This article is about RV downsizing. And about why and how to do it.
Of course, when you start out RVing there’s a lot of things you just don’t know.
And one of those things for many people is how little space they can live in comfortably.
Table of Contents
- Why Many People Buy Big RVs
- RV Downsizing Reason #1
- #2 – Downsizing For RV Parks And Campgrounds
- RV Downsizing Reason #3
- #4 – What About Maintenance And Repair?
- RV Downsizing Reason #5
- The Cost Of Large RV Rigs – #6
- What About Fuel Mileage? – #7
- RV Downsizing Reason #8
- #9 – What About RV Storage Choices?
- #10 – Lifestyle Changes
- RV Downsizing Reason #11
- The Last Reason For Downsizing – #12
- How Can You Downsize A Motorhome Successfully?
- What About Towable RVs?
- Conclusion
Why Many People Buy Big RVs
Also, many come from houses that have 1000 – 3000 or more square feet of living area.
And it can be really daunting to think about living in only 300 square feet or maybe even less.
And that’s the kind of living space that you often find in RVs. So lots of folks just choose a bigger rig to start with.
That’s in order to make the transition a little bit easier for them from a stationary home to an RV.
And quite frankly, that’s really not a bad idea in many cases as they are just starting their RV life.
But there can be lots of reasons why RVers eventually choose to downsize their rig after a while. And we’ll talk about that now.
But before we get started, let me mention something else at this point.
And that is that this is also a very good discussion for you newer RVers too. Even those that don’t have an RV yet.
That’s because some of the points we’re going to cover could actually be things you need to think about before making your first RV purchase.
And knowing this information can help you buy the right size RV the first time.
RV Downsizing Reason #1
OK, let’s get started. And the first possible reason for downsizing is it could that your rig is hard for you to maneuver and drive around.
Now take it from me, because I have a 40 foot diesel pusher motorhome. And we flat tow a Honda CRV behind it.
So when it’s all hooked up, it’s a big rig! In fact, it rivals even many commercial truck and trailer combinations in length.
Also, when I’m all hooked up I don’t have a reverse gear at that point. At least that’s the way I look at it anyway.
Because you really can’t back up when you have a flat towed vehicle connected.
So that means that I can only move in one direction when I’m driving my motorhome.
And that’s something you should think about before buying an RV.
Because when you have a big heavy rig and you’re towing a vehicle, maneuverability is cut down drastically.
For me, I have just decided to use bigger roads and interstate highways when I travel.
Because secondary roads could be a real challenge and it’s not hard to get into tough situations there. So all of that could be a reason for downsizing.
#2 – Downsizing For RV Parks And Campgrounds
OK, the second reason for downsizing is that many campgrounds these days are still not big rig friendly.
They were built decades ago for RVs that were generally a much smaller size back then.
So the campground roads are more narrow. And in many cases, the corners can be narrow and make turning challenging too.
Also, in many of these older RV parks the sites themselves are tight. Making them more difficult to get into and out of with a bigger rig.
So all of this could be a very good reason for downsizing into a smaller and more nimble RV.
RV Downsizing Reason #3
OK, our third reason for downsizing has to do boondocking. Or off-grid camping. And lots of folks love to do that.
In fact, that’s what many people want to do with their RV. They aren’t interested in staying in RV parks or campgrounds.
Instead, they want to go to remote places. Where you’re going to see things that you just can’t see any other way.
Well if you have a bigger rig, I’m going to tell you that’s going to be more of a challenge.
It’s just a fact that off-road camping is a lot easier in smaller RVs in general.
Now it doesn’t mean you can’t do it in bigger rigs. But it’s more of a challenge for sure!
#4 – What About Maintenance And Repair?
Now our next reason for downsizing is that big rigs often require more maintenance and repair overall.
That’s because if manufacturers have a bigger RV to work with, they often stuff a whole lot more amenities and other things in it.
Things that can require more maintenance and more expense to keep up and repair.
Now I made a video a little while ago about the annual cost of maintaining our particular rig.
And quite frankly, I was very surprised when I found out how much it was costing us.
So I think it would be helpful for you to watch that video. Because it might help you decide whether downsizing is a good idea for you or not.
Especially if you want to avoid some of those extra costs of RV maintenance and repairs.
RV Downsizing Reason #5
OK, our next reason for downsizing is that big rigs require a lot more focus to drive.
And I can testify to that. Because when I’m driving I’m always watching everything.
And by that, I mean I’m scanning the gauges in front of me constantly.
That helps me make sure that all of the mechanical things on the RV are operating correctly.
Then I’m also looking at the car we tow along with us in the rear camera too. Just to make sure it’s okay and tracking along behind us well.
