Did we forget to mention the mishaps on this trip? Oops!
On our way to San Diego, California we had a few hiccups.
First, a tire blew on the freeway while driving on Interstate 10 westbound in Louisiana. Makes 2 of the original 4 tires that have blown out while driving down a freeway within the 5 months since purchasing the brand new 2019 Heartland Prowler Lynx from Giant RV in Murrieta, CA. After this blowout we invested in our own bottle jack to prevent the need to wait for hours and hours for a tow company or tire shop to come out and change to a spare.
Second, the arm to open, close, and lock our bedroom Emergency Window snapped apart while driving down the freeway. Luckily, we were close to the rest stop we were planning to stop in for the night to get some well needed rest. We pulled in, got out and inspected the window. Our only solution was to zip-line it closed which eliminates its use of being an Emergency Window.
Third, I wanted Dunkin Donuts for breakfast after a sleepless night said rest stop. I parked in a the very narrow parking lot (the only one I could even get into) a bit down the road. When departing I pulled up real close to a concrete wall on my left trying to go wide enough to turn right and not until our next stop did we even realize it had happened, tail swing. Always need to remember and account for your tail swing. I came way to close to that concrete wall.
Fourth, we realized the error of our tail swing once we had another blowout on the travel trailer while we were on the freeway in New Mexico. Yeah, number 3. Since we got that bottle jack, Ray was able to remove the blown tire and install the spare to get us on our way. However, once we arrived at the tire shop, they told us that the tire didn’t blow so much as it separated, and we decided it would be a good idea to inspect the remaining tire. I am sure you are going to be surprised by this…
The fourth tire that had not blown yet was showing signs of bulging and was within 100 miles of separating. This concluded the replacement of the four tires that were originally installed on our travel trailer within 5 months and under 7,000 miles since purchasing. And yes, the spare is from the same batch and will most likely do the same and separate if used so it will also need to be replaced! On this day however, we replaced the recent separated tire and the bulging tire and went on our exhausted way.
Last, but not least, after we were settled into Olive Avenue RV Resort in Vista, CA it had rained, and we found our light fixture above our couch filled with brown water. We removed the light fixture, caught the remaining water, and pointed fans toward the hole. Ray went outside, climbed up on the roof and found that something had gouged a whole in the roof of the slide, and patched it up.
Sometimes living life in an RV on the road is not always beautiful locales, delicious local foods, and vast entertainment. No, sometimes we have leaky roofs, flat tires, appliance broken down, or door/window hardware needs replacing. We also do not escape the needs of maintenance such as roof patching, washing inside and out, and using preventative bug and insect sprays. Whether you live in sticks and bricks or in an RV, we still have the same responsibilities, just the frequency, ease, and priority of each different aspect will change. For me, it is hands down worth it! I love living this lifestyle. I find that having a heightened awareness to the most basic human needs in combination of being surrounded by more of mother nature and all her glory has fulfilled me in a way that has me closer to my inner peace and has allowed me to be more grateful for all that I have and all that I can accomplish.