I’m always amazed that for the price you pay for an RV like yours that the manufacturers just can’t seem to get it right . Maybe all senior staff should have to live in one before they start building them. Best of luck to mom , wish you the very best adventures in your new lifestyle.
With this and boats - if you can handle it in all the ways I mean that, if should just do it yourself, or buy the cheapest version and upgrade almost everything.
To address the water waste in the shower complaint, you could mod the system by installing a valve and hose. When the valve is open the water is sent from the heater back to the water tank through the hose. Close the valve and the water comes out the shower normally. The heater is fooled by the constant demand but you are not wasting water because it is sending the heated water back into the tank. For the complaint about the knobs, change them to locking knobs.
Ya'll have been the best part of the last 6 months. I discovered ya'll while on bed rest with cancer. I loved being able to go sailing with ya'll while it snowed outside, here in Denver. Ya'll helped me keep a positive attitude and dream up a future for myself. A future I now have! I'm officially in remission 🤯🙏🤩🌈💖 thanks and here's to the future.
@@xxxvcvv Thanks. Prostate cancer killed by 44 radiation treatments. PSA undetectable in each quarterly test the past year. Best to you Heather Mac! :¬) Webhead USA
Best advice I was ever given when we bought our Winnebago Era is, the first year you will hate all the things that will go wrong. Give it one year and stick to it faithfully and the second year you own it you will begin to fall in love with it. It will never be perfect but you will learn to over look the little things that don’t matter. Now we love the ERA!
So happy to see someone taking a chance on the possibility of something more even if it means a bit of change upfront. It means the spirit of adventure isn't yet completely dead under the weight of consumerism.
Re: the water wastage in the shower. That is a common problem on boats too, especially catamarans where the run from the heater in one hull is a good distance to the shower in the other. An option is to put a T junction in at the shower with a timed solenoid on it. With the solenoid closed the water is diverted back via the junction to the main water tank. Then when the timer "times out" the solenoid opens and you get your hot water in the shower. So essentially you turn on the shower and nothing seems to happen for two minutes...then out comes hot water.
This is what I love about Nikki, Jason and now Mom Mary. PURE HONESTY. Showing us the pros and cons. Thank you. Mary you go girl, live life, I love how much you all care so much about the environment and animals that you don't eat meat.
Oh very important. Turn off and unplug your wifi when not needed. You don't want to constantly be bombarded with radiation. Get non wifi security alarms and motion detectors with noise and flashing lights. Will help when in bear country's keeping them away from scratching up the van. Jason can you link videos of incounters with bears?
You can add a water recirculation pump at the shower. Hit the button before taking a shower. The pump will force cold water back to the water tank, instead of down the drain. When hot water reaches the shower, the recirculation pump will turn off. Hot water at the shower without wasting water.
Jason, plumb a recirculation loop in the water line for the shower so when it is "closed" during the warmup period it dumps the fresh water back into the tank. (Closed means water is circulating but wont come out the shower head) After a couple minutes mom can open the valve and hop into the shower. Minimal to no water wasted. I have one of these loops in my home. Best thing I ever added. Instant hot water everywhere and no waste.
She is adventurous, independent, sweet and funny too :) Setting the bar high for the rest of us. Have a great time on the road and good luck making memories
Jason add a recalculating loop/pump on the heater for the shower issue. That should cycle the water in a circle back to the heater and provided infinite hot water on demand to the shower. No loss. Thats the way we do it on residential homes. Got be a reasonable plumber who can figure out a easy way to get a small 3/8 line back to the heater location or the FW tank re fill, add check valve, and wire in a small Dc circ pump on a switch by the Shower or run of the demand pump pressure maybe. Even if you forgot it on for a day wouldn't matter much except LP consumption. The newest residential heater units do this internally now with a small low flow pump and a loop line in the home. Its not as complicated as it sounds. don't waste the water send it back to the beginning before you turn on the shower head and send it down the drain basically.
2years into “van life” at a rally, we were going to update the solar. Guess what , ,it was not even plugged into the inverter from the factory. I’m so glad to see van help on your channel.😘
I am really impressed with the courage your mother has to start a whole new completely different life style. And that you have used your experience and skills gained on your boat to really improve her use of the RV.
Jason/Nikki very proud of your helping your Mom get outfitted in order to be able to be comfortable while she is traveling. I had a 36 foot Gas motor home and had it stored in Denton area and got hit by a storm and was totaled. So haven’t gotten the nerve to get another one. My son bought a 40’ diesel pusher by Newmar and it is huge with 4 slides, like walking into a home, it is amazing. He sure is enjoying it and with his job all he needs is WiFi and phone service and he’s good to go. I know your mom will enjoy being on the road much more with the upgrades you put into her van. You’re a great Son, Charlie Brown!!!
This question may be more than can quickly cover, so you can use it as an idea for a future video 😉. When moving to vanlife or RV living, what are the must haves from the factory versus what would you rather install yourself? I'm sure Mary would answer differently from Nikki and Jason, so would love to understand the different perspectives. Thanks for sharing! You're rocking it, Mary!
What an incredible journey your mum has started! I always think people are inherently built for change. If we don't change our surroundings with travel or adventure, we change our surroundings by buying new stuff, and renovating the house and getting a new car - it's all change. just in different ways.
Since you regrew your land legs, there's a distinct shift in your videos. Quasi overnight, you've become a lot more personal in the way you address the camera, your cuts, storyline, and flow,...it's like you leveled up the remaining few percentage points to become even better yet. Love it!
