We asked RVtravel.com readers to tell us about themselves. Here are a few responses.
We, Dave and Candy, live in central Iowa near our children and grandkids. We have been camping a good portion of our marriage, from a tent to truck camper to vintage Airstream to newer Airstream to fifth wheel and now back to a new Airstream. Obviously we love camping but nowadays it’s glamping. We now take a few 2-3 month trips with longer weekends thrown in between.
What I have found so sad is watching new owners trying to set up and having no clue what they need to do. I wish dealers would give parking instructions and hook-up instructions before letting new RVers drive off the lots. We saw numerous examples this summer of people struggling to park, level or hook up. Some were receptive to help, but some were not. Taking an hour to “park” by backing into a pull-through was difficult to watch. I find many more rude and inconsiderate campers now than through the years.
We hope to continue camping for many more years, but we never know what will come down the road and what our limitations will be.
From Wynnie Konkle. My husband, Brian, and I camp all over Vancouver Island from May to October. I do all the driving and backing our 17-foot, 1970 Skylark trailer into lovely camping spots on the island. Will continue this gypsy lifestyle for as long as possible. I am 70 years and my husband is 75.
From Cheryl Lumley. I joined Mike Lang 5 years ago and absolutely love the lifestyle. We have a 38 ft class A. We belong to an FMCA chapter in the PNW. Through the chapter, we rally monthly March to November, mostly in Oregon, and finish the year with a Christmas party. In mid-October, we head to Mesa, AZ, where we purchased an RV lot in Mesa Spirit RV Resort. I spent 50 years in Tucson, so enjoy being closer to family and friends. We are wondering what the season will look like this year due to the virus and will miss our Canadian friends. We have added a pair of parakeets to travel with us. They are rescues so not tamed or trained at all.
We are Carol & Dan O’Brien of Basin, Wyoming. Just this past spring 2020, we came off the road after being full time for 20 years. We found a small town that we love and the people are welcoming. We traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada workamping along the way for all of our full-time years. We have so enjoyed our travels and meeting wonderful people along the journey. Our advice to anyone thinking of full-timing is to do it before life gets away from you. Our motto has always been: “What a Long Strange Trip it has Been”. It sure has been an adventure.
From Gene Bjerke. I spent most of my adult life involved with sailboats. About a dozen years ago my wife and I took a trip around the U.S. in a minivan. Along the way, we began to wonder about doing it in an RV. As part of our “research,” I looked at a crewmates Roadtrek 190. As soon as I stepped inside I said, “This looks like the cabin of a sailboat. I can live with that.” So we rented a Roadtrek from a dealer in Ohio and tried it out for twelve days. We, of course, made all the newbie mistakes but it convinced us that was the way to go.
Over the next couple of years, we acquired a used Roadtrek, a used Pleasure Way, and finally a new diesel Roadtrek in Florida. We spent some time touring Florida, then headed west. In Mobile, my wife fell and suffered a serious injury. A month later I drove the RV back to Virginia with her ashes.
The following year was very difficult. I had to sell the house; I did not clear enough on the house to pay off the Roadtrek. Despite sound advice, I chose to keep the Roadtrek and try full-timing. That didn’t actually happen. After several months, I made a connection with a woman who had been a family friend for many years and who was currently single. Now we live on a farm and travel as much as we can in the Roadtrek.
From Mike and Judy Pupek. Hi! We are a happily retired coal miner and registered nurse. It’s the second marriage for both of us, giving us a total of 5 children, 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Prior to our marriage in 1999, my children and I camped every summer starting out with a pop-up, then a small travel trailer and now a 30’ Class C motorhome. My hubby had never camped prior to our marriage. Over the 21 years we’ve been married, I’ve slowly convinced him that RVing is awesome! Last year we took a month-long adventure across the U.S. He loves it so much now that, for the first time, we are wintering away from the gray, dreary days in SW PA and snowbirding in sunny Florida!! Yahoo! A dream come true for me!!
From Charlotte Lloyd. We moved into our motorhome Dec 2004. We worked our first Workamper job winter of 2005. Enjoyed traveling the country meeting all fellow RVers. In 3/2008 my husband was diagnosed with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease at age 60. We settled in Richland, WA, 2013. I finally had to place him 2 years ago but I still live in the motorhome.
He is in the late stages of AD but who knows how long he will live. If I am still able to do it, I hope to still travel after he is gone. I still live in the motorhome because it is paid for and cheaper than renting an apartment. Yes, I am one of those long-term tenants that Chuck often writes about taking up space in an RV park.
My advice for people which was given to us when we were in our 40s: If possible, do not wait until you are 65 to live your dream. If we had not taken their advice we would have not even had the 5 years we did to live our ‘golden years dream’. We were always able to find workamper jobs that paid enough so we could pay our bills and travel to the next job since we had no other income. In 2010 we decided to ‘play’ snowbirds by going to Arizona for the winter. I always wanted to go to the Quartzsite RV show – glad we did. It was a fun winter, good memories.
Meet our readers from last week’s issue.
We’ll introduce you to more RVtravel.com readers next week!
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Please tell us about yourself by using the form below. Include a photo, too (of you, preferably, but your RV will do).
Some very touching stories. Thanks for sharing.