Ok, first of all, we know it sounds pretty silly to be making a post about being on hiatus, while on hiatus.
I’m really not sure what to call what we’re doing right now.
But we couldn’t just let all of the outpouring of support we’ve gotten over the past few days just sit there. We never ever imagined so many were reading along so closely, and the number of first time commenters is quite humbling (thank you for de-lurking.. each and every one of you!).
So first of all, a BIG HUGE THANK YOU for seeing and acknowledging the raw and authentic nature of our last post, for seeing us as human – and for reflecting back the gratitude that is in your hearts. For sharing a piece of yourself. This sort of stuff, humbles us.
It would take forever to individually respond to each of you.. know you have been heard, and your words are impacting us profoundly in positive ways.
It’s actually quite overwhelming. We’re really not quite sure what to do with it all.
We never set out to be ‘bloggers’ or ‘YouTube personalities’ or whatever it is we seem to have become. We look at each other.. we’re Chris. We’re Cherie. We’re owned by a cat. We’re just two flawed people who post some words every so often and hope they don’t lead too many people astray.
How We Got Here
We’ve been reflecting a lot these past few days as we try to figure out how we got to our current intersection.
Any of our long time readers know that for the past couple of years we have been following one major project after another – both personally and professionally – with no real breaks. We’ve accomplished some pretty remarkable stuff, and we are proud of what we’ve been able to contribute.
But it all takes its tolls, and we have no one to blame but ourselves for not taking breathers in-between.
But we’ve arrived, and now we must deal with it.
Of course, it’s not just about a regular trickle of non-supportive (and sometimes quite nasty) comments. Us humans are more complex beings than that.
On a good day, the comments flow right off our backs like a duck with a smooth oily coat of feathers.
However, that coat is worn thin right now. And even well intentioned but critical words can be read with more negativity than was written, and each individually is easy enough to set aside. But one by one they add up to sounding like one big giant ‘YOU SUCK’ chant on repeat.
We need to take some time to grow some new feathers, or add some new oil.. or whatever ducks do. There’s deeper issues that are causing that reaction.
We’re taking the time we need to refocus on ourselves. Reconnect with each other. And re-evaluate our priorities going forward instead of continuing to keep committing to things just to have something to do next.
So, yes, we have decided we are taking a hiatus from creating new content under the Technomadia name here on the blog, on YouTube, on Instagram, on Facebook, on RVillage and our live video chats.
For how long? That remains to be seen. Until it feels right, I suppose. Maybe it’s a couple more weeks.. maybe a couple months. But I do believe we’ll be back.
Hiatus FAQs
In the outpouring of comments we’ve gotten on the blog, Facebook and e-mails – there are several similar questions and suggestions we’ve gotten. I thought I’d take a moment to address them here:
‘Just remove all the negative comments and ban the posters.’
We do delete negative comments as soon as we see them. And we also regularly use the ‘ban’ button where it is available to prevent future comments.
However, by the time we get to any delete/ban button – we have already read the comment. On a good day, like I said, it just flows off our back.
But when we’re worn down, that’s a lot tougher to do.
We know some creators just turn off comments all together to deal with it. We’ve contemplated that, but that would remove one of the elements we truly enjoy – the interactions. We love helping, answering questions (and those answers being in a public place that might help others).. and yes, after spending dozens of hours creating a piece – we do so love hearing a ‘thank you’.
‘Why don’t you just hire a social media manager to screen all your comments?’
Some may not realize that Technomadia.com is not our business.
Hiring people would make it more of a business, and thus we’d have to put focus on generating income off this blog to support that. And we just don’t want to go there, and we don’t think you want us cluttering this up with ads, sponsors and such to support it.
We want what we do give here on Technomadia to be a gift, to be from our hearts – not from the motivation of having to produce income so we can afford to support it. Technomadia would then become a job for us.
Technomadia is, and alway has been, our personal space.
