We have been so busy since arriving in our Florida winter destination that this is my first blog since November! We experienced hazy, hot & humid summer days upon our arrival for several weeks, which led us to the pool daily and many evening happy hours. We had some catching up to do with our friends here at the RV resort, and also with some annual lot maintenance. We celebrated Thanksgiving this year amongst our resort friends at our Social Hall on the premises. This was the first time in a long time that I did not prepare a large feast. It was rather nice not having all the clean up and enjoying the camaraderie of good friends, as we are all without family members from up North. So here we are entering another Holiday Season with Six Wheels Down.

With the arrival of Thanksgiving and reflecting on all that we are grateful for, I go through this unsettling feeling every year that we have been away from our hometown over the holidays. It is very hard to explain how I can feel euphoric, and yet, depressed all in one day. I now call this strange eventful feeling the “Love/Hate Relationship” with FT RV life. There is so much to be thankful for, yet so much I dislike. And that’s how the fight started! No, Hubby and I are doing fine. The fight is within my own mind and the struggle is coping with the changes that RV life has forced on me over the years. I figure that many FT RV’ers are reading my blog, since I have many followers, so perhaps you can relate. Even if you are just contemplating a Snowbird lifestyle, you might want to follow along this journey. So let’s begin a little game of Love/Hate & Relate.

I love the beauty of a warmer climate during the cold brutal winters that our Northern and Midwestern folks deal with. I was just sitting outside in the sun to dry my hair after a shower and I love not having to blow dry my mop of hair! We enjoy getting in the car on cooler days and going for a drive to explore new things. We never worry about slippery wintery roads or rain turning to whiteout conditions. We don’t own or ever need a snow blower. Need I say more? But, I hate that decorating for the holidays feels like Christmas in July! If I don’t play Christmas music, I’d feel like a senile old lady that can’t figure out what month it is. When I do play Christmas music, everything I hear is a “white” this and a “white” that, and I feel like if I don’t have a fire blazing, that I can never achieve the merry and bright! No matter how many wonderful friends we have and celebrate with, there is always that yearning for the “ones you love” and cannot be with. I won’t be home for Christmas, and it most certainly won’t be a “white” one. However, I have less stress, and no need for a little black dress. Merry, Bright and casual every day.

I love never having to pack up anything to go on vacation. Everything I need is with me all the time. So if we decide to go “South” for a week or so, it’s like pulling up anchor and off ya go! Just FYI; When you live in Florida, going South means Key West. Going to the grocery or liquor store to stock up on a few things is as much preparation as I need. I also love it that wherever we go, we know someone there to meet up with and socialize with. We have met so many good people since 2011, that we never go anywhere that someone isn’t close by. In fact, we get in trouble if we forget that someone is near us and don’t make that call! But, I hate driving down the road with my house and car in tow. I know that sounds funny if you’re a Full Timer, right? But in a Class A, our house and all of it’s contents are in ear shot behind us. We hear everything shake, rattle and roll as we travel America’s roads, and they are not all great roads! Birmingham, AL and some areas of Indiana and Ohio come to mind. If you have been following our adventures, you’ll remember that we lost our tail pipe after miles of bouncing along I65N. I sometimes sit in the passenger seat quietly wondering just how much our home is depreciating every time we travel. I worry that if something expensive breaks, will it be covered by our insurance? Will we have to be towed? If we have to be towed, where will we stay if we have to wait for days or weeks for parts? Will the contents of my house be safe? And then I thank GOD for alcohol. Our tradition of toasting at the end of every travel day started on day one in Tin Lizzy; “Here’s to another safe day of travel!” Life is good.

I love that life is so much more simple living in an RV. Less area to clean, less clothes and shoes are needed, and if you don’t like where you are living, you just move on to the next area of interest. If you have a few plants or tend to a little garden, your watering is done in no time at all. Decorating for a holiday doesn’t take days or a lot of money, it usually takes a few hours and a little imagination. You never have to worry about entertaining large groups of people, because you can only comfortably fit up to 4 or 6 people. But simple doesn’t always cut it. I hate that the things I used to take for granted are no longer available or easy to come by. Good Healthcare becomes so important with age and is never guaranteed when you travel. You don’t just pull up your PCP’s number on your phone and make an appointment. You may have to wait forever to get an appointment, so you go to a Jack in the Box Doc for emergency care and hope for the best. Don’t even get me started about a dentist! (I am scared even when I go to my dentist I’ve known for years!) I feel like we better stay healthy until we can return to our health care professionals up North or we are at the Mercy of Dr. Whatever. I can hear my Dad saying “When it’s your time, it’s your time.” But nobody ever wants it to be “their time!” Thankfully, we have only had a couple of emergencies over all these years and we both lived to tell. There is something to be thankful for!

So how many of you can relate? Is this a familiar story for you? Do you miss celebrating Holidays at home with your family? Do the blues pass when the holiday is over? For me, I believe that if you come from a close, loving, caring family, rich with tradition, as I did; You never really get over it. You deal with it, as best that you can. But this is not only something that RV’ers deal with. This is life. This is me getting older and missing the good old days. My Mother left from this world over 13 years ago, and my Dad almost 4 years ago. This leaves me yearning for the days that they were here with our family making all the traditions that I dearly miss. The huge Christmas tree that my Mother would beg my Dad every year not to get so big that it filled the entire room, but still loved him when he did! The unbelievable amount of delicious cookies we baked and food served over a perfectly set table with linen and lace tablecloth and candles atop! The endless hours of music that emanated from our house, as our parents were both musicians that taught us all to play an instrument or sing for enjoyment. We had endless outdoor fun in the snow, making snow Angels, snowmen, forts and ice skating. Bells were always ringing, as the Elves were always watching us to see if we were bad or good. These are just a few of my favorite things, but, as we have all experienced, life changes and there is no stopping it. Every day is what we make it, no matter where we are, so try to live them good!

My wish for all of you is to enjoy your Holidays no matter what you do, who you’re with or where you are. Have a Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true! Thank you all for following my life on the road this past year and I hope you’ll continue along with Six Wheels Down in 2020!

Merry Christmas

 

 

 

 

We started our trip south this year on October 18th. The roads weren’t too bad and we were lucky not to run into much construction or heavy snowbird traffic. Every now and then, a little “white line syndrome” snuck up on me, like the East River Tunnel crossing on the West Virginia Turnpike (pictured above). We had Billy Big Rigger in the right lane and we couldn’t get passed him enough to move into the right lane before entering the tunnel. So, he decided to pass us on the right while we were in the tunnel just to remind us that trucks rule. Needless to say, I was feeling a little boxed in for these moments as I focused on that white light at the end of the tunnel! Phew!

