Austin White is a photographer, videographer, climber, surfer, snowboarder, avid hiker, and dirt road explorer.
He has also been living off and on the road since he was 9 years old when his family ditched the corporate lifestyle and ladders for a life of travel. With his parents, two younger sisters, two dogs, and a cat, he hit the road in a 37ft Winnebago RV for what they thought would be a year. They ended up traveling for close to 10 years and couldn’t get enough of the freedom.
They became the BareNakedFamily and their story continues to be shared. Since then, they’ve each done their own adventures and travels. He is now based in Bend, OR while still traveling around the Pacific Northwest, chasing the things and places that give him inspiration. He lives by the philosophy “the smaller the house, the bigger the backyard” and spends as much time as possible in the great outdoors.
In this interview, Sam chats with Austin about his childhood on the road, how it has influenced his life and photography career, and his advice for other traveling families.
22:00 – Building a photography career with a travel lifestyle
Austin’s advice for traveling families:
Every kid is different. Listen to your kids and let them have a say in life on the road and their education. If they need to be stationary for a while, try slowing down. If they want to go on adventures, travel more. Help them explore the possibilities in life and find their own way.
Whether you RV fulltime or only a couple weekends a year, it is YOUR tiny home on wheels. Just like a house, it’s nice to add your personal touch.
While each year our favorite brands of RVs are coming out with nicer interiors, it still might be hard to find one that exactly fits your style. Luckily, in a small area, a little will go a long way in terms of decor. Here are five ways to personalize your RV.
1. Curtains
Image from Halfpoint (Getty)
RVs are known for coming with less than appealing cornices or valances over the majority of windows. They generally come in busy patterns that might not fit your personal style. By removing the factory installed cornices and replacing with curtains and rods, you can make a huge difference in the look and feel of the interior of your RV.
These window fixtures are easy to remove, and once taken out, you are able to replace with any rod that suits your vision. Most curtain rods are adjustable in size, making it easy to fit your preferred rod over only RV window. As for the curtains, they come in a variety of length which should make it easy to find the right one to fit any sized window.
Consider placing the curtain rod several inches above the window and using floor-length curtains to make walls feel taller. Can’t find the right pattern in the right length? Simply hem the bottom of the curtain to make it the ideal length. Want more privacy than curtains can provide? Hang your curtains and add custom window shades for additional light control and privacy.
2. Wall Decor
The walls come pretty much bare when you purchase a new RV. While it may seem tricky to hang a ton of decor from the walls of your traveling home, there are plenty of ways to secure pieces to the walls to give it a personal touch. To avoid putting holes in your RV walls, use Command hooks to hang decor.
Command makes a variety of hooks ideal for hanging different types of decorations. Use large hanging strips for bigger frames or small wire hooks with hanging items. While Command hooks are extremely reliable and are sure to keep your personalized pieces hanging on travel days, consider using plastic frames or only hanging decor that won’t shatter if the unexpected happens.
Ready to switch up the look and feel of a wall you’ve personalized? The best thing about Command hooks is they come off the wall easily and without doing any damage!
3. Rugs
Image from JackF (Getty)
Just like in a house not on wheels, floor coverings can make a huge difference to the look and feel of a room. To personalize your RV, add a rug to any or all areas!
A welcome mat is both functional and a nice way to be greeted when you open the front door. If you have a motorhome or fifth wheel with a long hallway, a runner can make a nice transition from the living space to the sleeping area.
Consider adding a large rug to your RV living room not only to make the space feel more like yours, but to provide extra padding when walking or for kiddos playing on the floor.
4. Bedding
Choosing a comforter that fits your style is a simple way to personalize your RV. You are able to use the same bedding you’d use in a traditional home. Your bed should be your sanctuary while on the road so chose bedding that makes you feel comfortable and ready for a good nights sleep.
Adding throw pillow to the bed (and couch for that matter) is a great way to further personalize your sleeping area. Traveling with little ones? Let the kids pick out the bedding for their bunk so they feel more comfortable and ready to sleep as snug as a bug!
5. Light Fixtures
Regardless if you buy a new or used RV, there is a chance you may not be thrilled with the light fixtures. Sidewall lights may look outdated and overhead lights may just be domes and provide nothing aesthetically to the room. Replacing light fixtures is an easy way to make your RV feel more like home.
