Full-Time RVing
Living in an RV as your only home. What full-timing really involves, choosing a rig for living rather than vacations, downsizing, keeping a legal address, Alberta Health Care residency rules, the types of insurance to ask about, internet and phone, working on the road, the social side, and the honest downsides.
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What full-timing really involves
Full-timing means the RV is your only home. There’s no house to go back to for laundry, to wait out a cold snap, or to stay in while the RV is in the shop. Some full-timers travel constantly; others park for months at a time and move with the seasons. Either way, everything a house does, the RV now has to do: shelter, storage, an office, a mailing address, a place to recover when you’re sick.
Full-timing can be wonderful. People talk about the freedom, the simpler life, the scenery and the friendships. It also means living with constant small repairs, close quarters and a lot of planning, and it raises questions about residency, health care and insurance that a house owner never thinks about.
| In a house you have | Full-time, you need to plan for |
|---|---|
| A fixed address | A legal address in Alberta and a way to get mail. See address and residency. |
| A family doctor nearby | Care on the road, prescriptions, and staying within Alberta Health Care’s absence limits. See health care. |
| Home insurance | Insurance that covers the RV as a home, its contents and your liability. See insurance. |
| A furnace and insulated walls | Winter: going south, or a plan for living in an RV in the cold. See Four-season RV living. |
| A garage and a basement | Everything you own fits in the RV or the truck, within their weight limits. See downsizing. |
| Somewhere to stay during repairs | A backup plan and a budget for the times the RV is in the shop. |
A rig for living, not just travel
The RV that’s perfect for two weeks of holidays can be the wrong one to live in. When you choose a rig for full-timing, you’re choosing a home first and a vehicle second. The types of RV, and the weight numbers that matter for towing, are explained on Trailer and RV camping.
| What matters | For a vacation rig | For living in |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Smaller is easier to tow and fits more campsites. | More room for daily life, but a big rig limits where you can go and needs a bigger tow vehicle. |
| Cargo carrying capacity | A week’s gear and food. | Everything you own. Full-timers often run out of cargo capacity before they run out of cupboard space. |
| Bed and bathroom | Fine for a few nights. | Has to be comfortable every night. Try the bed, the shower and the toilet in the store, at full height. |
| Workspace | The dinette will do. | A place to work, read or do paperwork without clearing the table for every meal. |
| Tanks and power | Small tanks are fine with hook-ups. | Bigger fresh, grey and black tanks and a good battery bank let you stay longer without services. See RV systems. |
| Insulation and heating | Not a big concern in summer. | Very important if you’ll ever see cold weather. Ask what’s insulated, including the underbelly and tanks, and how they’re heated. |
| Build quality | Wear shows slowly with light use. | Daily use exposes weak cabinet hinges, thin floors and poor sealing quickly. |
- Look for the CSA label. The CSA Z240 RV series is the Canadian set of standards for recreational vehicles, covering general safety, vehicle, plumbing, propane and electrical requirements. Look for a CSA certification label on any RV you’re considering. If it was built for another country, ask what it needs before it can be registered and insured here.
- Be cautious of words like “four-season” or “arctic” in a brochure. They aren’t standard ratings. Ask what’s actually done: insulation, heated and enclosed tanks, dual-pane windows, and the furnace size.
- Have a used RV inspected by someone independent of the seller before you buy. Pay special attention to the roof, signs of water damage in corners and around slide-outs, the frame, and the age of the tires.
- Match the tow vehicle to the RV, loaded with everything you own, not to the brochure’s dry weight. Weigh the full rig at a public scale. See the weight numbers.
Downsizing
Going from a house to an RV usually means letting go of most of what you own. It’s often the hardest part of full-timing, practically and emotionally. Give it more time than you think.
- Start early. Months, not weeks. A room or a closet at a time.
- Sort into keep, store, give to family, sell, donate and recycle. Be honest about the keep pile.
- Think about weight, not just space. Books, tools, cast iron and canned goods add up fast against the RV’s cargo carrying capacity.
- Keep what you use every week, plus what you need for safety and repairs.
- Digitize papers and photos where you can, and keep originals of important documents somewhere safe and dry.
- Decide about storage carefully. A storage unit is a monthly cost for as long as you keep it. Many people end up paying to store things they never use again.
- Talk to family early about heirlooms and keepsakes, so nobody is surprised.
- Live with less before you move. Try living out of the RV’s worth of belongings for a few weeks while you still have the house.
Address and residency
Even if the RV is always moving, you still live somewhere in the eyes of the law. Your province of residence affects your health coverage, your income tax, your driver’s licence and your vehicle registration. For Albertans who want to stay Albertans, that means keeping real ties to Alberta.
Driver’s licence and registration
The Government of Alberta requires a physical address in Alberta, plus a mailing address in Alberta, for your driver’s licence and vehicle registration. The physical address can be a street address, a legal land description or a rural address. If your address changes, you must update it within 14 days, in person at a registry agent.