We took I77S to I26E to I95S to I295S Beltway, to arrive in Jacksonville, FL on October 21st. It normally takes us 3 days to arrive at Pelican Roost CG (Military only, and one of our favorite stops!) but for 3 years in a row now, we have run into delays prompted by Hurricanes & tropical conditions. For this year, we would have had to drive right thru the cone of “Nestor” to arrive in Walterboro, SC. It was only windy and rainy conditions, but when you don’t have to do it, why do it? High profile vehicles are heavy and you don’t think of them just blowing over, but they do! I do not want to be one of those RV’s that you see laying on their side in the middle of the interstate on the world news. Those are usually the people that think nothing can ever happen to them…and yes, it does. Safe is always better than sorry, which is another way of saying; Smart is always better than Stupid. Sometimes my DH thinks out loud and will say something like “it’s just a little wind and rain.” I just remind him of the smart/stupid rule and that we really have no schedule. So, we arrived safely this year one day later than usual, and all was well.

I always hate this bridge (pictured above) on I295 going into Jacksonville over the St. John’s River, but we have safely crossed every year on route to our destination. Roger used to stay in the right lane, but has kindly obliged my request to stay in the middle lane until we exit the bridge. I can breathe so much easier for that minute or so, which feels like 10 minutes when you suffer anxiety like I do. He now just says “Yes Dear” upon my lane request. I answer with a “Thank you Dear” and life is good!

We stayed 6 nights and had a wonderful time! Our friends, Cheryl and Dave, from our Key West adventures met up with us and stayed for 3 nights. There was Happy Hour every evening at 4:00pm and daily shopping! St. Johns Town Center is an outdoor, pet friendly Mall, and has everything you could ever want, including Tiffany or a Tesla! Yes, there is a Tesla dealer and the boys really enjoyed that part of shopping!

The other Mall that Cheryl and I ventured out to by ourselves was called Regency Square. To quote Cheryl, “AKA, Zombie Land!” Allow me to explain. We arrived 10 minutes or so before 10:00am, so JC Penney was not opened yet. We drove around to the main Mall entrance and Food Court area thinking we would get coffee or tea, and were surprised to find a nearly empty parking lot. We parked the car and entered into the Food Court. Nothing was opened to buy coffee or tea. Almost every gate was down in front of the restaurants, with only one or two employees making preparations to open. One lady with a child-stroller sat in a very large cafeteria space with many empty table & chairs. We walked around the entire area and finally asked a woman if anyone was opened or could sell us coffee. She told us the pretzel place in the mall might be opened, but most food places don’t open until 11:00am. We walked into the mall and saw the pretzel shop was making preparations to open, but not really opened until 11:00am. No coffee or tea was available. So we skipped that idea and walked down to JC Penneys, which has now opened. Success! We had a lovely time shopping and looking, as we both enjoyed conversation and laughing. I am guessing we spent an hour or more there and we decided to move on and shop the rest of the mall. As we exited Penneys, it looked just like it did before 10:00am! Gates were still down and barely a soul around, as if nothing was opened yet. ???? We stared around, and then back at each other, as if we just stepped into the Twilight Zone! We were literally mystified and waiting for Zombies to come out in plain sight! We started to laugh out loud, but too weird to explain how laughing didn’t even feel appropriate, as if Zombies truly were about to come out for a mid-morning snack! Cheryl made the comment that you might have to “open the gates if you actually WANT people to come in and shop!!!” We did bust out a laugh at that moment and headed toward the opposite end of the Mall toward Belks and Dillards. According to the directory, we were standing right in front of what should have been Belks, and there was nothing but a wall! It was gone! All gone! A sign indicated that construction was in progress, and obviously, Belks was gone. So we decided to try one more store. Dillards. Yes! We will go to Dillards! So we walked just a little further and peered down this long, narrow empty hallway, which was the equivalent to a dark alley if it were outside, but closed in. We stopped and looked at each other again, totally shocked. Cheryl asked me “Do you want to go to Dillards?” “Nope! Not going down there! Definitely Zombies down there!” So eerily strange that we could barely laugh, so we turned around and headed back to the food court (where most gates were still down) and back out to the car. We decided to drive to Dillards instead of walking thru the obvious Zombie lunch trap tunnel!

Now, here comes the funny part. We could see Dillards from our car, but once we drove down to the store, there was not one car in the parking lot! NOT ONE! There were weeds growing up in the parking lot everywhere they could! It was like a scene from an apocalypse and we drove right onto the set! Still leaves me speechless, but Cheryl drove to the other side of the building, not sure what to expect, but expected something! And again, nothing! We saw a small sign on the door that said they opened at noon and that it was some kind of “sales center”, like a sales outlet center of some sort. But we opted to leave the Twilight Zone and get back to the real world and enjoyed a very nice lunch at The Olive Garden. We will never forget this bizarro-world experience EVER, for the rest of our lives because we survived Zombie Land! Nothing was mentioned about store closings or the possible closing of the mall when we Googled it, so you’ve been warned! Do NOT go there if you’re traveling in that area….

After our very pleasant stay in Jacksonville, we made it to our RV Resort on October 27th, which is our Winter home for this season. It is always so nice to meet up with old friends and make some new ones, as well! This is our seventh year in a row of Snowbirding for the winter in warm areas of Florida, but it is our first year to experience a beautiful outdoor wedding upon our return. On Saturday, November 2nd, a fabulous wedding took place here in our resort, and we were lucky enough to experience their outdoor nuptials with many friends in attendance! The Bride was dressed in an absolutely stunning off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline, ball-gown styled dress, with a sparkling tiara and mid-length veil, with a brilliant sparkling necklace! Her attendants wore peach, coral and soft teal dresses, also with necklaces that sparkled elegantly in the sunlight. Two adorable granddaughters were flower girls, and her sons and grandsons walked her down the street and onto a sheer white runner up the drive to meet her handsome Groom. He was dressed in black trousers, black patent shoes and a crisp summer-white shirt. They were married under a gorgeous floral archway with family and friends standing all around them to witness their vows to love one another for their lifetimes. Afterwards, we all attended a lovely reception at our Social Hall, where we enjoyed cocktails, dinner, dancing, and of course cake! All very lovely and Congratulations to the happy couple! So beautiful to see all your friends and family come together for your special day!

