My full time adventure, road notes...
I’ve spent just over a year now living and traveling in my RV. Soon I’ll be heading back to Texas. The trip has been part adventure and part RV shakedown journey. My RV is 20 years old and when purchased in April 2013, it was a monument to deferred maintenance and neglect.
Photo taken early spring in Arizona
Here’s what I’ve learned about the full time lifestyle.
Living in the RV is fine, and now that I know what modification’s and upgrades to make, it should get even better.
The rig still needs service. One item I became aware of is a chronic fuel pump problem inherent to my vintage RV. Once I replace the in-tank fuel pump the only really annoying ongoing mechanical issue I’ve had should be history.
I’ve met nice folks at every RV park I’ve stopped at, I usually travel for 500 to 600 miles and then stop for a month or two. Stopping the way I do allows me to get to know people and the area better which I enjoy. I’ve tried to stop in areas convenient to National Parks. I then visit the NP in my Caravan, sometimes camping a night or two in my minivan.
The only thing I really don’t enjoy is driving the Behemoth between locations. Don’t get me wrong, my rig handles just fine, the suspension, steering and brakes work well. I have no complaints about the rig other than it’s so danged big! Jeez Marie, you have to be on full alert every second you’re behind the wheel. I used to wonder why people would talk about only driving 300 miles a day. Now I know. I’m definitely not looking forwards to my 2,500 mile trip back to Texas.
So that pretty much sums up my full time experiences and travels so far. By the end of October I expect to be back in Texas. Once I replenish my funds it’ll be bye bye to the miserable factory-defect Ford fuel pump (yes, it's a sore point) and along with some other repairs I’ll be all set for next years adventures. Right now I have my sights set on the northeast and Maine.
Photo taken early spring in Arizona
Here’s what I’ve learned about the full time lifestyle.
Living in the RV is fine, and now that I know what modification’s and upgrades to make, it should get even better.
The rig still needs service. One item I became aware of is a chronic fuel pump problem inherent to my vintage RV. Once I replace the in-tank fuel pump the only really annoying ongoing mechanical issue I’ve had should be history.
I’ve met nice folks at every RV park I’ve stopped at, I usually travel for 500 to 600 miles and then stop for a month or two. Stopping the way I do allows me to get to know people and the area better which I enjoy. I’ve tried to stop in areas convenient to National Parks. I then visit the NP in my Caravan, sometimes camping a night or two in my minivan.
The only thing I really don’t enjoy is driving the Behemoth between locations. Don’t get me wrong, my rig handles just fine, the suspension, steering and brakes work well. I have no complaints about the rig other than it’s so danged big! Jeez Marie, you have to be on full alert every second you’re behind the wheel. I used to wonder why people would talk about only driving 300 miles a day. Now I know. I’m definitely not looking forwards to my 2,500 mile trip back to Texas.
So that pretty much sums up my full time experiences and travels so far. By the end of October I expect to be back in Texas. Once I replenish my funds it’ll be bye bye to the miserable factory-defect Ford fuel pump (yes, it's a sore point) and along with some other repairs I’ll be all set for next years adventures. Right now I have my sights set on the northeast and Maine.
