We’re married & have lived in an RV for 10 years – we keep the spark alive but insist on using regular toilet paper
A MARRIED couple who’ve lived in mobile homes for the past decade say their relationship is stronger than ever.
Casey Huffmaster, 30, and her husband Josh have spent more time on the road than in their home and are loving it — but refuse to use RV toilet paper, even if it creates some extra hassle.
The couple lives together in an RV ten months out of the year but have a “home base” in North Arkansas.
“He’s been traveling for a long time, but this fall will be my tenth year of traveling with Josh,” Casey told The U.S Sun.
For two years, the married couple lived in a brand-new 43-foot Tony 22 model camper that is filled with many residential appliances.
Some of their favorite features are the washer and dryer, his and hers sinks, an outside kitchen, a half bath, and three slide-outs.
“It has everything that we need to make it feel like home,” Casey said.
The pair have lived in at least four mobile homes over the last ten years, but their current one is their top choice.
“This one sure has the most luxuries from all four that we’ve ever had.”
But it’s still, no doubt, a very small space to share with another person, and such close living quarters could be challenging for even the closest bonds.
Casey has admitted that their relationship hasn’t been truly tested, but it has been difficult periodically.
With her husband’s blue-collar job, they go where the work goes and she accompanies him as a stay-at-home wife.
WANTS AND WISHES
“With Josh’s line of work, it’s not like we can pick and choose where we stay,” Casey said.
She said the moments when her husband works nights are “very small” and “very rare” but still incredibly impactful.
“The only times that it’s ever been hard for us is when he works the night shift,” she said.
This is home and we will be living this lifestyle for a very long time coming. I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.
Casey Huffmaster
Casey said that they have a method that they implemented across the 23 states they’ve been in.
“Never stop dating your spouse. If you stop those days, it seems like things might crumble a little bit,” she said.
Sometimes that looks like sitting outside after a busy day with a drink in hand while listening to music and grilling some steaks, or it could be a trip away from their RV and to a golf course.
Casey and Josh have been together for 12 years and genuinely enjoy having fun and spending time together.
“We do like to do golf as a hobby together as he only gets one day off every 14 days and that’s also hard,” she added.
TOILET TALK
One challenge of living in a small space is a single tiny bathroom.
They’ve made it a bit easier on themselves by insisting on a luxury for RV life: normal toilet paper.
“We do not use RV toilet paper. We use regular toilet paper,” she said.
“We wipe and we put it in a trash can. I get a lot of hate for that. I honestly do.”
When retirement hits for Josh we’ve talked about ditching the camper life and getting into a big draggable RV.
Casey Huffmaster
“It is not for us, but we do our business.”
RV toilet paper is made to be septic-safe and usually dissolves faster.
However, it costs more than traditional toilet paper, and some critics insist it’s a waste of money.
To avoid clogging their pipes and messing with their black tank, Casey and Josh put their regular toilet paper in the trash rather than flush it.
They dump their black tanks out every week, and their current RV park was connected to the sewer, which was a bonus.
“They have full hookups like water power, so we’re electric. Everything that we need,” she added.
PLANNING AHEAD
“This is home and we will be living this lifestyle for a very long time. I don’t see it stopping anytime soon,” Casey said.
“When retirement hits for Josh we’ve talked about ditching the camper life and getting into a big draggable RV.”
Casey said that she wished there were more RV parks and RV resorts throughout the country like there are hotels.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more people have picked up this lifestyle, and she hopes that there are better accommodations down the line.
Previously, Casey shared their storage secrets to maximize small spaces.
Maximizing storage in an RV
Casey works hard to make her space work — and that is by using the “max amount of storage space.”
Whether it’s putting items behind couches or in any “cubby hole” or other nook and cranny, she makes sure it’s “out of sight, out of mind.”
Because most of the mobile home has hardwood floors, she has a small cordless vacuum that fits well in small areas.
But Casey isn’t completely against organizers.
“Anytime I need to use my broom or a mop, I have a wall organizer in our half bath that gets closed behind the door and you can’t see them,” she explained.
She added that under-bed storage is a big thing and not many realize that many camper beds are raised for storage.