May-hem
On the first day of each month, we share a "one clip a day" video recap on Instagram and Facebook, along with a short caption to summarize the adventures had that month. On May 1, while sharing the April recap, I wrote about the polarizing craziness that was the past 30 days, and I looked ahead to May, writing that it's "one of our favorite months to RV."
I meant it when I said it, because I remembered our time in the Appalachians in 2022 and Montana in 2023 – both top memories in all of our RV travels. But then I thought about it some more. In May of 2022, we experienced our first displacement from our RV. And in 2023, how could we forget the hodgepodge of repairs after this fateful day?
Sure enough, 2024 would follow suit. We'd be dropping our trailer off at the ATC manufacturer in Indiana in the middle of May, for repairs that would likely take until the end of the month.
Our 2024 repair list grew very long in a short period of time. A lot broke during our Harvest Hosts/Boondockers Welcome Challenge. Our extra drive days also gave us time to think, and thinking led to a lot of wonderment about just how interconnected all of these problems actually were.
For example, let's isolate just the "May" issues. In 2022, we had a leak in our fresh tank, so Trailers of the East Coast replaced it. This May, after having issues with not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 loose bolts holding the fresh tank brackets to the frame, we wondered, what gives? Besides the bolts, of course. Because the brackets attach straight to the frame, there isn't a way to have a nut on the other side of each bolt, unless ATC puts them during manufacturing. Trailers of the East Coast wouldn't be able to put any because they wouldn't have access. With this in mind, we asked ATC, are the brackets usually secured by something? More importantly, can they be secured by something now? Turns out, there was some clampy thing they could insert to better secure the bolts. Trailers of the East Coast didn't do it. Hopefully now, the brackets will hold much better.
In 2023, we got an axle assessment after we noticed uneven wear on one of our tires. During the assessment, we learned that both axles needed to be replaced. Those plans were already in the works when we got stuck in the flood at Spanish Fork. In fact, the flood happened the night after the assessment. In addition to all of the post-flood damage control, we went to FleetPride in Payson, Utah and got new, upgraded axles.
Fast forward to this year, and our axles are causing problems again. We started to wonder why. Could our beloved worker bees have done something wrong? We were hesitant to blame them, but it was of course a possibility. What about if it was something worse, like a frame issue causing the axles to bend and warp? That would be the worst outcome, but we needed to do our due diligence and consider it. We asked ATC to check our frame just in case.
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Nicole Anderson
Then we have our hitch. We won't say this is only a "May" issue because it started the day we took delivery of our trailer, but we have had several adjustments since, the most recent one being in May of last year. We trusted the expertise and efficiency of the team at Miller's RV, and after that final adjustment, we could feel a huge difference in our towing. Finally, we felt like our hitch placement was perfect for our truck.
During the Harvest Hosts challenge, though, we noticed that our hitch had become extra wobbly. We have since spoken to several pros about it, and while all say that it's safe, most say that it should not have done that in only a few years and that parts will need replacing at some point. When we were at FleetPride in Fort Wayne getting our axles looked at, we asked if towing for several months with a hitch that wasn't adjusted properly could have caused faster wear on the hitch, and the answer was that it was absolutely possible.
We also wonder if the hitch could have distributed weight strangely over thousands of miles, ultimately causing that first axle to bend, but this is just conjecture.
The appearance of the Ghosts of May Past definitely made us rethink our love for RVing in the month of May, but we can't deny that the parts of the month when we're actually in the RV are fantastic! This year was no exception. The Harvest Hosts challenge was by far a more positive experience than a negative one. What probably happens is that repairs are so stressful, that we repress the memories. Every time we're displaced, we go through the same thought process: We don't think it'll be that bad, we plan out exactly what we need to pack and how we will pack it, and then suddenly, we're up to our busted roof in boxes, bags, and pandemonium.
We have gotten better over the past 6 displacements. We try to take our own advice. But some packing has to be saved until the last minute, and some stuff is totally out of our control, like how long we'll be out of the RV, and what the timing will be on the days we drop it off and pick it up. We need to be ready to go with the flow. Sometimes that means killing time in the truck for hours because check-in at our alternative accommodations isn't until mid-afternoon. We've grown accustomed to having our home right behind us, so suddenly not having easy access to food, a bathroom, or Lily's litter box is a big deal. Worrying about the pets in general is taxing. They have no choice in the matter, and all of a sudden they're forced to live in a new, strange place for God knows how long. They may be adventure pets, but they're also both seniors, and they have their ailments that we always need to keep a close eye on.
Over the years, we've learned how important it is to offset the mayhem by doing something fun. If we can find a safe place to get some fresh air and let the animals out of the truck for a bit, we all feel much better. This time, Indiana Dunes National Park was on our way to our Airbnb, following the coast up Lake Michigan. Some scenic walking and driving seemed like just the ticket! A smaller and newer National Park, Indiana Dunes is protected land within old factory towns. The shoreline is lovely and like many national park sites, the land has a variety of ecosystems. Despite being our 24th National Park, this was the first one that we actually visited as a family of four, aside from those we camped at. We picked a good one, too, because many parts of Indiana Dunes are pet-friendly. We took Lily and Tanner for a couple of short walks and also had a snack at one of the picnic pavilions. Just enough of an adventure to counter the hours of sitting in the truck.
...but we also found nature's beauty!