That’s a tough act to follow, so I will end right here, for now. Stay tuned my friends for more snowbird adventures, as we have several months to enjoy the winter in Florida. As always, thanks for following me with Six Wheels Down…

It is Fall. One of my most favorite times of the year in Ohio! The picture above is of my home area in Florida while we were on the Silver River with friends last Fall. It is the closest resemblance to the beauty of colored leaves that we experience in many cooler areas in the Northern US.

I thought I would be decorating a new little ranch house in the country during this Fall season. I was wrong. Maybe we listed the RV too late to get it sold before our CG here in Ohio closes. Maybe the price wasn’t right. Maybe we didn’t find the right house for two retired folks early enough to get the deal done. Maybe, maybe, maybe! But as we plan to head south in the Beast in just a few weeks, I still find myself wishing for a little miracle deep down inside. We continue to make our plans to journey down to horse country, which is actually quite lovely this time of year as the temperatures cool. We have so many wonderful friends that we truly look forward to seeing as we head south annually, that I do feel excitement starting to percolate. However, the sadness to say our goodbyes to life-long friends and family here before the Holidays, starts to creep up on us, and is always overwhelming to me! Do any other FT’ers feel this way? There is just not enough time to squeeze in every clam bake, bonfire, football Sunday Fun-day, etc.! This is the part of being a Full Time RV’er that is no fun. You now have 2 families. You have goodbyes on both ends.

So my search for the perfect retirement home in the country will continue in 2020. I will enjoy my winter in the South once the Beast is parked safely at our resort. We will spend some time enjoying the sites and the beach along the way, which will definitely be a boost of joy for my soul! I will continue to update my fans as we continue our journey, and hopefully humor ya’al once more before we sell our beautiful Tiffin! Six Wheels Down and still rolling for now, and we look forward to seeing you down the road!!

 

 

It’s been another very busy month here in our FT RV lives, as we continue our search for a little piece of paradise in the country. If you’ve been keeping up with my Blog, you know that we are on a mission to return to a life we once knew in a brick and mortar home on an acre or two of land. We love having six wheels down, but the bank has expressed it’s distaste of our Tiffin lifestyle by informing us we can’t do both. Not on our fixed income, at least not now, while trying to qualify for a loan. It’s a cruel joke, as they saw fit to loan us the money to purchase our home on wheels while we had a house a few years back. But we aren’t laughing much about that now.

Whenever you catch yourself saying the words “This is the toughest thing I’ve ever been thru!”, do you start thinking back of some of the tough things you’ve actually lived thru, like I do? There’s childbirth (24 hours of labor! OMG!), several divorces, and then your child grows up and gives you a different kind of heart ache, as you watch them suffer and grow. Your parents get old, sick, and pass away, or linger in a world of dementia in a nursing home. Your career (or job) becomes a memory and your pockets are drained. Not to mention all your friends that come and go, family going thru tough times, etc, etc, etc. Being that I’m an empathic person, my heart aches for those going thru tough times, sometimes more than my own drama, because I feel helpless! But, I have lived thru it all! I have triumphed thru all the good and the bad, because I’m still here. I usually have a smile on my face, love in my heart, and my soul lives on. But even as I write this, my spirit feels a little broken right now. My DH loves our motorhome, but we want a house to come home to. We’d like nothing more than to be able to park the Beast in our backyard until we plan the next adventure. We’d like to see a little winter, but also like to escape the cold when we’ve had enough. Choices. That’s what I like having! Nothing bad about having choices. But when you feel like your ability to make choices is denied, it’s not good for your soul! When someone tells you what you can and can not do, it’s all bad!

So here’s where we are folks; we found a cute little house on 1 and a quarter acres in the country after 4 months of painfully searching. We have an official purchase contract on this home. We are undergoing inspections and apply for the loan tomorrow. It is contingent on selling our Coach in 15 days, or we have to give this one up and start all over. Time is almost up, since we are in Ohio and Fall is coming! We have until October 15th to sell our coach or move it out of this seasonal campsite. I can hear the clock ticking louder and louder every minute of every day, and I’m getting greyer by the minute!

If you are in the market for a motorhome or know someone that is, PLEASE share this blog!! We have a 2014 Tiffin Allegro RED 38QRA. 27,721 miles and delivery must be taken in Medina, Ohio. Only serious buyers need to inquire. We have reduced the price to $134,900, which is an excellent deal on a luxury coach like this! Just research it online and see how many 38QRA’s you find in this price range in great condition! It is listed on RVTrader.com, so check it out! Many upgrades!

 

So once we get this Beast sold, we can move forward with buying our little retirement home in the country. Perhaps we will downsize one day to a smaller coach and hopefully see ya ‘al down the road once more. Until then, all buyers can submit their inquiries via email. Tic tock, tic tock……

Someone just asked this question on the Full Time RV website; “Does anyone ever get tired of all of this and just want to go home?” Funny you should ask, my fellow RVer. I have been in this mind-set for quite some time now, of just wanting to go home, but I have no home to return to. We happen to be in our hometown area visiting all of our family and friends for the summer, but with no place to call home, other than our RV parked in a local CG. It was always great to return to our sticks & bricks house with its 2 1/2 acre yard for the summer. Sometimes, I still can’t believe that we sold it all and hit the road in the Beast with six wheels down. So, after spending a great deal of time sharing all of our adventures and FT lifestyle, is it possible to reverse the process and go back to a house? Well, I would love to share the reason why I have not been blogging lately with my readers and fellow FT RVers.

If you are a Full Timer reading this, you may want to pay special attention to the financial equation. If you are lucky enough to have endless amounts of cash, this may not apply to you, and God Bless! Everyone else, listen up! Before we sold our house, financially we were very sound. We lived mainly on Roger’s fixed income (Military pension and SS), and we both worked during the summer months at our seasonal jobs (Landscaping & Sales). Our house was paid for, but we had a small home equity loan used for our smaller RV. When we decided to sell the house and buy a bigger RV, we had no problem getting a loan for a motorhome (which is considered a luxury item, similar to purchasing a big boat). You qualify for the loan because your house payment (or equity loan, in our case) shows your payment history is good and we had a great credit score. Roger had plenty of buying power, so this process was fairly easy. They qualify you based on your credit score and debt to income ratio. We put some money down to keep our monthly payment in our comfort zone. But what the banks didn’t know, is we were about to sell our house and run freely all over the country (and the dealerships encourage you to say nothing about that!) There are so many lies in the business of FT RVing, that it kind of makes your head spin! Let’s discuss this for just a moment, and then I’ll get back to my point:

First thing everyone does when they become FT status, is lie about where they reside (domicile)! Mainly to get out of paying higher sales tax on your expensive luxury vehicle! But also, to save money on getting yearly tags and insurance on it. So most people decide to make Florida, South Dakota, or Texas as their domicile states (Tax friendly on income and/or registration of vehicles, but you don’t have to really live there.) If you are not an RVer, and you are reading this? I know, I know! Your head is spinning like a scene right out of the exorcist!! But you need to call somewhere home, or you can’t get a mail service to send your mail to you while you play all over the country! But the reality is, most people are lying! We actually do own land that we park the RV on all winter in Florida, so we aren’t lying. Everything is registered in the state of Florida and we have an actual address, so I do sleep better knowing we are not lying to anyone.

