The day is drawing to a close. I thought some of you might be curious what our RV looks like, and so I figured this is as good a time as any to show you. We were die hard tent campers for all the years our kids were growing up. We backpacked a few times, but mainly, we were car campers. We stuffed our little 1972 Chevy Vega full of camping equipment and hit the road. We had a lot of fun in those years.
Then, about 12 years ago we considered buying a piece of property in Washington. It had a commanding view of the Columbia River Gorge and the Bridge of the Gods. Truly, it was a spectacular view and the price of the property was unbelievably cheap. It was a deal too good to pass up. We couldn't believe our good fortune! We were amazed that it was even available and that we'd happened upon it just in time. We walked around the property and dreamed of what we could do with it in the future. In the present, we considered just buying a trailer and parking it there and using it for a weekend getaway. So we started looking at trailers.
Then, we found out that the property was on an active slide zone, and that the house that had been there two years previously had been moved just prior to slipping down the hillside. (That's why there was a part of a foundation and phone and electrical hook-ups!!) In fact, five other homes in the same area had done just that. The only thing we would have been able to do with the property would have been to park a trailer on it. To build on it, we would have been required to build a special kind of foundation that was meant to save the lives of the inhabitants of the home when (not if) it slid down the hillside as its neighbors before it had done. Whoosh!! (That was the sound of the wind leaving our sails.)
So . . . now that we were back down to earth, we still were excited about buying a trailer, even without buying the property. Tent camping suddenly seemed so yesterday after looking at trailer after trailer. So we bought our first trailer--a 17-foot fifth wheel. We had a lot of fun in that trailer on our annual camping trip to Lake Mayfield in Mossyrock, Washington, and we also made a couple of long trips to the southwest corner of South Dakota (which is beautiful if you've never been) and to Colorado. When we decided to become snowbirds, we decided a bigger rig was in order. After all, three months in a trailer is a long time, and if you can't stand up in your bedroom . . . well, let's just say it probably won't make for happy camping. So we ended up purchasing the rig we're in, a 34-foot fifth wheel, in 2007. It was a very good decision. We've had a lot of fun, and we've been very comfortable. We still dream of having a Class A motorhome someday, but this rig is hard to beat. For us, at least.
So here are some pictures if you'd like to have some idea how we live when we're traveling. These were all taken the day we brought it home. Here's where it sits when we're parked at home. Yes, Mike is on the roof. He's an engineer. The first thing he did was take apart the airconditioner.
This is standing in the back (living room) and looking toward the front.
The kitchen has a double sink, range, oven and microwave above. The one thing I don't like about this model is that most of the cupboards are up high and out of my reach. A folding stepstool saves the day every time. And Mike is tall, so he's a good tool as well. This one is standing in the kitchen looking toward the rear.
I like that it has lots of windows, so there's lots of light. We have a satellite antenna and a TV, so we can watch our favorite movies and television shows. Here's what the bathroom looks like. It has a pretty good sized stall shower with a skylight. A lot of trailers have the bathroom split into two rooms, or they might have the shower in the bedroom. We liked this one because the bathroom is a separate room and it's all together.
We liked this model especially because it had an option for a king-sized bed. We've had one since the earliest days of our marriage, and we don't sleep well in a smaller bed (especially because we have lots of CATS). We gave up quite a bit of space in the bedroom, but it's well worth it to get a good night's sleep. We've since changed this awful bedspread out. One day I'll make a quilt for it. We also switched out the mattress for a sleep number bed, which is what we have at home. So when we're traveling, we have the exact same mattress that we have at home. I've had chronic pain for about five years, and this is very important for my well-being.
The space above the dresser is for a second TV, but we just use it for storage. After all, how many TVs do you need in 270 square feet of living space?
And this is where we eat our meals. When it's not in use otherwise, it makes a great place to set up my sewing machine and sew.
So that's our happy home. And as I've been writing this, the day has grown dark. I guess it's time to get ready for dinner. I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Sewing!! It'll be the first time since we left Hemet over a week ago.
Then, about 12 years ago we considered buying a piece of property in Washington. It had a commanding view of the Columbia River Gorge and the Bridge of the Gods. Truly, it was a spectacular view and the price of the property was unbelievably cheap. It was a deal too good to pass up. We couldn't believe our good fortune! We were amazed that it was even available and that we'd happened upon it just in time. We walked around the property and dreamed of what we could do with it in the future. In the present, we considered just buying a trailer and parking it there and using it for a weekend getaway. So we started looking at trailers.
