2020 was the year everyone started a new hobby. And if you think you didn’t, chillin’ at home all day in your sweats totally counts as a hobby during a pandemic, don’t be so hard on yourself!
For us, the new hobby was our RV. We were absolutely one of the families that decided we could not spend another minute cooped up in our house and looked to outdoor recreation to save us! We have always enjoyed hiking and camping, but clearly it was time to take it to the next level, mostly for the sake of something to do.
A new RV (even remotely new), was absolutely not in the budget. However, my passion for repurposing things runs high, so we decided to go after a fixer-upper and make something old new again! I know what you are thinking, and yes, I am the true Joanna Gaines of the RV world (HA, HA!).
We absolutely scoured the internet for the right RV, and ultimately found the right one at the Roy Robinson dealership here in the greater Seattle area. Many people are weary of purchasing used from dealerships, but I have to tell you that if you are entering a world you don’t know anything about (like us going into RV ownership), having a dealer inspect and fix up a vehicle for you is the path to choose. The technicians there did a great job making sure we were ready for the road – I can’t imagine how badly we could have hosed ourselves buying something off Craigslist with no knowledge of how many systems there are, if they are working correctly, and so on. Yikes! We surely made a good decision here.
The RV we landed on was a “Class A”. If you don’t know RVs, this is the version that is basically a greyhound bus. It is HUGE! It sleeps 6 and has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and dining area, so despite the fact that it’s just an RV, the task of furnishing it was a big one.
Staying true to my repurposing dream, I first turned to every junk drawer and linen closet in my house to equip it, then to my local Buy Nothing Project group I am so fond of. Would you believe between those two things, I FULLY FURNISHED this 30ft RV?! I am talking comforters, sheets, pots, pans, dishware, towels… all the way down to cooking utensils and family games to keep on board! The only thing I have purchased for the RV is a set of throw rugs and a string of LED lights. Consider me proud!
At this point we decided the rest of the cosmetics didn’t matter – this party bus was ready for us to adventure on! From July to November just last year, we fit in TEN trips in Washington and Oregon. We were so proud of ourselves, and had so much fun getting out, enjoying some fresh air, and totally loving this beautiful area we are so lucky to call home. By the end of the summer I was finding us sad as a family if we spent more than a weekend or two at home without a getaway planned. Thankful doesn’t begin to cover my gratitude it offered us during such a horrible and isolated year!
Now that 2021 has flipped over, we are excited to start a new chapter of traveling on it, and fixing it up too! Thanks to Amazon (who else) I found some great easy to apply wallpaper, and that will be our next step is to refinish the walls and make it look new again. The cabinets need paint as well, and luckily we had a lesson in that flipping our last townhome, so we feel ready for that too. Re-upholstering the dining couches is on the list as well, and it is our lofty goal to have those items checked off by March when we think we will start hitting the road again!
I actually have an arsenal of posts ready about some of the great destinations we enjoyed, and can’t wait to share them along with more of our upcoming adventures with you!
And I am curious to know – did your family make an outdoor recreation purchase this past year too? I know I saw a lot of snowshoes entering the realm this Christmas! If you are thinking about an RV purchase but don’t know where to start or what to ask, please feel free to ask! We have learned A TON already and I am happy to share.
X.O. – Abbey Co.
In my whole repurposing project, I only bought ONE new thing for the RV which was this set of rugs! It was a small and simple upgrade but I think it really made a difference.
*Disclaimer* I am an Amazon affiliate and get a tiny kickback if you purchase anything from my links… I only share things that I use and love, and it is just a small avenue for me to earn money to support my blog as I go.
The pics are spectacular. Your kids will always cherish these memories.