EP15 - Nomadic Tales from Chris & Katrina from Our Everyday Getaway

Find Chris & Katrina here: www.oureverydaygetaway.com

Embarking on a full-time RV lifestyle isn't just a change of scenery—it's a story of transformation and community, as revealed by our spirited friends Chris and Katrina from "Our Everyday Getaway" and "RV Unplugged." Broadcasting amidst the buzz of the Florida RV Super Show, we uncover the emotional rollercoaster that propelled these adventurers from part-time RVers to nomadic content creators. Their narratives are punctuated with laughter, the warmth of campfire connections, and the realization that sometimes, home is where you park it. Join us for anecdotes that traverse from the initial plunge into RV living to the discovery that the open road can be filled with friends you haven't met yet.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:10

Welcome back to the RV shenanigans podcast. I'm Ryan.

Speaker 2 0:13

I'm Lauren, and together we are Millers in Motion. We sold our ranch in Texas and are now enjoying many new adventures in our Alliance Valor.

Speaker 1 0:20

We are still coming to you live from the 2024 Alliance RV I did it, I've done it like every other show. We are still coming to you live from the 2024 Florida RV Super Show and we want to say a big thank you to Alliance RV for hosting us in their booth this year and allowing us to bring the shenanigans all around their RVs. We have some fun guests that I have not known all that long but got to know through Misery.

Speaker 2 0:46

Misery loves company, chris and Katrina from our everyday getaway and RV Unplugged.

Speaker 1 0:51

How are y'all doing?

Speaker 3 0:52

We are doing great. Thank you so much for having us on this show.

Speaker 1 0:56

We appreciate it we are pumped to have you guys, because I think after we all got eliminated some of the best conversations we had were me, you and Mike in a handle of scotch.

Speaker 3 1:09

Or two.

Speaker 1 1:10

Or two.

Speaker 2 1:12

And fun fact we are their very first podcast ever.

Speaker 3 1:17

How exciting is that. That is true, lucky me.

Speaker 1 1:22

So, guys, if you don't mind, how did you guys get in the RVing in the first place? You? Want me to take that Katrina Sure go.

Speaker 3 1:31

Okay, so what led to that journey or that destination? We had four kids and we would always sit around every year thinking of vacations and we always thought it would be interesting to go RVing, but, like most people, we just didn't have time. We didn't find time for it, and it wasn't until a series of events that changed our lives, that made us have a different outlook on life, and we started to say you know what let's do? The things we used to talk about doing that we wanted to do, but we never got around to doing so we went out one year and we said let's just rent an RV. So we rented an RV for two weeks and we took it out west and we just fell in love with it. We were like this is for us, definitely. So it wasn't too short, too long after that that we went out and purchased our very first RV. It was a 2016 Thor Hur can 29M.

Speaker 1 2:31

That's a gas motor on right, yeah, and like everyone else.

Speaker 4 2:35

You know, they go out and they say we're just looking, we're just looking, we were looking that day and Until the checkbook came out. We'd be gone if we didn't go home with one yeah.

Speaker 3 2:44

Yeah, so we bought a used RV and and for the first couple of years we were our timers and as I was getting closer to retirement, you know, I started consuming the YouTube RV shows, right.

Speaker 4 2:58

And what does consuming mean? Just 24, seven. Yeah, let's be right.

Speaker 3 3:04

We were watching it. I was watching them all the time and I was inspired to go. I wanted to go full time, but Katrina was kind of on the fence about it and it wasn't until, you know, a health issue that kind of changed things for us and had a different once again another epiphany, if you will and Katrina said OK, you know what, let's do this, let's make this happen. So I retired. Shortly after that, we went ahead and sold everything and bought a 2018 Holiday Rambler Endeavor XE diesel pusher and decided to hit the road full time, and it's been a little over two years now.

Speaker 1 3:44

So, katrina, were you all in at that point, or were you kind of like one foot in, one foot out, like what have?

Speaker 4 3:49

I done. I think I was like trying to balance myself between the outside and the inside. I wanted to go, but it was very scary to me to just get rid of everything. Now we're fortunate we have a property where we can store some things, but for the most part I mean everything was gone. And then we had to leave the adult children behind which might not seem like a big deal, but for me it was and shut my business down. So everything I was used to I'd always done I had to let go of. That was a little scary.

Speaker 1 4:18

Right yeah, so fast forward a little bit. What made you want to start the YouTube channel?

Speaker 3 4:24

OK this gets it.

Speaker 3 4:25

This goes back to watching the channels that I watch Consuming, consuming the channels. They all said the same thing it was a great way to meet people. So when Katrina and I would go out as part-timers, we would go to campgrounds and we would see folks out there having a good time, large groups of people, and we wanted that. We wanted to be a part of that. So I thought you know what? Let's start a channel. We'll do this usual stuff. It's a way to document our dirties. I'll do it for fun, to see what happens. I didn't expect anything to happen, to be honest with you, but I wanted it to use it as a way to meet people and it has paid off big time.

Speaker 3 5:09

It's been the best part, no doubt because here I am, sitting with you guys, and we're sitting here with you, and that never would have happened had we not taken that first step of running an RV and then eventually going full time.

Speaker 4 5:24

And none of our friends.

Speaker 1 5:26

RV, no family no friends no, so we were kind of longers.

Speaker 4 5:30

So we were like we're going to go out there and after a while you want some social, you want company, you want to sit outside campfires with that. So this was a great way for us to meet people.

