The view from the passenger seat in a Class A Motorhome is simply unbelievable! You are behind the largest picture window a motorized vehicle moving down the highway can offer you. But, I can tell you after speaking with many passengers, this view can be more intimidating sitting on the right side of that vehicle than you might have ever imagined it could be. When you look at an RV, without ever actually being driven down the road in it, you just don’t have a feel for what that view will be. You have probably been a passenger in a bus at one time or another, but you most likely slept in the back somewhere killing time getting to your destination. So without further ado, allow me to take you on my first long journey as the passenger in The Beast.

Since I have 2 years under my belt in our Class A, and have spoken with hundreds of passengers, I believe there is such a thing called “The White Line Syndrome.” We make jokes about it, laugh till we cry about it, and mostly try to explain about it to those that don’t know about it. For all the experienced Class A RVers reading this, passengers are definitely laughing as you read my words! Class C people; sorry if I scare you, but I used to be in your seat, and it is definitely less intimidating than mine. And for anyone thinking about purchasing an RV, please don’t get scared! Just try before you buy and know what you’re getting in to. Drivers have a different perspective, so listen up passengers because it’s about to get real!

We purchased out Tiffin Allegro Red in May 2017. We were experienced RVers and did NOT take it for a test drive. My first ever ride in it was from the dealership to our driveway. It was a 45 minute drive on a narrow, construction ridden roadway with cement barriers on both sides of us much of the way. We had just spent more money than God gave us only to scare the holy bejesus out of me ALL the way home. I sat in a seat big enough for a healthy sized KING and the seat adjustments would not work properly. (I know this, because I tried the whole way home to get my feet to touch the floor!) So I sat there, feet dangly like a child on her 1st school bus ride in the front seat. (I wanted to cry for my Momma!) I prayed my DH knew what he was doing, and I am quite sure my eyes were like a dear in headlights the entire ride home! Coming from a Class C life, there is this unexplainable sway in this new Semi-sized height that I never felt before. There is also a view of the road like I have never seen before; the huge one in front of me, as well as, beside me through the window at the bottom of the entrance door. I believe that was the very beginning of where my syndrome started. That very moment I saw the white line, what seemed like between my knees instead of to the right of me where it should have been going down the highway! I don’t know how we made the left turn into our driveway, because I believe my eyes were still closed.

We made that same drive to and from the dealership for repairs, 4 more times (eight, if you count both ways!) It was an obstacle course training each time for my DH. As for me, it was an endurance training session, and learning more in detail about the white line syndrome and how to deal with it. Leaning towards the center of the bus doesn’t help folks, but it will give you a stiff neck. Closing your eyes doesn’t help either! That’s like telling a parachute jumper to close their eyes on the way down. Nope. Not happening. Saying anything to your DH is strongly NOT ADVISED! First off, he will take his eyes off the road to give you a very strange cold look, because of course, he knows exactly where our tires are! He will just think you’re crazy! And second, he just took his eyes off the road!!!

Our first trip anywhere after the break-in period was North to Michigan. We LOVE traveling in Michigan! We would head to the Northwestern most part you can drive to with Six Wheels Down, Copper Harbor in the UP. Now, if you have been to this part of the country in a car, truck, van, or RV of any sort, you are probably laughing your ass off right about now just thinking about the white line! Well, they say the only way to reduce your fears is to confront them head on, and that’s what we were about to do! Only, no one warned me. That’s probably a very good thing. Let me say this if you haven’t been there yet. Don’t be scared the whole way up there, because I would do it all over again. After all, I did live to tell this story! But, if the white line is a bit of an anxiety issue, visit your Doctor and get a prescription for Xanax! Period. Just tell him where you are going, and that you are doing it in a Class A, and it is the 1st time ever that your DH is driving these roads in the BAB (Big Ass Bus). He will write you a script, no questions asked.