Boy can I relate to having RV company/employees getting it right. We’ve had the same problem on the boat. Boat repairman come out to fix something, and have to come back 3-4 times over a month to get it right. It’s insane. We live on our boat and these guys don’t understand this is our home. Not having this or that for a week, or waiting for parts, or for them to come back a week later is a huge inconvenience. Good job Nikki and Jason for helping Jason’s mom get this right with your knowledge and expertise.
Hey Mary, all the peaves mentioned are fixable: 1) *Hot water* - A recirculation valve can be installed so no water is wasted while being brought up to temperature. Basically, it's routed right back to the fresh water tank until you close the valve. Really simple, very affordable and pretty easy to install. A recirculation path can also be installed for endless hot water/showers on very little water. Saves on fresh water while not filling up the grey water. 2) *Latches* - Locking marine latches can be installed...probably with very little modifications to your cabinets and drawers. I'd be surprised if they were very different from what's on _Curiosity._ No more 5 mph cornering. 3) *Pantry* - Some easy fixes can be installed to improve the usability of the pantry. 4) *Couch arm* - Two words: Industrial Velcro. We use it all the time in place of mechanical fasteners. It really does work. Jason and Nikki already addressed the solar, battery and inverter issues, so I'm sure that you're good there. I'd love to help you make you new home just right.
Mary, your are such an inspiration! I admire your courage at following your dream. I know that wasn't an easy transition.I think im about the same age as you and change gets harder and harder...good for you...I wish you safe travels and look forward to maybe seeing some of your adventures! Good for Jason helping you out to get that all straitened out too! Happy Trails!!
I saw a UA-cam video where the guy solved the hot water issue by using some pex piping and created a loop for the water to keep circu,aging until it was hot enough to use for a shower. Used the pex pipe and a valve. Jason should be able to do it easily.
Love the real life living in this particular RV and the pros and cons. How wonderful to have experienced family to help you out with those terrific upgrades. Congratulations 🎉🎉
That hot water shower situation can be solved with an 12 volt pump, setup as a demand circulation call pump, with temperature sensor at the fixture and on demand push button, no water waste, and just a small amount of additional 12 volt power used, only when the call button is pressed. Hot shower! I use the same thing in my "land house" to not waste water while getting hot to the low flow taps. Back that pantry pullout with a piece of lauan on one side (nicely finished of course), and some shock cord on the other side. Then add one of those short throw flip over slide bar locks in brushed nickel. Like what you'd use to have the "peak out" gap in place of the older style security chain on a front door. If there is room inside the cabinet box I'd also add two or three stiff roller toggle latches (fully hidden from view normally). BAM! Practical stylish pantry!
I’ve never had on demand hot water in our RV but have researched those Truma units quite a bit. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say it takes anywhere near 2 minutes to heat up or such a problem wasting so much water. Airstream must’ve goofed up something.
Congrats Mary and with 'the kids' help you're well on the way to having a functioning OG (off grid) home. After 3 years living full time in a diy UK coach conversion, I can say life is more visible and the addiction to chase money 24/7 has gone! Ya just can't underestimate the word freedom!! :)
Mathew Coleman When you said OG (ole G) I thought you were referring to Ole girl LOL, that’s something we used to call her mom when we were kids back in the mid- late 70s and such, and even to this day many people from that era still refer to the mom is a OG or Ole G LOL. The way you started the comment out it sound like you were saying that mom is going to be in good shape we are functioning, and it could still fit except you explain what the OG meant. Just thought that was comical probably because I’m getting old in the final stuff, “I guess LOL
Mathew Coleman when we first started doing it as kids it wasn’t easy but eventually our moms just got used to it and realized it was a form of respect. LOL but you are correct they rung our necks a next few times but we thought we were cool so that’s how we were talking. I think a sticking point was the whole old part LOL
@Todd R IKR? Love that they address the problems met (and solved) instead of videoing through rose-colored glasses. (Nothing against yours, Nikki! They're so *you*!!)
Mary, you are an inspiration to us all. Glad Jason and Nikki are able to help out on the systems issues. I think your shower is bigger than ours in our 40’ class A. You’ll get into all the cool state parks, and boondocking with the extra solar and lithium battery gives you independence to go nearly anywhere. Only thing missing is a small dog, like a little Yorkie. Enjoy your travels, see you on the road...
Mom is Rocking it!!! Would love to get a six month update of how you are doing, what would you have changed etc.. congratulations 🎉 on your new journey. P.s. Have you thought about installing a shower recirculation system? With that you use a total of 3 gallons constantly hot and can stay in the shower as long as you want.
Way to go mom , sorry to hear that a leading manufacturer can’t get off the grid right + the cost$$$ Thank god for her kids getting Set up the right way
Mary your so awesome! Big steps forward on your new big adventure.. before you know it you'll be setting sail too. May you Jason and Nikki never be so far away to not stop by one another and say hey. Smile and be.
Hilarious. So cool your mom moved into a Van. That picture of all of you in a bed was awesome 🤣😂We had a Travato and Larry made custom cup holders. I don’t think we could sleep in that bed. We need that water filtration. Very cool video. Really getting to know you guys lately. No nasty comments. You guys are so great. Alice
Great job Mary. I love your adventurous soul and your van is great.you are very blessed to have your son and his wife help you. Hope you have a wonderful time
We are excited for Mary! Cheers to all of her ahhhmazing adventures to come & her leap into nomadic living & travel. Thank you for sharing with us throughout all your weekly videos the real life challenges, the wondrous moments & joyful adventures of life when the world is your home and peace is found by living minimally on the road or sea. :-)
I have been following along since your RV days, enjoyed the video! I have a 2017 Winnebago View 24J and it is definitely the best size RV in my opinion.