Speaker 1 5:39

That's actually kind of funny because we didn't really have any friends. We had friends that had RVs but did not full time by any means, and they really didn't talk about it much. And we now RV with them because of us getting into it. But we're very similar actually in the sense that none of our families owned RVs. We had never owned an RV prior to our solitude, and that's crazy. I didn't realize, you guys.

Speaker 3 6:01

Well, you know what's crazy is that, believe it or not, I'm a very shy, insecure person, so when we were part-timers, I wouldn't Listen.

Speaker 2 6:09

I'm telling you You're going to have to say that a little hard.

Speaker 3 6:12

I would not. I would not go up to anyone. We were at a campground. I was too scared to. I didn't want to. Just you know. Do you remember how we?

Speaker 1 6:19

met. No the moment, not the circumstances around the moment. That was a whole different ball game. But you literally said there's a lot of Chris's here Call me CB and gave me a hug. Yeah, yeah, because, well, you go through. That's not insecure man.

Speaker 3 6:31

But look, you go through a change in your life, that's true, and it just makes you realize that that fear that you had for all those years controlled you, that you got to let it go. And that's what. Going through the change in my life and then eventually becoming a full-timer, it's much easier for me now, much easier for me, and it's been a blessing.

Speaker 2 6:52

And that's a really good point. I love that you said that, that you recognize that fear and the only way is to let it go.

Speaker 3 6:59

And that's another reason why I did the channel. I wanted to conquer the fear that had controlled me for so long and I knew that if I got a channel and it even did anything, it was going to force me to come out of that shell and socialize with people Right. And it has paid off big time. It was an answer to a prayer.

Speaker 1 7:19

So who are you Essentially what you're saying, because I always know you as a massive extrovert. But you're really an introvert, or at least used to be, yes.

Speaker 4 7:29

Katrina, where do you fall in that category? He still is in the times. I'm kind of somewhere in between I would go places and do things and he would stay at home.

Speaker 3 7:37

Really yeah, I would have a oh, absolutely.

Speaker 4 7:39

She would get invited to gatherings, and if it were, well, we were both invited and he would say I don't want to go, just pass, and I'm not staying at home, I'm going.

Speaker 3 7:46

And I was scared to go. So I missed out on a lot of things because I didn't know anyone and I had this fear of talking to people in that kind of setting. But if I knew you, and once I got to know you and we had something in common, it would make it much easier for me to talk to you, gotcha.

Speaker 2 8:05

Well, I got to say I don't like that you had to go through what you went through, but I love the person you are on this side of it, and so I'm actually very grateful.

Speaker 1 8:14

Thank you, yeah, thank you. Well, and I will say that out of everybody we've met, and especially from the RV Unplugged crew, you guys have been through so much and I don't want to get into all that because then I'm going to start crying.

Speaker 2 8:25

Katrina's going to get tried. Yeah, I'm going to get upset. I'm not to walk off. That makes for bad podcasting. I already lost to the allergies once today.

Speaker 1 8:31

I don't need to cry anymore now, so I will say, though, that Tony and Todd and the team at RV Unplugged did an amazing job telling your story, and so if you do want to check out their backstory, that is a great spot to go. Do it, so we don't have to cry today.

Speaker 3 8:44

Right and I think the important thing is is to focus on the positive and persevering enough.

Speaker 1 8:47

Absolutely.

Speaker 3 8:48

And conquering the fears or any other issues may have.

Speaker 1 8:50

Yeah, absolutely so. With that being said, what RV Unplugged? How did you guys get the call to or and and? I don't even know where to start with that.

Speaker 4 9:01

Do you want me to answer that? Yeah, ok, so that was interesting, excuse me. We were in Indiana, we were just, I think, we were at 1,000 trails and Chris was doing some editing and I was sitting there and I was going through emails and I come across this email from Stacy Farley and I told Chris and he goes oh that is spam, just click through that.

Speaker 1 9:20

That's not real.

Speaker 4 9:21

There's no way and I'm like I'm clicking on it. So I click on it and I'm like, oh, when she talked about they were going to do this show and wouldn't give any real details, but we could set up a Zoom call and all this good stuff, and so we did, and that's how it started.

Meeting Phil, Stacy, and Favorite Moments

Speaker 2 9:36

Oh, that's awesome. So you didn't know Phil and Stacy prior had never even met them.

Speaker 3 9:40

We sure. We were watching them for years and you know.

Speaker 4 9:44

I want to tell them one thing about that, if I can interrupt, oh, do it.

Speaker 3 9:46

No, go ahead.

Speaker 4 9:47

We were. We were here at the show.

Speaker 3 9:49

What it was three years ago four years ago, and this gets back to how I used to be this is how you used to be.

Speaker 4 9:54

So they were doing a meetup in one of the booths inside the building here and we were in line to meet them. I'm kidding you, we were there for like a good half an hour waiting. We were maybe three people behind. He says I can't do it. We got to go. We literally had to get out of line because he was too nervous to meet them.

Speaker 3 10:10

Oh no, yes, I couldn't do it. I could. That's the old, that's how I just couldn't do it. And it's like it's Phil and Stacy and I watched them all the time.

Speaker 1 10:18

And, for context, chris is literally walking down saying hello to every person in the aisle now, by the way. So high five and hugs all around. It's great, it's a beautiful thing, it is.

