A Smelly RV?

Our amazing boondocking spot, near Buffalo, Wyoming, looking at the Cloud Pass Mountains.

I noticed a smell. I have a nose that can smell very well, almost too well. My husband could not smell it. Then it seemingly disappeared, or I got used to the smell. It is like when there is a new smell in your home or that new car smell, and after a while you get acclimated to it. At about the same time, I noticed that there was something not right. There was a slight noise to the heater, something with an unusual sound that made me feel a little nervous. But, I thought it was my imagination as my hearing is not so good and my husband did not hear anything. Nothing to be alarmed about, but it was there.

Then one day, I turned on the heater as it was a little chilly outside, and such a noise came about that it could wake up the living dead! I was scared, scared of the unknown, if the trailer would be destroyed, or worse yet, something terrible would happen to us. My husband reassured me everything would be okay as he went investigating.

Boondocking in Baggs, Wyoming. Quiet and serene place!

As we planned to fulltime rv, I did not put in my mind that things could go wrong, that things could break, or that I would go through many disappointments. I had this unrealistic expectation that since we were living a minimalistic lifestyle that things would last longer. I believed that living small would equate to less damage, items lasting longer (as I long as I took care of them), and less stuff = less upkeep.

Hmmm….That was not smart thinking on my part. We did have a problem and I was in denial of it. I did not believe. I had hoped the problem would go away on its own as long as we did not use it. Eventually, though, it got chilly outside, and that same chill permeated the inside of the trailer, until I turned on the heater.

After the heater went through its very noisy cycle, we kept it off as we did not want to wreck anything else or put ourselves into potential danger. But all I saw were dollar signs, money that would leave our slowly drying pockets to fix something that should have lasted longer. I was disappointed. My house lasted longer than this! Is this why I sold my house to put money into someone else pockets so we could fix the trailer again?

Magnificent views from our trailer in Buffalo, Wyoming.

But it so happens God intervened. We were boondocking at a very beautiful area when we got a visit from a park ranger. They needed to spray for weeds and we had to leave within 3 days. Panic set in as we had to find a place to move earlier than we thought. Unlike a house, we move often in our trailer as we boondock, or disperse camp to save money, or so we hope. The next town we were going to visit happened to have a campground with a RV repair center on site. We originally were going to camp in the forest, but that would have been several, several miles away. It would cost us money to camp at the RV park, but we needed to fix the heater and not drive miles and miles away, spending more money on gas. Do you see a trend here? Spending money?

Last view of the Cloud Pass Mountains, Wyoming as we headed to another destination.

I was tired of waking up cold and shivering underneath my blankets. It was cold enough to blow smoke out of your mouth! The campground we went to was convenient to shopping and laundry, and any recreational activities we wanted to do. Plus, we did not have to travel far for repair as my husband simply walked over and gave them the heater he removed from the trailer.

After a few days, we found out what the culprit was in the heater: a mouse found its way in the heater, and died in it. I know, eeewwwww. Gross. But the deed was done and now we had a practically new heater.

Fantastic walk along the Big Horns, Wyoming!

Looking back at that time, it was definitely a God thing. Even though we did not want to leave the dazzling boondocking spot (a little slice of heaven) we were in, God provided another one just in time. It was not a boondocking spot, but a campground with our needs provided, plus a fixed heater - bonus! The town we stayed in was a cute, small town that I think of with fond memories.

We walked around a delightful small downtown, rode our bicycles, explored the magnificent Big Horns (loved this!) and witnessed an amazing 4th of July celebration. Sheridan will always be on my heart as a favorite because not only did God lead us there, but I felt at peace visiting this picturesque town with its very friendly people and places to visit.

Downtown Sheridan, Wyoming. Many historical buildings, cute stores and eateries!

Sometimes God’s interruptions are good, but we may not see it right away. We may drag our feet to the new change, dreading what the outcome could be, but what if the outcome is good? An answer to prayer?

What change have you been through recently and what were the results?