On the Road

OTR: First of all, thanks so much, Sande, for spending some time with us. Let’s get right to the interview. Where is “home” to you?

I live in Tellico Plains, little town nestled in the mountains of east TN, population under 1000. No traffic lights to be found, or needed. We live in the Cherokee National Forest (God’s country).

OTR: How long have you been RVing?

Officially, only since June of this year. Prior to the purchase of our Class A, we were avid tent campers. We thought long & hard about moving up the traditional ladder: pop-up, to travel trailer, etc. But we were attracted to the Class A’s from our 1st RV show.

We bought our RV from Camping World in Chattanooga. We were just going to look around at their clearance sale & voila, 2 hrs later we were signing the sales slip. I still think we got a great deal, since the cost was lower than what we paid for our Chevy Tahoe. But in hindsight, we paid the sticker price. Now we know to always go 25% lower–lesson learned!

How long and what kinds of things did you consider before purchasing your first RV?

I am of the firm belief that we ‘draw’ to ourselves the things we most love. (That Law of Attraction) So I started visualizing the RV long before hitting the sale lots. We also shopped the online sites to see what was available and the costs. We knew what the bank would loan and what were looking at in gas prices, so we felt pretty secure in our decision. We also had to consider where to park the unit, since our log cabin home is up a ½ mile curvy driveway. We ended up having a drive pad put in for it at the base of our driveway.

What would you say to someone thinking of purchasing their first RV?

Do your homework. Check out the videos offered on making your purchase. ‘Google’ all the info you can on your preferences. Check out groups like the Good Sam Club & AAA for their input. Read books, pester your family & friends about their experiences in the RV world & attend all the RV shows that you can. Don’t be pressured by an eager salesman. This is a buyer’s market, so you can afford to be picky. You may want to rent an RV before deciding which class is for you. Ask to take a unit for a weekend camping trip. Most salesmen will agree to this, and it gives you the opportunity to really experience the unit, rather than just accepting a ‘walk-through’ cursory exam.

Have your own mechanic check out the RV before you take possession (My, how I wish I’d have followed that suggestion.) In the end, I think we just resonate w/ the RV that we’re meant to have.

What finally made up your mind that you wanted to take part in the RV lifestyle?

 I was introduced to mobile home living as a child. For a few years six of us lived in a 33ft unit. We were one CLOSE family. It was a great lesson in space conservation–knowing that there was a place for everything & everything in its place. We tended to keep Route 66 busy, between Oklahoma City & Phoenix, in those days.

For me, the RV lifestyle is about simplifying. We did just that when we moved from a busy Florida city to our little house in the big woods. I see the RV as an extension of that idea–a simpler life, getting closer to nature, answering that call to the open road that my dad instilled in me and just the sheer ‘fun’ that RV-ing provides.

Where have you traveled so far?

Our unit was in the ‘shop’ for the summer, so our 1^st actual outing was to Jackson, Mississippi, where my husband was working for the week. It was an eventful trip to say the least. We rode in with hurricane Fay and rode out with hurricane Gustav. But the lovely Natchez Trace Highway was still enjoyable, rain or shine. Our other trips have been to local campgrounds and a long wk-end at High Falls, GA.

Where do you hope to travel?

I want to go absolutely everywhere! I’d love to travel caravan style thru Mexico and Central America. I’d like to take Hwy 101 from San Diego to Vancouver. Dan would like to drive to Alaska for some good fishing. I want to see all the National Parks (& get that super senior discount) Have maps, will travel.

Do you have a favorite memory from an RV trip?

When two of my grandkids saw the RV for the 1^st time, they were in awe. Alec said, ‘Grandma, you should sell your home & just use the money for gas, so you could live here all the time.’ You know, that’s starting to make perfect sense.

What are your future plans regarding your RV? Any plans to become a full-timer?

It was always in our plans to make RVing a fulltime activity. Dan is a business software consultant, so his job could quite nicely dove-tail into this lifestyle. And certainly when he retires in a few years, we’ll be on the road non-stop.

How are you enjoying MyRVer.com so far? Do you have any favorite features or ones that have been helpful?

I love this site! The ease in which you can respond to questions is great. Even a non-techie like me can maneuver around it. I feel right at home among the other members– not at all ‘lost’ as one can feel on the huge social websites. It was very easy to start up discussion forums, blogs, upload photos and even start a group. Everyone has been polite, helpful and enlightening.

What would you say to someone thinking of jumping on board as a MyRVer beta tester?

Come on aboard! I have never been associated with a nicer group of people than RV aficionados are. The members have answered my questions, provided sage advice and just shared fun tales of life on the road. I have learned a ton of things about RVing through this wonderful site. And I look forward to meeting some of the members as we get out there and travel more.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or RVing in general?

I am a retired RN, metaphysical minister, life coach, co-founder of Spirit-Works.net. I’m a happy wife, mom and grandma, voracious reader and gleeful traveler. Dan and I have 8 kids and we have forewarned them that any day now the RV may be pulling up into their perspective drives for a monthly stay. I can already see them pulling the curtains and pretending not to be at home! I look forward to spending at least the next 20 years on the open roads.

If you would like to join Sande and be a beta-tester on MyRVer.com, just log on to MyRVer.com and become a member – it’s free!

What do you do as a beta-tester? You use the site–build blogs, post pictures, create moving maps of your trips, write about your favorite campsites. If you come across a glitch in the system or something doesn’t make sense, you let us know so we can fix it. It’s great fun—come join the crew!

Happy trails!