Like a lot of travel trailers, we have a pass through storage area under the nose of our trailer. I recently had to do some repair work to our water pump that is located in this storage area behind a carpeted false wall. This is also where our leveling system controls are mounted. There was quite a bit of unused space in this utility area enclosed by the false walls. After completing my water pump repairs I removed the two false walls and cut the shorter wall down to allow the front wall to move back. The new space will allow us a couple more square feet of storage. The control panel for the leveling system is still usable in this area but I will be relocating it in a future post to make it more user friendly.
We installed an RV Lock keyless entry about a year ago, and we love it. We can hit the pool without worrying about where to keep our keys, we never get locked out, and it looks real slick on the rig. Unfortunately, the cover started to crack several months ago. We worried moisture would get into the lock and damage, it looked bad, and it could be considered a security risk because the most commonly used keys are the ones more likely to show wear first. We posted about it on our Instagram account, and am excited to report that RV Lock reached out to us to offer to send us a replacement face plate for the unit. They’d upgraded the materials used for the keypad and said the replacement should last much longer. The new plate looks thicker and sturdier than the cracked plate. We were also pleased to …
I am officially an RVSA Certified RV Technician! We’ve been full-time RVers since September 2018, but only on the road since July 2019. Jen and I have been planning and working to fulfill our dream of full-time RV travel. Making this transition meant letting go of the career that had sustained me up to this point. I spent much of the last 20+ years working as a operations and equipment maintenance supervisor in the manufacturing industry. I was very good at my job but I was fed up and burned out. The politics, dehumanizing management, and frustrating environments meant each day was a soul-sucking blender. We budgeted, scrimped, and saved in order to help make the transition possible. I have always been a hands-on person and enjoy fixing and making things. My favorite job was the three years I spent working as a residential electrician before going back to school …
Our first major mechanical breakdown as full-time RVers.
This one is brought to you by the “looks can be deceiving” department. We stayed at the Eastbank campground, maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, in August 2019. We made reservations for three nights, but ended up leaving after one. On the way up, there were some steep grades, and a lot of trees that were still recovering from last year’s Hurricane Michael. When we checked in, we were warned about sugar ants, and encouraged to spread poison around our site, as well as to wrap our electrical cord around the pole, to keep it off the ground and deter ants from finding an easy way into our home. When we found our site, we were stunned by the beauty of it all. The lake was like glass, the grass and trees so green, and the sky looked endless. Parking was a little daunting, as they’re back-in sites, and …
It’s that time of the year! We have many favorite items since we moved into our RV, and we think a lot of these ideas would be good for ANYONE, but of course, we’re posting these first and foremost as RVers. We’d love to know what you think, and if you have any “must have” items in your rig, gift ideas, or favorite gifts. Homemade Gifts When we chose to downsize, we developed an even greater appreciation for homemade items, because they’re that much more special when they’re among our few possessions. We love afghans, hats and scarves (although those of you who chase the 72-degree weather may not have a need for those!), tea towels, table cloths, pillow cases…. Really, there’s no end to the charm of homemade gifts. Do note, however, if your loved ones have food allergies or food-related illnesses, make sure to find out if your …
Thank you for reading. Your support means the world to us. We hope you and your families have a happy and safe winter season, and that the new year brings many happy memories. With love, Jennifer, David, Miss Kitty, Lillian, Tycho, and Kepler
This Thanksgiving we are thankful we are not sleeping on the side of I-95 in near-freezing temperatures (and that’s a blog post for another day). And in honor of Thanksgiving, we’d like to take some time to talk a little about the real history of Thanksgiving that many of us never learned in school. Content warning: this post contains descriptions of violence and racism. It is presented in a way that we hope will be educational, but understand not everyone is in a place where they can safely read this material. We also mean no offense and any errors, omissions, or misspoken words are due to our own ignorance and welcome corrections by Native, indigenous, and non-white readers. Thank you. We recognize and respect that Thanksgiving has become a holiday where we celebrate the abundance and gratitude for the things we have in our lives. We’re certainly grateful and thankful …
Our first hurricane warning as RVers!
We entered Florida shortly before the warnings for Hurricane Dorian, and decided to turn north to wait it out until we knew what Dorian would be doing. (Our hearts break for the Bahamas, who will be recovering from this for a long time.)
We really love microwave mug cakes around here. We often make them from scratch (but they’re experimental so we don’t have a tried-and-true recipe to share here yet!), but we really like these Enjoy Life brownie mixes, and it turns out they make amazing mug cakes! Ingredients 4 heaping teaspoons of Enjoy Life brownie mix 1 tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp water Instructions Mix in a microwave safe mug or bowl (paper bowls work for this, but they can get soggy, and they’re not our first choice). It should be a thin pudding consistency. Microwave for 90 seconds. We have a 1000-watt microwave and 90 seconds is perfect for us. Other microwaves we’ve used have needed 60 seconds or 2 full minutes, so you’ll have to test your own microwave the first couple times you make this. When your cake looks 80-90% dry on top, it’s ready. Let cool for …