RVs are an Artist's Dream Vehicle: Especially During a Pandemic

I’ve already recorded my many tips for travelling to Europe and beyond as an artist or a student, but what’s the best way to travel around the U.S.? Especially now — in the midst of a pandemic?

I’ve been traveling in RVs since I went camping with my family as a little girl, so when my husband suggested years ago that we purchase our own camper as an alternative to staying in price gouged, $600-a-night motels when he competed in the Ford Ironman Triathlon, I was all for it. We planned to buy a small, used camper and sell it when we returned from the trip, but we kept that baby for 4 years, and we’ve had two other RVs since. 

RVs are a great alternative to flying during a Pandemic

I’ve been using our RV as a part of my art business for years, reaping the many benefits, but it’s become an even greater asset as a result of this pandemic and the current risks of flying — I might even argue that it’s a must-have for any artist hoping to travel any time soon. 

Having a camper and driving to the workshops that I teach not only keeps me from being in the busiest airports in the United States, I manage to avoid airplanes, hotels, and any unnecessary close-contact with my hosts and their families. It also allows me to have a private space where I can relax, do yoga, cook and be sure that I'm not interacting with the general public unnecessarily. The more people we contact when we travel, the more likely we are to get ourselves and others sick. Driving an RV isolates an artist from most passersby during travel, and that alone helps me feel much more confident that I can avoid increasing the risk that my students or hosts get sick. Also, if by some unfortunate event, I do catch a bug, I won't be sick in some strange hotel room. I'll be in my own private space where I can relax and quarantine comfortably. 

Other Ways Travelling Artists Benefit from RVs

It didn't take a pandemic to get me to think: I really hate flying. I really hate the whole taking-off-of-the-shoes and the stress of long security lines — even with TSA precheck, there are still random times where I’ve had to unravel all of my personals in front of other people just to transfer a couple pounds from one bag to a different bag, (although both bags are going on the same flight!) It's demoralizing, it causes a sense of fear and sometimes it costs extra. Fear, however, is not the sense that I experience when I get into my adorable little camper to take a road trip; I feel excitement, like I'm Dora The Explorer and wherever I’m going, I’m going on my time and my terms. 

RVs allow you plenty of flexibility

I can pack anything I want. Well, almost anything I want, I can bring with me: extra paint supplies, extra paintings in case I find a new gallery connection, extra clothes (and shoes!), and even extra friends and family sometimes. (No frequent flyer points needed.) I have a lot of annoying food allergies and driving also gives me the power to eat healthier. It's really easy for me to grocery shop, just like I do at home, instead of eating out at restaurants. 

I’m not only more flexible in the luggage department when I’m traveling in my RV, I’m also more independent. So many times over the years, I’ve enjoyed staying in the home of the venue host or another student, but during this uncertain time, I’d rather err on the side of safety. With an RV, I can avoid imposing on my hosts and their family members, keeping me, my students, and my hosts as safe and healthy as possible during this pandemic. (Though I may ask if I can park in their driveway!)

Having an RV allows me to be flexible — and I’m not just talking downward-facing-dog flexible. (Yes, I do Yoga in my RV.) If I am teaching a workshop on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and the venue has extra sign ups and invites me to stay to teach a different workshop to a whole other group of students the following Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I can easily extend my stay. And if I choose to change any plans, my costs are so much lower than if I were to stay in a hotel, which may not be able to accommodate me on a moments-notice anyway. 

Once I was teaching in Arizona at the Scottsdale Artists’ School and, with a tip from a friend, I was able to pass through Albuquerque, stay a night on Michelle Dunaway’s lovely couch in front of a cozy fire and meet up with a new model who’s only availability was that one night. If I had not been driving, I wouldn't have been able to meet up with a fabulous model who has since become one of the biggest influences in my work. 

Owning a camper can be less expensive

After you invest in an RV, you no longer need to bear the financial burden of airline tickets, or accommodations in order to travel. If you grocery shop, you can also avoid the cost of eating out. Not to mention the savings on shipping or extra luggage when you bring all your supplies and works of art across the country with you. 

Keep in mind, however, that RVs are a cost-effective option only as long as you buy your camper correctly. First and foremost, you definitely have to have a camper that is roadworthy. You won’t save money or time if you are not able to actually get to your destination. Choose the fitness and health of the camper over its looks. Get a camper that has good gas mileage. Twice we’ve owned a little Volkswagen Rialta; it gets about 16 miles per gallon and certain models can sleep four people! 

If you want a really affordable option, buy a full-size passenger van and convert it into a camper. They usually don’t have a toilet, but a lot of times you can still have potable water and a sink and basin, and as that little old Italian lady in Eat, Pray, Love says, “Everything that’s important gets cleaned.” You’ll want to park in a simple RV campground or pester your host for use of their toilets. 

Also, seriously consider buying your RV used. Owning an RV doesn’t have to involve increment payments or a huge financial burden. All of our campers have been between 15 and 25 thousand dollars, and the two we have sold went for more than we paid for them. If you polish it up and keep it maintained, you’ll be able to use your camper for one or two seasons and sell it again with minimal actual costs. 

If you’re interested in an even more affordable alternative and you have an art group (or any number of artists willing to go in on a camper together), sharing a camper can help manage the cost. Coordinate to use the RV for different months out of the year and share the upfront and maintenance costs. 

To those who say there isn’t time to drive to the places you need to go, I’ll challenge that. By the time I drive to the airport, park, wait to check in 2 hours ahead of time, repack my one heavy bag to move a couple pounds to my lighter bag, wait in security, wait for my flight to board, wait for my flight to take off, wait to unboard, wait to get my luggage back, wait for the bus to the car rental lot, and do the whole thing again in reverse...I think you’re getting my drift. It can take 8 hours to fly two hours nowadays. 

