Mother in laws

My mother was always eager to go in our Mountain Aire, even at 94. She was a great traveler. When she was only 91 my mother, who was afraid of water, took a whale watching trip out in the Atlantic and couldn't stop talking about that trip.

GHOST1750 wrote:
Something new, when I was cleaning motor home I noticed weather cracks. Think I can't afford both new tires and trip. Now I need to shop for best buy on 6 Michelin 255 80R/ 22.5 tires. I suggested she fly back for 2 weeks to visit daughter and granddaughter without me.

Well, you are a member of FMCA, so check out the Michelin Advantage tire deal, supposedly as good a deal as you will get anywhere. Michelin has some X truck tires in that size that will hold up better than many "RV" tires.

https://www.fmca.com/benefits/michelin-advantage.html

Charles

We use to take my MIL years past. As she aged into her 70's it really started hindering our vacations. The main thing was she couldn't do the things we could, and wanted to too. Oh she would stubbornly try, to the point it made her sick ( against our advice).

It really started not being something my wife and I enjoyed with each other. That's when we stopped bringing her. She's still alive and throws comments at us, but we know it would just be her vacation if we gave in. Not being retired and lots of free time, my time off and quality time with my wife is more important.

We've taken her many nice places, including Hawaii - twice. I don't feel guilty one bit. There is no way a long trip in the MH would be enjoyable. Too many things for me to be worried about.

I have a mother-in-law who is 90, a right side stroke victim in an electric wheelchair and takes about a dozen medications a day. We have her in assisted living. Even though she is being cared for, she still needs additional help with laundry and personal needs. My wife is always concerned when we go on a long trip, especially the 9 week trip we have coming up. My wife knows in an emergency, I'll fly her home.

Personally, taking a strong willed 94 year old as a third wheel on a long trip will most likely ruin the trip, or at least take the fun out of it.

Find someone who can check in on her once a week, be it a neighbor of yours or hers or a professional company, even if you have to pay them. I know you're struggling with paying for new tires, but all expenses associated with my mother-in-law are paid out of her accounts. If she has the money, just hire someone once a week to stop by. You might also find a local church group, Elks, or one of the meal services that feeds the elderly could drop a meal by once a week.

Leave some documentation around (like her front door) for who to call in case of emergency. If you're in a small town, the local PD may in stop by and do some checks for you.

Rwake901 wrote:
Anytime someone asks how many people our Motorhome sleeps I always answer "Just Two" my wife and I. lol

X2 although I've wanted to hook one of these behind my 42' DP with a sign:
MOTHER-IN-LAW SUITE

Anytime someone asks how many people our Motorhome sleeps I always answer "Just Two" my wife and I. lol

az99 wrote:
I would cancel the trip before considering taking a 94 YO anyone along in an RV for 2 months. That can not turn out good.

Depends on the 94 year old. I danced with a 93 year old woman at her older sister's 96th birthday party a couple of weeks ago. They're leaving on a 3 month European driving tour next month with their 70+ year old daughters...

I would cancel the trip before considering taking a 94 YO anyone along in an RV for 2 months. That can not turn out good.

No matter whose mother in law it is, she is the other's mother. And vice versa.

Only you know your family's social dynamics. The can't stop talking would be a problem for me (distraction while driving) but if you can't understand what she is saying, that could compensate.

How does having mom around affect your wife's behavior. My wife's mom got on her nerves as much as she got on mine. We both got along better with my mother, although she was not an easy person either.

Have I done it? From a grandchild's perspective, four week trip from Detroit to western edge of Montana and back to settle some family business. Mom, Dad, my Dad's Mom and Dad (in their 80s) with six of us kids, age 15 1/2 down to four, four boys and two girls, teen and tot. Packed into a 1960s station wagon, pulling a 16-ft TT that managed to sleep all of us when necessary.

By the time we got back home, we were still all talking to each other, and there were no major violent incidents.

Three related people in a large motorhome seems really easy, but there are other parts of my dad's family that couldn't get through a holiday dinner without a fight, or at least some serious sniping. Not even my dad's funeral stayed peaceful, and only his two oldest brothers remained around to show up. Come to think of it, when my wife's father died, things got nasty between her mother and her dad's sister, behind the back stuff but those two never got along, and I would take neither of them with me on any trip; taking one out to eat is enough of an ordeal.

So it all depends on the dynamics of the people involved, and I can't help you with folks I don't know.

We have had our Mother (in-law) on board a number of times but only for a week or so at a time. It was GREAT and I wish I could get her to spend more time with us. You could see how happy she was to be away from the daily routine. The only sad part was having to end the journey. If you can work it out and she is interested in that kind of a life style I can tell you that you absolutely should pursue this. It is, of course, more the elders choice but if she's good I highly recommend you do whatever you can to make this happen.