TherapyBound

Thank you, sandsys. Kirk W, I've been a moderator on discussion forums for 26 years, so I've got quite a bit of patience and I don't mind asking people directly if they'll cease and desist. If the direct request is ignored, I can usually find the Ignore/Block button. It's easy to get carried away with a strongly-held opinion, so I'm hoping a gentle nudge directly to the chest will ensure we're all still friends at the end of the day.

Al F, may I just very respectfully request that you drop the washer/dryer thing? I could really do without having to repeatedly revisit the issue. Can you please just accept that?

Incorrect. I stated it was non-negotiable in my first post, then in my second (!!) post I stated the following: I know the washer/dryer won't be as efficient as I'm used to, but this is a "thing" for me. Without going into the grim and upsetting reasons, I couldn't do this trip if I had to go to a laundrymat every week or two (not because of snobbery; more based on trauma). We'll leave it at that, just by way of explaining that it's a top priority. On page 4 I stated: As for the washer/dryer, I know it adds weight. I know weight is limited and it won't take much to reach full weight capacity. If I weren't so firm in my reasons for making it a requirement and not a luxury, I'd be talked out of it by now! I do have an excellent reason for it being a necessity FOR ME, and that reason would stop me from going at all rather than having to go to laundromats every week or two. As I originally stated, I prefer not to go into the details. So...I'll have an RV with a washer/dryer and very happily sacrifice something else instead. So yeah...I know my own mind on this matter, I've stated it repeatedly, and it was not a reasonable assumption that I was thinking irrationally and simply didn't understand how it worked, and perhaps I could be talked out of it.

Okay, let's set this to rest, since it doesn't appear to be enough that I AM going to have a washer/dryer and I am NOT looking to be talked out of it. As I stated in two posts (my original and a follow-up) there is an excellent reason I won't be going into a laundromat, and I would not do the trip if it meant going into laundromats every couple of weeks. I don't feel anyone is entitled to my reason, so I won't provide it, but go ahead and think about one of your worst traumas, and decide if you'd like to revisit that trauma every couple of weeks. Got it? Thank you for your concern, but I'm getting a washer/dryer. It really is as simple as that. Yup. You're wrong. That's not my reasoning. Sorry. Can we move on from the washer/dryer now, please?

It was a joke, since over the course of 7 pages, including very decisively in my original post, I've said "We're getting a washer/dryer, and that's non-negotiable" about 10 times, but opinions on the matter keep cropping up.

Thank you, Kirk W! This is something we're both quite excited about, and will give added purpose and meaning to our adventure.

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That idea holds great appeal for us, Kirk W. We're hoping to be involved in several volunteer-type experiences, such as Harvest Hosting, disaster relief, etc. The things you mention sound incredible. We'd be all over that kind of volunteerism. Can you share how you've found those opportunities? With a 1-2 year timeline as our initial expectation, we know we can't do it all, nor can we stay in one place for months at a time (Alaska is our exception). We do anticipate having a base in interesting places for 2-3 weeks and getting out into the community during that time, and we've traveled most of the US already, so it's really only a large handful of states we specifically want to experience. There is nothing we love as much about travel as hearing other people's stories.

You're reading our minds. Our estimated departure date is mid-May 2021, with an eye toward being in Alaska by July and returning to the lower 48 at the end of Aug/beginning of Sept, then either heading east for a couple of months for the fall colors or poodling around the northern states for a bit, with the intent of being out west for the winter. We haven't firmed up the rough plan once we return from Alaska yet, so that may change. We may stay in the western half of the country if we think it'll be a 2-year trip, and save the eastern half for the second year. We've been to Alaska twice and just love it, so we want to spend a lot more time there. If this does indeed turn into a 2-year adventure, we want to add more of Canada into the mix. I think we'll know once we're several months into it if we'll extend it to 2 years or even consider not having an ending date.

Absolutely. We're travel writers, so that's going to be a big part of what we're doing on the road (blog, YouTube, writing for our current outlets, and more). Not so much about RV-ing specifically. We're more storytelling-oriented. And we've developed a fun twist that, we hope, will be as enjoyable for our readers as it will be for us. More on that as the time draws near! We always enjoy reading about other people's travels, so we've already started reading some of the sites mentioned here, as well as the established RV-related bloggers and YouTubers.

I'm thinking 15 or 20. We've got a long list of destinations and their must-see attractions, as well as the lesser-known places we'd like to visit, and our next move is to consider how long, roughly, we'd like to spend in each area. Some places (like Alaska) we're already sure about (2 months, July/August). Then we'll start plotting out our rough travel route. In fact, we've started already (Orlando to Fairbanks). I'm sure I'll have some questions as that process gets underway! Already bookmarked the various maps, apps, etc we'll need. I'm a serious researcher, so it's really the issues you can't know until you're in an RV and traveling that I'm uncertain about. This forum has been a huge help.

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Yup, we'll wait on a few things we're not certain about. Others we'll go ahead with straight away. The washer/dryer is non-negotiable.

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I don't know where the "exit" is, but I do hope your day gets better.

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Is there any flexibility for two smaller RVs, one for each family? I do wonder if six people in one motorhome is going to feel very, very tight after a few days, let alone 2 weeks. With two smaller class Cs, you also wouldn't have to worry about driving an overly large vehicle, and each couple would have a private sleeping area. I don't know how that would work out as regards the cost of petrol (if two smaller RVs would be more than, close to, or less than what it would take for the biggest motorohomes as far as petrol mileage), but it might be worth it for the sake of everyone's happiness.

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