Do an online search for “female travel” and one thing is clear: solo traveling is the dominant conversation for adventure-seeking women. Whether it’s flying across an ocean or buying a new Class B+ camper van or other RV to traverse from coast to coast, more women are leisure traveling than ever before. Another trend that’s just as apparent? An overwhelming majority of content surrounding female traveling in RVs focuses on safety. While unquestionably helpful, it emphasizes the barriers women travelers often face and the considerations they have to take when planning their excursions.
It begs the question: Isn’t there more to being a female traveler?
The answer is a resounding “YES!”
So, RVT is sharing the inspiring, most rewarding aspects of being a woman in the wilderness — as told from the women who live it — which often get buried beneath the safety checklists and cautionary tales. Here’s what life is like as a woman RVer.
Freedom
In a recent survey from Solo Female Travelers, 90% of respondents said they travel solo for the freedom and flexibility it offers. This is especially true in the post-pandemic world, with more remote work opportunities allowing people to travel without sacrificing income.
As Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents puts it, “My hatred of schedules is probably one of the main reasons for why I love living the digital nomad lifestyle.” That’s why she traded in her corporate life to be a solopreneur, who now coaches other full-time travelers to do the same.
Financial freedom aside, women RVers often discover more freedom from “things.” RV storage comes at a premium, which means you learn what you can truly live without. “You won’t find me wasting my time looking for the perfect big screen TV, because there is simply no place to put it,” says Viktoria from Small RV Lifestyle. “Instead, you can find me out exploring.”
Jinelle Franklin often solo travels with her Lance truck camper.
Balance
Whether it’s through a sprawling desert, forested mountain, open plain or sandy shore, one thing is the same: RV life is all about basking in the balance inherent in nature. After purchasing a 1978 Dodge Commander in 2016, RV lifestyle blogger Jessy Muller found her typical night-owl tendencies waning in favor of a more balanced sleep schedule. In Muller’s words, “when you live in nature, you become more in tune with the natural rhythm of things.”
Echoing this sentiment in a recent Instagram post featuring sunflowers on a mountainside, solo RVer Carolyn Higgins, who travels in her own Class C motorhome, wrote that, ”A simple wild sunflower leaning into the morning sun — it’s the little things that fill me with the most joy and gratitude for the life I have.”
Solitude
For women, RV life usually means less “girls night out,” and more “girl always out.” Living life on the open road is a solitary experience, which means it sometimes gets lonely- but it doesn’t have to be. There are several well-known groups to help women forge connections with fellow nomads. Sisters on the Fly and RVing Women are two of the most popular, founded to support women embracing the adventure lifestyle..
It’s worth mentioning – solitary doesn’t always mean lonely. Many women, like Higgins, travel with pets for companionship, or choose destinations where other people are likely to be. And still others wind up learning to love the quiet that comes from solo travel.
Empowerment
“Many of the people I meet while traveling are blown away by the fact that I travel alone,” says Virginia-based photographer Jinelle Franklin. “Doing anything solo is empowering.” Franklin is no stranger to RVing, the proud owner of a Lance truck camper she often takes to places within Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
For her, it all starts with educating yourself on where you’re going, what you’re doing, and being comfortable in your own skin.
“I think a lot of people defeat themselves in their own minds,” she says. “We all fail trying until we don’t, but anyone can do most anything if they form a plan and give themselves a chance to figure it out and learn from it.”
Your Journey Awaits
Being a woman in the wilderness isn’t without risks, but nor is it without reward. The open road is an invitation for women to reconnect with themselves and the world around them on their own terms, blazing new trails and chasing new horizons. Whatever that journey looks like for you, you can find the RV to take you there at RVT.com.
By Audrey Somero
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