NOT ANOTHER UGLY RV
UX RESEARCH
THE OVERVIEW & GOAL
Lack of affordable housing is a problem.
Full time “RV-ing” is one solution.
Housing is the #1 expense for cost of living, so I am doing what is trending throughout the world -- I'm going tiny (in my 5 year old voice)!
Preliminary research included:
Geographical location that welcomes tiny home communities.
The types of stationary and mobile tiny homes available.
The expected costs.
Understanding that I want the flexibility of movement and would live in my tiny home full-time, I decided that a recreational vehicle (RV) would best meet my needs, but it creates challenges that includes:
Which type of RV do I choose?
What is the expected lifestyle of a family living in an RV full-time?
Would the traditional ugly RV be the only aesthetic and functional option to choose from?
My research goals are:
To learn why people live in "ugly RVs?"
Whether the physical appearance, features, and amenities of their RV supports their desired lifestyle?
To determine my RV purchasing decision.
My “why” . . . financial freedom.
My “how” . . . research tiny lifestyle dwellers.
When people hear the words "tiny home on wheels" or "RV", they may think of trailer parks or camp sites. As a person that has committed to living tiny, I'm not necessarily interested in where these tiny homes reside, but more so how they function for the people who live in them with their family full-time.
My Role
UX Research with Google Forms for quantitative data collection, Google Sheet for data analyzation, and Google Meet for interviewing and recording participants.
UX Design with paper, pen, and Figma for RV design layout.
Research Challenges
Building trust in order to effectively recruit full-time "Family RV-ers" who are mobile and are willing to take pictures of the inside and outside of their RV and share their "whys" for living in an "ugly RV."
My Pain Points
I am not interested in the typical brown or beige internal RV décor.
I am not interested in the typical layout and functionality of internal RV décor.
I am not interested in the typical external RV stripe decals.
I am not interested in a wide vehicle.
I need an RV that can withstand harsh winter conditions.
I need an RV that is no longer than 30 feet or 9 meters.
I need an RV that can sustain international shipment with the least amount of damage.
Industry
Automotive, real estate, and travel & tourism.
Hashtags
#Bus, #BusLife, #Camping, #Glamping, #Nomad, #RV, #RVing, #RVLife, #SchoolBus, #Skoolie, #TinyHomes, #TinyHouseOnWheels, #Van, #VanLife, and #VanLifeDiaries.
Timeline
May 2021 - November 2021
Preliminary research includes data on the trendy tiny house lifestyle and why many are called “Ugly RVs.”
A review of 49 sources of camping, car life, van life, RVing, skoolies, and tiny houses on wheels from articles, consumer reports, magazines, social media groups, and vehicle reviews.
According to the RV Industry Association, of the 7 types of RV owners listed below, 33% are families and the largest population of RV users are Millennials at 38%.
Adventurer
Avid
Casual
Escapist
Family
Full-Timers
Happy
While the RV community is a lot larger than I anticipated, there is a hot-button topic that has divided the community from what’s known as the RV 10-year rule. It’s a federal law that is used by RV park and campground owners to determine if they would allow an RV that is 10 years or older to reserve space.
This law is of particular interest to this research because RV online groups and publications say that it’s not the age of the vehicle, it’s the visual appearance of the RV and what plausible assumptions or stereotypes can be determined by RV park and campground owners.
I used this law as a guideline to determine if participants live in an “ugly RV.”
RESEARCH METHOD
I chose quantitative research to measure demographic and attitudinal data and semi-structured in-depth qualitative research to measure behavior.
Is the “Ugly RV” an intentional or unintentional outcome of people living the tiny house lifestyle?
How do those outcomes impact the people who live in “Ugly RVs?”
Participants were recruited from Facebook groups pertaining to camper life, RV life, skoolie life, the tiny house on wheels life, van life, and the digital nomad life.
While snowball sampling can be slow compared to other methods, it was necessary to gain the trust of “hard-to-reach” participants. QT data collection was conducted via Google Forms and QL data collection was with semi-structured interviews via phone calls, video conferencing, and in-person meetups.
Limitations includes me not being an active part of the RV community and participant bias because initial participants nominate people that they know or have similar values, beliefs, or traits.