Our work is part of our lives. So yes, some of our income producing endeavors do get mentioned in our tales. And some of our services & products are directly influenced by our lifestyle choices. These are fine lines – not all careers have clear divisions from life.
Why don’t you create a membership site so that the ‘true’ fans can have access and keep out the negatives?
First of all.. see above. That whole personal versus business thing, and wanting our content to be a gift and accessible to all.
We actually have created a membership site – we took all of our RV Mobile Internet postings and created RVMobileInternet.com last year. A lot of content over there is free, including our news feeds and some of our popular guides. It’s a place we can wax on endlessly about the topic, and be met with appreciative eyes.
We do have membership levels for those who want to support the resource center, go deeper with our content and even interact with us and the community that has formed.
That model has worked out quite well. It funds the efforts put into it and is a joy to host. Suffice it to say, even if we wanted to approach another topic for a similar model (such as solar, batteries, working on the road, RVing lifestyle, etc.) – we just don’t have the time.
Will RVMobileInternet.com and Mobile Internet Aficionados continue?
Absolutely, our business endeavors over at RVMobileInternet are continuing on while we’re on personal hiatus. We made a very conscious commitment to the site, our community and our members. It is our current professional priority.
We are tracking the industry news and cover it from the unique RVers angle in our newsfeed. We continue to create exclusive content for our members, testing & reviewing gear and assisting members in our forums. That will not change, except now – we have even more time for it.
Blasts from the Past
In the meantime while we figure things out, I’m going to periodically post links back to some oldies but goodie posts.
After 9+ years of blogging, we probably have some content that newer readers haven’t found yet – and perhaps even long time readers have forgotten about.
So, we’re not completely going away. Just taking a break from creating new content. I suppose.
Here’s today’s dose:
- No Excuses: Go Nomadic – Our blog series of articles going over some of the common logistics that nomads face – income on the road, healthcare, safety, purging your stuff, pets, domicile/mail and more. We do have an optional ‘pay as you wish’ eBook if you prefer, but the blog series is the same thing and completely free.
- Realities & Myths of Full Time RVing — Our most popular video chat, overviewing the pros & cons of RVing, and dispelling the myths. We’ve been told it’s a must watch’ for anyone considering the lifestyle.
- Non-Retired Younger’ RVing Nomad Blogs — Links to others living awesome lives on the road. We’re not the only ones blogging about this stuff, go check some of our friends & peers while we’re taking a hiatus.
- Guide to Finding RV Parks, Campgrounds and Boondocking – How do we find all our great camp spots? Here’s our guide.
- Setting up Domicile in Florida – Considering ‘moving’ your domicile to Florida? Perhaps in light of the 2016 Health Care Options on the ACA making Florida more attractive? Here’s the steps we took to set up our domicile a couple years back.
Happy New Year
Have always loved reading your web site and adventures.
God Bless.
I sit in the back of the bus (Lurker) and enjoy so much reading all about your travelings and technical knowledge, I have learned so much from your video’s and writing. You are a special breed of people, that share and help without expecting a return. There will always be some mean and arrogant, jealous folks that have nothing better to do than try to stop you from doing good for others. Please take time to re-load and come back stronger then ever. We need you.
My wife and I have been following you on youtube.We enjoy your journey and thank you for sharing your life with us. I believe all those negative comments you get are jelouse people who have no idea.
We live down under and own an RV you are both welcome to come here and take a break.
Best luck in your recharge. Thanks for including us in your “younger” RVers link list! Ha,
We too, hope there is more from you both if and when…learning a lot from your experiences as we prepare for FT adventure.
Disheartening that there is an element that can’t accept the beauty in things for what they are.
Best of health and safe travels to you both.
Cheri and Chris, lurker here, guilty as charged. But add my husband and me to your legion of fans. We are 2 months from launch and your blog has been invaluable over the years as we planned and tried to imagine what the full-time life would really be like. What I value the most is your transparency and honesty, which unfortunately puts you in the cross-hairs of ugly and bitter people. It’s a problem all popular bloggers have, and many have quit because of it. The world would be worse off if you two chose the same route, but it would certainly be understandable. But we’re really hoping you come back, refreshed and newly bullet-proof.
