What's it like being a fulltime RV couple? Here's one couple's story plus resources for you to do the same…
Not too long ago, we interviewed Ali Wimberly about her and her husband's decision to become fulltime RVers, and how they've liked it since taking the plunge. We learned what it was like spending their first 1,000 days on the road and how they plan to spend many more days enjoying the RV Lifestyle.
You can watch the video version of the interview or listen to the podcast at the end of this post. But we've also transcribed an abridged version of the interview here for you.
Plus, we have included helpful resources related to things Ali mentioned in the interview to help you live out your RV dreams like Ali and Wiley are doing.
Meet Ali & Wiley Wimberly, A Fulltime RV Couple
Ali Wimberly, her husband Wiley, and their two Shorty Jack Russel terriers, Pippa and Nigel, recently celebrated 1,000 days of living on the road full-time.
Ali regularly shares her adventures with our RV Lifestyle community, sharing great campsites and the beautiful waterfalls, mountains, creeks, deserts and natural beauty they are exploring on the road – with pictures.
Ali said these past 1,000 days on the road have been an incredible journey that exceeded all her expectations and wildest dreams.
In this episode of the podcast we meet Ali, hear how she and her husband began this journey, and learn how their decision to live unconventionally has been the best decision they ever made.
Ali, 52, works part-time for the Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina, a non-profit she founded. Wiley, 53, works full-time in systems architecture for a cloud-based computer company.
They travel in a Pleasure-Way Class B campervan.
1,000 Days on the Road from a Fulltime RV Couple [Interview]
Here is the abridged interview:
Mike:
This week you're going to meet Ali Wimberly, her husband Wiley, and their two Jack Russell Terriers, Pippa and Nigel. They recently celebrated 1000 days of living on the road in their RV full-time in a class B. Ali, where are you right now?
Ali Wimberly:
We are at Cheyenne Mountain State in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I can see the NORAD entrance.
Mike:
Let's start with a little bit about how this all began for you because this was a pretty big adventure. Tell us about your life before and what caused you and your husband to decide to go be a full-time RVer.
Ali Wimberly:
Okay. My husband's mother died at 38 of cancer, and my mother at 53 of leukemia. Our experiences have taught us that none of us are promised tomorrow. Rather than postpone our dreams, we decided to go ahead and buy our Pleasure Way Plateau FL in February of 2016. We part-timed for four and a half years before going full-time in the summer of 2020.
Mike:
Sounds like you really embraced the lifestyle before making it full-time. What are some of the challenges of living on the road?
Ali Wimberly:
The biggest challenge is working remotely on the road. Sometimes the cell towers are overloaded or the parks aren't what we expected. We often have to modify and adjust our plans. Another challenge is sticking to a strict travel schedule even when we don’t feel like moving.
Mike:
And on the flip side, what do you like best about this lifestyle?
Ali Wimberly:
The natural beauty of the places we've been and the people we've met have been beyond my wildest dreams. States like Arizona surprised me with their diversity, from desert landscapes to snow-capped peaks.
Mike:
Tell us about some of your favorite places and any surprises you've encountered.
Ali Wimberly:
My favorite places are around the Alpine regions like Oregon, Washington, and up in Maine. A big surprise was Arizona, which offered so much more than the expected deserts, like Alpine regions with snow caps.
Mike:
How do you and Wiley divide your tasks like driving and planning?
Ali Wimberly:
Wiley does all the driving, and I handle all the planning and research, focusing on national parks and great hiking spots.
Mike:
What about practical matters like medical care on the road and handling your mail?
Ali Wimberly:
We have good health insurance through my husband's employer that helps us manage care nationwide. For mail, we use a service designed for RVers and boaters, which allows us to manage mail remotely.
Mike:
Finally, how long do you foresee continuing living this way?
Ali Wimberly:
We're booked through November this year and discussing the possibility of renting a space for a while, but we still envision about another six months to a year of full-time RVing. Western North Carolina still feels like home, despite having camped across most of the U.S.
