ColleenIt’s been a whole year since I bought Serenity and went out on the road. There’s been quite the learning curve, especially since I’ve never owned an RV before.
I had to learn how to drive a big vehicle, how to empty my black and grey tanks, and how to fill my fresh water tank. I had to figure out managing resources like water, food, electricity, propane, and space.
I learned my brakes were problematic with previous owners leaving receipts as to repairs they had made. Losing my brakes going through the Tetons and spending an exorbitant amount of money to get them fixed, I learned the passenger side brake line wasn’t replaced when the driver’s side brake line was.
My onboard generator was a piece of crap, leaking exhaust into my rig, then not starting after a few weeks. My furnace and water heater need some attention, probably a new regulator on my propane tank could help. Speaking of my propane tank, it needed a shut-off handle.
I drove through a steep wash two months in and broke my sewer pipe. My water pump quit early on. My driver’s side leaf spring broke.
It was a bumpy ride.
BUT, I was free to travel and see the United States. I saw things I’ve never seen before. Crossed a few things off my bucket list. Made some amazing friends, visited with family I had never gotten to visit, and had some incredible experiences.
Though I miss my son horribly, getting to finally drive the Pacific Coast Highway, see Oregon, watch Old Faithful, spend time in the Redwoods, head high into the mountains, and generally spend time visiting places I never got to visit before has made up for the sadness.
I’m so happy I took this leap. I love my tiny home on wheels. This next year will be spent exploring the East Coast in ways I never got to before. And who knows what comes after that… I still have so many states I haven’t spent time in — Colorado, North and South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Michigan, Ohio, I could go on. But living the nomad lifestyle means I have the opportunity to see it all!
