Hello!  It’s been several months since we have posted anything on this blog, YouTube, or our other social media accounts.  Several of you have sent messages, asking what is going on, and we are grateful to folks who have taken the time to do so.   

Yes, we are okay.  Yes, we are still together.  Yes, we still like biking, bucket lists, and beer. However, we are no longer full-time RVers.  Why, you ask?  Here’s the highlights….

Why Did We Stop Full-Time RVing?

Our decision to stop full-time RVing was a gradual one. There wasn’t “one thing” that made us want to stop, but the reasons generally fall in to these categories.

First and foremost, I (Lana) started having some health issues last fall -- severe back/shoulder pain that would radiate into my extremities, numbness in my hands, and headaches.  We are not entirely sure what is going on, but it probably relates to an old softball injury from 25+ years ago.  I dove for a fly ball, and ended up with a cervical spinal fusion.  The area above and below fusion has now started to deteriorate.  Ultimately, we decided that continuity of care would be best from a sticks-and-bricks home.  I am now feeling much much better, and feel very blessed that is the case.

Second, full-time RVing simply lost its charm over the past year because of all of the stuff that kept breaking.  You may recall that someone hit our towed vehicle; then we had hot water (Aquahot) problems, a transfer switch issue (or so we thought), and a DEF header debacle.  We also had to replace a rear A/C unit (in August!), as well as a slide motor.   We realize that EVERY RV has stuff that breaks, and we knew that going into full-time RV life. Moreover, all of those things that went wrong are fixable, and Kasie is pretty amazing at fixing things. However, over time, they simply started to wear on us. It’s quite stressful to try to fix things while living in the chaos of the problem at the same time.

Third, we simply don’t like travel days. Although we developed a great checklist to make things easier, it’s still very stressful driving from one place to another. Our upcoming itinerary featured 20+ stops throughout Florida over the next few months.  The idea of hopping from one place to another just started to sound exhausting, rather than exciting.  Sure, we could make reservations at some big resort for a couple of months; yet, if we were going to be stationary for a relatively long time, it would be nice to do it from the comfort of a sticks-and-bricks house. 

Fourth, planning our itinerary even got to be exhausting at times.  Many RV parks have a two-dog limit. As much as we have mastered the art of walking the dogs in two-dog shifts, we prefer to stay at places where we don’t break the park rules. Plus, with a rig our size, that narrows where we can stay and comfortably drive to. As such, we always felt like we needed to plan around 6-9 months out to be able to secure a spot in many of the popular locations we wanted to visit and could accomodate our needs.  For those places that don’t offer booking that early, we would set calendar reminders.   Florida was especially hard to book because the state parts allow their state residents to book a month before outsiders. For a type-A personality like me, not knowing exactly where we will be staying is stressful.  

Fifth, our insurance company (State Farm) decided that it would no longer cover full-time RVers.  I have been a State Farm client for 30+ years, and was obviously frustrated that they would just drop us like that.  While I shopped around and got other (probably better) coverage, it was as if the travel gods were trying to tell us something.  

Lastly, finding good vet care on the road is challenging.  It seems like every month or so, someone in our pack needed a vet visit. We would often spend hours googling and calling around. Many vets would not see us unless we were existing clients, and those that did often charged us crazy prices. As I explained in my first blog, the dogs were the main reason we started RVing. When lost Percy last spring and then Sophie last fall, the importance of having “our vet” nearby really started to hit home.

Our Sophie

Sophie (a/k/a Sophie Bordello, you stinka, you smello) joined our pack in 2018 after being rescued from a meth lab down at the Lake of the Ozarks. She was the sweetest girl and eager to love. She could clean your nose out with one of her kisses if you let her. A master of air swims, the queen of flopping — Miss Sophie never met a neck massager she didn’t like.  She was the ultimate lap dog, under-the-covers tunneler, and occasional head warmer. She was known for her spontaneous zoomies, but most of all, for the incessent humping of her sister, Billie. God bless you, sweet Sophie girl.

Where Did We Settle?

When we started our full-time RV journey, our plan was to settle down in the Rapid City area when we were done. However, on our last visit to South Dakota, we discovered a few things that we didn’t like about the area. Among other things, we didn’t have a good experience with the doctors, and house prices are through the roof. We starting thinking about where else we might go.

Of all the places we visited in the past 2.5 years, we decided that the best place to settle down given our circumstances is right where we started – Columbia, Missouri. There are two large health systems here (including an adult Trauma Level I hospital), as well as vet school with an amazing staff.   We have an existing network of friends, and our parents are both located within a day’s drive.

Not suprisingly, our 5 bed/3 bath home is just slightly bigger than the RV. Of all the things I love about the home, it is the jetted tub! Yes, a tub where I don’t have to worry about how much water I’m using! I still catch myself trying to flush the toilet with my foot though. Oh well.

Any Regrets?

Do we regret selling pretty much everything and hitting the road?  For me, the answer is “sorta.”  I certainly would have kept our old house if I would have known this was how things might turn out.  I may have thought through the healthcare implications a little more too — not just for me but for the dogs. Then again, shoulda, woulda, coulda.

The truth is that I wouldn’t have traded the past couple of years for anything.  We learned so much about ourselves, the diversity of this country, and even made a few new friends. It does sadden me a little that this part of our lives is now over, but on most days, I don’t miss it.

What is Next for the Class C Broads?

For now, our Entegra Accolade (Big Lady) is in storage.  We have thought about selling her because we are no longer full-time and don’t need all of that space. Yet, we know that rig, and overall, it has been a good one. Plus, I would miss the washer/dryer and heated floors that wouldn’t come with something smaller. Our current plan is to attend the Super C Rally in May and see how that goes. 

For now, our social media is on indefinite hold. Even though we are the Class C Broads, I’m the one who films and edits everything. There was a time when I physically last fall just couldn’t do that. While I am feeling much better now, I have also enjoyed this unplanned reprieve from documenting our lives. I still have many ideas about content regarding lessons we learned on the road that I may share at some point; for now, that isn’t a priority. So…again…we will just see how things go. In the meantime, I plan to keep the YouTube channel and blog active and accessible because I do think there’s some good educational stuff there that is worth sharing.

When we started all of this social media nonsense, I came up with a mission statement (click on the link to unpack what it means). “To provide unbiased educational and entertaining content about RV travel and RV life from the perspective of two women who enjoy learning and sharing their experiences in the comfort of a Class C motorhome.” For the most part, I think we succeeded. For those of you who followed our journey, thank you. For those of you in the Super C community who helped as along the way, here’s a big SUPER-C-SIZED THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! #WWBMD.

If you find yourself on I-70 in mid-Missouri, drop us a line. We know of a few good breweries in the area…

Until then…whether you are on the road, or on the web, Stay Classy!

(PS:  In case you wondered, I didn’t catch that softball).