Déjà Vu All Over Again

In 1999, after 32 years of boating (eighteen years of it on houseboats) we decided we wanted to see a little more of the country.  We sold our 48' Gibson and bought a new 17' Casita travel trailer.  We used it for only two months before deciding that it was absolutely too small for our needs.  We bought a 25' Aerolite travel trailer and then a Dodge diesel pickup.  The diesel was overkill for the lightweight Aerolite so we bought a 35' fifth wheel RV.  These three RV purchases all took place in a 10 month period of time.  After about 8 months of use of the fifth wheel, it simply broke in two because of a defective frame.  The company replaced that unit with another one similar to it.  That unit lasted three months before axle and brake issues made it unusable.  Tiring of issues that seemed to plague us with towables, we purchased a new 2001 Monaco 40' diesel pusher motor home.  For 12 years,  80,000 miles and 40 states the motor home was reliable and enjoyable.  It went from coast to coast and border to border with no serious issues in what amounted to full time use.  We lived on the road for at least eleven months out of every year.  And then health issues began to make it difficult to wash, wax and give the general care that most RV's of this size need.  It was a sad day but we decided to sell the motor home and shut down our nomadic life style.

It took less than 30 days for us to realize that without an RV of some type, we were basically homebound… no more travel, no more site seeing, no more trips to Big Bend and even family visits would prove to be difficult.  We had relocated to Southwest Texas because of the climate and we were a long way from almost everywhere.  Fourteen years after the first Casita, we were back at the factory picking out our next one.  It was another 17' model with a slightly different floor plan than the first.  For whatever reason, this time around, the tiny Casita with less than 80 square feet of total space, has proven itself livable.  In the three years we have had it, we have towed it over 30,000 miles and enjoyed ever moment.  Our trips aren't as long as before and our style of campground has changed considerably.  Previously we often stayed for a month or more in full hookup, 50 amp commercial campgrounds with assorted amenities.  Now we seldom stay in one area for more than a few days and the campgrounds are more often than not, Corps of Engineers or National Forest sites that usually only have electricity and water.  These campgrounds are often far above the commercial resorts in their beauty, peacefulness and all around enjoyment.  

So here we are, full circle, back where we started in 1999… déjà vu all over again.

As a postscript to this short story, as of April, 2017, the decision has been made to sell the above mentioned Casita.  Carolyn's health has made it very difficult for her to continue our travels.  We will miss these times of exploration.

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