I also wanted to add that I joined MIA a few months ago and find the content and forums to be well worth it. Just last night I signed up for a UDP rental option and firmed up some other details based on your guides. I’ll be delurking soon in the forums I hope!
From across the pond I only hope this is a short break, I’ve totally loved following your travels and travails and was personally very upset to hear that some ‘numpties’ ( a good Scottish word) were posting nasties on your labour of love. Please don’t let them succeed in driving you away for long. Rest, recharge your batteries and then when you are good and ready come back and tell us all about it!
Nomads, enjoy reading your blog & updates.do come back..
MIA member here. We haven’t met IRL, yet. The two of you have been a huge source of comfort and wisdom as we transitioned from S&B living to RV living full time. You two are special, generous, and very much appreciated! From personal experience, losing a parent, even one who lived a fairly long life, is absolutely devastating and it took us a minimum of fours years after each parent died to even begin to feel normal. So glad to see that you two are resting and following healthy self care. Just know, please, that you are loved!
Okay, here’s me trying to put some fresh oil on those feathers!! I love what y’all do for the RV community.
Dear Cherie and Chris….checking in after months of not..
really saddened to read of the ignorance out there pouring
negativity on you both. Together with a couple friends, I
met you in Ajo last year and have returned many times
in my mind to your generous, warmth and tour for us that day.
Glad to hear you are caring for yourselves! Brilliant.
Seriously,
Jo
I am a bit bummed out that other people are being critical of what you are doing on Technomadia. I personally have learned a lot from your posts and it has been a big resource for me in preparing to go full time in our new motorhome. Just a few weeks ago I was riding home from work on the bus reading the article about Solar and is it worth it. When I got done I was thinking, “That was a really well done article”. I really got me thinking about what I want to do with solar on our motorhome.
So I just want to say thank you for all the really good information and I appreciate what you have shared.
-^-Norm-^-
Hey Guys, we love ALL your work and appreciate all you’ve done for us. You’ve helped us make the decision to go full time. Bought the rig and counting down the months! You’re the best!
Patrick & Melanie
I too am a long time reader of your blog, and have made few if any comments over the years. I have enjoyed seeing all the changes you have undergone. I hope you return to this endeavor after you have rested and rejuvenated, but at any rate, be well and travel safely.
Dan
First we really enjoy your videos. We typically watch your videos on tv and through amazon fire tv. When we do that the comments are not visible that I am aware of so we did not realize you had haters. There are a lot of people that enjoy and appreciate the work you put into videos and online content. We wish you guys the best whatever you do.
Tim and Lori
I’am so glad to see that you, Chris, and kitty are doing fine. I kept checking for new YouTube videos so I decided to try your website. Take all of the time you need, and just know that there are many people that love and miss your videos.
As others have said, your decision is completely understandable. I am also a programmer and have marvelled at your ability to create so much content while keeping up with the stress of software development. I could not keep up that pace for a week, yet you have for years. Your hard work has helped so many, there are not words of thanks powerful enough.
We will miss you and look forward to following you when and if the time is right.
Rick and Jessica
Fulltime in FL
So sorry you guys are dealing with the unkind words of others!! Looking forward to the day you start sharing your knowledge and adventures with us again!!
I never thought of it this way, you have been blogging for a decade just about. So yeah, it stands to reason you need a break, and just be Chris and Cherie for a while and not “Chris and Cherie of Technomadia”. Have fun, see things and live well. In the event you find/learn anything new and meaningful to the rest of us nomads share it, but don’t feel obligated like you have to find something to share. If something tickles your fancy and you want to share, your friends will always be here listen, Even if it is as simple as a new wine that was awesome.
Have some nice holidays and stay warm till we hear from you again.
Kyle
The definition of jealousy: an unhappy or angry feeling of wanting to have what someone else has.
That is all it is. period.