Second thing most people are confused about is the insurance. Do you lie about being Full Time? And what state you actually live in? Because your insurance rates are based on where you live and how much you drive it! This could come back to bite you in the ass if you ever wind up in one of those horrific crash sites! The one where you narrowly escaped death? But now you have to explain to your insurance company that absolutely everything you owned was in the vehicle that just burned to the ground on the highway! Yea, that’s the one. We don’t lie about that either. We pay a lot of insurance, as it is our home.

The last lie I will speak of, is the silent lie. The one where you really don’t say it unless you are ever asked in a group. The one you will cringe over if your spouse or family ever asks, and you definitely won’t want to speak the truth. But when the strangers you run into and meet on the road asks, it comes out of your pie hole in record speed! The answer to the question; “Do you have any regrets going FT?” and you lie thru your teeth and say “NOPE! Never looked back!” Sorry folks. That would be a big fat lie for me! I miss my house! And, you will never know how far you have come, unless you look back now and then!

So back on point, we purchased the luxury RV while we still owned our house. But purchasing a house when you own a luxury RV? Can this be done? Not easily done folks on a fixed income. You have been traveling around the country and having the time of your life enjoying the beach during the middle of winter. Your family and friends send you hate mail after a couple of years of this! You haven’t held a steady job with a steady paycheck that Uncle Sam can verify. Your cars paid for, and the only monthly payment you have record of, is an RV (some are paid for, so that would be another strike against you!) Your residence is an empty driveway on a piece of property in another state, but it is something. For those of you that don’t own anything, anywhere; you’ve got it way worse than us! So here we are, looking for a house to buy as retirees. We don’t want anything big and expensive. Small and quaint will do, but on a decent sized property (1 or 2 acres, perhaps?) We are in a buyers market, but the interest rates are at the lowest they will probably ever be in our home-buying lifetimes. We are in a pocket here in Ohio where there is not enough inventory, so the prices are insane! And then you have to realize now, that you will need to buy everything you once had, and literally start all over again! You want to call all your friends and family and ask “Anything I gave you that you don’t really need, do you want to give it back?” Seriously folks, if I didn’t lose my mind trying to get rid of it when we were purging to downsize into our RV, I will most certainly lose my mind trying to get it all back and into a nice little house!!

And the worst part of it all? The mortgage lender says we have to sell our RV in order to qualify for a home loan! Now, for those that have a big wad of money saved somewhere for just this occasion? Kudos to you! We are just not that fortunate to be able to handle two house payments, along with down payment, closing costs and everything else we need. So we have to sell the house on wheels in order to get a brick and mortar house. And where would you like to spend a few months in the interim? Oh yea! An apartment that will cost more than our future house payment, short term (we can hope!) is about the best it will probably get! Talk about a shock treatment! Take an RVer, and force them to sell it and move into an apartment for awhile. That’s just what we all want at retirement age, isn’t it? And it gets worse.

We found the perfect house in the perfect place recently. We knew better than to offer anything lower than the asking price, and we didn’t ask anything from the sellers. We submitted a “strong offer” and we should have been good to go! Right? Wrong! In this environment, we lost out to a stronger bid (code for higher bid, or perhaps cash offer). No one could have prepared us for what we are now facing to return to the life we once had before the words “Full Time” became our existence. We never thought in our life time that in order to buy a house, you would have to actually pay sellers more than they are asking for in order to have a chance! Imagine your parent’s faces when you tell them that! Ours are probably turning over in their graves! So we lost the perfect house and the search starts all over again. It took almost 5 months to find that one and we are approaching school starting and Fall Season. Inventory will probably only get worse and I’m gonna be like a desperate housewife here! The Campgrounds we are staying at will close down on October 15th, and we better know what we’re doing by then. I really don’t think putting another year on the tires and another year of depreciation on our vehicle is going to save us any money. Do you?

So, to the question of returning to a sticks & bricks life after Full Timing in an RV, and can it be done? Yes! But you better be prepared for the mess you have gotten yourself into. If you are the family that wants to live on the road until the day you die? Sorry I wasted your time on this blog! Move on to “until death do we part!” But if you are the person that knows eventually, all good things must come to an end? You better be planning your course wisely or stay Part Time from the start! You will also be questioning one day what many others have already questioned, because there’s no place like home!

So to conclude this blog, we have just put in another offer on an estate home that we would love to have, but slightly beyond our budget. We have only hopes and dreams to carry us through another agonizing and suspenseful 5 or 6 days. I pictured my Christmas tree in the front bay window of this home (that my Rogie found, by the way) and I do believe in these spiritual things. But you will have to tune in to my next blog to find out if my intuitions are correct on this one!!

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.

 

Since we are visiting family and friends in our hometown for the summer, I have returned to work, and so has my DH. I am still selling jewelry, and he is still landscaping. Some things never change. But I thought I would discuss the tremendous changes we faced back in April of 2017, when we made the life-changing decision to sell our house and go FT in the RV. This transition is the most discussed subject in the world of RVers, and the most controversial to all those concerned. Whether you are the RVer, family or friend, or even spouse of an RVer, it is the most serious of decisions one might ever make in their life, yet not discussed seriously enough. So here are some of my thoughts to shed some truth and light on what can be a very confusing subject. If you read my last blog, you will understand that FT life is not for everyone, as we venture slowly towards owning a small sticks & bricks retirement house. If you are contemplating going FT, you may want to listen up. If your DH is throwing the idea around, or vice versa, do yourself a favor and continue reading. It just might save you a major hardship down the road, and you’ll be thanking me.

If you travel leisurely on vacations, or as Snow Birds for months at a time during the winter to warm and snow-free destinations, you know it doesn’t take long before you become hooked on RV travel. (There’s a book title!) You wake up in your own bed in beautiful places and spend numerous hours sightseeing, hiking, kayaking, or simply loving a sandy beach with a cocktail or two. Making friends has never been easier and life is drastically simplified. All the decisions in normal daily life become so easy. Nobody cares what you wear, if you have makeup on, what car you tow, or the RV you drive. NO ONE CARES! You are all doing the same thing and loving life. It is very easy to get drawn in and addicted to this simpler life enjoying nature to the fullest, and not judging anyone by what they have or don’t have. So why not do what you’re doing ALL THE TIME?

