Lately, my social media feeds are filled with reels of new RV models at the Hershey Pennsylvania RV Show, (those things are always listening and I mentioned it once). We’ve been to a couple of these over the past few years. We attended one in Chicago to determine whether or not we could live in an RV. And we attended one last year to see what was new, (nothing tempted us).
We are currently living in our 2nd RV. We lost our first one to a fire in February 2024. When we replaced it, we bought the exact same brand and model that we purchased pre-fire. It was exactly what we needed. Bruce had office space and I had sewing space. The kitchen had a massive pantry that housed all our small appliances and food. All of the residential appliances met our needs and the counters were adequate. The bedroom had enough closet, dresser, and under the bed storage for our clothes, linens, shoes and off season storage. And the bathroom had more storage than our Chicago apartment.
Times have changed.
As we’ve traveled and people have come to find us, we’ve encountered hiccups. If weather isn’t perfect, (and it often isn’t) we sit inside on dining chairs and 2 recliners. Our table isn’t big enough to eat at, even for the 2 of us. One toilet is a challenge. We may have Assembly of God feet when it comes to dancing, but waiting to pee proves the exception! Hopefully there’s grace. And while we had a loft for sleeping, it’s now become a storage space for quilts, a portable sewing machine, patterns, an outside TV, Starlink (we finally caved), and various odds and ends.
We started replacing things in this RV and I watched the spending go up. So I had the brilliant idea to simply swap types of RV’s. We could satisfy our evolving needs without spending more on this RV. I’ve longed for a microwave/convection/air fryer oven. My propane oven never lights easily for me, and it creates too much heat in the summer. Bruce planned to add independent suspension so it travels more smoothly. We’ve already swapped furniture trading a couch for recliners. The floor in my sewing room needs replacing with vinyl. And we wanted to put a nightstand on Bruce’s side of the bed after downsizing the mattress from a king to a queen.
Enter the Toy Hauler
https://www.brinkleyrv.com/rvs/fifth-wheels/model-g/3970/
As I started looking into floor plans for these beasts, I became more convinced that a trade would be a better option. More work (think apartment move) and more money, but knowing we’re not changing our lifestyle any time soon, confirmed it. Toy hauler RV’s have a back end called a garage. It opens fully, creating a ramp that also raises into a patio. It’s meant for things like golf carts, dirt bikes, trail bikes and any kind of ‘toy’ you want to haul. They are usually 11×10 up to 11×14, so they offer another room in an RV. Often they contain a half bath, providing relief to that ‘waiting to pee’ dance.
It screams SEWING ROOM to me.
They also have a hydraulic bed system, that drops from the ceiling to create a guest room, useful when the kids want to visit. Families often turn these garages into kids’ bedrooms or bigger family rooms. Remote work offices live in them. I’ve even seen a hair salon in one, and a massage therapy room in another. Infinitely versatile, they add flexibility to a small living space. The floors are solid surface with a tie down track system so everything stays in place while it’s moving. And that patio is amazing. Both our animals could be on it in nice weather. Now…to pitch all of this to Bruce and see if he’s on board.
Guess who is going to the Tampa FL RV show in January?
He didn’t bat an eye. His primary job is always to be certain the truck has what it needs to move this house. Research began. Being a solid GM guy, he’s looking at both Chevy and GMC. On a side note, this is a huge betrayal for me. My dad was a solid Ford man and having a GM husband has caused me major insecurity through the years. When you grow up hearing that GM products can’t compare to Ford, and your spouse believes the opposite, it’s like living with the opposing political party. Or marrying someone from a different church denomination.
We refer to it as an ‘unequal yoke’.
For about a month he claimed our current truck will do the job. Same engine as the bigger 3500 and same transmission. He needed to increase the suspension, but otherwise it was perfect. However, one item on a 3500 diesel compared to our 2500 diesel switched his thinking, the axel. Apparently ours supports a pin weight of 2500 lbs, and the 3500 supports up to 3500 lbs (hence the labels). These toy hauler pin weights range from 3000 to 4500 depending on the brand/model. As it turns out, our current pin weight is technically beyond our current truck’s capacity. All that technical jargon to say,
First job – swap truck – again.
We recently connected with some family friends from Chicago who are living near our campground. We had a wonderful visit, caught up on each other’s lives, kids and grandkids. We told our stories, shared adventures and made no effort to predict what comes next for us. Where we might decide to plant ourselves or when, or even when Bruce might retire. I had a nano second revelation. I pointed to Bruce and said,
“He has no hobbies! This life IS his hobby!”
I realized that God had answered one of my longtime prayers. That Bruce would find a hobby. Hobbies are so important for mental health, (no comment on mine). He always claimed that I was his hobby, but as romantic as it sounded it was too much pressure! My own hobby life would have to expand and it’s already all consuming.
Being his hobby may be too much pressure, but living this life is not. Knowing it’s providing adventure and an opportunity to explore the country without a timeline or an agenda, is one of those ‘no brainer’ choices. The challenge of setting up camp and the management of the daily mechanical functions of the RV are hobbies. Planning our route, checking the terrain, exploring cities and towns, satisfy his curiosity. When there are sights to see, even better. The man can make friends with a doorknob so meeting the locals is always a plus. And anytime we can be on a body of water…it’s heaven. I’m along for the ride.
And to top it off, doesn’t every little boy want to own a big truck?!
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