The Coachmen - Bio part 5

They wanted to replace their camper with another Volkswagen (a new one this time) but none were produced that year (or at least none were imported from Europe).

So the search turned toward a used converted van (the only RV within their budget range and close in size to the Volkswagen). The more they looked the more they grew to appreciate what they'd had with both their Volkswagens. It began to seem as though the designers of camping vans had never spent much time camping. There was more attention given to creating an illusion of extravagance than basic livability. Most were little more than party rooms on wheels, capable of supporting life for a weekend but no longer. The few full-fledged campers they saw seemed very claustrophobic with cabinets, galley, and head (toilet) packed between the cab and the rear dinette/bed. And to make matters worse they were paneled in "rich" dark imitation wood. Yes, they were bigger in overall dimensions than a Volkswagen but they managed to waste so much space that they ended up with far less interior space.

Finally, late one Sunday afternoon, in a dealer's lot (again far from home,) they peeked into the windows of a Coachmen camper van and saw what they had been looking for, space surrounded with all the amenities for living. It even had a bathtub and shower like the larger motor homes - although they were far too small to be usable. Could this be an adequate replacement their aging wanderer? It sure looked like it.

They had no illusions about its being able to match the diesel Volkswagen's fuel economy but it had so much more to offer - a furnace that could be used on the really cold evenings and nights, a water heater to substitute for the range-top cooking pot, and the luxury of a microwave oven for those few times when they were willing to pay the extra $3 a night for shore power. Even the refrigerator, now up off the floor and with its extra capacity and freezer compartment made living on the road that much more like living at home. (And camping that much less like "camping".)

But of all the amenities packed into this small motor home, the toilet was to become the most appreciated. Trudging through dark woods or across cold campgrounds to find facilities at night was becoming an unwelcome adventure. And it could really come in handy when stuck in traffic jams or lost on back roads.

They gave me the name "Shamu" and I put up with that name for 8 years. During that time we logged over 90,000 miles together wandering up and down the east coast from Maine to Florida. But the miles began to take their toll and I was getting ready to move on. If an affordable replacement could be found that met all the requirements we'd developed over the years, we'd be ready to begin some serious wandering.