Humidity levels were back this morning & that made for a 'buggy' morning walk with mosquitoes & biting flies. The mugginess kept me inside for most of the day with the exception of loading up the guys about 1 & making a run to our local Subway. Can you imagine trying to share a 'Cold Cut Combo' with 2 wild & crazy furry animal guys in the small confines of a tiny Jeep Wrangler. No, I can't imagine that either, but that is what we do.
Deciding on an RV that suits a person's needs & desires is no small decision & is one that should be thought out very carefully. Some folks are able to get it right the first time & then there are people like us who have to bang their heads half a dozen times before arriving at a right decision. It took us 2 Class C's, a Travel Trailer, a 5th Wheel Trailer & 2 pick-up trucks before getting it right & ending up with a Motor Home. But, "getting it right" is a very individual thing & every couple has different needs & circumstances. But, there is one thing that I think is very common for everyone. It's called the "WOW" factor. The very first time I ever set foot in an RV I was immediately "WOWED" by the interior with all it's neat little trims & finishes. Nice wood finished cabinets flanked by a perfectly color coordinated interior with curtains, valances, sofas & chairs all matching to perfection. And how about all those big gold trimmed mirrors. Big televisions & Swanky-do entertainment centers. ‘Wow’, talk about Razzle-Dazzle!!
OUR VERY OWN CAMPSITE RIGHT AT THE OLD WEENIE ROAST RANCH
Same thing used to happen to me years ago when it came to cars & that's why I ended up having over 40 of them through the years. Every time I would see something different, I wanted it. Didn't matter if it was 15 years old, rust in the fenders, torn seats, bad tires, whatever......it might have had a neat-o racing stripe on it or something & that ‘WOWED’ me. I was never too darn smart when it came to buying cars & I sure ended up with a bunch of clunkers. But ‘WOW’, did I ever like them at the time.
OUR 24’ PROWLER TRAVEL TRAILER
Same thing years later when it came to buying RV's. Didn't look around, didn't compare prices, didn't take time to think about it, didn't use any common sense at all. Saw a homemade conversion van onetime in a small town near us, liked the hand crafted cupboards inside & without so much as a test drive....bought it. Bad move, the radiator rotted out about month later & that was just the start of mechanical problems with that thing!!
Our first Class C was about 17 years old when we brought it home but there was just something about that well worn & tired little 17' Class C Dodge Centurion that ‘WOWED’ me off my feet again. Bad move, it was just toooooo tired!! Our next RV was a Prowler Travel Trailer which we saw parked at the end of a farmers lane one morning while out for a drive. As we drove by we both went ‘WOW’ nice looking trailer. Several days later we returned & bought it. This was my first experience with towing anything larger than a utility trailer. The 24 foot Prowler was a nice unit & clean as a whip. But we only used it maybe a dozen times in the next couple years for week-end camping trips with the exception of a one week trip to the Muskoka Lakes region of Ontario. The Prowler purchase turned out to be a bad move because we just hadn't taken the time to think about work schedules & travel plans. But, we had taken enough time to be bowled over by the ‘WOW’ factor!!
OUR FIRST CLASS C --- A 1979 17.5’ DODGE CENTURION --- THE ORIGINAL BAYFIELD BUNCH WITH MAX, KELLY & AL
Our next 'WOW' came in the form of another small Class C. Saw it up in Goderich one day, took if for a drive and 'WOW' did it ever drive nice. Did we take the time to look at other units at that time....no, of course not. We were too 'WOWED' because we thought it drove nice & looked cozy inside. Bought it a few days later & headed for Texas about a month after that. We were only about half way there when we knew we had made another.....bad move!! Too small & it had mechanical issues.
FORD CLASS C GULF STREAM
A couple years after that we were in a financial position to finally get something bigger & better so we hastily bought a truck & fifth wheel from some folks we knew. We had been going back & forth, back & forth, between buying a Motor Home or 5th wheel & finally talked ourselves into the 5'ver. Both truck & trailer were in excellent condition & had a very large 'WOW' factor to both of them. However, after a few short weekend jaunts we felt maybe the truck wasn't going to be able to handle the large mountains of the Southwest so we traded that Chevy Silverado 1500 in for a heavier 2004 GMC 2500 truck & headed off for New Mexico, Arizona & California. That second truck had all the bells & whistles you could imagine so you can certainly understand the high 'WOW' factor on that one. The truck & trailer worked well to-gether for the most part but somewhere in our journey that winter we realized we had made......another bad move!! It just wasn't the right set up for 2 people with 3 dogs. The truck was way too fancy for me & I couldn't figure out half the computer stuff anyway. Plus, the Rockwood trailer was a lightweight so didn't have the insulation factor to keep us warm on cold desert nights either.
CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 GMC SIERRA LAREDO 2500
It only took us about a month after we arrived home that year to trade the truck & 5th wheel in on what we have now which is a gas powered 33’ Damon Motor Home. And did the Motorhome have a 'WOW' factor to it as well......you betcha it did but this time it turned out to finally be a good move:)) That was in the Spring of 2007 & we've been to the American Southwest 4 times with it now & no complaints.
OUR PRESENT RIG ON DARBY WELLS ROAD NEAR AJO ARIZONA 2007
When all is said & done, choosing the right type of RV comes down to an individuals preferences, needs, likes & dislikes. There are so many factors & variables & that is why there are so many different types of RV's out there. For us, it just boiled down to what we were personally comfortable with in the end. Took us awhile to get there, cost us some money we needn’t have spent, but in the end we did get to where we had originally set out for.
