After being again in our dwelling state of New Jersey for a couple of 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 may 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 number of issues breaking on the truck and camper that stopped us useless in our tracks for nearly every week. The mixture of every part occurring inside such a brief time period left each us feeling a bit overwhelmed, nervous, defeated, and properly…. Damaged.
It’s taken me a minimum of every week to essentially sit down and be capable of put all of it collectively, wrap my head round every part that has occurred, and be capable of 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 every part. It was just a bit overwhelming that all of it occurred on the identical time. However that’s life, proper? Nobody stated this nomadic life was going to be straightforward, simply that it might be value it should you 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 occurring? Generally there are issues you are able to do to organize, different instances, it is advisable 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 all our slide cables broke. This isn’t the primary time this has occurred to one of many cables, and luckily, (or sadly – relying on the way you wish to view that) Doug has grow to be an expert 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 may see Doug engaged on one other cable in our Memphis video right here.
How have been we ready for this? As a result of we have now had one break on us up to now, Doug has a spare substitute cable available within the camper always. In the event you aren’t helpful although, most RV Parks and campgrounds can direct you to a cellular 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 informed 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 high quality… after which it wasn’t. The passenger rear tire of the truck out of the blue dropped into the bottom, and now the truck and camper have been caught. Evidently, there was an previous septic tank on this space of the garden that nobody knew about. We Discovered It! Everybody is aware of about it now!
It is 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 tug 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 tug ours out of the outlet. Transferring 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 course.
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 might 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 susceptible 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 would have liked a health care provider. 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 observed 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 seek out the components that he wanted to make the restore. We additionally had entry to a number of different member of the family’s automobiles 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 bought 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 helpful.
Concern #5
Our final evening in West Virginia… I undergo from persistent 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 every part below management, and haven’t had any main points in nearly 2 years. Nicely, 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 awoke somewhat after midnight unable to breath. I instantly took Benadryl, however that takes a minimum of 20 minutes to start out working. So I sat there with my EpiPen in my hand hoping that every part 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 must 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 large blue “H” indicators are at any time when we’re driving round. That doesn’t imply which might be at all times near the hospital, however a minimum of 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 is derived 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 unhealthy. Sooner or later (we’re guessing when the truck fell into the septic) we snapped the leaf spring for the motive force’s aspect rear tire. After it broke, it slid out of place, doubtless from bouncing down the highway, and the nook popped the air bag. So not solely do we have to change the leaf spring, however we additionally want to switch 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 quickly and we known 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 evening. We bought 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.
In some way 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 we have now 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 evening, drove us round to choose up components, allowed Doug using their store and all the instruments, introduced us out to a automobile present, confirmed us round their city, allowed us to choose our personal candy corn, and actually mended our very damaged souls.
Doug was in a position to change the leaf spring and between him and Mark, they have been in a position to make a brief restore to the airbag inside a weeks time. Celia had a improbable advice to hook up and do a shake down cruise up and down the freeway for somewhat bit to ensure that every part was holding correctly and as soon as once more…. One other concern…
Concern #8
One of many cross members that’s alleged to be welded to the body of the camper to carry up one aspect of our black tank was utterly damaged on one aspect. Doug pulled out an enormous bolt and managed to get that repaired rapidly, 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 evening 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 evening. The airbag held properly sufficient and we really loved an evening of tenting with no further issues. At that second it sort of felt like a miracle in itself.
We headed out of Minnesota and continued on our means west. And wouldn’t you recognize it, that little mini miracle of no points that first evening again on the highway rapidly 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 and attempt to offset the intense deficit in our price range from the numerous “points” we simply stored trucking.
We stopped for gasoline and I observed that our rear passenger tire on the camper had completely no tread on the skin. 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 seek out one little fuel station that had the appropriate measurement 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 seek out our campsite for the night.
The next morning Doug took the previous 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 bought 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 associates. The substitute airbag arrived on the campground earlier than we did, and Doug was in a position to get that changed earlier than we stated our goodbye’s and headed out towards Glacier.
We’ve realized rather a lot these previous few weeks. I can’t even say months! All of this transpired in lower than 2 months time. This life-style is just not for the weak, we are able to each say that. Doug and I are inclined to each be fairly sturdy willed individuals and we have been each fairly damaged. Persons are actually superb although. In some way each time one thing else occurred, we pulled by means of and have been surrounded by the appropriate individuals that would assist repair it. Generally that repair was nothing greater than a hug on the proper time, or the appropriate device. In reality, it might probably’t be defined. We stored on conserving on and every part appeared to fall into place.
Right here we’re! Nonetheless doing this loopy journey! It could finish earlier than we hoped, however we nonetheless did it! We don’t remorse it, and we aren’t able to stop but. So guess what, we’re going to carry on conserving on, as a result of that’s what we do. Even with all the stress’s that we have now had pushed on us, we look ahead to seeing what tomorrow brings. We have been watching T.V. the opposite evening, and somebody stated, “Strain Makes Diamonds” and I can’t get it out of my head. Perhaps we aren’t diamonds but, and perhaps we have now extra stress coming, however we each understand it’s all value it.
You may’t put together for each hiccup alongside the best way. All you are able to do is the most effective you are able to do, in order that’s what we’re simply going to maintain doing.
