In 2019, we planned, budgeted & saved our money in anticipation of buying a travel trailer in the spring of 2020. But then, just two weeks before our purchase, Covid happened & everything shut down. James’s job seemed secure during those days, but I had no idea if my own was for many months. We postponed purchasing our trailer & hunkered down, sheltered in place, & dreamed about the day we could move forward with our plans again. Thankfully, one year later, it all worked out.

James & I worked long days & many weekends just to stay employed. We both have over 20 years invested in our jobs, & thankfully, we both made it through the storm of RIF’s that slammed through 2020. We then received our first vaccination in February 2021, along with hope for new adventures!. The extra year allowed for more research & planning on the make & model of the toy hauler travel trailer we wanted. Our decision was based on our current goals, for James to retire in 7 years & then live full-time in the trailer while hauling our Harleys. I work remotely & will continue working when we become nomads.

James googled best-built travel trailers & started researching the top candidates. We also subscribed to many full-time RV living YouTube channels & listened to the Rootless Living podcast for various opinions. After our year of research, we decided on the Grand Design 31G Momentum. It has high ratings for quality craftsmanship, the garage is completely separated from the living area so you can’t smell fuel, & the trailer has a solar option for boondock camping. We were ready to make the purchase!

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Our nearest dealer is RV Country in Mt Vernon & we had already talked a few times with the sales rep, & fellow rider, Steve Degarmo. I reached out to him to set up an appointment to place our custom order. We’d heard how the RV business skyrocketed in sales over the last year & inventory was scarce. Timing is everything! Steve notified us the exact model we were looking for had just become available down in AZ because financing had fallen through for another buyer. We paid a deposit & they rerouted delivery up to us! It showed up within a couple of weeks & would have otherwise taken three or more months!

We signed the paperwork & picked up our brand new 36’ trailer on February 1st, one week before my 51st birthday! We were both excited for our present to ourselves as James drove us home that evening. It was raining & dark by the time we reached our driveway & it was hard to see our bridge over the creek. I stepped out to spot James as he slowly maneuvered the trailer across. We only have about 6 inches to spare on either side! The trailer is a lot bigger than we imagined, & even though we had widened our parking area to turn it around, it was still too small. We had to use the tractor as a yard goat to get the job done. The following weekend we expanded the parking area to make it a little easier. Two weeks after that, we headed out on our maiden voyage to Hildalgo Bay Resort to get acquainted with & name our trailer! Click on the link below to meet her:

Feeling more comfortable with Truedat, we began planning vacation time! The Canadian border is still closed, so we can’t go to Alaska. Instead, we decided on a 2-week road trip to Arches & Yosemite National Parks. James also added a few days in AZ for MLB spring training games. Both of my parents, who live with us, plan to come along. We have all been cooped up & stir crazy, so after seeing the trailer had room, they accepted the invite. Now we just have to figure out how to bring the dogs too! The only space for them is in the back of the truck. Just the excuse James needed for a new accessory on Big Blue!

Now we are completely set up for a family road trip. Stay tuned for upcoming stories & videos of our 3,500-mile loop from Washington state to Oregon, across Idaho, into Utah, Colorado & Arizona, returning via California. Other adventures we’re planning this year include a Music Festival in Whitefish, Montana, & a week at the St Joe River near St Maries, Idaho. Hopefully, all our plans work out this year, but we have learned to adjust to whatever life throws at us. Nothing is ever guaranteed, which is why we live every day as an adventure. GO DO IT! #JACTventures