Large skillet or pot big enough for entire recipe.
Knife and cutting board Big bowl
Scoop for meatballs. An ice cream scoop will work.
*For those of you who have worked in kitchens, use a #20 yellow handle scoop.
If you don’t have one don’t worry.
Do your prep:
Cook your rice. I recommend doing this the day before and chilling.
You can use any kind of rice but I like basmati.
Chop your garlic and jalapenos.
If you want to cut back on the spice then take the seeds and membranes out of the peppers
Make the meatballs
Preheat your oven to 425 F
In the big bowl mix the meats, rice, soup mix, jalapenos eggs, BBQ sauce, and garlic. The best way to do this is with clean hands. Just squish it all together and work it a little. Form into balls about 2 inches in diameter.
Or, make them bigger, I mean who am I to tell you how big to make your balls. Your balls should make you happy.
If you have the #20 yellow scoop and make them level you should get about 30 balls. Arrange the meatballs in your roasting pan.
Mix the salt into the flour and dust the meatballs.
Bake for about 20 minutes. This is mainly to brown the outside.
Make the Sauce:
While the meatballs are in the oven, combine the beer, tomato juice, OBD bbq sauce, beef broth, and the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.
Taste the sauce and adjust with the salt.
When the meatballs come out of the oven gently add them to the sauce.
Be gentle, you don’t want to break your balls!
Let the mixture simmer for about 20 min.
The sauce should thicken up a bit. If your balls are bigger, it will take a little longer. Check for doneness. 165 F if you have a thermometer.
These are great by themselves with some crusty bread.
salt to taste (depends on how salty your broth is)
Equipment:
Knife & Cutting Board
Skillet big enough for entire recipe. I like to use my 12″ cast iron
Spatula with flat end to stir, metal or wood
Prep Work:
Wash your veggies
Chop your veggies to a medium dice.
Mince your garlic
Slice scallions
Rinse rice and drain it well
If using a raw sausage in casing, I like to remove the casing
If needed, peel and de-vein the shrimp. I also prefer to remove the tails but this is a personal preference.
Cooking:
Brown off sausage. Do not drain the fat.
Add to the pot your onion, celery, and green pepper Sautee for about a minute.
Add the garlic and stir just long enough get the aroma
Add the rice, tomato, and the OBD BBQ.
I used Slow Burn but any of our styles will work.
Add the chicken stock an stir well making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
Check the liquid for flavor. Add salt if needed. (this depends on saltiness of your broth)
Bring this to a simmer and cover.
Cook for 15 min at a very low simmer
Remove the lid and with the spatula make sure nothing is burning to the bottom.
Don’t stir it too much at this point or your rice may become mushy.
Add the shrimp and scallops and push them down into the mixture with your spatula.
If the seafood is added too soon in the process it will overcook and become rubbery! Cover again and cook on low for ten more minutes.
Check the rice for doneness and cook more if needed.
Garnish with scallions
Eat!
Notes:
I love a one pot meal and this one is always a crowd pleaser.
As I have mentioned before, I love recipes with interchangeable parts.
The interchangeable parts of this recipe:
Spicy Italian Sausage
The traditional sausage to use for Jambalaya is Andouille and you absolutely can use it! Andouille can be hard to find in some regions and so I have used spicy Italian for the recipe because it is common to find across the U.S.
You can really use any kind of sausage like a smoked or even a Longaniza.
I have not tried chorizo but am curious to see how it would turn out.
Green Pepper;
Feel free to add some hot ones if you really want to spice it up!
Basmati Rice:
I use basmati rice in my day to day cooking so it is usually what I have on hand. Use whatever kind you like just keep in mind that if you use brown rice it will need a bit more liquid and a few minutes more of cooking.
I would not recommend Jasmine rice. It would be rather starchy for this dish.
Diced Tomato:
Rotel tomatoes with chilis works well with this recipe but keep in mind it will add to the heat.
You may notice in the pictures that I have a small can of tomato sauce. This works perfectly fine.
