Wardrobe and Brake Failure
I haven’t fallen off the map; I’ve just seen and been clinging to the edge of it with wardrobe failure. First, I want to wish you all a Happy Canada Day and Happy 4th of July! Here’s the latest update on our maiden RV trip and my wardrobe failure.
The second day hauling our new trailer, I donned a do-rag to protect my hair from the wind. It worked well, unlike our SUV.
Five minutes down the road we heard this loud groaning, followed by screeching and lurching. Being pro’s, we assumed this was a bad thing. It was Saturday, and we were miles from anyone who worked on cars.Ā As we crawled down the coast, the obscene racket got louder by the mile.
This sign looked promising, so we stopped in.
They were closing but diagnosed we had no brake pads left and our rotors needing replacing. Could they fix it? Nope.
We continued screeching down the coast as my husband called repair shops. He finally found a guy who could fix it, so we white knuckled it another 175 miles. Do you have any idea what happens when your brakes are metalĀ on metal, and you have an extra 5,000 extra pounds of trailer rolling behind you? Neither did we but guessed it couldn’t be good.
Back on the road, we headed for Scott’s Flat Lake, near Nevada City. It’s a stunning alpine lake surrounded by towering pines.
We got our trailer backed into our campsite, but it was ugly. A neighboring camper saw us maneuvering forward and back, getting the rig twisted like a corkscrew and mercifully took pity on us. Dave, our new best friend, wandered over and backed it in for us. Temperatures were hovering around 100Ā°; it was getting dark, and we were exhausted from driving all day.
Unfortunately, we neglected to fill our water tanks. Oop’s, that meant no running water for four days.
It was way too hot to knit, so I lit a candle and read about it.
I hadn’t packed for sweltering heat and was unprepared for four days, over 95 degrees. The coolest thing I had to wear were two cotton maxi dresses which weren’t very practical.
Picture them dragging around a dusty campsite.Ā Here’s my creative style tip of the week š
Be sure you choose the right color rubber band when purchasing veggies. Luckily our Asparagus was wrapped in a blue one that was a perfect skirt accessory. I just gathered the hem, twisted and caught it in the rubber band.
I’m taking the weekend off to enjoy hot showers, clean clothes, and a family reunion. My daughter is flying down, and we’re planning a celebration. She gets home so seldom; I don’t want to miss a moment with her!
Pam and I will be back next Sunday with Hit Your Style Sweet Spot!
I think there is a learning curve to this whole camping gig. My husband and I did it once and we rented a “camper”. I don’t know what else you call it. It was a truck and camper all in one?? RV? Haha “That’s an RV Clark” is all I could think of when we were driving that thing. Anyway you looked darling. Love the Do Rag and the altered Maxi Dress. Hopefully it gets easier. I remember us backing the “camper” into it’s spot which was by a lake, it was dark as pitch and all I could see was the damn thing rolling down the hill into that lake. Mercifully it didn’t and when we awoke the next morning all the trouble was worth it. It was a beautiful spot.
That’s what makes the hassle worth it Linda! All those beautiful places!
Losing your brakes is the scariest darn thing ever. My very first car did this. The brake pads were fine. I’d taken it in to the mechanic about a week before with some concerns, and he told me everything was fine. Well, it wasn’t. I lost my brakes on the off ramp of the freeway, heading up to a red light that mercifully turned green as I approached. A co-worker had just been talking about his vintage car, and how it lost its brakes hearing down a hill. He threw it into neutral and used the hand brake. I had an old-style emergency foot brake, so I used it, off, on, off on, without losing control. Yep, scary.
What often happens with a trailer is the purchase of a new vehicle, often a diesel. Often it’s a matter of power and the cost of fuel. Sounds like you might be headed down this path.
Don’t worry about needing help to park. This is common at first, but it will get better with practice, and with those super new backup mirrors on your new rig. āŗ
So true! We knew a new truck might be in our future! They’re so expensive I hope we can forgo it for a while longer. Losing your brakes is very scary in an automatic!
You certainly triumphed in face of the adversity, kept your sense of humour and you looked great too! Thanks for sharing your adventure.
I love your line “reading about knitting”, so I think I am going to read about housework nowā¦..heheheheā¦..Suz
I love that Suz! Then we can read about doing laundry:)
Your trip sounds like an episode from I love Lucy!! Camping can be challenging! That is why we have given it up. Love your little trailer though it looks like fun!
It frequently felt like something out of “I Love Lucy”, Cindy! We’re giving it another go in several weeks!! Hopefully this will be smoother.
You two started at almost rock bottom of the camping experience. Glad it was an almost…. Darn scary!
You look fabulous in spite of the conditions.
Thanks Julie! We hope it only improves from here. But we really had a marvelous time!
Zen and the Art of Knitting
It was way too hot to knit, so I lit a candle and read about it.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
One must be resourceful :). Plus I’d snapped my wooden knitting needle and you do need two! I’ll take metal needles with me next time.
Pulling a camper can be quite the adventure! No brakes would be so scary!!! I never took a maxi dress on a camping trip but the rubber band tip is priceless! š
I hope your next experience is much better. It truly does get easier every time!!
Enjoy your holiday weekend at home!
Thanks Linda! I sure hope it gets easier because we really loved being on the road!!
The brake situation sounds so scary! I can only imagine how relieved you must have been when you arrived at the repair place!!!
The maxi dress looks great on you, and I love your creativity to make the dress work on a campground!
Have a fabulous time with your family!!!