Speaker 3 10:30

But you know, when we got the email at the time, I think we may have had 3,000 subs, and you get inundated with a lot of stuff, sure, and most of it's junk. So I just like that's not legitimate. That's Stacy. Why is she doing it? So, until I saw her on the Zoom meeting, I'm like this is something's going on here. So it took me seeing her on that screen to believe it. That's crazy, though.

Speaker 1 10:54

At least you got more notice than I did.

Speaker 3 10:58

And she went through her whole pitch, her spiel and everything.

Speaker 1 11:01

Love that you said pitch, because you're like hit Stacy, wait a minute. What are you asking me to do? Yeah, yes.

Speaker 3 11:08

And she goes OK, you guys have any questions? And the first question I said was why did you pick us? Because we're just a small channel and to this day I never got a definitive answer. It was always like well, we just did this and that.

Speaker 4 11:24

No she never told us.

Speaker 1 11:25

So, in podcast land. This says timing's not going to make sense, but as far as if you're here at the show they're going to be on tomorrow at noon I vote you come back and we'll sit her down and say no answer, or else.

Speaker 2 11:36

Oh, that's funny, but I will also say, knowing Stacy, she does not surround herself with people she doesn't care for greatly, and so she is very intentional in who she lets into that circle. So to have that call with a small channel was quite a compliment in my world.

Speaker 1 11:54

Well, I'd say too that she did a phenomenal job at casting, because I don't know, I think the season two contestants have a big old bar that they're going to have to get to. Because we honestly think everybody that we left, we became very good friends with and we try our best to stay in contact, but unfortunately, as life happens, we scatter, because this is what we do, but when we get back together it's almost like we don't miss a beat.

Speaker 1 12:17

And it's next thing. You know the scotch is disappearing and Mike's doing weird things. We'll throw Mike under the bus. He's not here to defend himself. So you guys are on the show. Obviously, we were on separate sides for that, so we didn't get to know each other very well While we were filming. It took us, unfortunately, both being eliminated, to get to know you, or me at least get to know you guys better. What was some of your favorite moments of being on the show?

Speaker 1 12:43

Well for me other than meeting me. Yeah, that was a great moment, that was number one Come on.

Speaker 3 12:50

For me it would have been Katrina with the Fire when she did. That was my favorite moment Because my reaction was just like raw emotion the way I used to react when I was a big sports fan and it was just, you know, I was just so proud of her and it was just a just huge Weight was lifted off our shoulder because you want to contribute. You, when you're there and you're surrounded with all these great people and you, you're familiar with them because of their channels and you get to and you don't want to disappoint anyone. You, you want to be part of the team and she accomplished something for the team and it was just the best moment for us with by far.

Speaker 1 13:29

Oh, so, before you say yours, I Don't know that we've ever talked about this, so we might as well just air our dirty laundry. For you Know what I did when you won that? Because I was the next person up on the blue team to go. No and I didn't get to do the challenge prior because I was More than the ropes would allow. And at that point everyone's like, oh, he's just the goofy guy in the corner. I am incredibly competitive.

Speaker 1 13:56

Yeah, and I mean incredibly, like I was getting a twitch and when you won that and it think I'm really actually kind of happy it wasn't caught on camera. But I took two steps backwards and slammed my head on the ground and just started yelling. I was so mad I didn't get to play. Really, oh yeah, I'm so happy they didn't. And then I obviously give me 10 minutes.

Speaker 3 14:15

I calm back down and, yes, it was amazing what you did, but I got so mad. Well.

Speaker 1 14:20

I mean to me and not that you won.

Speaker 4 14:22

No, no, no. I got mad that I didn't get to play. I was. You know you could see the other team strategizing right before because we were right linear Susan. I were right there beside each other, right, so red was right behind me and everybody from the red team was going Good turn, do this just, and I'm like I got it. I got you know how do you use that. You know the fire starter. I'm like I got it, I got it. I got it. Just tell me one time I got it right. And then you were very Involved with helping Susan get ready and getting her pumped up and everything. So I do remember you. You know being so into it.

Speaker 1 14:52

Of everybody on our team, I was the only one that had any experience whatsoever not lighting a fire via propane or gas.

Speaker 2 14:59

Oh.

Speaker 1 15:00

Yeah, so I was trying to train her because the idea was just like you guys I'm sure you went back and forth on do we look for the thing or do we Just try to do the whittling deal?

Speaker 4 15:09

No, we were looking for the thing.

Speaker 1 15:10

So I I've done the whittling thing before and so it been a hot minute. But I kind of muscle memory is what I was hoping for there. So we were gonna let Susan do that and then, if it came down to it, I was gonna just do that because I I'm not a weak person. So my goal was is I could just kind of overpower it and get it to go fast. But yeah it, because of that I took a more lead role in that. Plus, I had gotten to that point where I hadn't gotten to compete yet and we were two challenges in practically, and I To tell you that my eye was twitching is an understatement I would have. So I was having headaches, yeah because I wasn't getting it.

Speaker 3 15:42

If you, I don't know if you remember, but I was so hyped up After letting it all out oh you. I walked away and I think some people thought I was mad, but I wasn't mad. I just had to bring it back down. I just had to walk it off, shake it off, but yeah and she's the buyer starter.

Speaker 4 16:00

Phil asked me if I mean Phil came over and he was concerned. On his face he's like is he okay? Right, I mean he was, because Chris totally just left the whole right.

Speaker 1 16:10

I had to walk away too, but that's because I don't. I mean, I was a golf pro For a long time and so outburst or not, a thing you do, and so it takes a lot for me to actually have one, because, you know, like breaking a club, you just don't do that kind of stuff in that sport, and so that's why I kind of removed myself and then, once I knew I was okay, I came back and and yeah, it was amazing what you did.

