When Ed and Rachel Barnhart retired in 2004, the intrepid RVers hooked up their Alfa Gold fifth wheel on a mission to see all that God created and man constructed…and find the best pizza in the USA. They traveled from sea to shining sea and back again, all in their first year exploring the country they dubbed the “Land of Awes.” In this special report, Ed chats about some of lessons you learn as a full timer.

It’s been said that there is no substitute for enthusiasm, but nothing trumps experience. As a full time RVer, you set out as prepared as possible, generally after weeks or months – maybe even years – of research and study, spending time talking with other full timers and getting tips from RV forums and websites. But it’s not until you hit the road that the learning really begins!

Rachel and I absolutely love the freedom and adventure of RVing. We chose to make it our lifestyle, and it has certainly played a part in defining our lives together. In a way, being a full time RVer is akin to becoming a first time parent. You have some idea what you are getting in to, but the reality – both the joys and travails – are quite a bit more real than you could have ever imagined. And, while our Alfa Gold has yet to produce any offspring, it has certainly given us moments of unbelievable wonder and more than a few unexpected surprises. After two seasons on the road and the width of an entire continent behind us, we have plenty of new laugh lines and at least one vertical line between the eyebrows. We’ve learned a lot, and we hope our experience will benefit others who are about to embark on the adventure of their lifetime.

Mechanical stuff will break. Don’t stress, just get it fixed…as soon as possible. I know, I know, you expect something to break, but do you? Really?

Most likely, you’re like all of us. Your first response when “Mr. Murphy” lays down his “law” is surprise – or disgust. Then you just want to get it fixed. But out on the road that can be easier said than done. Our first visit from Murph came while we were crossing North Dakota. For some reason our Alfa’s batteries developed their own agenda, charging on an “as they pleased” basis. At each stop across the Midwest I worked at the problem a bit, troubleshooting this and that, but the issue persisted. Of course, there were several willing repair shops along the way, but it’s tough when you’re on a schedule and they have an opening next week – or next month. Calling ahead seems a simple solution, as long as your schedule cooperates. A lot can happen in 1,000 miles to help you get off track. Circumstances and scheduling forced us to wait until arriving in New York to turn the problem over to professionals.

Delays will happen, so keep your itinerary flexible. The excitement to see and do as much as you can as soon as possible is a terrible temptation.

Think about it – here you are watching your dreams come true right in front of your eyes. It’s like a lifetime of Christmas mornings all wrapped into one. Still, if you’re not careful, the anticipation can turn into aggravation. Case in point: we were hooking up extra early to head out on the much anticipated Virginia leg of the tour when the Alfa simply said: “nope, not yet.” Of course it didn’t actually talk, it just refused to retract our bedroom slider. Without the tools to properly diagnose and treat Alfa’s attitude problem, we had to design a way to manually retract and anchor the slideout before we could be on our way. Our early morning attempt to get a jump on the day turned into a two-hour delay. It can be tough to look around and enjoy the pristine natural surroundings when you are arguing with a machine, but being intentional about taking those quiet moments – especially when you are facing a delay – is vital to getting all you can out of your RV lifestyle.

If possible, schedule your fixes for extended stays. When our slider rebelled, we called ahead to our next few stops to find a mechanic. As it turned out, the part would have to be ordered, so we scheduled the appointment during our next weeklong stay – on a day we planned to spend sightseeing anyway. We dropped off the Alfa, headed out for our day trip and came back and picked her up – no fuss, no muss…and no additional delays. This is also a good principle to keep in mind when scheduling routine maintenance as well. As the miles go by it can sneak up on you, but if you keep planning ahead it will soon become second nature.

When planning a maintenance stop, call ahead and speak to the manager. We had our Ford tow vehicle serviced three times between Wenatchee, Washington and Manassas, Virginia. We learned the hard way that some places don’t take reservations – it’s first come first served. To avoid learning this at the last minute, call ahead and ask the manager about his appointment policy and, if the service is “first come”, when is the best time to show up.

Check the tires BEFORE you hook up the trailer or 5th wheel. While on our maiden crossing of the U.S, I always made the tires the final item on my “pre-departure” checklist. This ended for good in Salisbury, Massachusetts. We hooked up, raised the jacks, checked the tires…and found a flat on the truck. Then we redeployed the jacks, un-hooked the Alfa and went off to have the tire – an interior on our dually – swapped out. Never again!

Budget for the unexpected, because you can expect issues – but not predict them. There are plenty of competent, professional technicians out there willing to fix what’s broke for you; but, of course, quick and quality help is not free. One easy mistake a novice full timer can make is underestimating the need for an emergency maintenance or repair fund. Full time RVing is not all souvenir shops and National Parks. Living in your RV means living in your RV. Stuff will break. You might break. If you or your RV gets “sick” or “injured”, that may mean extra days at a campsite you only budgeted a certain number of days for in addition to the medical or mechanical “fix it” expenses.

Some of these things we knew before we launched out into the Land of Awes. Others we learned on the road. Either way, we hope our little bit of experience helps you have at least as much fun as we are living the adventure that is the RV lifestyle!

AD PLACEHOLDER

Read previous chapters by selecting one of the links below:
Chapter 19 – Washington D.C. & the Shenandoah Valley
Chapter 18 – Ocean Cities & the Jersey Shore
Chapter 17 – Mystic Seaports & Mysterious Mechanical Failure
Chapter 16 – Thunder Bay & the Lobstah Princess
Chapter 15 – Rock Lobstah? Ayuh, it’s Good
Chapter 14 – Historic Boston, The Commons & Uncommon Pizza
Chapter 13 – Plymouth Rock and Saugus Iron
Chapter 12 – At the Atlantic and Around Cape Cod
Chapter 11 – Marches, Mozart and Mozzarella
Chapter 10 – Loving Life on the Road
Chapter 9 – Picturesque Settings & Police Surveillance
Chapter 8 – Erie Museums and Niagara Mist
Chapter 7 – The Amish and Edison
Chapter 6 – Dutch Treats and Bavarian Festivals
Chapter 5 – Two American Icons – Miller Beer and Chicago Pizza
Chapter 4 – Touring the Twin Cities
Chapter 3 – Discovering Middle America
Chapter 2 – A Trip Around the Sun
Chapter 1 –Pacific in the Rearview, We Wave Goodbye