RVer wannabes

5 moves towards full freedom

[Tripper: Marilena]

IT

When we bought our camper, we did it in complete unconsciousness: the vehicle looked well-maintained, the right length, the right colors, the right number of seats, the price was within the budget, the seller seemed reliable and so we took the big leap, from campers to RVers. Entry level: Unconscious newbie
Leaving for the first adventure we soon realize that it is not a great idea bringing only 2 bikes for 3 travelers ... and it is even worse to leave without checking tires and brakes!

Holland - Somewhere

From the window of the camper

Focused on getting familiar with driving the vehicle, we use little of its various functions: we use the 3-ways fridge only with electricity, we cook the bare minimum (but this is my "fault", not the vehicle) and above all we use the bathroom only for emergencies or a little more, in Croatia free parking is not allowed and therefore we always sleep in campsites. We gain the level of Insecure beginner.
Our second RV trip takes us wandering around Sicily. Without any language barrier, we begin to appreciate the value of word of mouth among campers: reassured by the experiences of others, we discover camper areas and farm campsites, appreciating their simplicity ... we are definitely more attracted by the tasteful welcome of locally produced tomatoes rather than by the soft gym / aperitif game / baby dance and any other devilry entertainments in the campsites. It's hot ... very hot ... but not enough to challenge the use of gas even for the refrigerator, so we stop at the level of Curious cowards.
Double challenge to earn the next level: group holiday in the Netherlands with the camper of our fixer friend MacGyver and with a fourth passenger (and her bike) on board, with re-arrangement of the camper indoor as needed. The bike rack has been fixed and we improve loading and unloading times, but small hitches teach us the importance of the right toolbox on board. We also begin to appreciate the transformation of the interior of the camper and even the bathroom taboos begin to fall ... the only off-limits operation remains the shower because we discover a problem with the water drain. We take home the official title of RVers.
The real turning point comes with the trip to Portugal: heartened by the company of the MacGyver camper and exhausted by the heat, we finally challenge the use of the gas fridge and shower ... Even free parking is no longer scary in such a hospitable country! By now we are so at ease that we often begin to study the neighbors' campers to find new gadgets and study the possible variants of the vehicles. We reach the goal of Explorer RVers.
The experience with the van and the sensitivity in the site choice is growing, thanks to the Covid pandemic and the related uncertainties, we finally leave for our first trip free even from my exasperating planning: Calabria in July proves to be perfect to take advantage of the flexibility of the camper… We are finally at the final level: Free RVers.
And a true free RVers even throws himself into the most feared of challenges: a camper trip on the snow… will it be hot enough? Will the tanks freeze? Will gas be enough? will the battery survive ... The adventure turns out to be idyllic until in the middle of the night the Truma stove gives up: luckily we had brought an electric heater for safety and so we limited the damage, but the message is clear ... The time has come to take the big step: we need to upgrade the camper!

Home is where you park it.