A family of 7 downsized to a 429-square-foot RV that has a full-sized kitchen and a bunk-bed room their 4 daughters share

Debanjali BoseNov 20, 2020, 04:26 IST

Kyler's work fixing pipelines takes him all over the country. RV living allows the family to go with him.Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

Katherine and Kyler have lived in an RV camper with their five children since May 2019.
Katherine told Insider this has helped the family spend more time together and explore new places affordably.
This has also helped them get rid of some of their debt, Katherine said.
The RV camper has a full kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a fireplace that doubles as a heater.

Katherine and Kyler, both 27, have been on the road with their five kids for over a year now. They live full-time in a nearly 42-foot-long RV as they travel around the country.

Their 429-square-foot RV has two bathrooms, a full-sized kitchen, a fireplace, a grill, a master bedroom, and a room shared by the four young girls.

While families choose full-time RV living for all kinds of reasons, Katherine told Insider that their primary reason for downsizing was so that the family could spend more time together. Kyler travels for work, fixing old pipelines, while Katherine is an online marketing executive.

"We did this so the kids could see their dad every night," Katherine told Insider.

Here's what their lives on the road are like.

Katherine told Insider that the main reason her family decided to move into an RV was so they could all travel with her husband for work.

Kyler's work fixing pipelines takes him all over the country. RV living allows the family to go with him. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

"Them getting to see their dad every night, that means the most to me," Katherine told Insider. "But I know that they really enjoy going out and seeing new things."

Katherine and Kyler's four daughters all share one room. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

The couple bought their Sierra RV in spring 2019 for $53,000 and started traveling in May of the same year. But the two weren't new to living on the road.

The living room in the RV has a two-seater small couch. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

Before moving into the RV, the family lived in a two-story home. Katherine says downsizing from all that space was the hardest part.

The family had to get rid of a lot of their things in order to live comfortably in the 43-foot-long camper. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

Katherine gave Insider a walkthrough of the family's living arrangements. Even though the a big family shares the RV, it doesn't feel cramped.

The RV has a full-sized kitchen, including a full refrigerator. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

The RV has two bedrooms.

Katherine and Kyler share the master bedroom with their youngest child. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

Though the four young girls share a room, Katherine adds that there's not much conflict and they usually get along well.

The four girls sleep in a room with bunk beds and a television. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

The RV also comes with a full kitchen, a dining area, and a fireplace that doubles as a heater.

The sink is on an island in the middle of the kitchen area and converts into more counter space. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

There's no shortage of appliances in the RV. They have a regular-sized refrigerator, a smaller refrigerator, two microwaves, and a grill.

The second smaller kitchen on the outside of the RV has a mini-fridge and another microwave. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

The living space also has one full bathroom and an additional half-bathroom.

The full bathroom has a partitioned shower and a separate toilet. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

Aside from installing a washer/dryer, Katherine says they didn't make a lot of modifications to the RV.

The washer/dryer unit sits inside a closet. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

Katherine told Insider that despite some challenges, like finding adequate parking, living full-time in an RV for the last year has been a positive change for their family and finances.

Katherine and Kyler have five kids: Kinley, who is seven; Kinsey, who is five; Kylie, who is three; Kelby, who is 18 months; and Kyler, the youngest, who is only a few months old. Courtesy of Katherine Umbarger

Katherine told Insider that despite some challenges, like finding adequate parking, living full-time in an RV for the last year has been a positive change for their family and finances.

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A family of 7 downsized to a 429-square-foot RV that has a full-sized kitchen and a bunk-bed room their 4 daughters share

Katherine told Insider that the main reason her family decided to move into an RV was so they could all travel with her husband for work.

"Them getting to see their dad every night, that means the most to me," Katherine told Insider. "But I know that they really enjoy going out and seeing new things."

The couple bought their Sierra RV in spring 2019 for $53,000 and started traveling in May of the same year. But the two weren't new to living on the road.

Before moving into the RV, the family lived in a two-story home. Katherine says downsizing from all that space was the hardest part.

Katherine gave Insider a walkthrough of the family's living arrangements. Even though the a big family shares the RV, it doesn't feel cramped.

The RV has two bedrooms.

Though the four young girls share a room, Katherine adds that there's not much conflict and they usually get along well.

The RV also comes with a full kitchen, a dining area, and a fireplace that doubles as a heater.

There's no shortage of appliances in the RV. They have a regular-sized refrigerator, a smaller refrigerator, two microwaves, and a grill.

The living space also has one full bathroom and an additional half-bathroom.

Aside from installing a washer/dryer, Katherine says they didn't make a lot of modifications to the RV.

Katherine told Insider that despite some challenges, like finding adequate parking, living full-time in an RV for the last year has been a positive change for their family and finances.