RVs Then and Now

   We bought our first ‘RV’ a week before Christmas 1963. I was on assignment in Akron and during a discussion of converting motor coaches into mobile offices I learned about the Flxible Corporation just 60 miles away in Loudonville. A visit there proved rather expensive; I bought a five-year-old coach.

Gutting, then Customizing the Interior
   I drove it back to Minneapolis on some rather slick roads, stomach churning, and was impressed by its traction and stability. A lot of money later, a company in St Paul had gutted the interior and made a beautiful office unit complete with bedroom, kitchen and ‘half bath’. Our coach also became a tourist attraction. We were very proud of our new possession.

Rebuilding the Mechanical Systems
   The gutless Buick engine had to be replaced by a new GMC V6; the ‘kitchen’ stove was kerosene (we don’t recommend it but we were concerned about the danger of gasoline inside the coach) and you had to straddle the toilet to use the shower. You could only stand upright in what had been the center isle of the bus. It was primitive by today’s standards but we were very proud of it and enjoyed it for some 160,000 miles.

A Big Step Up
   Years later, we graduated to an MCI: luxury in comparison -- but at a steep cost. Operating costs went far beyond fuel but that extra axle and 2 more tires were an unexpected shock (and toll roads love you for that third axle!). While there were RV parks, now, they were in the dark ages. Everyone had a different idea about hookups; there just wasn’t room to haul around all the different adapters and dumps were few and far between. The coach had belonged to a husband and wife wannabe country duo who had split. The sides of the coach were a psychedelic nightmare so we had it painted white until we could decide what to do with it. We quickly found that the white significantly reduced the heat problem inside the coach on hot August days so it stayed white.

Is Bigger Better?
   It is very easy to get sucked into the thought that bigger is better. That MCI was like a big yacht trying to navigate a little creek. Turning corners could be a nightmare (watch out for that telephone pole!) and not all overpasses are properly marked with the clearances. And did we really need all that room?

What's Next?
   We were approached by a chap who wanted that MCI so badly he had lost all good sense. Feeling a little guilty, we tried to dissuade him but that made him salivate even more. He bought it and we were really at a loss. True we were tired of that MCI but what should we replace it with. We stopped by our local RV dealer and the education began. Sure, we know about class A, class B, etc., RVs but had never seriously considered them. We had been in several while in RV parks and seen that some were indeed very nice inside while others… Then the salesman introduced us to the ‘fifth wheel’ trailers.

Introducing the Fifth Wheel Trailer
   We had always considered trailers too dangerous on the highways. Plus we had our little ‘toad’ (the little car we towed behind the MCI like a dingy) but we had never had a pickup truck. He let us try out a few different models and even loaned us the pickup for the trial runs. Yes, we were very impressed; you could hardly tell that you were towing a trailer! The insides were also quite impressive. Our MCI did not have pull-outs (which allow increased width inside the coach when parked). Most of his fifth wheel trailers did; one even had four of them. We learned a lot from that salesman and he probably got a good commission; we bought a new 31 foot Cardinal with two pull-outs (the dining area and bed). What sold us was the Queen-sized bed that could be approached from both sides.

Decisions Must Change with the Times
   Selecting an RV is very challenging. It is like touring model homes when hunting for a new house; it is easy to fall in love with all of them. Even with the many years of experience we have had in RVs, things change so rapidly that it is like starting over again. For example, the addition of fifth-wheel trailers to the lineup or ‘slide-outs’ which can make such a big different in interior comfort. We had learned about the extra costs when you have a third axle. Now we had a trailer with two axles pulled by a pickup truck with two: four axles in all. Boy are the toll takers and tire salesmen going to love us!

Some Things in Life, though Expensive, are Priceless
   Times change and they seem to change even more quickly as the years go by. Now we have $4/gallon gasoline, $5/gallon diesel (we bought a Ford 350 diesel quad cab) and the cost of fuel is going up almost daily. Do we really need all this space? No question that it is very nice and we love the King bed (the first one we’ve ever had in our 50+ years of marriage) but we are addicted to RVing. Should we go back to our favorite salesman and look at his class B van campers? We wouldn’t need our pickup any more and we wouldn’t even need a ‘toad’. But we would certainly lose the pleasure of taking our little guys and gals on these wonderful trips.