The Simple Life?

It’s tempting to position RV-ing as a simple, elemental lifestyle. But I’m not certain this is really the case.

Sure, life is simple enough -- once you have your propane tanks filled, your tire pressures checked, your assorted water tanks emptied and/or filled, an inverter generator, properly sorted weight-distributing hitch, all of your storage compartments locked, the stabilizer jacks set in place, and a plethora of camping equipment. In reality, it’s probably “simpler” to just rent one’s nightly hotel room rather than tow it around behind you.

And then there’s the electronics. In our case, we can’t leave home without our cell phones, laptop, DVD player, HDTV, gaming console, digital cameras, HD video cameras, audio equipment, MP3 players, noise-canceling headphones, and enough assorted paraphernalia to open a branch outlet of Best Buy. The wires and cables alone would stretch from Earth to the Moon, three times.

But Airstreaming does facilitate simple pleasures. This is an active lifestyle. One spends more time outdoors, and with family. It brings people closer together – literally and figuratively. I’m certain we use much less electricity and water. (As Kristy blithely remarked, “You get used to being a little dirty.”) One acquires fewer material possessions because there’s no place to store them. When shopping, the first question that comes to mind is, “Where are we going to put it?” So, this lifestyle may not be simple per se -- but it does strip away a host of mental and physical clutter.

Tomorrow SEEMORE gets his first oil change. Then we hitch and roll north into Montana.