The drawer and cabinet latches.... They use a passive latching system. You can add another latch to any drawer or cabinet if you want, they are sold on Amazon
I relate to to all the issues you’ve mentioned about the van. I’ve been victim of Airstream’s sleek appearance. Had nothing but trouble with it. My happiest time was when I returned it to the dealership after 6 months and sold it back to them with $50k lost. Airstream management and en
You all are just awesome, from following Nikki and Jason in your RV days and I believe that’s where my desire started to someday do the same, seeing all you do as far as upgrades and info, now your Mom wanting to do the same, I can see where she and myself got the itch to explore and have the simple life. Thanks for always sharing and I wish your mom safe travels!
The Airstream Atlas is so close to getting it right. And for the price they charge it is weird they skimp out. They really should upgrade to the circulating version of Truma that fixes that wasted water issue. They are killing the dream with not using large lithium ion batteries etc. The bad design decisions and quality of RVs is just really unacceptable. It’s going to destroy RVing... which is in a long term decline anyway.
What a delightful video. Mary’s such an engaging, intelligent, woman. What a good son you are for making all of those improvements so your mom would be safer and content. I’m really looking forward to your next video.
So, I decided to look your mother up on LinkedIn (currently I have about 7,500 contacts) and discovered that she is already one of my connections. I am totally puzzled as to how that came to be, since I normally only connect with those that are involved in the Sport Entertainment business. I love your travels. Now that I am retired I watch your new videos every Sunday and your older videos while working out on the Stairmaster and Treadmill at the gym. Also, if your Mother has Wi-Fi, then why can she not do her cell calls over ethernet? I almost exclusively using Cell over ethernet when I travel. Just about every new phone and providor on the market offers this feature. I am looking forward to your return to the Sea.
@@todaytraining5671 Most Cell Phones have the option of doing Telephone Calls over Wi-Fi. I will walk through the Samsung product since I know it so well. Tap the Menu Icon, Go to Settings, Tap the status switch beside Wi-Fi calling, Tap Turn on, then Tap Wi-Fi Calling. You can also pull down the Icon Menu on a newer Samsung Phone, and select Wi-Fi Calling. You can If you have a newer Samsung phone with a USB C, pickup a quality Belkin Ethernet to USB-C Adaptor or similar quality brand for about $25 from major Big Box Stores. With your phone on and Unlocked plug in the USB-C Adaptor into your phone & give it a couple of minutes to install the driver. Then you can plug an Ethernet cable into the Adaptor, to upload and download from the web faster and if available make you Phone Calls over the Internet. Do not try this if the Internet Speed are slow. You need good internet speed to make Cell calls over the internet. I use this traveling World Wide and it works all over the US, all over Europe, some providers in other countries block this option (BlueSky in the Cook Islands does block this option, ask me how I know...) But if you Travel a lot then you should be using this whenever possible. The reason that that some providors on the Islands block this is that it takes a lot of Band Width. It is very helpful if your Cell Signal is weak in your home. In that situation it will give you a much more stable call or connection.
@@hornshwangler I am very aware that having Ethernet is not require, but one of the individuals asked if you had to have Wi-Fi, so I explained the optional wired method.
Hot water can be a problem just like you mention. Look into "recirculating hot water" systems. To avoid excessive power use, you might have to wait a minute for the first hot water out of the faucet but you won't have to wait between bursts like you talked about in water saving showers. see these videos to get the idea. ua-cam.com/video/TrsptRZtIzc/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/2QhvF0VlaN8/v-deo.html
We made the mistake of buying a Winnebago Travato class b van. It was a nightmare and we spent MONTHS trying to get warranty work done at Winnebago. In the end, we never were able to get the entire list of issues addressed properly! We will never buy a Winnebago product again. The Travato had Truma Combi system and unfortunately I wasn't a big fan either. I agree with the wasted water and not enough capacity to take a decent shower before the water gets cold. However, Truma was FANTASTIC to work with and if I did like a different product of theirs, I would 100% purchase it. They stand by their products and support their customers. We ended up getting rid of the van as soon as we could. We deeply regretted trading in our travel trailer for the Travato. Hard lesson learned. - FT Rvers for 4 years P.s. Way to go Mom!
Now I see where a lot of the talent is stemming from, so nice to see your mom in her natural self in front of the camera and now you are her quests. There is a solution to save some of the water for the shower preheat. I am sure your micro-air friend can come up with a small solution that starts the heating process without running the water. I have seen videos where they had similar complaints with the aquahot system and solved it.
Jason has a mom many of us wish for. I would tell her to be well prepared and never be scared/stressed. It’s just one adventure(life) that requires adapting. Enjoy
Thank you SO MUCH Wynns for this series which I'm finding super helpful. We're about a year behind Mary. We just spent 10 days camping in a 24' Class B. (Galleria Li3) to see if we like it, and we LOVED it. 4 thumbs up here. Next stage, select a van and purchase. Glad to hear of the "shake down" trips idea. Keep up the great work, and YES Mary, please start your own channel.
This video made me cry...Enjoy every second you can with your mom...I'm a 40 year old man and I lost my mom a week ago. She was 62. This is the hardest thing I've ever gone through.. God Bless You All
Have fun Mary. I've thought about doing the same. Big lesson in this video make sure it's the right rig and set up before you drive it off the lot. Keep us posted and enjoy!