Shrimp and Scallops
If part of your household does not like seafood (or if there are allergies involved) chicken works great.
If using chicken, dice medium and add to the pot early on, right when the sausage is browning to give it time to cook all the way through.
Victor and I have been to 19 states since the beginning of our RV life. We get a lot of questions about the cost and where our favorite places have been. I decided to do a summary of all the places we have stayed in the past year highlighting a few. I will also list the price that we paid.
I do follow a few social media pages that focus on RV living and have found some helpful for minor issues. I have noticed however that many RVers talk about the costs and problems associated with RV parks. We try to stay away from typical RV parks whenever possible and find that this is the most expensive way to do RV life. They are also often cramped and crowded.
When looking for spots I have a few favorite resources.
We are members of Harvest Hosts and would recommend this to anyone who travels on a fairly regular basis. We have a standard membership plus Boondockers Welcome which is $119 per year. There is also an option for golf if that is your thing. It has been worth it for us.
I use recreation.gov often for ACOE and other federal campgrounds. ACOE campgrounds are budget friendly and well maintained. These are also always near water. There is also a book available listing all of the campgrounds and their amenities. Victor’s Veteran status gives us half off of these campsites, but you do not have to be a veteran to stay. Even without the discount it is usually less costly than regular campgrounds.
More recently we have been looking more at military campgrounds. Most of these will require access to military bases. These used to be limited to active duty or retired military. Within the past couple of years access to places such as commissaries and campgrounds have been expanded so if you are a US Veteran or retired military contractor check to see if this is something you can utilize. This is a link providing a map of all in the US.
The first three locations are Washington state parks where Victor and I volunteered as camp hosts. It was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anyone who has the time and opportunity. I plan on writing another blog about our camp host experience so for now I will just talk about the campgrounds.
View of Mt Saint Helens from Seaquest Visitor Center
3/1 – 4/31 Seaquest State Park WA Camphosts
$0 full hook up, 28 hours camp host duties
Seaquest is a fairly large campground about an hour from Mt. Saint Helens. Mt. Saint Helens can be seen on clear days from the visitor center across the street. This park has a separate full hook up loop that is compatible for bigger RVs. There is a lot of hiking and nature that will put you in awe here. Be sure to book ahead of time. This park stays pretty full during the summer.
Recommend – yes
5/1 – 5/31 Rainbow Falls State Park, Chehalis, WA Camphosts
$0 full hook up, 28 hours camp host duties
Rainbow Falls is smaller than most other Washington State parks. The only 50-amp site is the host site and mainly caters to small campers and tents. The staff here is great and really take pride in the condition and cleanliness of the park. The waterfall is very pretty (what waterfall isn’t) but they are small and more like and area of rapids. Some who are expecting something grand get disappointed. There used to be a foot bridge to cross the river to hiking trails, but it was washed out by a flood a few years ago. The parks trails can only be accessed by car. There are a few short trails within the park. This park does have easy access to the Willapa Hills Trail which is a bike path the starts in Chehalis and goes all the way to the coast.
The yurts are a great option for people who want a camping experience but may not have the equipment or just do not have the time to deal with a tent. They also can be good for people with mobility issues. The yurt area at Seaquest is well maintained and has good amenities. There is a covered group picnic area as well as BBQs and picnic tables at each site. There is a volleyball net, horseshoe pits, and easy trail access. The yurts are well spaced and has a lot of tall pines so it is well shaded.
Recommend – yes
7/14 – 7/15 Hood Park Burbank, WA
1 night $12 ($24 w/o discount) 50 amp & water booked on recreation.gov
Many pull through sites and many are spacious. There is a beach and swimming area although it is a bit crowded.
Recommend – yes
7/15 – 7/16 Macks Creek Park Boise ID
1 night $5 ($10 w/o discount) dry camp booked on recreation.gov
7/16 – 7/17 Riverside (ID Targhee) Island Park, ID
1 night $18 ($28 w/o discount) dry camp, booked on recreation.gov
Absolutely lovely camp right next to the river. The campsites are very private, and you are super close to Yellowstone.
