learning to Love Mondays! Playing over the Usa the Rv Way

Tired of mainstream travel? Want your own space? Want your own bed? Want your own kitchen? Want to be able to take your "toys" with you? Most importantly, want your own freedom? If you answered yes to these questions, then traveling via recreational vehicle (Rv) may be your answer. Now, there are as many ways to do this as there are citizen doing it today! There are perfect resources ready to help you - once you determine what you want to do and how you would like to travel. The options of vehicles are endless and camping locations have in effect exploded over the past ten years. This brings me to our story...

My husband and I started "camping" part-time in the early 1990's, with very minuscule prior experience. Our jobs were extraordinarily demanding and we just wanted to run away - at least for the weekends. By the late 1990's, we began seriously evaluating turning this into a full-time adventure. We sold our house in January 2000, retired in the spring, and on Memorial Day Weekend left our home base of 30 years to see the country - in a 34" Airstream travel Trailer, with our new Irish Wolfhound puppy. Today, we are in a 44' motor coach and tow a Pt Cruiser.

Toy Ride On Tractors

Over the course of the past seventeen years, we have learned what works for us and what does not. This will be distinct for everyone choosing this lifestyle. Generally, I believe there are some factors to success - being best friends (if traveling with a spouse, partner, or friend), flexibility, being open to convert and, for me, planning and organization. The first key to helping you maximize the satisfaction of your "Freedom Rides", no matter where your travels take you, is acknowledging that, just as leisure is not free, neither is traveling by Rv. No money tree available? We did not have one either. So a few cautions to the first-time Rv adventurer -

First, I am not a financial planner! What I can tell you is this - if you think of this as an investment, with a return on your money, think again. In a few instances, you may sell an Rv and recover your initial investment and/or make money. However, in general, you in effect need to think of this decision as part of your expendable household funds (and I opinion of it as a way to stay out of the doctors' offices and build my "happy factor").

When we began Rving seventeen years ago on the weekends, we had a few up front expenses but spent less money on the weekends than we would have if we had stayed home. We began with our Taurus hub wagon, a very small microwave, movable heater, straightforward food and melamine dishes, paper products, a porta-potty and a duffle bag with extra clothes. Therefore, our general expenses consisted of camping fees and fuel.

After about six months of traveling this way, we graduated to a conversion van with convention interior and bench seat that made into a queen size bed. Our major expenses here were to add a convention drape to close off the sleeping area and to upgrade our camera equipment. No one wants to miss finding raccoons trying to steal your evening meal off the picnic table - do you? Then - our first giant leap - we rented a motor home for a week to see how we liked it. Now, my husband had never driven one, but he had driven large trucks and tractors. This was a major expense, even back then (around 0). However, this was time and money very well spent. We did this one more time with close friends (in the middle of winter) and decided we were hooked.

Think having a baby puts butterflies in your stomach - try our next leap of faith - our first major Rv financial expenditure - a vehicle with enclosed bedroom, bath, kitchen and living area. In our case, we knew this needed to be a used vehicle of some kind and this meant a cash purchase. After much research, we decided on a 1972 23' Airstream travel Trailer. Fact - when you buy a used vehicle of any kind, you will spend money for security and aesthetic reasons - know that up front! Typically, you will have to replace the tires on the vehicle - not necessarily because of wear and tear but exposure to sun and ozone. You may need new tools - this brings up a caution: if one of you is not mechanically inclined, you will need to funds money for person else to make repairs and you will have them. For the interior, you may need new bed linens, a collection of plastic holders, cooking utensils and dishes. You may have things at home you can conduce or you may be able to get some things at yard sales or allowance stores. Your disposable wage funds will dictate how you approach this. If you do not have the space to park the vehicle on your property, you will probably have to pay for rental space for it. This does mean you may not use it as frequently, as you would have to get groceries, clothes, etc. Packed and drive to the warehouse location to get the Rv, change all things to the Rv, then start your trip.

After some years, you guessed it - we decided to get something a minuscule larger. So we traded in our 23' Airstream travel Trailer for a 25' Airstream travel Trailer. As we could still park this one behind our house, we did not have to pay for Rv storage. However, the interior had a distinct configuration, so while some of our packaging and equipment did fit, some did not. Once again, we did have to replace tires. We continued to use our Rv on weekends and for some weeklong trips each year, predominately visiting State and National Parks. We kept this vehicle until the year before we retired. By this time, our weekend 'get aways' had transformed our approach to Monday mornings. We felt relaxed and frankly, less attuned to the insanity of the workplace around us.

We then determined that we would need more space in the end, so we sold our 25' Airstream travel Trailer and bought a 34' triple-axle Airstream travel Trailer and a used 1-ton Ford Econoline Club Wagon to tow it The further space and warehouse was a blessing. The downside was addition mystery in finding spaces for our larger Rv in older State and National Parks. We also found that we needed an internet association more often, as we had advanced a business, so now we combined work and play. Most State and National Parks did not offer a way to join together to the internet from your Rv. We began spending more and more time in inexpressive Rv Parks, addition our amenities, but providing less nature Have I mentioned there are all the time tradeoffs, no matter what options you choose?.

After two years, we began finding at motor homes, as I wanted something smaller than a van to drive. The ensue - a 1995 Safari motor home and the buy of a new Chrysler Pt Cruiser. No money tree here either! However, I did get a aggregate washer-dryer for the first time - a real lifesaver. Now we were hooked on 50-amp galvanic aid to power our air conditioners, washer-dryer, etc., so older Rv Parks which typically only had 30-amp aid were oftentimes ruled out. We were doing less 'camping' and more 'living' in our Rv.

You guessed it - after a few years, I wanted more space and convenience. We sold the Safari and bought a 1992 44' Newell motor coach, which we have owned for over 4 years now. It took time and taste to learn what would work best for us as full-timers, so just know that the first buy you make may not be what you want in the time to come as your life changes. From weekend get-aways to nature, to highway cruiser that melts the miles away as you travel from one side of the U.S. To the other with all of the comforts of home, Rv's offer life style choices to fulfill so many desires.

My wish is to create a spark that turns into a full-fledged flame - a passion - for you to taste the attractiveness and majesty of this staggering land we call home. The most leading advice I can give you is to let your dreams be your guide - the only thing you need to do is quite plainly get started! Happy Trails!!!

learning to Love Mondays! Playing over the Usa the Rv Way