Ch-ch-ch-changes...

 

If you said, "David Bowie,  1971, from the album Hunky Dory," you get 15 bonus points.

I have commented before about our interests running "in decades"... no, not like: "Well, it is 1990, we need to do something different than we were doing in the 80s."  We've had decades of motorcycle touring, airplanes, RVing, boat cruising, riding scoots.  We didn't necessarily stop doing something because of a new interest - motorcycles and scooters have been a passion that has run for about 5 decades.  Three and a half decades of RVing (in different conveyances).

I mentioned before that this last trip highlighted that we are ready for a change in our RV travel.  And most likely, that means a change in conveyance.  That said, we have thoroughly enjoyed our Winnebago Aspect; it is the RV that we have kept the longest.  When we got it, we were looking for a reasonably compact size; and it was significantly smaller than the Nuwa Hitchhiker 5th wheel we had before it.  It has been way easier to travel with, while giving good comfort.  We still like it...

In fact, the search for the Aspect came about when we found ourselves hooked on the scooters (Honda PCX) we had at the time.  Our plan was to travel with the scooters in the cargo trailer behind the motorhome.  And, we have certainly done that, including our time in Friday Harbor with the whale watch company, going from living on our boat Wild Blue to becoming land dwellers (and scooter commuters).

What we came to learn: as much as we enjoy the scoots, when out for any length of time, we really appreciate having a car along, when the weather isn't conducive for riding or you want to make a grocery run.  That led to years of double towing with the motorhome>SUV>cargo trailer.  That turned out to be more work and there are some states where that isn't allowed.  Our trip out this summer showed us that having an enclosed, reasonably compact vehicle (like our Equinox SUV) when out in the motorhome makes the trip more enjoyable.  It would have meant driving separately, and we are done with that... we like being together.

This led to discussions and decisions; we had a Leisure Travel Class B from 2002 to 2008.  It was Joan's idea to get that campervan, and I was not gung-ho on it (does that theme seem familiar)?  I was concerned that the American Dream diesel coach we had at the time would go away.  It didn't.  Well, until later.  But we discovered the easy and less stressful traveling with a Class B motorhome (built on a van body).

What led to the change from that Class B to something bigger was our "nearly a decade" of "fun summer jobs.  If we were going to be in it for months at a time, we simply needed more space and storage.  In 2009, we did another fun summer of travel on the boat.  And then in 2017, we did our first fun summer of RV traveling, after the years of fun summer jobs (where we were in one place for several months at a time).  On that 2017 trip, we did not take the scoots, just the Honda CRV as our tow car behind the Aspect.  We missed having the scoots along, but had fun with our e-bikes on trails and city bike paths.

Last year, while at Hart Ranch for the summer, I watched a couple (probably 10 years older than us) who came in with a Winnebago Travato, a Class B van.  They would unhook each morning and head out for the day, then come back in the afternoon or evening, and plug back in again.  One conveyance.  No tow car necessary.  If you are in one spot for more than a couple days, you still have all your stuff with you when you are out for the day.  It made me think... "If we could travel without all the stuff we haul along,"... well,  you know.

And then our trip this past summer: we had fun and got in some interesting riding... in between the rainier than usual weather in North Carolina and Tennessee.  Joan got in her "bucket list" item of riding the Tail of the Dragon.  We rented a car while in North Carolina, because of the weather and still wanting to get out and see the areas we were in.  It was at that time that the discussion of "downsizing" from the Aspect to another Class B came up.  We did a lot of research.

"Couldn't you just uplug the Aspect and use it the same way?"  Thanks for asking.  It takes time to set up and take down the amenities of the Aspect, including the stabilizing/leveling jacks and the slideouts.  And the biggie: the Aspect is too big to fit in a typical parking space... like if you were going to a restaurant, a farmers market, or to the grocery store.  We looked at some Class Bs at an RV dealer along the way, but didn't see anything to our liking.

And, there are some changes in technology since we bought the Aspect that makes Class B traveling even better: lithium batteries, under the hood alternator/generators, and efficient solar panels mean you can park in a restaurant lot, fit in a typical parking space, and be able to run the air conditioner (with no outside noise and exhaust as you'd get from a generator) so the furry family member can be safe and comfortable in the RV while you go in for lunch.  It also opens up other overnight situations since a Class B equipped with a lithium system can be comfortable off the grid as long as fresh water and holding tanks allow... you don't have to be tethered to an electric hookup.  Options.

We have made the choice on which Class B and have a tentative purchase with an RV dealer in the Phoenix area.  We have test driven it.  All that remains is the final transaction, which will happen on Wednesday, if no wrenches are thrown into the works.

We have measured: it will fit in our driveway for loading.  We have gated and covered secured storage for it just a few miles away.  It is easy to drive and can be used as a second daily driver if needed (we used our Leisure Travel that way with no issues).  As with any RV, there are pros and cons.  The biggest pro in my mind: easy travel and way more options for places to stop along the way.  The biggest con: space.  This has all the amenities of our current motorhome (more, actually, including all the safety features that new cars/trucks/vans/SUVs come with), but lacks the space and exterior storage of a bigger RV.  If things go as planned on Wednesday, we'll see how that all plays out and go into more detail.