Six months on the road and learning every day

Living and Learning

I can't believe we've been fulltime RV'ers for six months now. Seems like just yesterday we were making plans and trying to get rid of an entire house of stuff. We're still learning every day sometimes the hard way, sometimes by other workampers.

So here's my list of a few things Barb and I have learned in a short time. In no particular order.

#1 Southeast Texas in the summer is brutal. Get prepared. We've lived in Florida and

Georgia and believe me Nothing and I mean Nothing compares to Texas heat.

#2 Don't be cheap or think one A/C is going to be enough, Its Not. Don't believe me, see #1 above. When we ordered our 5^th. Wheel it came with one 15,000 btu a/c in the

living/kitchen/dining area and a 14inch ceiling exhaust fan in the bedroom. We broke

down in July and for about $1000.00 we had a 13,500 btu a/c installed in the

bedroom. SO much better.

#3 One refrigerator is not enough. If you're going to be fulltime RV'ers one refrigerator

is not going to cut it, unless you want to spend all your time shopping. We got rid of one of the recliners and bought a 10 cu. ft. house frig. Now we shop every two

weeks. And enjoy a lot more of our off time.

#4 Reflectix is a must have. Reflectix is bubble wrap between foil. I was amazed at the insulation value it added to our 5^th wheel. We cut it to fit most of our windows, only downside it does make the rv darker. At least I'm cool.

#5 Its true you do need a good supply of things to keep your rig going. Right up there at the top is an extra black hose. Not sure what a black hose is, goggle it. Its a must have. They can spring a leak at any time and its never at the best time.

#6 Storage space, or the lack of it. Seems there is never enough storage space especially in the kitchen. We solved that problem by getting an island cabinet with 2

doors and 2 drawers. Just shop around and always have your dimensions with you.

#7 Good outdoor chairs. Sometimes you get to relax and there's no better way than in a

zero gravity chair. We got ours at Cabala’s but their available just about anywhere

now. Just be careful you can and will fall asleep.

#8 200/2pm. I learned this before we took off but didn't heed this advice our first day,

Big mistake. Plan on driving only 200 miles or stop by 2pm. Driving long distance's

and long days make for a tough time. Driving 200 miles is plenty for any driver or

stopping by 2pm gives you time to set up your rig, have a nice dinner and relax before

hitting the road the next day refreshed.

So there you have it, just a few things we've learned since becoming fulltime workampers. Here's to the next six months wherever it might take us.

Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road