The discussion starts gradually. You and your travel mate are sitting with friends at Happy Hour, and someone starts telling you how they sold their house, got rid of all their stuff, and hit the road, never looking back. They don’t miss a thing! No more house payment/taxes/insurance, no more house repairs/maintenance/yard work, and no more headaches. Sounds like a dream-come-true and you are already half-way there. Now the discussion comes up privately between you and your travel mate, usually during HH or dinner. You discuss the what-ifs and how to’s, but not seriously, and no decisions are ever made. Once you return home to your normal life, filled with all the normal complications, a little voice in the back of your head reminds you, now and then, of how simple life could be if you just take the plunge and go FT. If that little voice isn’t loud enough, your travel mate also reminds you how awesome it would be if we just chuck it all and hit the road. Then, on top of your little voice and DH’s voice, your travel friends call and remind you of how wonderful it is, and talk about their next trip, and would love for you to join them. The cycle repeats every single winter season that you pack up and head towards warmer weather. You hear more and more people doing this drastic RV thing, selling everything or giving it away, and the new simpler life awaits them down the road. This continues for several years but still no drastic decision is made. Eventually, one of you wears down. One of you either gives in to the idea, or you put it to rest with a NO, NOT NOW, NOT EVER. In our case, I kept my mind open to it because my DH really liked the idea, but I was always afraid to take the plunge. But after 6 years of RVing and enjoying this adventurous life on the road, I finally gave in to the addiction and the RV won! I honestly didn’t know if DH would even want to follow thru with this crazy idea at this point, but we arrived home from Snowbirding just before April 1st, and the house was sold by May 31st! Over and OUT!

So where did we begin? If you’re thinking about doing this, here is a brief run down of do’s and don’ts. I will try not to bore you with all the details, but there was nothing boring in our life during this 2 months of insanity and downsizing.

1. Before the house is on the market (ours actually sold before it was ever listed), you will want to de-clutter and stage it anyhow, so address your wall photos and dust collecting knick knacks, and all of your important documents. I removed all family photos and left only artwork that could possibly sell with the house on our walls. Have your family over to claim portraits, family photos or anything else you want them to keep safely until such time that your sanity returns, and you reclaim your items at that time. It could happen! Make sure they have whatever is needed for your funeral, copy of your will, jewelry, etc. Scan and save any important items onto flash drives before you part with them, and be sure to keep originals of necessary documents. This is very time consuming, so attack this first and work the other things in as you go along.
2. Burn, shred, destroy anything you don’t need or want. The taxes you have kept since you were old enough to file, receipts from big purchases that you don’t even own anymore. You know the ones I’m talking about. The piles of garbage we all say we will get rid of one day, but the day never seems to come? Well, that day has come to destroy the pile! We invited neighbors over for a bonfire and cocktails while the purging commenced. Have a little fun with it!
3. Now the organizing for garage sales or estate sales begins. Post pictures of everything you want to sell on websites first for family, friends & neighbors. They will come and get the good stuff and you will be left with the garbage for the public to hoard thru. You will wonder how on earth anyone could offer 50 cents for something so expensive and barely used! Don’t take it personal. It happens to everyone during this process. We are slowly devaluated. Just keep in mind, that when you die, the very same thing happens. You’re just not there to see it, but you kids will be appalled that your stuff wasn’t worth a dime!
4. By now, you are wondering what in the hell you have done, as you look at your bare walls, empty rooms, and empty drawers! Your garage is full of china, crystal, linens, DVD’s, CD’s, phones that still have wires attached, and every other antique, out-of-date thing that anyone has given to you, your entire life! Your Christmas tree, every decoration for every holiday is in a box on the floor. Your family doesn’t want it, NO ONE wants it. It was only important to you! Get over it, or store it.
5. I hope you didn’t forget to keep aside everything you DO WANT to take in the RV, because ours was in the shop getting repaired. We had everything that we needed to pack in it sitting in a back bedroom! Now that the sales are all over and you are exhausted mentally and physically, load up your car, your truck and anyone else’s vehicle with all the stuff you have left that will NOT be going with you. GIVE IT AWAY. Donate it. Just get rid of it, because your vehicles are next!
6. You can only tow one vehicle behind you, so if you own 3 more? Sell them. However, if you plan to return home on a yearly basis to visit family, friends & neighbors, as we do, you might want to consider storing one of your vehicles if they are paid for.
7. Now you can pack your RV for your new life on the road. You will find that you most likely can not fit everything you wanted, so now you have a few more items to give away. Remember, no one cares what you wear, so don’t keep that much. I still like to shop and there are places to shop everywhere you go. It’s not like you are going to be away from all civilization ALL of the time.
8. If you purchased a newer RV for FT, as we did, plan to stay at a local Campground for any necessary repairs where you purchased it, because there WILL be repairs. Also, stick around for any checks that may linger from the sales transaction of your home. Not everyone does transactions electronically, and forwarding takes time.

Lastly, look over this list of things to do and question it. If you knew two or three years from now that you would no longer want to live in your RV, what would you do differently? Did you really need to get rid of all the useful things? Could you have stored a bit more? I remember people saying, that after 2 years of FT, they got rid of everything in storage because they felt it was a waste to keep it. Well maybe it was that way for them. But as for me, I wish I would have stored my car and some of the expensive items that I will never purchase again in my lifetime, that I really liked and enjoyed! I am thankful that my Sisters kept some of the sentimental things that may be reclaimed once we settle in our retirement home. Thankfully, Roger’s Daughter also kept a few of his sentimental and military items. I am sad that we didn’t save more, but excited about getting some different things too. Our tastes do change over time, but so does our income. We will never live long enough to accumulate what we had, so less is more.