Income tax
The Canada Revenue Agency says your province of residence for a tax year is the province where you lived, or were a factual resident, on December 31. If you keep significant ties to Alberta while you travel, you generally remain an Alberta resident for tax purposes. The rules on residential ties are detailed; read the CRA’s guidance or talk to a tax professional before you sell your home.
Health coverage
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan coverage depends on living in Alberta and keeping a permanent residence there. See health care below.
- A trusted family member or friend who collects your mail, opens what you ask, and forwards or scans it.
- A post office box or mailbox service in Alberta, where you check in when you’re nearby.
- Canada Post Mail Forwarding offers a temporary relocation option. Canada Post describes it as suitable for “a snowbird going south for the winter”. It doesn’t forward parcels, so tell senders where to ship them.
- Go paperless wherever you can: banking, bills, government accounts and pension statements.
Don’t give up your Alberta address without a plan. Selling the house and having no physical address in Alberta can affect your licence, registration, health coverage and taxes. Talk to Alberta Health, a registry agent and a tax professional first. A seasonal or annual site may not count as a permanent residence; ask before you rely on it.
Paperwork worth doing before you go
- An up-to-date will, personal directive and enduring power of attorney, with copies where family can find them.
- A list of accounts, policies and contacts, kept somewhere safe that a trusted person can reach.
- Online access set up for government, banking and pension accounts, with two-factor authentication you can still use from the road.
Health care
This is the part of full-timing most worth getting right. The rules below come from the Government of Alberta’s pages on the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP). They can change, so check the current pages and contact AHCIP before you leave.
Staying covered
- Presence in Alberta. Alberta asks you to contact AHCIP if you will not be in Alberta for at least 183 days in a 12-month period.
- Elsewhere in Canada. You can keep coverage while staying in another province or territory for less than 12 months in a row.
- Outside Canada. You can keep coverage while outside Canada for fewer than 6 consecutive months.
- Repeated vacation absences. Alberta says you might be eligible for continued coverage if you’re away for up to 212 days in a 12-month period, and asks you to contact AHCIP before you leave and again when you return.
- Coming back. In each case, you must return to Alberta and keep a permanent residence there when your stay ends.
- Longer absences. Extended absences for travel or personal visits of up to 24 months may be possible, but you must contact AHCIP to discuss them.
Contact AHCIP before you go. The rules depend on your situation, and the page itself says you “might be eligible” in several cases. Don’t assume. Ask, and keep a record of who you spoke with and what you were told.
Care in other provinces
Alberta has reciprocal agreements with all provinces and territories for insured hospital services, and with all except Quebec for physician services. In Quebec you may have to pay a doctor up front and claim it back. The Government of Alberta’s page on coverage in Canada doesn’t mention ambulance or prescription drug costs, so ask AHCIP and your insurer how those are covered when you’re out of the province, and consider travel insurance even inside Canada.
Care outside Canada
Outside Canada, AHCIP pays only for insured emergency physician and hospital services, at limited Alberta rates, and you pay the difference. Air and ground ambulance outside Canada aren’t covered at all. The Government of Alberta says travel medical insurance is “strongly recommended”. See health insurance for snowbirds.
Practical health on the road
- Keep your family doctor if you have one, and plan check-ups for when you’re home.
- Carry a medication list and a short medical summary, and keep your Alberta Health Care card with you.
- Plan prescription refills well ahead. Ask your pharmacist how much you can get at once and how refills work while you travel.
- Know where the nearest hospital is each time you set up somewhere new.
- Think about what happens if one of you is sick and the other has to drive, tow, set up and do everything alone.
Insurance: the types to ask about
An RV that’s your home needs different insurance from one used for weekends. Tell your insurer, in writing, that you live in it full time. Policies differ a lot, so get answers in writing. These are the types of coverage to ask about; we don’t name companies.
| Type | What it’s for | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle liability | Required for a motorhome and for the tow vehicle. Covers injury and damage you cause to others on the road. | How is a towed trailer or fifth wheel covered on the road? |
| Collision and comprehensive | Damage to the RV itself from a crash, hail, wind, fire, theft or vandalism. | Is hail and wind damage covered while parked? What’s the deductible? |
| Full-time or residence coverage | Treats the RV more like a home, including personal liability at your campsite. | Do you offer coverage for people who live in their RV full time? |
| Personal property | Your belongings inside the RV and in the truck. | Is there a limit? Are tools, bikes and electronics covered? |
| Replacement cost or actual cash value | Decides whether a total loss pays for a similar RV or only its depreciated value. | How is the RV valued after a total loss, and for how many years? |
| Roadside assistance | Towing and service for large RVs, which ordinary vehicle plans may not cover. | Does it cover the RV’s size and weight, and the trailer as well as the truck? |
| Emergency expenses | Somewhere to stay if the RV can’t be lived in after a covered loss. | Is it included, and for how long? |
| Travel medical | Medical costs outside Alberta that AHCIP doesn’t cover. | See health insurance. |
If you’ll be in the United States, confirm that your vehicle and RV policies cover you there, and for how long. Travel.gc.ca notes that many US states have mandatory automobile insurance requirements.
