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Vivre en VR : les chocs et premières impressions

Living in an RV: First impressions, the good, the bad and surprises

We are the Doyle-Désy, a family who decided to leave everything to live on the road. Since June 2016, we have been living and discovering the world aboard our house on wheels.

Living in a recreational vehicle may seem idyllic: on the road, unattached, discovering beautiful places. Yes, it is true, but like in all situations, you need to be ready for a potential downside.

Here are some of the realities that we have had to face and that required each of us to adapt and sometimes just let go.

24 hours a day with your loved ones

Love is not enough. Living in something the size of a hotel room, there comes a time when everyone in the family needs some air. It can be the parents who can no longer stand the children or the oldest child who wants to be quiet while his sister does not stop annoying him.

The situations likely to generate impatience are (very) numerous. We must learn to recognize the signs and ideally prevent the storm by taking a necessary break from each other.

Dealing with odors

It often stinks in a motorhome and fighting them is a constant battle. The toilet being at a few steps away, shoes worn all day, body odors and cooking generate many situations that make us wrinkle our nose.

Once, we had the brilliant idea of cooking boiled shrimp, just like the ones we’d just had at a restaurant, served with corn. The smell of shrimp juice followed us for days!

The weather, this greatest influencer of all

We knew that the weather would modulate the quality of our lives, but not to this extent. In our first year on the road, we made the mistake of not giving enough importance to this variable. We used to respect the outlines; avoiding the frost or the hurricane season but there is so much more.

That being said, thinking that the weather would be pleasant, we had decided to travel the Baja Peninsula from South to North in April and May 2017. But this part of Mexico, although further North, has a desert climate, dry and excessively hot. It was weeks spent sweating and avoiding the sun which was too powerful.

The rain, tornadoes, excessive heat, drought and mosquitoes are all important factors to know before hitting the road.

Food flexibility

It’s clear, eating and finding food is possible everywhere. But visiting different parts of the world and thinking that we’d be able feed ourselves according to our habits is, on the other hand, impossible.

Before leaving, we had a special diet. Nothing strict, rather products chosen conscientiously according to our values. On the road, unless we hang out in busy places where grocery stores are accessible, these choices are hard to maintain.

The days when we were able to choose recipes and go shopping are over. Now, it’s the opposite. We do the shopping and improvise with the finds of the moment. Cooking with simplicity and enjoying local products are the keys to success.

If I had one word to use to qualify the life in a motorhome, I would opt for ADAPTATION. Many others could do: road, adventure, discovery… but having this great adaptability will allow you to enjoy a life of changing scenery, adventures and ephemeral wonders to tame.

The Doyle-Désy,
nomadic ambassadors for Leclerc

Do not miss the next adventures of the Doyle-Désy in our monthly chronicle. Visit roulersavie.com

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