Have you thought about addiing a 6 gal. Water heater like on a boat. Plumb in into her engi e cooler and add a 12vdc heating element. That would get her off that wastful gas system.
I totally agree with your mom's assessment of her van regarding wild camping and the power/water situation. The industry is not thinking about wild camping. They are eliminating propane appliances to go with electric (residential fridges, etc) but the only thing supporting that much electric is shore power as an option. I was planning on upgrading my camper but have been outfitting my current one over the years for all camping experiences. The hot water and heating system on Airstreams stopped my plan to upgrade from an '06 Airstream trailer. I will share though that I have never popped a breaker.
Another great video. You’re mom is very lucky to have you two around to help with this RV problems. I was anxious to hear about this big van as I was about ready to buy one but now think I’ll wait for these problems to be taken care of first. Thanks again. Spending that kind of $$, a person should not have to worry and be unhappy with their choice of vans. Thanks again.
Way to go Mary! Sorry to hear about the little annoyances - the hot water heater is especially frustrating. Happy travels and we'll watch for you on the road.
So nice to see that Jason (and NIkki) were able to help out so much. The RV "Industry" is just a sad, sad, testament to..."caveat emptor". And that's all I can say without either using foul language or getting off on a rant. We sold our Class A back in 2012, as we were living in Vienna. (whole other story) It was a gasser on a Ford F53 chassis. Air ride would have been awesome, and it's a mod that I should have done. Had a harsh ride, but that chassis ran just fine. (and I'm not really a "Ford guy", so that's saying something) We had had it for 10 years when we sold it, and there had been many "fun times". Going to the races, camping etc. HOWEVER, the "fit and finish" was abysmal. Over time (and not a very long time) I ripped out all the drawers, built new ones with machine dovetails and put them on better slides. Changed a bunch of other stuff to try and improve on the pretty crappy planning at the factory. Finally figured out why the drawer under one side of the dinette never worked properly, and that was because the seat it was housed in was OUT OF SQUARE. Like, really?? Anyway, I suspect if I were to ever buy another RV, it would either be a used Bus, or at least definitely a used....whatever. Let the previous owner take it back and forth to the shop. I hope Mary enjoys her new home, no that it's been made liveable by the "pros". Cheers.
Go Mary Go... you'll do it like the boss you are and represent us mature women ;) Have a fabulous time, even when it sucks. Can't wait for the updates.
Mary, you are an example and hero to all, especially us "women of a certain age".
Mary, us "men of a certain age" also appreciate your example. :) Thank you for sharing!
@@CalBru Absolutely! What an inspiration you all are! I'm in the process of downsizing! I'm leaning 85% towards a sailboat... :)
I agree with you. Yes.
I’m always amazed that for the price you pay for an RV like yours that the manufacturers just can’t seem to get it right . Maybe all senior staff should have to live in one before they start building them. Best of luck to mom , wish you the very best adventures in your new lifestyle.
With this and boats - if you can handle it in all the ways I mean that, if should just do it yourself, or buy the cheapest version and upgrade almost everything.
To address the water waste in the shower complaint, you could mod the system by installing a valve and hose. When the valve is open the water is sent from the heater back to the water tank through the hose. Close the valve and the water comes out the shower normally. The heater is fooled by the constant demand but you are not wasting water because it is sending the heated water back into the tank.
For the complaint about the knobs, change them to locking knobs.
Look at Jason learning how to fix stuff! I remember when he couldn’t inflate a low tire on his RV.....good job, Jason!
Ya'll have been the best part of the last 6 months. I discovered ya'll while on bed rest with cancer. I loved being able to go sailing with ya'll while it snowed outside, here in Denver. Ya'll helped me keep a positive attitude and dream up a future for myself. A future I now have! I'm officially in remission 🤯🙏🤩🌈💖 thanks and here's to the future.
Heather Mac may your future be filled with as much adventure as the Wynns.
Yay Heather Mac! 💙💙💙
Heather Mac, I'm in remission as well. Yeah, here's to the future! And Mary - see you down the road! :¬) Webhead USA
@webhead congratulations!
@@xxxvcvv Thanks. Prostate cancer killed by 44 radiation treatments. PSA undetectable in each quarterly test the past year. Best to you Heather Mac! :¬) Webhead USA
Jason’s mom is so sweet. I can feel so much love when I watch this video!
Best advice I was ever given when we bought our Winnebago Era is, the first year you will hate all the things that will go wrong. Give it one year and stick to it faithfully and the second year you own it you will begin to fall in love with it. It will never be perfect but you will learn to over look the little things that don’t matter. Now we love the ERA!
So happy to see someone taking a chance on the possibility of something more even if it means a bit of change upfront. It means the spirit of adventure isn't yet completely dead under the weight of consumerism.
Re: the water wastage in the shower. That is a common problem on boats too, especially catamarans where the run from the heater in one hull is a good distance to the shower in the other. An option is to put a T junction in at the shower with a timed solenoid on it. With the solenoid closed the water is diverted back via the junction to the main water tank. Then when the timer "times out" the solenoid opens and you get your hot water in the shower. So essentially you turn on the shower and nothing seems to happen for two minutes...then out comes hot water.
This is what I love about Nikki, Jason and now Mom Mary. PURE HONESTY.
Showing us the pros and cons. Thank you.
Mary you go girl, live life, I love how much you all care so much about the environment and animals that you don't eat meat.