I heard someone mention on the Full Timer’s website, that they purchased their RV outright with the money from their home sale. Great not to have a monthly “house” payment! Please keep in mind though, that the equity from your home just went into a depreciating vehicle. (Some more than others!) If you are in your 60’s, or even 70’s, how long do you have to ever save for another home? You might not need or want one today, but life changes in an instant. Death, divorce, serious illness, life tragedies; can all be yours without ever expecting it to happen to you! I can’t say enough how important it is to have a Plan B. (I know the “fly by the seat of your pants people” think that’s crazy!) Luckily, we have an RV payment that will disappear if we sell it, and the money from our home is still available for the purchase of another, once we decide. As for all the money we made selling our stuff? It is long gone! Down payment for the RV, repairs, maintenance, insurance, fuel, pad rent, etc. All things that are not tangible to show for any of it. Nothing changes on the road from real life, you just traded one thing for another thing. So if there is anything you learn from reading my blog, let it be that nothing is ever certain. I took the plunge, but that did not guarantee I would love it, but Yea Me for trying! If you enter this decision with another person, also keep in mind that they may not love it, even if you do. This decision is as serious as it gets folks, so treat it that way and good luck! Be safe out there and be smart, because we are still out there with ya…for now…

If you have been following my blog, you know how I met my husband back in October of 2010, and was introduced to traveling the country by means of an RV. You also know that my blogs are informational for RV’ers, funny, sarcastic, and all lead to how I ended up living in one full time. Have any of you wondered what kind of person would willingly downsize to a slightly larger than 400 SQFT living space? I am reminded by the look on some people’s faces, once they understand that we no longer own a brick & mortar home by choice, that they may believe we have a few screws loose, or missing some completely! They would be correct, but not in the way you think. So I decided to venture down that highway, loose screws and all…(pun totally intended!) I am going to share a few personal things about our past lives in order to give you the whole picture, so prepare yourselves for a little ride down the information highway to understand how & why it was so easy to part with so much stuff.

Roger, as you may have already read, is US Air Force Retired after 22 years of honorable service to our country. I can not tell you about everything he did, but it involved security forces, 1 tour in Vietnam during the war, one in Korea, and then retraining into Air Traffic Control, where he retired after 16 more years. His stuff was moved around from state to state, and country to country. He was a single parent following a divorce, was a Manager in shipping/receiving for many years, worked in construction, built a home for him and his daughter, put her through college, and has been a landscaper for an awesome local company for 13 years. His house was paid for, and he bought his first Class C RV for leisurely travel, which was the point in his life that we met in the Fall of 2010. His dream was to one day retire into the bliss of the highway, traveling in search of needy farmers or ranchers out West, and provide help for their survival in exchange for food and a place to park Tin Lizzy. He never gave up his home to follow that dream, and he didn’t have a soul mate to travel with, so he stayed put, surrounded by family and friends, and enjoyed life to the fullest. His life story was a good one thus far.

I was a very young Housewife and Mother, who out of necessity after a divorce, became a successful career woman. I started out selling cosmetics for luxury brands, which resulted in climbing the ladder to an Account Coordinator, Area Manager, Regional Manager, and finally, Account Executive for several well-known Luxury Jewelry Brands. I was living the dream! I bought several houses, (rented a few), built a retirement home, drove a great car, and had a job I can truly say I loved traveling all over the country and abroad. In December of 2007, I received the dreaded call that no one ever wants to receive, especially before the holidays. I learned that my company was drastically downsizing in the US market, and January 31st, 2008, would be my last day of employment. I had only been living in my newly-built home for about 1 year and the rug was pulled out from under me. I went from a six figure income to collecting unemployment. My rental properties would soon fall under my responsibility as well, once my tenants also lost their jobs, and vacated. Three homes, one car, no job, equals certain financial demise, unless a miracle would happen! There would be no miracle during the biggest housing bust and recession we have ever experienced in my lifetime. I sold one house for what I owed, I sold one house short of what I owed, and over a two year span of determination for survival, bankrupted my retirement home, and moved into an apartment. And that’s my tragic little story, without getting into every detail, for fear my readers would simply die if they knew the truth about banks and lending institutions during the recession, and how they betrayed responsible, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens like me! I moved into an apartment with all my stuff, after getting a job paying less than half of what I used to earn, but I learned a lot about myself, who I was, what I was capable of, and what I could live without. All of my material possessions were just simply stuff! They did not define who I was, or determine where I was going. They just made it more difficult to get from one place to another, because I had to move all that stuff!

So once Roger and I were at the point of moving in together, I had to move my pile of stuff, yet again! (I can hear George Carlin laughing at me now!) So we merged two entire households into one. We got rid of a lot of stuff, but we had a beautiful place on over 2 acres, with a lot of yard work; mowing, edging, trimming, weeding, mulching, planting, etc. We had 1700 SQFT inside to take care of , two cars, one truck, and the RV to insure and register. We both worked and traveled during the summer, and we became snow birds every winter, and repeat. We had a very normal life with no financial crisis, and more fun than anyone I knew, as we travelled the country together. Those were the best days of our lives!

But we got greedy. We wanted more. More is better! More is GOOD! And that is the way of the world, is it not? So after 3 years of spending our winters in Key West, we decided to sell, donate, and give away, almost everything we had. We would sell our Class C and upsize to a 40 foot Class A to haul our asses and everything we still owned, anywhere and everywhere we wanted to be! The stuff we had accumulated our entire lives was reduced to a much smaller pile, and the house was history as of May 31st, 2017! We felt exhilarated! Our children would never have to go thru a lifetime of stuff when we make our final departure from this earth. A burden that so many never think of, was lifted. We felt relief and excitement for new travels to come, more winters away from snow, more summers up North. We were living the dream that so many can only dream!

But as I wrote very early on in my blogs, this was not my dream. I tried to change course, as this was someone else’s course, not really my own. I am learning that you cannot live someone else’s course, or happiness may never truly be yours. And so after 2 years of living full time in our RV, well over 1500 days since the beginning of our adventures, I have been able to tell my DH, that this does not feel right for me. I wanted it to, with all my heart, but I miss a traditional house, with a traditional yard. And that is where we are today. A very confusing time for both of us, as we have many decisions to make about where we buy or build our retirement home. But that is for another blog. What I want to leave you with, for now, is this; Don’t let someone else’s dreams interfere with your own course, and be very honest about it. I could have kept quiet about this, and tried to be happy for 3 or more years of full timing, but tomorrow isn’t promised, and 3 years may be too late. So be honest with yourself and those you love dearly, before you fall under the spell of FT life traveling the country in your tiny house on wheels. Others make it sound so exciting, like a fantasy come true. But it might just be their fantasy, and not yours. Most of all the people we have met from long ago that were FT, are no longer FT. They maintain a small brick & mortar home and travel part time. So if you have been enticed by the lifestyle and dreaming of it, just be sure to have a plan B and financially be prepared for that, if and when the time comes. I personally don’t believe you can live in paradise every single day, or paradise becomes just like every other day. Keep your travels special, dreamy, and limited, or they will simply become a “checked off” state on a big map or bucket list. I, for one, do not want to live by a bucket list, I want to live my best life! I just need to try and determine exactly what and where that is. For now, we are surrounded by family and friends in our hometown, and we will work it out.

