In The Beginning ...of Our RV Experience

In late 1991 my wife, my two dogs and I exchanged the hustle-bustle of life in Miami for the relaxed atmosphere of northern Florida. My wife began work at UF as a department administrator. I was a self-employed insurance agent and financial planner. The dogs kept watch over us, our house and grounds. Life was good.

Before coming to Gainesville I had never been north of Disney. North Florida was an exciting destination waiting to be explored and Gainesville, being about half-way between the Atlantic and the Gulf was (and is) a great starting point.

We began by taking weekend trips. We would board the dogs at a kennel, make reservations at a hotel, pack our suitcases and point the car toward St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Tallahassee or even Panama City and hit the road. We did this for a few years and learned some things along the way.

We learned that boarding the dogs could have consequences – like fleas.

We learned that hotels sometimes had ant infestations and bedding that was of questionable cleanliness.

We learned that eating every meal in restaurants could get old fast – and expensive.

We learned that packing and unpacking suitcases was a real pain in the (you know where).

So, what should we do? My wife and I talked it over for some time. We decided to buy a second home. It would have one bedroom, one bathroom; a small but efficient kitchen, a sleep sofa and a comfy recliner for yours truly. Oh, it would also have six wheels, an engine and transmission.

In August of 1999 we found that home at J.D. Sanders RV center in Gainesville. (They have since moved north to Alachua). This Class A coach (looks like a bus) was 36’ long. It really was a home on wheels. I drove it to our other home, parked it, plugged it into electric and we began to plan our first trip.

We decided on St. Augustine and Bryn Mawr Ocean Resort on the Atlantic. We spent a week loading more cloths than we needed and more food than we could possibly eat. We added a coffee maker, a few pots and pans, flatware, plates and glasses.

When Friday afternoon came around we loaded up the dogs, hooked up the tow car, unplugged and headed east.

Driving an 18,000 pound motorhome while towing a 4,000 lb car was an interesting experience for me; there certainly was a learning curve. If you’re not a defensive driver, then don’t even consider owning one of these.

We arrived at the resort unscathed, registered then parked in our assigned site. I plugged in, attached the water line and sewer house, opened the large main awning and set up two beach chairs. We were home …in St. Augustine …almost on the beach. Life was good.

A while later we took the dogs for a walk on beautiful white sandy St. Augustine beach. For the dogs the beach and ocean surf made for an exciting if wet adventure. For my wife and I, the stress of work and daily life melted away as the ocean breezes caressed us along with the warm glow of the now setting sun.

We headed back to the coach knowing that we could cook our meals or eat out at our pleasure; sleep on sheets we knew were clean and that we could put our suitcase in long-term storage. We really did have a home away from home.