Speaker 4 16:31

But you got it with the swimming man thing.

Speaker 2 16:34

That's right, we called him a dolphin on one of the earlier ones.

Speaker 1 16:37

I've been called a lot of stuff if Howard calls me merman one more time. I could do without that, so Okay. So what was your favorite moment on the show? And you can't pick that one.

Speaker 4 16:49

Oh, I think my favorite moment was just when we got there and we found out who every the cast was. I Was so excited to see who they were because first the longest time, I knew that you guys might have not had this in experience, but we didn't know and it was months before we found out and it was just killing me to know who else was on that we were guessing who it might be, we were, we spent and then I tell him not much trying to figure out who was going to be.

Speaker 4 17:15

I did have a problem, yeah.

Speaker 3 17:18

You had a different experience.

Speaker 1 17:20

So, which is crazy, because obviously we're on the same show and that just my experience was. More get to where, by when, how, what, huh?

Speaker 3 17:26

Well, let me ask you, if it's okay. Yeah, how did, how did that happen and what did you think?

Speaker 1 17:30

Oh, we not told you how that happened?

Speaker 3 17:32

I don't remember.

Speaker 4 17:33

I think we know, but maybe not so the.

Speaker 1 17:36

The weekend before you guys were supposed to be around the area and however they queued it up. I still don't know how you queued up because I wasn't privy and we had Matt, todd and Tony and Phil and Stacy at the Southwest RV Super Show. We were a small and I you guys said you were small channel. We were really sure, yeah, because we were sitting probably around 1500 ish subscribers and so we were doing what we thought we should do.

Speaker 1 17:57

We were filming RVs, right, and it was in our backyard so, and we got talking to them a little bit and said, okay, see ya, and we had known Chris and Martha for a little bit, and so, with whatever happened, with whoever it was supposed to be, somebody unfortunately had to Not be there at the moment, and I'm not exactly her shoot to sure who that was and they, I guess they started asking like does anybody know anybody? Chris happened to be there. He's like well, ryan's in Fort Worth is where we were at the moment. And so I get a call from Chris and which is funny is because we were already thinking about switching our solitude out to a Toy-Huller and we were sitting in a momentum with the sales guy we worked with on our toy-huller and when you're sitting in there kind of talking money negotiating, you're gonna answer the phone from your buddy.

Speaker 1 18:39

No no he called five times in a row. You knew something. So now I, now I'm thinking, something's actually wrong.

Speaker 1 18:44

Sure and so I excuse myself. I get on and my exact response was Chris, was you better have a limb missing? What, like there's a reason why I can call you back. And he's like can you be an afton's tomorrow morning? Like I don't even know what that means of no, hard no, and he goes. Well, you talked to Tony from the NRV TA like Okay, and so five minutes goes by, tony calls me and say, hey, can you be here by noon? I'm like for what? Like you guys are got me in on something that's the info we had that's funny.

Speaker 1 19:12

Can you be here? That was all. It was the extent of my knowledge. That's it.

Speaker 4 19:16

So you said yes to no, I did not say.

Speaker 1 19:20

I said no hard, no, no. There were a lot of words in front of no that. I said multiple times, and so we get more information. Finally, after they realize they have to actually include me in what they're talking about.

Speaker 2 19:33

And by more information we got the word boondocking.

Speaker 1 19:36

Yeah and the show and I mean we had more than just boondocking. But you're gonna boondock, it's a show, we're hoping it's gonna get big, so on, so forth, and and I had flexibility in my schedule she did not. And we're talking literally at this point it's probably four o'clock in the afternoon they're asking me to be there at the latest by noon the next day. You and so we, I'm, we were talking about it. I finally got them to stop calling me for five minutes so we can actually have a conversation and we're talking about it. And I told her. I said there's no way, like I'm not just going to, we live in ours full time. I can't just take our home away from you for two, three weeks, whatever it was, and not do that and she goes. But it's a good opportunity. So essentially, that's when her boot got up and shoved me out the door.

Speaker 1 20:18

And she took it upon herself to find somewhere to crash and she took the dogs and and all of that and I called Tony and and, of course, tony being Tony, you as you know, now. I said okay, so I need to be there by noon. I'm in and he goes. Cool, can you be here by eight?

Speaker 1 20:33

It was like no, you're lucky, I'll leave by eight and I get there when I get there, how about that? And so I rolled up and in fact I was still working. So I was on contract and I was working on a brand new financial proposal for our company. And so, like when everybody pulled up, when we were staging, mike and Susan were in front of me and then it was me and I actually was sitting there and you guys were all starting to kind of like linger and get to know each other.

Speaker 1 20:55

I'm not sure where you guys were on the line. I was the guy sitting on that little grassy thing right outside, a little red, working on his computer, Because I was trying to wrap up something for the day so that I could be done. And another thing people don't know is I was working for a few hours when we were done filming, because I had to. I wasn't expecting to be gone, so I was up two hours later than everybody else. Wow, and just because I, when you get noticed like that, there's some things, as you know, you just can't drop.

Speaker 3 21:20

So that's how it ended up for me. Yeah, I don't think I've heard.

Speaker 2 21:23

I've heard a story like that was interesting, so his personality he sees the problems because he intends to solve them, but that he will immediately bring up the problems and say, no, I can't get there because you don't have a place to stay, because I don't know, I haven't prepared because all these things. And I was like we'll figure it out, we'll figure it out. I got on the fly, let's do you.

