Dont want to share the rv with relatives!!

[lydia_maria]

Ughhh...I typed a response and then couldn't get it to post! Anyways..I am certainly not an internet troll..I am just seeking advice and I knew there would be critical and harsh feedback as well as positive responses. I've decided to " let go and let God". I've tortured myself enough over all the possible horrible outcomes of this. If my husband wants to absorb all costs to maintain peace in the family then I will resign myself to biting my tongue. It may take practice but I'm going to try to remain positive about this situation. I talked to my sister in law this morning and she is too busy to help clean it...so instead of stewing over it...I'm just buying a steamer and gonna clean it whenever it's needed. We are young and have a lot to learn...lol....this,should prove to be a very educational experience.

 

[Dog Folks]

Ughhh...I typed a response and then couldn't get it to post! Anyways..I am certainly not an internet troll..I am just seeking advice and I knew there would be critical and harsh feedback as well as positive responses. I've decided to " let go and let God". I've tortured myself enough over all the possible horrible outcomes of this. If my husband wants to absorb all costs to maintain peace in the family then I will resign myself to biting my tongue. It may take practice but I'm going to try to remain positive about this situation. I talked to my sister in law this morning and she is too busy to help clean it...so instead of stewing over it...I'm just buying a steamer and gonna clean it whenever it's needed. We are young and have a lot to learn...lol....this,should prove to be a very educational experience.

You are a much bigger person than I. 

Good Luck with your project.

 

[Charlie 5320]

Ughhh...I typed a response and then couldn't get it to post! Anyways..I am certainly not an internet troll..I am just seeking advice and I knew there would be critical and harsh feedback as well as positive responses. I've decided to " let go and let God". I've tortured myself enough over all the possible horrible outcomes of this. If my husband wants to absorb all costs to maintain peace in the family then I will resign myself to biting my tongue. It may take practice but I'm going to try to remain positive about this situation. I talked to my sister in law this morning and she is too busy to help clean it...so instead of stewing over it...I'm just buying a steamer and gonna clean it whenever it's needed. We are young and have a lot to learn...lol....this,should prove to be a very educational experience.

Too busy to clean but not to busy to take it to the rodeo?  Don't clean it till right before your trip. Good luck with your project. Don't be a stranger, take care.

 

[buchanan]

Too busy to clean but not to busy to take it to the rodeo?  Don't clean it till right before your trip. Good luck with your project. Don't be a stranger, take care.

I always like to hear the other side of a story before I judge anyone

 

[8Muddypaws]

Before you judge the OP harshly ask yourself this question.  "If one of my slovenly and careless relatives asked to borrow my RV would I let them?"

My answer is a resounding "Nooooooooooooooooo!"

It's not a hypothetical situation.  They've asked.

 

[Chip D]

Ughhh...I typed a response and then couldn't get it to post! Anyways..I am certainly not an internet troll..I am just seeking advice and I knew there would be critical and harsh feedback as well as positive responses. I've decided to " let go and let God". I've tortured myself enough over all the possible horrible outcomes of this. If my husband wants to absorb all costs to maintain peace in the family then I will resign myself to biting my tongue. It may take practice but I'm going to try to remain positive about this situation. I talked to my sister in law this morning and she is too busy to help clean it...so instead of stewing over it...I'm just buying a steamer and gonna clean it whenever it's needed. We are young and have a lot to learn...lol....this,should prove to be a very educational experience.

Sorry, we don't mean to be harsh.  Just think of us as your older and wiser aunt and uncle, ones you look up to and ask advice!
Yes, I choose to "let go and let God", but don't forget that Paul said if they don't work, they don't eat.
I have so far only had one person who asked, and then when my wife politely told them the company I work for owns it and there are issues of insurance etc., well that stopped it all right there.
Of course I own that company, but it's still true about the insurance and liability.
I think you have gotten excellent counsel from the forum as many of these posters have been to the school of hard knocks - who's colors are black and blue - and they are just sayin' walk or run, but in the end you have to do what your heart and husband wish.
T'will be interesting.
Chip

 

[wincom6]

I think you are handling the situation with your husband the right way. He is trying to keep the peace and he is willing to go farther than he should.  When he realizes that he is making a big mistake and you two put this right,  he will look back and remember the support of a loving wife. Sometimes in life the support of a spouse will outweigh the situations we get ourselves into.

Over the years I have had numerous family and church friends ask to borrow my RV,  the answer has been a simple NO! I give no excuses or explanations.  Now it very easy to say no. The last time a family member ask just to ride along I said sure. I told him his contribution would be to pay for all the fuel.  I guess he and his wife did the math, he never brought it up again.

 

[SeilerBird]

One of the benefits of being a full timer is no one has ever asked me if they could borrow my RV. ;D

 

[camperAL]

Your story sounds like the great beginning of a hilarious movie full of disasters and family dysfunction.

If this turns into a reality show, the proceeds could go to fixing up the RV. It's something I wouldn't be a part of.

 

[poncho62]

If this turns into a reality show, the proceeds could go to fixing up the RV. It's something I wouldn't be a part of.

More like a soap opera than a reality show

 

[Stan Birch]

This thread is not so much about RVing, as family relationships. My problem is just the opposite of the OP. My RV is available to anyone in the family, any time they want to use it, but I can't entice any takers!! Not that they don't want to use it; it seems to be more of a territorial thing. They just don't want to use someone else's thing!

They know we are looking for a new rig, and who is going to be the beneficiary of our old rig; and to that end, hardly a week goes by that we are not confronted with: "So . . . when are you getting your new rig!!?? And the dangling carrot is, we would just love to go RVing with you guys!! 

