Did you ever see the 1985 movie Lost in America, in which David and Linda Howard (played by Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty, respectively) quit their jobs, sold everything they owned to spend the rest of their life together meandering across the U.S. in a Winnebago RV? I loved that movie. To this day I can’t think of the word “nest-egg” or even “nest” or “egg” without thinking of their post-Las Vegas discussion.
Well, this post has nothing to do with Lost in America accept for the fact that this person has purchased an RV and it has become the home from which she and her husband run their consulting and real estate businesses.
I first learned of Mari Smith (and husband Ty) when I came across her blog that profiled their travels across the U.S. and Canada in their motor home. I began following her on Twitter and Facebook, came across her Flickr photo stream and realized very quickly that Mari was a highly sought public speaker who had some interesting things to say about the use of social networking for business of all sizes. But what I was interested in as Chief Nomad of this community was her lifestyle as an RV Nomad so I reached out to Mari and spent some time talking to her about just that.
This interview focused primarily on the challenges of a married couple living out of a motor home and her tips for anyone considering this lifestyle. She rattles off quite a few recommended products and resources, which I’ve included as a list below for easy reference.
As they planned their mobile lifestyle, here are the resources Mari found helpful:
- Craigslist - online marketplace to purchase and sell items
- Escapees RV Club - a total network for RVers
- 3G Store - an online mobile broadband provider
- Passport America - the “original” 50 percent discount camping club
- Camp Club USA - offers campers coupons and savings for their campus adventures
- AAA - automotive club that offers free maps and other travel resources
- Good Sam Club - billed as the world’s largest RV owners’ community
- Thousand Trails - an online resource for RVers
- Google Mashup - a mashup of a Google earthmap and RV camping data
- Co-Pilot GPS for RVers showing road widths, clearance under bridges etc.
I hope you enjoy our discussion. If you’ve got other questions for Mari, you can contact her at this e-mail address: mari [at] marismith.com.
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Nice interview! As an RVer, staying connected is vitally important. We began RVing full-time in the early 90s when access was very limited. I’d find public libraries with computers and occasionally RV parks with modems. While volunteering in Big Bend National Park, my Aircard got no reception and the landline was the pits. We bought a Hughes satellite Internet system. We could have that set up in about 15 minutes when we stopped for the night. The end of 2007, it slowed to a snail’s pace. We are back to a broadband Aircard with Verizon. I still supplement that with WiFi at RV parks and other locations and even, occasionally a landline. But we are able to stay connected nearly every day.
It’s a great lifestyle! It represents freedom and the ability to move when you want to and see so much. We’ve had adventures we never would have had if we had stayed in the sticks ‘n bricks lifestyle.
Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider’s Guide to Working on the Road
Jaimie: thanks for your comment and for adding to the conversation around what works for RV Nomads. I can’t imagine there’s just one solution that works perfectly for everyone so there’s a bit of trial and error and learning from others. I’m glad there are people like you out there helping others learn the easy way.
Great post! Waving to my friend, the talented Mari Smith, across the ocean!
It really is a fantastic lifestyle and we have so enjoyed RVing around Europe for the last 3 years, that we are about to ship ours around the world ( to Africa next!). There was a French family of 4 that did ship their RV around the world for 4 years on just 1500 euros a month which inspired us to try this method.We have taken a few freighter ships and love that method of travel. Some even allow you to stay in your RV while you go like the one from Venice to Athens!
RVing is a particularly wonderful method for families or anyone who wants to do a long stay visit in Europe. http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0411/motor_homing_in_europe.shtml
There are a few Americans that have shipped their own RV’s here ( they tend to leave them in storage over the winter and tour over several years), but the other route is to buy one here as we did with a guarantee buyback.
We started out with a portable Hughes satellite Internet system, but found it too expensive for our needs. I know a friend that used a small satellite that fit into his day pack as he traveled the world in remote places, but that price was also above our budget.
Many of the campgrounds in Europe have free or very low cost internet connection, so that is what we mainly use. We stay longer in places with good connection and if there is a cost, usually we can negotiate for an even lower one by staying longer. Mostly we use free wifi in Europe to connect, although sometimes that does mean finding a MacDonalds ( which are everywhere) or pub.
Another great organization for families interested in the nomadic digital life via RV is FOTR ( families on the road). http://www.familiesontheroad.com/ They were a big help to us before we took off and some of these people have totally raised their children while being digital nomads around the US for 15 years and more! You should connect with @activated on Twitter who runs it!
I have seen a huge increase in families on the road in RV’s in the US as well as families on the road traveling the world ( by various methods) , since we began in 2006.
I know it seems limiting by space to those not use to a totally mobile lifestyle, but we actually have found it easier to adjust to than we ever imagined. We have found the close quarters have actually brought us closer together and make us a more well oiled team.
When you think about how much of the planet lives and how most people have lived for centuries, one realizes that our sense of space has altered in recent times. I thought I needed a lot of space and a big home for comfort, but was amazed at how quickly we adjusted and now I prefer the “less is more” style for the freedom that it allows. I use to over pack, now we can take off for months from our RV with just a small day pack each.
I have to agree that it is a life of freedom and it really empowering to wake up to ever changing nature before your eyes.