You guys rock!
Just remembered an Apple article from 2012… Where’s the love? Some people just really hate Apple. Haters gonna hate.
http://www.cultofmac.com/172428/why-does-apple-inspire-so-much-hate/
Dear Chris and Cherie,
I was saddened to hear and read your words and the harm you have endured at the hand of others. You have offered kindness and generosity to share freely your experience and knowledge. A Gift indeed. My prayers are with you. May you feel the freedom to be kind to yourselves and may the wounds heal.
I still go bak to your write-up as we continue this full-time adventure. Please know you are appreciated and your wisdom much valued.
Blessings upon you both as you enter this holiday season. And I look forward to seeing/reading your offerings down the road.
With kindness
Corinne Vance
Chris and Cherie,
Just checked the blog and there you were! Thank you for giving us something to “feast ” on!
– the “Blasts from the Past”. That was such a great idea. I can’t wait to go through that wealth of information.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving, enjoy your time away from the blog and know that we are ever so grateful for all that you do.
Karen
We’re really sorry to hear that there are those who use social media to say things in writing that they’d never say in person.
Please know that you have played a major role in our decision to full-time and that we are indebted to you for all that you have provided through your Technomadia pages. You both deserve time to reflect, replenish your energies and hopefully relive the joy for sharing this wonderful lifestyle that you so much expressed in your many online contributions.
Hi guys, thanks for sharing where you are at with such honesty and regard for your self care. It takes a lot of self awareness and courage to STOP and take a step back, reflect and realign. And then proceed forward with clarity and strength in a direction that supports YOU instead of focusing so much on the needs of others. You contribute such a tremendous amount of well written, balanced, quality, informative content to this community and we are among the many thousands who appreciate it. Recycling past posts is a fantastic idea, take all the time you need and just take care of yourselves. Your true fans aren’t going anywhere (well, actually we are always going somewhere LOL), but we will all be here waiting for you. Big hugs, Julie and Marc
” All Things will come to pass.” and “Live every day as if it were last” comes to mind.
Have a good molt. We’ll miss you, but understand the need for a break. Thanks for all of your wisdom and advice.
So happy you came back if only for a ‘moment’. So sorry you felt the need to ‘blog’ out for a time. We are just about to begin our FT adventure and you two have been instrumental in preparing us for this HUGE life changing decision. We thank you for all you’ve done/do. Our gratitude for your unselfish service to RV’ers and wanna-be’s is more than we will probably ever be able to express. You two ROCK! We hope to one day meet you on the road (or at a gathering) and be able to THANK YOU in person. Until then, take care, replenish and restore your souls, but finally come back to all of us who truly appreciate you.
God Bless you both,
Cathy and Ray Dove
Currently of Naples, Fl.
Cherie: You might not remember that I posted a comment similar to “you are building a house” when you listed the huge list of mods you ordered made to the bus. It sounded like a never-ending list of add-ons, AKA change orders. The project reminded me of building a house or extensively remodeling a house. You even had the overbooked “general contractor” situation. You got yourselves into divorce territory, but everybody has to experience a project like that once to never do it again. I think that you two are good together. Like I said recently – This too shall pass. And it will.
Hi there…I know next to little or nothing about electronics and your blog is a God-send for me. It’s not only helped in the electronic area but many other areas as well. PLEASE stay!!!
Chuck Duck
PS I liked your duck analogy 🙂
Just catching up on what’s going on and want to add a brief note to say I understand. In fact, I always questioned how you could do all you do and keep your sanity (not to mention your relationship) intact.
I’m certain that none of the critical comments you got could have come from anyone who has tried walking in your shoes. Writing as much (or even half as much) regular new content as you do. Not to mention your podcasts and other many commitments. Just doing social media, and responding to emails and comments can eat up so much time! People have no idea. Of course, all the while you’re living a (supposedly) carefree, fun, adventurous RV lifestyle! Yeah right!
