ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

Well, I drove back to the motorhome and packed up my belongings. I went through my big 26-foot motorhome and pulled all of the essentials and put them into the back hatch of my teeny tiny Smart Car. The oversize dog crate I’d just bought, my dutch oven and cast iron cookware, tools, the new 100-foot power cord, rv gadgets, stuff I’d bought to get settled into the motorhome. Hmmmmm, not only did it ALL fit, but there was still more room – WOW!  OK, so I made another lap around the motorhome and grabbed a few more things: blankets, towels, curtains – stuff I could live without, but might as well pack up. There was still more room! OK, a few more trips back and forth. I really cleared out the motorhome and left very little behind. Admittedly, I had stuff squished up to the ceiling of this little car – but it really holds far more than I imagined. Even the antique bedpost I’d found along the way made it into the packing. And with all of the blankets piled up in the front seat, the puppies would have a nice perch for the ride home.

   As I pulled the last few things out of the motorhome, I realized that the Smart Car would easily fit inside – like right where the kitchen table goes. Irony, that’s for sure.

   I took a moment and sat in the motorhome one last time. I’d had it almost 9 months – and put more than 6000 miles on it. I’d been to 4 National Parks and 11 states. I’d been to the ocean, through the desert, and across the Mississippi twice. I’d visited family and friends. I’d had some great times – and I’d learned a lot, about both RVing and about myself. So, I said my goodbyes to this motorhome – but know that at some point in the near future that I’ll be out RVing again. This rig was a great place to start – and this has certainly only been the start.

   I’d bought the motorhome as a 50th birthday present to myself. A boyfriend had helped me pick it out, because he was good with cars. As I thought back on it, he hadn’t really checked it out as thoroughly as I’d expected – hadn’t even popped the hood – hadn’t really “kicked the tires on it.” And that was a big lesson for me:  other people are pretty quick to spend your money for you.

   A number of years ago (while I was still married), I’d wanted to buy a motorhome – something we both said we wanted. We loved to do little getaways and both thought it would be good for us, good for our relationship – and it probably would have been. I looked on KSL and eBay, and frequently emailed him links to get his opinion – even bid on quite a few, unsuccessfully. Finally I found one exactly like he’d agreed to previously, bid on it on eBay, and won the bid within our budget – but when it came down to finalizing the purchase he got mad at me and refused to let me buy it – and now I realize his selfish reasoning (he’d taken the money out of the account without telling me). I still think it would have been good for us to have had those adventures together. So one of the reasons I bought one this year, is that because I’m single – and, well, there’s no one around to tell me “No!” Buying an RV was on my Bucket List, so I did it – and I’m glad I did. My “Roedhog” may not have made it to the end of this trip, but it got me started on this great adventure – and it’s an adventure that will continue far into my future I’m sure.

   It was a little sad to leave her behind, but I have a lot of great memories that I get to keep.  Besides, sometimes that’s how life is:  sometimes you need to adapt and figure out a new way to keep things moving forward. And I think I’m getting pretty good at that.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: A Very Smart Decision

A bit of running around, a test drive, a TON of paperwork, and pushing for a few extras to be thrown in – and I was the proud owner of a new car. OK, it wasn’t exactly “new” – but 2-years-old and only 18,000 miles is comparatively new (especially since my truck is 15 years now).

pic: My smart-looking Smart Car — a very smart decision!

   So what did I get???  (Drumroll please) . . . a Smart Car. I know, I know – they’re super tiny. Almost pocketsized. But I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this car.

   First, I got it for $2000 below Blue Book. Second, it gets 50 miles per gallon – yes, 50 miles! Third, well – it’s just so freaking adorable.

   Oh, don’t get me wrong – I was skeptical at first. I’m certainly not a petite woman – and at nearly 6-feet-tall, I’m all legs. I seriously doubted that I’d be comfortable riding in it, let alone driving it. But I have to admit that the legroom works out, and it’s really quite comfortable to drive.

   And since the Smart Car Fortwo Passion is made by Mercedes Benz, it is very well made. It definitely has that European Craftsmanship to it. And as a 3-cylinder car, it doesn’t have a lot of pick-me-up – but at 50 mpg this car is super-cheap to run.

   Buying a car on vacation definitely wasn’t on the original itinerary. But I’d been thinking about buying a car for a few years now, and I’ve done a bit of research along the way. Oh sure, a sports car or something bigger/fancier/musclier/etc. would have been fun – but not very practical. And when it comes to cars, well I’m pretty practical. I knew a good deal when I found it, and I gotta admit it: I love this little car.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: So Much for Smooth Sailing

After a fun stop at another Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma, I stopped for gas to get back on my way home. Right after filling up there was a bit of car trouble, so I pulled over at a Truck Stop to see what was going on. Not being too familiar with engines, I got brave again and asked a trucker for some advice. He said it sounded a bit like transmission – so I should stop and get it looked at.

   I tried to get to the next town to get it looked at, but I didn’t get very far before things turned much worse really fast. That’s OK, I had Good Sam (AAA for RVs) – so I called for a tow. Despite being a new member, they really weren’t very easy to work with – but eventually I convinced them that, yes I really did need to get towed. And after a 3.5-hour wait, finally a really big tow truck showed up. (Argh!)

   It was the end of the day as I was dragged into the shop – but the shop owner was nice enough to park me where I would have access to power for the night. Really good news since there was  only one hotel in town and they didn’t allow pets.

   I’d talked to the tow truck driver on the way in, called a few gear-head friends that evening, and the next morning the shop owner confirmed – it was the transmission. CRAP!  Unfortunately on a big Chevy 454 engine, transmissions and all the labor are a bit pricy.

   I weighed my options: I could repair it, I could have it towed home, or I could sell it and get home a different way. Hmmmmm. After quite a few conversations with in-the-know friends, I decided to take the advice of the shop owner:  “If you love this coach, then put the money into it. If you don’t love it, put the money into something else.” I opted for selling it for its current value – which fortunately I already knew. It was a fair offer – in fact, I could sell it for what I paid for it – not a bad deal at all.

   But – I was in Oklahoma, and was now a pedestrian. A little too far to walk, and hitchhiking with two dogs doesn’t sound like fun – so I was going to have to figure out a different way home.

   Maybe it’s from lots of praying – maybe it’s from dealing with all the curve balls life has thrown my way – but I really was pretty calm about this new “growth opportunity”.  I was on a major bussing route – but juggling my stuff, puppies, etc., just seemed like a bit too much of a hassle. So I needed a vehicle to get me home – and I could rent one or buy one.

   I called around to car rental places to check the prices and see what it would cost me. But since I’d been thinking about buying a car anyway, I decided to see what I could find. Fortunately you can find anything you want online, and most car dealerships post their inventory online – which makes car shopping pretty easy. I checked out some exotic cars, some muscle cars, a couple of convertibles, even a truck or two. I compared the sales prices to the Blue Book value.

   I’ve been really fortunate in my life that when I’ve needed a car one has magically appeared. My niece was selling one just at the right time. My dad stopped driving just as my car died. A neighbor and I worked out a trade that was mutually beneficial at an opportune moment. But this was the first vehicle I was ever buying all alone on my own.

   I’m very blessed that I have some great friends to bounce stuff like this off. I got some great advice about what to watch for and how to handle it. Then I called around on a few that were intriguing. But the truth is that there was definitely one that stood out to me. And it’s not only what I would have bought if I’d been at home – but because I’d been looking already, I knew that it was a good deal.