In Pursuit of The “Dream House” Part II

With a clear vision of what brands/models of RVs we wanted, the hunt was on.  Similar to the used truck hunt described in earlier blogs, we scoured the internet ads for a used RV that met our parameters.  Although we’d not yet begun our extended road-trip, we were calling ourselves “Full-Timers” and making our preparations as such.  It would be dishonest to suggest that we were not anxious & nervous about finding our RV.  The search for the tow vehicle was long, with continual disappointments.  This fact was not comforting considering that the number of Dodge Rams produced FAR EXCEEDED the limited number of specific brands/models of RVs we were searching for.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” - Proverbs 29:18

Most mornings began with…of course…coffee…then hours of faithful searching for our RV.  A sought-after brand was advertised within 50-miles of us, but after closer inspection we found the RV to be lacking…everywhere.  Weeks went by without much promise, then one morning Kristy bounded into the kitchen (she’d been surfing in bed again) and simply stated, “We need to go to Connecticut.”  Five days after my official retirement date, we quickly threw together stuff we needed for an impromptu road trip and headed to New England.

This trip was also the inaugural long-journey for our recently purchased truck.  We’d traveled local, but now we began to get an idea as to what it would feel like to be riding in the truck for several consecutive hours.  After many hours and miles, we stopped at Casa La Quinta near the Delaware/Pennsylvania line.  The heavy-duty stiff suspension gave us an exceedingly F-I-R-M ride, and we were ready for a good night’s rest.  The next day was another day of miles Northward.  After putting a couple hundred miles on the RAM, I was beginning to get the “road feel” for driving this larger vehicle.  Early afternoon on day-2 I took my final driving exam: navigating a 21-foot long/8.5-foot wide vehicle through New York City.  

Final Exam Grades:

• Staying in lane: B+
• Deciphering hand gestures: C-
• Driving like a New Yorker: F

Day-2 ended at the La Quinta B&B in New Britain, Connecticut.  We were tired, but we were also anxious to see what tomorrow held.

On Day-3 we drove to Durham CT to meet the owners and inspect the RV.  Durham is the stereotypical image of rural Connecticut, with rolling hills and dated building that weep of history.  We arrived at the home of Bill & Jane Patterson, who welcomed us in as if we were family.  The RV was parked down the hill behind their home, and was in “habitation” (versus “storage”) mode.  We spend the morning looking in every crack & crevice; and asking all the predictable questions that emerge when purchasing a used vehicle from a private seller.   Although we verbalized that we needed to “think about” if we were going to buy this RV, we knew within the first 15-minutes that this was The One.  We shortly relayed our intention on purchasing the RV, which sounded the beginning of a administrative process of monetary transfers and titling.  

The funds transfer took a few days, and the titling could not be completed until the title was signed-over to us…which could not happen until the funds transfer occurred.  Although they owed us nothing as the sellers, The Patterson’s offered to have us stay on their property in Our new purchase during this administrivia pursuit.  Not only did this time give us a chance to gain a little experience in an area that was completely foreign to us, but they spent hours each day giving us instruction and helpful tips on living in an RV.  This mini-RV boot camp was nothing short of a blessing, and an “accessory” that you couldn’t get though your typical RV dealership.  Our RV workshop culminated in Bill accompanying me on a “check ride” through the narrow New England roads.  This was an invaluable experience and massive confidence-booster, as Bill had served as a semi-truck driver instructor for years before his retirement.  With the final turns of a screw, firmly securing the temporary tags to the back of our RV…we were ready to hit the road.  We bid farewell to our new friends, and planned a route back to Virginia that did not involve The Big Apple.

The hum of the Cummings engine; the weight of the RV softening the overly-firm ride of the truck; The Boys with their heads hanging out the back windows…tongues flapping in the wind; and me sitting next to my Soul Mate as we headed towards our future.  It finally felt like our dreams were coming true.  It all felt right.

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