I admire your honesty. It can only enhance the appreciation of your many loyal followers. You’re probably also inspiring other bloggers or otherwise working-on-the-road RVers to take a long look at their own original mission statements – the ones they created for their “about us” page when they first went on the road.
I’ve been reading your blog for some time now. The technical and esoteric information you all have shared has been a great help for our plans to go full-time next year. However, the reason most of us consider full-time RV’ing is the freedom to enjoy life untethered. Once it becomes a demanding “job” then you have lost a little of why it was done in the first place. Time to get centered and re-align your Karma. Also, I remain impressed that you did not “sell out” to the have to have a new everything in order to achieve your dreams. What you have done to the old bus is a feat in it’s own rights. I’ll get off the soap box now and wish you all well. Looking forward to hearing from you in the future. ENJOY!
Hi, This is the first time for me commenting on any Blog I follow. But I just had to say something as it is such a shame you do not get the credit you deserve for helping so many people in the RV world out there! You guys are so good at explaining things.
I just hope “the haters” out there do not scare you away and you just ignore them? You guys “ROCK”! Take some time and get energized! All the best. Rita Nov.13,2015
So sad to see you have to break and regroup but I get it. It only takes a few “idiots” to ruin a good thing. I can guarantee though that you have more supporters than non. I always learn from your site and look forward to the time you come back. Take care and good luck.
A grateful reader!
My husband and I just found you two and we are so looking forward to reading all you have posted. We are retired and are relocating back to the US from Costa Rica. As soon as we sell our house, boat and car we will be going back. We will be starting out from scratch, because we can’t take anything with us. We have been searching the net and YouTube when we found you. You make us so very excited to get going. We’re trying to get all the information we can before we start buying what we need to get started. I love what I’ve seen so far and I’m sorry you will not be sharing anything new for a while, but we will check out all your recommendations we have found so far and look forward to seeing you again. Thank you so much for all you are doing for other RVers.
We love you two. Your contributions to those of us gearing up to full time are invaluable.
Thank you for such an insightful and honest series of posts.
As we have been growing our youtube channel, we have definitely been brought down by the negativity of so many people. It was really helpful for us to hear that you delete the negative comments, we may have to start doing that.
We found a great talk by Brene Brown. You’ve probably seen it, but if not, watch it. It didn’t solve all our issues with haters, but it gave us a fantastic perspective.
http://youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D8-JXOnFOXQk
Your contributions have helped us more than the contributions of anyone else. You have our full support and love. We wish you two the best as you get through this. If and when you do come back, we would LOVE any tips you gained on dealing with these haters. Try as we may to ignore them, their words just keep bouncing around in our heads and dragging us down. We could use some tips.
In the end, this is your life. As sad as we would be to see the posts stop, do what’s right for you. We’ll manage without your posts, and you’ll definitely manage without us. It’s incredible how much time and skill it takes to create good content. From one gladiator to another, we love your work and we love your passion to share it with the world. Best wishes to you two.
Steve and Tess
The more we explore
Dangit, that link didn’t work. Try this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-JXOnFOXQk
Also, we’re really glad that you told us that you delete negative comments. Here we were, thinking we were the only ones getting negative comments. We’re going to have to look at the pros and cons of deleting negative comments on our videos. We are sad you get them, but rather relieved to know we’re not alone.
Thank you guys.. it’s always great to hear from others navigating the sharing world out there. It’s a tough place to be sometimes. If we knew how to deal better with the occasional negativity, we probably would have avoided being in this spot right now. It is reassuring to know we’re not the only ones, we’ve heard from several other creators in the past days who have shared their experiences too.
But one thing is for sure… our (collective) words are inspiring others. And that lights me up.
Thanks for keeping us up to date. Enjoy your time together.
Thank You! My wife and I are getting ready to go back on the road after a year or two off to recharge. Maybe we will see you on the road somewhere and share a bottle of wine. We will miss your blog until you decide to return after you get recharged.
Ducks, in a word, molt. They shed the old feathers — the ones which aren’t as protective from the wet and cold — for ones which are newer, more protective, able to keep said duck warm and dry.
