Fulltime RVing Headaches

[taketimeforlife]

So, I started fulltime RVing about 7 weeks ago and have had a variety of issues ranging from a sick dog to repairs.

 

Here is a recap of my first 7 weeks of FT RVing

[Jimalberta]

Dont feel bad...we all pretty much go through something like this. It will get better ....hang in there and smile.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Very few of us get a totally smooth ride all the time. We were on a 3 week trip two years ago and ended up needing a new engine and held up at Pocatello for a week+ of our trip. We just had to accept it and adjust our limited vacation time - we made the most of a bad situation to say nothing of the financial costs. When we first got our current RV in 2002, we spent the first two years almost breaking down all the time, they tried to tell us we'd put dirty fuel in, charge us when under warranty and we even had a fire engine block a road and get us into a safe spot of a gas station in Montana. We had broken down at Milk River AB just the other side of the border the night before, but when cooled limped over. The guy at the FORD garage said I don't work on RVs but I think it's your fuel pump. Long story short we limped in cooler overnight weather to South Dakota, and parked outside for the morning opening. After almost 2 years of non resolving on our new under warranty RV, and countless spoilt vacations, I demanded they look at the fuel pump, when it went in their garage and the guy agreed if you want a new fuel pump we'll install a new fuel pump Mam - we saw a huge pile of defective fuel pumps like ours piled against their wall. Surprise surprise no problems after that until the engine replacement 2 years ago, which was due to puncturing caused by a week pin that snapped inside or something.

 

Good for you Dan keeping the glass half full and not half empty as you go through some trying times like we all do at certain times. As they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and if we didn't experience some inconveniences/disappointments/frustrations in life, we'd never know how the good times really feel.

 

Happy Travels, keep that positive attitude and you'll look back in a few years when you son has flown the nest and treasure these special times together.

[Gypsy Traveler]

We've been full timing for 8 weeks and camp hosting for 4 weeks. SOOOOO many challenges and headaches. The only way to learn is to live through it, fix it, change it, or get rid of it. I'm lucky to be able to get on this forum once a month because internet on the coast is HORRIBLE!

Everyday is a learning experience. Good luck with your challenges!! Glad Ace is feeling better! My world sucks when my dog is sick!

[hdrider]

I feel for ya but like others have said, it's part of the game. We have been on the road for almost 3 years and have spent nights at Freightliner shops, Cummins shops, in paint bays, At the manufactures, and in fact as I type this we are spending the night in a dealers yard outside a bay.

Any more we look at it like a free night of camping and make the best of it.

Not making light of your experiences but it does happen, hopefully not that often.

[horizon36]

We're getting close to starting year six of full timing. Stuff happens and you just have to go with the flow. Some of our issues were routine maintenance and others were due to failures. Just last fall our fridge failed and we wound up replacing it with a residential unit. We did have to buy the new fridge. The alternator went bad, we had a hydraulic system failure and a charging relay quit working. Oh, and we had to chase down some air leaks and adjust the LR slide. Fortunately this all happened when we were in our home base city and could take the coach to a trusted repair shop. Most of the problems, not the maintenance, was covered by our extended warranty.

 

The ups and downs are part of life.

[sandsys]

Any more we look at it like a free night of camping and make the best of it.

Been there; done that. Figured out that once we close the curtains for the night, all places look the same.

 

Linda Sand

[reed and elaine]

We were coming back from Yucatan four years ago and a wonderful couple from Quebec tied up with us. The fuel pump of their Newmar started going out just as we hit the intersection of Mexico 145D (Minatlan to the junction) and Mexico 150D (D stands for toll road and 150 is road from Vera Cruz to Mexico City. They limped into Orizaba and we stayed with them for 5 or 6 days while the fuel pump was repaired. Fortunately, we had pulled into an all night trucker PEMEX station and there was a good repair shop across the street. It took 3 or 4 days to get the parts (there is a licensed Cummins dealership in Orizaba) and then another few days to repair. We had friends in town and Guy Lussier wandered about and we found out that a great National Park, the 500 Steps (500 Escalones) was less than 500 meters from where we were staying. We then went to Puebla with them for 4 days and then San Miguel del Allende for another 3 days.

 

The morale is that you can enjoy the mishaps

Reed and Elaine

[LHS61]

Love all the great attitudes.... like life, when you get a bunch of lemons thrown at you, make lemonade and share it with others. I guess I will have some stories to tell in a few weeks. I'm just launching my full time RV life next week !

[theeyres]

1992 RV and that's the only problems you have had? You are lucky! Just kidding, but you have just inherited all the problems from former owners and you will get them ironed out. Think about buying a car that old...you just know there will be some repairs and rebuilds to get it all working. Good luck and have fun. It's a great lifestyle.

[Mariner]

Our first 6mos. we had a bunch of piddling things go haywire. It was driving me crazy. But the last 4 1/2yrs. have been great. So hang in there.

[StarDreamers.us]

Enjoy the trip! Start each day as a new living adventure.

 

Safe Travels!

[RV_]

Read your blog, good looking kiddo. We had our kids very young and my youngest moved out when I hit 42. Retired from the AF at 45 and we hit the road for seven years. Our newsletters from the road were done before smart phones, and distributed by email when possible. We finally got a website to be able to post there rather than struggling. We came off the road to help with ageing parents here 12 years ago. Never thought we'd be here this long as we were both military brats, then we served 27 years together.

 

Our newsletters from the road get lots of emails. Some saying they cared scared them away from full time RVing and others that saw it as a great attitude coupled with the willingness to meet America one person at a time. They're on our website in the sig block below. We had similar problems, replaced reefers and A/C units, repaired the rest. We even had our first rig totaled by a repair place that was supposed to "flip" the axles so I could go from 15" G rated tires to 16" E ratings.

 

Wouldn't take back a minute of it. And were it not for her parents, as mine are gone, we'd still be on the road. We just bought a gorgeous 12 year old fiver and put a new roof on it for less total than used book by far. Like motorcycles and scooters bought from over 40 types, it was barely used. Looks new inside and the roof under the old roof was perfect with evidence of one slight leak that was starting but never got past the marine plywood under the EPDM.

 

You'll get there as I suspect you know. It's the journey, wherever we are, and whichever path we choose. There will always be like minded souls, and the few limited resource thinkers operating from fear to keep us mindful in life.

 

Good travels!

 

Edited to change cared to scared.

[taketimeforlife]

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement! As many have stated "things are going to happen" and that's okay. My only regret is that I didn't do this earlier when I could have purchased a newer/nicer rig...having said that, I sure will appreciate it more when I get it

[mds1]

I appreciate hearing about hearing about the downsides to fulltime RV life. Helps with mental preparedness.