Full-time RV living often requires creative career paths, stretching from travel nursing to mobile campground management. This article dives into how families balance these unique on-the-road professions and navigate the day-to-day logistics of mobile work layouts.
Things have changed drastically since 2020 for Kevin Hawkins and his family. Kevin grew up bouncing between Idaho and Arizona.
“Originally, I was born in Ontario, Oregon, but I grew up in Idaho,” Kevin shares. “Then we moved to Arizona… through school and stuff… then Phoenix.”
He and his wife, Lyn, originally met in high school in the small mountain city of Show Low, Arizona. In 2009, they moved down to Phoenix where they married. Kevin worked as a paramedic and even drove a tour bus for a while.
“When we got to Phoenix, I had a hard time finding a job, so I ended up driving a tour bus,” Kevin recalls. * “Funnest job I’ve had my entire life! We did all the national parks, so I’ve seen Yellowstone probably sixty times.”*
The Transition to Travel Nursing
A few years later, the family moved back north to Idaho. Kevin returned to school and earned his nursing degree. When the pandemic hit in 2020, it created a seamless opportunity for him to transition into travel nursing.
The family already owned a 34-foot camper that they bought for casual weekend trips, having only used it twice before the world changed. Kevin hit the highway alone to answer the call for healthcare workers, spending the first part of 2020 far away from his family and home.
Lyn quickly realized that being separated wasn’t going to work. “He was gone in the RV and that’s when I’m like, dude, no. We’re going with.”
Upgrading to a 43-Foot Toy Hauler
To accommodate long-term family living on the road, they traded in their 34-foot rig and purchased a massive 43-foot toy hauler. This specific camper style features a built-in “garage” space in the rear.
While these units are traditionally designed for transporting motorized toys like ATVs, many RV families buy toy haulers specifically to repurpose the garage space. It commonly becomes a children’s bedroom, a private play area, a mobile office, or an expanded entertainment zone.
“We have a 15-year-old, so we use the garage as her bedroom because it has a queen-size drop-down bed,” Lyn explains. “It gives her privacy and her own space, while we take the front master bedroom.”
Road-Schooling and Regional Cuisine
Living on wheels has allowed the Hawkins family to experience the diverse culinary and historical landscapes of the United States firsthand.
Kevin laughs about the regional food overloads they experienced during distinct nursing assignments:
“In Oregon, everything was salmon. Everything. I would have salmon two or three times a day. And in Maine, everything was lobster two or three times a day. I mean, they were bringing it to us right off the boat and putting it on your plate.”
From exploring the depths of the Alamo to standing before Mount Rushmore, the family uses the entire country as a shifting classroom for their daughter.
“We homeschool because we’re traveling, so we try to turn wherever we go into a history or geographical lesson,” Kevin says. “We find local museums or historical landmarks unique to the area. Our daughter loves history. She’s always watching The History Channel or shows like Mysteries at the Museum. To be able to actually see some of these different things in person, she really enjoys it.”
Debunking the Biggest Myth: Is RV Living Cheap?
When asked if they have any critical advice for people looking to jump into full-time RV living, Kevin and Lyn do not hold back on the financial realities.
“Have lots of money. It’s not cheap,” Kevin warns. “I don’t care what people tell you: IT IS NOT CHEAP. It’s way more expensive now than when we started. I think that’s the biggest myth out there. You won’t save any money—not unless you stay parked in one single place, but then you’re not going to actually travel like you want.”
Lyn emphasizes that detailed logistics and advanced research are non-negotiable for smooth travel:
- Check Seasonal Operations: Many bucket-list destinations and campgrounds are not open year-round.
- Verify Rig Clearance: Large rigs over 40 feet will not fit into every campsite or state park.
- Gather Peer Reviews: Talk to other campers to get real, unfiltered information about road conditions and parks.
Learning from the RV Community
Ultimately, the best place to gain actionable knowledge about the lifestyle is from the people living it.
“When we went to Texas, I ran into another travel nurse who had been traveling for like 16 years,” Kevin says. “I learned a single ton of information from them. You just learn from other people. You can’t be afraid to ask questions. We’ve been doing it almost five years and we still don’t know half the stuff we should!”
Despite the steep learning curve, the community remains the best perk of the lifestyle. “Wherever we are, we’ve always found somebody willing to come over and help us out. That’s one of the things that I really like about traveling—RVers are always incredibly friendly.”