We are a family of five and we have given up traditional family life to move full time to a MOTORHOME
Parents of three teenage children have shared how they traded their suburban home for a life on the road and, more than four years later, have no regrets.
Geoff and Dawn Smith owned a 3,000-square-foot home in the Georgia suburbs, but they decided to take their two sons and daughter on a cross-country skiing adventure when they were young enough.
In an episode of the hit YouTube show Tiny Home Toursexplains to the couple how they sold all their belongings and bought a 40-foot Newmar camper.
Dawn gives a tour of their home on wheels, showing the master suite with a king-size bed, a large ensuite with a rain shower, and a kitchen with a roomy refrigerator, convection microwave, dishwasher, detachable cooktop, and espresso machine.
Parents of three teenage children have shared how they traded their suburban home for a life on the road and, more than four years later, they have no regrets
Geoff and Dawn Smith owned a 3,000-square-foot home in the Georgia suburbs, but they decided to take their two sons and daughter on a cross-country skiing adventure when they were young
Dawn gives a tour of their house on wheels, showing a kitchen with a roomy refrigerator, convection microwave, dishwasher, removable cooktop and espresso machine
The mother of five explains that her eldest son Aiden – who is now 20 – sleeps on the sofa in the living room
Next to Aiden’s bed cum couch is a dining table, which extends so that the family of five can enjoy meals together
The mother of three explains that her oldest son Aiden – who is now 20 – sleeps on the couch in the living room, while her other two children – Gavin and Camille – sleep in bunk beds.
Next to Aiden’s bed cum couch is a dining table, which extends so that the family of five can enjoy meals together.
For extra convenience, the camper has a toilet with storage space, where the children store their clothes.
There is also a washer and dryer in the master bathroom so the family can do their own laundry instead of going to a laundromat.
Later in the video, the Smiths sit together and talk about how life is on the road.
Dawn says she got the idea to travel more after a friend sent her a photo of Oregon’s Crater Lake and she had no idea what or where it was.
However, her son was able to identify the area of natural beauty as he spent nights scouring the internet and “traveling” through photos he found.
Eager to show her children places in real life, she came up with the idea of buying a motor home.
She said when she first told the kids about buying an RV “they were all ecstatic until we told them we had to sell the house.”
However, the kids slowly got used to the idea of giving up their brick and mortar base, and the Smiths got around holding an estate sale with the help of friends and family.
Gavin and Camille sleep in a bunk bed, with both the top and bottom bunks decorated with curtains
On Instagram, where they use the @sojourning_smiths handle, the Smith clan regularly shares footage of their RV adventures
Originally, the Smiths had the idea of being on the road for a year, but then Dawn said that “once we got there, we realized we were barely surfacing”
Dad Geoff gives his advice to others considering hitting the road and says ‘just do it’
The family’s plan is to tick off all National Parks in the US. With 424 in total, they could drive through the country a little longer
The Smiths tow a GMC Acadia SUV behind their RV so they can use it to run errands and take shorter trips.
Father Geoff, joins in, “with bikes and stuff…we’re about 60 feet tall when we go down the road…so it’s like riding a train.”
On Instagram – where they use the handle @sojourning_smiths – the family regularly shares images of their campervan adventures.
Some of the destinations they have visited so far include Florida, New York, Utah and Mexico and most recently were in Georgia.
In terms of schooling, the kids take remote classes online and Gavin (the middle child) says this makes learning “super fun.”
Now I never want to go back. I like the freedom we experience as a family, I like the connection
Meanwhile, Aiden says he actually gets to go places he’s learned about and Camille says she “meets all these different people that you wouldn’t meet at your school.”
Originally the Smiths had the idea of going on the road for a year, but once they got there “we found we had only just surfaced, there was so much more to see and do.”
The family’s plan is to tick off all National Parks in the US. With 424 in total, they could drive through the country a little longer.
Father Geoff gives his advice to others considering taking to the road and says “just do it.”
He explains, “I was the guy who liked structure and routine, so I had to get out of my comfort zone and it was totally worth it.
“There are bad days for sure, but there are bad days in whatever life you are in. I just encourage you to try it.
“What really helped me was knowing that we’re doing it for a year and if we don’t like it, we’ll just come back and continue with what we were comfortable with.
Now I never want to go back. I love the freedom we experience as a family, I love bonding, I love seeing new places and when we get tired of traveling we just park the RV for a while and settle down.”