That said, while molting, ducks do seem to make themselves scarce. They kind of “mini-hibernate” because the molting process saps their energy and leaves them more vulnerable to predators, ergo, they hide from those predators in order to renew, recharge and reinvigorate themselves. They do what they have to do.
You can, too. Love yew, Shughaz!! 😉
Perfect! We are molting. Love it! Thank YOU for your continual support and love!
Thanks for all the good info. Look forward to your return. I have only been rv’ing for 2 years part time and you have been an invaluable resource.
I don’t comment much, more of a reader when I can. Thank You for all you do. Re-energize and get some rest. We will be here when you return. Safe Travels.
Hello Chris and Cherie I dont know if you all got my message. I just dont know where I posted it, but basically said NOT TO QUIT! My wife and I have been excited to to meet you guys when we get going. we are in the process of buying a MCI-7 and we got our idea from watching you guys. I think what you guys do and the information you put out is valueable. I had a dream the other night that me and my wife met you and the Bennettes at a bus conversion rally. Hope to that someday! have a safe trip.
Anthony and Lyz Perez
Hey there, Chris & Cherie — Checking in from Europe here. I am new to the negative comments issue, having only heard of the situation this morning.
Sadly, I fully understand and accept your analysis of the situation. I have thought to myself: “What strategy could work for Chris & Cherie to maintain their shining light for us (and ME!), while somehow protecting them from the tortuous drip-drip-drip of the mean negativity that permeates our entire Earth culture?”
I don’t have an answer different from what you have already delivered. Your description of your considerations which have moved you to this junction are sensible and realistic, I think.
The interwebs have given us this new place to interact and it has revealed again what many of our parents and grandparents (etc.) were able to insulate themselves from, simply by virtue of where they lived or who they spoke to on the phone. The true nature of humanity as a group is again illuminated for us.
Dealing with the larger public, particularly with the potentially huge interweb public, is today always inked by the leaking pen of violence – in its many forms – in our collective pool. It does not take much of this ink to discolor the water and anyone will eventually find their eyes stinging from it. I get it.
Know that you guys are authentically appreciated and thanks for helping me out with my mobile internet questions when I was not RV-ing but living in a rural area of upstate NY with only dinosaur-dial-up available! In America.
What will become of us when good people are silenced by the mean, moronic mass?
Vaya con Dios. 🙂
Will be looking forward to your return and honestly, reviewing the content we havent gotten to yet. Hilarious that Amazon ad on this page is recommending Johnsons Baby Oil and Vaseline!
Hahaha.. too funny. Silly Amazon. Maybe we should go soak in some? 🙂
Thanks for stopping in and sharing some additional thoughts with us. I commit to ‘not keeping quiet’ in the future, as frankly, I can see that taking a few minutes does matter. I thank you for that – as frankly I’ve never thought about that when frequenting others blog posts. You and Chris need to take care of each other and we hope to see you again, refreshed, and with many good items to share on your own terms yet again.
My wife and I are starting our full time adventure a new with a new motorhome (first time) and a start on a complete boondocking equipped RV. 960 watts of solar on the roof, magnum hybrid inverter, and a decision to make on our battery bank in the very near future given that Balqon is no longer a viable option. I’m going to go through your ‘greatest hits’ again as I know I’ve missed some things, and forgotten others, along the way.
Both of you have been a huge inspiration to us personally and your technical insights have been hugely helpful to us as regular lurkers. Appreciate your sharing in your life and hope to meet up with you both on the road as we travel and work full time. Take care and enjoy the road!
I think it’s an important lesson… taking the time to thank those in our lives who inspire us. And I speak not just for on our blog, but us too – taking the time to thank the creators who keep us motivated. Best wishes in your journey!
It sounds like you are feeling a little better. I am glad! I look forward to reading your blog after you are fully recharged. Since it might take some time, I would like to wish you Happy Thanksgiving! Take care of yourselves.
