After being again in our dwelling state of New Jersey for just a few weeks visiting family and friends, Doug and I launched into what we’re calling “Season 2” of our Full Time RV Adventure (primarily as a result of this correlates to our YouTube Channel which may be discovered right here (youtube.com/InterstateAdventures). But once we left behind our community of homey comforts this time, we appeared to have discovered ourselves very ‘broken.’ Within 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. And then, 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 every little thing taking place inside such a brief time period left each us feeling a bit overwhelmed, nervous, defeated, and effectively…. Broken.
It’s taken me a minimum of per week to essentially sit down and be capable to put all of it collectively, wrap my head round every little thing 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 every little thing. It was just a bit overwhelming that all of it occurred on the identical time. But that’s life, proper? No one mentioned this nomadic life was going to be simple, simply that it could be price it when you persevered.
So, what occurred precisely? And what are you able to do to be greatest ready for when that worst case state of affairs truly appears to be taking place? Sometimes there are issues you are able to do to organize, different occasions, that you must determine it out as you go… But chronological appears to be the easiest way to go over it…
Issue #1
This time it was the camper. One of our slide cables broke. This isn’t the primary time this has occurred to one of many cables, and happily, (or sadly – relying on the way you wish to view that) Doug has turn out to be knowledgeable at altering them. This isn’t one thing which you can predict goes to occur. You can do the entire preventative upkeep you need, however typically, cables simply put on out. You can see Doug engaged on one other cable in our Memphis video right here.
How have been we ready for this? Because we have now had one break on us prior to now, Doug has a spare alternative cable available within the camper always. If you aren’t useful although, most RV Parks and campgrounds can direct you to a cellular RV Repair firm that may come out to the campground and hopefully get you again up and operating.
Issue #2
Just 2 days later… We arrive down in South Carolina to go to Doug’s greatest buddy and take a look at his new home. They advised us to park the camper wherever we needed on the property. Doug opted for alongside the tree line and began backing throughout the entrance garden to get there. Everything 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 previous septic tank on this space of the garden that nobody knew about. We Found It! Everyone is aware of about it now!
This is a scenario that nobody may have predicted and nobody may have ready for. Thankful for the place we have been on the time it occurred, Doug and Buck (his greatest buddy) labored within the fireplace division for a number of years collectively. They didn’t panic in any respect and actually simply set to work. They have been ready to make use of the entrance jacks on the camper to drag the truck up slightly at a time all of the whereas inserting 2×6 planks beneath the truck as they went. Eventually, 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. Moving 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.
Issue #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 liable to them. It isn’t one thing that we may have ready for. I attempted to deal with it alone at dwelling with over-the-counter salves and such, however nothing was working. We wanted a health care provider. And I wanted antibiotics.
Issue #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 seen 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 components that he wanted to make the restore. We additionally had entry to a number of different member of the family’s autos to get round. Once once more, this isn’t one thing we may have ready for. Just yet another damaged piece of touring puzzle. Doug made the required restore and received us again up and operating earlier than the week was over. I don’t know what we might do if he wasn’t so extremely useful.
Issue #5
Our final night time in West Virginia… I undergo from continual hives that put my physique into anaphylactic shock. It isn’t enjoyable. But I’ve been managing it for years at this level, so sadly, I typically turn out to be complacent about it, which is a horrible place to be over one thing that might actually kill me. I take remedy each different day to maintain every little thing beneath management, and haven’t had any main points in nearly 2 years. Well, guess what… I went 2 nights with out taking my remedy as a result of I wasn’t paying consideration. I went to mattress and awoke slightly after midnight unable to breath. I instantly took Benadryl, however that takes a minimum of 20 minutes to begin working. So I sat there with my EpiPen in my hand hoping that every little thing would subside earlier than truly having to make use of it! All 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 the entire medicines that I must preserve this ridiculous “allergy” at bay, and I tousled. In addition to completely being ready for the flare up, we each take note of the place the massive blue “H” indicators are every time we’re driving round. That doesn’t imply which can be at all times near the hospital, however a minimum of we all know when the final time we handed one was.
Issue #6 & 7
Only 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 Eastern 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 dangerous. At some level (we’re guessing when the truck fell into the septic) we snapped the leaf spring for the motive force’s facet 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 interchange 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 want to remain longer than the scheduled 1 night time. We received again on the highway in the precise hand lane and went sluggish and regular till we lastly arrived the 180 extra miles that we would have liked to go.
Somehow 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 superb individuals we have now most likely 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 night time, drove us round to choose up components, allowed Doug using their store and the entire instruments, introduced us out to a automotive 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 short lived restore to the airbag inside a weeks time. Celia had a incredible advice to hook up and do a shake down cruise up and down the freeway for slightly bit to ensure that every little thing was holding correctly and as soon as once more…. Another subject…
Issue #8
One of the cross members that’s alleged to be welded to the body of the camper to carry up one facet of our black tank was utterly damaged on one facet. Doug pulled out a giant bolt and managed to get that repaired shortly, 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 night time with Mark and Celia having fun with their firm and actually solidifying our new discovered friendship after which we hit the highway once more. When 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 night time. The airbag held effectively sufficient and we truly loved an evening of tenting with no extra issues. At that second it type of felt like a miracle in itself.
We headed out of Minnesota and continued on our means west. And wouldn’t you realize it, that little mini miracle of no points that first night time again on the highway shortly went away and have been as soon as once more reminded that this portion of our Adventures was nonetheless damaged.
Issue #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 finances from the numerous “issues” we simply saved trucking.
We stopped for gas and I seen 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. Of course 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 precise dimension tire for us to buy. Downside…. He didn’t have any techs on obligation anymore to place the tire on the rim for us. Once once more driving slowly in the precise lane, we continued on to Wall to seek out our campsite for the night.
The following 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 received the brand new tire on the camper and we gave the impression to be again on monitor.
To Yellowstone we go…
We did make it. We made all of it the best way to West Yellowstone to satisfy up with buddies. The alternative airbag arrived on the campground earlier than we did, and Doug was in a position to get that changed earlier than we mentioned our goodbye’s and headed out towards Glacier.
We’ve discovered quite a bit these previous few weeks. I can’t even say months! All of this transpired in lower than 2 months time. This way of life is just not for the weak, we will each say that. Doug and I are inclined to each be fairly sturdy willed individuals and we have been each fairly damaged. People are actually superb although. Somehow each time one thing else occurred, we pulled by way of and have been surrounded by the precise individuals that might assist repair it. Sometimes that repair was nothing greater than a hug on the proper time, or the precise device. In reality, it will probably’t be defined. We saved on protecting on and every little thing appeared to fall into place.
Here we’re! Still doing this loopy journey! It could finish ahead of we hoped, however we nonetheless did it! We don’t remorse it, and we aren’t able to give up but. So guess what, we’re going to carry on protecting on, as a result of that’s what we do. Even with the entire stress’s that we have now had pushed on us, we sit up for seeing what tomorrow brings. We have been watching T.V. the opposite night time, and somebody mentioned, “Pressure Makes Diamonds” and I can’t get it out of my head. Maybe we aren’t diamonds but, and possibly we have now extra stress coming, however we each understand it’s all price it.
You can’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.