RV Life - Back Issues

Why We Do This

IStuck in endless traffic, trapped behind an 18-wheeler, it’s easy to forget.
In your haste to leave work early and head out of town on a Friday afternoon, it’s easy to forget.

When the dog tracks muddy paws through the fifth wheel, it’s oh so easy to forget. Real easy.

Indeed, bogged down by mishaps and setbacks, it’s all too easy to forget what we love about RVing. A leaky sink, a missed off-ramp, and the campfire smoke that seems to follow us wherever we sit might propel us into a fit of denial about the usefulness of our trusty motorhome or towable—and the lifestyle all together. I remember a particularly embarrassing campsite back-in (and the ensuing blame-game with my wife/copilot) that temporarily whittled down my resolve. I doubt that the campground ever saw such a pitiful display (although the neighbors got an interesting show out of it).

Unfortunately, such memory losses are not uncommon toward the things we love. We take them for granted…just like our faithful copilots.

So, let’s buck that trend. As the old saying goes “Don’t sweat the small stuff—and it’s all small stuff.” You remember why you got into this in the first place, don’t you? We RVers enjoy unparalleled freedom, traveling an American landscape rich in diversions, scenery, and more than a few delicious greasy spoons. We have choices that make regular travelers sick with envy, choices not found in commercial travel or even when we cram the kids into the SUV for a weekend getaway. Let’s never forget that we can go where we want, when we want—and always with a comfy bed and all of our must-have gear in tow.

Think about it. What other way of life can allow you to visit an amusement park one day, a natural wonder the next, and a baseball game after that—all in different states—and not spring for a single motel in the process? How else could you, the whole family, and Aunt Ethel tour the national parks, Civil War battlefields or the NASCAR circuit without spending a fortune—or killing one another in the process? Name another lifestyle that permits the kind of flexibility, adventure, and the what’s-around-the-next-bend excitement that RVing does.

Want to get away for a day, a week, a year? Care to journey down to the local state park, the coast of Florida, or the Alaskan frontier? Looking for the ultimate tailgating experience at the next big game, a head-turning touring machine to grandma’s house, or the kind of camping that doesn’t leave a kink in your neck?

Am I preaching to the choir? Perhaps. After all, RV Life is aimed at the converted. But even the best hitter can lose his or her swing. A tiring day behind the wheel or a no-vacancy sign can send the glass reeling to half-empty instead of half-full.

As I sit here, weathering another long Illinois winter, I am pleasantly reminded of assorted RVing adventures. And no, I don’t recall a single bad moment. Only the endearing qualities remain. The joy of the fishing trips to the remote parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with the fellas. That deep-woods Wisconsin campground, where the campsites were so spread out among the 75 acres that it was difficult to find your RV come nightfall. Warm afternoons on a sandy beach (yes, we have those in Midwest), the motorhome parked nearby for snacks, drinks, and a game of cards.

This column is a reminder of why we do this, a way to jar our collective memories back to reality during the tough times. And if you see me, huffy and red-faced after a particularly eventful back-in, please remind me too.