Come along for the ride as a young family takes on new challenges in the Old Pueblo.
Super-cute Kylee Marie Crowell was born to be an RVer.
When you hear her family’s story, you’ll understand why.
For Kylee’s parents, Ed and Ginnie Crowell, the road to RV
enthusiasm has been a lifelong pursuit. Ginnie is a 13-year
Lazydays veteran, with experience in RV sales coordination
and has a passion for car racing. Ed, known as “Mr. Fix It”
because of his technical prowess, grew up RVing and became
part of the Lazydays Technical Department in 2004.
Just a few months after Ginnie became pregnant, an
unexpected opportunity arrived in the form a question from
Lazydays: Would the Crowells consider a temporary move to
take on expanded assignments at Lazydays’ new operations in
Tucson, Arizona? It didn’t take Ed and Ginnie long to say yes.
“Things were speeding ahead for Lazydays and our family,”
Ed says, explaining their decision. “It was an exciting time.”
Adios Tampa
“We decided to simplify with this short-term move,”
says Ed, who would drive a 2007 Holiday Rambler Scepter
coach to Tucson, where the family then would move into
a Carriage Carri-Lite.
The week’s journey was charted carefully. There
were pre-trip preparations and maintenance. They made
adjustments in the coach to accommodate Kylee’s baby
bouncer. Kylee’s changing mat doubled as her sleeping pad,
and was placed between Ed and Ginnie on the queen bed
in the master bedroom. With push-down doors standard
in the coach, they had minimal baby-proofi ng to do, which
involved covering sockets and pointed edges.
The Scepter offered the stability and comforts of home.
“When you’re RVing, particularly with a newborn and
pets, you must be sensitive to moods and personalities and
willing to go with the fl ow,” Ed remembers saying as the
family rolled out of Tampa, palm trees fl ashing past them.
“It brings you together," Ginnie agrees. “For us, RVing is
about family and enjoying a special freedom.”
Back to Basics
The trip was not without its mishaps. But according to Ed,
when everyone does their share, you can take even the
unexpected in good humor.
“We had to push through some problems, like when
our electrical panels malfunctioned,” explains Ed. Then the
heater failed, and in El Paso there was no heat coming out of
the fans. Finally, he wound up rummaging outside with his
fl ashlight on a 30-degree night, disconnecting heat exchanger
power in the access panel, to work around some problems.
“Knowing the basics is essential to calmly handle
emergencies when a mechanic isn’t available,” adds Ed.
Savoring the Desert
Arriving in Tucson is a good memory for the Crowells.
Lazydays’ sprawling campground had everything,
surrounded by expansive views of nearby mountains
and desert. The Carriage Carri-Lite, with its slides, large
windows and washer/dryer, was top-drawer.
The family quickly adapted to their new RV. A couch was
removed to set up a play area. Ed, at 6 feet 5 inches tall,
appreciated the master bedroom step-up and ceiling height.
“The overhead cabinets gave us more clothes storage, which
was essential because Kylee was growing so fast.”
They also added new friendships unique to their fifth
wheel RV community. Tucson evenings are lovely, so Ed and
Ginnie often found themselves outside with Kylee in her
bouncer and the family’s miniature pinchers, Scooter and
Bailey, circling nearby, as fellow RVers padded over for a
visit. On Friday nights, they would head over to another RV
where a big-screen TV would come outside.
They’re eager for more cross-country travel as they
prepare to return to Tampa. “We had an incredible
experience,” recalls Ed, rhapsodizing about the magic that
comes with this unique lifestyle. “It took the road and the
RV to find it.”