There were 27 participants who identified as Black American, at least have 1 child, and live in their tiny home full time. As a Black American who will be making this lifestyle change with my family, it was valuable to have participants that share similar identities and backgrounds.
27 “RV-ers” participated in the study.
100% live in their RVs full time.
100% have at least 1 child.
37% have at least 1 pet.
100% are Black Americans.
74% have drivable RVs.
26% have towable RVs.
89% wanted upgrades.
11% were okay with their RV as is.
70% made no RV upgrades.
30% made RV upgrades.
89% are employed FT.
11% are employed PT.
96% have used RVs.
4% have new RVs.
Interview questions included impressions before and after living in an RV through user experiences of functionality, usability, societal treatment, and costs.
Lifestyle - Assumed Experiences
What was your first impression of nomadic life, RV life, or van life?
What did you think you would experience living this lifestyle?
Lifestyle - Lived Experiences
What are some of the advantages for your family living in an RV?
What are some of the disadvantages for your family living in an RV?
RV Functionality - Assumed Experiences
What features of your RV did you most look forward to?
What features of your RV did you least look forward to?
RV Functionality - Lived Experiences
What features of your RV worked as expected?
What features of your RV did not work as expected?
RV Appearance - Assumed Experiences
What is not visually appealing about (RV images shown)?
What is visually appealing about (RV images shown)?
RV Appearance - Societal Treatment
What are the advantages of having a visually unappealing RV?
What are the disadvantages of having a visually unappealing RV?
Costs - Emotional, Physical, and Socioeconomic
What do you think would be the expected costs of living in an RV?
What do you think would be the unexpected costs of living in an RV?
The messy middle included potential risks to participants and the reductive process of narrowing down my purchasing decision.
Risks of harm to participants:
Psychological risks can include the production of negative affective states such as anxiety, depression, loss of self-esteem, or embarrassment.
Loss of confidentiality can include exposure of identifiable information.
Navigating my purchasing decision:
The exploration and evaluation of my soon-to-be purchasing journey within the context of the participant research outcomes and acknowledging how that context intercepts the 6 biases that influence purchasing decisions.
Category heuristics: Short descriptions of key product specifications can simplify purchase decisions.
Power of now: The longer you have to wait for a product, the weaker the proposition becomes.
Social proof: Recommendations and reviews from others can be very persuasive.
Scarcity bias: As stock or availability of a product decreases, the more desirable it becomes.
Authority bias: Being swayed by an expert or trusted source.
Power of free: A free gift with a purchase, even if unrelated, can be a powerful motivator.
OUTCOMES OVERVIEW
I learned why people lived in “Ugly RVs.”
Research outcomes revealed why the participants live in “ugly RVs”, their needs and wants for living in an RV, the factors I considered for purchasing my RV, and my actual RV purchasing decision.
Outcomes show that lack of resources, research, and time are why people live in “Ugly RVs.”
Why do people live in “ugly RVs?” My research participants' "whys" not only helped me understand what leads people to live in “ugly RVs”, but to better help me understand how they function as a family living in an RV full-time.
I learned that it is not a lack of preference, it is a lack of resources. Their preference for a more modern interior and exterior is similar to my own and would help satisfy the RV 10-year rule. But it's largely their lack of financial resources, lack of how to do research, and their lack of available time to find and build the RV that fits all of their wants and needs.
Needs assessment for living in an RV included:
Last resort or most immediate housing option
Ease of moving for job opportunities
Unattainable homeownership
Overpriced rental markets
Health (mental & physical)
Being close to nature
Pay Down Debt
Ease of Travel
Wants assessment for living in an RV included:
Built-in adjustable and organized spaces
A bathroom or an updated bathroom
Better supported driver’s seat
Secure vehicle locking system
Workspace with window
Installed passenger seat
Proper wall insulation
Built-in GPS system
Washer and dryer
Updated Kitchen
Update Furniture
Personal Wi-Fi
Heated Floors
New windows
RV purchasing considerations included RV type, drivability, durability, and livability.
Living "tiny" helps to lower your cost of living, lower your carbon footprint, lower your cleaning time, and even lower your stress levels.
Like my research participants, my primary interests is to lower my cost of living, to have easier access to relocation for job opportunities, to have easier access to be out in nature, and to own my home outright.
