Missing the RV?

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Gary RV_Wizard

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Joined
Feb 2, 2005
Posts
81,555
Location
West Palm Beach, FL
Since we sold our coach numerous people have asked me if we "miss our RV". Now that we have moved from our Florida home to our rented summer cottage in Black Mountain, NC (near Asheville), perhaps I can answer that better.

Getting ready to go was obviously different, packing stuff in suitcases instead of the closet, disposing of refrigerator items instead of just moving them to the coach fridge, that sort of thing. Not a big deal for us, just a different procedure.  We brought fewer changes of clothing, but didn't feel that was a significant restriction. Our furnished cottage is well-equipped with washer/dryer, full kitchen, etc., so we really didn't need a lot of stuff.

We upgraded the size of our car (mid-size Verano to full size LaCrosse) for greater travel comfort and luggage space and that worked well, at the expense of a few mpg. However, driving the car and averaging 30.4 mpg instead of 8.1 on the motorhome wasn't hard to take at all! Likewise the ability to simply drive into a friends apartment complex for a visit enroute was a real plus.

Staying in a motel enroute is of course a difference, but we use motels a couple times per year anyway and have a well-honed procedure for overnight stays. We keep our "overnight kit" separate so its easy to carry in/out of the motel, and unlike some we have no qualms about rental beds and bathrooms. We choose mid-class motels to get decent/clean beds and baths, but them we also chose mid-upper grade campgrounds, for similar reasons.

So far the major thing we miss is the campground environment and the opportunity for people watching and meeting folks. Our cottage is at the back of another property, with its own driveway, so we are a bit isolated even though near the heart of the village and its lakeside park.  We don't see a parade of rigs coming and going and don't see other campers strolling by or chat with them. We have to visit the park or the village downtown to socialize and I suspect that laziness will limit us a bit in that. It's almost too easy to sit on our deck and relax, or on the patio, or even just stay inside. The living room has two sets of double glass doors) that gives a very outdoorsy feel and plenty of fresh air when open.  Not exactly hermits in a cave!

Our situation may be more extravagant than some would have, but on an annual basis the rental cottage costs us about half what the RV did (including both loan payments & operating expense). Maybe would think differently if the RV had been fully paid for.

OK, enough philosophy! Time to decide where to go for lunch today...
 
Just like I would expect of you Gary. You have carefully thought out the situation and planned accordingly. And as usual, Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!  Life is about change, and you have handled this one seamlessly. 
 
Sounds fantastic Gary. Life changes and we adapt as we go. I echo what Marty said. Enjoy your lunch!
 
I'm fortunate that my wife Nancy adapts well to different environments, and is good at packing too. Including packing light! She manages a tent as easily as a motorhome or fixed site house! What a gal!

We do believe that a little bit of planning goes a long way toward future happiness. I know that I tend towards OCD, so I try not to over-do it, but I spend a lot of time thinking about what needs to be planned vs what can be handled on-the-fly.
 
I'm happy to see that you and Nancy are adjusting well to your new situation, Gary! I suppose at some level though, some of us would prefer that you missed RV life so much that you jumped back in again to continue the adventure along with us... ;)

Oh, and my wife recently informed me that "OCD" stands for "Old, Cranky, and Dangerous". :)
 
judway said:
>"OCD" stands for "Old, Cranky, and Dangerous"<  OC maybe, but I don't believe D.

Wayne, I think "dangerous" is used in the sense that us older folks aren't always as alert as we should be, and could be a danger to ourselves or others. ;)
 
You sound very much like us, but we are a tad different.
Our home is also in the NC mountains at the base of 6000 foot Roan Mountain. We are on a beautiful large trout stream with cascades and mini water falls in our front yard, and we have a clear swimming hole that is a few feet over my head in the middle.  It was originally just going to be our weekend mountain cabin when we lived and worked in Charlotte, but on retirement, we just kept adding here and there.
  For the past fifteen years, after being too old for winter cross country skiing we headed to the Florida Keys with our travel trailer. We played the Reserve America game and jumped around the four state parks there all winter, and then returned to our mountain piece of paradise.
Two years ago we found a deal that we couldn't pass up on an RV lot in a condominium RV park in Key Largo, and bought it. Last year we bought an almost 40 foot long new trailer and pulled it in and mounted it permanently.
Last October we trailered our original trailer down and sold in on Craigs List two weeks after I posted it, and I vowed I would never tow another trailer again.
Just prior to coming home this year I broke my promise and bought an old  tiny pop up for commuting back and forth.  We both hate motels, since we had a bad experience with bed bugs one year, so this solves that problem.
I just did the opposite of you and traded down my humongous Dodge Ram for a new Toyota Tacoma which I won't have any more trouble trying to park in the Keys, and my 5'-2" wife will also be able to drive.
The way we both feel is it is exciting to get here in the NC high country in the spring, and then it is exciting again in the fall when the snow starts to fall to get into the warm tropical waters

Jack L
 
Roan Mountain is a beautiful area. Deb and I rented a private cabin near the state park. We really enjoyed our time there.
 
kdbgoat said:
Roan Mountain is a beautiful area. Deb and I rented a private cabin near the state park. We really enjoyed our time there.

In the winter there is a six foot snow pack nd you can cross country ski all day long with out ever crossing your trail. In the summer there is awesome hiking with the App. trail crossing at 5000 foot carvers Gap.
Next week is the annual Rhododendron festival and the whole mountain is covered with purple and it is all natural.

jack L
 
We went up to Carver's Gap. Got there​ a bit late, wasn't even enough room to park a bicycle, let alone a car. Hikers all over the place. We wanted to get to the Rhododendron​ Festival, but unfortunately I have to work.
 
Gary, I have already reserved a mountain top spot at Mama Gertie's in August. You will be missed and thought of quite a bit, but never forgotten. I would have never known of this resort had it not been for you. Best wishes in this new segment of your life.
 
Gary if it really starts bothering you keep me in mind as I spend $3500.00 for a paint touch up week after next. ::)
 
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