Two Months of Changes and Ideas

It's another cold rainy day here in the tropics of Southern Indiana. It looks like another session of rain is about 2 hours west of me. So with nothing else to do, I've been looking through notes, old emails, forums, answering emails and making blog comment replies. Remember it's the rain that is holding up the test drive for the rig I left a deposit on. He has it parked on a concrete slab under a portable garage but needs to back it out onto a grassy wet area before we can turn right and take it down the driveway to the country roads. He offered to drive the 4 miles of curvy, narrow, hilly country road until we got to the highway and I will probably take his offer.

Anyway I was flipping through my notes and it was only 10 or 11 short days ago I was all set on full-timing in a truck camper. I had even contacted a couple of people, both were out west. After a discussion with a full-timer about all of the different options, he brought up some very valid points on different options that needed to be thought about if full-timing was ever in my plans. When I did that self analyzing I was able to sort between "want" and "needs". After that it was pretty obvious that the truck camper was not going to work.

I'll go through each option to explain why I did or did not choose that particular rig. Still as usual a two month period brings a lot of changes in my thought process.

Truck Camper
Those crazy boondocking pictures do it. They make you think you can do things that are not possible with a fairly large bloodhound and two short legged bassets, none of the three are great "problem solvers" but their intentions are good. I have the truck where I could slide on a camper and have all I would need if it were just me. A PahaQua 8x10 tent would also be used for a little added outdoor shelter. You could go anywhere and camp where few others could go ... that's the magnetic pull I felt. I realized not only I, but the hounds needed somewhere to stretch out, to be able to move around on those days where the rain is pouring or the wind is howling, even if an unexpected snowfall shows up.

So, even it if was very very tempting and the two campers I was looking at were fantastic I had to pass. Not enough room and when I thought about it, in the three years of reading blogs I had never heard of anyone full-timing in a truck camper.

Fiberglass Trailers
Almost bought a Casita locally last year, and also a Lil Snoozy last September but realized tanks sizes would never work for boondocking. While spending hours inside the Casita talking to the seller it seemed too small for two adults let alone 3 dogs. I would have gone insane eventually, I think. Plus at the time a follower that was living in a Casita with numerous dogs and cats sent me an email in capital letters shouting DON'T BUY A CASITA. That made the decision pretty easy. Another case of "want" verses "need".

Trailers 18'-24'
Just last week I was choosing between two trailers, the Nash 18L and the Starcraft Launch 17FB. Both had similar floorplans, both has similar options but the Starcraft fresh water, gray and black tanks were just too small to boondock for any length of time. The plumbing part of camping is rarely talked about on blogs but if it isn't going into the black tank ... where else is it going?

One thing said recently by someone with experience turned my thinking process in a different direction. What happens when you either pull over to rest or to set up camp, it's bad weather and your home is sitting outside your truck five to ten feet away from you? You are either staying in the truck until the bad weather dies down or you are sprinting (hopefully not in the dark) from the truck to the trailer. Well I know for a fact my 3 hounds are going to say 'no...but hell no'....not doing it. The bloodhound wouldn't care about the weather but the bassets get no further than under the house overhang in bad weather when they have to go out, then a quick sprint back inside the house.  So I could see myself in the trailer and the hounds in the backseat of the truck, pouring rain ... not a good option.

Also, the hitching and unhitching every time you want to head for a new camp. Would that get old? Probably doesn't take a lot of time once you get use to it. I've been told by trailer full-timers it does get old. I will see if that makes a difference towing a toad.

In the past I also asked a few close friends that are on the road "If money was no option, what would you buy". In every case it was a self-contained rig where everything from driving to living was all in one spot. That led me to a Class C last September.

Class C
The Class C Coachmen I bought last fall was in great shape, had a nice new TempurPedic Mattress, new Bilstein Shocks, new Fantastic fan and a new larger backup camera. I thought that was the perfect vehicle. It was 26' long, 22' from the back of the front seats to the back wall, both microwave/convection oven looked like they had never been used ... every thing was good. That is until I went to register it and found out it was not a 2004 as advertised but a 2003. What was a good deal sales price was turned into a I paid too much for a 2003. I did ask when I was inspecting and saw the 2003 label inside the cabinet, but the seller said that was the year of the frame. I knew from reading it was possible to have a frame a year older than the rig. So I believed him. I did match the VIN on the registration to the VIN by the front window but at the time didn't know the 10th digit would tell me the frame age.

