HIGH taxes, FROZEN fingers, and TINY tubs

My husband bartered labor for a 21-foot RV about a year ago. It's a nice RV. It has a queen and a twin size bed, full kitchen, small bathroom, TV/VCR combo, and AC/Furnace. We've only used if 4 times in the year we've had it. Three times we've dragged it to visit relatives as a "home away from home" and once we actually went camping.

I love it for both adventures. It gives me a comfortable place to excape to when I need a break and a bed I have control over as far as how firm it is. As you age, both of these things become more important.

However, there are disadvantages . . .

HIGH TAXES
The yearly taxes on RVs is easily double what a vehicle of the same value is. No one warned me. I showed up at the tax office prepared for $160-$200 and ended up paying $360, with only $400 in my bank account. Ouch!

FROZEN FINGERS
We have two propane tanks that hook up to our trailer. The stove top and furnace both run off propane. We spent several days this week away from home in our RV, attending my sisters funeral. We are in central Texas where it is seldom cold and wouldn't you know it a cold front blew in. In the middle of the third night the propane ran out and not only did we have no heat, but the furnace blew cold air into the RV.

I ended up with my son practically under me, covered with a heating pad and every blanket in the RV. Somehow, I still came out with frozen toes and fingers. It's been hours since I left the RV and they are still COLD.

CRUMBS
When you don't use a RV the concept of a table that folds down into a bed seems sensible. The truth is that it's to much trouble to make up and take down the bed daily so you end up sitting on your bed all day. And not just you. Any one that comes by ends up on your bed too. And anything they eat on ends up on your bed.

TINY TUBS
After checking out most RVs in our price range I was excited we ended up with one with a tub. But, maybe I should have been excited it had a shower instead. The tub is less than 2.5 feet long and about 1.5 feet wide. And the back end has about a 8 inch "shelf". It works for my son. I can sit him on the shelf and feel the tub a few inches to use to wash him. Of coarse, I have to lean over the tiolet to bath him . . . but he gets clean. There is no way to fit my chunky self on that shelf. And if I had a video of my trying I'd submit it to funniest home video.

There are many, many benefits to having an RV. Just a few gripes about adjusting to RVing.