RV Having Fun Yet?

RV Having Fun Yet? is an expression found on plaques, shirts, towels and so much more. (thanks Penny) I always thought it was just a saying for this type of lifestyle but it turns out it is a question RV people ask themselves all the time because there are issues, so many issues. We stayed close to Venice for the first two weeks because we knew there would be a learning curve. We didn’t realize how steep that curve would be.

In your house, you have some basic systems, electricity, water, sewer, internet and cable TV. In a motor home there is a redundancy of all those systems, two or three times over. For electricity there is the shore power connection, batteries, generator, invertor and convertor. For water there is the city water connection, your fresh water tank and the pump that needs to know to which one you are connected so it knows where to draw the supply from.* For sewer there is the campground connection and then your own holding tanks, known as the gray water tank for sinks and shower and the black water tank for the johns. For internet, most campgrounds have wifi available, some are more reliable and faster than others, none are for secure transactions like banking on the road. And then you have your personal system, in our case a Verizon Jetpack which is secure.** For TV you have an antenna on the roof that receives a few local channels, many campgrounds provide a cable connection, and then you have the option of purchasing a satellite system.***

This means there are two or three systems for every one you have in a home. And any one of them can produce between a minor inconvenience to a major failure. The odds are two to three times more possible of an issue. (even on a brand new coach) In your home you know the local service companies based on your previous experience or a recommendation. On the road, you are at the mercy of who is in the area, can you fit into their schedule, and just how good are they? Not to mention they can charge whatever they want. Add to the redundancy issue, USER ERROR! We are still learning what buttons should be on, what should be off, and what does this one do? Thus the question, Are We Having Fun Yet?

If you can’t do anything about it, then it’s not a problem. Rather it’s a circumstance. Deal with the problems, and the circumstances may or may not change.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining, just frustrated at my own lack of knowledge. I KNOW how lucky I am for this opportunity to just tour this beautiful country and not be at working any longer. And I have to tell you how reassuring and heartwarming it is to witness first hand the future of America and The American Family. If you spend any time in a campground you will see families spending time together, parents with their children, extended families including grandparents, groups around the campfires, older siblings watching over their younger brothers or sisters, children on bikes, on the bouncy thing, in the pool, down the slides, all while mom and dad can let them go to these activities knowing they are safe.

*Our water pump has taken on a life of it’s own. Once connected to city water it should not run as the pressure coming off the post should supply plenty of fresh water. Our pump likes to turn on and off all by itself, even if we are connected to city water and even if we are not drawing water. And when it does draw it takes it from our fresh water tank and not the city water connection.

**As for our internet connection we have a Verizon Jetpack which should supply us with unlimited internet. But, Verizon just notified us we are out of data and this is only the 22nd of the month? And we have not been using it any time the campground wifi is available, except for secure transactions. UPDATE: We just returned from Verizon and that issue has been solved. We now have unlimited usage for all four devices, the Jetpack, my tablet, Kathryn’s I-pad and our laptop. Is 15gb a lot?

***for television reception, we started out on the antenna but the channels are limited. So we purchased a DISH receiver since we have an in motion satellite antenna on the roof. The new receiver just would not receive. After an hour on the phone with a DISH tech she finally said, “I give up, I’m out of suggestions.” Next I called Winegard the maker of the antenna. They told me some of the “older” antennas don’t receive signals any more. Is a 2015 model considered old? Geez, what is a 1948 model called? (don’t answer that) When I asked how do I know if mine is one of those, she comely told me to check the serial number and call her back. And where is the serial number? On the roof inside the dome! I don’t think so! The receiver was returned to the dealer. We are fine with a wire connected to the post for cable or get what we can where we are with the antenna.