So the rig and I were kind of off to a bad start vibe wise. I wasn't happy about the mistake. I had paid more than what I should have. The following weekend when I decided to do a full in depth inspection crawling on my back looking at every inch of the rig underneath, is where I found oil lines dripping. You can read about the repair on the right side of this blog, as it is one of my blogs most popular posts. So that was strike two.

The longer I would sit in the rig with the hounds during the winter while it was winterized, the smaller the living area looked. Sadie the bloodhound claimed the couch the first day, Heidi the younger basset liked under the dining table next to my feet and Winston the older basset liked between the front seats or in the passenger seat. That Coachmen probably would have worked, it drove great, had 81,000 miles  but very few of those miles were the past 5 years. After the flat tire while sitting for the winter, I began to have my doubts that the rig was "meant for me" ... I kept thinking Murphy's Law had taken residence. I found out it was not the tire but the extended tire valve that was bad. Still, I lost confidence in the rig and had not even hit the road yet. So I sold it, bought a truck large enough to tow more than 4,500 lbs and decided I needed a trailer.

Class A
I looked at these a long time ago but they always seemed too big and too expensive. The repair cost scared me and in a way still does a little. One thing it had though was room, even without slide outs. A few people that travel with large dogs always suggested a Class A 30'-34' long, preferably a slide out. Still the times I sat in them, I didn't see me buying one. The used ones all smelled and showed wear and tear at the RV dealers I visited. The one I looked at locally and almost bought in March 2013 was a great 32' with a slide out but had spent most of it's life sitting with only 8,300 total miles if I remember right and a generator that didn't have 100 hours on it. I passed on it.

The ones I wanted were more than I wanted to pay. I felt the fastest  and best financial way to get on the road was a truck/trailer combo so that was what I was focused on most of the time. I never considered an 'old' Class A. Everyone said if you buy anything old be ready to be handy because there will always be something to fix. I remember that and stayed away from "vintage" anything. With my H3 Hummer I couldn't tow more than a small fiberglass trailer. Until I bought the Chevy truck that could tow 10,000 lbs, my trailer options were limited.

Yet, when I took my 586 mile round trip to Arkansas last September, a large majority motorhomes on the freeway were all towing a toad but were all "older" Class C's or A's. A few 5er's were on that freeway but I didn't see any of the older RVs on the side of the road with mechanical problems. The more forums I read or blogs from the left side list, I found that no matter what you lived in or drove ... there were repairs. New ones, old ones .. it is what it is. So basically what do you want to spend your money on when it comes time you need to fix something. Still I was looking only at trailers, then I started looking at used trailers that were nice, maybe even built a little better than the newer ones. So it even shocked me when I realized I liked that 1987 Holiday Rambler I saw on Craig's List just 50 miles away, this past week.

1987 Holiday Rambler
When I saw the photos, I knew it had just been washed because of the 5gal bucket in the photo and the shined wheel covers. The rig looked in great shape on the outside. I could tell it had been taken care of from comparing it to what I had seen at different RV lots I visited. I thought it was strange the ad would only have 5 exterior photos and no interior ... it must be trashed was my first thought. So I emailed the seller asking for interior photos. Within the next few hours of going back and looking at the exterior photos form the ad,I had the feeling described on this blog a few days ago. My interest was peaked enough that I told the seller to forget about taking the interior photos that I would be over on Tuesday to look at it. While looking at it I realized when they placed the ad they were in the process of cleaning it and de-winterizing it and wasn't expecting a visitor just a week after the ad was placed. It was clean inside as the pictures showed on my blog but they were in the clean up process.