Whether you’re travelling to workshops as a teacher or a student, attending shows in galleries across America, or just really sick of being at home, RVs are a great way to travel. 

Convinced in the magic of the RV? Here are my RV Travel tips and tricks.

When I was first being invited to teach workshops across the country, flying seemed like the only option. I had to get to multiple workshops a year without spending all the money I was earning on travel, and at first I didn’t even try to strategize my travel plans. I was flying to and fro, sometimes criss-crossing the country unnecessarily because I had overlooked the locations and dates of my workshops. I couldn’t have driven if I’d wanted to. You can’t exactly drive from Indiana to Washington D.C. and then to Utah — in that order and within a couple days! 

Of course, with experience I gained wisdom. As my first tip, I strongly recommend that you plan far in advance and you plan most of your events into a few, long trips throughout the year. Try to be as efficient as possible: schedule your workshops, shows, etc. in the same region of the country around the same time — with enough time to travel in-between them. You can even attend events in a loop. That way, by the time you’re finished, you’re already closer to home. 

My second piece of advice is that you make your work trips into vacations as well! Make them fun! Plan time for yourself to rest, to see some of the country and to visit friends, family and fellow artists. In 2014, our family went on a 28 day road trip through some of the most beautiful national parks. We looped from Missouri to Kansas, Colorado, Utah, California...down the coast, to Nevada and home again. The kids got to do all kinds of fun things they never would have been able to do, like floating down the Yampa river and helping land hot air balloons! And I was able to drop off artwork at galleries, meet with facebook friends in person that I'd only known online and plein air paint at places I had never painted before. I love being able to bring all of the gear that I want and to stop at every remote, off-the-beaten-path place that I can find. I’m no longer locked into only visiting the airports of the states I travel to.

Thirdly, it definitely helps to do a little parking reconnaissance before you leave and on the trip. Investigate to see if the places you have to go can accommodate a camper in their parking lot. We had a lot of fun (that’s sarcasm) trying to find a spot to park our camper in Washington D.C. It wasn’t impossible, but we should have taken a few minutes to find a spot in advance and saved ourselves a lot of stress. By the time we made it to NYC, we were professionals at finding a place to park the RV and we took a train into Manhattan to visit all the best museums.

Next, you should know your general camping route for overnight parking. Are you renting a spot at a KOA? Are you boondocking at a Wal-Mart? You can Google “boondocking at a Wal-Mart” in the towns you plan to sleep in to be sure they allow overnight RV parking. Then, when you’ve found a place, be sure to park near the other RVs on the lot and park under the street lamps. The handy thing about parking at Wal-Mart is how easy it becomes to shop for your dinner fixins’ and the flip flops and sunblock you need after you decide to add the beach to your travel itinerary. 

And finally, you’ll want to be sure you’re prepared before you take off. Have AAA or another great car insurance and a contingency plan. Check your batteries, propane and make sure your water is topped off. Change your oil as scheduled and check your radiator fluid, wiper fluid, and tire pressure. Do all the essential checks you would do for any road trip. Check the weather ahead of you. Be ready to take a different route if it avoids high winds, icy roads, serious construction or rush hour traffic. And don’t forget your favorite pillow! But remember... there’s always a box store if you forget anything. 

RV travel is a lifestyle. If you do it right, you can save money and have so much more freedom and fun. Feel free to leave any questions about how I RV travel for my art career in the comments section below.

How I plan to modify my workshops in response to COVID-19

By travelling strictly in our RV, you can see that I plan to avoid as much contact with the outside world as possible while travelling. But that isn’t the only step I’m planning to take.

I have been teaching in online formats for the past three years, so I have been able to transition — almost seamlessly — to a completely online set of workshops. I’ve even set up a year-long Facebook mentorship group complete with monthly demonstrations which I plan to continue offering indefinitely. 

However, I am eager to teach in-person again and to travel, as long as I can do both safely. I hold the health and wellbeing of myself and my students very highly, and I don’t plan to take this pandemic lightly. In order to keep my students, my hosts and everyone’s families as safe and healthy as possible, instead of the usual 15 workshops a year, I’ll only be teaching 6 or 7 in-person workshops in 2021. These are my current plans to address COVID-19 while teaching in-person workshops and travelling.

1. Workshops will be limited to 8 students, myself and the host. Models will be omitted for the time being and we will work from photos to ensure a maximum total of 10 people in the room.

2. I will be driving instead of flying to all my workshops until it is prudent and absolutely necessary to fly.

3. Social distancing will be required by all attendees, and I will teach only in large, well ventilated venues that can accommodate social distancing to make this easy for my students.

4. When possible, artists will use their own travel easel and equipment.

5. Face coverings and personal hand sanitizer will be required during the workshop.

6. Everyone will order in or bring your own lunch, snacks, coffee, bottled water etc. I will be picnicking outdoors at the workshop space for Q&A lunches with those who choose to stay for the lunch hour. Face coverings are not required when outdoors, though social distancing will still be in effect. 

7. Daily sanitizing of the common surfaces of the event space such as door handles, restrooms, etc. will be performed.

8. Every aspect of my public teaching in-person interactions will follow health and science-based recommended guidelines. 

The next year is surely going to come with some uncertainty, but we still have control of our lives and we can adapt as long as we need to. I wish you and your loved ones well, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon. — Tina

Are you an artist? Do you teach or would you like to start teaching? Click here to read my blog about teaching workshops.