Our RV journey officially started last year, but the quest to find our home on wheels was a true adventure in itself!  Our biggest tip is to let any new RVer's understand that picking the right floorplan is so important.  We toured RV shows and went in and previewed so many different models and floorplans and we figured out what we felt would work for us.  And boy....are we glad we did that research upfront!

Once we knew exactly what we wanted: a floorplan that was big enough to feel comfortable, with a larger bathroom and a great entertainment center for our movie nights, but not so big that it would be a beast to navigate. Now it was time to find that special RV.

The search was a mix of hope and frustration. We scoured online listings and drove to dealerships, and discovered that the floorplan that we wanted was very popular.   We discovered that sales were not always truthful about their inventory.  It was all about getting us to the dealership.  We held our ground and found our model Grand Design Imagine RB221....and then went to the dealership.

When we saw the Grand Design Imagine in person, we knew it was the one.  A great deal was negotiated and I invested in an extended warranty.

We drove it off the lot and found a place to store it, but something didn't feel right. There was a strange sound by the tires that we couldn't place. Bobby did some exploring and made a scary discovery: a factory-installed brake pad was not properly attached. A huge safety issue! We had to postpone our maiden voyage and take it back to the dealership. And this is where we got our first real taste of the RV world’s challenges—the RV service industry. It took a full two months for the repair, however Grand Design did replace the entire braking axle, and we were finally good to go safely....our maiden voyage.

Our first overnight trip in Fountain Hills was a success! It was hot, so we were thrilled to confirm that the air conditioning worked perfectly and we all slept soundly. Our fur babies did great, though they were not fans of the thorns all over the RV site that attacked their paws. It was a learning curve for sure, but we drove home knowing that all the bumps in the road were worth it. Our new adventures were just beginning.

Here's a checklist that we found useful.

We took our test weekend trip as soon as we got it back from the dealership.  We went to a RV park in Fountain Hills in over 110 degree weather.  Well the air condtioner worked!  Thank goodness!  

It's time to take it out on a real trip!