The full-time RV life isn’t for everyone, but it is perfect for more than 1 million Americans. Why? Here are a number of the many attractions that draw people from their homesteads out to the open road.

Youthful: The first benefit I hear from people who have made the transition to full-time RV life is how they have reversed their aging. How they look and feel younger. How can this be? I credit the reduction in stress offered by RV life, and the opening yourself to new experiences on a daily basis.

Exploration: Most people crisscross America on freeways in a hurry to get to a destination. Full-time RVers learn to slow down and take the backroads to actually see America. To focus on the periodic stops by exploring the area for days at a time rather than making good time. This opens one up to enriching experiences.

Economical Lifestyle: While it is certainly easy to experience the full-time RV lifestyle in high style, it’s equally easy to live in a very frugal manner. I have visited RV communities that require a $1 million commitment in the purchase of a deeded parcel to huge communities where you can purchase long-term federal permits from $40 to $300. There is a luxury resort I visited where, for the price of a $3,600 six-month lease on a fully developed site, you may leave your RV there for the rest of the year.

The Easy Life: Full-time RVers always comment on how it was freeing to get rid of the accumulated stuff they were tied to. Much like the TV show Hoarders, we become trapped by our possessions. The RV lifestyle is one of few possessions, and just the essentials when it comes to stuff. There may be a sealed container with a single suit and dress, as your wardrobe only needs to be t-shirts and jeans or shorts, as you can always be in great weather.

Family & Friends: As full-time RVers make their annual loop around the country to visit family and friends, life becomes one big party as it is so enjoyable to visit in a manner that isn’t imposing on those being visited. You stay in your own home, sleeping in your own bed, and yet being able to be a part of their lives on a temporary basis. When it is time to leave, simply unhook and motor on to the next anticipated visit.

New Friends: When RVers pull into the next destination, the first thing is for those around you to walk over, introduce themselves, and invite you to evening gatherings. Sitting around on foldout chairs sharing stories of where you have been and what you have seen. This lifestyle pulls you out of your shell and allows you to make many new friends.

Travel With Physical Limitations: As a result of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, campgrounds have built more ramps, paved more pathways, and created handicapped-accessible bathroom and showers. There is one resort I know of where there is a section that offers skilled care in your RV. This allows you to recover in your own “home.”

Interested in trying this lifestyle without a big commitment? There are hundreds of camping areas across the U.S. with fully equipped cabins. This allows you to experience the lifestyle from your auto. Try it, as you may find the RVer experience compelling.