An
RV honeymoon takes unexpected turns when the in-laws
decide to tag along.
When
Karen and I first met, my pride and joy was a 26-foot
Winnebago. That 1977 motorhome was the perfect bachelor
pad. At the very back of it was a full bathroom. A handy
kitchen area in front was situated across from a dinette
that doubled as a double bed. The mid-section had identical
couches that converted to wall-to-wall, king-size comfort.
Karen remembers the $26,000 price tag and thought I
was nuts to pay $1,000 per foot for a recreational vehicle.
I was a member of the Winnebago International Travelers,
now known as Winnebago Itasca Travelers (WIT). Winnebago
was offering members a rally at Walt Disney World in
Florida, and a few days later, a Caribbean Cruise from
Miami, Florida. We decided to attend both and use them
as the backdrop for our honeymoon.
A few days later, Karen’s parents dropped by for
a visit. I told them about our vacation plans and mentioned
it was too bad they had to drive Aunt Ethel to Fort
Lauderdale – otherwise they could go to Walt Disney
World with us. They thanked us for the invite, but declined
due to their family commitment. After they left, Karen
wanted to know why I invited her parents on our honeymoon.
I told her not to worry.
Three hours later, the phone rang. It was her parents
letting us know they had made other arrangements for
Aunt Ethel. They could meet us at Walt Disney World
after all.
 We
met them at a local campground near Disney World, and
from there they would follow us into Fort Wilderness.
Making our way to our campsite and settling in, everything
seemed to be going fine. That first evening, we converted
the dinette into a double bed for her parents, and made
up our king bed.
At approximately 6 a.m., my father-in-law came climbing
across our bed to use the washroom. A few minutes later,
he was back again, parting us in order to return to
his bed. I wasn’t thrilled about the sleeping
arrangements, but I wasn’t about to give up my
bed to accommodate his bladder.
We spent the next day exploring EPCOT and went to bed
early. At daybreak, we heard him get up again, but this
time his wife suggested he not disturb ‘the kids’
and instead go down the road to the comfort station.
Sleep eluded us nonetheless as the unit shook side to
side and he announced he couldn’t get the door
open. Karen got up to open the door, only to discover
that the lock was still on and the door was now, in
fact, jammed. I got up and crawled through the driver’s
side window. (This was before the invention of a driver’s
door in a Class A motorhome.) I was able to get in with
a key, but when I couldn’t close the door, out
came the toolbox. I proceeded to take apart the lock.
By this time, my father-in-law decided to climb across
our bed so he could do his business. Settled back in
his own bed and watching me repair the lock, he complained
that the sunlight was keeping him awake. After placing
the shiny bolts on the step, I wasn’t prepared
for the resident duck that snatched a bolt and took
off with it down the road. I raced after the duck all
the way to the comfort station before the quack dropped
it. Returning to the motorhome, I repaired the door.
It was time for breakfast.
We spent the remainder of that day at Magic Kingdom,
splitting up for the morning, with plans to meet for
lunch. I made the friendly suggestion that my in-laws
would really enjoy the train ride around the park, I
encouraged them to take it. I was just trying to be
the good son in-law.
Afterwards, the couple informed us they had found the
train ride and were fortunate enough to get a seat right
in front. My mother in-law got out her sunscreen and
readied herself for a relaxing ride. The attendant told
her to take off her glasses and hold on to her hat as
they departed the train station. They were on a roller
coaster.
Before our honeymoon was over, we resolved to buy a
new motorhome, this time one with the bathroom in the
middle – just in case.
Take care & happy RVing
M.B. & Karen Wilson
Wagon Masters
wagontrains@bellnet.ca
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