The look and feel of modern RVs are very different from what they were a decade or two ago. Manufacturers are responding to the demand from consumers for more residential-like features in RVs. Many consumers want to live or travel in their RVs full-time. As a result, we’re seeing RVs rolling out of the manufacturing facilities with features that make the RV better than a house.
Here are a few things that are better in our RV than our house!
RVs Aren’t Known for Quality
There’s a pretty extensive range regarding quality and RVs. Some manufacturers build RVs as light and cheap as possible. These rigs are great for weekend adventures to a local campground or other nearby experiences. However, they’re not the best for living in full-time.
On the other hand, you can find RVs with premium price tags that can travel the open roads for thousands of miles yearly. Manufacturers build these rigs with quality materials that can withstand full-time living. These rigs can have some incredible luxury features, making it very easy to stay comfortable while traveling.
However, there are often complaints about RVs being low quality. While some manufacturers use better materials, craftsmanship plays a significant role. Many manufacturers try to crank out RVs as quickly as they can. This can often lead to builders taking shortcuts and making mistakes.
Because of our fulltime lifestyle, we have always purchased top-end RV’s and still had the expectation that we would need to do lots of work on them. In the end, it has worked out well for us, but just like a house, there is always something to maintain or update.
Pro Tip: If you’re not sure you’ll love RV life as much as we do, read more about Why RV Travel Beats Hotels (Almost) Every Time.
RVs are Like Houses On Wheels
Some of the RVs we’re seeing nowadays have everything you need to live very comfortably. Many travelers, including families, relax in their RV while traveling and enjoying full-time RV life. Some RVs have multiple bathrooms, porches, and ample space for everyone to spread out. They feel more like condos or apartments than RVs.
These tiny homes on wheels make traveling easy for anyone wanting to use their RV to travel on vacation or take a road trip. It’s impressive how many residential amenities manufacturers can include in RVs, typically 200 to 300 square feet. Traveling in an RV doesn’t mean you have to live without the comforts of home.
7 Things Our RV Has That are BETTER Than Our House
While our sticks-and-bricks home was roughly 2500 square feet and had three bedrooms and two baths, it wasn’t perfect. There are seven things that our RV has that are much better than our house. Let’s take a look!
1. Bigger Bathroom
While most RV bathrooms are relatively small, some of the RV bathrooms in large 5th wheels and Class A motorhomes are huge. We’ve even seen some rigs with bathtubs! We found that we preferred the RV bathroom setup more than our home.
Since there is limited space, we didn’t have cabinets jam-packed with unnecessary items. RV life taught us to maximize storage space and eliminate any items we don’t use.
If a large bathroom is essential, you’ll want to consider a fifth-wheel or motorhome usually with a front or rear bath. Are there travel trailers with larger bathrooms? Absolutely. However, they’re more readily available in fifth wheels and motorhomes.
Our motorhome master bath is at the back of the rig and has a slide in it, making it very spacious. Because of the slide, its not accessible when traveling; however, and why our rig has a second bathroom.
2. Tile Floors Throughout
Another feature that we loved more in our RV than in our home was the tile floors throughout the rig. You can get tile floors in your sticks-and-bricks home, but it’s costly. You’re talking about tiling a couple of thousand square feet instead of a couple hundred.
Not only do some RVs have tile flooring throughout, but some even have heated floors. You may not think it’s a necessary expense, but when you walk across the floor of your RV for the first time during the winter, you’ll quickly appreciate them.
If you want real tile in your RV, you’ll likely need a Class A motorhome. Tile flooring can be extremely heavy. These big rigs can handle massive amounts of weight compared to fifth wheels, travel trailers, and other campers.
3. Voice-Activated Open and Close Window Shades
RV manufacturers are adding smart features to RVs. Not only can you control many application features from a smartphone or tablet, but some allow you to use your voice with Google Assistant to open and close the window shades. This is one feature you’ll rarely see in most homes on all shades.