Speaker 1 21:46

And I will say I mean obviously there's apprehension when you do something like that, especially on a moment's notice. Yes, but once I got there and started to meet everybody and I say that once we got parked in our spots and I got to meet everybody blue team first and then you guys, kind of after the fact, yeah, best decision I have made in my RV life so far by a mile. Yeah, so great decision.

Speaker 2 22:05

Otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here with you guys. Exactly, we totally agree. So we totally agree, all right.

Speaker 1 22:10

So not to completely move on, but we're going to move on a little bit from RV on plunge. But do you consider yourselves boondockers now officially? No, not really.

Speaker 3 22:20

I mean no. I mean I still want to do more and I'm more comfortable now if I have to do it.

Speaker 1 22:27

OK, obviously especially if you've got a red solo cup Exactly. Yeah.

Speaker 3 22:32

So you know, yeah, I do have a joke.

Speaker 1 22:36

So sorry for the inside joke, but no, we're not.

Speaker 3 22:39

I wouldn't consider myself boondockers, but I would like and I'm comfortable doing it, probably up to a week, but it's not as intimidating as it was first was.

Speaker 4 22:51

Yeah, we will be sooner than later. I'm sorry, I mean we'll talk about that.

Speaker 3 22:56

Ok, yeah, oh, ok, all right, awesome, there you go.

Speaker 1 23:01

So we're going to call you boondockers, like then you're able to, but don't necessarily want to all the time.

Speaker 3 23:06

Yeah.

Speaker 1 23:07

Right. So, with that being said, you guys have a bucket list trip that a lot of RVers consider a bucket list trip that you guys are going to do this year. Yeah, is you want to talk about it, or?

Speaker 3 23:17

not so much Sure.

Speaker 4 23:18

We'll talk about it OK, you want to talk about?

Speaker 1 23:19

it. So where are we going?

Speaker 4 23:21

We're going to Alaska.

Speaker 1 23:23

Oh, to Alaska the, and you're going to boondock the whole thing.

Planning an Epic Trip to Alaska

Speaker 4 23:26

No, no, we're going to, we have that was really fast yeah. As we remember, he's bougie.

Speaker 2 23:32

He's OK, he's a pedestal princess.

Speaker 3 23:36

Yes, some days he absolutely is yes, I am, this is true, that this is true. I will not lie.

Speaker 4 23:42

But friends of ours that we met last year invited us to go on this epic trip and we had literally met them for like two days and we're like, yeah, I don't know about that. You know, we don't kind of know you that well yet, but we thought about it for a couple of months. You know, this is an opportunity to lifetime. They're planning the whole thing, so we really just have to get our checkbooks out and cheaters.

Speaker 3 24:05

Cheaters. Yeah, I mean, you know I don't bring up cheat, no, just.

Speaker 4 24:10

Oh we could say that I want the one pouring the water in the top.

Speaker 3 24:16

But we to. For me, I was like I think we should do this especially. They're doing the heavy lifting, so to speak. They're she's planning the whole thing, Right? So, yeah, it's one of those bucket list items that would usually take you a year or more to prepare for him, but it's been. It's been well over six to eight months since we were asked, right.

Speaker 3 24:36

It took us about two, three months to say yes and then we were all in, but so she is planning it, so I haven't really had to give it much thought. In terms of the planning, she's setting everything up for us, which is great. So to me it was a no brainer, because I'm like this is just going to make the trip that much easier for us, right, you know? So I was yeah, let's do it, because if we don't do it now, we may not get that chance later on down the road.

Speaker 1 25:02

Yeah.

Speaker 3 25:03

So we were, we were on board and then we asked them if it would be OK if we asked a few friends to go along, because the I'm intrigued by the possibility of having having a caravan sure, a bunch of us, because once again it gets back to I want more people around, as we are. If you, I love being around people and hanging out and sitting around and talking. You know the whole things that you do. So we reached out to a few friends and said would you be interested? So there's a total of four of us going for four different couples.

Speaker 2 25:33

Yeah, OK, so have you been to Alaska before in any way?

Speaker 3 25:37

No, never, no, never, really no.

Speaker 1 25:40

Now we've cruised it and we knew we wanted to go back and RV it because of that, but that was it, so we got like a taste of Alaska, yeah.

Speaker 4 25:46

So you would take your large rig up there? Yeah, you would.

Speaker 1 25:50

Everything. So, and then we've not been quiet about this, so it's been a poor marketing ploy. I might have Well, but everything we've done with that rig is to boondock and go to Alaska. Yeah.

Speaker 1 26:02

So, we've added independent suspension out of those. So we literally went from factory to more ride to have the IS put on. We're putting a very extensive solar system on, because I will never experience an RV unplugged like thing again, without air conditioners ever. That tells you how miserable I was. And the trucks been retrofitted for different things. The only thing we'd have to consider when doing that now for us is kind of something to help prevent damage to things. At that point it's like rocks and that kind of stuff. So, but that rig has been designed to do this essentially, maybe not by them, by Alliance.

Speaker 2 26:35

So we're going to let you go this year and then bring us back all your notes.

Speaker 1 26:39

Yeah, we'll wait a couple years and then we'll all go back up.

Speaker 4 26:41

But that would be. We could do a little reunion.

