Anthony's solo trip
This year, we traveled with a partially-functioning rig. We had a giant mystery hole in our aluminum flooring that was hanging on by a temporary patch job. We had a busted patio screen. Before we left New England in late winter, we suffered damage to our roof, which caused perpetual leaks that only got worse over time. Winter in general was unkind to us this year, and the cold temperatures forced us to crank our heat, which caused lots of loosening connections in our lines, and therefore, more leaks. This was in addition to the general wear-and-tear that happens to a 5-year-old RV, and even though our ATC is more structurally sound than some other brands, we still had noticeable signs of age, like a few busted welds in our frame (thankfully, non-structural), and a valve stem in one of our tires that got tired and decided to retire. Then we had the precipitous breakdown in April, when our inverter fried. That was the mechanical breakdown that led to Nicole's nervous breakdown, which led to us getting off the road and setting up a home-base in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Our mid-year attempts at fixes only got us so far. We replaced our valve stem and got our tires back in working order. We got the floor hole and welds fixed. We replaced our inverter...but we haven't exactly had much of a chance to use it.
A much bigger repair appointment was immanent, but fitting it into our plans was a challenge. Initially, we expected to get everything done at the ATC manufacturer in Indiana. We even had a tentative appointment timeline starting the end of July. The problem was, ATC told us to expect them to keep our trailer for a month. At the time of planning for this appointment, we didn't yet have our SC cottage, and a month-long displacement with 3 pets sounded overwhelming. Where would we even go? Most Airbnbs allow only 2 pets max, and in peak summer, our options were slim.
Things started falling into place when we rented our cottage. We had kept in touch with our dealer, Trailers of the East Coast in NC, after they did some repairs for us in May. Typically, it's recommended that big repairs – like the roof replacement – be done at the manufacturer, but we asked TOEC if they're able to do it. They said yes. This started the ball rolling to switch our repair location. No need to travel all the way to IN. We could stay in the Southeast, drop the trailer off in NC, and hunker down at our new home until it was ready. No displacement, no pressure to get everything repaired by a certain date. This is a major perk of part-timing.
Instead of our appointment being at ATC at the end of July, we moved it to TOEC at the end of August. And, since the dealer is only 20 minutes away from our NC solar guys at EcoEthic Solar, we could pull double-duty. After our repairs, we could have EcoEthic check our electric and fix the communication issue between our inverter and batteries – the issue that drove a huge wedge in our New England trip.
It was a big undertaking: 2 back-to-back appointments and a giant list of repairs. And not just any repairs. Repairs that are make-or-break for whether or not we could keep traveling in Buggy. We patiently waited for the end of August, and in that time, tried to figure out the least disruptive plan-of-action for getting our trailer up to its appointment.
We learned a hard lesson back in June, when we brought the trailer to EcoEthic for the inverter replacement. We already had the SC cottage, but we still decided to cart the whole family 4 hours north and displace ourselves for the day. Granted, we thought the displacement would only be a few hours, but this was an oversight, and we should've known better. We should always account for extra time in case something goes wrong or the guys notice other issues (which they did). We spent 8 hours stuffed in our hot truck with our pets. We could go down the rabbit hole of "coulda shoulda wouldas." We should have kept the pets at home. We could have rented a hotel room. But hindsight is 20/20. Good news is that we now had that hindsight, and we weren't about to make that mistake again.
For this repair appointment, we decided to send Anthony solo up to NC, while Nicole stayed home with the pets. This is how part-timers think, and we needed to get into that headspace. This meant that, for the first time, Anthony would tow on his own. No Nicole serving as the navigator and spotter. No second set of eyes on the space around the rig. It's a bit unnerving, but we had to just remember that we're not newbies. Anthony's towed tens of thousands of miles over the course of nearly 5 years! He could manage 4 hours on his own.
The start date to our repair appointment got delayed a couple weeks, forcing everyone to be flexible: us, the service techs at TOEC, and the guys at EcoEthic. Finally, the date was cemented, and Anthony would drop the trailer off bright and early on Monday, September 14. This meant he needed to drive up to NC on Sunday, stay somewhere overnight, bring the trailer Monday morning, and then drive home. Because our trailer wasn't exactly livable, we hoped to find a hotel with a big enough parking lot for Anthony to park the trailer and get a room for the night. Easier said than done. You'd think in the suburban industrial town of Mocksville, NC that space would be plentiful, but we poured over satellite and Street View, trying to find hotels with lots big enough for a 56ft combined rig. We not only had to consider the parking spot, but the maneuverability and making sure that there was still room for other hotel customers to park.
Finally, we settled on the Holiday Inn Express in Lexington (left photo above). It's an area we know well because of previous displacements. It's near the highway, walking distance to shops and restaurants so the truck could stay hitched, and seemed to have a big enough parking lot with space to stay out of the way of other visitors. Plan A was set, but just in case parking was a no-go, we also made a Plan B. Worst case scenario, Anthony could park in the Walmart near TOEC and sleep in the trailer. He'd just have no internet, limited electric, and roof leaks if it started to rain. Sounds luxurious.
