RVing in her own backyard: Senior learns adult lessons for new living space

Kaidan Mathias lives in a recreational vehicle but there’s more to it than meets the eye.

With graduation less than a year away, Kaidan knew it was time to make some serious preparations to enter the world of “early adulting.”

“With my senior year approaching, I wanted to find a way that I could move out of the house,” explains Kaidan, a business administration major from Tiffin. “But with school, work, and life in general, it’s hard to get ahead, especially with finances.”

So Kaidan came up with a creative way to take those important first steps after her search for an apartment was unsuccessful.

“I was at a loss and I had no other ideas” – until a lightbulb went off.

Kaidan explains that her dad was a fan of the popular TV show, Breaking Bad, a few years ago and was especially fond of the RV in the show. So much so that he bought an identical one.

“Now this RV from the 1980s had been sitting around for years and needed some major updates,” she says. Inspired, the opportunistic Kaidan jumped into action. Because the RV wasn’t being used for camping any longer, her dad decided to sell it and make a profit.

“After hearing that, I asked him if I could buy it. He was confused until I explained my idea to him.” Then, they came up with a solid plan together.

Kaidan’s goal: Renovate the RV and make it livable. Thus, her RV adventure began in January. During the past few months, she has spent most of her spare time making the RV livable – from deep cleaning every nook and cranny to patching the roof to learning about electricity, building, and pest control – all by watching YouTube videos and trial and error.

With the renovations nearly complete, Kaidan realized there was another issue: where to park the RV, which was located in Bucyrus, about 25 miles southeast of Tiffin. She needed it to be local. Fortunately, her mom had some space on her property, but that, too, needed attention.

“I had to clean the area and make it flat. We had to run electrical outlets to a shed on the property so that I have power, connect the water, and do things like that,” Kaidan explains. “I’m paying $250 in rent per month.”

“It’s been a lot of work but I have learned plenty, and that was the goal.”

Why would someone want to go to all this trouble? It’s all about opportunity, she says. She’s learning to budget money between rent, groceries, subscriptions, and college expenses. “I see this as a trial for adulthood.”

The winter months may bring another challenge as the RV doesn’t have heat. So, Kaidan is hoping for mild temperatures when December, January and February roll around.

But even if she can’t live in the RV in the winter, all will not be lost. “Luckily, due to the renovations I did, I can sell the RV for a downpayment on an apartment.” Now, that’s grown-up thinking!

She’s loving her current living situation for now. “I want to live in the RV for as long as it’s doable because I generally think it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced,” she says.