Overcoming RV Life Challenges, Like I Knew I Could

My first campground at sunset

When I made the decision to transition to full time traveling, my mind ran wild with a thousand what ifs. At first, I worked to find answers to all those what ifs, making sure I had proper insurances, training, and access to resources. When my questions started becoming more unlikely, like, “what if my sewer tank falls off?” I realized I wasn’t going to be able to answer for every possibility. From there, a mantra developed – I am smart, I am resourceful, I am a creative problem solver, I can overcome any challenge. As I told my friends and family I was doing this, of course, they had just as many what ifs as I had. My mantra became my response when I didn’t have an answer.

These first few weeks have certainly tested my perseverance! I expected challenges, but I was not expecting to suddenly begin questioning all my decisions. It started with a simple fuse replacement for the speaker system, I quickly researched and fixed the problem and felt confident. It culminated in me crying on the phone with my dad because my truck wasn’t ready and I had blown past Plans A, B, C, etc, and now Plan G wasn’t working either. After a moment of panic and a little reassurance from my dad, I was able to ultimately overcome. Now, my rig is complete, and I have learned how to safely drive it!

Day 1: Setting Up with No Set Up Tools

My RV has a "garage door." The door opens up behind the bunk beds and the bottom bunk flips up, making the perfect place to move stuff in through.

              I purchased my trailer through a national dealer and included a camping package and weight distribution hitch with installation. I paid to have it picked up and delivered by an experienced driver; my first destination was about two hours from my house and I’ve never towed before. When we arrived at the campsite, the driver asked about chocks and blocks and I froze. It had JUST hit me, I hadn’t confirmed I had all that before we left the dealership – nor did I have a weight distribution hitch. Now, I take full responsibility for my failure to follow up on those things, but that didn’t change the fact I had nothing to set up my camper. (I am intentionally not naming the dealership as they have made the situation right to my satisfaction and I won’t put them on blast.)

              Thankfully, I was only about 25 minutes away from the nearest Walmart and they have a decent RV section. I headed over there and spent about $100 on the bare necessities. See, on my way down, I’d stopped for gas and somehow managed to misplace my debit card and had no other cards on me. I had pulled a little cash that morning and had just enough to cover what I needed to get the trailer level(ish) and functional. I left the store with $1.22.

The Challenges Just Kept Coming

The view from where I sit to work

              After getting everything else up and running, I was left with the problem of a very unlevel camper. I was hoping to use the stabilizing jacks to lift the lower side ever so slightly to slide the leveling blocks under the tires. I know this is completely ill advised, but I was stuck, because it’s also ill advised to use the camper while it’s unlevel. However, my hopes were dashed as the jacks didn’t have enough height to even get the tires off the ground. Crap. So, now I must get a hitch so I can move the trailer onto the blocks.

              The area I was in was pretty rural, but I was able to locate a capable hitch. It was not a weight distribution hitch, so it wouldn’t be a permanent solution, but it did allow me to pull the camper the two feet I needed. Awesome, trailer level, hitch served its purpose; I can put it back in the box and return it. As I pull the truck back around to where I’m supposed to park, I don’t consider how much lower the clearance is and end up dragging the hitch across asphalt, destroying the finish on the bottom of the hitch. Well, that’s $250 I’m not getting back.

A Sagging Suspension and a Sinking Heart

              I research stuff as a hobby, I ask a thousand questions, and I have to find answers before I’m comfortable actually trying something. So, I was rather shocked to watch the back end of my fancy new truck droop lower and lower as the weight of the trailer tongue loaded onto it. I had done hours and hours of research about this truck and its capabilities – it had the weight ratings, including the payload capacity – I know a weight distribution hitch would help with the sag, but this was extreme. I thought there was no way a hitch was going to correct it.

              After a ton more research, I found some options to upgrade the suspension. I went to the RV dealership closest to me and talked to one of the service technicians. He told me all about how Ram switched from a leaf spring suspension to a less expensive coil system with vulcanized rubber bump stops. The tech I spoke with insisted I needed to have air bags installed, that the other upgrade options weren’t sufficient to correct the problem. I did more research.

              After reading all the reviews, I decided to try one of the cheaper and easier suspension upgrade options. I went with Timbrens, a replacement for the factory bump stops. They were less than $300 and my dad and I were able to install them in a couple of hours.

Weight Distribution Hitch

That is a 100-600 ft lb torque wrench, the guys at the auto parts store thought it was a gun case!

              I hadn’t done much research on weight distribution hitches, because the dealership was supposed to install one for me. My trailer was more than an hour away from the nearest dealer branch, I hadn’t learned how to tow it, and I don’t have the hitch to tow it safely. My options were to pay someone to tow my RV to the dealership and back, or install the hitch myself. I very confidently chose the latter.

              I went to the RV dealership and picked up an Equal-i-zer brand hitch. When I went to install the hitch the next day, I realized I hadn’t read the instructions all the way and I didn’t have all the tools I needed. I needed a torque wrench capable of 320 ft lbs, the wrench I had only went to 260. I spent the entire day learning about torque wrenches, how they work, how to increase their capability, where to find a bigger one, and every option I could think of. Finally, I found one that could be picked up in a town nearby the next morning.

              Finally, armed with all the materials I needed, I was able to install my hitch. This was relatively simple, in process, but it was quite the workout. I have recently finished a series of physical therapy sessions that have helped me rebuild strength in my back, which has made regaining strength elsewhere significantly easier and healthier. Without that work, I would not have been able to complete this project, and certainly not on my own.

The Moment of Truth

Success!

              After two weeks of struggling to get all the equipment and tools I needed to get my truck capable of pulling my trailer, it was finally time to hook it up. If this didn’t work, my only next option was to trade in the truck I haven’t even registered yet for something bigger.

Success! My truck was level front to back and the trailer was level! I did it. I had upgraded the suspension on the truck and precisely installed the weight distribution hitch. My rig was finally ready to roll! I did a little happy dance and took a moment to celebrate the progress in regaining my physical capabilities as well as taking on and properly completing the project at all. I finished just in time, having to get up early the next morning for my driving lesson.

Feeling Empowered and Enjoying the Moment

So much to enjoy!

              Going into this, I expected challenges, I expected to have to learn a lot of new skills, I expected things I wasn’t expecting, but as these things normally go, I was still completely caught off guard by the unexpected. Many times, in these first few weeks I have repeated my mantra – I am capable, I am smart, I am resourceful, and I am a creative problem solver – I can overcome any challenge. I was not expecting to have to prove that to myself so largely right out of the gate. Having overcome and succeeding in what had to be done has been incredibly empowering. Now my mantra is less trying to convince myself and simply reminding myself.

              Getting through these obstacles and being so focused on being ready for driving lessons, I really hadn’t had a chance to enjoy my surroundings. This change in my lifestyle hasn’t been on a whim, and I’ve long dreamed of waking up to beautiful mountain views and fresh air. That morning after my driving lesson, when I finally had nothing I had to do, it was finally real; I’m no longer preparing, I’m no longer in the process, I’m here – I’m a full time RV’er, a lifelong dream come true.