It was storming with hard rain the night I looked at it, so I couldn't look as much as I wanted in the portable garage. Rain was blowing on us at times. With my bright small LED flashlight I could see enough and see quite well this rig had been taken care of. I slide my fingers between the tire tread, they felt like new. Glancing down the sides shows smooth surfaces with zero dents. The roof was in great shape with fresh caulking around the vents but was dirty from sitting inside. As soon as I stepped inside I knew this was the one or I hoped it was because it was better than I had expected, was the right color of furniture but it had not been test driven yet. The engine at idle sounded great, the oil on the dipstick was new, spark plug wires were new but it didn't have enough gas to fire off the generator. It was too wet to back out and take it for a drive, with a chance of getting it stuck in the saturated lawn.

All the solid oak cabinets were in mint condition and close straight and flush, no warping. No water stains anywhere, inside the open cabinets, under the sinks, below the windows, up along the ceiling ... the ceiling was in perfect shape. The carpets were in great shape even though they might come out later. I was impressed with the interior because it was in better shape than I had expected and what I had sat in at different RV dealers these past two years. There were no smells of any kind, nothing to hide smells, it just smelled clean.

I knew the CL ad was only 6 days old when I saw it. I also knew based on the condition of this rig it would not last long at the suggested price. It was below NADA and what comparable rigs were priced online. The seller claimed he did not know what it was worth, so I am not sure how the sales price was decided. My paranoid analytical brain gets in the way sometimes, so I let that low price pass. He was the 2nd owner and had bought it from his dad 8 years ago. The sellers family had rv'd every summer while growing up, making multiple cross country trips. It had not only been used on a regular basis but had been taken care of. One thing that did bother me, the tags showed 2010 so that means it has been sitting for 3-4 years. Yet, he had driven it recently to install new tires, the oil on the dipstick was new and had just de-winterized it. Everything worked as it needed to except the generator would not start even though it tried due to not having enough fuel in the gas tank.

As I looked around the two open garages I could tell the seller took good care of everything. His rebuilt 67 Camero was spotless as well as his Harley. The house garage was full of cars and clean. So I could tell the wheel covers on this rig were not just clean to sell it, they were clean and shiny because that was just the way the seller was.

You may not use all of them but a Class A gives you options that other trailers or Class C's that I was looking at don't. More storage, more room for the hounds and I to co-exist, enough room for a tv if needed and room for a desk to hold my iMac and 2nd monitor if I decide to go that way. Yes mpg is low, probably between 5-8mpg but a Class C towing a toad or a truck towing a trailer isn't going to do much better. I guess those would get 8-10 mpg, so a slight difference. In all my estimates I had always used $4/gal for gas and 5mpg for any rig. I don't plan on driving every two weeks, I plan to stay months at a time if I like the location and am able to stay that long. Racing from campground to campground will not be in my itinerary.

I can still boondock like Paul & Nina or Al & Kelly do with their Class A's. I will tow something, just not sure yet. Tom kind of liked the idea of a small covered cargo trailer with the Mini Cooper inside.

Since I knew the seller had a lot of calls about this rig and had people coming this weekend to look at it, I decided since it was in great shape, sounded good at idling speed and was priced right, that I would leave a deposit to prevent it being sold before I could make it back for the weekend.

I think we are close to finally hitting the road! The test drive this weekend will determine that.

First Week Off Is a Success

It was week ago today when I sent in my letter to the company to let them know I was retiring. It's been a fast week, with NO stress of any kind, and a lot of things got accomplished. In fact I have not thought about work or my past job for one second. If I didn't have my exit interview appointment on my iPhone calendar, there would be a chance that I would forget all about it. I did get a lot of emails from co-workers that either worked at home on Monday when I was there or didn't realize that I was sneaking out without the goodbyes. They didn't realize I finally did what I warned them about ... retirement. All of them understand and are excited about my future plans. A majority of them wished they could do the same thing.

This week I started looking at trailers and trucks to replace the Class C I sold last week. I ended up with a good truck as a tow vehicle. I have my 1994 Chevy Truck cleaned and sitting down the hill by the highway with For Sale signs, a new bench seat cover, two new floor mats, plus the oil filter and oil was changed just last Saturday. I would say the future new owner will be happy with their purchase. It is also listed on Craig's List. My Mini Cooper was also washed today, will vacuum the inside Saturday morning. I've had one caller from Indianapolis, 70 miles away, wanting to drive down and see it Saturday. In these kind of sales you never know who will show up and who will not.

