I have to start out by saying I am so pleasantly surprised that we made it to seven years as full timers. Initially I gave us a 50/50 shot of making it past three, but despite its challenges we are still going strong and are not seriously looking for an exit strategy. So lets start with our travel map for the year. It started in Welcome, MD
Again it was a weird travel year because of COVID. Because our “home base” is Florida and we really wanted to get vaccinated (and because we were really enjoying our time with Kyrston and Jeremy and Oliver) we ended up staying in Charleston for several months at the beginning of the year. Then we headed north for the birth of our second grandson, stopping in Nashville, St. Louis, and Kansas City along the way. Those were all new cities for me and I was happy to see them. After Minnesota we stopped in Shipshewana to have some RV work done and spent several weeks in Columbus. Once again this stay was extended because we were hit by a drunk driver and needed to wait until our truck was worked on. Next we headed to Connecticut (with a quick stop in PA to see Bill and Kelly) to see our youngest daughter Kay and spent a month in Connecticut before heading back down to Charleston for the holidays. Although we are thrilled to be able to spend so much time with our kids and grandkids, we both really miss the west and hope to spend next summer west of the Mississippi.
This year we ended up with 158570 miles on the truck. That was a years total of 17,874.
Major Home and Truck Repairs, Modifications, Upgrades and Improvements
January – We spent $320 on two matching rims and covers for the RV tires. At some point we got tires replaced and couldn’t get a fourth rim and Lee finally found one.
March – Lee bought a propane and CO2 detector to replace the one we currently have. Ours was constantly beeping and we ultimately had to disconnect it. This is not something you want to be without as it is a major safety issue.
April – We bought a toaster oven for $168 which allowed us to get rid of the air fryer and toaster. Absolutely love it and wish we would have had one sooner.
May – We spent $156 on a new office chair. The other one was literally falling apart 🙂
June – We spent $260 on a new sound bar for the stereo (and hangers) which dramatically improved the quality of the sound while we are watching TV. We also spent around $200 on an herb garden for the front of the RV which both smells good and gives me fresh herbs for cooking. I also liked the toaster oven so much I broke the handle. Not great but I spent another $156 and vowed to be gentler with the door in future.
July – $1863 replacing power steering pump and gasket for truck. We spent $238 in additional fresh water drinking hoses to extend our reach and replace some old hoses.
August – We spent $310 on storage containers and rearranged our cabinets and our refrigerator. We also spent $750 on getting new showers doors and having all of our slide cables adjusted by a professional. Trust me that was a steal.
September – We were hit by a drunk driver and had a repair (which was done incorrectly) and a followup repair. We also had a rental car over two separate periods for a total of 40 days. Our out of pocket was $1K for the deductible and $440 for rental car over 30 days but thankfully the drivers insurance company will be reimbursing us for the costs. We also spent $253 on a new ice maker which was really hard to find in Columbus. Lee had to go about an hour to get one at that price. I also had to get a new (to me) Iphone when mine died suddenly. I found an older version for $499 which I thought was a bargain. I refuse to pay for these on a plan and instead we always pay one payment.
October – We spent $129 on a leaf blower to blow stuff off the roof and slides. We also spent $420 on a new surge protector after our other one was ruined by power spikes at a campground. Yes they are pricey but way cheaper than thousands of dollars worth of RV electrical damage. We also spent $128 on a new Dewalt drill when Lee’s old one died.
Top 10 Things We Did (In no particular order)
Next up the emotional arc where I talk about how the year went for us.
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