As for the those loose or missing screws? We may have tightened up a few here and there, but I do believe, there are still a few missing! We literally find screws on the floor now and then after miles of rough roads…

 

After being in Key West for the entire winter of 2013, meeting so many wonderful people, enjoying the beach, and the endless sunsets, how do you say goodbye? How do you leave Paradise and return to any kind of normal life? You can’t! You just have to find a new normal because nothing else seems right. So the first thing we did was to stretch out our return trip North towards home in Ohio!

First stop; Fort Myers, FL area to visit friends in St. James City on Pine Island. I won’t recommend the CG there, so I will simply refer to it as “The Cherry Pit!” It worked for a few nights and we got to enjoy bar hopping on the canal in our friend’s boat. We enjoyed more sunsets and listened to live entertainment at The Low Key Tiki, Woody’s Waterside Island Bar & Grill, Froggy’s, and The Ragged Ass Saloon. We had a fabulous time and the weather continued to be warm and wonderful.

Second stop; Lazydays RV near Tampa, FL. This is where we fell in love with a new Motorhome! They made us a deal that we couldn’t refuse! It was a Class C Sunseeker 3010DS by Forest River. We picked up almost 2 feet of additional length (bumper to bumper was 33′) awesome counter space, and we now had TWO slide outs, which seemed enormous to us! This would make returning home a little easier (so I thought) because I would have so much to look forward to for our future travels in a bigger RV! We were so excited that we just couldn’t return home yet, so we re-routed ourselves west and ventured across the Panhandle. Third stop; Milton, FL, to visit our new friends (the lady we had photo bombed in KW while she skyped her Mother in a nursing home!) Carol & Rodney had champagne waiting for us to celebrate the new motorhome after we parked in their side driveway, which had a 30amp hookup with water. We spent a week having a great time getting to know each other better, sharing KW stories around a bonfire, and they were awesome hosts! We hated to leave, but we knew we’d see them again in the Fall. Finally, it was time to go home and park our new Tin Lizzy II in our driveway, and start the endless chore of unpacking. Ugh…

We returned to a cold, sort of musty smelling house, with furniture draped in sheets. We turned the heat up, gave the house a quick glance to ensure all was well, and started bringing things into the house. We created three piles; 1) laundry to be done (on the floor), 2) coats, towels, bedding, and clothes that were clean but needed put away (on the bed), 3) Dry goods that needed returned to our pantry & cupboards (on the table and counters). The piles seem to grow and grow, but it was cold outside and we didn’t want to leave everything in the RV. We just wanted to get the job done. We had someone turn our house refrigerator on before our arrival, so we emptied one and filled the other. We couldn’t have the water turned back on until early the next morning, so we showered in the RV, made our bed, once the pile on it was put away, visited our closest friends for a quick bite, and returned to drop in our bed like two tired puppies!

In the morning when they turned our water back on, we discovered that our water heater had a coil burned out. That was repair #1. We also discovered our sump pump for the septic system burned out and our backyard was a soggy mess! New pump was repair #2. The thermostat in the living room wasn’t working properly and smelled like burning wires, so that was repair #3. Roger also started making endless calls to get phone, cable, WiFi, and trash pickup all returned to normal service. Of course, when you speak to the WiFi and cable folks, they want to sell you something better & faster than what you had before you left! But, all we wanted was exactly what we had! Somehow, it still cost us more, and that’s the way it was. Our landline also had a price increase, but we weren’t quite ready to part ways with it, so we paid. When you’re dealing with millennials and you’re over 50, they assume you are mentally challenged and won’t notice the difference! But I personally would not want to deal with my DH on these matters. He is every retail and customer service reps nightmare! It becomes a challenge of the young vs. the old, and he usually wins. Anyway, the cleaning, sorting, putting things away, seemed endless to me , and the date for returning to work was creeping up on me, so I started to feel like I was on a deadline. Squeezing in all the appointments (doctors, dentist, hair, etc.) was stressful after returning from island life and I felt like I was becoming unglued. Family wanted to see us, friends wanted to visit, neighbors were stopping by to catch up, and I was full of anxiety.

I was so happy to be home! Or was I? Depressed! That’s what I was! I returned to work and had to deal with the public again with the stress of attaining goals! And just like that, all the beauty of traveling and living a different life came to an abrupt end! I had to return to normal. It wasn’t easy. But I did it. We both did it. Our life at home with all of our family and friends around us slowly returned to the way it was, and it was all good. We had a new RV, the household was back to running smoothly, and we were putting a little jingle back into our empty pockets. We talked of future vacations, and snow birding in the fall, which kept me going when things got rough. We planted our garden right before Memorial Day, and that is my happy place. A few more repairs on the tractor and tiller, and we were good to go for the summer.

We had my Son’s wedding in June, a family get-together in WV that July, and my Niece’s wedding in August. I was consumed with wedding activities and work. We never did any big trips or vacations with the RV, so our next trip to Key West is what kept me going. In the meantime, Roger was on a mission to find a little tow car or truck. We finally hit the big time when we purchased Betsy, our little Chevy Tracker toad! Life is GOOD and we’re anxious to do it all over again.

A word of advice for those purchasing an RV out of state. Uncle Sam may surprise you with a nice big tax bill when you register the vehicle in your home state! We purchased Tin Lizzy II in Florida at a lower tax rate. We knew we would have to make up the small difference. However, the state of Ohio does NOT recognize the allowable trade amount that reduced the purchase price of the RV. Meaning, Ohio taxed us on the entire purchase price at their higher rate! They also taxed us on the warranty! A very hard lesson learned, so I am sharing this info so that others might check into their domicile state laws on purchasing/taxing an RV, and what the yearly registration on new tags will cost you. Live, learn, and pass it on. My job is done.

We have all heard people say it. You have to learn to take the bad with the good. But when the situation arises, it’s all bad and it can happen fast. So I decided to blog about our current situation as we are traveling North through Alabama.

First of all, if you have ever traveled on I65 N between Montgomery and Birmingham, AL, you probably already know how rough that road is driving in an RV! You shake, rattle and roll down the smooth parts, and then bounce very hard as you enter every overpass bridge with a heavy drop as you exit each one. You feel like you’ve just entered a rodeo and want to scream out “ride em cowboys!” Each time you go over another bridge, you wonder how many more your rig can possibly survive before something breaks! Throw in a high wind warning for a little more action and we have the perfect storm brewing as we venture North towards Red Bay, AL for a few repairs on our Tiffin Beast.

