Dedicated to those of us who still work for a living, RV on weekends and vacations, and dream of the day we can enjoy the RV lifestyle full time.
So You Want To Be an RVer?
RV travel is but one of many vacation and leisure options available
to Americans. It envelopes a lifestyle that is certainly appealing
but at the same time can be quite daunting. People contemplating
entrance into the RV lifestyle are often faced with more questions than
answers. When preparing to make what may be the most expensive investment
of your life, next to your home, how can you be sure this is the lifestyle
for you? Perhaps our story may answer some of your questions.
We call it...
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Motorhomes
School had closed for spring break. The motorhome had been tuned
and prepped for another season of camping. We were all looking forward
to ten days of travel and relaxation in North
Carolina. Not so fast! Our family was about to face their
toughest RV test yet, one that would surely answer any doubts we may have
had about being cut out for the RV lifestyle.
Our troubles actually began weeks earlier when scheduling our five-year-old
Damon
Challenger Class A motorhome for the routine maintenance required each
year in preparation for the new camping season. Extended time without
use is actually harder on a motorhome than regular use, so as winter is
winding down it is good to get all the bugs worked out before heading out
on the road.
This year was no exception. We scheduled an oil change and some
diagnostics for a squeaking problem we were having with the brakes at our
local Ford service center. This was to be followed by a visit to
our RV dealer for repairs to the electric step and generator. If
you are fortunate enough to have one service center you can trust for both
chassis and coach work, that's a definite advantage. Since our motorhome
is built on a Ford chassis, we are more comfortable taking that work to them. Even
using two service centers, our plan would allow for completion of all work
with a week to spare before our vacation departure.
No Such Luck
Alas, our finely tuned schedule wasn't to be. After dropping off
our rig at the Ford dealer, we received a phone call from the service technician.
He told us they would have to keep the motorhome longer than anticipated.
It seemed a truck they were working on was waiting for parts and it was
using the only lift in the shop big enough to hold our motorhome.
Five days later the work was finally completed.
This delay required rescheduling our appointment with our RV dealer,
pushing our timetable perilously close to our departure date. When the
dust finally settled, all scheduled work was completed exactly one day
before our scheduled departure for North Carolina. Things were working
out ok after all. Or were they?
Next Page - No Speedometer or Odometer
|
