‘Sister Wives’: Janelle Brown Is Taking a Break From the RV Lifestyle
TLC’s Sister Wives has documented the lives of Kody Brown, his four wives (Robyn, Meri, Christine, and Janelle), and their 18 children as they attempt to make a polygamist lifestyle work in the American West. After 16 seasons over the past decade, the lives of this family are now in a period of upheaval. Christine Brown decided to leave Kody and the polygamist lifestyle behind. Meanwhile, Janelle Brown is taking a break from living in an RV. Keep reading for an update on the Brown family’s current living situation.
Why did Janelle Brown move into an RV?
As recapped by Us Weekly, Janelle announced her move into the RV, alongside her daughter, Savanah, on Instagram June 2021. She made the move out of necessity, explaining, “The rental where I was living was sold and I chose an alternative path to trying to find another rental. Not only is the housing market in Flagstaff as crazy as where you are I’m sure, [but] rentals are even harder to come by. Presenting my new summer adventure — the RV life but camped on our property.”
The original plan for the Browns (all orchestrated by Kody of course) was that all of the wives would live in one house together on their Coyote Pass property, but all of the women turned that down in a desire to live separately in different homes.
The move became a divisive topic for fans of the show. Janelle decided to dry-dock her RV, which means the vehicle had no hookups to provide running water or electricity. That can be a lot to handle for an expert RV resident, let alone someone like Janelle who had never lived in an RV before. There’s also the fact that her choice to live there instead of with one of the other wives may speak volumes about her relationship with them as well as Kody.
Despite being slightly pushed into these living arrangements, Janelle certainly presented on social media as if she enjoyed living there. She regularly shared pictures from inside the mobile home and answered questions about daily life or the logistics of living in an RV, such as how to live off the grid or what to do with a septic tank.
Where is Janelle living now?
As the winter months creeped closer and closer, Janelle Brown decided to exit the RV until the snow melts and the temperatures go back up. “So long trailer! See you next spring,” she wrote on her Instagram post on Nov. 7, 2021. “Trailer is headed down to storage for the winter. We decided to find short-term housing in town instead of riding out the winter.”
As much as living in a home will make January and February easier, Janelle does plan to return to the RV at some point during the next season. “Next year I should be able to plug into infrastructure (i.e. electric, sewer, water),” she explained. “I loved loved loved living out on the land and look forward to next spring.”
Janelle’s living situation switch-up comes in the wake of Christine leaving Kody and moving to Utah
Big changes are on the horizon for the Brown family. Christine Brown made waves by announcing that she was leaving Kody after 27 years. Her issues with the family patriarch were brewing for years, and the idea of living at Coyote Pass was the final straw. Christine’s openness about her difficulties both in the relationship and the aftermath of it has led to more questioning of Kody’s treatment of her and the other wives.
Christine eventually moved to Utah full time to be closer to her relatives, and fans continue to support her newfound independence. They also wonder if Janelle may soon join her in her $1.1 million duplex home. The two of them have traveled a lot together, and Janelle’s time in the RV could also be construed as her slowly leaving Kody on her own terms.
For her part, Janelle has defended Kody in the past, but she also questions Kody more than the other wives. Whatever the future brings, we’ll probably find out during season 16 of Sister Wives — which premieres on Nov. 21. at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.
