Las Vegas couple hopes to ditch their mortgage by moving into an RV on off-grid land

"Anything you wish you'd known before making the leap?"

A Las Vegas couple is preparing to sell their home, walk away from their mortgage, and live in the RV parked on their property.

The pair, both 56, says the move will help reduce living costs while they work toward building a small home on land they own in southern Nevada. They shared their plans on Reddit's r/OffGrid forum and asked others for advice.

What they shared

In the Reddit post, the original poster said the proceeds from selling their house should be enough to finance a combined barn-style home and workshop.

The poster wrote, "My husband and I are getting ready to sell our house here in Vegas and move into our RV on our off-grid land in southern Nevada. We've spent plenty of long stretches of time in various RVs over the years, but we know living in it full-time is going to be a whole different experience."

They added, "We're really excited about the move, but I'm curious to hear from others who've done something similar. Anything you wish you'd known before making the leap?" They also said their 10-year-old indoor-only cat, Frankie, would be coming along.

Commenters quickly responded with advice and firsthand experiences. One person said the biggest adjustment was realizing how much harder daily life can be, since even simple tasks may require more planning, including water collection and generator use.

Another user said they had only recently started living that way themselves and offered one practical tip: use good black tank enzyme treatments to help prevent sewage smells.

One commenter kept it brief, saying that living in an RV during a build can feel like having a small hotel with modern conveniences already in place.

After another user suggested the couple keep their house and rent it out for extra income, the original poster replied that they plan to sell it and use the profit to build their modest off-grid barn-style house, workshop, and home. They said they would rather have a simple setup than continue carrying a mortgage and the bills that come with it.

Where to learn more

The couple hopes the move will cut expenses, though RV life still brings practical challenges. Their story fits into a broader pattern of retirees choosing van life when housing costs outpace retirement income, off-grid RV owners dealing with water rules and neighbor complaints, and families trying to build rural homes with limited resources.

• In the U.S., retirees are turning to van life when retirement checks no longer cover housing.
• In Maine, an off-grid RV owner faced demands for a gray water plan after a neighbor's complaint.
• A Pennsylvania family plans to move off-grid to a 10-acre shack, drawing on Amish know-how.