Our 401K

Ben and I have spent 8 of our 12 years of married life on the road. The first motorhome we bought in 2015 was smaller; we wanted to try out the lifestyle before we made a big commitment. One trip and we were hooked. Ben decided we needed a bigger, more powerful rig. After a long search, he found a 2006 Tiffin Phaeton that met our needs. It was beautiful, and perfect for two people and three dogs. We took our first trip in it in May 2016. Those of you who are loyal followers will recall that our first trips were more learning experiences than recreational adventures. Anyone who buys an old house knows there will be time and money spent on repairs. It’s no different with a motorhome. We christened our motorhome “OUR 401K” and I started a blog to keep my mother and anyone else who was curious abreast of our travels.
After 7 years of cris-crossing the US and Canada, we lost our beautiful house on wheels in an accident on September 6. A lot of personal history was made in that RV, and we’re both more than a little sad about losing our home.

When we bought our Phaeton, I was a little rattled by size: the size of the motorhome and the size of cost for such a thing. I shouldn’t have worried, really. Ben had planned to do this for years. Once the purchase was made, he set about learning all he could about the coach he’d bought, including its former owner. Ben is a natutral sleuth. He can weed out more information about a person in ten minutes than I can in a year. The Columbus owner of the 2006 RV we bought put very few miles on it in the time he owned it. Ben located the man’s home, a small post-war cape cod style house tucked into a neighborhood of dozens of similar homes. Ben figured that coach cost more than his home, which is pretty common among retirees who buy these big rigs costing hundreds and thousands of dollars. They are packed with features not available in their homes. It’s daunting to drive such a large vehicle which likely accounted for the low mileage. Ben also learned that the man who owned the coach developed Alzheimer’s and the coach sat unused for a while. After he died, his wife turned it over to the bank to sell. We bought it, and dubbed it “OUR 401K.” We vowed that this motorhome would be used; it would not spend a lot of time in storage.

Like any older house/RV home there were a few problems here and there, which had Ben figuring out the best places to get repairs and me researching the best places to visit while waiting for repairs to be done. We did put miles on it. Lots and lots and lots of miles. In between excursions, Ben spent all his free time upgrading things. Custom blinds and valances. New LED lighting throughout. Custom drawer pull-outs when I mentioned it was hard to get into the back areas of the cupboards. Artwork that we hung on the walls. Our “Camping Couture” stuff, things that we hung outside or set up for happy hour. Our “doggie cabana” with it’s custom sun shade. Most all of that was ruined in the crash. Ben loved decorating the front of the rig with custom lights, and naturally we put a Lava Lamp in the front window. Custom touches only other RV guys noticed. Really, OUR 401K was his baby. If I couldn’t find him anywhere around the house, he was in the RV fiddling with things.

It’s hard for people who don’t RV to grasp what that coach meant to us. For me, it meant seeing all the places in America I dreamed of—National Parks, Old Faithful, alligators on the river bank, sunset on the beach and all that. It also freed me up to travel extensively. Most of you know I’m diabetic—it’s a disease that involves math, schedules, supplies and lots of adulting, along with carting around medicine that required refrigerated. For Ben, the RV was a long-held dream. He wanted to see the country first hand. He thrives on meeting people, and after 8 years driving around we have made dozens of friends all over the country. Ben was completely in his element in the RV. Together, we made a team. I insisted on knowing how to drive the coach and manage the systems. This blog wouldn’t exist without OUR 401K. I started it as a means to keep my mom and family informed about our whereabouts. Slowly it’s evolved into so much more.

We took to gathering together with our RV friends from time to time, traveling here and there just to enjoy each other’s company. We’ve made some deep and lasting relationships through OUR 401K. Mary Clare in Canada. Dave and Janeann in Indiana. Marybeth and Dan in Maryland. Karen and Deane in Kentucky. Clare and Scott in Georgia. Cathy and Chuck in Illinois. Gene and Jeanne in Montana. They and many others reached out to offer help and support.

Last year Ben told me he was thinking about selling our RV and getting something with a more powerful engine. I didn’t say anything until he finished his pitch. Then it was my turn. “But, it’s our home. I love our house, we spent so much time fixing it. We don’t need to go faster.” A few days later, Ben told me we’d keep our house. I was relieved.

Until the accident in Michigan, we didn’t realize that friends we’d met in Florida lived close to the crash site. When Sonny and Linda read about our predicament, they contacted us and offered to help Ben collect our belongings from the RV. They were absolutely wonderful to us.

OUR 401K was a wonderful coach. It repaid us ten times over any expenses we incurred. It took us anywhere we wanted, and it was a safe, warm haven for us and the dogs.

There’s an AA saying that says, “If you hit a wall, turn left.” In my case, I have to make a right turn, but the metaphor fits my situation. When we bought our coach we promised we’d use it. To date we’ve racked up close to 80,000 miles. This accident was traumatic and heartbreaking. What we do know is that we want to keep going, some way, some how. You all be sure to stay tuned!

Postscript: We were supposed to be celebrating our 12th anniversary on this trip. For the record, our anniversary is on September 10. On that date I was recovering from the first of three surgeries. I had a card and a gift all ready for Ben; I told him I’d gotten him a gift from the Idea Foundry in Columbus—welding lessons. He’s always wanted to learn to weld. I love this man more than anything in the world. As I write these words from the rehab center, he is home trying to prepare the house for my arrival. May you all be as beautifully blessed as I am.