That is one thing I like so far about being away from work, there is no pressure to get something done that day. Normally I would have spent more time to finish the vacuuming and spraying the stuff on the tires to make them look great ... but today after washing a truck and a car, I didn't feel like finishing it today. A dog walk was a better option on a beautiful day. As far as the potential buyers, if they show up fine, if not, doesn't matter. The Mini Cooper is also listed on Craig's List, a few dollars below the NADA value because of a few cosmetic blemishes I would fix if I were to keep it.

I've looked at trailers most of the week online. Talked to some people on the phone and via email for trailer ideas and opinions. I have narrowed the search .. I think?? I have had some people send me some pretty good ideas, all of them considering the fact that I will be traveling with dogs which one of them is pretty good size. Of course the majority of trailers that I like are 1500-2000 miles west of me. I like that idea of sitting inside a trailer before I buy it, kind of visualizing what it would look and feel like living in it with my hounds. I would like to kind of get a feel for it, what kind of vibe I get when I am sitting in the trailer day-dreaming. So, will that distance play a factor in my purchase? A lot of people buy trailers, rvs from a distance. I have bought old VW buses from a distance and paid for them just by what the pictures showed and what the owners told me. It seems different doing that with something you are going to be living in.

At least if I have to travel to check them out, I don't have to ask for a day off from work to travel...LOL

So to end the week, I have great weather, happy dogs because they can go out anytime they want now, a couple of vehicles for sale, a great new to me truck, and a plan that is in action while not even being May 1 yet.

Thanks to those for the helpful emails, blog comments, phone calls, .. all very helpful information.

One thing I forgot to mention. This past week is the first time in years I haven't gotten up multiple times during the night. I have slept through the night from the time I got to bed until the time the hounds wake me up. Currently normal time because they think I am going to work. Instead of staying up until 1-2am and getting 4-5 hours of interrupted sleep, like I have for years, I've been getting close to 8 hours of un-interrupted sleep. I am also noticing some diet changes taking place showing the proof that stress did play a part in the junk food I ate on a daily basis.

The Momentum Train Comes to a Screeching Halt

All that momentum from my last post a few weeks ago, came to a screeching halt soon after that post. I'm not sure if it slowed as the temperatures dropped to below zero as a daily high ... but the thrill and anticipation is gone!

A few times over the life of this blog I have had these urges to sell everything and hit the road. All those beautiful blog pictures of where people were traveling ... could be me and the hounds.

So what's the problem?  Why did I pull up the For Sale sign numerous times last summer?

At the start of this month I was in the final stages of downsizing. Plans to retire and plans to leave by this spring, full-timing for at least 18 months so I could miss Indiana's winter next year. The thing is, as I moved from room to room, things that were left I did not want to sell or give away. What books I had left, I didn't want to sell or donate to the local library. I didn't want to sell my new "road" bicycle I bought last spring, nor my custom made all campy racing bike of the 80's. Add the music collection, from vinyl records to cd's or the sports memorabilia collection ... I just didn't feel like packing those away to storage while I traveled, sell or donate them.

To find out if I had a 'true' burning desire to travel or was it the blogs I read daily that kept that 'hitch itch' alive .... I moved all of my RV bookmarks from the Google Chrome bookmarks bar back with all the other 1,000 bookmarks. I moved my blog off the bookmarks bar, so I didn't see it, nor the list of blogs I read daily along the left side. I quit reading blogs, rv forums, rvs for sale...anything rv.

I let go of all the thoughts trying to make a decision. Didn't think about it.

My mind changed as fast as my weather changed. Last Saturday I am shoveling snow and ice with a windchill temp of 17 degrees and as I write this it is 64 degrees with a Tornado Watch warning until 10pm tonight.

When I stopped looking in on the RV world my thought process started showing me what a nice house I lived in, how I may not like the area at times but the location was great not only for me but the hounds. They have 10 acres of hay to put their noses to the ground and sniff all they want ... without a leash. It's paid for with a very low tax base. My year round electric bill is $129 per month, adjusted annually in May based on previous year burn rate. I have lakes, woods and camping nearby.

So I decided this house finally would became my base camp.

