The Call of the Wild

So here I am, my laptop plugged into my RV trailer, some reggae pumping through the on-board stereo system, a half-a-coffee-cup of Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon, a quick post-hike shower and the doggo leash outside digesting a whole can of wet dog food while enjoying nature and the laughing squirrels when it occurs to me; just ten years ago I swore off camping, exposed and fully traumatized from the way the Army turned what camping used to be for me as a way to connect with nature and challenge myself to learn the ways of our ancestors. You know, a means to get out of the comfortable luxuries I grow used to at the house. Yes, by the looks of it currently, things and perspective have certainly changed, but my level of bourgeois has not!

The journey to get where I am currently at, a level of rugged yet sophisticated comfort, took quite a few years of trial and error, a lot of research and the big decision to finally invest in a “rolling studio apartment” that I enjoy at least one weekend a month that is now providing the light, warmth and shelter as I write this on a beautiful March, spring afternoon; lakeside.

I went from originally using a tent perched on a Lowes flat trailer just to be off the ground while still achieving minimalism and a light footprint to deep diving and researching hard on Class Bs, to a short-lived Class C consideration, to hilariously looking at a monster Class A and then moving to a reasonable pop-up option, then to an overland truck bed mounted camper to eventually coming to the realization that a 23 foot, tow behind, slide out travel trailer gave me the best option. It fits nicely while parked at the house, it’s easy on gas for a RAM 5.7 Hemi while towing and once my camp is established, I always have the freedom to disconnect and use the truck for transportation to run to the store or other spots around the area without having to completely collapse camp and bring it all with me.

During the research phase, I had some “must haves” on my bucket list to check off though. A trailer for me had to have a roof I could climb up on and put a chair out to watch a rocket launch someday when I get a chance to go to the Cape. It had to have a slide out so the living quarters wouldn’t feel so claustrophobic. It had to have a decent sized bathroom so it wouldn’t feel cramped in a stand up shower, I wanted dual axles so it towed smoothly and I needed plenty of storage. The one I had my eye on and put in my favorite folder had all the stuff I was looking for and so I waited for the right time to present itself. If it was ever meant to be, then someday, it would be mine.

And so, the commitment I made to myself to ever justify the purchase of an RV trailer was I had to get it out and enjoy it once a month, at a minimum. I didn’t want the trailer to just become another piece of “lawn furniture” or a “driveway eyesore” I often see when cruising out of my neighborhood. The deal I made to myself was binding; if I was going to commit to such an endeavor, I had to stick to it. I mean, I do have a life, but I really wanted to make this a part of my life too; reconnecting with nature; yet this time on my terms. So, it was a dream, a commitment and a promise to myself.

So, when the “Deal Of A Lifetime Sale Event” text came across my phone, I opened it and contemplated if it was indeed the right time.

I had been thinking about it for about a year. My original intent was to rent a trailer from the on-post MWR for a year before I thought about buying one for myself. But that plan was slowly going to shit, since everyone else must have had the same idea for the eight rickety trailers available. So, I opened up the laptop, looked at their new inventory and by the grace of God, they had the model I had my eye on. Having physically toured it at the annual RV show in Raliegh I was familiar with all the amenities. So, I called the dealer up, confirmed they had one (they had two) and I grabbed my shit and went down there to see what all the hub bub was about.

Having already seen it and familiar with the floor plan and features, I asked the more than helpful saleswoman “Show me every model on the lot that is in the same class and size as this one.” We hoped in the golf cart, drove around the lot to four other brands and at the last one, I said, “Ok, take me back to the one I had my eye on.” From there it was a done deal. We wrapped up financing, which is another story in itself. Did you know you can finance an RV or a boat for 20 years if you qualify? Yeah, the interest rate is pretty significant, but wow, I never knew that. Anyways, I finished up the paperwork the next day, hooked it up and dragged it home; never owning an RV before.

Now, I certainly had the space at the house to park it, right on the side of the garage with enough room to pop out the slide out. But I was hesitant on my “backing up skills.” So, on the way home, I stopped by an empty school parking lot and gave it a couple attempts backing into parking spots. No worries with the trailer back-up cam, so when I brought it home, it took me two tries and it nestled in perfectly.

RV ownership is interesting for the fact that when you buy one, you have zero concept of all the extra crap you need just to hook up at a local State Park or boondock and be fully sustainable for resources. Everything is extra, from the hose for your shore water, your power cable and surge protector, to the sewage hose and all the other towing fun stuff. You will break and lose stuff, so it’s an industry that is self-sustaining from all misfortunes of happy campers! The funniest license plate on a Class C RV I’ve seen so far was MONEYPIT.

So, that first year, I had my trailer out every month, honoring the promise to myself. My trailer is an All Season rated towable, so you bet I was out in December that year, running out of propane in the middle of the night and suffering, heater less, until morning while filling the 30-gallon freshwater tank; five gallons at a time with a jerrycan because the camp site water spigot was shut off. And the weekend I chose to camp in a Tropical Storm on the coast because I was tired of constantly rescheduling my trips due to wet weather greeted me with a leak in ceiling in the middle of the night. Yeah, that was on me, but hey, these trailers are a constant project; either repairing or upgrading. It is what it is. The manufacturers slap these things together and during COVID, labor was hard to keep, so quality suffered. And every time you drive an RV down the road, it’s experiencing its own mini earthquake, so you can’t expect it to last too long without some serious attention and routine maintenance.

