Driven by a Second Chance

We have gone back and forth between a travel trailer and a fifth wheel for our full time journey into this RV life we are chasing. Our original truck, a Ford F1-50 would tow a smaller travel trailer (approximately 29 ft) and would need to be a lower weight (both tongue weight and GVWR).

Armed with our measurements and weight limits and a new list, we took another trip to LazyDays (now Camper’s Inn) in Seffner and took a look at our options. I have to say we were both rather quiet during the tours of the size travel trailers we were looking at. After the last one on our list, on our way back to the truck, Bill looked at me and asked what my thoughts were. I giggled and said, “I’ll tell you when we get back to the truck. I need to process”. Our conversation in the truck consisted of a lot of “I love you….but….” following with statements regarding the size, the lack of space and amenities, and other considerations just weren’t lining up with what our dream of RV fill time life would be. If we were looking for something to camp in on the weekends or short trips, these would have been PERFECT! But to live full time, with our 2 velcro doggies, while still working full time, in that small of a space, just didn’t sound very appealing to either one of us.

Bill had received a call from a local Ford Dealership (Bartow Ford), about a Ford F350 that fit our budget and was a nice truck with low mileage. So, we left LazyDays and headed to Bartow (about an hour drive) to check it out.

I have to say, we have been to a number of dealerships in our life. Some we have had good experiences at and some we have not. Bartow Ford, was by far the most customer centered and positive experience we have ever had! They were friendly, helpful and most of all we felt like they were working with us, not against us, to get us the best deal. Needless to say, we traded in our F-150 and drove away with our new (to us) Ford F-350 Dually truck, we affectionally named Bruce.

So now, we are back to preparing to purchase our Fifth Wheel. Funny enough, our original plans of a 45 ft Toy Hauler, have morphed into something smaller, around 40 ft so that we can fit in State and National Parks. But our outlook of an “apartment on wheels” is exciting.

I keep wondering if we have too much time before we make this jump, and other times, I feel like the time is helping us figure out exactly what we need/want (or at least as close as possible) to make the best of our journey.

We continue to downsize and organize our stuff to figure out what stays and what goes. And we are always watching YouTube to get ideas, tips and tricks as well as virtual tours of RVs we are interested in. The countdown continues (t-minus 6 months), and it will be here before we know it! I hope you continue to join us on our journey…..driven by a second chance…at life.