Thanks Andrea!! Happy weekend to you and your family!!
We always travel with our water tank empty & fill it at the campground before we go to our site. Water is heavy and my husband’s theory is that we save on gas mileage this way.
I love your rubber band solution fashion fail solution and you look great!
That’s exactly why our tanks were empty Elaine!! The weight. We live and learn and will hopefully, never repeat that mistake.
I’m enjoying keeping up with your new adventure. Love your style tips as well.
Thanks Annie! We leave again in a few weeks and I’m hoping for smoother sailing.
Glad you were able to get your RV fixed!
I love camping BECAUSE it’s a time of no makeup and easy clothing and footwear.
Fun traveling along with you.
I can’t admit to not wearing makeup but I do love it!! Thanks Robin.
Best post ever! I can smell the metal dust as I read. Hope your learning curve flattens out soon!
Margaret
Thanks Margaret! We’re heading out again soon, so we hope for more success!!
The brake thing, with all that weight behind you, would be SO scary! Maybe good you didn’t fill the water tanks.
As for the fashion statement….looks really good, to me.
Have fun. And, be careful.
Good point about the extra weight of the water, Linda! Oy, it was scary. Have a great weekend!
I love the rubber band idea although I plan to NEVER go camping. LOL Now, the do-rag accessorising appeals to me. My hair is short and I’ve been thinking of doing “something” with a scarf now and then. What size scarf did you use?
I used a standard large square one. Folded into a triangle, start at front on forehead then wrap to tie in back. Works great!
Oh my gosh Jennifer, sorry to hear about the break failure…scary. You certainly didn’t fail in the glamor fashion department. Love the style tip, and I will be checking the colors of my veggie bands! Happy 4th! XxKaren
Who would have thought? Have a great 4th, Karen!
It sounds rough but you learned so much. Someday you’ll be the friend advising the newbies. You really rocked the maxi, by the way.
It was rough, Evelyn. But memories fade and my hot shower feels so good. So does my big bed š Have a great weekend!
Well, it sounds like you had quite the time with the SUV! None of that is any fun (ask me how I know!) at all. My heart sunk when I read the part of forgetting to put water in the trailer. Been there, done that! But you looked very cute anyway and I love the solution for turning a maxi dress into a not-so-maxi dress.
Barb
I am going to ask how you know, Barb! There’s so much I need to learn. Plus I snapped my wooden knitting needle and couldn’t knit the last 2 days! Torture š
Well, the important thing is you did look fabulous!!
Lol. Thanks, Elizabeth!
What a brave lady you are. I’m so glad you made it home safely.
Thanks Antonia! I think stubborn played into it too š
I am a seasoned camper and I can remember my first experiences! Hang in there. It will get easier and better. We have seen some beautiful spots that would have been missed if we had not been camping. Some of our most precious times with children and grands have with camping. We have a 24 ft. RV (Winnebago View) that we drive now and we love it. So much easier to get around in. Very compact but I have found I don’t need all the clothes and stuff I thought was necessary. You are so creative and it sounds like you kept your humor. Good luck with your camping adventure. Sylvia
Funny you should mention the size, Sylvia! All through this I kept wishing we’d bought a single unit class A or class C. The trailer was so awkward to maneuver. But this was the least expensive way for us to start out. We’ll move up if we really like it. There’s so many places we’re looking forward to seeing! Have a great weekend.
And yet you managed to look beautiful AND chic! I love the rubber band solution for the long dress! I really enjoyed this post. I hope you have a wonderful visit with your daughter, and a wonderful 4th of July!
You’re sweet, Judy. Thanks. Have a great weekend.
So sorry to hear about all your troubles. And this story is why I would never go camping. There is nothing in this that sounds vaguely like fun.
My words exactly, several times throughout this trip, Ramona. But our time staying at the beach in Oregon was wonderful. I hope for many more of those.
Wow! That would scare the bejesus out of me! Enjoy relaxing at home.
b
Thanks Barbara! I never enjoyed my shower quite so much before š
OMG…what a nightmare (the SUV brake issue)! The wardrobe challenge, well, you pulled it off with your usual flair! Glad you stayed safe!
The brake failure was terrifying, Roxanne. It felt so unfair! I think we survived it by dumb luck and sheer stubbornness. Have a great weekend.
I loved reading this! You have the most wonderful sense of humor! I think you were probably the most stylish lady at the campsite. Enjoy your family time. I’m looking forward to reading about your next road trip.
Thanks Paula! I admit I did look different from anyone else I saw at the campground. Sort of like a fish out of water :). That’s ok, I have to stay true to who I am.
I am absolutely certain I could not have written about this and made it funny !
We have been thinking of renting an RV to drive to the coast of Oregon from Texas. My son-in-law would be the driver, of course, as neither me nor my daughter have ever done anything like driving a big rig-thing. And, with their 3-year old + 5 dogs. Amazing courage, I think. Water tanks? Brakes? Is there a MANUAL for all this? Whoops! Sounds like all turned out OK, and I’m also certain the LAST thing I would have worried about was what I was wearing. Are you guys still married?
There is a manual Marsha, but neither of us like to read directions. Go figure. Your trip sounds like great fun. Enjoy!!
This my laugh for the day! To make certain you choose the right color rubber band!!!! That is So funny. But not funny to be unprepared for the heat and not enough water. Well, at least you are safe and sound. Have a wonderful holiday.
That’s my attitude too, Joan. Now. At the time, I was not so happy. Have a great weekend!