The time I drove the '94 pickup through the snow drift and went for a ride just for a change, I didn't want to get rid of it. Same with the Mini Cooper. They don't get driven daily but when I want to, they are there when needed. I didn't want to sell either vehicle when I tried to type the for sale ad.

I started finding out that I did not have a burning desire to pack up and travel. I am glad I found that out before I sold out.

I had more of a desire to ride the bicycle when the temps rise and the weather breaks in about a month. I had more of a desire to fix some things that a brutal winter does to a house rather than dumping tanks, taking navy showers and picking up after a bloodhound and two bassets that can lay 'land mines' bigger than I want to pick up in a plastic bag. The urge for solitude was there but I have that opportunity on any spring, summer or fall night in the backyard of my house looking at a sky full of stars.

I realized I didn't have to spend all day in the dusty desert to read a book, I could read here or down by a local lake with few if any people around.

I started thinking about RVing 6 months and living here 6 months. I felt good with that decision. I could trade highs of 7 degrees and snow for 75 degrees and sand, wind and mountains even if it dropped to the 40's at night. I starting thinking maybe of leaving in November and coming back in April. Then if I had the urge to continue, I'd keep driving down the road. If I had the urge to get back to long hot showers, room to stretch out with three hounds and a place that is paid for to hang out ... I could do that.

So that is where I stand as of today or these past 7 days. It's ok if I want to stay where I'm at. It's ok if I want to RV on weekends this spring and summer or take a week trip somewhere. Who knows, those trips might change my plans.

It's good for me and good for my hounds living here. We have our laid back routines. My mind is no longer racing 500 mph anymore. No fighting with myself on what to do. Maybe the blogs and feel good stories of full-timing is/was more of a desire than what was inside me.

Everything is good.

Action Has Started

This week I was finally able to mentally let go of thinking over and over what I had decided to do or not to do. That seemed to help me a lot mentally of not second guessing my plans and have a clearer idea of what was taking place. By doing that and listening to what my mind was telling me, things have been falling into place and some things at a fast pace. I actually marked my calendar for the first time today, showing the date that I will send in my resignation at work. It will be a shock to many. I will then have my last day at the job two weeks later, then a week at home wrapping up loose ends and plans to be on the road by the end of that week.

It's been a really good few days. I have been in the action mode the past couple of days. I have re-listed my Mini Cooper and Chevy Truck on Craig's List. I will sit them down by the highway with For Sale signs after the snow stops flying but thought I might find a buyer sooner via Craig's List. I have also taken pictures of things I will be selling on eBay. I usually take pictures first of all of the things that I am selling, download them, edit them and then write the ads for each item to list it.  I've always had good luck with eBay and was a full-time seller, Power Seller a few years ago before closing my online business in 2010. So, it might take me a little longer to get the ads written but by Sunday night I plan to have the majority of my items up for sale either as fixed price or auction items.

Taking a tour through the house, there is not that much work to clear it out. I have downsized a lot last summer and this past fall, so now that has paid off. With what possessions I have left, I know exactly what is going and what is staying. The inside of my house is not barren but just the minimum things I needed to live in a house.

Remember when I have said that yard work and general house maintenance had gone from enjoyable a few years ago to a dreaded waste of time recently?  I cannot wait to get away from that. It's a never ending battle where there always seems there was something to do to the yard, house or one of the 3 vehicles, taking up most of my free time on weekends. I will trade all of that for just some of that maintenance being transferred to my rig as needed.

I will probably not talk names of states in my plans until I actually hit the road, but the "road trip" is all laid out and in the final stages of preparation.

The "momentum train" has left the station and is moving forward at a nice pace.

House Trucks & Trailers

Once again I recently tried to put this living on the road for any length of time out of my mind. I still read the blog lists but moved all of my bookmarked RV info out of site. Tried convincing myself that I would work until I drop, make more money than I need and keep buying toys as I had the urge. That would surely make me the happiest.

The "itch" to leave it all never disappeared as it never did in past attempts to shove it aside in the past 22 months. This time I also realized a couple of new things. I have been buying "toys" for a long time and I have made more money than I need for a while and I have lived in this low cost of living area for 16+ years .... guess what? All of this was just a rut or routine, little true happiness and different periods of deep depression.

