Recently we, along with our partners at Carefree of Colorado, gave away a Carefree of Colorado electric powered awning. Well, as luck would have it, the winners are just a few miles away from our home here in Eugene, Oregon, so we thought it would be kind of fun to run up there, catch up with them, and see how they’re enjoying their new awning. So, let’s head up there and meet Joe and Helen Hesketh.

The Columbia Riverfront RV Park is the Heskeths’s current abode on the road. It’s a fine facility with a fantastic view of the Columbia River and its traffic, and a great place to hang out for awhile.

Joe and Helen, Congratulations on winning your Carefree awning. Joe Hesketh: Oh, it’s been great. Jeff: The Carefree awning installation went well, and it operates just as it should. With the zip locker successfully installed, we sat down to learn more about the Heskeths and their RVing history.

Joe: We got our first RV in 1978. Got a little Minnie Winnie, it was 19 feet long I think, with eight kids. And we kept that thing for 17 years, and that’s when we started this family camping tradition. This is a 1998 Itasca Suncruiser. It was a ’97 Ford engine. We bought it in 1999, and we’ve had it ever since. We got–only got 92,000 miles on it. But we went out full-time with it, so we got lots of places we’ve traveled and to see there, so we use it a lot. We go to a lot of rallies and things too ’cause we’re very involved with the motorhome club.

Helen: We did take one trip across the country. And that was quite a trip.

Joe: Well, we’re known for known for being a couple. As you noticed, we have a license from the state of Washington as a couple. We got–we’ve been writing love letters there to one another every single day since 1974 after a marriage kind of weekend which kind of changed our lives a little bit. We’re much known for holding hands everyplace we go.

Helen: Well, the family camping trip, we have a reunion every year. We just finished our 33rd year with our 8 kids and some of our 35 grandkids. And three or four or five of our great-grandchildren.

And we go out once a month, too. We belong to an RV group that’s called the Evergreen Winnies, and we as a group go out all over and spend the weekend together. And sometimes we sightsee, sometimes we just sit around and play cards, eat a lot of food. But we have very good friends through that group. And then sometimes we just go out on our own. But we go out 12 months of the year. I always like to go by the water, which is where we are today doing this interview right by the water. That’s one of my very favorite things to do.

Joe: I enter contests all the time. Every now and then, you win something, you know? So, we won a trip to Daytona 500 one year just because we paid our bill with a credit card somewhere, so I don’t know. Keep trying to do stuff, so. I thought I had–I was surprised when we won the contest because it came–the notice came on April Fools day. And I almost didn’t open the email, it just said, “You have won.” I said, “Sure I won. What did I win?” And as I read it, I said, “This sounds more serious. I think maybe this is true.” So, we have won the thing. So, the more I looked at it and then I said, “Yeah, this is legitimate. We have won the awning.” I told her I was so excited about it because I just thought the idea of having something remote with electronic would be wonderful at our age. Just keep doing it, so.

Joe: So, the next time you see a contest on, “Rollin’ On TV,” make sure you enter it, ’cause you could be the winner.

Jeff: It’s great fun when a contest prize goes to someone who can really use it, and will share it with friends and family. Congratulations, Joe and Helen.