Speaker 1 26:44

There you go, season one oh, oh, fun Take it to Alaska Right. Well, last time we tried to get everybody together, it ended up being three of us, so, um, well, just in, it's hard.

Speaker 4 26:55

It's hard to get everybody to go at the same time.

Speaker 1 26:57

So that brings up a good point. You guys aren't taking your class A up.

Speaker 3 27:01

No, I just wasn't interested. I know it can be done. Sure, I've met people who did it. I literally met a guy. I mean I met a guy last year in Red Bay who had I think he had like a 42, 44 foot tag axle diesel pusher and he goes. I just took this up there. I have no problem. I just didn't want to deal with it. I didn't want to. I figured let's get some. Actually, you know, I wanted Nathan from Last Jump More Journey last year was selling a 2016. Was it? It wasn't a trend, it was a Viva.

Speaker 1 27:34

Oh yeah, the little thing they took down in Mexico. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 27:38

That's the rig I wanted. Okay, because I figured if Nathan, if Nathan sell on it, he's got a lot of things he invested into it.

Speaker 1 27:46

Yeah, there's a few things in there.

Speaker 3 27:47

And we wanted something small and compact, something that we could just was stealthy, that we could easily just pull over on the side of the road. No, we didn't have to worry about something, less things breaking, so I just wanted to kind of keep it as simple as possible, not having any experience driving up there, so, unlike you know what you're doing, you know, I don't know that I could do that.

Speaker 4 28:10

So what? We ended up purchasing this literally the same rig as that. It's just a year older.

Speaker 1 28:15

Okay yeah, so is it? Now you're officially two RV owners. Does that mean twice the amount of maintenance, or is one kind of winterized sitting somewhere now, because you guys brought the class A here, right yeah?

Speaker 3 28:26

Yeah, we, yes, we were trying to sell the class A. We had no offers and I told you, I said, I said what's the point of taking the class C down the Florida?

Speaker 1 28:36

Let's take the big rig down Might as well, you got comfortable.

Speaker 3 28:39

And so yes, the class C is undercover and winterized.

Speaker 4 28:44

But we also, during that trip we want to come when we come out of Alaska, canada, we want to go down to, like, washington state.

Speaker 2 28:51

Oregon to the.

Speaker 1 28:52

West Coast.

Speaker 4 28:53

We're not going to go, but we're going to do the northern part of. California. So we want to be nimble, so we can stay place.

Speaker 1 29:00

I was going to say because, with our size and your class A size, when you start talking about the coast of California, some things open and or closed based on the size of, like the PCA is not a thing you're going to do and something like your class A or our fifth wheel, exactly.

Speaker 2 29:14

That's quite the adventure. How long do you have planned for that?

Speaker 4 29:18

We leave at the end of May, we get into Montana we should be crossing over NMA and then we are there until like the second week in September when we come back down to the lower 40.

RVing in Banff and Alaska

Speaker 3 29:31

Yeah that crossing over into Canada. The plan is to go up to the Banff area, what will depend on the Notes Chris, you have notes? Did you?

Speaker 2 29:42

hear that that little was.

Speaker 1 29:43

Katrina snap Come on, get with it.

Speaker 3 29:45

Yeah, Banff and Jasper National Park will be up in that area.

Speaker 1 29:49

Banff is amazing. I've as a kid I went up there and played golf. It's amazing.

Speaker 3 29:53

Yeah, so, and then we'll eventually work away from over, over into British Columbia area up to the Yukon and then cross over into Alaska. Spend some time in Tennessee, denali Seward you need some readers over there.

Speaker 2 30:10

He does.

Speaker 3 30:11

And then we're going to cross back over and go to. I always have a hard time saying it to Yachtuck.

Speaker 1 30:16

I have no idea.

Speaker 3 30:16

I think it's called Yachtuck.

Speaker 1 30:18

Hey, you can convince me, man.

Speaker 3 30:21

So it's an amazing plan that we plan on staying at parks. We also plan on doing some boondocking along the way, so we're kind of doing a mixture of both.

Speaker 1 30:31

So that brings up a good point. Have you guys made any modifications to the new rig for Alaska?

Speaker 3 30:36

No, just a few, just a few. I did put some sumo springs on it, we did put some new tires on it and I will have a new battery put in.

Speaker 3 30:45

but I'm going to, just, I'm just going to wing it and see what happens and I'm like I told you, I said the worst thing, that what's the worst thing to happen, barring a major catastrophe. You fly home yes, what's the worst thing that could happen? It breaks down and we got to go somewhere and that's. That's the thing about getting comfortable RVing. You realize that you'll find a way to make it work, you'll fix it It'll. At first, you're really like nervous, like, oh man, something breaks. What's going to happen? What am I going?

Speaker 1 31:12

to do. You're going to fix it or you're going to find someone else who fix it.

Speaker 4 31:15

Well, him saying you saying that, Ryan, we do have someone with us that can do that.

Speaker 1 31:21

Cheaters again. Look at, someone planned it and you're taking a tech with you.

Speaker 3 31:23

The tech, an NRVTA certified tech. Yes, he went to the school, graduated from school, so he's. So we're with you figure, if there's eight of us, we should be able to figure out any problem.

Speaker 1 31:36

You'd think and hope. Everybody's been doing a long enough that hopefully there is some version of fixing those things along the way, but so you didn't add your. When you say a battery, what do you mean by that?

Speaker 3 31:47

I'm just going to put an AGM battery in there. I'm not going to.

Speaker 1 31:50

I'm not going to put it so literally just something to get from point A to point B.