And I’m also checking my tire pressure monitoring system from time to time.
Then I’m also looking at the coach’s mirrors to see what’s coming up behind me.
And besides all of that, I’m looking at the road ahead, the road conditions and even the weather.
So all of these things require focus on the part of the RV’s driver. And more focus than usual because it’s a bigger rig.
Because if something goes wrong, you need to be prepared for it if you can.
Now all of that focus and attention can honestly wear you out. And it doesn’t take very long to do that.
So if you want to enjoy the journey more as you travel, maybe a smaller RV might be good for you.
The Cost Of Large RV Rigs – #6
Now our next reason for downsizing is that larger rigs often just cost more to buy up front.
And that means that if you downsize to a smaller rig, you can probably save money. That’s because the RV itself is not costing you as much.
What About Fuel Mileage? – #7
Also, another reason for downsizing is that smaller RVs tend to get better fuel mileage.
So that means you can travel more and farther for less money. And that’s a great thing!
RV Downsizing Reason #8
Now another reason for downsizing is that when you get your fuel, you actually can have access to a lot more fuel stations with a smaller rig.
For us, with the big rig we have, we only feel comfortable going to fuel stations where commercial trucks get their fuel.
That’s because with a bigger rig going into a normal fuel station you have to be very careful.
Because you might get in at that fuel station. But you may not get out very easily. And we learned that lesson the hard way!
So having a smaller rig is a lot easier to fuel up and maneuver in more fuel stations.
#9 – What About RV Storage Choices?
The next reason for downsizing is that you may not have to store your RV at a storage facility while you’re not using it.
So for those that aren’t RVing full-time, what do you do with your RV when you’re not using it?
Well if it’s a bigger RV, you’re probably going to need to store it at a storage facility.
But if it’s smaller, it very often can fit right there at home with you. And that’s a big savings on storage costs.
#10 – Lifestyle Changes
OK, our next reason for downsizing is maybe you’ve been RVing for a while.
And now you’ve discovered that your space and living area needs have changed.
So you now feel that you can live in a smaller area. And if that’s the case, then downsizing could be a good idea for you.
RV Downsizing Reason #11
Also, another reason for downsizing is that we all reach a point in life where it becomes physically challenging to have a larger rig.
That’s because there’s just so much more physical work that goes with a big RV.
It takes more effort to maintain it and care for it. And even in setting up and breaking down camp each time you stop.
So maybe you want to continue RVing. But you don’t want to have to expend the physical effort that’s involved with a bigger rig.
Well if that’s the case, downsizing could be a very good thing for you at that stage of life.
The Last Reason For Downsizing – #12
Now the last thing to cover in this article is that a lot of folks want to live a more minimalistic lifestyle these days.
In fact, they want to get rid of stuff and material things rather than accumulate them.
So if you feel that way, it may make a lot of sense for you to consider downsizing your rig.
For instance, it may be important to you to live a greener lifestyle in general. Or just a more more minimalistic one.
And in that case, downsizing your RV will help. Because it will really force you to not be able to carry as much stuff along with you.
Because you just can’t afford to do that with the weight and space that you have in a smaller RV.
Well, these are all good reasons to think about RV downsizing in the near future.
How Can You Downsize A Motorhome Successfully?
Now let’s talk about how to do it. And let’s assume that you’re a motorhome owner and you’ve got a big rig.
It might even be a Class A diesel pusher or it could be a Super C RV as well. So how do you downsize from those larger rigs?
Well for you Class A diesel pusher owners, you could downsize down to a a gasoline-powered Class A instead.
Something around 30 feet or so. And that could be a very good choice for you.
Or you could go even farther and downsize into a class C RV. Because some of them go down to around 25 feet or so.
That could be a very good choice for you and still keep you in a motorhome.
What About Towable RVs?
But now what about you luxury fifth wheel owners? Of course, you’ve got a rolling apartment going down the road, right?
Well the good news is that again you can downsize to a smaller fifth wheel.
In fact, there’s a lot of them on the market that are 30 feet or a little bit more. And that could be a very good choice for you instead.
But remember, you also have access to travel trailers as a towable RV too.
So you could drop down in size to almost any size RV you want using a travel trailer.
Conclusion
But the bottom line is that if you have a motorhome, there are ways to downsize your RV.
And if you have a towable RV, there’s ways to successfully downsize from there as well. But before I finish here, let me say this.
Not everyone feels the need to downsize their rig or their RV. In fact, there’s a lot of folks that want to go the opposite direction.
They want even more room than they currently have. But the great thing about RVing is the flexibility that it allows you.
You can adjust your living space to choose whatever you feel is going to make you happy. And that is a very good thing!
Have safe and happy travels my friends!