Click here to see Evolution of Trailers, Part 1
When we decided to really hit the road, we knew our old Teton would not make the journey. While sitting still nothing could beat her, but going down the road was a different story.
So we set out for Camping World in Bakersfield, CA to go trailer shopping. We ended up deciding on a 2007, Open Road 5th Wheel made by Pilgrim. It was 42 ft. long, and had four slideouts. Luckily, this one did not need any renovations!
It had an electric awning which was wonderful and so easy to use. Of course, we had to be careful when the wind picked up, but at the push of a button it would retract.
It was nice and open, with the four slideouts and tall ceilings. It even had a ceiling fan!
Importantly, there was storage everywhere. We were almost able to fit our entire wedding registry in this trailer, in terms of dishware and appliances. All of the cupboards were really deep, so we could fit extra blankets and bedding, seasonal clothes, and all of my hobby/craft supplies.
The absolute best part of this trailer, was that it had a washer and dryer! In the closet off the kitchen, we put in a washer/dryer combo unit. Unfortunately, it didn’t come with one when we bought it, but we found one and got a really good deal on it, because the door was broken. My husband being the handy man he is, was able to fix it and had it working in no time.
Kitchen and Dining Room
Living Room
I loved our fireplace! It worked well as a heater, and the faux flames gave it a really cozy feeling. The couch folded out into a bed, and we got a lot of use out of it when we had guests. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but we put a feather bed mattress on it trying to soften it up.
The office/desk area was great, but we were never able to use it as such. That’s where we put the cage for our sugar glider Joey. It worked really well for his space, and we used the area underneath for storage with a plastic bin.
Both chairs were recliners and were able to swivel around, which was perfect for spinning around and spying out the back window.
Bedroom
The bedroom was nice and open and had a great closet and lots of storage. There was one big problem though. The shower and bathroom sink were connected to it, so it wasn’t in it’s own separate room. It all just blended together into one space.
When we had company stay with us, it made things super awkward because they felt like they were in our bedroom, just to use to the bathroom. We only had a curtain that would come across to separate the two areas.
Bathroom and Shower
The shower was a good size, so that part was good; but like I mentioned, it was practically in the bedroom. For anyone to shower, the entire bedroom area would have to be shut off to create its own room. The sink and vanity were also out in the open.
The toilet did have its own little room, with an actual door that would shut.
We traveled quite a few places with this trailer in Illinois, Utah, California, and all the places we passed through in between. Most of the time though, it was parked in Bakersfield where I was teaching.
We never really had any issues with it aside from cosmetic damage. When we were going across the country, the diesel cans we threw in the living room that we thought were empty; got pressurized from the elevation and whatever liquid that turned out to be in them leaked all over the living room floor. It left quite a stain that would not come out.
Also, there was a stain on the carpet from when my husband was helping me dye my hair one time. He kept wanting to pull out all of the carpet and replace it with laminate like he did in the last trailer, but never got around to it.
After a few years, we had decided to sell it, because we were moving to San Jose, CA area and would be renting an apartment. Mainly because there were absolutely no RV parks with vacancy anywhere!
My husband was working there, and I had signed on with a school district in Gilroy. I just had to get through the rest of the school year I was in, and then I’d be joining him. He had been living up there for over a year, and I would travel there on the weekends. Of course, continuing our long-distance relationship.
This was a great plan until I threw a wrench into everything and decided I no longer wanted to teach. I came home crying over someone else’s child, feeling like a complete failure for the last time; and was just done!
I talked to my husband and told him how I felt, and that I was giving up teaching. Because of this, we did not need to stay in one place and could hit the road again. So we did! I called Gilroy and broke contract, and he quit his job the next day.
However, since we were originally planning on selling the trailer and moving, he could finally get the custom made truck bed he’d always wanted. When he designed it, he was not thinking of it having to pull a 5th wheel anymore, so the bed was too high now.
So, if we were going to hit the road again, we would have to change to a bumper-pull/travel trailer…
I need Part 3!! What happened next?? 😁😊