Peace,
Elizabeth Mahurin (So. Cal.)
I’ve only been following for about 2 years and mostly as a lurker, sorry… 😉 With all of the content you have, the re-runs will mostly be new for me, looking forward to it. Cheers
I’ve just started reading your stuff a few months ago, and think you two are amazing to share so much knowledge, and for free! (Note: I bought the ebook as a sign of support last week). Please take all the time you need to regroup, recharge, and reassess what you want and where you want to go. And don’t feel a shred of guilt about it!!
Hi Chris & Cherie –
I have responded to your blogs occasionally over the years, but I guess I am more of a “lurker” than an active respondent. Sorry, as my appreciation for what you do should have been expressed a lot more frequently. But now – it was with great dismay I read about the psychological impact a few trolls out there have had on you. I cannot imagine how people can be so cruel and thoughtless when all you have both been doing is sharing your travel experiences, your RV experiences, and RV lifestyle insights – all while opening up your lives to us to share in. I have been reading your blogs “religiously” for years, and this is some of what I have learned and gained from you – all GREATLY appreciated:
1> Your honesty, openess and desire to provide truthful and comprehensive information. You have inspired my wife & I to the point that we are VERY close to buying our 1st RV and joining your ranks for awhile. From your suggestions on buying a 1st RV, to costs of RVing, to sources of free camping, to solar installation, to recommended gadgets, etc.. All great information which we are super appreciative of.
2> Your GMC Bus project. I have mechanical experience along with an RV interest, so have eagerly followed all your upgrades, repairs and engine rebuild. Not only very interesting and informative to me but inspiring as well. And your end result after all your latest projects these past few months – fantastic! What a home you have built! What you proved to me is how much is possible when buying an older RV in terms of upgrading & modernizing it. So we are following your advice and very seriously considering the purchase of an early 2000’s Winnebago, knowing that anything can be fixed and upgraded as needed. Thank you!
3> Your relationship – My wife & I are close to 42 years of marriage, and it’s always great to read about other couples who have made a long-term, successful commitments to each other. You two seem made for each other, you seem to enjoy working very closely together, and we wish you the best for decades to come. The value we have gotten from your site is not at all just about RVing, but about you as people. I imagine it is not always easy opening yourselves up like that, but because you have done so we feel like we know you intimately and consider you close friends (even though you have no idea who we are). And friends like to help and support one another so I hope we can meet up with you both someday to help build and extend this relationship while hopefully making it reciprocal.
4> Your Technical Prowess – I have always greatly appreciated your technical capabilities and the amount of details you provide. I know that Chris is often seen as more of the technical expert, but Cherie – it is apparent that you do much of the writing, and as such you have always impressed me with your level of technical knowledge and the fine level of detail you have provided. It seems that too often these days that many things are “dumbed down” by some people and by the media. But I love the detail you provide, and I love how you have both used your technical skills to make informed decisions which are then shared with us. I will rely on your information on solar, battery and mobile communications when I get my own RV and need to apply this.
I love the details, I love your analyses, and I love your recommendations because they are based on your real-life experiences and understanding all requirements. One example – your recent recommendations on solar systems. A much as we all would like to go green and use solar, like anything else the costs, realities and practicalities may not work for many – especially part-timers where using a generator or plugging-in where possible makes more sense. You provided a great analysis of solar costs and made honest recommendations based on your testing and understanding of what RVers really need. Again – great work and greatly appreciated!
I could go on, but I think you understand what I am trying to say. You provide a great service to many RVers, you inspire many others like myself and my wife who are not yet RVers (but want to be), you provide entertainment, you educate, and you have shared your lives with all of us so we know you much more deeply than you can imagine. I would hate to see it end because of the actions of a very few, but we certainly understand your need for a break and time to catch your breath. You have had quite a year.
For 99.9% of us out here we love you and love what you are doing. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment. I read this just before going to bed, and it was a beautiful way to end the evening. The reflection you’ve given here, is the image I want to see looking back at us in the mirror again. We’ll get there.
