actthreedotnet

Things go wrong in a bus, that’s what my husband’s always telling me.  They break.  And he’s right.  Something is always happening in our 36′ long traveling house.

Yesterday we pulled into our campground space in Jacksonville, FL and while unhitching the car discovered that the pull bar attached to the car had broken.  The knob was missing and now it wasn’t locking into place anymore; we’d been towing the car with just one locked pull bar.  Had to have happened somewhere between Tybee Island, GA and here – just a couple hours south.  So here we sit until the guy at the shop ascertains whether it can be fixed for under $200 or discarded for a new one that will cost a whole lot more.  I vote for the first option.

That’s the latest mishap and might even have been caused when Rick backed up the rig for a couple feet with car attached – a BIG no no.  Now we know why.  Make no mistake, this RV stuff is NOT a cheap past-time.

So for fun, and because the shop guy was nearby, we decided to visit an RV show that just happened to be in town this weekend.  It’s always fun to see lots of buses and compare their interiors.  Plus there are many Class C’s (with the overhead sleeping cab) and 5th Wheels (the kinds you tow with a pick-up truck).  They all have a variety of lay-outs that can truly overwhelm the senses. And, of course, that’s what happened.  After a while they all blend together, making it impossible to remember whether the wood floor interior was in the same rig that had the huge walk-closet.

But one really caught our eye.  It was the mother-lode of Class A’s, (the bus looking rigs – like the one we have) 42 feet long with marble floors, Corian counters, gorgeous cherry wood cabinetry, leather-ish furniture and a cove ceiling rimmed with the same wood.  He was a real beauty; more kitchen counter work space than any other we’d seen.  Full size frig/freezer, dishwasher and washer/dryer — both of which we’d have taken out, opting for the extra storage space instead.  Just loved this Winnebago Tour coach.  It’s interesting to see how the interior designs improve each new year, addressing consumers’ wishes and complaints.

New rigs now have 3-4 slides, walls that slide out from the sides of the vehicle adding more width to the living space once you’re parked and settled in.  Our current bus has 1 slide.  This one has 4!  If he’d been 36′ rather than 42′ we might have succumbed to an impulse.  But he is just too long.  Once you add a car on the back you’ve got about 54′ feet rolling along highways.  Too long and too heavy for some older campgrounds and National Parks.  Not necessary.

So we’re now back home in our 16 year old Mr. Bus, cozy and comfy.  I still love him; he’s got everything we need.  Except a working tow hitch.  Grrrr…