Recommend -yes
7/17 – 7/20 Buffalo Bill State Park Cody, WY
1 night North Fork Campground, dry camp $18
2 nights Lake Shore Campground $64 50 amp & water
Booked on Wyoming state park website wyoparks.wyo.gov
The reason for the split stay is because of availability. This park is less than an hour east of Yellowstone and so it stays busy especially in peak season. Some RV’ers like to have all of their spots booked out a year in advance. We are not those people. When looking at popular locations sometimes you have to get creative.
Recommend -yes
7/20 – 7/21 Table Mountain Vineyards Huntley WY
1 night $0 dry camping, generator allowed booked on Harvest Hosts
This place is out in the boonies and the last couple of miles of road is bumpy gravel. Other than that this place is beautiful. Good wine. We did a tasting and bought a couple of bottles. No food served so keep that in mind. That was actually a plus for us because we spend less money that way.
Recommend – yes
7/21 – 7/22 Three Brothers Vineyard and Winery Farnarm NE
1 night dry camp, generator allowed booked on Harvest Hosts
Recommend- yes
7/22 – 7/23 Bob Shelter Recreation Area Des Moines IO
Very nice. Good location.
1 night $11 ($22 w/o discount) 50 amp & water booked on recreation.gov
Recommend – yes
7/23 – 7/25 Rock Cut State Park, Rockford IL
2 nights $56.22 50 amp and water booked on Illinois state park website camp.exploremoreil.com
The park is pretty big but it is very busy. The sites are a little closer together than we like but we still had a small private area.
Recommend – yes, it wasn’t our favorite but still beats and RV park
This is a really pretty park right on a lake. It is less busy than many other Illinois parks. Be sure to book these ahead of time because Illinois, and this park in particular, has some weird booking rules.
Recommend – yes
8/18 – 8/20 Forrest W. Bo Wood, Lake Shellbyville IL
2 nights $24 (48 w/o discount) full hook ups booked on recreation.gov
This is a great park. Clean and well maintained. Lots of water activities nearby.
Recommend – yes
8/20 – 8/21 Markham Springs, Mark Twain National Forest, Mill Spring MO
1 night $16.50 ($25 w/o discount) 50 amp & water booked on recreation.gov
The park wasn’t bad even though we had a bad first impression. We pulled in and the road passed in front of the camp host. Some places want you to check in and some don’t care but you never know. We stopped so I got out to check in when two aggressive unleashed dogs ran out of the host site. I got back in our rig and the host opened the door to his camper. (he did not call his dogs). We yelled from our window that we were checking in. He didn’t seem to care and went back inside, leaving his dogs. We were not comfortable bringing our own dog outside other than quick potty breaks. Good thing it was only for one night.
This is a beautiful park and it is way out in the boonies. The road going in is narrow in places with some low branches but it is doable. Our first site was not level but they let us move to a different site. There were not many other people in the park. The sites were well spaced out.
Recommend – yes
8/24 – 8/26 Barefoot Bay RV Resort & Marina, Lake Bob Sandlin near Pittsburg TX
2 night $90 50 amp full hook ups booked through website barefootbatmarina.com
The website makes this place look way nicer than reality. Our spot was right on the water and the area is pretty. The spots are very cramped with no privacy.
Recommend- no
8/26 – 8/30 East Fork, Wylie Texas
4 nights. 50 amp and power $60 ($120 w/o discount) Booked through recreation.gov
Great spot right on the lake. Beach area for swimming. A lot of space in between sites.
