to Be Debt-Free to Enjoy Full-Time RV Living?

Do I have to be debt-free to RV?

I am not going to argue for debt as a good thing, but it should not be handcuffs like a lot of people treat it. Debt is not the problem: it is what you think about debt.

When people say you need to pay off debt before you go out full-time RV living, they often assume that living in an RV is just vacationing and not doing anything for income. That is not our approach: for us, living in an RV full time is also continuing to earn a living, and continuing to work.

When you get out of your apartment or you sell your house and buy an RV, life is not that different. An RV payment is similar to a rent or a mortgage payment, just hopefully smaller. The idea is to have a smaller footprint and therefore a smaller budget.

How do I RV while in debt?

If you are coming out here to retire, then the fewer obligations you have, the better.

However, in general, debt is simply another payment like fuel, groceries, or electricity, and as long as you have the budget for that to make that payment, do not get so tied up in this idea that you must be debt free.

In fact, some people decide to go full-time in their RV specifically to repay the debt, because of all the savings that they can have.

This really depends on what kind of setup you have. You can buy a $5,000 RV or a $500,000 RV, you can pay cash or you can use credit or debt to finance that.

You have to decide what is right for you and your budget, based on what kind of income you are going to make on the road and what kind of payment you can afford. Do not listen to financial gurus or YouTubers' advice, only you know what is right for you.

Why go RV living now?

One thing I want you to consider is that nothing lasts forever, and nothing is certain. You might lose your job due to downsizing, you might get sick, or lose a relationship. There is not a lot of certainty in this world.

This is why we advocate for living the life of your dreams right now, whether that is RV living, traveling the world, or whatever that looks like for you.

So many people plan to follow their dreams once they retire, only to retire and get sick and not be able to do any of it. So if you want to go full-time RV living, I say do it now.

Can it be done with debt? Absolutely. If you want to wait and pay off debt before you go full-time, that is your decision, and there is nothing wrong with it. If you have a plan to pay off your debt quickly, by all means, stick to the plan.

However, if you do not, know that you can still travel and enjoy your life even before you pay off your debt. You can get out here, find new work, new opportunities to make an income, or continue your current job. It is very possible to do that.

What should I do now if I am planning for full-time RV living?

1. Start paying down your debt

Debt-free RV living is obviously a better choice than having lots of debt. Just do not let the debt stop you from doing what you want.

2. Start downsizing

Get rid of excess stuff. Go through your house and put all of your belongings on trial for their life. If you are going to go full-time in an RV or a van, you are not going to have room for all that stuff. In fact, you can sell it and pay down some more debt.

3. Start saving

I always recommend having an emergency fund of at least three to six months, so that if you suddenly lose your income, you could keep making your regular bill payments and supporting yourself.

The emergency fund does not have to be in a bank account. It can be in any kind of account that you can access quickly without any penalties.

4. Have positive goals

Reduce your time watching the news and being on social media. There are all these attention-grabbing headlines out there about debt, which make you feel stressed and helpless. If you are focusing on your debt, you are focusing on the problem.

Instead, have some positive goals. Do not focus your goals on debt. For example, I am so happy I am paying cash for my new RV. I am so happy I have $10,000 in the bank.

Create these kinds of positive goals, and once you see progress on those, you start paying down some debt and building up a savings account for an emergency fund. You are going to build momentum that is going to inspire you to do more.

With momentum, you can make your goals and your dreams come true.

Debt-free vs RV living

I hope this article has reassured and motivated you to go full-time RV living, no matter what your debt situation is.

What do you think about debt and RV life? Do you think you should be debt free to go living in an RV, or do you believe in following your dreams as soon as possible? Let me know in the comments!