RV for me! Recreational Vehicle that is. My wife and I have experienced them all and just now we are towing what is called a Bumper Pull Travel Trailer; our final destination Mesa, AZ for winter 2022-2023. We will experience Rapid City, SD; Sioux Falls, SD; Newton, KS; Fort Worth, TX; Abilene, TX; Midland, TX; Van Horn, NM; Tucson, AZ; and many short stops in-between finding our way along vistas somewhat less enchanting than the picture above but each enchanting and wonderful in its own way!
Are we ever ready for such sojourns? Are we serious or just planning? Is it really something for us just because ‘they’ are doing it? Getting ready seems the most trying of all the activity involved in launching another RV travel adventure each time for us a destination in mind and we anticipate the best of times and experience.
Is the truck ready? Are the tires all ok? Oil change? Batteries serviced and ready? What personal items are needed? Cooking? Refrigerator? A myriad of details, notes taken, completions lined out. Our trips are always much more detailed and exhausting getting ready to go more than any commercial trip–even our friends laud how easy to just fly to the destination where many have their own 2nd home or rental accommodations. For us, we still enjoy having our travel home with its problems and joys too; our own food, our own potty, and the casual acquaintenances at each RV Park stop along the way.
WOF (watch out for) road hazards mostly large semi-trucks passing us as we travel 65 mph for comfort and economy; all large trucks and fast cars push a huge ‘wall’ of air ahead of them and as their front bumper aligns with ours the air bubble ‘slips’ between the vehicles causing a high velocity ‘wind tunnel’ which creates low pressure and ‘sucks’ our truck and RV towards the side of the passing vehicle! Sometimes severely. Watching for the oncoming passing vehicle, staying hard to the ditch side white line, and always ready to ‘pull to the right’ are a constant vigilance need; part of the responsibility of our travel.
Our RV is called a Windjammer, ultra light weight, with a ‘V’ shaped nose for better wind parting and less resistance but still we know it is their when the side winds are heavy and when being passed. This RV is number 6 for us and perhaps the last. The RV is for sale and we are hoping for a buyer in Mesa, AZ this year. Perhaps this is our last trip with an RV mainly because our age is showing and the joy is becoming instead a burden?
Our encouragement to all to consider an RV trip is sincere and well meant. The experience is different for all and some of our friends chose the careful route of first renting for a vacation trip! Good for them and most have decided they do not want to own, but the rest of us still enjoy the unique and happy trails of RVing. Best of luck and happiness to you too!