The RV Show at Cal Expo

I swore to myself less than a week ago that I wouldn't be caught going to the RV show. I was, and am, so sick and tired of RV's and all their little quirks, to say nothing of all the things like emptying waste tanks, lights that don't work, plumbing that is dicey, and having to sometimes be in parks you don't like or enjoy, and I haven't even said anything about hitching and unhitching. Add to that having to do all the jobs that are called by some by the cutesy terms of "blue jobs" and "pink jobs" - they are all "crap jobs" in my estimation.

But just now I printed a $5.00 off the price of ($10) admission to the Cal Expo RV Show, running March 11-14. Tomorrow, the 13th, will be my only chance to attend since I am busy on the 14th. The show is listed as being accessible at the Main Gate. Parking is $10. I am here on the premises, but it's a long way for me to walk around to the Main Gate (this from a woman who is beginning to love her 4 mile walk-workouts 3 times a week!). I'm not paying $10 to park across the fence from my RV. So the questions is, will I go or not?

I'm just thinking out loud here, so for folks who like clear cut decisions, just skip this. I love to travel, and can't imagine the day when I can't travel back and forth across the country. I used to never give it a thought that I had to stay at Motel 6 because they accepted dogs (and didn't charge extra for them). Motel 6 has definitely upgraded their facilities in the past few years and I was never dissatisfied with it. I don't stay at a motel for the amenities - I carried my own cooler with the makings of my evening meal plus beverages, and didn't need a fridge, hairdryer, or iron. I was a happy wanderer.

Now, I've heard stories from friends who have stayed at motels considered to be much upgraded from Motel 6, and they have come away with bug bites - fleas, bed bugs, whatever. When I stayed for a week in Kansas last year while my rig was being repaired, I had a pleasant and clean room, but after traveling with my own bed for a year I began to feel uncomfortable under a bedspread that I knew hadn't been freshly cleaned, nor did I know the extent of cleanliness of the mattress, pillows, etc. I'm not a clean freak, by any means, but this is really starting to bother me.

So I can downsize to a smaller RV, you say. Considering the hit I will take on depreciation of my 5th wheel, plus the fact that smaller Class B+ and Class C's cost more to begin with, it won't be a good financial move for me. Add to this the fact that there is only one of me, with only one retirement income, and I'm already operating with much less than most RVers.

I've given this so much thought and even consider acquiring all the gear necessary for tent camping, something I would normally enjoy, except that I prefer to travel in the off season which means that it would definitely not be tent camping weather.

I'll continue to obsess over this issue until one of these days I'll make a split second decision and that will be that. In the meantime, I think I might rather visit a lot with used RV's for sale than to a show featuring indoor&outdoor kitchens, upper&lower decks, umpteen slide-outs, and god only knows what else I don't need or want to look at.

I appreciate the comments on my water drip problem - I agreed with those who said it's the park's problem. Sure enough, I tightened all my connections and made sure there were O rings where there should be O rings, and I ended up with a negligible drip. Today it's rained all day, so from a slowly drying up puddle I now have a lake under and around my rig.