By Lee Scott
It is that time of year again. My husband’s eyes widen in anticipation knowing that he can go and retrieve “el Diablo”. This is the name I gave our twenty-four-foot RV the first time I saw it eighteen months ago. It has distinctive red and black markings and can be seen from a mile away. We keep it at a storage unit not far from our home, but when it comes back to our neighborhood to get packed for a trip everyone notices. My poor neighbor Beth who has a perfect view of my garage is keenly aware when we are leaving on another trip. Even my new neighbor Elaine said “I see that Diablo has come home.”
El Diablo is only about the size of the average UPS truck. I tell my spouse that if he gets bored with retirement, I am sure he could get a job delivering packages. But because of her size, I enjoy driving her too. We tell people that we bought the RV to go off and see the USA, but the truth is we bought it because of our two old dogs. It is easy to travel with them in an RV. They can stretch out on their beds, drink their water when they need it and besides most of the RV parks allow dogs.
El Diablo has many good qualities. Besides being conspicuous in a crowded parking lot, she is also small enough that we can drive her just about anywhere. Her fuel consumption is not as bad as some of the larger RVs and she was not so expensive that we feel guilty staying at a “Pet friendly” hotel when we want. She has a small kitchenette, a queen size bed and a little bathroom with a tiny shower that my “big guy” aka husband refuses to climb into no matter what.
We have also discovered that having all of our clothes in one place when we travel is nice. Yes, el Diablo is not as fancy as some of those Class A RVs that you see on television. You know, the ones that the movie stars and football players own. She cannot even get admitted into some of those really nice RV campgrounds. But at night, when the lights are out and the only sounds I hear are the loud snores coming from my three traveling companions, el Diablo feels like home.
