Parents of three teenage children have told how they swapped their suburban house for life on the road and more than four years on, they have no regrets.
Geoff and Dawn Smith had a 3,000sq ft house in the suburbs of Georgia, but they decided to take their two sons and daughter on a cross-country adventure while they were still young enough.
In an episode of the popular YouTube show Tiny Home Tours, the couple explain how they sold all of their possessions and purchased a 43ft Newmar motorhome.
Giving a tour of their home on wheels, Dawn showcases the master suite with a king size bed, a sizeable ensuite with a rainshower and a kitchen with a roomy residential refrigerator, a convection microwave, a dishwasher, a detachable cooktop and espresso machine.
Parents of three teenage children have told how they swapped their suburban house for life on the road and more than four years on, they have no regrets
Geoff and Dawn Smith had a 3,000sq ft house in the suburbs of Georgia, but they decided to take their two sons and daughter on a cross-country adventure while they were still young
Giving a tour of their home on wheels, Dawn showcases a kitchen with a roomy refrigerator, a convection microwave, a dishwasher, a detachable cooktop and espresso machine
The mom of five explains that her eldest son Aiden – who is now aged 20 – sleeps in the living room on the couch
Next to Aiden’s bed-cum-couch there is a dining table, which can extend so the family of five can enjoy mealtimes together
The mom of three explains that her eldest son Aiden – who is now aged 20 – sleeps in the living room on the couch, while her other two children – Gavin and Camille – sleep in a bunk bed area.
Next to Aiden’s bed-cum-couch there is a dining table, which can extend so the family of five can enjoy mealtimes together.
For added convenience, the RV has another toilet with storage space, which is where the children store their clothing.
There is also a washer and dryer in the master bathroom, so the family can do their own laundry instead of visiting a launderette.
Later in the video, the Smiths sit together and talk about what life on the road is like.
Dawn says she got the idea to do more traveling after a friend text her a picture of Crater Lake in Oregon 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 trawling through the internet, and ‘traveling’ through photos he found.
Eager to let her children see places in real life, she got the idea of getting an RV.
She said when she initially told the kids about getting a motorhome ‘they were all ecstatic until we told them we had to sell the house.’
However, the children slowly got used to the idea of giving up their brick and mortar base, and the Smiths went about holding an estate sale with the help of friends and family.
Gavin and Camille sleep in a bunk bed area, with both the top and bottom bunks decked out with curtains
On Instagram, where they use the handle @sojourning_smiths, the Smith clan regularly share images of their motorhome adventures
Originally the Smiths had the idea to be on the road for a year, but then Dawn said that ‘once we got out there we realized that we barely scratched the surface’
Offering his advice to others considering hitting the road, dad Geoff says to ‘just do it’
The family’s plan is to tick off all of the National Parks in the US. With 424 in total, they could be wheeling around the country for a little longer yet
The Smiths tow a GMC Acadia SUV behind their motorhome so they can use it to run errands and complete shorter journeys.
Father Geoff, says along ‘with bikes and everything… we’re like 68ft long going down the road… so it’s like driving a train.’
On Instagram – where they use the handle @sojourning_smiths – the family regularly share images of their motorhome adventures.
Some of the destinations they have visited to date include Florida, New York, Utah and Mexico and most recently they were in Georgia.
In terms of schooling, the children complete classes remotely online and Gavin (the middle child) says this makes learning ‘super fun.’
Now I don’t ever wanna go back. I love the freedom we experience as a family, I love bonding
Meanwhile, Aiden says he actually gets to go to places he has 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 to be on the road for a year, but once they got out there ‘we realized that we barely scratched the surface, there was so much more to see and do.’
The family’s plan is to tick off all of the National Parks in the US. With 424 in total, they could be wheeling around the country for a little longer yet.
Offering his advice to others considering hitting the road, dad Geoff says ‘just do it.’
He explains: ‘I was the guy who liked structure, having a routine, so I had to step out of my comfort zone and it was totally worth it.
‘There’s definitely bad days, but there’s bad days whatever life you’re at. I just encourage you to try it.
‘What really helped me was knowing that lets do it for a year and if we don’t like it we’ll just come back and get back into what we were comfortable doing.
‘Now I don’t ever wanna go back. I love the freedom we experience as a family, I love bonding, I love seeing new places and if we get tired of traveling we just park the RV a while and settle down.’
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