The last time we took our trailer to ATC for repairs, we stayed in two Airbnbs, one further south in Indiana and one about an hour across the Michigan border. We really loved the Michigan Airbnb experience. This year, we learned that we would be displaced for a minimum of close to two weeks. This made the extra distance across the border worthwhile, and we found a lovely bungalow in one of the towns along Lake Michigan. We couldn't have chosen a better place to hunker down. We felt cozy and comfortable, had all the amenities we could ask for, and were walking distance to downtown and the lake. We had space to spread out, and I even used the spare bedroom as a music studio! We had tons of work to catch up on after our challenge, so we took full advantage of office space. We did have our fun too, though. We celebrated Memorial Day by watching the town's parade and remembrance ceremony, and our last day at the Airbnb was my birthday, so we got to celebrate with cupcakes from the local bakery and sunset by the lighthouse. If we need to be displaced, this is the way to do it.
Space to spread out - so luxurious!
Memorial Day Weekend harbor walk and ceremony
Birthday cupcakes and sunset
After our relaxing displacement vacation, the last day of May whipped us back into reality. The rig was done, so we checked out of our Airbnb and drove the hour and a half down to ATC. Our history indicates that, for whatever reason, settling back into the RV always seems worse than leaving it. We have all the same boxes and bins that need to be put away, plus whatever we've accumulated from our displacement. This time, we accumulated a lot because we took advantage of having the house and got a bunch of packages sent there. On top of everything else, we always need to do a thorough cleaning and familiarize ourselves with any repairs and upgrades. No matter how much time we give ourselves, it never seems to be enough. We got to ATC around 1:45PM and didn't leave until after 4PM. Two weeks is a long time for a trailer to be sitting without climate control, and we unfortunately had a nasty surprise waiting for us. Our fridge and freezer had grown mold!
The before-and-after of our fridge
In addition to cleaning the fridge, we also needed to dump our black tank and fill our fresh tank, plus go over all of the repairs and their outcomes. ATC did a fantastic job, getting through our entire list of repairs. Here's the breakdown:
Roof replacement
The top priority was to get the roof replaced. Back in March, a giant tree branch took out 1.3 solar panels and gouged a hole in the roof. We patched it with duct tape and sealant, which held wonderfully until we could get to ATC. Now, we have a brand new roof (and recent rains have confirmed that it's all secured tight!) and two new solar panels, bringing us back to our full solar capacity, just in time for the long sunny summer days.
Side panel replacement
Since the roof was coming off anyway, we decided it was now or never to finally replace the side panel next to our front door. On day 3 of having the trailer, we found ourselves in an unfortunate situation at a Harvest Host. We took too shallow of a turn and ended up in a ditch, and the trailer tilted into a fence post and dented the panel. It's a whole crazy story, but last year, the damage to the back trim of the rig (worsened by the Utah flood) was fixed. The only remaining damage was the side panel.
Replacing our damaged trim:
Nicole Anderson
I, for one, could not wait to say bye to that giant dent that had been serving as a constant reminder of our newbie days. Not that the reminder is bad. It shows how far we've come! We just don't need an ugly dent constantly in our faces. After all, we have the blog post to remind us! The new side panel looks fantastic...almost too good. It needs some scratches from branches to match its counterparts. We know it's just a matter of time.
Saying bye to the dented panel (left) and rejoicing in the new panel (middle, right)
Resecuring of fresh tank
As mentioned above, ATC secured all the bolts holding our fresh tank brackets.
Transfer switch
After our transfer switch stopped changing over to generator power, we feared the worst. Twice in the past, we've had issues with the contacts, and we thought that one might be fried. We expected to need an entire transfer switch replacement, but it turns out, we just had a loose wire! We had checked the wires, but this one was so teeny tiny that we don't even exactly know where it runs. This outcome was a relief. We were worried that if our transfer switch fried, it might have been due to a deeper problem, like a surge from our generator. After all, the last time one fried, it was due to a different surge of voltage – a big, big, big, and I mean BIG big, surge. Now we know that our transfer switch was just fine.
The teeny tiny culprit!
Odds and ends
In the RV life, it seems like something is always broken, but usually it's not something big, like say, a hole in the roof. Some small things, we can live with until we make it to a service center. We had some window knobs, cranks, and a screen that needed to be replaced. Check, check, and check!
Is this FINALLY fixed?!
We have a perpetual issue of the aluminum sheet over our bed detaching. It's only held on with adhesive, but in 2022, we asked ATC to fix it and they did...or so we thought. Weeks later, it detached again. We weren't even going to bother adding it to our repair list this time, but we were on a roll. We asked them to fix it. Now, it's the most secure it's been since we first got the trailer. We hope it stays that way!
Wait and see...
We love a quick fix, and fortunately most of these repairs were just that. Some of our issues, however, have been longer running. For several months, we've been hinting that something is wrong with our black tank. This was the service appointment that was set to resolve that issue once and for all. We think and hope it did, but we need to do some tests to make sure. We have some longer stays without sewer hookups planned for the summer, so those will push our black tank to the limit – and that's exactly what we need to do to see if our black tank issue has been resolved. Once we have all the answers, we'll write a special blog post telling the full story from start to finish. It'll surely be a doo-doozy!
Then of course we have our axle and hitch issues, which weren't part of this service appointment because we are awaiting other resolutions. We hope to get these fixed sooner than later because whether the pros say they're safe or not, it does not feel good driving around with creaky axles and a wobbly hitch!
The two-week displacement paid off; we got our entire list of repairs checked off and so far feel really good about them. It took us a few days to adjust back to RV living. The day we picked the trailer up was so long, we didn't even make it to our booked campsite. We got too tired to drive any further and wound up at a Cracker Barrel. It's important to know your limits, and sleep and food needed to be our top priorities.
Stopping early also gave us extra time to start putting things back where they belong. By the end of the weekend, we had gotten Buggy 99% of the way back to his usual self, and we had caught up to our travel plans. We had two weeks to journey through Wisconsin – a state we hadn't yet RVed – and make our way to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We were finally ready to take on the summer season!