Speaker 3 31:52

Yeah, Well, the long term plan is once we're done with this trip, we'll probably sell the sea. Okay, so the sea is not a long term plan. The sea was just totally for this trip. Okay, so once we're done, we'll we'll sell the sea and we'll keep the A.

Speaker 4 32:09

Okay. Well, we would still like to sell the A, but we don't have to. I would love to have a toy hauler, but Chris isn't on board with that.

Speaker 3 32:16

So that was the mindset, was you know, I don't want to invest a lot of money into the sea knowing that I'm going to turn around and sell it. So I just said, you know, if I think it was the Hanks who went to Alaska and all they had was their one battery and their fifth, we all believe.

Speaker 1 32:36

Oh yeah, cause I think they just I mean not necessarily recently in video land, it would have been recently got, came back across the border and I think they had a couple. I think they've added two lithium batteries so they may have 200 amp hours. Well, I thought they had a.

Speaker 3 32:49

I thought you may be right. I thought they went up there with just I also know they did add a.

Speaker 1 32:54

they put a generator on board, a portable generator on board, just to kind of get by. Yeah, I don't know what they could or couldn't power with that because I didn't know the size of it. It's just one of those I know kind of big picture things. I don't know the specifics.

Speaker 3 33:07

We have an on board generator in the sea, so I just figured that you know use that to charge it and, to be honest with you, I'm going it'll. What do you have? Something happens? It'll just make for good content right, right, I mean it will.

Speaker 1 33:20

So what is it? The people on, people that watch YouTube love two things Struggles and the unattainable.

Speaker 3 33:24

So just leaning on the struggle side. On that one, though, how bad can it be? Like I said, as long as no one gets hurt, it'll be fine.

Speaker 2 33:31

Yeah, we'll make it work. So if you had sold the class A and you sold the the class C, what would? What would you get?

Speaker 1 33:38

Fifth wheel.

Speaker 4 33:39

I would love to get a fifth wheel.

Speaker 1 33:41

So just on this, I don't have any of this in my notes we're, we're shocker, we're off we're off the rails, that's cool. So why? Why a fifth wheel Just out of curiosity? Or a toy hauler, or whatever you were saying?

Speaker 4 33:50

I would like a toy haul. I would like to. I would like to have some kind of golf card or something.

Speaker 1 33:54

Oh there.

Speaker 4 33:55

It is Very special, oh, my golf card.

Speaker 1 33:58

I'm going to point out. You just called him bougie, yeah.

Speaker 2 34:01

Our golf cards bougie Is that bougie?

Speaker 4 34:03

I mean yeah.

Speaker 2 34:04

They are not. I don't think so.

Speaker 4 34:06

It's perfectly reasonable. I mean, I walk one, so I don't care. I didn't say like Harley or something. You know, I didn't say anything.

Speaker 2 34:12

I want him to get one of the crickets, the little ones, that's just no. We could go to and raise them. Oh, that would be fun. Okay, yeah, a lot of fun Okay.

Speaker 1 34:19

Chris, do I need to mute them and we can just keep going with this? No, correct it no.

Speaker 4 34:22

And I want a large kitchen. I would love to have an island when you're there and you're parked for any amount of time. Let's say we go somewhere, we're, you know, sitting for a month. The class stage is large but it's not like having the room of, like a little home.

Speaker 1 34:35

It's a different kind of large, yeah. I think it's the best way to say that, because the class stage to me always feel more open because of the opposing slides. It's just kind of one big room and you just have shotgun style everything where you physically have more floor space because you have that part that goes up over the cab and so you have. We have more floor space, but not necessarily. Oh, that might not feel a whole lot bigger Like. I don't know if you've been in our new rig yet.

Speaker 1 34:59

No not yet I have you been in the version of our rig over here?

Speaker 3 35:02

No, we haven't had a chance to check out the um, but we'll.

Speaker 1 35:05

When we're done, let's go over there, sure, we haven't been invited. Yes, Well, you were, but I accidentally doused everybody with water and Mike was the one that came in.

Speaker 2 35:12

That's true. That's true. Yeah, that is true.

Speaker 1 35:14

Okay, so no modifications to the class B. But, chris, what's your hold up on the fifth wheel thing, because you seem hesitant over there?

Speaker 3 35:22

Look, I love fifth wheels. Um, I love it. We were in one the other night. We went in as we were hanging out with some friends and one of the things you notice as soon as you go into a fifth wheel it feels more like a home. It's got that feeling vibe and I love it. I have no experience driving a fifth wheel or towing anything, sure, and I was very hesitant to just buy a fifth wheel and a truck, hook it up and get on the road. Now I've met people who have done that and I give them all the credit, but I'm like it just was a little. I was worrisome for me. I just was like I didn't want to get stressed out by that.

Speaker 1 35:57

It was outside your comfort zone. Yes, okay, Exactly so.

Speaker 3 36:00

It's not. We love fifth wheels and we look at them all the time, but I don't know that we'll ever get a fifth wheel. So just for that reason.

Speaker 1 36:06

I can tell you right now, we have some content. We have some content for you here. Whenever you guys get back from Alaska, let's do a key squat. Bring the Class A if you haven't sold it, we'll do a key swap. We'll ride. I'll let you drive the truck in our trailer. Okay, in a controlled environment.

Speaker 3 36:21

Okay, thank you With me.

Speaker 2 36:22

President, and I will teach you.

Speaker 1 36:24

And then we'll flip, and we'll do the same thing.