Choosing to live in a motorized home is not something that I took lightly. The research insights and outcomes helped me to see that it's more than what the RV looks like on the outside, it's also asking:
Where can you park and what is the cost?
Which parks and campgrounds enforce the RV 10-year rule?
What amenities will make full-time RV-ing functional and livable?
Which RV vehicle type can better withstand roadway and weather conditions?
Which RV vehicle type has the best structure to be renovated?
How do you insulate your RV from being too hot or too cold?
Which RVs carry negative connotations within camp grounds and neighborhood communities?
What parts of the U.S. and Europe have legal and welcoming spaces for full-time RV dwellers?
Which engine and transmission works best when towing the weight of a full tiny home build?
What is the cost of maintenance and repairs?
Where and how to get water to and from your RV?
How do you dispose of wastes?
How do you protect your RV from theft?
How to you avoid loneliness or build a community when RVers are expected to be continuously moving?
OUTCOMES TO ACTIONS
My research led me to purchase a Class “A” RV.
My research questions were guided by my RV search pain points and the assumed and lived experiences of full-time RV-ers.
Outdated furniture, brown and beige décor, non-functional layouts, deteriorated vehicle appearances, and a lack of core home functionalities are some of the things that are the makings of an "ugly RV."
I decided to purchase a Class “A” RV and to undergo a full renovation.
My RV Purchase is a “Skoolie”: Conveniences
Conveniences of a school bus converted to a Class “A” RV will include:
No need for a second vehicle to tow the RV.
No doing and undoing of the RV connection from the pull vehicle to the tow vehicle.
No chains, no hitches, and no anti-sway bars to connect from the pull vehicle to the tow vehicle.
Better control on roadways.
Able to drive through highway, city, and neighborhood streets.
A steel frame holds up better to adverse weather.
A steel frame is better suited for custom builds or modifications.
Endures the least amount of damage during shipment abroad.
Class "A" RVs can accommodate more people.
Larger capacity for fresh water and waste water tanks.
Can better support laundry facilities onboard.
Class "A" RVs have better driver visibility.
Comes in variations of lengths, up to 45 feet or 13 meters.
My RV Purchase is a “Skoolie”: Inconveniences
Inconveniences of a school bus converted to an RV will include:
Cost is much higher than other class of drivable RVs or towable RVs.
Can have lower fuel efficiency.
Class A RVs can be cumbersome for "everyday errands."
Steel frames and curved roofs are harder to renovate.
CONTINUING RESEARCH
The next steps of “Not Another Ugly RV” includes my purchasing journey and product design.
I interviewed 7 diesel mechanics, conducted a nationwide search for a specific bus, learned about insurance coverage, how to do a title conversion, and a North American search for a school bus conversion company.
Next steps include an interactive journey map with diesel mechanic interviews, the RV insurance search, the school bus search, the title conversion, and finding the school bus custom builders.
Interactive Journey Map
It helped me to pay more attention to the actions that I took that actually had an impact on buying a school bus.
I learned more about my actions, the information I looked for, and the content that I engaged with at each stage of the buyer’s model to make my school bus purchasing decision.
Diesel Mechanic Interviews
I interviewed 7 diesel mechanics with at least a 4.5 star Google Review rating throughout the State of Illinois.
I asked about services, availability for long-term repair project, and recommendation for engines and transmissions that have the least amount of mechanical issues.
RV Insurance
I reached out to State Farm, American Family Insurance, and Allstate to learn about types of RVs covered and what RV custom additions were not covered.
Finding My “Skoolie” To Convert To An RV
I used Google image search for a specific bus type, body, and length.
School Bus To RV Title Conversion
I learned from my research participants that even with the school bus physically being built to function as an RV, I would still need to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to have the classification changed from a commercial vehicle to a motorhome.
Finding My RV Builder
There are only 20 van conversion companies in the U.S.
There are only 18 "skoolie" conversion companies throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Having less builders to choose from can help to alleviate the stress of having to get quotes from hundreds of builders.
Having less builders to choose from means that there is a limited number of professionals that can renovate my “ugly RV.”
Thank You!
I always want to say “thank you” for taking the time to review my research. I am grateful that my passion project has turned into a real life experience and that I can share it with the design community.