Why RVs Are Like Mexican Food

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May 13, 2008

Posted by Sean Michael of thelonglonghoneymoon.com.

I like Mexican food — especially the authentic variety served by independently owned restaurants. You know the type of place. They typically boast a name like Miguel’s, Pablo’s, or Pedro’s and are staffed by a team of hardworking Spanish-speaking immigrants who manage traffic with the efficiency of a military drill squad. You walk inside, take your seat, and before you’ve even seen a menu, you’re munching on an endless supply of warm chips and fresh salsa.

When you do finally browse the menu, you’ll see a number of “special combination platters.” Upon your first visit, you may even be intimidated by the selection. But you’ll soon figure out that every “special combination platter” consists of rice, beans, meat (chicken or beef), cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and some tortillas. Sure, there are differences in preparation. But at the end of the meal, no matter what you order, you’ll end up feasting on rice, beans, meat (chicken or beef), cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and some tortillas.

There’s an analogy here with RVs. All RVs toss together the same basic ingredients. You get a bed, a bathroom, a couch, and a kitchen. All are wrapped together in the shell of your choice. Of course, these core ingredients get cooked up in an amazing variety of ways. The number of RV “special combination platters” is truly incredible. Browsing the menu, you may once again find yourself intimidated. But fear not. At the end of the day, no matter how you slice it, you’ll have a bed, a bathroom, a couch, and a kitchen, all wrapped together in the shell of your choice.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could try a little bit of everything? When shopping for an RV, one of the best investments of your time is to attend an RV show. At these traveling shows, you’ll get a broad sampling of every conceivable type of RV. It’s like an RV smörgåsbord, allowing you to sample every menu item before choosing an entrée. Do you simply want a one tamale pop-up? Or would you prefer a huge heaping motorhome of tacos, burritos, and enchiladas? Only you know your appetite. Only you can decide.

And here’s where my Mexican analogy falls apart like a soggy flour tortilla. When it comes to RVs, there are substantive differences between ingredients. While restaurants usually deliver the same refried beans with every menu item, there’s no denying the difference between formica and granite, or between plastic and stainless steel. There are some real differences that are worth extra cash; the question is whether they are worth it to you.

It wasn’t long ago that Kristy and I were wading through the confusing menu of RV choices, debating which to purchase. For us, our travel trailer was a beef burrito — a solid, classic choice that was guaranteed to satisfy our appetite. But that doesn’t mean we weren’t tempted by the newfangled chalupas on the other side.

You can’t browse the menu forever. Ultimately, you’ve got to just make your selection and enjoy.


For more provocative philosophical essays like this one, check out our website: www.thelonglonghoneymoon.com, where all of the video is HD!

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6 comments

  1. Doug

    Really enjoy following your adventure. Can you tell me which RV had the walk-in closet with the w/d….

  2. Thanks Jim! We will strive to keep ’em coming. In fact, we are working on another BIG summer trip. If all goes well, we’ll be back on the road in July and August.

  3. Thanks guys! I have friends who have been THINKING about getting an RV. And I admit the number of choices can be pretty overwhelming at times. But at some point, you really just have to pick one and start making memories with it!

  4. Jason B.

    Another great video and post. There are a lot of great choices out there when it comes to RV’s. It’s hard when everything on the menu is sooo tempting. Please keep these coming!!!

  5. Drew Mueller

    Thanks Sean….keep it going, we read; listen to them all.