Then, we found out that the property was on an active slide zone, and that the house that had been there two years previously had been moved just prior to slipping down the hillside. (That's why there was a part of a foundation and phone and electrical hook-ups!!) In fact, five other homes in the same area had done just that. The only thing we would have been able to do with the property would have been to park a trailer on it. To build on it, we would have been required to build a special kind of foundation that was meant to save the lives of the inhabitants of the home when (not if) it slid down the hillside as its neighbors before it had done. Whoosh!! (That was the sound of the wind leaving our sails.)
So . . . now that we were back down to earth, we still were excited about buying a trailer, even without buying the property. Tent camping suddenly seemed so yesterday after looking at trailer after trailer. So we bought our first trailer--a 17-foot fifth wheel. We had a lot of fun in that trailer on our annual camping trip to Lake Mayfield in Mossyrock, Washington, and we also made a couple of long trips to the southwest corner of South Dakota (which is beautiful if you've never been) and to Colorado. When we decided to become snowbirds, we decided a bigger rig was in order. After all, three months in a trailer is a long time, and if you can't stand up in your bedroom . . . well, let's just say it probably won't make for happy camping. So we ended up purchasing the rig we're in, a 34-foot fifth wheel, in 2007. It was a very good decision. We've had a lot of fun, and we've been very comfortable. We still dream of having a Class A motorhome someday, but this rig is hard to beat. For us, at least.
So here are some pictures if you'd like to have some idea how we live when we're traveling. These were all taken the day we brought it home. Here's where it sits when we're parked at home. Yes, Mike is on the roof. He's an engineer. The first thing he did was take apart the airconditioner.
The kitchen has a double sink, range, oven and microwave above. The one thing I don't like about this model is that most of the cupboards are up high and out of my reach. A folding stepstool saves the day every time. And Mike is tall, so he's a good tool as well. This one is standing in the kitchen looking toward the rear.
I like that it has lots of windows, so there's lots of light. We have a satellite antenna and a TV, so we can watch our favorite movies and television shows. Here's what the bathroom looks like. It has a pretty good sized stall shower with a skylight. A lot of trailers have the bathroom split into two rooms, or they might have the shower in the bedroom. We liked this one because the bathroom is a separate room and it's all together.
We liked this model especially because it had an option for a king-sized bed. We've had one since the earliest days of our marriage, and we don't sleep well in a smaller bed (especially because we have lots of CATS). We gave up quite a bit of space in the bedroom, but it's well worth it to get a good night's sleep. We've since changed this awful bedspread out. One day I'll make a quilt for it. We also switched out the mattress for a sleep number bed, which is what we have at home. So when we're traveling, we have the exact same mattress that we have at home. I've had chronic pain for about five years, and this is very important for my well-being.
And this is where we eat our meals. When it's not in use otherwise, it makes a great place to set up my sewing machine and sew.
So that's our happy home. And as I've been writing this, the day has grown dark. I guess it's time to get ready for dinner. I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Sewing!! It'll be the first time since we left Hemet over a week ago.
6 comments:
Your home is beautiful and 270 sq ft is sufficient for two people. You prove it every time you live in this baby for more than a week or two!! We do small as well. This is our second home under 600 sq ft. This one feels spacious-we have only one bedroom here. the more of your posts I read, the more I want to know about you and your family--fascinating woman !~!
Nice and tidy. I expected to see fabric strewn about and a project in action.
Had great fun skipping through your blog. Bump in the night--Hooting here! I live summers mostly in my camper at Yankton SD. Volunteer with Corps of Engineers. Great fun. And we have HUGE campspots. My neighbor have been the same people the last few years. Hmm--if Ric wants to run into my camper--its quite a ways from his! Southwest South Dakota--the hills are always a favorite spot.
Thank you for sharing pics of your traveling home.
My husband and I recently purchased a 32' fifth wheel and I absolutely love it! I can't wait till he retires...five more years to go...so we can do some serious traveling. For now we are just weekend travelers.
A lovely home--looks like great fun!
I'm pretty sure your trailer kitchen is about the same size as out apartment kitchen...and much prettier! Looks like a lovely trailer. :)
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