But enough about the intricacies of RV ownership. The intangible rewards of what the RV represent, and offer are priceless.

Knowing that I have a way to get back out to nature after a week at work and endure all seasons while experiencing something I used to cherish as a kid is such an awesome investment. And not only does it provide me a space to sleep and prepare good meals while I am out, but it also serves an awesome capability to have my own space to use in different aspects as well.

Take two New Years Eves ago. My buddy runs a brewery and was throwing their first New Years bash. It’s two hours from the house so instead of driving home afterwards and risking the worst-case scenarios, I dragged the trailer up to the brewery parking lot, had a nice time until the countdown and then went back and slept it off until the next morning.

I have dragged it out to the beach to have my own place of refuge to hang out in the AC during the peak of the day while making some nachos and waiting for sunset to roll around.

I’ve thrown my mountain bike in it, rallied out to the National Forrest and spent an entire weekend exploring all the bike trails knowing I had a shower to came back to spray off before hitting the pillow overnight.

I have used it on a first date; pulling it out to the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, parking it in the back of the parking lot to enjoy a festival during the morning and then rendezvousing back to it for lunch and to listen to music while we talked about traveling and got to know each other better.

RVs are rad if you use them! But it’s when they become eyesores, never being used by their once inspired owners, that RVs get a bad rap.

My RV gives me the excuse to grab some nice groceries and actually cook extensive meals. I have all the time in the world on a normal weekend after pulling in Friday afternoon to prepare, marinate, cook, smoke, dehydrate food to enjoy rather than just running on Factor meals all week.

And the friend mentioned above, RJ the brewer, brings his girlfriend and Stetson out to meet me at the lake on a Saturday night to conduct “campfire operations,” while sharing and spilling his own freshly brewed beers and meads; all while telling old military tales and lies. It serves a cathartic respite for therapeutic confessionals while absorbing the energy of a campfire and a crisp lakeside night under the heavenly stars. A cord of wood lasts an entire weekend and leaves the smell of campfire in my hair for the next few days.

There is so much more to the RV experience; good and bad. But for now, it’s a great way to escape the rat race and turmoil we all have to deal with during the week. And the bonding between my dog and I, it’s the perfect relationship builder for a loyal dog that just wants to scout out trails or new sights and smells.

Yes, it’s a long departure from “camping” in the Army. But just as I used to prep for the field before an exercise, I carry on the same level of planning and attention to detail while prepping for a camp trip. From maintenance to the truck and trailer to contingency and route planning, attention to the weather to packing list preparation. All those long, arduous hours of military mission prep completely translate into the initiation of an RV camping excursion.

And what’s really neat, is should I want/need to cross country with the trailer, I can utilize military bases and posts along the route; stopping and staying at their on-post/base camping areas or even the gym parking lot.

Yes, this is certainly a fun and rewarding lifestyle. I am very blessed, and I give much gratitude to be able to experience this way of camping. Is my personal setup excessive and extravagant? Well, that’s all personal perspective. But now that the weather is warming up and its becoming easier to get reservations at your local campgrounds, I recommend getting out there to all the readers that feel the draw to reconnect with nature and absorb the absolute healing qualities it gives the soul.

And hey, some people like the option of roughing it with a pack, a tent, a water filter and a can of pork and beans over a campfire thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. And then there’s the rest of us; the “Glampers” that roll on by those “granola heads in their Subarus” with our “studio apartments on wheels” that just can’t be bothered anymore with pounding stakes, bending tent poles and sleeping on the ground.

But we all equally hear the call of the wild.

God Bless us all, happy campers!

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This first appeared in The Havok Journal on April 23, 2024.

Robb is a retired active Army veteran of 21 years, primarily serving as a Cavalry Scout. Having accomplished multiple combat tours, diverse global assignments and leadership roles, Robb retired as a First Sergeant of Shadow Troop, 1-33 CAV (Rakassans). From there, Robb went on to attempt his luck in the civilian sector as a Reliability Engineer at an international paper processing company during the pandemic. Not quite satisfied and feeling the draw to serve once again, Robb made his way back behind the gate working with some of the nation’s tip of spear warfighters on Fort Liberty, NC.

It was during this time that he was drawn into an esoteric spiritual journey of self-discovery and began peeling back the onion of how vanquishing spiritual warfare can serve as a personal force multiplier. Dropping all ties to dogmatic religious principles, Robb solely embarked into studies of the mystical and metaphysical for the answers of life. Now forged with this newfound purpose, Robb blends his current path of spiritual ascension along with his past experience of the rigors of military service in order to uplift the future of his brothers and sisters in arms.

“The answers we all seek lie in potential.”

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.