Oh very important. Turn off and unplug your wifi when not needed. You don't want to constantly be bombarded with radiation. Get non wifi security alarms and motion detectors with noise and flashing lights. Will help when in bear country's keeping them away from scratching up the van.
Jason can you link videos of incounters with bears?
You can add a water recirculation pump at the shower. Hit the button before taking a shower. The pump will force cold water back to the water tank, instead of down the drain. When hot water reaches the shower, the recirculation pump will turn off. Hot water at the shower without wasting water.
Jason, plumb a recirculation loop in the water line for the shower so when it is "closed" during the warmup period it dumps the fresh water back into the tank. (Closed means water is circulating but wont come out the shower head) After a couple minutes mom can open the valve and hop into the shower. Minimal to no water wasted. I have one of these loops in my home. Best thing I ever added. Instant hot water everywhere and no waste.
Best and most pratical comment
Lol, I was gonna ask how old she was. Actually it’s inspiring to see “older” women solo vanlifers. (I’m gonna be 60 in July) 😊
Mary is the best! So happy whenever she makes an appearance on your channel.
She is adventurous, independent, sweet and funny too :) Setting the bar high for the rest of us. Have a great time on the road and good luck making memories
Jason add a recalculating loop/pump on the heater for the shower issue. That should cycle the water in a circle back to the heater and provided infinite hot water on demand to the shower. No loss. Thats the way we do it on residential homes. Got be a reasonable plumber who can figure out a easy way to get a small 3/8 line back to the heater location or the FW tank re fill, add check valve, and wire in a small Dc circ pump on a switch by the Shower or run of the demand pump pressure maybe. Even if you forgot it on for a day wouldn't matter much except LP consumption. The newest residential heater units do this internally now with a small low flow pump and a loop line in the home. Its not as complicated as it sounds. don't waste the water send it back to the beginning before you turn on the shower head and send it down the drain basically.
Truma makes & sells a HWH with a 1 liter reservior so the water coming out of the faucet is ALWAYS hot.
2years into “van life” at a rally, we were going to update the solar. Guess what ,
,it was not even plugged into the inverter from the factory. I’m so glad to see van help on your channel.😘
Ummmhhh ...
Sunday, coffee and the Wynn's!
I am really impressed with the courage your mother has to start a whole new completely different life style. And that you have used your experience and skills gained on your boat to really improve her use of the RV.
Jason/Nikki very proud of your helping your Mom get outfitted in order to be able to be comfortable while she is traveling. I had a 36 foot Gas motor home and had it stored in Denton area and got hit by a storm and was totaled. So haven’t gotten the nerve to get another one. My son bought a 40’ diesel pusher by Newmar and it is huge with 4 slides, like walking into a home, it is amazing. He sure is enjoying it and with his job all he needs is WiFi and phone service and he’s good to go. I know your mom will enjoy being on the road much more with the upgrades you put into her van. You’re a great Son, Charlie Brown!!!
This question may be more than can quickly cover, so you can use it as an idea for a future video 😉. When moving to vanlife or RV living, what are the must haves from the factory versus what would you rather install yourself? I'm sure Mary would answer differently from Nikki and Jason, so would love to understand the different perspectives. Thanks for sharing! You're rocking it, Mary!
Mother Mary’s Moochdocking seriously needs to be a UA-cam channel.
What an incredible journey your mum has started! I always think people are inherently built for change. If we don't change our surroundings with travel or adventure, we change our surroundings by buying new stuff, and renovating the house and getting a new car - it's all change. just in different ways.
Since you regrew your land legs, there's a distinct shift in your videos. Quasi overnight, you've become a lot more personal in the way you address the camera, your cuts, storyline, and flow,...it's like you leveled up the remaining few percentage points to become even better yet. Love it!
Boy can I relate to having RV company/employees getting it right. We’ve had the same problem on the boat. Boat repairman come out to fix something, and have to come back 3-4 times over a month to get it right. It’s insane. We live on our boat and these guys don’t understand this is our home. Not having this or that for a week, or waiting for parts, or for them to come back a week later is a huge inconvenience. Good job Nikki and Jason for helping Jason’s mom get this right with your knowledge and expertise.
Its always fun. Coffee and the Wynns!!
Mom is absolutely beautiful.
Hey Mary, all the peaves mentioned are fixable:
1) *Hot water* - A recirculation valve can be installed so no water is wasted while being brought up to temperature. Basically, it's routed right back to the fresh water tank until you close the valve. Really simple, very affordable and pretty easy to install.
A recirculation path can also be installed for endless hot water/showers on very little water. Saves on fresh water while not filling up the grey water.
2) *Latches* - Locking marine latches can be installed...probably with very little modifications to your cabinets and drawers.
I'd be surprised if they were very different from what's on _Curiosity._ No more 5 mph cornering.
3) *Pantry* - Some easy fixes can be installed to improve the usability of the pantry.
4) *Couch arm* - Two words: Industrial Velcro. We use it all the time in place of mechanical fasteners. It really does work.
Jason and Nikki already addressed the solar, battery and inverter issues, so I'm sure that you're good there.
I'd love to help you make you new home just right.
Sure, but the point is that those are things that you'd think would have worked right off the bat in a higher end motorhome. ☹
Curious Minion
@@gonewiththewynns 100% in agreement.
For what she paid for the van, all of those simple upgrades should be standard. Nice van, now.
Mary, your are such an inspiration! I admire your courage at following your dream. I know that wasn't an easy transition.I think im about the same age as you and change gets harder and harder...good for you...I wish you safe travels and look forward to maybe seeing some of your adventures! Good for Jason helping you out to get that all straitened out too! Happy Trails!!
