Tracy found the doors at IKEA. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/grimo-door-gray-80435188/#content and I designed the box around that.

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The video above is a few days into cutting out all the mold we found.

If there is any take away from this experience, please please please, if you’re buying an RV and one of the first things you notice is a soft spot in the floor, pass on it. Even if you just drove hundreds of miles to pick up the RV. Sellers can be dishonest as this one was. We bought the RV at a good price, so it’s not a total loss.

When we started looking for rvs we always considered the possibility of buying one that’s a few years old but has a great lay out and good bones for a renovation. Even with the mold mishap, this RV was a great buy for us. The exterior is still basically in showroom condition. My wife hand I are very creative people and have enough energy to get the job done.

It took several days to find and tear out all the moldy wood. It got a little tricky and took several days because that affected wood when into areas difficult to access, under the master bathroom and bedroom.

Ultimately had to take the furnace, as well as, the hot water heater out, which had some of the worst damage underneath it. Still, I’m not 100% sure what caused all this damage. There are a few culprits however. When I first bought the RV, behind the wet bay there was a leaky hose connection. After I fixed it, another one started to leak from moving things around back there. This pattern repeated until I cut and recrimped every hose behind the wet bay. The manufacture positioned a catch tray underneath these hose connections in the case any started to leak. However, I think this problem went to unnoticed for a long time. It probably overflowed. Like a lot. The real problem formed because the water that seeped past the plywood where it sat just below it in a moisture barrier, which created a super humid environment. That’s how the mold took root and spread. It had time enough to nearly consume the ply wood, getting in between each individual ply layer slowly turning it back into earth, making it super brittle weak.

I’ve taken a bunch more footage of this whole process. I’ll be sure to edit it and get it online, for posterity sake.

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Travel Trailer vs 5th Wheel

In my life, I’ve owned and otherwise experienced staying in a number of different RV types. Class A and Class C motorhomes, as well as our current Travel Trailer. It seems I needed to experience them all to finally land on a 5th wheel.

Back in 2012, we tried living in a Class A motorhome for a year, which is a long story that I won’t dive into right now. The motorhomes are very convenient for getting from destination to destination. Bathroom breaks, and snacking and meals on-the-go is seamless. These are great for frequent travel, tourists on the go, RVers who want to move often. However, somehow they never felt like “home”. Maybe it’s the motor and pilot chairs in your living space, but I couldn’t kick the “land yacht” feeling. For us, we always felt the pull behind options felt more “homey” and welcoming.

In 2020, I bought our current 2019 Grand Design 2800BH. We honestly love it, but I don’t know if we could live in it and simultaneously maintain our sanity. I mean we love each other, but people have limits.

One reason we decided to make the jump to the 5th wheel is the length you can get with a similar total footprint. For example, our travel trailer isn’t that long, at 32 feet. However, with the added a ProPride 3P Hitch, the total tow package length, with the truck attached, is around 55 feet long! Travel trailers pull pretty far behind the truck. With a 5th wheel, most of the added living space comes up over the bed of the truck. So, on the road, you’re not that much longer. But, trust me, you can do a lot with an added 10 ft of living area. 5th wheels are typically offered with more slides, which also factors into even more added space.

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Thankfully, we do have a bit of a cushion, as I’ll be receiving some severance and we’ve saved some money. But there’s more to this story. I believe this could be an answer to a prayer for guidance. Something I’ve been praying about for a long time.

You see, my family and I are RVers. We love to travel and explore new places. My work was remote, which allowed us to live this nomadic lifestyle, in smaller doses. Here’s how it would work.. During the weekend we would drive. Then, we set up camp and I would work during the week, while my wife homeschooled our two girls. We spend our off-hours exploring the area, meeting new people, and forming new friendships. We’ve been doing this for years, but last year was the longest we’ve ever been on the road – over four months. This year, we had planned to travel for six months.

The thought about renting out our house to fund our travels had come up several times. But now, this decision has been thrust upon us. Looking for the positive in all of it, this layoff may be the push we needed to start a new chapter in our lives. It’s uncomfortable, terrifying actually, but I believe it could lead to great things. I trust in God. Sometimes I feel it’s the only thing I truly have. Maybe this is all part of His plan for us.

There’s a lot to do now. We need to get the house ready to rent out and move out of the home we’ve lived in for over seven years. It’s scary, and I can easily get overwhelmed if I think about it too much. But, with each step, we will walk and hope that we’re on the path the Lord has laid for us.

Well, this is the first post on Nomadic Novaks. There will be more. I hope you’ll join us on our journey.

Fingers crossed.

~Sean

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