By Gail Marsh
“It’s time.” That’s what dear RVing friends recently told us. My first thoughts, I’ll admit, were selfish ones. “Who will play cards with us on rainy days? Spontaneously join in a last-minute motorcycle ride? Or take my husband fishing?”
Recovering from the unexpected announcement, I wondered how our friends arrived at the decision to stop RVing. I thought about our own eventuality. Who will determine when it’s time to hang up the RV keys?
Travel buddy
Sometimes a spouse is the first to recognize that the days of RVing are over. This was the case when we bought our very first RV. The couple who sold us their previously loved rig logged many happy miles from Indiana to New York to Louisiana to Alaska and a gazillion places in between.
As my husband looked over the RV, Doris pulled me aside. She admitted, “We just don’t enjoy it like we used to. I notice that my husband gets so tense while driving. Then I get nervous. It’s time to do other things.”
The DMV
Who will determine when it’s time to hang up the RV keys? Perhaps the Department of Motor Vehicles. Depending on where you live, you may have to take a written knowledge test as well as a vision test to successfully renew your driver’s license.
There are, thankfully, many opportunities to keep your driving skills strong. Free, online programs like this one can strengthen your reaction time along with other skills necessary for driving.
Insurance providers may offer in-person classes that can keep you sharp behind the wheel. Ask your agent about it.
CarFit, an educational program, offers seniors an opportunity to see how well their personal vehicle “fits” them. The program focuses on a driver’s safety and comfort. Experts will check to see if your vehicle “fits” you. Then they make recommendations (move closer to the steering wheel, adjust mirrors in a better way, etc.) to help you. This program is free.
Age
Another RVing friend, currently in his late 50s, has already decided. He will hang up the RV keys when he hits 70. Why 70? That’s when his dad stopped driving. He admits, “It’s an arbitrary number, I know. But it was so difficult to take the keys away from my dad, and I don’t wish that experience on my wife or kids.”
The doctors
As the years pile up, our reaction times and range of flexibility decrease. Our eyesight, hearing, and other skills may also diminish. Who will determine when it’s time to hang up the RV keys? Perhaps your physician. After all, she knows your health condition better than anyone.
Currently, I’m not much of a threat to any Olympic athlete. However, I recently read that building muscle is possible at any age. Any. Age. It’s never too late to begin exercising and eating healthier foods. Join a gym. Exercise in your RV or take a daily walk. Do something, anything, to keep your muscles strong and mind alert.
Myself
“I’ll just know.” That’s my husband’s theory. “I’ll just know when it’s time to hang up the RV keys. Won’t you?” I’m not so sure. I recently read that many adults drive seven to ten years longer than they should! Seven to ten years is a long time. Couple that statistic with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s finding that older adults (65 years and older) have the second-highest accident rates in the nation. (Teen drivers rank first.) Will I know when it’s time to hang up the RV keys? I just don’t know.
How about you?
Who will determine when it’s time to hang up the RV keys? Vote in the poll and then please leave a comment.
MORE POLLS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- How interested are you in riding scenic/tourist railroads?
- When you bought your towable RV, did you buy a vehicle to tow it?
- Would you support stricter penalties for campers who don’t cancel reservations?
- When was the last time you ate at McDonald’s?
- Have you ever experienced food poisoning when RVing?
- Which of these campsite utility hookups is normally the most important to you?
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