Jason ~ you are a super good son to your mom. Nice job re-fitting her van with better equipment and performing maintenance for her.
I saw a UA-cam video where the guy solved the hot water issue by using some pex piping and created a loop for the water to keep circu,aging until it was hot enough to use for a shower. Used the pex pipe and a valve. Jason should be able to do it easily.
Love the real life living in this particular RV and the pros and cons.
How wonderful to have experienced family to help you out with those terrific upgrades.
Congratulations 🎉🎉
It’s awesome to see you guys doing “how-to” RV stuff again!
Thank goodness all these upgrades were made. Live for her went from a struggle to a normal situation. Thumbs up!
Boy taken care of his Momma...so awesome! 👍🏼
When the sailing is over and want a job you should consult on RV builds you seem to have it nailed
He look, it’s the “ I so Lonely “ guy.
That hot water shower situation can be solved with an 12 volt pump, setup as a demand circulation call pump, with temperature sensor at the fixture and on demand push button, no water waste, and just a small amount of additional 12 volt power used, only when the call button is pressed. Hot shower! I use the same thing in my "land house" to not waste water while getting hot to the low flow taps. Back that pantry pullout with a piece of lauan on one side (nicely finished of course), and some shock cord on the other side. Then add one of those short throw flip over slide bar locks in brushed nickel. Like what you'd use to have the "peak out" gap in place of the older style security chain on a front door. If there is room inside the cabinet box I'd also add two or three stiff roller toggle latches (fully hidden from view normally). BAM! Practical stylish pantry!
You got ahead of me. I just installed one for a friend of mine in his super sleeper truck.
Very true. Many high end homes have this! Should be easy on a Van. Hot Water.
@@deibertmichael agree. I like to donate my time to have something else to do besides truck driving, so installing things on trucks and RVs.
I’ve never had on demand hot water in our RV but have researched those Truma units quite a bit. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say it takes anywhere near 2 minutes to heat up or such a problem wasting so much water. Airstream must’ve goofed up something.
Go Mom, we wish you the best of times on your travels
Go, Mom! Great that the kids could help you. Have fun and enjoy the journey.
Congrats Mary and with 'the kids' help you're well on the way to having a functioning OG (off grid) home. After 3 years living full time in a diy UK coach conversion, I can say life is more visible and the addiction to chase money 24/7 has gone! Ya just can't underestimate the word freedom!! :)
"Life is more visible" Aww that's exactly right!
Mathew Coleman When you said OG (ole G) I thought you were referring to Ole girl LOL, that’s something we used to call her mom when we were kids back in the mid- late 70s and such, and even to this day many people from that era still refer to the mom is a OG or Ole G LOL. The way you started the comment out it sound like you were saying that mom is going to be in good shape we are functioning, and it could still fit except you explain what the OG meant. Just thought that was comical probably because I’m getting old in the final stuff, “I guess LOL
@@yvonnelives lmao... brilliant!! 😂 😂 I'd never get away with calling my mum that... that's a crack round the lug! 👂
Mathew Coleman when we first started doing it as kids it wasn’t easy but eventually our moms just got used to it and realized it was a form of respect. LOL but you are correct they rung our necks a next few times but we thought we were cool so that’s how we were talking. I think a sticking point was the whole old part LOL
Thanks Mary! That's great information about what to look for in a future RV.
@Todd R IKR? Love that they address the problems met (and solved) instead of videoing through rose-colored glasses.
(Nothing against yours, Nikki! They're so *you*!!)
Thank you all for sharing this. The video is a great resource for equipment to solve issues. Special thanks to Mary for sharing her life.
Mary, you are an inspiration to us all. Glad Jason and Nikki are able to help out on the systems issues. I think your shower is bigger than ours in our 40’ class A. You’ll get into all the cool state parks, and boondocking with the extra solar and lithium battery gives you independence to go nearly anywhere. Only thing missing is a small dog, like a little Yorkie. Enjoy your travels, see you on the road...
Mom is Rocking it!!! Would love to get a six month update of how you are doing, what would you have changed etc.. congratulations 🎉 on your new journey.
P.s.
Have you thought about installing a shower recirculation system? With that you use a total of 3 gallons constantly hot and can stay in the shower as long as you want.
Can you give me a website to to statrt negotiating 3 gallons?
Way to go mom , sorry to hear that a leading manufacturer can’t get off the grid right + the cost$$$
Thank god for her kids getting
Set up the right way
Living the dream Mary. May you have many many happy years travelling. There's so much out there to see and experience.
Mary your so awesome! Big steps forward on your new big adventure.. before you know it you'll be setting sail too. May you Jason and Nikki never be so far away to not stop by one another and say hey. Smile and be.
Hilarious. So cool your mom moved into a Van. That picture of all of you in a bed was awesome 🤣😂We had a Travato and Larry made custom cup holders. I don’t think we could sleep in that bed. We need that water filtration. Very cool video. Really getting to know you guys lately. No nasty comments. You guys are so great. Alice
The blog post has a link to the Acuva system, with a discount code for big $$ off! www.gonewiththewynns.com/van-life-mom
Curious Minion
What a relief to have all those upgrades, whew!👍🏻 well done!
