We meet people on the road all the time. They usually check out our license plates and say, “So, you live in Washington. Are you from Seattle?”

Well no. These days, we buy into that RV mantra: Home is where you park it.

We could never afford to live in a waterfront home, but in an RV we can, often for the cost of a camping spot in a beautiful state park.

The motorhome makes it possible to live in our country’s most beautiful places without paying millions of dollars for the view. Bonus, there’s no snow to shovel or winter heating bill to pay.

Being untethered and on the move in a 23-foot motorhome isn’t everyone’s idea of paradise. And during our first year on the road we had some adjustment issues.

We did very little planning, so that left us scrambling many times to find a place to stay. We also had to get used to the tight quarters. It took a while to figure out that the RV is where we sleep, cook and shower, but the outdoors is where we live.

Now, five years in, we’re committed, and the lifestyle works. We’re already talking about the places we’ll live next winter. The possibilities are thrilling.

If you think you’d like to try the full time RVing lifestyle, as we do, ask yourself a few questions first.

How much space do you need? We decided early to keep it small, and we’re happy with that choice. Not everyone can live together in a van or a small Class C. If you would go crazy doing the kitchen mambo (“Behind you, coming through”), then think bigger.

Can you commit to a long-range plan? Many people are OK with uncertainty (a.k.a. “chaos”) but we aren’t. For us, the dreaming/scheming begins at least six months out so we can snag our favorite campsites in national and state parks. We don’t book every day, but we’ve found that the most beautiful campsites are gone immediately after they become available online. So if you know you’re going to Yosemite next October, book that perfect site as soon as it’s available six months out at Recreation.gov.

Do you enjoy the road? In other words, do you like to travel, or would you be happier just hanging out in a place for a couple of months? For us, it’s exciting to change scenery every few days. We also see the value of mixing it up and hanging out for long periods. After an action-packed fall on the West Coast, we’re now parking it for a while in Palm Springs, a plan we cooked up months ago.

Can you resolve conflicts constructively? No doubt about it -- you and your partner will butt heads at some point. The main message: Keep it real, and respect your partner’s feelings. If you can keep resentments from brewing, conflicts will quickly fade in the rear-view mirror.

Inland Northwest RV Show

If you’re thinking of getting into the RV game, The Inland Northwest RV Show is going on right now at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center through Sunday. Admission is $12 for the weekend; kids 12 and under are free.

Participating dealers include Blue Dog RV, Liberty RV, Parkway RV and R’nR RV Center. It’s a good way to see what’s out there.

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