Speaker 2 36:26

Let's do that. That'll be fun and I'm also going to give you more credit. Right? You've been driving your Class A with a toad. You have experience driving a big vehicle. Don't short yourself.

Speaker 3 36:36

Well, no, I mean, that's why I picked the Class A, because for 30 some years at work I drove trucks and I, you know I had those. I didn't drive semis, but I drove rigs over 26,000 pounds and I'm familiar with that freight liner, you know cab. So it was very easy for me to just transition over to a Class.

Speaker 1 36:55

A, and that's like us. We had the, we had the ranch, and so we were used to towing like huge things with hay bales on them, but it was always something in the yep, something in the bed of the truck, and so it's the exact same, just in different worlds. Yeah.

Speaker 3 37:08

And a lot of people are intimidated by driving a Class A, and to me, you know, it's so easy.

Speaker 1 37:12

So so, and that's that's ironic, because I say the exact same thing. I don't know. I'm not necessarily intubated to drive the Class A, I just know I need to learn some things before I do it.

Speaker 3 37:20

There you go. That's a better way of saying absolutely and so.

Speaker 1 37:23

I'll tell you right now. The only, the biggest difference is your pivot points are different, that's all it is at that point. And you're a little lower when you're in the cab and every time.

Speaker 3 37:30

Every time I'm at a campground and I see a fifth wheel come in to a tight spot, I'm like that would stress me out. I give these guys credit. They do a great job, and then there are those who don't do a great job.

Speaker 1 37:43

But those are at least entertaining.

Speaker 3 37:45

I don't have that kind of issue with the Class A almost we just got. We just went to Fort DeSoto and it was a tight getting in there but I easily got that rig in that tight spot.

Speaker 4 37:56

So and I rarely ever have to back you up. Usually you back up yourself. Yeah, the same thing. That's exactly what I do with him Most of the time.

Speaker 2 38:04

I'm just like tell me if you need me, Otherwise I'm going to move things so that you don't hit them and I'm going In tight campground.

Speaker 1 38:10

She serves as a pivot point or a spotter. That's pretty much it. And that's only because, obviously, like I have a blindside. I don't know you don't really have a blindside because you're attached. Yeah, not really you do, but it's normal blindside.

Speaker 3 38:21

Yeah, and I usually. That's. What I need her for is making sure I don't hit something at the top corners, something like that. Other than that between the backup camera and the side mirror, I'm pretty comfortable backing in there.

Speaker 1 38:32

So that's the biggest difference is we have a blindside, no matter which way you're going, unless you're backing straight in, obviously, because when we pivot out like say we're backing in, you know, to our door side, well, I can't see the entire side of my coach on the service side. Now some people get cameras. They've actually messed me up more than they helped me, so I stopped, I just we just ditched them when we switched coaches, and so that's what she'll do a slash film, because you know that's a thing with us. How many what's the most times you've had to pull in or pull out of a place because you wanted to get specific shots? A few, we've done a few.

Speaker 3 39:05

Yeah, we've done a few, yeah, and then there are times when we forgot to get a shot.

Speaker 1 39:08

So yeah, Many times we won't be actively shooting a video and we'll be pulling out of like a cracker barrel. So I'm like hey, will you go out there and get a shot? And she's like for what? I don't know, you never know.

Speaker 3 39:18

Yeah, yeah, something I'll use it at some point.

Speaker 1 39:22

It's something different, right? Awesome guys. Well, thank you so much for being with us. I have one little section this is a listener Q&A and you guys have one. Okay, cool, and it has nothing to do with anything we've talked about. Okay, that's great, because I think you put some stuff out on social media. I know about this already, but Steven from Iowa asked how is Tucker doing?

Speaker 3 39:40

Tucker is. We think he's doing that. First of all, Steve, thanks for asking. I really do appreciate that, tucker, for the other day he started having some discharge from his eye so we took him to the vet. He has what's called an ulcer, which is basically a scratch, and I'll take him back tomorrow to find out whether the medication has helped. And they think it could be superficial, and we don't know if it's superficial or deeper. So, we'll find out tomorrow, but he seems to be doing better, right, katrina?

Speaker 4 40:07

He seems to be doing a lot better. There's less seepage and he's opening it wider and seems happier.

Speaker 1 40:13

Good, let's say that might be the happiest dog I've ever met.

Speaker 3 40:16

Yeah, he's a good boy, he's a good boy, he's a good boy, he's my buddy yeah.

Speaker 1 40:19

I am like a morning. You I'm not going to lie.

Speaker 3 40:20

Okay, that's understandable, that's cool, that's okay, that's fine.

Speaker 1 40:24

Guys, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast. We'd like to say a big thank you to Alliance RV once again for having us out at the 2024 Florida RV Super Show. Where can everybody find our everyday getaway?

Speaker 3 40:37

They can find us on YouTube, facebook and Instagram.

Speaker 1 40:40

Just the handle at our.

Speaker 3 40:42

Yes, just go to our. Well, we also have a website oureverydaygetawaycom. But yes, go to our. Every day on YouTube, our everyday getaway. And the same with Facebook and Instagram.

Speaker 1 40:51

And I will say they have some of the coolest merch I've seen. We, the RVers I know that I've already looked at Lauren said we need to order those.

Speaker 2 40:59

Oh guys, you guys are cute, so we do like that stuff.

Speaker 1 41:02

It looks great, thank you, Continue success, safe travels and everybody out there. We will chat with you next week.