Jason you were such a good son and Nikki such a good daughter-in-law helping out mom that way keep up the good work
Great job Mary. I love your adventurous soul and your van is great.you are very blessed to have your son and his wife help you. Hope you have a wonderful time
We are excited for Mary! Cheers to all of her ahhhmazing adventures to come & her leap into nomadic living & travel. Thank you for sharing with us throughout all your weekly videos the real life challenges, the wondrous moments & joyful adventures of life when the world is your home and peace is found by living minimally on the road or sea. :-)
I have been following along since your RV days, enjoyed the video! I have a 2017 Winnebago View 24J and it is definitely the best size RV in my opinion.
M.
Mary is a cool young Mom. Enjoy your new lifestyle. Happy travels😎
The drawer and cabinet latches.... They use a passive latching system. You can add another latch to any drawer or cabinet if you want, they are sold on Amazon
I relate to to all the issues you’ve mentioned about the van. I’ve been victim of Airstream’s sleek appearance. Had nothing but trouble with it. My happiest time was when I returned it to the dealership after 6 months and sold it back to them with $50k lost. Airstream management and en
yes buying the Pleasure Way or Leisure Travel Van versions would have been better for you.
I would love to have a Mom like Jasons Mom, my mother has passed, but she was never really a "Mom."
So sad, having a great mom is wonderful but even if you didn't you can always BE a good mom!
I am right there with you! But like the other commentor said it made me a great mom to my son. First-hand handbook of what not to do!
TOM ARCHER Nobody wants you as their mother Tom
TOM ARCHER 😂
You all are just awesome, from following Nikki and Jason in your RV days and I believe that’s where my desire started to someday do the same, seeing all you do as far as upgrades and info, now your Mom wanting to do the same, I can see where she and myself got the itch to explore and have the simple life. Thanks for always sharing and I wish your mom safe travels!
Such a role model. What the entire generation should be doing.
Those small details are a lot, especially for something as expensive as an airstream. 🙁
Mom should start her own UA-cam channel. Thanks
What a wonderful woman....she's to be admired for her spunk, energy, and willingness to make a change. She is a great example for us all.
Another great video! Road Trppin with Mom, doesn't get any better then that. Have fun and enjoy every minute together.
The Airstream Atlas is so close to getting it right. And for the price they charge it is weird they skimp out. They really should upgrade to the circulating version of Truma that fixes that wasted water issue. They are killing the dream with not using large lithium ion batteries etc.
The bad design decisions and quality of RVs is just really unacceptable.
It’s going to destroy RVing... which is in a long term decline anyway.
Haha that thumbnail 🤣💨
What a delightful video. Mary’s such an engaging, intelligent, woman. What a good son you are for making all of those improvements so your mom would be safer and content. I’m really looking forward to your next video.
All the very best Mary, the kids have fixed you up now your almost free, Safe travels
So, I decided to look your mother up on LinkedIn (currently I have about 7,500 contacts) and discovered that she is already one of my connections. I am totally puzzled as to how that came to be, since I normally only connect with those that are involved in the Sport Entertainment business. I love your travels. Now that I am retired I watch your new videos every Sunday and your older videos while working out on the Stairmaster and Treadmill at the gym.
Also, if your Mother has Wi-Fi, then why can she not do her cell calls over ethernet? I almost exclusively using Cell over ethernet when I travel. Just about every new phone and providor on the market offers this feature. I am looking forward to your return to the Sea.
Please explain more the ethernet.
Is that something one can access without WiFi?
@@todaytraining5671 Most Cell Phones have the option of doing Telephone Calls over Wi-Fi. I will walk through the Samsung product since I know it so well. Tap the Menu Icon, Go to Settings, Tap the status switch beside Wi-Fi calling, Tap Turn on, then Tap Wi-Fi Calling. You can also pull down the Icon Menu on a newer Samsung Phone, and select Wi-Fi Calling. You can If you have a newer Samsung phone with a USB C, pickup a quality Belkin Ethernet to USB-C Adaptor or similar quality brand for about $25 from major Big Box Stores. With your phone on and Unlocked plug in the USB-C Adaptor into your phone & give it a couple of minutes to install the driver. Then you can plug an Ethernet cable into the Adaptor, to upload and download from the web faster and if available make you Phone Calls over the Internet. Do not try this if the Internet Speed are slow. You need good internet speed to make Cell calls over the internet.
I use this traveling World Wide and it works all over the US, all over Europe, some providers in other countries block this option (BlueSky in the Cook Islands does block this option, ask me how I know...) But if you Travel a lot then you should be using this whenever possible. The reason that that some providors on the Islands block this is that it takes a lot of Band Width. It is very helpful if your Cell Signal is weak in your home. In that situation it will give you a much more stable call or connection.
@@michaelholliday100 Intersting so it turns it into a VOIP phone!
Technically, ethernet is not a requirement just wifi. Great idea, I use this all the time and the calls are generally clear and don't drop.
@@hornshwangler I am very aware that having Ethernet is not require, but one of the individuals asked if you had to have Wi-Fi, so I explained the optional wired method.
Hot water can be a problem just like you mention. Look into "recirculating hot water" systems. To avoid excessive power use, you might have to wait a minute for the first hot water out of the faucet but you won't have to wait between bursts like you talked about in water saving showers. see these videos to get the idea. ua-cam.com/video/TrsptRZtIzc/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/2QhvF0VlaN8/v-deo.html
I’m in my van now four years. I’m 63 and it’s been good and not so good. But your van looks like heaven👍
You are doing so well, Mary!!! Your new home is beautiful and that you are working out the kinks, while you adventure!!!
