I received a private message yesterday from a reader asking what tow vehicle I use and what model of camper I tow. She has followed my blog for quite some time and is thinking of downsizing and taking off in a camper. While that is exactly what I did, hindsight is 20/20 and there are things I would have done differently had I known then what I know now. No huge regrets, but some remorse.

First, if I would have known I was not going to actually be living in my camper for the rest of my life, I don’t think I would have bought such a big travel trailer. Mine is 29.5′ long, so with my truck, I’m at 40′. Not an insignificant length when running around in traffic. Plus, I really miss the original 16′ TOW-Wanda. I was far more inclined to pack up and go somewhere with the little camper than I am with the big one. It’s a much bigger ordeal towing this behemoth. That being said, I have two months booked in state parks in Florida in February and March next year so the extra room will feel welcome on a long term trip.

Now, my tow vehicle. My old truck had a 373 rear axle ratio which provided a lot of torque when towing. Torque equals power and ease in towing and it’s better for the transmission. I let the guy at the Ford dealer convince me the 331 that I bought would be fine. It’s on the lower end of adequate and I wish I would have held out for a 352 rear axle ratio at the least. But, I wouldn’t trade a Ford F-150 for anything. I love that make and model and it’s so comfortable. I got up to 19.4mpg coming down here and I consider that great for a truck of this size.

Stuff. I do NOT miss my stuff. I kept what was truly important to me, and even that is too much. I got rid of 95% of my personal belongings and I can guarantee you I never would have gotten rid of a thing had I stayed where I was. I would have just continued to accumulate more and more till I was buried in it. I’m so much lighter and freer now. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to live on the family farm right now but I have to remain ever watchful that I don’t continue to accumulate stuff. I don’t ever want to be in the position again where my stuff becomes overwhelming and unmanageable.

My house. Ahhhh….here’s where I have remorse. If I could have done anything differently, it would probably be renting my house out instead of selling it. While it DID have a mortgage that wouldn’t be paid off till I was 90, the mortgage payment was right around $800 a month and I could have easily rented it for twice that much. That being said, if I hadn’t have sold the house, I couldn’t have gotten the bigger camper. Without the bigger camper, I wouldn’t have moved home to West Virginia. And if I hadn’t have moved home, I wouldn’t have reconnected with my amazing circle of friends and family that I enjoy so much. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to spend two winters on the banks of the Ohio River. I wouldn’t have gone to so many wonderful concerts, kayaked, biked, and really discovered a West Virginia I didn’t know. THe trade off has been large stretches away from my daughters and grandchildren which is difficult but I try to make up for it when I go to Colorado to visit.

All things considered, while hindsight is 20/20, I am still quite satisfied with this life I’ve chosen to live. It has turned out differently than I imagined it three years ago, but it’s a beautiful life, nonetheless. My advice to you, if you are considering doing what I did and chucking it all for a life on the road, is this…carefully consider all your options. Really work on a two-, five-, and ten-year plan. If you can swing it at all without losing your biggest asset, then keep the house and rent it out for supplemental income. If not, always have a viable Plan B (and C, D, and E) in place. We cannot take our health, the state of the world, and our own personal economy for granted. That being said, if you can work out all the details, absolutely go for it!!! I’ve actually LIVED more in the last three years than I have my entire life! ❤️

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