We all had to start somewhere, do you have any fond memeories of your first RV?

We loved looking at all the RV's when we took our kids camping in our tent and wished for the day we could afford one.  However, on a military salary with three kids, a new or even late model RV was not in the cards.

Fast forward (or backwards) to 1993.  We were out driving somewhere and saw an RV, an older model, for sale in a driveway.  We stopped to look, but I wasn't smitten (at first) because it was a 1973 21' Class A Travel Mate on a P-30 Chevy chassis.  20 years old, all I could think about was what kind of things would be wrong with it.

The owner kindly showed us the RV.  Even though it had the 1970's required shag rug, the interior was in pretty good shape, seat covers had been replaced, everything worked.  The owner showed me the receipt for the new 350 Chevy engine he had installed with less than 20K miles since replacement.  I looked closer and the transmission fluid was clean and bright red, tires were good and the exterior had a full body paint job with Imron paint.

I had been a GMC truck mechanic for a number of years before joining the service and realized this RV was a find.  I could fix anthing that went wrong with it.  I dickered with the owner and purchased it for $5500.

We had a ball with the RV, several trips to Lake George, NY, Rhode Island to visit the outlaws, even a trip from our base in NJ to FL to visit Disney World's Ft. Wilderness.  Sure I had many mechanical issues, including our one famous trip up to Lake George when we had three flat tires, two on the way up, one on the way back.  Changed them myself, too, a 3/4" socket set and a six foot long cheater pipe.  Didn't even know there was a thing such as a ERS then.

We did annual trips to Busch Gardens in VA every Easter.  I found a double bunk bed folding cot that my 2 boys slept on.  Things were kind of tight, but it was time well spent as a family.   I even used to drive it around town every now and then, just because I enjoyed being behind the wheel so much.

Orders to DC came in 1997 for the 1998 transfer season.  Since there was no base housing available, we opted to buy a house and our RV had to go.  Sold it for $3400, which went towards the down payment.

Since then, we are now on our third MH, looking at retiring from the service and hunting for a fulltime rig, but the kids are grown and gone and we'll never have the fun of traveling as a family again.

But enter the grand children and we are looking forward to new adventures.

Still miss the wonderful RV that started it all, though.

Best Regards!

Your mind is always working Paul :) . Our first RV was a truck camper, 1979 vintage that we bought in 1997. At the time I was racing and we spent Firday thru Sunday at the track and Motels were killing us. Therefore the truck camper for $750 was a bargain. That led us to a new truck camper then a new class C and then a new Class A and now a 5th wheel. The whole trip has been great! Thanks for bumping my memory

Ah yes, it was a 1976 class C, Dodge Gypsy with burent orange shag carpeting. The first thing we did was rip out that carpeting and replace it.  We had rented a class C a few yrs before it and took the rental to the Grand Canyon, well it sure got us hooked.  We bought it for $3,000 and sold it for $4,000 so did well.  It was lots of fun and when it sold we had already found a small class A 1984 Allegro 23 ft. We later bought a new 2005 pull behind Outback trailer  and by then we really had the bug. Sold it for our 5er and are now full timing  with our 2002  Mckenzie Medallion 34 RLt.

southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs

Fun topic Paul. I read your post and it brought a smile to my face

Our first camper was an early 70's "somethingoranother" about 19' long. We pulled it with a Monte Carlo of all things (young and dumb). The bathroom in this thing was on the outside wall and was perfect for someone 5'4" and weighing 120lbs, bad thing is at the time I was 6'3" and weighed 250lbs. What an "experience" that was!! One of the best features it had was a LP lamp (like a coleman lamp) over the dinette, not only provided light but warmed the place in chilly weather.

Thanks for sparking the memory.

Phil Bob

Our first RV was a 9 1/2 ' pickup camper. We bought it and the pickup new in 1972 when we lived in Southern California. Our children were 7 & 4 years old and loved to camp. I remembered that we had an ice box that held a 50 lb. block of ice and of course we wern't self contained, in fact we didn't even have a toilet.

I would come home from work on a Friday afternoon and say "lets go camping" and off we would go for the weekend, no planning ahead or anything. The camping experience with our children would reap many rewards as memories were made of our togetherness.

We eventually bought a 22' pull trailer and used it until the kids decided that our camping was interfering with their social life. Sold the trailer and eventually bought another used camper for the two of us to use. Upgraded again to another pull trailer and finally to our present 5th wheel.

I'm not sure why we still call it "camping" as that block of ice has long since melted and all the comforts of home now travel with us.

We will own an RV until "time" creaps up on us and we can't safely drive anymore.... 

What an interesting subject. I read all of the entries with a smile. Let's see? Our first RV was a 1960's vintage 14 ft Magnolia travel trailer. My wife purchased it while I was in military training for the army in 1971. I was stationed in Fort Gordon Georgia at the time. Her uncle helped weld a hitch on our 1963 Chevrolet 4 door sedan and she drove with that thing behind her all the way from Oklahoma to Georgia alone. She and I lived in that 14 ft trailer for 3 months while I attended AIT at Fort Gordon. Fort Gordon is located at Augusta Georgia and it was summer. While I was in classes during the day my wife (a very determined, capable and tough lady) stayed in that little trailer. She purchased a water hose and sprinkler, put it on top of the trailer and turned it on to keep the thing cool in the Georgia heat. It must have been quite a site to see and I chuckle when I think about it. When I finished trianing she flew home to Oklahoma and I pulled the trailer home. What a wonderfull time it was for me. I thank you for helping me to remember.