Chasing Adventure

…much to my disappointment, lol.

I had ‘retired’ and was all in for this months-long vacation, that hasn’t happened yet. However, Greg was still working, so I thought we were doing this wrong.

We have now been a part of this lifestyle for 6 months, and have learned so much from experience and from others. We have met MANY full-time RVers that have chosen to live this lifestyle and absolutely love it. So I stepped back and took a moment to change my perspective with all this new knowledge and what I realized is that we aren’t doing this wrong – my perspective was wrong.

There are some families that are on the go often, moving campgrounds/locations, experiencing more of each area that they are in (at that time), and it works for them. We are not those people. We want to experience life at a SLOWER pace than previously; that is our goal.

Prior to us starting this lifestyle, we didn’t know anyone who lived life like this. Now, we have met so many singles, couples, and families that wouldn’t go back to a sticks and bricks house for any reason. Most of the families we meet are working adults, none have fully retired. They just enjoy the RV life and the community that comes with living in a campground. It is a different culture as there is a lot of outdoor living in the evenings and weekends, and the people are just good, salt of the earth kind of humans.

In our new campground, campers are backed into spots that overlook a grassy area where the kids and dogs all play. Instead of setting up our chairs right outside our door (like the camper is designed), we have the chairs and hammock set up behind the camper. The work day comes to a close and one of us goes outside with Tigger, and slowly neighbors start coming out. Tigger plays with the other dogs (there are 7 other dogs who are trained off leash here!) and we enjoy the company of our neighbors.

With my new perspective, I want to share how this life is different and we are not in a rush to purchase land/house. I’m glad we are waiting on God’s direction in this whole adventure, because it allows us to enjoy the process and journey. There were many things we believed going into this that have turned out untrue.

1. This will be a stressful-free life.

HAHAHAHAHA. Wow, was that wrong.

While it’s less stress for us, think about what we came from. We both worked 50-60 hours a week, THEN came home to do construction on the house. There was a multitude of international travel for Katie and Greg played soccer on 2 teams and did league bowling. Oh, and we were both in the gym a few nights a week. I’m shocked we survived that stressful season. So, compared to that, yes it’s LESS stressful; but not stress-free.

What are our stressors? Well, what are your stressors? Ours are probably similar, minus the mow the lawn chore. You have house maintenance, we have rig maintenance. You have work, we have work. You have house chores and errands to run, so do we. You have a rent/mortgage bill monthly, so do we for the campsite.

Stressors we have that you might not? Pulling the rig. What a learning curve there. I’ve pulled a 30-foot pull behind camper once. I’ve pulled flatbed trailers a handful of times. Now, I have a larger truck than I’ve ever owned and pull a 42′ (technically 43’6″) trailer. Now that isn’t an all the time thing, but maneuvering Maverick into smallish areas is quite stressful. I can only do about 3 days on the road at a time and I need a couple weeks break.

A unique stressor to this lifestyle when we are parked, is weather. THANKFULLY, Greg is a weather geek, so we aren’t caught off guard. However, when it’s very windy, depending on what direction it’s coming from, we have to pull in the slides. When it’s going to be raining for days, our outdoor living space is not usable. It’s just something have to keep a closer eye on.

• 2. This is going to be SO much cheaper!

Yeah, that was wrong for me to assume. We didn’t have a mortgage on the house and we don’t have one on the camper either, so no change there (we do owe on Pearl though). However, the other expenses add up. Monthly campsite fee, 9or when we travel a nightly campsite fee0 electricity bill, internet, streaming services, insurance, fuel, storage fees (to hold the few items like tools, Christmas, and sentimental items), groceries, etc. Hmmm – does this list look familiar? I’m not sure why I thought it would be different.

With Greg’s career, we had to have strong reliable internet, and not rely on spotty campground internet. We purchased the Starlink technology ($700) and it’s $150 a month for usage. Some campgrounds offer cable, but we rarely watch regular TV. We stream Disney Plus (of course) and Greg has a few subscriptions to watch his sports teams – Miami Heat & Liverpool FC.

We still have to insure our vehicles and add Maverick to that. Fuel isn’t too bad when we are parked, but when we are traveling…. wow. Pearl gets 10.8mpg when pulling Maverick. It’s about 700 miles to where we stay with family in FL. You do the math, I REALLY don’t want to know the actual number. For our climate controlled storage unit, we pay $125/month.

Oh, the memberships and apps. I have so many, that they are in 2 different folders – Maverick and Maverick Travel. We track/control everything in the rig from the lights to the awning to the music. We can view stats for the solar panel charge and propane levels. I have NINE apps for when we travel. Is that really necessary?

Yes. Yes it is.

RV Life is where I plan the route because it has all the measurements and weight for Pearl and Maverick so I can stay on a safe route. I have the CAT scale app to weigh the rig – we learned this was important to ensure the tires have the proper amount of pressure, weather dependent. I have 3 gas apps – Open Roads list all truck stops and the diesel prices, while Love’s and Pilot hold our rewards and discounts.

