That reminds me of being on the tail-end of a multi-week, multi-state tour of the west several years ago in our well-maintained but ten year old 35' gas Class A (Pace Arrow). It was pretty fancy for a gas coach especially when it was new but nowhere near the really high level coaches, of course. I always kept it like I do my other vehicles, clean, waxed, chrome shined up, etc., but in staying at CGs of all types up to and including "resort" type facilities on that trip, we saw and were docked next to everything up to and including high six figure and beyond rock star-type coaches. Ours typically wasn't the fanciest thing there by a long shot, but neither was it at the other extreme.
After 8,000+ miles and on our last evening out before getting home, we wanted to get off the road about 6 pm, so as it approached that time we looked in the book for a nearby CG. We ended up a nice but smallish mom-and-pop type rural CG that was well off the interstate and which seemed to cater mostly to weekender locals who were there to do some fishing, or whatever. It was a Saturday evening, and many of the campers apparently knew each other like it was a regular, every weekend crowd. After checking in, we slowly drove back to our assigned spot in the MH pulling our toad behind it. The CG was mostly full with a mix of set-ups including a lot of tents, but few other MHs. People were sitting around campfires in groups at the various camping spots with kids running around, some of whom stopped and watched us trundle by. We docked and began our well-practiced routine of breaking things down, getting hooked up, putting out the awnings, getting the kids bikes, patio carpet, and lawn chairs out of the basement bays, and all of the typical setting-up activities.
Once we were settled in, a few of our new "neighbors" wandered over and struck up a convo about where we were from, where we had been, and about the coach itself such as how many feet long it was and how much it cost to fill up the tank. One of them said, "When you guys pulled in, we were all like 'Whoa!'" I was flattered and a little taken aback, and I answered, "Really?" I guess I had lost sight about how lucky we were to have what we had and to be out traveling the country as a family, and how our rig looked to those who could only dream about doing what we were privileged to do.
I still chuckle about that convo and try to keep it in mind. It helps remind me that like everything in life, it's all about perspective.
Fleetwood Pace Arrow, USAF/SAC Vet (KC-135A, B-52D)
