Yes, you read that correctly; this is a post about “Holidays on the Road.” And you may still have Halloween candy you are eating. After all, Halloween was just two weeks ago!

We tried to decide when to post this blog. Ultimately we decided to post it well before Thanksgiving. This would give you plenty of time to take advantage of some ideas we have included that require early planning.

Some quick information about Dave and me. We have been living exclusively in our RV and traveling the country since October 2018. We have children and grandchildren who live across the country. Due to our traveling, we have missed spending holidays with our adult children and grandchildren. However, we have frequently spent holidays with our family of creation, other RVers.

One thing we have found with full-time RV living is that you create a new family. A family that lives the same lifestyle as you. A family that understands the ups and downs and the good and bad about living in 200-400 square feet. We have two couples in particular that we keep in touch with regularly. We make plans to meet somewhere in the country. Once, for example, we met up in Branson and spent a week taking in the shows together! This is our family of creation.

We have met people who have decided to get off the road because they are homesick. And we have also known people who limit their travel to three seasons so they can spend the winter/holidays with their families of origin.

Should You Head Home for the Holidays?

Now, right after Halloween, is a great time to ask yourself and then answer two questions:

• Do you feel an obligation to be “home for the holidays”? You might experience guilt and say to yourself, “I should be home for the holidays. People are expecting me to return for the holidays.”
• Do you feel a desire to be “home for the holidays”? You might say to yourself, “I want to be home for the holidays. I want to spend time with family.”

There is no right or wrong answer. It is a personal decision.

Heading Home for the Holidays

If you answered yes to either question, you might want to start planning that trip home!

The next question to answer is: which holiday? Every family has its traditions. Sometimes Thanksgiving brings about a bigger family gathering than Christmas or Hanukkah. For some, it is the week between Christmas and New Year’s when the kids or grandchildren are out of school for winter break. Which holiday celebration takes precedence is very much based on the family.

And as you plan to go home, also think about how long you want to be gone. Keep in mind Benjamin Franklin’s adage: “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.”

There are pros and cons of traveling “home” in your RV, traveling by car (yours or a rental) or flying. On a recent trip back to Maine, we left our RV in Texas and flew back to Maine for a wedding. It was the first time in seven years that we have ever left our motorhome! This time it was a quick, time-limited visit for a wedding, so we flew.

Of course, one of the considerations in traveling for those big winter holidays is the weather. Class A RV’s are not very happy to operate in three feet of snow!

If you do decide to fly or drive your car or a rental car home for the holidays, there are things you need to do to prepare your RV for your absence. Depending on how long you will be gone for the holidays, you have two choices for leaving your RV behind:

• use a storage facility
• leave it plugged into the electricity at a campground (this is what we chose to do)

Some ideas to keep in mind:

• Shut off or disconnect the water at the pedestal to your RV
• Close your grey water tank valves
• Set your AC “high” (we were in Texas and left ours on 80 degrees), or set the heat as low as you feel comfortable to prevent freezing
• Bring in all your slides
• Lock your basement doors
• Clean out your refrigerator and make sure you take all the trash out!
• Let your RV park know you will be gone and make sure they have a good/current contact number

When we flew back to Maine, we did all these things. We also have motion sensor lights on two sides of the RV that we turned on. And we also talked with our close neighbors in the campground to let them know when we were leaving and when we would return. The campground is not gated, but we felt very safe leaving our RV.

Staying in Your RV for the Holidays

No one needs to tell you how little space there is in an RV. It doesn’t matter if it is the smallest rear drop tag-along or the biggest tag-axle Class A, there is not a lot of “extra” space. There are many fun and creative ways to decorate your RV. For example, buy a small fiber-optic Christmas tree instead of a live tree. This is what we have done!

Decorate the inside and/or the outside of your RV with garlands, wreaths, lights, holiday-scented candles or plug-ins. If you exchange gifts with your significant other, focus on smaller gifts or gift cards. We focus on what can fit inside our Christmas stockings.

We have seen some people who extensively decorate the exteriors of their RVs. Some people even purchase inflatables!

Most people who live in an RV full time or live in their RVs only for the winter, spend their time in a warmer climate. If your family lives in a colder climate, why not invite your family to visit you in your warmer climate?

This might not work for many families. But for some families, this change of pace might be a wonderful alternative! If your RV is not big enough to accommodate all your family members, you will need to look at alternate housing: a cabin at your campground, Airbnb, or a hotel. Since you are in the area, you probably know closer options than someone from away. This might end up requiring some planning.

If you don’t plan on leaving for the holidays or inviting any family to visit you, look for new traditions with your created family. If you are staying at a campground, many offer activities around the holidays. Last year we stayed at a campground that offered a big community meal at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The campground management even brought in a band for New Year’s Eve.

The campground provided turkey and ham for all, and there was a sign-up for campers to bring a potluck dish. This opportunity for a communal meal gives you an opportunity to meet new people and create a broader community.

Take Away

Even though this is just barely November, making a decision about the holidays will have to be made soon! Whatever you decide, hopefully you will be able to make wonderful memories and your holidays will be filled with joy.

Your partners in travel,
Kathryn and Dave
RVing Nomads

It’s a lifestyle

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• We have visited each town, attraction and restaurant we are writing about. • No person, business or attraction has paid us for an endorsement. • AI has not been used to write any of the content of this blog. • All the photos in this blog were taken by Dave or Kathryn Harrington.