Internet and phone
For full-timers, a connection is a utility like water and power. It’s how you bank, see the doctor online, work, stay in touch with family and check the weather.
- Cell data is the backbone for most full-timers. Check your carrier’s coverage maps for where you’re going, and test the signal on an actual site before you book a long stay.
- Campground Wi-Fi is a bonus, not a plan. It’s often slow when everyone is online in the evening.
- Satellite internet can work where there’s no cell signal, if the sky is clear of trees and hills. It needs power, and setting it up in strong wind takes care.
- Signal boosters and antennas can help on the edge of coverage. Radio devices for use in Canada must meet Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s requirements; look for the certification number on the label.
- In the United States, your Canadian phone will roam. Under the CRTC’s Wireless Code, providers must tell you when you’re roaming internationally, and roaming charges in a billing cycle are capped unless you explicitly agree to pay more. Ask about a travel plan, or a US prepaid plan or eSIM for long stays.
- Tell someone your route in case there’s no signal.
When you’re connected, the forecast page is the quickest way to see what’s coming before you hitch up or leave the awning out. When you aren’t, a battery-powered weather radio and a look at the western sky are the next best thing.
Working on the road
- Remote work depends on a reliable connection. Plan your route around coverage, and keep a backup for deadlines.
- Seasonal campground work is something some RVers do, trading work for a site or a wage. Get the terms in writing, just as you would for any job.
- Running a small business from the road raises questions about business licences, taxes and where the business is based. Ask an accountant.
- Working in the United States isn’t allowed as an ordinary visitor. Travel.gc.ca advises Canadians to obtain any required US visas or permits if they plan to reside or work there.
- Taxes still follow residency. Income earned while travelling is generally reported where you’re resident. See address and residency.
The social side
RV parks and campgrounds are friendly places, and many full-timers find a community they never had in a subdivision. Gary has seen that friendliness on a seasonal site; see the RV Living home page. Still, full-timing can be lonely at times, especially for people travelling alone or a long way from family.
- Stay connected with family. Regular calls, video chats with grandkids, and planned visits home matter more than you might expect.
- Stay a while. Longer stays in one place make it easier to get to know people.
- Join something. RV clubs and associations, many of them non-profit, run rallies and gatherings. Local volunteer groups, churches, libraries and community halls welcome visitors too.
- Look after the relationship. Two people in a small space all day need some time apart. Plan for it.
- Pets are great company and a good way to meet people, but they add rules, vet visits and border paperwork. See pets.
The honest downsides
- Something is always broken. Daily use and driving shake things loose. Expect constant small repairs.
- Repairs can leave you homeless for a while. Shops can be booked weeks out, and parts can take longer.
- The RV loses value while a house usually doesn’t. If you sold a house to full-time, you’ve moved money from an asset that tends to grow into one that shrinks. See depreciation.
- Getting back into housing can be hard if prices rise while you’re away. Know your exit plan.
- Health changes everything. Towing, set-up and ladder work get harder with age or illness. Plan for the day you’ll want to stop.
- Weather is closer. Wind, hail, heat and cold are felt more in an RV, and severe weather can mean leaving for shelter.
- Space and privacy are limited.
- Paperwork gets complicated when you live in many places.
- Costs aren’t always lower than living in a house. See Costs and budgeting.
Try it before you commit
Before selling a house to go full time, try living in an RV for a full season while you still have the house to fall back on. A summer on a seasonal site, or a winter south, will tell you a lot about whether full-timing suits you. See Seasonal sites and Snowbirding. And keep Gary’s advice in mind: ask questions before you spend all the money. More on that in Costs and budgeting.
Sources
- Government of Alberta, Leaving Alberta affects health care coverage: alberta.ca
- Government of Alberta, Health care coverage in Canada: alberta.ca
- Government of Alberta, Health care coverage outside Canada: alberta.ca
- Government of Alberta, Update driving documents: alberta.ca
- Canada Revenue Agency, Your province or territory of residence: canada.ca
- Canada Post, Mail Forwarding: canadapost-postescanada.ca
- Standards Council of Canada, CSA Group notice: Recreational vehicles (CSA Z240 RV Series scope): scc-ccn.ca
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Low-power licence-exempt radiocommunication devices FAQ: ised-isde.canada.ca
- CRTC, International roaming fees: crtc.gc.ca
- Government of Canada, United States travel advice: travel.gc.ca
- Government of Canada, Advice for Canadians in Arizona: travel.gc.ca