Final RV Thoughts for the Year

It is now November and the RV is safely nestled in for the winter.  We will go down about once a month to start it and move it a foot or so, but it is largely done and over until we think about a possible southern trip in February or March.  The truth is that it is never over (for instance, why is that yellow light on the dashboard showing up and should it be taken seriously when the manual - what a laugh it is - says to ignore it until you shouldn't) with this hulk of machinery, but it is a lull of sorts.

Some final thoughts, at least regarding the RV

1. The final analysis of success depends on where the base line is.  If the base line is our expectations after we bought the rv, but before we actually started using the rv, then it has been a positive and worthwhile experience.  We began with reasonable hopes for fun and adventure with higher levels of anxiety than we should have.  We traveled more than we ever would have, got to see some nice country, and were able to manage small crises in the beginning.  The last trip to New England was really good with only a few rv glitches and we have learned to not be overly anxious or fatalistic about things that happen.  The seemingly major crises, which were really only inexperience, have largely been ameliorated and previous problems have been worked out to become routinized without anguish.  I would give it a grade of B from this baseline.
2. If the baseline is the romantic dreams of traveling often, far, and with great adventure - those when deciding to actually pursue the purchase of an rv - it did not meet my expectations when speaking for myself (Roger).  In particular, learning to comfortably drive without the anxiety of hauling eighteen thousand pounds, top heavy pounds buffeted by the flapping of butterfly wings, down the road safely was a real learning experience.  There are also a lot of routine procedures of setting up at campgrounds, maintenance, care/feeding of the rv, and planning headaches that are not dreamlike, unless you count the ones that cause you to sit bolt upright in the middle of the night.  This probably has more to do with me than  most people.  Gin works really hard in taking care of the rv and the dogs, more than I ever could or would want to do.  From this baseline, it gets a C- .
3. If the baseline is considered to be after the first harrowing experiences with the rv - a real down period, it has gone well.  We are reasonably comfortable with dealing with most of what caused sleeplessness at first.  These issues largely were related to many of the things above, but they have been mostly resolved.  Grade A

Overall, it has been fun, but anxiety producing at times.  Making decisions and agonizing over small problems have detracted from the overall experience, but we are satisfied.  As reported early on, we don't have to put the dogs in the kennel, we get to sleep in our own beds, use our own bathroom/shower, and have flexibility to do the things we want.  It is not a money saver in the short or long run.  We understood that to begin with.  It is a terrible investment from a strict accounting perspective, but we knew that too.  

We will begin thinking about the southern trip, if any, after a few weeks.  Right now, we are rv'ed out and will enjoy the respite with Thanksgiving three weeks away...