Towing an Airstream is not a simple task. It can weigh literally tons and the tow vehicle is the difference between a dream and a nightmare while you are on the road. For years I have always wanted a camper van. Having been a surfer for most of my life, I dreamed about road trips in my van with my buddies, packed full of camping gear and surfboards, exploring the coast of Baja Mexico for years on end. Well, Baja Mexico is no longer the paradise it once was thanks to Mexican drug lords, but I finally got the van of my dreams.

I decided on a GMC Savana 3/4 ton Extended van partially because I had $3000 worth of rebates through my credit card. When we were van shopping, we did not know that we would one day be towing our Airstream. The van was just going to be the tow vehicle for our little T@B trailer we owned at the time. The T@B being a small camper, we were glad to have the extra interior space for storage and traveling comfort. It was a complete overkill of a tow vehicle for the T@B trailer as thus, most of the time we would actually forget we are towing the little teardrop. But we sure were glad to not have to upgrade when the time came to move up to the Airstream.

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So, as you saw in the last post, we sold our T@b trailer and Ava wasn’t the only one kinda sad about it. We only had our little teardrop trailer for about a year but it held so many memories for us.

Like our first trial trip with the T@b to El Capitan State Beach near Santa Barbara, California…

… where Ava fell in love with collecting rocks and her dismay to handmade wool hats from Peru.

Like the time we went on our first real road trip as a family to Catalina State Park in beautiful Tucson, Arizona…

… where Ava and I went for our first bird walk, where she fell in love with her bedtime stuffed animal buddy, the prairie doggy, and where she got RSV and had to hospitalized for 8 long days.

Like when we built up enough courage again to take Ava on another road trip during Mother’s Day weekend to San Clemente State Beach…

… where she had a new tent attachment to play in, where she went cave exploring with a couple friends, and where she made another (!) trip to the ER because of a new respiratory illness.

Hmmm. Two out of three road trips resulted in emergency trips to the hospital. This post isn’t sounding too positive but it all worked out at the end. It wasn’t the T@b’s fault. I swear. I blame the germs at daycare in combination to the dry air of our toasty trailer. We know better now. Warm dry air = bad. Cool humid air = good. Got it. Hey, we might be slow learners but at least we learn.

the end,
marlene

Mama, please open up the Tab. I want to go on another road trip.

What? You sold it and we’re driving it to its new home? No! WAH!

Good bye my Tab. I hope you like your new home.

(Sniffle). (Sniffle).

love,
ava