Our shade motors are all electric and controlled wirelessly. It was easy to get a Broadlink RM4 pro unit and sniff out the RF signals. Then it easily integrates into our home assistant and can be controlled via, phone, remote or voice. We also have our shades on a schedule so the automatically open and close based on the time of day.
4. Back-Up Power
If we experienced a loss of power in our home, we were pretty much out of luck. We had to gather the flashlights and wait for the power company to restore electricity. However, some RVs come with built-in generators, or RV owners obtain generators to power their rig. In these instances, all an RV owner has to do is press a button, and they’ll have power in their RV. Being in an RV meant we were no longer entirely reliant on the grid for power.
Many RVers will invest in RV solar systems and lithium batteries to be even more self-sufficient. They can power their rig during a power failure and take it to remote locations without access to a power source. Roof-mounted solar panels can charge batteries to help you be as self-sufficient as possible.
In all of our RV’s our inverters are designed to switch to battery power instantaneously if we loose power. Basically, the whole RV is on an uninterruptable power supply, and we will never loose power even if the campground goes offline!
5. Security Camera System
While we could have installed a complex security system in our home, we never did for various reasons. However, our motorhome came with the Aladdin, a Monaco brand. This high-tech security system came pre-installed on our rig and allowed us to see all sides of the coach from a screen on the dash. In addition, we could quickly and easily flip through the cameras from the bedroom if we wanted to investigate a noise.
Staying safe while RVing is essential, and if we used the security features the manufacturer installed when building our rig, we could stay safe and aware of what was happening around us. We didn’t worry about having a massive data closet or running cabling to connect cameras. Thankfully, the manufacturer did all the hard work for us.
Pro Tip: Security is of the utmost importance when RVing. Use our guide on how to upgrade your RV door lock to prevent break-ins.
6. Turn Off All Lights From Bed
One of the worst feelings is getting comfortable in bed, only to realize that you left a light on in your home. Luckily, our RV was smart enough to have a main off-switch to turn all the lights off from the bedroom. We didn’t have to walk throughout the rig, flipping off individual lights. We could shut everything down and make our RV pitch dark at the press of a button.
Even if your RV doesn’t come with this feature pre-installed, there’s a chance you can use some equipment to program it yourself. It may take some technical know-how and programming abilities, but it’s possible!
7. King Bed
Depending on your living situation, you might not fit a king bed into your bedroom. Luckily, our RV came with a king-size bed, and we loved every inch of it. Spreading out with plenty of room while sleeping allowed us ample rest before heading out for our next adventure.
While not all RVs have this feature, they’re not hard to find. Some manufacturers will even allow consumers to upgrade from a queen bed to a king bed for a fee. You don’t have to sacrifice your sleeping space because you’re in an RV.
The Best Thing Our RV Has: Wheels!
While we felt several things were better in our RV than our house, the most significant thing was that our RV had wheels. This allowed us to travel with many of the comforts of home. Instead of renting expensive hotels or Airbnbs, we could spend a fraction of the cost on campsites or boondocking on public lands.
We choose to follow the weather most years and head south when it gets cold and north when it gets hot. The RV also allows us to be near family and have some amazing adventures along the way!
Pro Tip: Ready to join the RVing community? Use our guide on how to Get Started with RVing When You Don’t Know How.
Traveling By RV Can Be Just As Luxurious as Home
If you’re looking for a comfortable and exciting way to travel, RVing might be it. Many modern RVs come with everything you need to live in luxury during a vacation or road trip. Like us, there’s a good chance you may find some features that are better or more efficient in an RV than in a home.
Is there anything in your RV that you like better than in your house? Tell us in the comments!
Become A Mortons On The Move Insider
Join 10,000+ other adventurers to receive educating, entertaining, and inspiring articles about RV Travel Destinations, RV Gear, and Off-Grid Living to jump-start your adventures today!
John S.
Saturday 17th of December 2022
"The Best Thing Our RV Has: Wheels!"
You should have led this that.