NEAR JOPLIN MISSOURI 2004 LAKE TEXOMA IN OKLAHOMA
For anyone out there in the throes of an RV purchase I suggest you check out 5 of Laurie & Odel's posts starting with, ‘Buying An RV’ --- WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED --- SIZE MATTERS ---THE OPTIONS --- MOTOR HOME OR FIFTH WHEEL --- GVWR & IT'S COUSINS. You will notice how they mixed a lot of good judgment, common sense, & practical thinking into their ‘WOW’ factor & got things right, first time out.
Friday morning bright & early our little Pheebe heads for the Vet to be spayed. Of course we are feeling very guilty for having to put her through this but we know that it is necessary. Vet says we can pick her up in the late afternoon so Kelly, myself & the little Motor will be anxiously looking forward to getting her home again. You should see the Motor & Pheebe playing toys together…..what a hoot.
COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND IN BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS 2004
THE LAST PARAGRAPH: It is a thin line one walks when talking about or comparing various modes of RV travel in the RV world. Whether it be a Travel Trailer, Class C, Truck Camper, 5th Wheel, Class B, Tent Trailer or Motor Home, when all is said & done it simply boils down to one simple thing. There is no right or wrong. Whatever mode of travel suits an individuals or couple's needs is going to be the right choice for them in the end.
WEEK-END CAMPING SOMEWHERE IN OUR VERY EARLY RV DAYS
GROANER'S CORNER: You might be a Farmer if......
-Your dog rides in the truck more than your wife.
-You've never thrown away a 5 gallon bucket.
-You have used a chainsaw to remodel your house.
-You have used baling wire to attach a license plate.
-You've been stopped by the deputy sheriff for a cluttered dashboard.
-You have used a tractor with a loader as scaffolding for painting or roof repairs.
-You've used the same knife to make bull calves into steers and peel apples.
-You know cow pies aren't made of beef.
-You can eat an ear of sweet corn with no teeth or utensils in under 20 seconds.
-When you were little, you "beat-up" another kid on the school bus arguing over the color of tractors.
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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.
i like ur big wagon or mini bus
ReplyDeletewe, too have made a few mistakes along the way..we know that when we make the next BIG purchase it will have to the right one!..cause there won't be another one!..I say that now!..
ReplyDeletenice trip down memory lane..we all came from somewhere!!!
Thank you for your perspective. I've been Wowed by an equally interesting series of RV's, but was never the owner of any of them. I just never had the money nor the cooperation of my husband to take the jumps.
ReplyDeleteYou may have regretted some of the purchases, but I bet you had fun in them for awhile.
Now I'm in the position that I pretty much fall in love with every Class A I step into. One of them will "stick" with Craig and we will be on our part time way.
GREAT post.... Thanks
ReplyDeleteDonna
Al, thanks for the links to my blog. I hope someone will find the information useful in making their decision. We were so lucky to find and purchase the rig that works for us when we first started out! What I loved most about your post, though, are the photos showing you and Kelly in earlier stages of your lives! Aren't old photos fun?
ReplyDeleteSafe travels,
Laurie
Been there, done that. I think I'm done???
ReplyDeleteYep the "Wow" factor has had us in and out of 3 or 4 RV's looking for the right combination.
ReplyDeleteThose old pictures are just priceless. You are so right about RVs. In this case one size definitely does not fit all. We have had many RVs over the years but our worst mistake was the Class A we bought while we were still working. We did nothing but pour money into it. By the time we finally got rid of it, we figured it had cost us over $4.00 for each mile we had driven in it. And yeah, a big reason we got it was the WOW factor. Live and learn...great post tonight.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Good story and a good reminder for me. I've only owned 1 RV so far and I could've made a better choice. One good thing tho, it started me praying more for everyday little things, like Please help me make it to our next destination without breaking down! :)
ReplyDeleteNice walk down your RV Memory Lane! Yes, we too went through a lot of rigs, but each time our needs changed, we changed rigs too. LOL Now without any kids, we are in the biggest rig ever--- go figger! Less sleeping spaces needed now. And if the grown kids come along, they bring tents.
ReplyDeleteBut---- Grandkids are always welcome to hop in Granmuddah and Granfaddah's bed for a snuggle in the morning.
I've made two mistakes so far and lost enough $$ on them I'm not sure if I want to try for the third.
ReplyDeleteWe have been so lucky! We have owned three tent trailers (two when the kids were little), one pickup camper (in which five of us and two dogs traveled from Montana to California and back -- for Easter, a 22' travel trailer, a camper van, and two motorhomes. Each time, we felt it was a good match for our life at the time. The first motorhome was 18 years, and we had it for two years before we retired, just to see if a motorhome would be right. It was a wonderful rig, in great shape, just not enough basement storage. The final (yes, final) motorhome is Rosie, now ten years old. We bought the second one we looked at, and are totally pleased with it.
ReplyDeleteI loved all your old pictures!!
ReplyDeleteI sure enjoyed the trip back in time with your photos. I can almost feel like I was there with the texture of the photos and your narration. Thanks .
ReplyDeleteI think I just saw Clark Gable and Maureen OHara beside that Centurion...God, those were great photos and great advise...We are still "newbies" at ages 63 and 69...only on our 2nd camper...Hope we live long enough to experience about 5 more!!
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed your blog and especially the photos about the evolution to a Class A. We took the fast track and dove right into a 39' Fleetwood Class A as our first RV -- so far so good! -- Martha
ReplyDeleteI must be the strangest person...I took over 2 years to chose the perfect RV, we visited over a hundred of them! When we found the perfect one and I searched all america to find the best price and when I found it,we drove from Montreal to Ohio to get it. But we love it!
ReplyDelete