After being again in our dwelling state of New Jersey for just a few weeks visiting family and friends, Doug and I launched into what we’re calling “Season 2” of our Full Time RV Journey (primarily as a result of this correlates to our YouTube Channel which could be discovered right here (youtube.com/InterstateAdventures). However after we left behind our community of homey comforts this time, we appeared to have discovered ourselves very ‘damaged.’ Inside simply a short while of leaving I had two medical points that I couldn’t simply run to my internet of acquainted physician’s to deal with. After which, we had a bunch of issues breaking on the truck and camper that stopped us lifeless in our tracks for nearly every week. The mixture of all the things taking place inside such a brief time frame left each us feeling a bit overwhelmed, nervous, defeated, and nicely…. Damaged.
It’s taken me no less than every week to essentially sit down and be capable to put all of it collectively, wrap my head round all the things that has occurred, and be capable to share it with all of you. You see, as weak as we each felt mentally, we didn’t hand over. We have been principally ready for all the things. It was just a bit overwhelming that all of it occurred on the similar time. However that’s life, proper? Nobody mentioned this nomadic life was going to be simple, simply that it will be price it if you happen to persevered.
So, what occurred precisely? And what are you able to do to be finest ready for when that worst case situation really appears to be taking place? Typically there are issues you are able to do to arrange, different instances, you want to determine it out as you go… However chronological appears to be one of the best ways to go over it…
Concern #1
This time it was the camper. One in every of our slide cables broke. This isn’t the primary time this has occurred to one of many cables, and thankfully, (or sadly – relying on the way you need to view that) Doug has grow to be knowledgeable at altering them. This isn’t one thing which you could predict goes to occur. You are able to do all the preventative upkeep you need, however generally, cables simply put on out. You possibly can see Doug engaged on one other cable in our Memphis video right here.
How have been we ready for this? As a result of now we have had one break on us previously, Doug has a spare alternative cable available within the camper always. Should you aren’t useful although, most RV Parks and campgrounds can direct you to a cell RV Restore firm that may come out to the campground and hopefully get you again up and working.
Concern #2
Simply 2 days later… We arrive down in South Carolina to go to Doug’s finest pal and take a look at his new home. They advised us to park the camper wherever we wished on the property. Doug opted for alongside the tree line and began backing throughout the entrance garden to get there. Every part was going nice… after which it wasn’t. The passenger rear tire of the truck all of the sudden dropped into the bottom, and now the truck and camper have been caught. Evidently, there was an outdated septic tank on this space of the garden that nobody knew about. We Discovered It! Everybody is aware of about it now!
This can be a state of affairs that nobody may have predicted and nobody may have ready for. Grateful for the place we have been on the time it occurred, Doug and Buck (his finest pal) labored within the fireplace division for a number of years collectively. They didn’t panic in any respect and actually simply started working. They have been in a position to make use of the entrance jacks on the camper to drag the truck up somewhat at a time all of the whereas inserting 2×6 planks below the truck as they went. Finally, little by little, they have been in a position to get the camper indifferent from the truck, after which used a winch on Buck’s truck to drag ours out of the opening. Shifting the camper had it’s personal points then since we couldn’t simply again into the pin to hook again up as a result of 4 foot gap in entrance of it. Jen was in a position to name her uncle over with a tractor that was in a position to transfer the camper over just a bit sufficient for Doug to have the ability to again in below the pin and get the camper hooked again up from one other path.
Concern #3
After spending every week with Buck and Jen, we headed as much as the northern a part of South Carolina to go to Doug’s brother and household. I developed a reasonably large abscess that was contaminated out of no the place that wanted to be drained. Grateful this was one thing that may very well be dealt with at a walk-in clinic, that’s the place we headed.
This too isn’t one thing that may be predicted. I’ve by no means had an abscess earlier than. It isn’t as if I’m liable to them. It isn’t one thing that we may have ready for. I attempted to deal with it by myself at dwelling with over-the-counter salves and such, however nothing was working. We wanted a physician. And I wanted antibiotics.
Concern #4
Truck this time… We left northern South Carolina and headed to my household reunion in West Virginia. We arrived with no incidents. After a visit out to the grocery retailer Doug seen the scent of anti-freeze coming from the truck. He did a fast examination and found that one of many coolant traces had damaged. We spent every week in West Virginia which was good as a result of it gave Doug time to search out the components that he wanted to make the restore. We additionally had entry to a number of different member of the family’s autos to get round. As soon as once more, this isn’t one thing we may have ready for. Only one extra damaged piece of touring puzzle. Doug made the mandatory restore and obtained us again up and working earlier than the week was over. I don’t know what we might do if he wasn’t so extremely useful.
Concern #5
Our final night time in West Virginia… I endure from power hives that put my physique into anaphylactic shock. It isn’t enjoyable. However I’ve been managing it for years at this level, so sadly, I generally grow to be complacent about it, which is a horrible place to be over one thing that would actually kill me. I take treatment each different day to maintain all the things below management, and haven’t had any main points in nearly 2 years. Properly, guess what… I went 2 nights with out taking my treatment as a result of I wasn’t paying consideration. I went to mattress and awakened somewhat after midnight unable to breath. I instantly took Benadryl, however that takes no less than 20 minutes to begin working. So I sat there with my EpiPen in my hand hoping that all the things would subside earlier than really having to make use of it! All of the whereas, Doug is awake sitting subsequent to me monitoring the entire state of affairs as a result of a fast Google search revealed that the closest hospital was 45 minutes away. Now this… Yeah, we have been completely ready for. I’ve all the drugs that I have to preserve this ridiculous “allergy” at bay, and I tousled. Along with completely being ready for the flare up, we each take note of the place the massive blue “H” indicators are at any time when we’re driving round. That doesn’t imply which are at all times near the hospital, however no less than we all know when the final time we handed one was.
