Imagine that you and your partner have just gotten married. You’ve been dating for three years, got married, and now you’ve decided to buy an RV to travel the country. That’s great, right? Absolutely! Until three months later when 300 square feet suddenly seems very small …… very small.
Do most marriages survive RV living? Well, it depends on the couple, of course, but once a couple learns how to navigate a small space, and the countryside together, married RV life is the good life!
Here are seven things you can do to make a happy marriage in an RV.
- Be flexible
Things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes an RV park loses your reservation, sometimes an accident on the highway can delay you for hours, sometimes the place you drove two hours to will be closed, sometimes it rains and pours …… sometimes the roof can leak …… the list goes on and on . Remember, you are in this together. If both of you stay flexible, and if you can come up with a good back-up plan together, your trip will go well. - Respect personal space
Guys, 300 square feet is small. What happens when your partner is watching TV in the “living room” and you’re trying to read in the bedroom? Well, you might give up reading and join them because you can’t concentrate on reading in the noise.
If you want to sleep in, but your partner gets up at 5 a.m., the coffee pot is gurgling, the bacon is rustling, and the microwave is beeping …… yes. Good luck with that.
The key is to respect each other’s personal space. Maybe the TV volume can be turned down, maybe the bacon can wait …… If someone needs some alone time, make sure they have it.
- Don’t eat legumes ……
Regarding personal space, have you ever shared 300 square feet with someone who only eats one can of baked beans for dinner? Or hugger kale? Broccoli? Guys, if you want your marriage to last until your RV trip, know what the magic fruit is that makes you …… Well, you know …… And postpone those. - Pack light …… or not ……
If you know your wife wants to bring her favorite pair of slippers, even though she has brought seven other pairs …… then let her. You will have to pick your battles. If she says, “No, no, honey, you’re right. I should have left them behind,” do her a favor and sneak them into her bag. She’ll be happy when she knows you brought them anyway. Just because you’re on the road doesn’t mean doing something special for each other’s stopping points. - Back up
If you’ve never had an argument while backing up your rig, then you’ve never RVed with a significant other. it’s bound to happen. Practice your tricks when your RV is parked (whatever those tricks are) and know exactly what your partner is doing back there when they swing their arms one way or the other. If you know exactly what you mean when your partner yells at you to turn the wheel to the right but back up to the left (watch out for that tree!) when you mean it, you’ll avoid arguments. You can thank us later. - Listen to the GPS
You know what they say about men not asking for directions? Well, sometimes men don’t listen to GPS either. men, if your partner tells you to go one way, then listen and go the damn way. “Backseat drivers” may be annoying, but they’re the ones who study the maps, aren’t they? Not to mention the fact that GPS can be wrong. - Look at the gas tank
One sure way to argue? It’s out of gas. Again, the “backseat” or “passenger” driver knows if you’re leaving town soon and the next town isn’t 100 miles away (they have a map, remember?). . If they say, “How’s the gas tank? The next gas station won’t be for a while,” if you want to keep the peace, it’s wise to refuel.