Do You Want to be a Fulltime RV Couple? (Resources)
Ali mentioned several challenges, planning tools, and insights that related to several great articles we have that can help you become a fulltime RV couple. Here's a collection for you to explore:
- Where to Find FREE or Cheap RV Sites Camping
- RV Trip Planning with RV Life Pro (Routes & Places to Stay)
- 115 Jobs REAL RVers Do To Make Money While RVing
- How to Find Campground Jobs for Couples (5 Resources)
- LIFE-SAVING RV Emergency Preparedness
- How to Manage Mail While RVing: Short & Long Term
- The Biggest Pitfall of Splitting RV Duties Down the Middle
- Drive with Confidence: 7 RV Driving Tips
- How to Build Confidence as a New RV Owner (7 Tips)
Watch or Listen to the Interview
You can watch the video version from our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel by clicking the player below.
If you prefer an audio-only podcast, you can hear us through your favorite podcast app or listen now through the player below.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:46 — 78.8MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS
RV Tip of the Week from Brenda of Queen Bee RV
That podcast also included an RV Tip of the week from certified RV Inspector Brenda of Queen Bee RV.
Brenda’s focus is on educating RVers on how to care for their RVs – especially women RVers – and she is a regular contributor to the podcast, sharing her expertise with our entire audience.
Here’s Brenda.. The RV Queen Bee… with this week’s RV Tip.
Optimizing performance and troubleshooting tips for the absorption type RV refrigerator
There are typically three types of refrigerators we encounter in the RV space and those are the residential, the 12Volt DC style which are becoming very popular, and a large number of us have the RV absorption style. The absorption refrigerators utilize very old technology that you will still find in loads of both new and used RVs, so let’s talk about some tips for optimizing its performance and I will offer a few troubleshooting ideas.
The two-way absorption refrigerators are operated by either propane or 120Volts AC and the three-way will throw 12Volts DC into the mix. They all need 12Volts DC to operate the control panel to even turn the refrigerator on, so keeping your coach battery charged is an important part of the process.
Here are some tips for maximizing the performance of the absorption refrigerator:
- There is no fan in this style of refrigerator to circulate air, so don’t overpack with your food and especially up against the rear wall.
- If you have the opportunity, pre-cool your groceries and cool down leftovers before putting them in the fridge.
- Plug in the RV and turn on the refrigerator the night before a trip to allow it to reach proper and safe temperatures before adding your food.
- You may also use a small battery operated fan to help circulate air in the fridge compartment.
- Keep the RV level. The cooling coils on the backside of the refrigerator need to be at a specific angle to prolong their life and to operate properly.
- Air flow is king and the most important place that this occurs is where the cooling coils are located on the back of the refrigerator. Periodically inspect the lower access panel on the exterior of the RV to make sure there are no bugs or debris blocking air flow as it moves up and over the coils. In addition, inspect your rooftop vent for the same thing.
Now let’s cover a few troubleshooting tips:
- If you have ice on the silver fins on the inside rear wall of the fridge or it’s too warm in there, you need to adjust the temperature either on the control panel or by moving the thermistor on the interior.
- If you have no power coming to the refrigerator at all and the control panel is not illuminated, you probably have a 12Volt DC problem. Check that the coach batter is charged and also check the fuse.
- If the refrigerator will work on propane, but not on 120Volts AC electrical mode, start by checking the breaker in the electrical panel box to make sure that it has not tripped. Next, make sure the fridge is plugged into its dedicated receptacle in the exterior access panel and then confirm that you are not exceeding the power capabilities for your RV – especially if you are a 30 amp rig. You might be operating too many 120Volts AC appliances at the same time.
- If the refrigerator operates on electric mode, but not on propane, check to see if there is enough propane in the tanks. Or, you might also be in propane lockout. That would occur if there were appliances calling for propane before you turned on your tank service valve. Simply turn off all propane appliances, head out to the tank, turn the service valve to the closed position, wait a beat, then open the service valve back up. Your appliance might have also timed out if it attempted to ignite three times unsuccessfully. Reset the appliance by turning it off and then on at the control panel to start the process over.
RV App of the Week – Finding public WiFi on the road
Time now for the RV App of the Week segment, taken from the pages of NewTravelTech.com – our sister blog that celebrates the many ways technology enhances the travel experience. This is from an article they recently published about handling work from the road problems as you travel
If you want to forego carrying your own internet around, you can use a wifi finder app to locate wifi around the world. WiFi Map is the leading app in this arena.
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One Response to “Fulltime RV Couple Spends 1,000 Days on the Road (You Can, Too!)”
Comments are closed.
March 18, 2024at12:15 pm, Fashionist said:
Hi! Wonderful content! I really enjoyed reading it.
Keep up the good work. Best regards!