We started in Grayling, MI at a military only place called Camp Grayling. It was very sandy/dirty under mature trees and we parked during a downpour! Enough said, since we were still new with our 40′ Class A. Next, we went to another military CG called the Combat Readiness Center in Alpena, MI. It was also very rustic under mature trees and a very small CG. However, it has an awesome bar that serves food called the River Club and close to a Walmart (RVers get how important that is!) AWESOME place! We stayed there over the 4th of July and hung out with some great friends from Key West that live there. We got to enjoy the Alpena parade and some time at their yacht club, which was all a great time. Our next stop is nearly impossible to pronounce, so just Google by typing instead of speaking it. Michihistrigan Bar and CG in Engadine, MI. It has a great little “locals” bar that serves food in this very rustic four-wheeling area. Fun spot, but remember, I said “rustic”. Find a spot you can fit in and park it. Bartender takes care of everything else. Next up, was Country Village RV Park in Ishpeming, MI. Great stop with FHU and close to shopping and a great little Brewery called Jasper Ridge! Our trip, so far, has been wonderful! Love the scenery and the locals treat you like family! Now we are off to Copper Harbor! This part of the trip, you will notice, it gets very scenic. That is code for “watch the road”. All is well on our way to Fanny Hooe CG (one of two Big-Rig friendly CG’s in Copper Harbor, both of which are adequate for all your camping needs.) We called our friends to let them know we were on route to see them, and they told us of a great stop for fuel (diesel & gas) that also sells cigarettes (I used to smoke back in those days, and hubby still does.) Not sure of the name of it, but there is a huge billboard sign that advertises Indian branded cigarettes. About 35 miles from Copper Harbor, you will probably lose cellphone service, so don’t say you haven’t been warned. You also lose the normal width of your road. It seems a lot more narrow from this point on, and your white line syndrome may start to kick in. When you reach a sign that says 11 miles to Copper Harbor? I hope you have already taken your Dramamine if you experience car sickness. (I did NOT.) For the next minutes of eternity, I braced my feet on the handrail in front of me and held tightly to the handrail next to me, as best I could with sweaty palms. Your driver is now probably feeling a bit anxious, but will NEVER speak of it out loud, because the road begins to twist and turn (left, right, left, right.) You are also feeling the sway of your vehicle and the road dips at times, feeling like a gentle roller coaster. As this is happening, there is oncoming traffic in your face because they have no more room than you do! When you see another Class A or large Fifth wheel, you can believe they are feeling the crunch just like you are, squeezing their butt-cheeks together! If you’re lucky, you can test how well your Xanax works when your driver faces the oncoming logging truck or semi. It’s totally awesome to see your mirrors come so close to crashing into a truck on one side, and the trees on my side! If you haven’t peed your pants yet from the terror of it all, sit tight. You will when you tell this story to your friends/family once you’ve survived and cry laughing! This is all quite beautiful if you can keep your eyes opened the entire time and don’t have a heart attack. The road is winding through beautiful lush countryside like you cannot imagine. Sometimes, it actually reaches out and touches you, but as the tree limbs slap into your mirror, you may not have been able to keep your eyes opened! (It’s tough, I tried.) This torture doesn’t last very long, but you have just survived your first adventure where the white line has completely disappeared beneath you! At first it feels like it is between your knees, but you look out the side door window and can no longer even see it! Your driver, out of necessity for your safety, has hugged the right side of the road to keep his mirror from being ripped off from the oncoming Beer truck.

Congratulations! You are in God’s country. If you needed Dramamine, there is some at the General Store in Copper Harbor. You may want it for the car trips you will definitely want to take all over the peninsula. Squeeze in as much as you can during your stay here, because it is so serene and beautiful, that you might not want to leave (you won’t be in a hurry to drive that narrow winding route 41 again anyway, but it is the only way in and out.) Our hosts were Fred and Diane. Fred is retired Navy and was a Professional Captain of The Keweenaw Star that took passengers out for sunset cruises, along with his wife, Diane, serving their guests. Fred has since sold that boat, but now owns the Iron Maiden. “Sailor” took us out for a sunset cruise that I will never ever forget! We ate and drank at the lovely Harbor Haus Restaurant (77 Brockway Ave, Copper Harbor, MI 49918) and at approximately 9:30pm, we were still cruising on Lake Superior enjoying the most beautiful evening ever. This place is magical (PURE Michigan says it all!) And it’s a bonus that it stays light until much much later (around 11pm in July). You are so far North, that you may even get a glimpse of the Northern Lights!

We stayed in Iron Mountain at Summer Breeze CG on our way to Sheboygan, WI once departing Copper Harbor, but we ate and drank our way around the peninsula with Fred and Diane for days enjoying the Copper Mines, Lighthouses, restaurants, bars, waterfalls, and just beautiful scenery. There is no place that close to us that is quite like it, and definitely worth seeing. This is one of my many white line experiences that I reflect on from time to time with laughter, but mostly with fond memories of good times with friends we have met since our early beginnings as RV travelers.

So to all the RV drivers out there; you may get white knuckles every now and then, but always remember that your passenger may suffer from “white line” syndrome. It’s always funny to talk about after the fact, but we all know what it feels like in that moment (definitely NOT funny). It’s not always fun and games out here, but if you want to hear a great story? Ask anyone that travels in their RV. We have plenty to tell….because we are all survivors.