On Sunday, we drove separately to the storage facility so we could both work together to get Buggy out of his storage spot. You might recall that we're dangerously close to a steel post that could easily rip our sewer valves off. This is probably also a good time to mention that, somewhere in the mayhem of getting back from New England and settling into our cottage, we procured a second vehicle, hence how we could both drive to the storage facility separately.
First, we replaced the desiccants to make sure none were too filled with water and therefore might spill in travel. We felt it was important to keep them inside, though, because the humidity showed no signs of letting up, and the trailer wouldn't be climate-controlled for weeks. During this time, we discovered that our batteries had officially died. We hoped and assumed that they'd start charging back up once the trailer was connected to the truck, but if not, at least the trailer was going to the right place! Then we made sure loose items were secured for travel, but we didn't have much to secure. Buggy was in storage-mode, and we had every intention of keeping him that way.
We hitched up, did an extra-diligent walkaround to make sure nothing had worn down in storage, and carefully navigated Buggy out of his spot.
As the navigator, Nicole is responsible for getting the RV GPS set up the night before travel days, so this is what we did. The previous night, Nicole checked the route in the Garmin to make sure it wasn't trying any funny business. We've RVed this route many times now, but sometimes it likes to be weird on the roads out of Myrtle Beach. This diligence ahead of time meant Anthony was good to go as soon as we got the trailer out of storage. We made notes of the various landmarks he'd pass and the rest areas that would be easy for him to stop at. Then Nicole sent him on his way, for his first solo towing experience.
First solo towing experience, yes, but this was also the first time Anthony had traveled in over 3 years! In 2023, he flew to a work conference, while Nicole held down the fort in the RV for a few days. For that trip, we had to think long and hard about where Nicole would feel safe and secure, and ultimately, we decided to set up camp outside of Charleston. We shouldn't be surprised that we chose coastal SC then, given where we are now.
Nicole Anderson
Still, this plan was a big adjustment. We were happy to no longer have the stressors of forced displacements, but it brings new stressors. Anthony needs to embark on long travel days by himself, while Nicole hangs back with the pets in a house we're all still adjusting to living in, in a city where we have no social circle or support.
Given the patterns of our year, we half expected Anthony's drive to be a disaster, but thankfully, everything went extraordinarily smoothly. Once out of the typical Myrtle Beach traffic, he ventured down open roads on a quiet Sunday afternoon. He found a conveniently located gas station with angled pumps for an easy fill-up, and when he arrived to the hotel, the parking lot was as navigable as we had hoped. A Sunday in mid-September also wasn't the most coveted day for travelers, so the lot was mostly empty. Better yet, it had a section further from the hotel that no one was parked in. Perfect for an RV that takes up multiple spots.
Except, when Anthony got closer, he realized why that section was completely vacant.
Confused, he asked the front desk when he checked in. They said they don't know why the signs are posted. It was the hotel's lot, and he was welcome to use it. Signs or not, it's always good to alert hotel staff to the fact that there's an RV outside. Sometimes they might have a specific place they want you to park, but no matter what, they should be aware that it's the RV of a paying guest, and not just someone who pulled over and is sleeping in their rig.
Not only was the parking spot spacious and out of the way, but Anthony could see the rig from his hotel window, so he could keep an eye on it throughout the night.
It was a delightfully uneventful rest of the day. Anthony checked the RV battery and discovered that it had efficiently charged during the drive. The hotel room had a workstation, so he got a head-start on work he wouldn't have time to do Monday. He walked to one of the nearby restaurants to grab dinner, and the next day enjoyed the hotel's continental breakfast before heading to the service appointment.
He got to TOEC right when they opened, and went over the long list of repairs. We always try to brief the techs on what needs to be done, and we make sure to communicate the repairs both verbally and in writing. This appointment was major.
- Replace the roof
- Replace both air conditioning units with upgraded, quieter, more efficient versions
- Routine maintenance of the wheels and axles
- Fix the door to our mechanical cabinet that hadn't been shutting properly for months
- Readjust the positioning of the awning arms
- Replace the patio screen
- Check the furnace and vents to see if something is causing the mechanical cabinet to heat up more than it should (and brainstorm what we can do about it)
Then, we'd piggyback this appointment with the one at EcoEthic, so they could troubleshoot the electric issues and make fixes to get our solar setup functioning again.
Anthony left Buggy in the hands of the professionals, hoping that this was the turning point we needed. Once we had a functioning trailer, we could start envisioning ourselves as part-time RVers and figure out what it means for us. But we still had a long road ahead.
Anthony's drive home was equally and fortunately uneventful, and he returned home Monday in the early afternoon. We think Nicole actually had it tougher. The pets all had separation anxiety and kept her up all night. Kind of cute that they're all so used to having both of their humans around at all times that they can't cope otherwise. But also kind of alarming. But once we were all under one roof again, we started the long process of waiting to hear from the techs, and waiting to get our Buggy back. We were just thankful that we had our home to wait in.