The Generator at Baton Rouge: Big Bertha Meets the Iron Pickles

Eleven weeks into our trip, Lucy and I made what seemed like a simple decision: let’s swing through Louisiana on our way to the Gulf Coast. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, some good food, different scenery. Easy. “Turn right in 500 feet,” the GPS announced. I turned right onto a road that immediately felt wrong. The … Read more

The Water Pump at Durango: Big Bertha Goes Dry

Nine weeks into our adventure, Lucy and I rolled into Durango, Colorado with Big Bertha running strong and our confidence at an all-time high. We’d survived Montana, Arizona, Utah, and a mud pit outside Moab thanks to Jenny and Pate. We were unstoppable. “Don’t get cocky,” Lucy said, reading my mind. “I’m not cocky. I’m … Read more

The Mud at Moab: Big Bertha Meets Her Match

Seven weeks into our trip, Lucy and I had conquered a roof leak, a dust storm, and a tire blowout. We were seasoned veterans now. Road warriors. Nothing could— “Don’t say it,” Lucy interrupted. “Every time you get confident, something breaks.” She had a point. We were headed to Moab, Utah, which every RV forum … Read more

The Wind at Organ Pipe: Big Bertha vs. Mother Nature Round 2

Three weeks after the Devil’s Canyon roof incident, Lucy and I were feeling confident. We’d fixed a leak ourselves, survived multiple thunderstorms, and even managed to not get divorced while backing Big Bertha into increasingly tight campground spots. We were RV experts now. We rolled into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona on … Read more

The Storm at Devil’s Canyon: An RV Adventure

Lucy checked her phone for the hundredth time that morning, scrolling through photos of Devil’s Canyon—the crown jewel of Montana’s wilderness. After three years of dreaming and saving, we’d finally pulled the trigger on our dream fifth wheel: a 2023 Keystone Montana that we’d immediately nicknamed “Big Bertha” (because at 42 feet and 13,000 pounds, … Read more