Recommend – yes
8/30 – 12/1 Balcones Wildlife Refuge, Marble Falls, TX
3 Months $0 Full Hook Ups. 24 hours per week each volunteer work
One of the nice things about this host “gig” is there is no camping on the refuge, so you do not have to worry about knocks on the door at any given day or time. The work is trail maintenance, mowing, weeding, and other outdoor projects. There are pit toilets to clean but we only had to do that once a week and there is a water tank truck, so it is mainly just hosing them down. Helping in the visitor center is also required but that was closed due to covid while we were there. You work 3–8-hour days per week. The work is rewarding but for us it is too many hours to commit while also trying to manage our business. 48 hours per week for a site is a lot. The refuge requires a 3-month commitment. Even with the hours being a little higher than most volunteer host positions I would still recommend Balcones. The staff is wonderful and very easy going. The refuge is beautiful with a lot of great hiking. The RV spot is secluded with only the other two volunteer sites as neighbors. It was a great experience and we will likely do it again at some point.
Recommend – yes
12/1 – 12/2 Mooch docking with friend on land Waller TX
1 night $0
12/2 – 12/2 Crying Eagle Brewery Lake Charles LA
1 night $0 Booked on Harvest Hosts
Dry camping – generator allowed
We planned to stay here one night. The parking lot was pretty big and we were able to get level. We went in for lunch and realized we had made it there pretty early in the day. We decided to keep heading down the road since our next stop was only 3 more hours. The food was good. I imagine it would be noisy if you were there on a night they have a band.
Spent about $40 on lunch and a couple beers
Recommend – yes
12/2 – 12/4 Fairview-Riverside State Park Madisonville, LA
1 nights $32 50 amp and water booked on LA state park website laststeparks.com
This is a decent park and a good option if you want to visit New Orleans but don’t want to drive your rig into the city. Cross the bridge for a day trip into New Orleans. Our site was a decent size and level. We were going to stay longer but moved to a RV resort where friends were staying.
Recommend – yes
12/4- 12/6 Fireside RV Resort Ponchatoula, LA
2 nights $120 . Full Hook ups. Booked on arrival
They do have a website for booking (firesideresort.com) but this was a last-minute change for us. We had found out that a friend was in the area staying at this RV park. It is a nice resort- style park, much swankier than we usually go for but we decided to splurge and spend a couple of extra days in the area. This park has a lazy river and a poolside bar which is cool. We would love to go back when warmer.
Recommend – yes
12/6 – 12/7 Camel lake campground – Bristol Florida
1 nights $28. (would be $38 w/o discount) booked on Recreation.gov
50 amp and water
Very small campground with sites pretty close to the water. Really nice place and level. The only issue is the road (driveway) into the park is a couple of miles of very bumpy gravel road with lots of potholes.
Recommend – Yes
12/7 – 3/5 Mooch Docking with relatives. Auburndale FL
3 months. $0.00 No hookups (some power from the house)
We stayed a lot longer than expected. Car repair and some severe weather to the north delayed our departure a few times. We did have to leave to empty our tanks every 2 weeks which cost $10 each trip ($60 total). We also offered to pay for utilities. Luckily our family member’s property had a large double lot with space that did not make us feel we were in the way (too much).
2/13 – 2/15 Lazy Days RV dealer.
We did take a short trip while in Florida. While shopping for a rig at Lazy Days and they let us stay for two nights. They had a pad with no hookups but we were able to use our generator. Keep this in mind if you are upgrading your coach. Many RV dealerships have a place for the night. Then we stayed at a HH before returning to our relatives.
2/15 – 2/16 Summer Crush Winery & Vineyard
1 Night $10 Booked on Harvest Hosts
No service. Generators allowed
Spent $50.00 on wine tasting and 1 (yes one) bottle of wine. They charged us to stay the night which is something a Harvest Host should not do. We pay a yearly fee for this. They do put this in the description and have a very long pretentious explanation as to why they do this. The area for parking the RV’s is nice. The staff was friendly. Because of the charge (and very skimpy poor’s) we will not be back.
Recommend- nope – mainly because of the $10 charge, but I’m stubborn like that.
3/5 – 3/6 VFW Post 2206 Lake City, FL
1 Night $35
50 amp full hook up (membership required) Called ahead to request a stay.
