Today's Photo - My Favorite Chipmunk image.There is an interesting story behind this guy. I have only lost one or two original image files out of the 40, 000 I have on multiple back up disks. I have has the opportunity to sell this image a couple of times, however you guessed it - it is one that the original disappeared. This is the highest resolution I have. I even managed to sell it once & have seen purloined copies many times on the web.
I thought I'd start today with the reasoning behind my choice of a Fiberglass Egg as an RV.
I have done quite a bit of traveling as a tent camper. My first was a 4 month trip to California in 1950 as a 5 year old. We traveled in a 1938 Plymouth pulling a home built camping trailer. I think that trip established my love for travel. Although I don't remember all of the trip, the highlights have stayed with me ever since. Among my favorite memories were the Firefall at Yosemite (They don't do it any more, but it was a magnificent sight - A history & Photo (not mine)). I also remember the view at the Grand Canyon, and playing with a bobcat kitten. I scanned some photos from the trip taken by my father: 1950 Trip.
Including that trip I have made 8 most of the way across the US. Again, all of these were either motels or tents. What ruined me was a 2001 trip to Pennsylvania we made in a rented Class A RV. Although it was a small, entry level RV, we quickly decided it had many advantages over setting up tents in the rain, attempting to dry them out the next morning before packing them away, the long set up & take down times, etc. Don't get me wrong - I would rather tent camp than go from motel to motel, but as I get older, the enclosed space becomes more appealing!
Our original plan was to purchase a small Class A RV when I retired, and not full time, but spend a couple of months per year on the road. Unfortunately, my wife developed emphysema as well as a heart condition, went on oxygen, and was not comfortable traveling. We did make a couple of trips to visit relatives & kids, but traveling across the country was out. Carol passed away in January of 2010.
My plan didn't, at first, change. I spent quite a bit of time looking at small Class A RVs on ebay, and even came to some conclusions as to what age, brand, etc I wanted. The first change came about when I realized I didn't really need all the space of even a small Class A. I started looking at Class B (converted vans) but soon decided that hooking & unhooking it every time I wanted to go exploring from a campground was almost as bad as packing away the tent (well, not really, but still a pain).
It was about that time I discovered fiberglass trailers. Light enough to tow behind my mid sized SUV (a Toyota RAV4) but big enough for one or two - Tight, but it solves the hooking & unhooking problem and is far better than a tent.
This is getting a bit long - I'll continue next time!
Jon, I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I had to rethink everything, as well only we already had a motorhome. I sold our large motorhome, bought an Aframe a year later, then went to the Jayco and the truck. I had two large pups at the time, and I wanted them to have the life my husband wanted them to have. I lost Lizzie last New Year's eve, and decided that Jack and I needed the trip to help us through grief. (Lizzie was not as relaxed driving in the truck as Jack so I camped close to home while she was with us.) I wanted Jack to swim in the lakes in the west and run in the open fields. I'm planning another trip west, probably the last for us, in the spring.
ReplyDeleteI wanted a small trailer, like you, because I can camp in more national and state campgrounds, and of course because it's easier to drive.
I stick to the backroads as much as possible, too, and the mountains are no problem with my set up. The trailer is like a flea on my bumper.