In the Photo Travels and Routes section of this blog, I addressed Why I Became a Nomadic Photographer. Now I want to share with you why I chose to live in an RV along with the Pros and Cons of the lifestyle from a photographer’s perspective.
For anyone out there contemplating full time RV travel, I hope this post provides some guidance to your decision process.
My camping preference is BLM land and national forest campgrounds to RV parks like the above location with stays ranging from 5 to 14 days.
Places I Traveled To
Nomadic Photographer Definition
First up, let’s look at what I mean by the term nomadic photographer as it related to the pros and cons listed in this post.
I consider a nomadic photographer to be someone who travels extensively for extended periods of time from destination to destination in some form of RV, van or camper. This means you may or may not have a home base.
Photographers who travel in an RV for short durations such as weekends or short vacation trips will likely not be as impacted by the factors I am about to cover.
Pros to RV Life as a Nomadic Photographer
One of the greatest benefits of RV life is the ability to travel to beautiful places in your home.
1. My own bed -I can sleep in my own bed wihtout worrying about it being clean or comfortable.
2. No more packing and unpacking– No more lugging belongings in and out of hotels. (I hate those luggage carts, don’t you?)
3.Take everything you need-When you travel full-time in an RV everything you need as far as clothes, computers, and camera gear can be with you (within reason). If the weather suddenly becomes too cold or too hot, your clothes for each season are there.
3. Travel with a Pet – My cat travels with me. If he could not go, I could not travel.
4. Coffee, Coffee and More Coffee. Yes, I like my coffee in the morning and am very picky about my brand. This is a bigger perk than you may think. For instance when photographing in places such as Yellowstone, many restaurants do not open till 7 to 8 A.M. By that time I have usually been in the field for hours. Prior to RV travel, my early morning coffee options in many places were restricted to those terrible hotel packets of coffee.
5. Eat Your Own Food. Just like with coffee, RV travel enables one to eat at home. When I stayed in hotels and had to head out for a sunrise shoot at 4 A.M. my breakfast choices were non existent or limited to unhealthy options!
6. Dedicated Place to Work– Living in an RV one can usually create a dedicated place to work that has everything needed to edit and process images. Staying in hotels, even for extended periods of time, I would never leave my computer and hard drives set up in the room, even if I was only going out for a hour.
Cons of RV Travel as a Nomadic Photographer
1. The Wrong RV- I could write a book on this one but instead will refer you to Top Questions Before Buying an RV. No RV is perfect, but RV’s should have some key attributes most photographers will need. For instances I consider 4 season packages an essential feature of any RV for a photographer..
2. RV Upkeep and Maintenance– RV repairs happen, can be expensive and can ruin photo trips. Once I had to leave the Tetons during a beautiful wildflower season due to a broken drain on one of my tanks. And that was only one of the examples. Also RVs require lots of maintenance tasks that take your time and money.
3. Struggles Balancing RV Life with Photography Projects – The RV community is a very active community with many clubs and online forums. It becomes easy to get caught up in the RV world instead of focusing on photography projects.
4. Weather Delays– Do not underestimate how much slower RV travel is than traveling in a car, and how susceptible RV travel is to inclement weather. In fact, numerous times my photo destinations completely changed due to inclement weather.
6. Campsites– Choosing the right RV will make a big difference in where one can camp. As a photographer, you may likely be in remote locations and/or in popular locations at busy times. Choosing a smaller RV’s will greatly increase the chances of securing more campsites. Shorter is better!
7. Trip Planning- Don’t underestimate the time it takes to plan travel days when you are driving any type of RV. Every route needs to be reviewed for road grades, clearances and estimated winds before hitting the road. On a weekly or biweekly basis, this task can quickly consume a bunch of time, especially if you are traveling in larger and taller RVs.
Is it worth living in an RV/camper for Photography?
Yes, absolutely. Despite the long list of above cons, there is no better way to photograph a variety of destinations than by living, either full-time or part-time, in an RV, van, or camper.
Many of the above cons are issues that can be resolved or mitigated to an by taking the following steps:
Purchase the Right RV/Camper/Van
Learn Basic RV Maintenance Skills
If you are not comfortable performing these tasks or do not have the budget for expensive RV repairs, possibly look into a simple van or cargo trailer conversion.
Final Thoughts on Living in an RV as a Photographer
Only you will know if living in an RV is right for your photography travels. For those who move frequently to lots of places, a RV is a good choice. However, for photographers who primarily work one destination at a time for extended periods, there may be better options than owning an RV. Do not underestimate the time and cost involved with RV living; it goes way beyond the purchase price of an RV.
Thanks for joining me for this discussion of RV life as a photographer. Please don’t hesitate to email me if I can be of help to you in any way. Also, be sure to check out my Portfolio to see some of the amazing places traveling in a RV has allowed me to photograph.