I've enjoyed traveling our highways and backroads, staying in RV parks and private campgrounds across the country. There's a lot to see and much to do, so what are you waiting for?
In early May 2019 we were sitting on our sofa discussing the fate of our beloved "Hurricane", the class A motor coach we sometimes referred to as the Taj Mahal. I was working on a project that would keep us from motorhom'n for the next 24 -30 months. The problem we faced was if the Hurricane just sat for that period of time, it would deteriorate, begin to rot and break down. These rigs need to be exercised and the systems need to be used. We were discussing selling the RV and buying a replacement 3 years down the road. This was a hard call as we had so many memories in this RV. The interior walls are covered with pictures of places we've stayed and coaches we've traveled in.
We just about decided on selling our Hurricane when I received an email from outdoorsy.com, it read, "Rent an RV, see the USA". "Really? People do this I said."
I picked up the phoned and dialed outdoorsy. A human answered my call and we had a discussion about renting our rig. The listing for the Hurricane was created, and 3 days later I had a contract with a family heading west. It began with that first family heading to Colorado in May and the Hurricane was booked solid for the remainder of 2019.
Although work prevented us from planning any trips, we did have a long weekend planned at a favorite campground of ours in the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia over Labor Day weekend. I assured my wife that although the Hurricane was on the road it was due back the Thursday before the holiday. I'd service and clean it as I always had, and we'll take off first thing Friday am for our holiday weekend outing. I was wrong! The coach was slated to return the weekend after the holiday! My wife was pissed, no other way to put it. She said in so many words, "the one time we wanted to take the RV, it's not available. You need to fix this!" So I bought the Cambria!
The Cambria was everything I thought a coach should be and after operating the large class A Hurricane for a dozen years. The Cambria being a class C is a tad shorter, almost 2' lower but still a triple-slide, a rare find in a class C for sure! With the same V10 and drivetrain as the larger class A, the Cambria is no slouch!
We're growing..
In spring of 2020 we ordered a new coach from Camping World, the 2020 Freedom Elite 30FE which we know as "Thor". We needed a coach that could travel and sleep more people and larger families but still be easy for a 1st timer to drive, operate and feel comfortable handling. This is the one! You usually need to look at the larger class A coaches to get this kind of room and storage. Thor has more usable outside compartment storage than you probably have in your home!! This coach is the popular rig, and he needs to be booked well in advance.
I was asked for a smaller coach and I was looking for a very specific rig to fit this need. It had to be on the Mercedes sprinter chassis, and a slide room is a must have. I found Star. Driving this 24' rig is about as intuitive as it gets. She gets 13+mpg, which makes those long road trips affordable. The smaller coach makes it state park and small campground friendly. The key part is that it's perfect for a couple to take on long extended trips. With the cab over sleep space and sofa/bed, a family of 3-4 is very comfortable.
And then number 5..
With four rigs in the fleet and all of them booked for the summer and following months, I needed another motorhome. Because of the popularity of the smaller coaches, we looked for another 24' with a slide and a usable floorplan. We found it! The Coachman Freelander 22QB floor plan is the same layout as our other Coachman. We came to know this coach as "Bow", as he's the first Chevy to join the fleet and will be available June 2021.