We made the mistake of buying a Winnebago Travato class b van. It was a nightmare and we spent MONTHS trying to get warranty work done at Winnebago. In the end, we never were able to get the entire list of issues addressed properly! We will never buy a Winnebago product again.
The Travato had Truma Combi system and unfortunately I wasn't a big fan either. I agree with the wasted water and not enough capacity to take a decent shower before the water gets cold. However, Truma was FANTASTIC to work with and if I did like a different product of theirs, I would 100% purchase it. They stand by their products and support their customers.
We ended up getting rid of the van as soon as we could. We deeply regretted trading in our travel trailer for the Travato. Hard lesson learned.
- FT Rvers for 4 years
P.s. Way to go Mom!
Now I see where a lot of the talent is stemming from, so nice to see your mom in her natural self in front of the camera and now you are her quests. There is a solution to save some of the water for the shower preheat. I am sure your micro-air friend can come up with a small solution that starts the heating process without running the water. I have seen videos where they had similar complaints with the aquahot system and solved it.
Nikki and Jason. You are great with Mary. Nice to see.
Jason has a mom many of us wish for. I would tell her to be well prepared and never be scared/stressed. It’s just one adventure(life) that requires adapting. Enjoy
Thank you great information. You're mom is blessed that you are so handy and helped her.
Way to go mom ! Enjoy the journey, it's your life. I am doing the same. Stay safe. Peace to all of you. Don
a picture is worth a thousand words, but your picture in the intro is worth a million words.
😆😆💙💙💙
Thank you SO MUCH Wynns for this series which I'm finding super helpful. We're about a year behind Mary. We just spent 10 days camping in a 24' Class B. (Galleria Li3) to see if we like it, and we LOVED it. 4 thumbs up here. Next stage, select a van and purchase. Glad to hear of the "shake down" trips idea. Keep up the great work, and YES Mary, please start your own channel.
That is so thoughtful of you kids to do that for her. Every time she uses those devices you will be in her thoughts and heart ❤️
This video made me cry...Enjoy every second you can with your mom...I'm a 40 year old man and I lost my mom a week ago. She was 62. This is the hardest thing I've ever gone through.. God Bless You All
Good on you Mary & thank goodness for Nicki & Jason’s technical expertise.👍
Great video Wynns! I am so proud of your mom and her having such a spirit of adventure. Go Mary.
Great Job MOM!! Woot woot! Have a Great time and many many Adventures!!
You're awesome, Mary! I love that you are trying something different.
Have fun Mary. I've thought about doing the same. Big lesson in this video make sure it's the right rig and set up before you drive it off the lot. Keep us posted and enjoy!
So awesome Mary! Enjoy your new adventures! Nikki and Jason you guys are such great people! Really enjoying your videos! ❤️❤️❤️
Have you thought about addiing a 6 gal. Water heater like on a boat. Plumb in into her engi e cooler and add a 12vdc heating element. That would get her off that wastful gas system.
The three of you in the king bed was just too much...I laughed so hard ...lol...Love you Wynns!
So glad to hear about all the upgrades! Best wishes, Mary, et al.
I totally agree with your mom's assessment of her van regarding wild camping and the power/water situation. The industry is not thinking about wild camping. They are eliminating propane appliances to go with electric (residential fridges, etc) but the only thing supporting that much electric is shore power as an option. I was planning on upgrading my camper but have been outfitting my current one over the years for all camping experiences. The hot water and heating system on Airstreams stopped my plan to upgrade from an '06 Airstream trailer. I will share though that I have never popped a breaker.
Another great video. You’re mom is very lucky to have you two around to help with this RV problems. I was anxious to hear about this big van as I was about ready to buy one but now think I’ll wait for these problems to be taken care of first. Thanks again. Spending that kind of $$, a person should not have to worry and be unhappy with their choice of vans. Thanks again.
Thank you Mary for sharing your van with us 😊
Way to go Mary! Sorry to hear about the little annoyances - the hot water heater is especially frustrating. Happy travels and we'll watch for you on the road.
I have always liked Mary because she is so supportive of her son’s wild adventures.
And now you know where he got the adventure bug! 😆😆
Jason, your mother is adorable and brave! Good job Mary!
So nice to see that Jason (and NIkki) were able to help out so much. The RV "Industry" is just a sad, sad, testament to..."caveat emptor". And that's all I can say without either using foul language or getting off on a rant. We sold our Class A back in 2012, as we were living in Vienna. (whole other story) It was a gasser on a Ford F53 chassis. Air ride would have been awesome, and it's a mod that I should have done. Had a harsh ride, but that chassis ran just fine. (and I'm not really a "Ford guy", so that's saying something)
We had had it for 10 years when we sold it, and there had been many "fun times". Going to the races, camping etc. HOWEVER, the "fit and finish" was abysmal. Over time (and not a very long time) I ripped out all the drawers, built new ones with machine dovetails and put them on better slides. Changed a bunch of other stuff to try and improve on the pretty crappy planning at the factory.
Finally figured out why the drawer under one side of the dinette never worked properly, and that was because the seat it was housed in was OUT OF SQUARE. Like, really?? Anyway, I suspect if I were to ever buy another RV, it would either be a used Bus, or at least definitely a used....whatever. Let the previous owner take it back and forth to the shop. I hope Mary enjoys her new home, no that it's been made liveable by the "pros". Cheers.
What a wonderful family your family and friends are all doing something a little less ordinary mom is so cool
Go Mary Go... you'll do it like the boss you are and represent us mature women ;) Have a fabulous time, even when it sucks. Can't wait for the updates.