Seriously, take a few extra days and drive to your destination in an RV or car. You'll be glad you did. Take some time and smell the roses, and the asphalt, and the gas in the scenic little gas stations, and shop at a roadside fruit stand. Life is about more than speed. Most hearings and depositions and some trials are on Zoom these days. Use the technology.
Fridgidaire 40 Pound Portable Ice Maker. Camping in a 36 Foot Class A Motor Home has never been confused with sweltering in a canvas tent and sleeping on the ground. At least for us, advanced age (75) has limited our tolerance for the great outdoors. So, glamping is a compromise that gets us out in the woods and the world in relative comfort. Recently, our string of bad luck has included blown tires on the Interstate, falls and visits to Hospital ERs, and power failures that kept us in the dark until fixed. Some have told us we should sell the RV; but, actually, these memories are all the more special because of the challenges. Full timers we will never be. It feels too good to get back to our brick and mortar home after a trip. But, problem solving on the road has become a joint activity that we cherish as much as the fun things we get to do. Sometimes, we get the question about what is the most surprising, and best, camping device we have found. Hands down, it has to be the portable ice maker. In fact, you can get a small one for under $100. When our little one died recently, we set off on this trip without one, and missed it. So, we found a really nice one that costs $179, and it now has an honored place in the RV. Ice, on demand, wherever you are? Yes, please.
Okay, now I am convinced that this week of glamping is a doomed exercise. After RV tire failure, a power outage at the campsite, and the hottest August I can remember, yesterday afternoon, at Hollywood Studios, Diane fell going down a steep ramp, and sustained a gash above her right eye. We spent the afternoon at Osceola Regional Medical and Trauma Center. Fortunately, a few stiches were all that was required, and she didn't have a concussion. As with everything this week, we are rolling with the punches, and it is pretty amazing that we have a more memorable camping trip than we ever have had. I don't like hospitals, however, and, sitting there in the waiting room brought back some pretty awful memories. Writing about it always helps me, since it puts into perspective the fact that life happens, and the only variable is how we react to it. Back in our peaceful little peace of paradise, we are sharing moments that we will always cherish. Hugs are always sweetest after you have suffered together.
CamperID Circuit Breakers. Well, children, it is time for the latest installment of camping with the Georgeses. In this episode, while Diane quietly cooks a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, our hero, Rick, is plying the Internet on his computer, and having that first delicious cup of coffee. Suddenly, without warning, the power to the RV goes out completely. 95 in the shade, and no AC in the RV. Rick is in problem solving mode this week, however, and the first check is at the breaker panel under the fridge. No breakers tripped, so the problem has to be outside the coach. After starting the engine to get the cab AC cooling down the interior, our hero treks outside and checks the power pole. No breakers tripped there either. However, the surge protector that every RVer should have shows that no power is coming from the pole. This is a solution that calls for a Disney electrician, and, in true Disney style, a phone call gets an electrician to the site in 20 minutes. A few tests, and it appears that the breakers at the power stanchion have gone bad. A quick replacement, and, voila, power to the RV again. While I am having fun testing my problem solving skills this week, and few days without an emergency would be nice. Glamping is not for the faint of heart, and attitude is everything. Next stop, Disney Hollywood. I think I will pitch this as a motion picture today.
First morning after our trip to Ft. Wilderness began yesterday. We are Disney fans, and try to avoid the politics. When I was working full time, I hated Mondays. While I still lawyer pretty much every day, I get to control the schedule these days. Yesterday was not fun; but, when you are old, things don't bother as much. A rusted muffler blowing hot air on two rear tires of the RV, together with our August Florida heat wave, conspired to blow out the tires. Thankfully, we made it to the side of the Interstate, and called CoachNet, who found a commercial tire specialist who installed the spare, and sold us a new tire. Only 2 hours wait and an hour of repair time, and we made it to Disney before dark. We were hot, tired, and exhausted; but, I didn't feel the arthritis, or any of my normal aches and pains the whole time. Lesson? Let life happen. Ignore problems while you are fixing them. Enjoy the ride, It will end soon enough.
The RV Nerds. Owning a 20 year old RV requires constant maintenance. Being a 75 year old RV driver who is constantly bumping into things makes maintenance essential. Since I am an uber Geek and was actually called a nerd in high school, I was attracted to this company when I was looking for someone to replace one of the AC units, and to check the hydraulic jack system on our old coach. 20 year old RVs., in the main, actually have fewer problems than new ones; especially since the Pandemic. The Internet is full of horror stories about people who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a beautiful new RV, only to have it spend months at a time in a service center. In our case, the repairs required are mostly because I bump into things; or 20 year parts need replacing. In any event, this post is a love note to Ryon, at RV Nerds, who, in addition to being a hard working, diligent young man, is truly gifted at RV maintenance. I will be keeping his cell phone number close to my heart. Even with all of the repairs and things I have broken, our coach has cost less than one years worth of payments on comparable new units, and we have been having fun customizing it for our needs. Old age requires some discipline in getting moving, and getting out in the world. RV travel helps. Don't sit quietly in a room waiting to die. Get a house on wheels, and go somewhere.
Saw this on an RV group page I subscribe to. Glad our dogs are tiny.
After an afternoon looking for affordable RVs that weren't falling apart, we gave up several years ago, and visited Columbia Restaurant for an original Ybor City lunch. We didn't stop looking, however, and a couple of years later found an older coach that hadn't been used a lot, and was in immaculate condition. We then set about updating it, and making it more suited to our taste and use. The result has been a weekend traveler that isn't fancy; but which is perfect for us. And, no big payments for the rest of our lives. RVs were built like tanks 20 years ago, and, in recent years, not so much. Now, we have an RV that serves as a second office for me, and which suits our taste perfectly. It is getting tougher to find an RV with good bones; but don't give up. Be careful out there. But have fun.
