Living On A Campground

The road is truly home now for Dave and Chris Plumberg.

While many retired couples like to spend winters by the ocean and summers in the mountains, few go "all in" as the Plumbergs have. In October, they sold the home where they had lived for 26 years in northwest Oklahoma City. They also sold or gave away almost everything in it, from Chris' collection of ducks to Dave's big bucket of golf balls. They only kept some clothes and photo albums.

"You had to let go of stuff you really would like to hang on to, but it was time to let go of everything," Dave said. With proceeds from the sale of their house, they bought a used motor home that is now their permanent home. Their address is the campground where they are for that day, week or month. They plan to be campers for the rest of their lives.

Since Nov. 4, they have been to 11 states and traveled 4,400 miles, seeing the southeastern part of the country and the Gulf Coast, camping for two weeks in Gulf Shores, Ala., two weeks in Naples, Fla., and three months in Key Largo. Dave, who turns 67 this week, and Chris, who is 64, are seeing and doing things for the first time in their lives. They have hiked on the Appalachian Trail, kayaked alongside of manatees and went parasailing in the Florida Keys.

Their home for the past week has been Arcadia Lake as they were back in Oklahoma for their granddaughter's high school graduation Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, they hit the road again where they will spend the summer touring the Dakotas, Montana, Canada and the northwestern part of the United States. They plan to attend the famous Calgary Stampede Rodeo but also make stops at Mount Rushmore, Custer's battlefield and other historical sites. They are planning a trip to Alaska next spring.

Chris plans the trips, usually reserving campsites in advance, but they also enjoy discovering quaint places off the beaten path, such as Moonshine Creek RV Park on Moonshine Mountain in North Carolina. The journeys are more important than the destinations. They prefer staying in state parks over private campgrounds because they are normally more in the outdoors and less sterile. The Plumbergs spent more than three years planning for their major life change. Every time a charity would call seeking a donation, Chris would go find something to give away.

The biggest decision to make was what motor home to buy because they "were going to live in it forever," Chris said. They went to numerous RV shows and spent countless hours researching the Internet and talking to other RV owners. "We joined the Good Sam (RV) Club a year ahead of time so we could get the tips out of the magazine they send," Chris said.

The Plumbergs plan to come through Oklahoma at least twice a year to see their children, their doctor and their dentist. They stay in touch with their family on Facebook. Their motor home has all the modern conveniences. Other than not seeing their kids and grandkids as often, they don't miss anything about not having a permanent residence.

"Are you kidding me?" Dave said, when asked if he misses anything about his old Oklahoma City home. "A place that has all the trappings of life, all the junk you collect. "I cannot imagine having all that stuff that ties you down. We lived in that house for 26 years. Our kids were grown. We were ready for change." And now they are living happily RV after.

Source: OKLAHOMAN