Back of the parking lot. It is in a rural area so not bad. Big grassy area to walk the dog. Staff very nice
3/9 – 3/11 R Shaefer Heard Campground, West Point Georgia
2 nights $30.00 (would be $60 w/o discount) booked on Recreation.gov
50amp. and water
Wow, wow, wow. This place is beautiful! We were right on the water. Sites were big and level. Wish we could have stayed longer. We will definitely re-visit if we come back through this area.
Recommend- yes
3/11-3/12 Sam’s Burger Deli – Rome, GA
1 night $0.00 dry camping Booked on Harvest Host
(Spent $59.57 on dinner and about 5 beers)
Back of large parking lot. Fairly level. Friendly staff
Recommend – yes
3/12 – 3/20 Norris Dam State Park West Campground – Rocky Top Tennessee
8 nights $244.27 booked on TN state park website tnstateparks.com
50 amp & water
Surrounding area is very pretty. The campground was cramped with no privacy. The sited were very unlevel. The road within the park had a couple of tight corners and steep inclines. Would recommend unhooking a Tow right when you enter the park. Lots and lots of unleashed dogs.
Recommend – no
3/20 – 4/1 Bandy Creek Campground – Oneida, TN
12 nights $192.00 booked on Recreation.gov (would be $384 w/o discounts)
Large sites. Our pad was not level but it was better than some. Very nice. Still quite a few unleashed dogs. I don’t get it. I usually like the federal campgrounds because this is enforced but I have not seen it enforced here. Bummer. Still, a nice campground. Clean bathrooms and showers. The road getting here is a little crazy. Lots of hairpin turns and steep grades. If you are a class A pulling a Toad we recommend unhooking in Oneida if coming from the East.
50 amp & water
Recommend – yes
4/1 – 4/3 VFW Dickson TN
2 nights $0 dry camping (membership required)
When looking at a parking lot type of stay I will first check out the location on google maps. The overhead satellite view can give you a good idea of the space and whether or not they can accommodate your rig. I called about two weeks prior to ask if we can stay a couple of nights. They said it would be fine. I called again the day before to remind them we were coming.
There was a large flat grassy area at the back of a big parking lot surrounded by trees. Went in for drinks, food , and they even had a band. Very nice people.
This host does not have online booking so you have to call or email them directly. I think this makes them less busy. This is a great stop. It is a historic site run by a family. There is a very large, flat grassy area to park. We left a $20 donation.
Recommend – yes
4/4 – 4/7 Aux Arc, Ozark Arkansas
3 nights $30 ($60 w/o discount) 50 amp and water booked on recreation.gov
This is a nice park. Clean and quiet right next to a large dam on the Arkansas River. The sites are large and many are right on the river. The biggest issue with this campsite is the train tracks right on the other side of the river. The horn blasted at 10 pm, midnight, 2 am, 4 am, ……you get the idea. At least they were right on schedule.
Recommend – no but only because of the trains. If you don’t think this would bother you then go for it.
4/7 – 4/8 Coal Creek Vineyard, Tuttle OK
1 night $0 Booked on Harvest Hosts
Nice winery with a huge parking lot. No trouble turning around or parking. No food but a great bar for tasting. They served beer and some yummy “wine slushies” as well.
Spent $61.96 for 2 bottles of wine and a few drinks at the bar.
This is an easy spot to get to right off of I40. They sell produce in season, but we were not there during harvest. Large dirt lot to park in. We left a $10 donation.
The reservation was made online, but we had to call to get our discount. New Mexico gives US veterans 3 nights of free basic camping per year even for non-residents. Always find out about your discounts! The campsites here are very nice and spacious. All of the sites in the Indian Grass loop are pull through and the sites on the east have picnic shelters with a half wall at each site. There are concrete parking pads on this side as well. There is a small man-made lake (pond) that I believe is stocked for fishing and a few short hiking trails in the dunes. Bathrooms and showers are clean. As far as the area goes, there is nothing here. I am not necessarily saying that as a bad thing. Sometimes a little nothing is what you are looking for.
