does this happen to anyone else

[late_bloomer]

two things
first: we spend a ton of cash for our coach so we can have awesome camping vacations, and then DW wants to take vacations doing everything but camping.

second: when we actually do schedule a camping vacation, it ends up being the absolute worst weather of the season. It's been raining all week, with no end in sight!

[Executive45]

When it's raining outside, what would you do in the stix n brix that you can't do in the motor home..:h:h:h. IMO, the motor home is just a small home that you can move around the country. No nasty neighbors and no yard work, plus with the coach you CAN move the house where it ISN'T raining.....just sayin...Dennis

[VinCee]

DW and I love RV'ing together. I do all advance planning and ready-in the rig. Set up at the CG I do all outdoor chores while DW handles indoors. Cooking we split with an edge to me, though she does most dish washing. There is so much to see in this beautiful country and I want to see it all. Since we bought our first RV nine years ago we have also taken a two week trip by air (of course) to Italy and because of time, Alaska. However, to me that was the exception. Italy was with 17 people, some priests that speak Italian and know what to see and where to go. Alaska was for DW's birthday as it has been her dream since I met her 17 years ago. Now she wants to go to Ireland in October with her sisters. Told her I'm not going, why do I spend one thousand dollars a month on our beautiful RV if we are going to spend money and time flying to other countries! She's mad I won't go to Ireland, I'm sorta p'oed that she wants to do that more than use the RV with that time. But if I ask her should we sell the RV and we can take two nice airplane trips a year, No Way Jose are gonna sell the motor home! Don't have the $$$ to do both.

[DSDP_Don]

My wife cleans the house and does the laundry when we're at home. We split the cooking, she's not a big cook, and we eat out several days a week. When we go camping, I've always been a neat freak and I do most of the straightening up while in the motor home. We actually cook more often when we camp than at home. Since I'm also a control freak, I make lists for groceries and other items that we need before each trip.

With all that said....we share most of the duties while camping, so she actually gets a little bit of a vacation while on the trip. BUT.....now that we have grandkids, she is hesitant to take long trips. We had a really nice DP, for ten years, that we bought new in 2005. We decided we wanted one more new one that would last us through retirement. I wanted something I felt would be reliable for a couple of coast to coast trips in the next few years. I had a discussion with her about how much we would use it, if we bought another. I didn't want to hear we couldn't go because of this grandchild's birthday, or this school play, etc. I told her we might miss a few. She agreed, but we still do some schedule wrangling to be home around big events.

We also decided that there would be some other type trips, like a cruise every other year. She wants to go to Italy and we both want to go to Australia. So those will get penciled in somewhere. I'm still a believer that the USA has more to see than most can or ever will. That's why I like the RV.

[MagillaGorilla]

I should also say that we travel without our RV too. Taking it to Hawaii seemed silly so we flew there and had a great time. The 3 downsides to traveling by plane are:

1: It takes a full day to get anywhere your going and a full day to get home. I always feel like those are wasted days stuck in airports.

2: A hotel room is not your own room. There is nothing like your own sheets and mattress.

3: packing and un packing. Did you forget something? In my MH most of the items stay put.

Reasons 1 & 2 are the main reasons we have a MH. That does not mean that we gave up traveling by plane. WE do some of each depending on what fits our budget.

[MagillaGorilla]

My wife loves to take off in the RV. I am sure that part of it is that I do 90% of the work. She packs her cloths and climbs aboard. I do the rest of the set up. When there I do all of the set up, all of the cooking and most of the cleaning. She does the dishes (I hate doing dishes).

Also when going RVing I try to go to places she will like. I could spend a week in the woods mountain biking but she would hate it. So we go to the beach. While there I can kayak or bike and she is happy to join sometimes and not join other times.

As for the weather there it no predicting it or changing it. Sure it stinks when its bad but you make the most of it. There are far worse things than to be side by side with my best girl while watching movies in the MH. Sure it would be great if the weather was good and we were walking along the beach but when that cant happen you make the most of it. Make some popcorn, pop in a movie, snuggle up under a blanket and be thankful that the beautiful woman next to you loves you as much as she does.

[dahkota]

late bloomer wrote:
two things
first: we spend a ton of cash for our coach so we can have awesome camping vacations, and then DW wants to take vacations doing everything but camping.

If this is true, then for her, camping is not a vacation. What do you do on vacation that you don't do camping? Eat out more? Tour places? Shop? You might try doing that more while in the RV so it is more like her idea of a vacation. If she is doing the same stuff camping that she is at home - cooking, cleaning, etc. - it is kind of understandable that it isn't 'vacation.'