As we are bouncing along thru the city limits, I actually commented to Roger that if it continued to be this rough, we may be adding a few more repairs to our list before we get to Red Bay! And just like that, I started to hear a faint metal scraping sound. We did not have the radio playing, and minimal conversation after my repair joke, but I asked Roger if he heard it. He did not. A semi truck passed us on the right, as we were in the middle lane for a left merge coming up. As he passed us, I clearly heard the clinkity clank noise again. Roger barely heard it, but thought it was coming from the passing semi. Once he passed us, I no longer heard the noise. Still alert and listening, another semi passes us and I definitely heard the noise again. I knew 2 trucks would not be making the same noise passing us and said “We need to pull off the road!” Roger still couldn’t hear it well, but semi 3 passing us did the trick! He knew DW was not imaging things, and maybe something was wrong with Betsy (our tow car). Being we were in the 3rd lane over to the left to merge, and the right two lanes were “exit only” to the right, we had to continue to I22 W without pulling over immediately. I continued to hear the faint scraping metal noise until we safely pulled off just as we entered highway 22W. My heart was now pounding as I exit the RV first and walk 40 feet back checking the Beast as I walked. I saw nothing irregular with the side of the RV or tires, and then looked at Betsy. Tow bars seemed fine and everything is in its place. As I turn back toward the RV, the problem rears its ugly head, like a bull just entering this rodeo! Our exhaust pipe is braking away from the muffler and has been scraping the road! I bent down to see closer that it is hanging on by possibly an inch or less! I get up and face Roger, and without trying to explain it, I just said “We’re loosing our tailpipe!” Ugh…

Now, for those of you that have ever lost your car muffler or exhaust pipe, this is not a life-threatening issue. You simply make arrangements to get it fixed and get a lot of looks when you start your engine because it becomes very loud. This is not the case for a motorhome with a diesel pusher engine in the rear of the coach. If you lose the muffler, you are stranded. If you lose the entire exhaust pipe (ours is pictured above), you become a fire hazard due to the possibility of overheating. You’ve all seen motorhomes on fire going down the highway on the news, or even personally while driving on long trips. Each year, there are more than 6000 RV fires, and diesel pusher engines are especially prone to fires. So given the fact that we have access to all kinds of immediate resources, you make a decision based on distance needed to travel, and how much you are willing to risk. Being FT, you risk everything you own and the roof over your head. If your diesel engine goes into a process known as regeneration while you are driving, without the exhaust pipe to route the heat away from your coach, it is very likely to catch fire due to high intense heat being released against surfaces that will melt and cause engine damage/failure. Safety must be a priority for you and others on the road.

Our decision was not to drive very far, so we had to find a way to get repairs done close to us, or be towed (extremely expensive and inconvenient when we’re talking your house being towed to a truck repair shop, where it will sit for days waiting for parts and repair. Most lock their gates and don’t permit you to stay with your rig on the premises.) We also have to find a place to safely park the rig because no one could do a roadside repair, and there was no CG close to us and close enough to a repair shop. Two hours of painfully frustrating and aggravating phone calls on a Sunday to get some answers. Finally, the decision was made to drive to a FlyingJ Truck stop back in Birmingham, which was only a mile from the Freightliner Truck Repair shop.

The reviews for the truck stop were not great in regards to safety (which is always priority one for me!) We had no other options, so thankfully, the Manager, named Cleveland, instructed us to park up front under the lights, as opposed to being in the back amongst the semi trucks. I felt like I was starring in a scary movie at times. All kinds of strangers walking around our house, staring at us. As night approached, a big group of motorcycles pulled up right next to us, revving their engines (why do they need to do that?) and talking loudly over their engines. Next up, arguments. People would scream and yell obscenities at each other. This happened periodically until 2am. Vehicles would come and go on either side of us. Finally, at around 2:30, I started the generator and turned the heat on because I was getting very cold (around 40 degrees that night). Once I heard “white noise” as they call it, I actually fell asleep, I think, for a little while.

The vehicles on each side of us also had their generators running and it was still windy outside, so every RV’er can guess what happened next. The CO2 detector goes off from fumes and no more sleep for me (it is on my side, so I am in charge of resetting it!) It continued to go off until 3:30am at least 4 times, so I turned the generator off, and I opened a vent and a window up front, just to be safe. There is no more sleeping here, so I made a cup of tea, added some Brandy, snuggled under a blanket, and prayed for the sun to come up and end the agony of defeat!

We got to the Freightliner Truck Repair in the morning, but parts had to be ordered. We’re a motorhome, not a semi. So they don’t just keep exhaust pipes for RV’s lying around. Now we need to find accommodations for another night because I am not staying at FlyingJ again, and they wouldn’t let us stay with our vehicle on-site. They directed us to a Target store about 3 miles down the road that would probably let us stay in their parking lot. The Manager agreed to let us stay, and this turns out to be quite good for us. We felt it was safe enough to lock the rig and go shopping! We also ate dinner out, and to our surprise, we got a fun visit from some friends passing thru on their trip North to MI. Now, if you read my blog about our first trip to Key West as Snow Birds recently, you will understand that only people we have met in KW are crazy enough to stop at a Tarjay parking lot to camp out with fellow KW friends! FACT! Cocktails were flowing, and a few much-needed laughs were had by all! By the following afternoon, the tailpipe was replaced, the salvaged chrome tip from the old one was bolted to the new one, and at 2:30pm, we were on our way to Red Bay, once again, with a lot less money in our pockets. You really don’t have much choice at these places, but they do quality work and keep you safe going down the road.

The “bad” in this situation was obvious; a very expensive repair was needed for us to continue traveling up the road safely. We had to spend a night in an undesirable location out of necessity. We had to conserve water because we left Florida with 1/3 of a tank of fresh water, thinking we would have full hook ups all the way North. (Don’t get hung up on the idea of traveling with more fresh water in the tank = more fuel consumption and more $$. Keep 1/2 tank or more.) You need your toilet functioning in these situations, and to be able to clean yourself up.

The “good” was less obvious, but hind site makes this much clear; If our tailpipe had broken loose before we got off the road, imminent danger to our tow car, damage to the RV, and possibly someone traveling behind us could have been seriously hurt or killed! We were able to keep our batteries charged with a well maintained generator, which keeps your refrigerator running, food safe, and plenty of ice! People really DO care and try to help you out in serious situations! Friends are priceless during a crisis! Laughter really is the best medicine! (And alcohol doesn’t hurt!)

Lastly, there’s no place like home! I can’t wait to get there…