Recommend – Yes
4/14 – 4/15 Tularosa Vineyards, Tularosa NM
1 night $0 Booked on Harvest Hosts
Another lovely winery with very good wine. I liked that they had a nice dry selection as well as some sweet. Parking was a large dirt lot and there was a gravel drive but less than a half mile from the main road. They had a small tasting room with no food. There is a large area to walk a dog and you can walk the vineyard but be aware that there are properties nearby that may have dogs running loose. They seemed friendly but it is always good to be cautious.
Spent $30 on 2 bottles of wine.
Recommend – Yes
4/15 – 4/16 Shakespeare Ghost Town, Lordsburg NM
1 night $0 Booked on Harvest Hosts
Spent $20 on a tour of the town
This is a fantastic and unique harvest host. It is a little “off the beaten path” and there is a couple of miles of bumpy gravel road but we managed in our class A so most should be fine. The town is family owned and run. The tour is historic and interesting. There are no actual ghosts so, the experience is more authentic and not like a tourist trap.
Recommend – Yes
4/15 – 4/18 Apache Flats RV Resort, Fort Hauchuca, Sierra Vista AZ
3 nights, $90 full hook-ups booked by phone
The park is very clean including the showers and the laundry room. The spaces are pretty cramped and the park itself does not have much to offer. The space to walk your dog is very limited. Fort Hauchuca is a nice base with the usual offerings like bowling alley, movie theatre, and shopping.
Recommend- yes, even with its limitations it is the best affordable option in the area.
-Cream Cheese Spread (1 part Twizted Chipotle, 3 parts Cream Cheese)
-“Everything Bagel, lightly toasted
-1/4 Avacado, sliced
-1 Egg, fried over medium
-Swiss Cheese
-3 strips bacon
I love a good breakfast sandwich but they can get a bit redundant. This one brings new life to breakfast with a wonderful combination of flavors. Our sauces can become your “secret ingredient” and are always looking for unique ways to use them.
To make the spread simply whisk together Old Blind Dog BBQ with cream cheese in a small bowl. Any of our styles will work. I used Twizted Chipotle but any of our styles will do
Start your bacon first because it will take the longest to cook and it will hold better than the other items. Cook your eggs however you like them. I like them over medium for a breakfast sandwich because you still get a bit of a runny yolk without making the sandwich overly messy. If you are cooking for a lot of people it may be more practical to make some folded eggs on the griddle or cook some off on a sheet pan in the oven.
Toast your bagel and spread the cream cheese mixture. If you are not very hungry or just need a quick breakfast you can stop right here!
At this point I feel a little silly explaining how to assemble a sandwich. I think you can figure it out from here.
I like this breakfast for a couple of reasons. One is because it can be completely made on the flat top grill. Being a full time RV’er I am always looking for ways to cook outside. The other reason is because it has interchangeable parts. I used swiss cheese but I think a smoked gouda would be amazing. Swap out the bacon for some spicy sausage. You could add tomato, onions, peppers, or pretty much any veggie.
Note* If you do not have a flat top grill use a wok or even a large frying pan. Cast iron works great. Be sure to scale the recipe back to fit your pan.
Heat flat top grill to a medium/low setting. Brown the Longaniza.
Once the fat is rendered from the sausage, throw on the onions, peppers, and the jalapenos. Sautee the veggies with the sausage for a bit.
When the onions and peppers are almost done add the garlic.
When you can smell the garlic cooking (this will happen quick) add the beans and the chicken. Heat these through.
Make a hole in the mixture on the grill for the rice. You should see some of the oil from the sausage come out and coat the grill. If there is not you can add a tablespoon of butter or oil.
Add the rice and begin to incorporate the rice into the mix.
Drizzle the Old Blind Dog BBQ over the rice mixture.
Brown the rice on the grill to your liking. The best method is to flip the rice with a large flat metal spatula.
Add about half of the cilantro. Use the other half for garnish.
