While most of the world was looking for ways to stay connected even behind screens, country singer John King took a different route. He’s always been known for his soulful lyrics and high-energy performances, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, he found a unique way to captivate his fans while maintaining a lifestyle that brought his family closer together. Without a doubt, living in an RV was one of the best decisions of his life. Here’s why:
Country star John King lives his dream and tours in a Shadow Cruiser
Instead of the traditional COVID couch concerts, King and his family went on tour, bringing their family closer together and engaging their fans in a way that not many other artists were doing at the time. Now he resides in a beautiful Shadow Cruiser 325 MPG, small enough to fit in most campgrounds and big enough to take his wife, two girls and a guitar on the adventure of a lifetime.
They tour the country for months at a time, stopping off at stunning locations like Glacier National Park and Yosemite along the way. In between his beautiful locales, he plays sold-out venues across the country, wowing audiences with his award-winning discography and Georgia boy charm.
He’s also been able to create a ton of great content thanks to a partnership with THOR Industries, the company responsible for iconic RV brands like Cruiser and Airstream. Our favorite is King’s famous “Campfire Sessions,” where he jams to one of his hits in spectacular locations across the country. King was super excited to reveal he has more of those in the pipeline, including an acoustic version of his song “Better Man,” which was featured on his album “Always Gonna Be You.”
All in all, he is living his dream.
Living in a motorhome changes you for the better
A recurring theme in my interview with John King was that traveling in an RV changes your life for the better. By putting yourself in an unfamiliar situation and making it through, you are forced to rethink who you are as a person and how your lifestyle serves you. Life on the road can be unpredictable, from flat tires to the availability of laundromats, and your ability to make lemonade out of lemons will be severely tested. However, life on the road is not all about resentment.
Some of King’s best adventures are times when things didn’t go according to plan. “One time we were driving through Washington in the spring and there were really high winds, like 60-70 miles an hour … and when you’re towing an RV, that’s not what you want,” he said. It started to get scary and they knew they weren’t going to reach their destination, so they pulled into a roadside RV park that happened to be on a beautiful river. “All these kids were there, and my daughters were making friends, and they were just having the best time. At the end of the day, we were eating dinner, and my daughter looked up at me and said, ‘Dad, this is my favorite place we’ve ever camped.'” I think if you can just embrace those (moments) and see where they take you, and be OK with the uncertainty sometimes, sometimes those are the gateway to the best adventures.”
Another avenue that King and his wife have taken is homeschooling their daughters. Since King is married to a former teacher, this hasn’t been a big challenge for them. They bring all of their homeschooling materials with them, but the amazing thing is that they encourage their girls to learn by taking them outside and visiting places of historical and cultural significance. Most of the time, the children play with sticks and stones, go on hikes, and interact with the world around them. This has allowed them to provide their children with very hands-on learning while meeting educational expectations.
If your RV only holds 20 gallons, kids will learn very quickly how to conserve water. Plus, you’ll have more opportunity to practice skills like conflict management and tolerance and kindness to those around you. There will be moments of teamwork and bumps in the road, but this lifestyle really suits the King family well.
“I think the hardest part is planning,” King said, alluding to the fact that the way you pack can determine how much you enjoy your trip. If you want to have a functional living space at the end of the day, you’re not going to be able to pack for every single situation that might arise. King and his family plan their trip intentionally, right down to the amount of shirts and socks they take. That way, their nomadic life isn’t full of stuff they don’t need that they’re constantly having to clean up. What you take will depend on where you’re going, what you’re doing, and your personal preferences, but you’ll probably be surprised at what you’re willing to give up when the world is your oyster.
King concludes that one of the biggest misconceptions about traveling in an RV is that it’s difficult or unattainable. “Some people are put off by the amount of work involved, but I really believe that anyone can use an RV. There are enough great resources to help people plan trips, and there are also great resources to help you find the right RV, like THOR’s RV Finder tool,” he says. “There are so many different ways to travel in an RV that there’s bound to be something (for you)… like glamping or Boon Docking. There really are a hundred different ways you can do it.”
In this humble writer’s opinion, John King deserves all the success in the world. Traveling in an RV allows him to balance a hugely successful music career with a healthy family life – something not every musician can say about themselves. With his down-to-earth nature and commitment to a healthy lifestyle, it’s no wonder his music has been well received around the world. Thank you to John King for his exclusive interview and we can’t wait to see where his journey takes him next.
