The Life of Bon: Saturday Takeover: Happiest Camper

Friday, April 24, 2015

Saturday Takeover: Happiest Camper

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Hello, Friends of Bonnie! Have you seen those popular television shows and documentaries that glorify tiny living? The ones where couples or families live in 300 square feet debt free with the world at their doorstep? Yeah, we watch them too and think those people found the key to simplicity and real happiness, so we tried it for ourselves. How do you think that's going? When we were faced with making our next domicile move back in January 2015, we carefully weighed the pros and cons of buying a traditional home, continuing to rent a house or apartment, or hitting the road. As a couple of thirty-somethings without kids and some employment flexibility, we decided it was a good time to give full-time RV living a whirl. Don't we look happy?
Full Time RV Family

Within six weeks we gave away our cat and chickens, sold a vehicle and bought a truck, moved the vast majority of our belongings into storage, and purchased a 1987 Kountry Aire 5th Wheel RV, our new-to-us home, which needed a mile-long list of renovations. My husband, Dave (a handsome ginger), is a handy guy who welds and fixes just about anything himself. I love to decorate and sew,
so renovating a tiny space appealed to us...for the first week.

1987 Kountry AIre 5th Wheel RV Camper Interior

RV Camper RenovationWe gutted the entire camper that was covered in 80's fabulous rose-colored carpet and flowers. Thinking about the smell still makes me gag a little.

Dave LSU Paint Roller RV Renovation

Every inch of the space was covered in primer and three coats of paint just before the clock ran out on our lease, and it was time to Move. That. Bus! (I've always wanted to say that.) Initially, we only moved 5 miles, but they weren't easy! You can read about that night here.

1987 Kountry Aire Vintage 5th Wheel

Three months later, we are still working out A LOT of kinks and adjusting to tiny living. The flooring is not installed. I have no idea where to put our shoes, and the dogs have yet to learn that cacti are inedible. (We're in Arizona.)

Puppy Eating Cactus

I received the following text message from Dave while writing this post: "Our house smells like a nursing home. We have a toilet situation." Ugh.

Full Time RV Life

In spite of all the downsides, we named our blog Happiest Camper for a reason; We seek the positive in every situation. In the last three months we have met the nicest people, both virtually and in real life, who have extraordinary stories. We have seen beautiful, unique places, and wake up to stunning views each morning. Our relationship has grown closer despite the limited space. That was a real concern for this introvert who MUST have alone time on a regular basis. Of course there have been disagreements. It is a marriage, after all.

Bartlett Lake


If you are looking for a blog that is all sunshine and rainbows with Pinterest perfect photos, Happiest Camper isn't it. I share real life experiences including the good, the bad and the ugly because all three exist in any chosen lifestyle. We have big plans for posting DIY projects, sewing patterns, travel reviews, camper modifications, adorable dog photos and more. We hope you'll join us on our bumpy, yet entertaining, ride. Stay connected by signing up for our mailing list or following on Instagram (@HappiestCamperH). Facebook and Twitter links are available, but truthfully we don't use them much. Keeping it real!

Make it a Great Day  

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