RV Living for the Travel Nurse
By Aaron J. Moore, RN, MSN, contributor
Q: I'm going to be traveling in about a year. I'm considering buying an RV. Do many travel nurses live this way or do most rent apartments?
A: Now that is an interesting way to travel. I can’t honestly say that I have seen the country in an RV, but I did meet a few nurse travelers who chose to travel that way. They had nothing but great things to say about it.
Like travel nursing, traveling cross country in an RV is a different lifestyle. It’s not for everyone but if it’s your chosen way to get around and live, then good for you.
RV living vs. travel nurse housing
The large majority of nurse travelers seem to go the more traditional route for their travel nurse housing--taking the furnished apartment provided by their agency--but I think it’s great when someone decides to use their housing stipend to fit their own style.
In order to help you make a decision about whether a recreational vehicle might be right for you, here are a couple of things I learned from my travel experience that apply to RV travel, and stuff I learned from those RV lovers I met while traveling.
The pros and cons
First off, let’s talk about the RV experts. The few people I met that traveled in RVs were couples and they loved their lifestyle, both the travel nursing aspect and living out of an RV. They had nothing but good things to say about their “home,” Including the great road trips it provided.
And today’s travelers have even more options, including the new tiny home movement.
One complaint I heard about RV living, however, is that it made it a little harder to find travel positions because of access. I’m not sure if you are planning on taking another car or bike with you on your travels, but I would recommend it. Most RV owners live outside the downtown area and have to commute, so you’ll need to consider your transportation options.
The only other complaint I heard was about maintenance. Most of these travelers seemed pretty savvy when it came to fixing up their rigs, but owning your own RV--just like a boat or any other vehicle--can be very expensive at times.
Compare the cost and convenience
Now I’m not one to shy away from a new adventure, and driving cross country road-warrior style in my own RV sounds like an awesome time, in my personal opinion.
But when it comes to travel nursing and living in an RV, I would really think about this one long and hard before committing to it. First, there is the upfront cost of buying the vehicle, then maintenance, and the whole transportation issue when you’re not on the road with your rig.
I loved the apartment life of travel nursing. It was easy and cost-efficient. If you have anything that breaks in an apartment, you call a guy and he comes up and fixes it (on someone else’s dime).
When it’s your RV that has problems, well, you fix it, or pay someone to fix it. You might make some extra money from your travel nurse housing stipend, but you should compare this against the average upkeep and maintenance costs on an RV. Plus, don’t forget that you will have to pay fees wherever you park your tiny home/gas guzzler.
It’s your choice
Personally, I would choose the apartment life. It is more traditional and recruiters are more used to it and can help you out more.
If you are seriously considering traveling by RV, though, don’t let me discourage you. I would ask your recruiter if he or she has had experience with travelers who have chosen this option. They can also help you consider the pros and cons.
Whatever you choose for your travel nurse housing, know that you are making a great choice to become a travel nurse. There are many different paths to the same ending; choose yours wisely and you will live a happy life in travel nursing.
LTD (Livin’ the dream)
RELATED: Getting Creative with Your Travel Nurse Housing
Do you have a question about travel nursing? Find answers to travel nurse FAQs, or apply today to start working with one of TravelNursing.com’s staffing partners.