Pros and Cons and Questions

One more day of Abby talk and I promise to take a break from overwhelming you with it all. 

First up...a couple of you asked some questions, so let me answer those!

Will I ever drive Abby? Not if I can help it! (HA!) I did take a turn in the driver's seat last fall before our purchase, because Ryan wanted to know that I could drive her if needed. As you know, I really don't enjoy driving at all - even cars - so the general plan is that Ryan will drive the majority of the time, but if there should come a time when he's sleepy or not feeling well and shouldn't be driving...yes, I can and will drive her. 

Will we ever tow our car? Probably not. Abby does have a hitch and can tow a vehicle, but we would have to get all the other pieces and parts to tow. Our car is not super small, so it would probably utterly kill our gas mileage to tow it. Ryan actually said if we ever did tow a vehicle, we would probably tow our truck, because it's lighter weight. But for the most part, wherever we go, we'll probably just drive the RV and rely on walking (or driving the RV) where we need to go. With the type of travel we envision doing in the near future, that would be sufficient. 

Next up...the things we loved about camping in general and about Abby specifically.

* One of my biggest dreams over these last 4-5 years of RV research has been to have a bathroom with us on the road. You remember the 3 hour traffic jam before our wedding, right? :) Having a bathroom at our disposal at all times is THE BEST. 

* We also loved arriving at our destination and not hauling luggage inside and unpacking...only to turn around and pack it all up and haul it back out. I realize that there will be a measure of that eventually when we set up a proper outdoor campsite, but with toiletries and clothes and all that, this was a dream. 

* I mentioned this a couple of days ago, but we really liked the amount of space we had to move around (as opposed to a camper van, which would be even smaller inside) during days full of rain. It was nice to stretch our legs and be able to walk around each other, even if it was still on the tighter side.

* Also nice, given the rain, was the quick setup. We didn't have to mess with pulling out slides on the side or hooking up water/sewage or even messing with leveling blocks. We just pulled in, plugged in, and called it a day.

* Even though there's the potential downside of not having a vehicle to drive separately, I LOVE having the cab attached to the house. I love just being able to crawl over the console and immediately be home. Especially in the rain. (Maybe having our first trip mostly rained out really helped us appreciate her best qualities!) 

* We enjoyed the privacy of camping in our own space, while still getting to see other people out and about at their campsites. We could enjoy the presence of life around us without having people right on the other side of our walls. 

* We loved taking our own food and making our own meals inside. By plugging in the RV, we were able to use an electric griddle and save propane! I also ADORE that we have a pretty big refrigerator and separate freezer. Some RVs the size we have only have a mini-fridge or one where the freezer is just this itty bitty compartment within the refrigerator. I think it's pretty amazing that we have one as large as we do. 

* Everything is comfortable. I have heard some real nightmare stories about RV furniture being INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. I was shocked that our bed is so comfy. It's smaller than we're used to, and that takes some adjustment, but it's SO comfy. And the sofa and chair in the back are equally comfortable. Even the chairs in the cab (though not cute!) are really easy to ride in. 

While it was (much like Mary Poppins) practically perfect in every way, there were a couple of things that weren't amazing or that we might choose differently in a future RV.

* The wet bath. When you choose a small rig like we did, you have to pick and choose your luxuries. For us, having a bed that doesn't have to fold out each night and up each morning - OR rest over the cab - meant we didn't have as much space for a bathroom. Our wet bath works perfectly fine as a restroom, but as a shower, it will require some adjustments. We'll learn as we go, but years down the road, if we upgrade our RV, I think we would both choose a full bathroom with a shower separate from the toilet and sink. It's not a disappointment or complaint...merely an observation. 

* We chose a shorter RV on purpose, because it is easier to navigate, and after watching some people try to park larger ones in the campground, I surely was grateful for her small size. But I also think if we were ever going to go full time or travel more extensively, we would probably want something JUST a little bit larger. Part of that has to do with outside storage space. She has TONS of cabinets inside, but very little outside, which means we have to be pretty choosy about what/how much we bring for outside living. If we did ever get a bigger one, we would also probably try to find one with a permanent table, so we didn't have to take it down and set it back up all the time. (BUT!!! I really do love it that a table is even an option in the one we have.)