Okay . . . we have such an extremely function family, it's almost boring!  ;D

We have two sons who married two sisters!  :  And the in-law parents, whom we have RVed with cross-continent are just like brothers and sisters to us.  And our grandchildren hug us and embrace us as the second most wonderful beings in their lives!!  ;D

Notwithstanding: Like everyone else, we also have to deal with family relationships that could best be described and properly defined as TOXIC! Bad stuff! Really bad stuff!! And if choose to interface with TOXIC elements of the family, they will eagerly drag to down with them to their level!  : You really don't want to go there! Avoid them like the plague they wish to spread!

And then OP mentions a "steam cleaner" option.

Brings to mind our most recent total family camping trip at the Elora Gorge. It was such a wet weekend, that we had to pay the tow truck $100 to haul our 18,000 lb rig out of our mucky campsite!

The entire family was present: mucky and wet!! An absolutely wonderful weekend!

No big deal! Our defense of choice is one of those Deep Green Cleaning machines.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/7200- professional-grade-carpet-cleaner.html'

Dirty muddy campouts, is pretty much routine for our family. Cleanup with a Bissell-Big-Green-Deep-Cleaning-Machine.

As for our 15 year old rig: Cleaning up the aftermath with a Bissell-Big-Green-Deep-Cleaning-Machine is insignificant compared to the fun we had with family.

As for the annual Bissell clean up, it's done more than once a year!

Enjoy positive family relationships, and vigorously embrace them! That's all you have!

Avoid negative/toxic family relationships like the plague: They can destroy you!

 

 

[BinaryBob]

We have two sons who married two sisters!  :

Gasp!! Hill people!! 
J/K Stan. Although I needed to read that twice to get it.
Sounds like a lovely family.

 

[Derby6]

Before you judge the OP harshly ask yourself this question.  "If one of my slovenly and careless relatives asked to borrow my RV would I let them?"

My answer is a resounding "Nooooooooooooooooo!"

It's not a hypothetical situation.  They've asked.

Agreed, but 1 HUGE difference.  The OP does not own the RV so its not theirs to say no.


As already clearly stated several times, this is a train wreck in the making....  One more reason to LOVE Alaska, all the family and drama that comes with it is in the Lower 48 thousands of miles away.. ;D 8)

 

[Procrastinator]

Very interesting situation...............
Please let us know what you do (what happens).
In other words:
Report back, I'm subscribing to this post. I love the complexities we humans can get our selves into, and how we escape.
Good Luck!

Hey JimO,
Sounds like you watch every season on Survivor... ;D

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Procrastinator:
Thank you.....
That is a good show.
But also..., in truth, I'm am a "survivor". And a Friend of Bill's.
Thanks for reminding me.
I'm hoping these people "survive" also.

 

[Stella]

My passion for RVing caught fire after I borrowed my cousins RV a couple of times. I scrubbed it out cleaned it fixed things that were broken and enjoyed myself completely the whole time. I guess I am one of those rare relatives that actually brings back a vehicle in better shape than I borrowed it in.

We did get our own RV once we realized that we enjoyed it, also because my cousin was concerned that our dog was causing his son to have allergy attacks. We could not leave the golden retriever at home! So we went and got ourselves our very own older RV and have been fixing it up ever since. I have put in at least 300 hours of labor into it.

After putting all the time energy and money into fixing our rig up, I am not ashamed to say that I am not willing to loan it out to anyone.  I am certain that they will not keep it as clean as my standards and also they will not know all of its eccentricities and how to keep things from going wrong.

I have already had three people ask me if they could borrow it, one to drive through four states. It is an old rig and I told them that I did not think it could handle it. The truth be told, and I know I sound awful, I just simply would not loan it out.

So my heart goes out to you in your situation, but perhaps you should look at it like you are doing a test drive to see if you really want to get your very own

 

[bmf24]

My wife and her friends think it would be a great idea for me to take my travel trailer and set it up for them to all camp one weekend.  I had to LOL at that.  I wont even let my wife use my rv, so there isnt any chance i could let anyone else.
I know the OP doesn't own the rv, so they really can say no, but like others said, i wouldn't touch it until your ready to leave on your trip. (unless theres mice or something in it that needs attention asap)  I bet those who want to take it place will decide against it when they realize you wont be cleaning and fixing it for them. 

 

[Rene T]

If I read your post correctly, you DW would be there the whole time so what's the problem? Isn't it also her RV? 

 

[Molaker]

Ughhh...I typed a response and then couldn't get it to post! Anyways..I am certainly not an internet troll..I am just seeking advice and I knew there would be critical and harsh feedback as well as positive responses. I've decided to " let go and let God". I've tortured myself enough over all the possible horrible outcomes of this. If my husband wants to absorb all costs to maintain peace in the family then I will resign myself to biting my tongue. It may take practice but I'm going to try to remain positive about this situation. I talked to my sister in law this morning and she is too busy to help clean it...so instead of stewing over it...I'm just buying a steamer and gonna clean it whenever it's needed. We are young and have a lot to learn...lol....this,should prove to be a very educational experience.

So, the big trip is in October?  Couldn't you hold off with the cleaning and detailing until just before October?  If it is not ready, the "freeloaders" can't use it or have to use it "as is".  In the meantime, you can determine what all is needed and be ready to "get 'er done" just before your trip.  Another advantage of letting "them" use it as is would be to uncover problems before you sink too much money in it.  Heck, if cousin George blows up the transmission beforehand, you are not out anything, just disappointed, maybe.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

Rene,

I agree with you.  Our TT is OUR TT. 

DH and I agreed before we brought our new TT home that we would not let anyone borrow it.  That way neither one of us will be caught off guard if someone asks and we won't have to think up excuses.  Sure enough, before we even had a chance to use our new TT, someone asked if we could park it their driveway so out of town relatives could stay in it.