[rolling_rhoda]

late bloomer wrote:
two things
first: we spend a ton of cash for our coach so we can have awesome camping vacations, and then DW wants to take vacations doing everything but camping.

It appears that you have different definitions of "awesome...vacations". We're working on that, too. Not sure how the compromise will look.

DH loves to drive and drive and drive, then after three days it's "do you know how much stuff I could be getting done at home?". Extended trips are NOT his thing. He's happy at home where he can mow, sweep the garage, shovel snow, get the mail, and get something accomplished. Me? I long to learn and do new things. I love museums, performing arts, guided tours, etc. My idea of snowbirding is Oct - March. He's thinking we should take 10 days to drive the RV to Florida and back (4000 miles round trip, by the way). Yeah, help. I think while he is busy with seasonal work in fall and spring, I will go RVing on my own, and enjoy the things I've been looking forward to. For a few weeks he can fly down and meet me in the warmer weather. If he's unhappy, well, it's only a few weeks of flip-flop weather, hardly a jail sentence.

[KarenS144]

Go Dogs wrote:
If one person doesn't like long camping trips-take a walk in his/her shoes. If one person's vacation idea is driving, building a fire, drinking beer and fishing-and the other person has to worry about packing everything, arranging meds and doctor appts., cooking, shopping, cleaning and coming home to a 6 ft. lawn, piles of dirty laundry and a filthy motorhome-maybe things are a little off-balance.

LOL! That happens here (I'm not the one that goes fishing ;)) but I still love to go...anywhere. I much prefer camping in a campground to sitting on a tiny concrete pad next to another concrete pad with another RV on it. We're planning a trip which will be about 2 months long but since we do have a farm with critters & a yard with grass that wants to grow extra fast and long when we're gone, we can't stay gone much longer than that.

I love the actual drive time too. I enjoy seeing the landscape roll past..even the corn fields in Kansas! I can hardly wait till we leave for our trip to WA & OR this summer. It's a lot of work for sure but seeing this beautiful country and enjoying OUR gorgeous parks make it worth all the drudgery of "housework". I'd have to do the boring housework stuff at home anyway.

I LOVE to camp!! Probably more than DH. I grew up being carted across the country and camping in a tent until we moved up to a popup. DH did not and for the longest couldn't understand why a campfire outside in the cold air was better than a fire in the fireplace in a warm house.

I'm sorry for those that have spouses that don't enjoy camping.

[late_bloomer]

Thanks y'all for helping me keep it in perspective. I guess I was feeling pitiful cause of all the rain. I just need a little vitamin C(amping). We're off for a 5 day trip today, rain or not.

[rgatijnet1]

Not really rocket science....work out something that works for both of you. Maybe it is only a trip for a few weeks at a time.
If you can't come to a compromise that you both can agree on, sell the coach.

[Matt_Colie]

This is the best reason to rent/borrow before you buy. The PO of our coach inherited it from wife's side. He did everything she wanted and it didn't work, so, we got a deal....

Matt

[Ductape]

I have seen other couples go through this... You may need to choose between travel and her. Both may not be possible.

[Raymon]

Go Dogs wrote:
If one person doesn't like long camping trips-take a walk in his/her shoes. If one person's vacation idea is driving, building a fire, drinking beer and fishing-and the other person has to worry about packing everything, arranging meds and doctor appts., cooking, shopping, cleaning and coming home to a 6 ft. lawn, piles of dirty laundry and a filthy motorhome-maybe things are a little off-balance.

I think you are absolutely correct. Any type of vacation or recreation must be fun for everyone involved. For everyone to be happy, each person must be willing to sacrifice their own wants and desires. Not too many husbands and wives like all the same things.

Ray

[Go_Dogs]

If one person doesn't like long camping trips-take a walk in his/her shoes. If one person's vacation idea is driving, building a fire, drinking beer and fishing-and the other person has to worry about packing everything, arranging meds and doctor appts., cooking, shopping, cleaning and coming home to a 6 ft. lawn, piles of dirty laundry and a filthy motorhome-maybe things are a little off-balance.

[smlranger]

Fortunately my DW loves to travel in the motorhome. I retired last May and we spent 4 months on the road and she did not want to come home.

Alas, she has developed some health problems this year that have prevented much use of the coach other than travel for health care. She is on the mend now and we are looking forward to other great trips.