Thank you again! Happy Trails
You are right to take a break, life is only one and the pressure of doing all you do plus negative coments when all you want to do is help, is going to make you unhappy to say the least. We who read your blog and find nothing wrong with you talking too much or the angle of your lamp or chris’hat (&BTW I love his hair) will miss your always cheerful face and wealth of knowledge. You are so smart and articulate, you express yourseves in such a way that everyone can understand, you lives are worth emulating and you are basically good people who are trying to make a living by doing what you like in an uncoplicated way in a complicated world, there is a lot of value in what you do so unselfishly. Don’t let a few comments from some boors who may be jealous of you bring you down please. So take you break and come back refreshed and with that coat of oil in you beautiful feathers. And if you cannot find it there is always big jars of Vaseline. Or Baby Oil, just be careful and don’t go in the sun, you will get an awfull sunburn!
I just wanted to add my thanks for all you guys do, and say that your efforts are sincerely appreciated by me and many others. It seems to me the nay sayers pop up in most blogs and forums, and I guess it’s something they can do while hiding behind a keyboard that makes them feel big. I’ve experienced similar treatment and can relate to your disappointment and frustration. I’m sure you realize from all the comments that you have hundreds more supporters than the few sour apples and hope you won’t let them spoil a great service that so many of us enjoy and look forward to. You guys rock!
Love your blog! I have not commented before but sure do read your blog and really do enjoy it. The both of you have worked very hard on your blog and it shows. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing!
just a ps to my post a few minutes ago…. when I said ‘fee-based’, my thought is not about the money or the amount of it per se, just a sense that would serve to filter out so many who will only take potshots behind anonymity, but not so much when they first have to give real names, real email address, real money. ‘Free’ is nice—but not if there’s a cost to yourselves.
Screw those that don’t appreciate the effort you two put forth to share what you’ve learned and to allow us to vicariously be your friends. As two people, EJ and I, who have spent their careers dealing with people we recognize that there is always someone who will complain when you are going out of your way to do something nice for them. There will always be someone who thinks their way is better than your way.
Our blog has suffered over the years because it takes a tremendous effort to produce new content on a regular basis. So we realize the the work and energy you two put into making one as interesting and informative as you do. Any one that doesn’t understand how much time, even if it’s enjoyable, it takes and how much you two give us, is a clueless idiot.
Please don’t give up on us, your lurking fans. Hope to see you down the road soon.
Hey, am so sad to hear of the uglies. Takes no skill to be negative vs. what it takes to grow anything of significance. Have just moved myself (to Dunedin, FL), behind in emails, but my first reaction was total surprise as you both only contribute so much of value! I’ve no idea of what all the options are going forward but if a fee-based service is what it takes to de-weed the trolls please do it. Taking care of your own persons simply has to come before taking care of those of us who only appreciate all you do.
Just don’t forget how many of us love your blog. Take your time.
Thank you for giving us a little insight on how you’re doing this week. I’ll plan to feast on some of the older content for the time being. I’m sure there is lots I’ve overlooked. Best wishes to you both!
My partner and I leave to go on the road full time on Nov. 20th. We are not technically very knowledgable. Your excellent communication skills have allowed me to learn enough to go forward on this journey. Please relax, recharge and hopefully return to us as soon as you are able!
Chris and Cherie,
I have enjoyed your blog for several years. I am amazed that you both are so technically knowledgeable and so good at communicating the stuff I want to know about. I am in my seventies, so not into social media. I feel that you both must be very fine people because your extensive writing demonstrates that.
I knew an editor of a monthly newsletter about Vincent motorcycles, years ago. He wrote most of the content and was quite witty, humorous and newsy. After ten years or so he went to about once per year, not monthly. I thought it would have been so much better for his readers if he had eased back a little rather than abruptly changing. I’m sure it was his own needs, not the reader’s needs which was most important.
Please take care of yourselves, but I will hope to continue reading your info.
Merlin Libby