November 8th marks a pretty big milestone for us: one full year in our house and one year since we officially said goodbye to full-time RV life.
The transition back to what most people would call “normal” living has been surprisingly easy. But even though we’ve settled into life in a house, our hearts still yearn for travel, adventure, and the freedom of the open road.
And if you know us, you probably know that staying put forever was never really in the cards!
Saying Goodbye to Full-Time RV Life
Our home on wheels for full-time living was The ReImagine, a 34-foot Grand Design Solitude fifth wheel. And honestly? It was absolutely perfect for that season of our lives!
The layout and living space gave us everything we needed to live comfortably on the road. We had plenty of room, and it felt like a true home away from home.
We had upgraded from our original 30-foot travel trailer, The Imagine, because we quickly realized that having no real separation between living and working spaces wasn’t ideal for full-time RV life.
With Chris working from home and me regularly working overnight, on-call shifts, getting enough rest during the day could be a challenge. His desk was right next to the bed, which meant conference calls and daytime work often made it difficult for me to sleep.
Upgrading to The ReImagine gave us the separation we desperately needed and made our work-life balance so much better. For full-time living, that extra space was worth every inch!
When Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Once we moved into our house, though, our RV lifestyle changed. We were back to weekend getaways, state park camping, and vacation-style travel instead of living on the road full-time.
And that’s when we started noticing the downsides of traveling with such a large fifth wheel.
Our favorite places to camp are state parks, but The ReImagine stood a whopping 13 feet 6 inches tall. Nearly every state park we’ve visited over the past few years claimed to be “big-rig friendly,” but we learned that those words don’t always tell the whole story.
Sure, the campsites might be wide enough to accommodate the RV, allow room for the slide-outs, and provide enough space for those extra-long rigs. But there’s one important detail that doesn’t always seem to get enough consideration: height!
We’ve found ourselves in more than one situation where we had to climb onto the roof to trim branches just to get through a campground.
One experience, in particular, is hard to forget.
We were using a campground turnaround when we came to a dead stop because a massive tree branch wouldn’t clear the air-conditioning units on top of the RV. There was no easy way around it.
So, naturally, Chris climbed onto the roof and lifted the enormous branch as best he could while walking along with it. Meanwhile, I slowly drove forward, inching the RV underneath the branch and over the AC units.
Yes, we actually had to do that!
It’s one of those stories that might be funny to tell later, but in the moment, it was anything but relaxing.
And with the fifth wheel no longer serving as our full-time home, we started asking ourselves a pretty important question: Did we really need all that space anymore?
The answer was becoming clearer by the mile.
We didn’t need the extra room, and we certainly didn’t need the added stress of maneuvering such a tall, large RV into the places we loved most.
It was officially time to downsize!
Searching for Our Forever RV
Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time researching, comparing options, and dreaming about what comes next.
We’re not just looking for our next RV. We’re looking for our retirement RV — the one we’ll enjoy now, take on countless adventures over the years, and hopefully keep traveling in well into retirement.
You know, the RV we’ll hold on to until we’re finally too old to pull one across the country!
Yep, we’re talking about our FOREVER RV.
That meant we had some pretty specific requirements.
We wanted something as small as we could comfortably go without sacrificing functionality or practicality. We still needed a layout that made sense, enough space to enjoy our trips, and the features that would make traveling comfortable for years to come.
Maintenance was another big consideration. The fewer complicated systems and moving electronic parts, the better! We wanted something we could enjoy without constantly worrying about what might need fixing next.
We knew downsizing would mean making some compromises, but we also knew that a smaller RV could open the door to more opportunities, easier travel, and less stress along the way.
After all, the goal isn’t to have the biggest RV in the campground. It’s to enjoy the places that brought us to RV life in the first place!
After a Year of Planning and Deliberation, We Chose an…
Airstream 25FBT!
That’s right! We’re officially moving into a new chapter of our RV journey with a 26-foot Airstream 25FBT!
After a year of researching, planning, and debating our options, we finally found the RV that feels right for the adventures ahead.
It’s a big change from our 34-foot fifth wheel with 3 slides, a full kitchen island, a residential fridge and residential furniture, but that’s exactly the point. We’re ready for a simpler, more manageable way to travel — one that allows us to spend less time worrying about getting to and into a campground and more time enjoying the reason we went camping in the first place.
We’re excited to see how this smaller rig changes the way we travel, the places we can explore, and the memories we’ll make along the way.
And, of course, we’ll be sharing the journey with you!
Meet the New Us: Imagine Beyond
With a new RV comes a new name!
We’re officially Imagine Beyond.
“Imagining what’s beyond the places we’ve already been.”
Our journey has taken us from The Imagine to The ReImagine, and now we’re ready to see what’s beyond.
This 26-foot Airstream is about to take us on an adventure we never imagined. We’re looking forward to discovering new places, revisiting old favorites, exploring more state parks, and finding out just how far our little Airstream can take us.
Our RV may be getting smaller, but our dreams for adventure certainly aren’t!
Here’s to new beginnings, fewer low-hanging branches, and many more miles down the road.
Welcome to Imagine Beyond. The next adventure starts here!
