To RV or not to RV

Well that is the topic of interest right now. You see my hubby Bryan works for the carpenter's union, but with the housing market's bottom dropping out and all those far reaching consequences; construction has come to an almost stand still in our area. So he feels that in order to make ends meet that he will have to resort to working out of town. And not just 4 hrs away like his is now, but more like... across the country!

Now we've already decided to HS so RVing isn't completely out of the question. But they (RVs) are pretty expensive, and we have 5 children. Is this even feasible? Then I started thinking about streamlining everything we have to be able to move into an RV! Wow that was mind boggling. How would I possible do it? Fit everything I have become so dependent on into an RV. Would I even survive emotionally? Being stuck in such a SMALL small small space with six other people 365 days a year! I KNOW I sound like a spoiled American who is too accustomed to her personal space and material possessions, but yeah! I am. That's all I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try another way.

I know that like everything in life you have to trade for one thing for the other. Very rarely can you have both. I also know that this kind of experience/education, to be able to travel around America with our children seeing her majesty and learning her history along the way, is priceless. And that unless we were rich, thus enabling us to be able to afford the house and the vacations, we aren't going to be able to give both to our children. I think it would be worth it though, giving up the stuff for the experience.

So what do you people out in cyberspace think? Any RVers out there willing to let me pick your brain? Financially does the trade off make sense? Is the mortgage and gas for an RV, a more affordable way to travel? How do you socialize, or get your mail? :-) On average how much is lot rent? What are the most important features in an RV? Which make and models are best? Gas or Diesel? SO many question!
Curiously, Haben