Serve with warm tortillas
This rice dish is great for more than a few reasons. If you need something to serve a crowd it is easy and pretty quick to put together. It can accompany a meal or be the star of the show. If you do not have a crowd and, like Victor and I, often just need something for the two of you then the leftovers freeze well. I like to put single servings in baggies for a quick and simple lunch. Victor also loves when this rice is leftover so for breakfast, we can put it back on the grill to crisp it up even more and have it with a couple of fried eggs on top! Yummy!
From a chef’s point of view, I love recipes with interchangeable parts and this recipe has a lot! Feel free to play with it and make your own version.
Just about any sausage can be used in place of the Longaniza. A spicy Italian would work great or, maybe andouille if you want to go for something closer to a Jambalaya flavor. However, if you have never tried Spanish Longaniza (not to be confused with Portuguese Linguica, which would also work well), I highly recommend you expand your sausage horizons and give it a go. Longaniza is similar to chorizo in flavor but is made with minced meat instead of ground pork. I find it cooks off dryer than chorizo. If I am cooking it for breakfast I like to leave it in the casing. It is nice and garlicy, as a sausage should be, with afternotes of anise and a little sweetness.
The onions and peppers are not really interchangeable, but you can certainly add some things from the garden. Mushrooms or even fresh tomatoes would be a great choice.
If you are not a fan of black beans, or just don’t have any around the house, use red beans or pintos.
Just about any protein can replace the chicken. Pulled pork works great. Shrimp and scallops can be used. I have even used cod. *When using raw seafood, cook it on the flattop off to the side before adding it to the rice.
Brown rice can be used if you are feeling healthy.
The cilantro is optional or can be replaced with flat leaf parsley.
Any of the Old Blind Dog BBQ varieties can be used. I would not recommend using just any store-bought BBQ sauce. Our sauces are a little different and adapt well to recipe making. Store bought brands will often have a very high sugar content (or worse, corn syrup). They will likely just burn to your grill and you will end up with a sticky mess!
It is hard to believe that we have been full time in our RV for close to a year! We have been to 10 states starting in the green enchanted forests of Washington to our current spot at a wildlife refuge in Texas.
We have learned a lot! If you are thinking about the nomad lifestyle then you have a few things to consider.
I am not big on giving advice but, how it came about for us may help you with some of those decisions.
*Hint, if you are thinking about being a nomad, then you should definitely do it.
There are a lot of beautiful places across the country. Get out there and see them!
How it started
In the fall of 2019 we were out and about one afternoon running the usual mundane errands: grocery shopping, car wash, a stop at a home improvement store. Nothing special.
We passed by an RV dealer with some pretty cool campers. We were tent campers for many years and had always talked about getting a small camper and spotted a couple for sale.
To get to the smaller campers we of course had to walk past the newer more luxurious class A’s in the front of the lot. There was one with a door open so, what the heck, we’ll just take a peek.
Wow, we were in love! There were double recliners, a residential refrigerator, and a queen size bed. I had no idea that a motorhome could be so nice.
Actually, I had never even thought about it until then. Large class A motorhomes were never on my radar. My first round of thoughts was:
“I could live in this”.
“Do people live in these?”
“Is he thinking the same thing?”
I looked over at Victor and the little mischievous smile he had. Yep, he was definitely thinking the same thing.
Maggie enjoys the recliner
By this point a salesman had noticed us (and realized he left a door open) and joined us in the rig. After the usual sales guy small talk, he asked if we were looking for something specific.
We wanted to see more so, rather than moving on to the smaller trailers we decided to tour the other class A’s.
You know, you really get great service when you act like you have a couple hundred thousand burning a hole in your pocket.
Even if you have no desire to ever buy a new class A, it is still a fun way to spend an afternoon. (be sure to go on free hot dog day)
If you are considering full time, then looking at the luxury models can give you an idea of what you may want that is in your budget. It can also give you inspiration on how to improve on older models.
Realization
We were both frustrated with our jobs. It just felt like we were working so hard to pay our mortgage and other expenses only to come home and have to work on the house.
It felt like the job was only paying for the other job that I happen to live in.
We had conversations about how having a house felt silly since we used the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, couch, and patio. The rest was just a waste of space and money.
