A big truck, a big coach and two legally licensed drivers, what more did we need? A lot, as it turned out. During the time up until we left on our first real "camping trip" (how can we call this camping, when our coach is nicer than any house we have had? But, camping is what we will call it...) I had collected every book I could find relating to our anticipated lifestyle change. We bought mostly new equipment for the coach. After more than 30 years our household items were pretty shabby, not suited for the new life, or we were just plain tired of them. Besides, we really wanted new things for the new life-to-be! I made lists of what we needed and the lists of the different lists. (I am a list person..if it isn’t on a list, it doesn’t get done or acquired).
The books really came in handy. Mom (Dot, to her friends) and I took a trip to the big city and spent the whole day spending money, what fun that was!!! I had never really done that before, a shopper I am not. Tableware, linens, pots, storage containers. I didn’t realize how much we think we need. This trip was for basics only. We would add to it if we really needed to. So far, that hasn’t been necessary, in fact, we have eliminated some items for those that will serve double duty. Simplicity is not a new concept to us, so that was fairly simple. Tools were Terry’s domain, and he gathered enough from the shop to satisfy his needs for the time being. Later we would collect tools seriously.
Once the coach was loaded to our satisfaction, we added clothing, food and personal items. We were ready to hit the road for our first fishing trip with "Alfie". We put the bikes in the bed of the dually and the coach behind them, loaded ourselves, and we were off!! First stop, Apple Valley..Mom and Dad’s house. The trip took over four hours and we arrived in good shape, tired, but more emotionally than physically. Terry did a super job of backing the rig into a tight spot in the backyard, even with the audience that gathered to watch the procedure. My aunt and uncle had arrived the night before, and wanted to see the rig. I really don’t think they had any idea of what we had, descriptions mean nothing, especially if people are not into RVing, which they definitely are not!
After we unhitched the truck, we hooked up the power and put out the slides...and had another taste of the realities of this life. The main slide missed Dad’s woodpile by an inch. Next was the curbside slide..it didn’t feel right to Terry, like something was catching. I went inside to see if there was anything obvious, and there was. A cupboard door had opened and was jammed against the slide. If Terry had not been so aware of the correct feel of the slide, the door would have been destroyed. One hinge was slightly bent, which Dad (AKA Jack) and Terry fixed in a flash, and that was the extent of the damage. Those solid oak cabinets had proved their worth! The bedroom slide was next, and we were in business. Now for the grand tour.....
We are finding out that most folks have never seen the changes in RVs that have come about recently. Luxuries such as slide outs, wooden flooring, quality cabinets and counters, entertainment centers, the little things that make a house are now an expected part of many RVer's idea of home. For some of us, gone are the days of tents, sleeping on the ground and bushes for a toilet. Been there, done that. The looks on those faces, seeing our "trailer" for the first time, are priceless! We, like every other RVer that I know, just love to show off our rig! Come on in...
Aunt Cleo and Uncle Ed were due-ly impressed....and seem to have an idea of how we can look forward to retirement , living in a "trailer" and becoming gypsies.
The next morning we were all up early to get organized for the four hour drive to Bishop. We hitched up the fifth wheel, pulled onto the street, and went back to help Dad with the motorhome. We burst into laughter…..habit had taken over and Dad had locked the gates behind us, forgetting he had to get out too. We gave Dad one of the radios we carry, and were finally ready to hit the road.
This trip was a tremendous learning experience. Any doubts we had about the current truck were confirmed. It handled the coach satisfactorily on the flat, but lacked the power we needed on hills. We would definitely need the bigger truck. After arriving safely at a lovely RV park in Bishop, Ca., we set up camp and spent a wonderful ten days fishing, biking, hiking and generally "vegging out", as the kids say. When we prepared to leave for home, the hardest task we had was to actually go home, and not continue on forever.
Three weeks later, we took another trip, this time to the beach and five days of pure pleasure. This is what we want to do, no doubts at all. The people we meet, the experiences we have, the places to go. There is so much out there and we want to do it all. It may be that we spend two years or twenty, but however long we live the lifestyle of the full-time RVer, we intend to make the most of it.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we had to face reality, again. Terry's retirement was almost three years away and it seemed like forever. Maybe we should think about putting the farm on the market, it would probably take at least two years to sell, and if it did not sell, we would have to make other arrangements for it and the business when the time came. We would make use of the coming years and ease into this new life we looked forward to so much.