Concern #6 & 7
Solely 2 days after coping with my hives, we’re heading out to Montana. We pull right into a truck cease to make use of the toilet and stretch our legs in Jap Illinois. We get again to the camper and Doug notices that one of many airbags that inflates with the shock and comes behind the truck isn’t holding air. He pokes his head in there and instantly see’s the issue and it isn’t good. Like actually actually dangerous. Sooner or later (we’re guessing when the truck fell into the septic) we snapped the leaf spring for the driving force’s facet rear tire. After it broke, it slid out of place, possible from bouncing down the highway, and the nook popped the air bag. So not solely do we have to exchange the leaf spring, however we additionally want to exchange the airbag.
Doug spent 2 1/2 hours banging on the leaf that had slid out to get it again in place. He wrapped a ratchet strap round it to carry it in place briefly and we referred to as our Boondockers Welcome host to allow them to know we have been going to be late, and would wish to remain longer than the scheduled 1 night time. We obtained again on the highway in the appropriate hand lane and went sluggish and regular till we lastly arrived the 180 further miles that we would have liked to go.
By some means a miracle occurred, whether or not or not it’s divine intervention, or one thing else, however our hosts on the Boondockers Welcome, Mark and Celia, have been 2 of probably the most superb individuals now we have in all probability ever met whereas on the highway. Not solely did they inform us that we may keep so long as wanted, however they made us dinner that first night time, drove us round to select up components, allowed Doug the usage of their store and all the instruments, introduced us out to a automotive present, confirmed us round their city, allowed us to select our personal candy corn, and actually mended our very damaged souls.
Doug was in a position to exchange the leaf spring and between him and Mark, they have been in a position to make a short lived restore to the airbag inside a weeks time. Celia had a unbelievable suggestion to hook up and do a shake down cruise up and down the freeway for somewhat bit to be sure that all the things was holding correctly and as soon as once more…. One other concern…
Concern #8
One of many cross members that’s speculated to be welded to the body of the camper to carry up one facet of our black tank was utterly damaged on one facet. Doug pulled out an enormous bolt and managed to get that repaired shortly, and we couldn’t have been in a greater place for it to have occurred, however that solely dulled the sting of extra issues.
We spent one other night time with Mark and Celia having fun with their firm and actually solidifying our new discovered friendship after which we hit the highway once more. After we left New Jersey we had 6 weeks to get out to Yellowstone, we have been 4 1/2 weeks in, and we hadn’t made it previous Illinois.
We made it to Minnesota for the night time. The airbag held nicely sufficient and we really loved an evening of tenting with no further issues. At that second it form of felt like a miracle in itself.
We headed out of Minnesota and continued on our method west. And wouldn’t it, that little mini miracle of no points that first night time again on the highway shortly went away and have been as soon as once more reminded that this portion of our Adventures was nonetheless damaged.
Concern #9
We determined that we have been going to make an enormous push all the best way to Wall, South Dakota as a result of I had discovered dispersed tenting, which is totally free. So in an try to attempt to offset the intense deficit in our finances from the numerous “points” we simply stored trucking.
We stopped for gasoline and I seen that our rear passenger tire on the camper had completely no tread on the surface. I had Doug check out it, and I used to be proper… Not good. In fact it was simply late sufficient within the day on a Sunday that just about each place was closed, however Doug did handle to search out one little gasoline station that had the appropriate dimension tire for us to buy. Draw back…. He didn’t have any techs on responsibility anymore to place the tire on the rim for us. As soon as once more driving slowly in the appropriate lane, we continued on to Wall to search out our campsite for the night.
The next morning Doug took the outdated tire off of the camper, and we headed into city. We discovered a store that was prepared to swap the tires for us, and again to the camper we went. Doug obtained the brand new tire on the camper and we appeared to be again on observe.
To Yellowstone we go…
We did make it. We made all of it the best way to West Yellowstone to satisfy up with buddies. The alternative airbag arrived on the campground earlier than we did, and Doug was in a position to get that changed earlier than we mentioned our goodbye’s and headed out towards Glacier.
We’ve discovered quite a bit these previous few weeks. I can’t even say months! All of this transpired in lower than 2 months time. This way of life isn’t for the weak, we will each say that. Doug and I are likely to each be fairly robust willed individuals and we have been each fairly damaged. Individuals are actually superb although. By some means each time one thing else occurred, we pulled by and have been surrounded by the appropriate individuals that would assist repair it. Typically that repair was nothing greater than a hug on the proper time, or the appropriate software. In fact, it might probably’t be defined. We stored on maintaining on and all the things appeared to fall into place.
Right here we’re! Nonetheless doing this loopy journey! It might finish earlier than we hoped, however we nonetheless did it! We don’t remorse it, and we aren’t able to give up but. So guess what, we’re going to carry on maintaining on, as a result of that’s what we do. Even with all the strain’s that now we have had pushed on us, we sit up for seeing what tomorrow brings. We have been watching T.V. the opposite night time, and somebody mentioned, “Strain Makes Diamonds” and I can’t get it out of my head. Possibly we aren’t diamonds but, and perhaps now we have extra strain coming, however we each realize it’s all price it.
You possibly can’t put together for each hiccup alongside the best way. All you are able to do is the very best you are able to do, in order that’s what we’re simply going to maintain doing.
