After being again in our residence 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 once 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 net 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 per week. The mixture of the whole lot occurring inside such a brief time period left each us feeling a bit overwhelmed, nervous, defeated, and properly…. Damaged.
It’s taken me not less than per week to essentially sit down and be capable to put all of it collectively, wrap my head round the whole lot that has occurred, and be capable to share it with all of you. You see, as weak as we each felt mentally, we didn’t surrender. We have been principally ready for the whole lot. It was just a bit overwhelming that all of it occurred on the similar time. However that’s life, proper? Nobody stated this nomadic life was going to be simple, simply that it might be price it if you happen to 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? Typically there are issues you are able to do to arrange, different occasions, you might want to determine it out as you go… However chronological appears to be one of the best ways to go over it…
Problem #1
This time it was the camper. One among our slide cables broke. This isn’t the primary time this has occurred to one of many cables, and thankfully, (or sadly – relying on the way you need to view that) Doug has develop into 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 typically, 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 alternative cable available within the camper always. For those who aren’t useful 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.
Problem #2
Simply 2 days later… We arrive down in South Carolina to go to Doug’s finest good friend 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 thing was going high-quality… after which it wasn’t. The passenger rear tire of the truck all of a sudden dropped into the bottom, and now the truck and camper have been caught. Evidently, there was an outdated septic tank on this space of the garden that nobody knew about. We Discovered It! Everybody is aware of about it now!
This can be a scenario that nobody might have predicted and nobody might have ready for. Grateful for the place we have been on the time it occurred, Doug and Buck (his finest good friend) labored within the hearth division for a number of years collectively. They didn’t panic in any respect and actually simply started working. They have been ready to make use of the entrance jacks on the camper to drag the truck up a bit of at a time all of the whereas putting 2×6 planks beneath the truck as they went. Ultimately, 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 drag ours out of the opening. Shifting 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 beneath the pin and get the camper hooked again up from one other path.
Problem #3
After spending per 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 pretty big abscess that was contaminated out of no the place that wanted to be drained. Grateful this was one thing that could possibly 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 vulnerable to them. It isn’t one thing that we might have ready for. I attempted to deal with it alone at residence with over-the-counter salves and such, however nothing was working. We would have liked a physician. And I wanted antibiotics.
Problem #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 strains had damaged. We spent per week in West Virginia which was good as a result of it gave Doug time to seek out the elements 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 might have ready for. Only one extra damaged piece of touring puzzle. Doug made the required restore and acquired us again up and working earlier than the week was over. I don’t know what we’d do if he wasn’t so extremely useful.
Problem #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 typically develop into complacent about it, which is a horrible place to be over one thing that might actually kill me. I take treatment each different day to maintain the whole lot beneath management, and haven’t had any main points in virtually 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 wakened a bit of after midnight unable to breath. I instantly took Benadryl, however that takes not less than 20 minutes to start out working. So I sat there with my EpiPen in my hand hoping that the whole lot 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 scenario 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 hold 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 every time we’re driving round. That doesn’t imply which can be at all times near the hospital, however not less than we all know when the final time we handed one was.
Problem #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 lavatory and stretch our legs in Japanese 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 driving force’s aspect rear tire. After it broke, it slid out of place, seemingly 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 referred to as our Boondockers Welcome host to allow them to know we have been going to be late, and would want to remain longer than the scheduled 1 evening. We acquired again on the highway in the precise hand lane and went sluggish and regular till we lastly arrived the 180 extra miles that we wanted to go.
One way or the other 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 essentially the most wonderful folks we have now in all probability ever met whereas on the highway. Not solely did they inform us that we might keep so long as wanted, however they made us dinner that first evening, drove us round to select up elements, allowed Doug the usage of their store and all the instruments, introduced us out to a automotive present, confirmed us round their city, allowed us to select 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 short lived restore to the airbag inside a weeks time. Celia had a unbelievable suggestion to hook up and do a shake down cruise up and down the freeway for a bit of bit to guarantee that the whole lot was holding correctly and as soon as once more…. One other concern…
Problem #8
One of many cross members that’s imagined to be welded to the body of the camper to carry up one aspect of our black tank was fully damaged on one aspect. Doug pulled out a giant 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 extra 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 already know 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.
Problem #9
We determined that we have been going to make a giant 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 to try to offset the intense deficit in our price range from the numerous “points” we simply saved trucking.
We stopped for gas 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 nearly each place was closed, however Doug did handle to seek out one little fuel station that had the precise measurement tire for us to buy. Draw back…. He didn’t have any techs on obligation anymore to place the tire on the rim for us. As soon as once more driving slowly in the precise lane, we continued on to Wall to seek out our campsite for the night.
The next morning Doug took the outdated tire off of the camper, and we headed into city. We discovered a store that was keen to swap the tires for us, and again to the camper we went. Doug acquired 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 pals. The alternative 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 lots these previous few weeks. I can’t even say months! All of this transpired in lower than 2 months time. This life-style isn’t for the weak, we are able to each say that. Doug and I are inclined to each be fairly robust willed folks and we have been each fairly damaged. Persons are actually wonderful although. One way or the other each time one thing else occurred, we pulled by and have been surrounded by the precise folks that might assist repair it. Typically that repair was nothing greater than a hug on the proper time, or the precise instrument. In reality, it may well’t be defined. We saved on retaining on and the whole lot appeared to fall into place.
Right here we’re! Nonetheless doing this loopy journey! It could finish before 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 retaining 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 stay up for seeing what tomorrow brings. We have been watching T.V. the opposite evening, and somebody stated, “Stress Makes Diamonds” and I can’t get it out of my head. Perhaps we aren’t diamonds but, and possibly we have now extra stress coming, however we each realize it’s all price it.
You may’t put together for each hiccup alongside the best way. All you are able to do is the very best you are able to do, in order that’s what we’re simply going to maintain doing.