Selling my house and travelling around full-time in an RV is a dream of mine. Linda Lehmkuhl (70) is living that dream. She RVs full-time, spending much of the summer in Ohio, the winter in Florida, and taking trips all across the country whenever it suits her.
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| Linda at home in her RV |
Me: How long have you been living on the road?
Linda: I started out in 2005. Originally, it was only going to be for a year, but here I am.
Me: Do you travel alone, or do you connect with other RVers and travel with them?
Linda: No, I travel alone. I meet up with friends I’ve met along the way and it’s like re-joining with family, but we don’t ever travel together.
Me: And it’s just you?
Linda: Yes. Sometimes I take a trip with a friend. Or I get my grandkids and we go somewhere for a week. That’s more like a vacation. That’s fun. But I like being on my own.
Me: Are you ever scared?
Linda: I’ve only really been scared two times. The worst was when I was leaving Long Island. I made a wrong turn and ended up in the Bronx. Then I got back in the southbound lane and got stuck in traffic on the George Washington Bridge. I thought I was going to run out of gas and I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid to pull off the highway.
The other time I parked for the night at a Wal-mart. It was the only time I ever did that. A drunk started bothering me and banging on the door, but since I have a Class C (cab is similar to a truck, with a bunk above, plus a rear bedroom) I just moved up to the driver’s seat and started driving. I didn’t have to get out of the RV.
Me: Are there other things you have to worry about, traveling alone?
Linda: Not really. I don’t have a car, so I don’t have to deal with hitches or anything that I can’t handle. People used to ask me if I was going to get a dog or a gun, but I’m okay on my own. What’s funny is when I pull into a park and all the men see that I’m travelling alone. They come and stand around and watch me back the thing up.
Me: Can you back up? I thought you’d pull straight through.
Linda: No! I’m really good at backing up.
Me: How much physical work is there?
Linda: Not much. Just electricity and water hook-ups. It only takes me about 15 minutes to set up.
Me: What’s been your favorite trip so far?
Linda: Probably the one I took the first year when I went from Florida to Padre Island, Texas. Everything was so new to me. I left there and went through Arkansas, Missouri, and stopped at all these neat little places. I wasn’t in any hurry to get home that year and spent a lot of time sightseeing. I didn’t have any real plan. People recommended places to me and I went.
Me: What trip wouldn’t you repeat?
Linda (after a long pause): I probably wouldn’t repeat the trip to Tucson unless I stopped a lot along the way. The drive was too long with nothing much to see.
Me: And where do you want to go that you haven’t gone already? (Linda has been across the southwest, up through the northern states, Canada, and to Alaska, and has travelled from Florida to Maine.)
Linda: I’d like to go to Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada. I have friends there now that I could visit.
Me: So how’d you get the nickname “Mayor of Dumpsterville?”
Linda: Every winter I go down to a park in Wildwood, Florida and I always take the spot closest to the dumpster. Everybody has to go to the dumpster, so I get to meet everybody and then they dubbed me “The Mayor of Dumpsterville.” They even made me a sign.
Me: Do you ever miss having a house?
Linda: No. I have a houseful of furniture in storage, but I’ve found that you actually need so little. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a house again.
Me: So why not get rid of your stuff?
Linda (laughs): I can’t. It’s like I have a whole other life I’m clinging to, but don’t miss.
Me: It’s a whole different lifestyle, isn’t it?
Linda: It is. You know me; I’ve never met a stranger. RVers are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. You pull into a place and pretty soon you know everybody. License plates are a real conversation starter. You start talking about where you’re from and where you’ve been.
Me: Do you think you’ll ever stop?
Linda: Eventually I’ll have to. I’ve thought about not being able to do it physically or mentally. I’ve driven over 80,000 miles so far. I’m always excited to get going again, but I do get anxious to get home again, too.
Me: I'm hooked. I can't wait to get on the road someday myself.
Me: I'm hooked. I can't wait to get on the road someday myself.
Wow, what a lifestyle. I have to admit, I think my generation doesn't see the appeal in this. We weren't taught that RV travel is luxurious, privileged, or exciting -- the way so many of our parents seem to think. But after this interview, I can see why it might be.
ReplyDeleteExcept the dumpster part, lol. I like the logic of meeting everyone, but I'm really, really dubious about the smell.