Less Junk, More Journey

Did We Waste $18,000 on Our RV Home Base?

Don't make our RV mistakes 🤷🏻‍♂️: https://ljmj.com/guide ➡️ 30% off an RV Mattress by Brooklyn Bedding: https://rvmattress.com/LJMJ with code LJMJ We skipped buying a house and spent $18,000 over seven years building an RV home base instead — here's every phase, what it cost, what we got wrong, and whether it was worth it. LJMJ 7 Year Home Base Expenses Year 1 (2019) — The Basics, low commitment • Dozer clearing: $250 (50% of $500, split with Donna) • Septic tank: $1,500 (50% of $3,000) • Septic run to site: $300 (paid 100%) • Water: ~$1,020 (~60% of $1,700) • Electric: $300 (piggybacked off Donna's foundation; would've been $5,000) • Gravel, 5 loads at $350: $1,750 • Round swing: $100 • Solo Stove fire pit: $300 • Subtotal: ~$5,520 Years 2–6 (2020–2024) — Comfort + Play, medium commitment • Folding deck: $500 (mostly scrap wood) • Treehouse: $1,000 • Zip line (extended to 90 ft): $200 • Sand pit: $500 • Trampoline: $150 (open box, half of $300) • Hot tub: $300 inflatable • Early astroturf: $758 • Gravel for friend campsites: $850 • Gravel load: $350 • DIY concrete-block fire pit (replaced Solo Stove): $100 • 6 plastic chairs: $200 • Outdoor sectional: $500 • Propane table: $150 • String lights: $200 • Subtotal: ~$5,958 Year 7 (2025) — The Cliff, high commitment • Gravel load: $350 • Gazebo: $2,524 • Footers: $126 (18 bags Quikrete × $7) • Dining set: ~$1,095 • Sectional: ~$544 • Upgraded chairs: $600 • Wicker chairs: ~$216 • Later astroturf: $520 + $192 • Subtotal: ~$6,163 Seven-year total: ~$17,641 CHAPTERS: 00:00 - 01:22 - Why We Built an RV Home Base Instead of Buying a House 01:22 - 04:00 - Phase One: Clearing the Land & Getting a Place to Land 04:00 - 07:50 - Phase Two: Tree House, Zip Line & Kids Outdoor Space 07:50 - 09:45 - RV Mattress Sponsor Segment 09:45 - 12:15 - Solving Decision Fatigue on the Road 12:15 - 15:10 - Hosting Other RVers & Building Community 15:10 - 19:35 - The Gazebo: Our Biggest Single Investment 19:35 - 21:29 - Mistakes We Made & Final Verdict TOP YOUTUBE PLAYLISTS Start Here: https://goo.gl/iyF6KP Every YT Video (Oldest to Newest): https://goo.gl/sXmAbv MORE FROM LJMJ 🛠 Gear: https://lessjunkmorejourney.com/gear 🙏 Say Thanks: https://patreon.com/lessjunkmorejourney 📷 Instagram: https://instagram.com/lessjunkmorejourney 👥 Facebook: https://facebook.com/lessjunkmorejourney THANK YOU $25 PATRONS! ➡️ https://www.patreon.com/lessjunkmorejourney ✩ DeWayne & Kirsten M ✩EveryDay Family Adventure ✩ Georgeana T ✩ Chelsea S ✩ William & Jillian M ✩ Ann & Al ✩ Linda R ✩ Ray & Nancy K ✩ Dale & Angela W ✩ Gary & Diane H ✩ Three Little Trees ✩ Walt & Dar ✩ Melodie H ✩ Jim and Ellen M ✩ Clive G ✩ Jeffrey & Suzanne E ✩ Jen and Kris #LetGoGetGoing #LJMJ #RVlife 🎼 MUSIC CREDITS: * https://musicbed.com * https://lessjunkmorejourney.com/artlist * https://lessjunkmorejourney.com/soundstripe