Start with lighting in the areas you spend most of your time in. Chances are you spend a lot of time at the table and a new light fixture over the dinette will make a noticeable difference. Or a new pin-up light next to the couch will give your RV the personalized touch you are looking for. Switching out just one or all of the light fixtures in your RV is a great way to give it a personal feel!
The best thing about having an RV is the ability to take your home with you wherever you may roam. Even if you only spend a few nights a year in the RV, it’s still so nice to have the comforts of home with you. Since your RV is a home no matter if it’s 365 or 1 day a year, you might as well make it feel like your own.
Do you have any suggestions? Leave a comment below!
Before you make a rash decision to buy a
RV camper on a whim read this!
Lets face it RV Campers are
Expensive!
So your brother,friend,boss or neighbor
just rolled up with a new RV camper;maybe they were just excited to
show it to you or maybe they just wanted to rub it in your face!
Which ever the case,do yourself a favor, before you buy a camper RENT ONE!
Now this advice is mainly for people that
have never camped in an RV camper or who have never OWNED one of
their own.
Owning an RV camper is more work
than you think.
You have to store it, maintain it, pull it for miles and be able to park it in sometimes hard to park RV sites. Then once there, you have to set it up. Then later dump the sewerage and gray water, then clean it and put everything back in place for the next trip.
Which for me is all part of the fun of it.
Now that might not be the case for others and maybe you (future RV
Camper owner).
The best advice I can give anyone who is thinking about buying an RV Camper is to RENT ONE FIRST!
This gives you a chance to test drive the
RV Camping lifestyle. Kick the tires so to speak.
I cannot tell you how many times I see someone posting a camper on our website RVCampersForSale.com saying we only camped in it 4 times or even less.
People we are talking about campers that
people have paid thousands of dollars if not hundreds of thousands of
dollars. Selling their new campers for thousands less than they
bought it. This could of all been avoided if they would have just
rented an RV Camper to see if this lifestyle was for them.
So if you are looking at buying an RV Camper and want to see if the whole thing is for you CLICK HERE to search for an RV Camper to rent in your area.
You may fall in love with RV Camping and
decide to buy your own and we welcome you to search our site to find
the RV Camper of your dreams. Or you may just want to rent one from
time to time.
Which ever the case, make sure you rent one and pull it and set it up and take it down yourself.
There is a big difference from going
camping with uncle Joe and camping on your own.
Different because uncle Joe is doing all the work and you just have your bags and beer! 🙂
Tip for RV owners!
Did you know that you can Rent your RV Camper and make some really good money?
Money that could be paying
for that RV Camper or some other expenses
that you have.
The typical dealer mark up on a used RV is 30 to 45% above wholesale RV invoice price. With extremes at 10 to 60%. The manufacture’s recommended retail price is generally 30-40%, but most RV dealers are free to sell the RV for a price that they can get the most for it. High volume RV dealers typically sell more RVs at lower margins. Smaller volume rv dealers may sell less but expect more profit on each unit.
What is the wholesale invoice price amount? This is the price that the dealer paid for the motor home. Most dealers will not let you see this price up front. A few will. Even though they have list prices of 30 to 50% above RV wholesale invoice, most dealers like to make at least a 30% margin on their inventory. You should always be able to talk them to at least 30% over wholesale invoice. If I can buy a car for $ 500 over the wholesale invoice, can not I do the same think with a motorhome? To stay in business a dealership would have to sell for a minimum of 10-20%. RVs are much more expensive then cars and require more overhead.
Are their any other advantages to being a high volume dealer? Yes being a high volume dealer also allows you to get manufacturers rebates from $ 50 to 15% cash back from the manufacture. This depends on how aggressively the manufacturer is working to promote products or increase market share.
What amount should I offer the RV dealer and how do you calculate this amount? If you know the rv wholesale pricing or invoice amount (the amount the dealer paid) for the motorhome, in a competitive market just add 15 to 20% to the wholesale amount to make your offer. If you do not know the wholesale amount, here is a good way to estimate it: 1) Divide the SRP (suggested retail price) by 1.4. (This Assumes the average a 40% mark up) ex. List price 140,000 / 1.4 is equal to 100,000 wholesale invoice price. 2) Add a 30% mark up to the invoice price to bring it to $ 130,000 this an offer that a dealer will almost never refuse. 3) If you are a bargain shopper or feel that the dealer is in a pinch or in a competitive market offer of invoice plus a 20% mark up = $ 120,000 4) Probably the best deal you will find on the current years model is a 10 % mark up for $ 110,000 above the wholesale RV invoice. Most dealers will not accept this though.