We came home the evening after our RV tours and fell down the YouTube rabbit hole of the world of full time RVing. We quickly realized this is not just something rich grandparents do when they retire.
Cute little driver
This is a movement.
There are a community of RVers out there who call their wheels home.
The decision for us was not a hard one. We both love to travel. We both loved the idea of downsizing and getting rid of useless stuff. We both were comfortable with the thought of not having a “home base” for an undetermined amount of time.
The only thing left was to decide when and how to do it.
BBQ Sauce
Cooking and experimenting with food is something we both have always enjoyed. Victor had been tinkering with his BBQ sauce recipe for a couple of years. We began canning it and giving it out as gifts and wondered if it was something we could sell.
An even bigger question was, could this be something we could sell while traveling in an RV full time?
One of the biggest questions people who want to full time RV have is “how do I make money?”
We were of course asking ourselves the same question.
Yes, we would like to sell our sauce. Yes, we would like to work for ourselves. Yes, we would like to travel while doing it.
Of course I cannot mention BBQ sauce without mentioning how we decided on the name. Eddy was our sweet boy who we lovingly referred to as our “Old Blind Dog”.
We did not kid ourselves about the BBQ sauce. It’s not like we are the first ones to put BBQ sauce in a jar and try and sell it.
The vision never included being on the shelves in big chain grocery stores. Our vision was to travel the country and join small local festivals and maybe a BBQ competition here and there.
This meant we would need a rig with a lot of space.
Choosing our Rig
We knew early on that we were going to go with a Class A. We had a truck, but it was not big enough to pull a fifth wheel. We also had a payment on the truck which was something we wanted to get rid of. For us it was more economical to purchase a Class A with a ton of space underneath and tow a car behind it.
We found that our bucket list was not that big. In addition to storage space, we knew we wanted a full-size fridge and at least a queen size bed. We preferred a second bathroom, but it was not a requirement.
Now that we have lived in our RV for close to a year, our bucket list for our next rig will be a little longer. In the future I will post about all of the things we didn’t think of.
Columbia Riverfront in Woodland, WA
We ended up with Bob, short for Sponge Bob Square Home. Bob is a 2017 Thor Miramar 34.1. Overall, we are pretty happy with the purchase. We bought it used with really low miles. We have had to work out some kinks along the way but Bob has been pretty good to us.
Our “toad” is a 2020 Chevy Spark with standard transmission
(to the young folk, that means stick shift).
The standard transmission makes it capable of being flat towed. Keep in mind, not all stick-shifts can be flat towed and not all automatics are incapable of being towed. This is something that has to be researched. We wanted to flat tow so we would not have to hassle with a dolly or trailer. If you end up in a small campsite, you will also have to figure out what to do with said trailer. We are happy with this decision. We were also happy with the deal we got on the Chevy Spark.
Apparently, no one wants to drive a standard transmission to commute in a city with heavy traffic. Go figure. The sales guy said it had been on the lot for a year and didn’t think anyone had even taken it for a test drive. It was brand new with less than 20 miles on it. I am pretty sure they took a loss just to get it off the lot.
Hey there little guy. We’ll take you home.
Then the World Changed
So we came up with our grand idea in the fall of 2019. We actually bought our Rig in January of 2020. Yes, that’s right, one month before the shit hit the fan. I won’t bore you with the details of how our plans changed because, well, everyone’s plans changed.
Basically, our plans were put on hold for close to a year. I am not complaining at all. In fact, it gave us more time to save, and the value of our home increased. We consider ourselves very lucky. We finally sold our house and moved into our RV in November of 2020.
Where we are now
Full time RVers tend to fall into two categories: stationary and travelers. Victor and I have found the best of both worlds. Volunteering has allowed us to stay and enjoy nature for a couple months at a time before moving on to our next adventure.
Work camping is a great way to give back to the community while living on the cheep. We have met a lot of great people. Many people still work on line while camp hosting since hosting usually does not require full time hours.
I cant wait to bring you more updates on the ins and outs of work camping.