We are KOA members (10% discount) and Harvest Hosts members (free/cheap stays), and they both have apps. Need to find all available parks so I can narrow it down – I have the RV Parky app for that! The recording camera in Pearl, Rove, has an app. Finally, our toll pass has an app for when we have to take those roads. While we are parked, there is another folder for things to do – Geocaching, All Trails, Sweat, and Tractor Supply (propane and dog wash). I haven’t even signed up for everything yet!

The fun stuff – of course we want to go on excursions wherever we are because we want to see the area! We have found some cheap/free things to do, but we are also foodies and food is never free.

• 3. We got a washer and dryer, so laundry isn’t an issue.

Well, while that is true that we got a washer and dryer. They are about half the size of a normal set, so there are twice as many loads to do. Need to wash the sheets? 1 sheet per load. Need to wash Tigger’s blankets? Find a laundry mat. I did purchase two sets of linens, one for summer made with bamboo and one of microfiber for winter. The winter sheets are like sleeping in the SOFTEST blanket we own. We love them! Harder to wash though.

A single wash takes 80 minutes and you KNOW when a load is on the spin cycle. The whole camper is vibrating with movement.

Where do I store the laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets? Tide pods – more expensive, but okay in the washer and easy to store.

For anyone who saw our closet, I had 4/5 of it (like most women I know). However, our closet in Maverick wouldn’t even fit all of Greg’s clothes. So, we’ve learned to pair down what we keep available. This wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it’s spring in the mountains. Tomorrow, it will be in the 80s and Monday will be in the 20s. That’s a great deal of difference in clothing requirements.

• 4. We remodeled a house, so we can fix everything on Maverick.

Well, things are a little different AND covered under warranty, so if we do try and fix it, we void the warranty. When the fridge broke in 6 days, there was nothing we could do.

Currently, our slide with the stove on it leaks. The authorized dealer verified it does leak (one eyebrow raised) but cannot figure out where the water is coming in, so they called Grand Design. We don’t even know what to do with that.

With the discovered shower leak in December, a tech came out to fix the pipes and then we were going to replace the soaked insulation. I installed it all, then when I went to re-bolt the underbelly in, it wouldn’t go on correctly because it had been stretched out. I’m over this.

Greg told me this morning that his faucet is leaking from the handle. I went and looked at it and it’s a simple allan wrench to remove. Do I want to? No, because I’m afraid to void the warranty for a seal. Sigh.

• 5. Making new friends often will be great as we are both people-people.

This may come as a shock to you all, but I am an introvert. I read a whole book on this and found I am an extroverted introvert, meaning I enjoy being around people, but I gain energy from time alone. I have found that big crowds stress me out more than they used to, and I am perfectly content to be around small groups. Maybe that is why my hammock is my happy place?

Greg, on the other hand, is an extrovert. Another shocker, I know! He has met nearly everyone in our current campground (28 sites) and when he goes to ‘take Tigger out’, it could be 2 hours before he comes back because he is out being a social butterfly. Who would have known?!

• 6. We don’t need much space, we will be minimalists.

Okay, that’s good for a short while. Now that we are in the mountains and I’m not running to the grocery store weekly, I wish the pantry held a little more. Our fridge is HUGE, so that’s good.

I have allowed a little toolbox for some basic tools, and everything else is in the storage unit. I thought I wouldn’t need anything, but I got so used to having it readily available previously, I haven’t adjusted to not having things (like a long wood screw to more fully secure a cabinet door or PVC cutters to make Tigger’s tent).

For the little bit of tools I have tucked away, I didn’t think I needed to have extra parts for the rig. The water filter needs to be replaced every so often, so we keep an extra. The tank caps have flimsy plastic clips, so we keep an extra. Cold weather requires a heated hose, so we have 2 drinking water hoses. The tanks need deodorizers every other time we dump them, so we keep extra. Do you see a theme forming here? Yes, there is a lot of compartment space, but there are some requirements for that space already.

• 7. We have a stove and full oven, means cooking like normal.

Cooking in a propane oven and on a propane stove is not like normal. The oven cooks drier, so I have to add a dish of water when I bake things like brownies. The stove requires special pots/pans and most of the teflon pans can’t be used. Cast irons are great, but I’d rather fry my eggs on the electric skillet (which takes up so much room).

So, we are learning to cook different meals in a different manner. I’ve gotten some amazing recipes so far, that I’ll have to write a post to share them! We bought an air fryer, but it doesn’t fit in the cabinet without coming apart. Everything in the kitchen has to nest, stack, and basically tetris in the cabinets. So, yeah. Not cooking like normal.

So, while there are things not quite as expected, what has greatly exceeded our expectations has been where we have found God in things/people. In beautiful sunsets, in great humans, in nature, and in our everyday lives.

We are EXACTLY where we should be.

No, it’s not a long vacation. It’s better because it’s life together and with God.

Find your unique perspective.

~Katie