My happiest times were when I was younger of course, traveling cross country to San Diego from Indiana and then up the coast highway to Seattle....all with a tent, sleeping bag and traveling riding a bicycle.  The best summer I ever had. Other times I was happy were the times driving cross country from the west coast to Indiana and back or about 6-7 years ago when I was buying old '60s VW buses online, flying to their location and driving them back...keeping some of them and selling others.....it was the traveling cross country where I was the happiest.

I think there are some pretty obvious answers there ... answers that I should follow.

So I made some decisions.....again, but at least I keep catching myself when I am about to make a purchase recently, ask myself "am I going to need this on the road?" ... that stops the purchase.

As far as the house I have decided a different approach. When people call me to ask about it, in the past they would ask what the price is. This time I am going to tell them to make an appointment to look at it and I am considering all offers!!  With it being paid for, I am willing to take less to move it and that puts me on the road sooner.  Yes, the For Sale sign is back in the yard.

The 1994 Chevy 2500 truck is back on Craig's list and will be on eBay by the weekend. My 2006 Mini Cooper is back for sale on Craig's List and will be on eBay or Cars.com by the weekend. In the meantime I am going to keep the H3 Hummer to tow a small trailer unless feedback from the question I ask below, leans towards a larger trailer.

My question is ... being a "rookie" in pulling camping trailers ... which would be better for me, a smaller trailer to tow and learn the RV lifestyle, towed by my H3 ... or trade for a Tundra or F150 so I can tow a trailer around 21' and 6,000lbs.  Would the bigger trailer be a problem for a trailer towing rookie? My only experience in towing a trailer were the times I moved, driving a Uhaul truck, and towing my car.

I've made these decisions to sell in amongst the best weather we have had for a while, very cool nights, low humidity and highs of 70's during the day.  Everything is green. I feel better selling and leave rather than play it safe and stay in the rut/routine that has engulfed me.

My house has peaked out for me personally and all I see when I think of the future is money spent on house maintenance and house repairs ... neither of those two options thrill me at this point in time of my life. I'm 61. I get more excited when I think of starting my day outside with a cup of coffee, with a great view and no plans unless I want to.

Nothing For Sale

(Editor's note: On August 11, 1013 I put the For Sale sign for the house back up, listed the Chevy Truck and Mini Cooper on Craig's List. Both vehicles will be posted to eBay August 18, 2013 and I am considering listing the house with a realtor)

As the title says....nothing is for sale.  It doesn't mean I have changed my mind about traveling, just decided I did not NEED to sell everything to travel.

First of all, in the past selling cars and old vw's...I had great results on eBay and cars.com  This past week on Craig's List brought nothing but spam emails...a LOT of spam emails, then a few spam texts. No calls to see them, to test drive them....zip, nada.

The decision not to sell the automobiles yet actually started when I thought about not selling my house. Would I want to sell my vehicles if I didn't sell the house?  Not really. My house with me in it or leaving it empty while I travel, costs me $1,000 per year in insurance and property taxes. The water and electric I can shut off and then pay the electric company $25 when I get back and need to have it activated.

Do I need the house sale proceeds to buy a trailer?  No.  Do I need the house sale proceeds to travel?  No. Then the only reason to sell the house was to move the base camp 1,500 miles west.

I decided there was not a need to sell a house that I like, own and is perfect for the hounds just to move a base camp 1,500 miles west. Overall Indiana has great weather except for roughly 5 months (subject to change in 5 minutes), Dec, Jan, Feb, July and Aug .... I can be away during those months with no problem.

If I am out traveling and see a place that I am overwhelmed by feelings that I have to move there, then....I will put the house up for sale in Indiana.

So I guess I have FINALLY come to realize what friends, fellow bloggers and co-workers have told me over the past months....."try RVing first and if you don't like it, you have a house you can move back to" or "when you get tired of Rving, you have a house you can move back to". ....and I add, with very little money to maintain it while I am gone.

The vehicles might change if I decide to go big and sell the '94 Chevy 2500 truck and my H3 for a 4x4 F150 or Tundra just to tow a bigger trailer. Otherwise I can tow with what I have, the H3 or even as suggested by David not to rule out the old truck....the old truck with the 5.7L V8 and the heavy duty suspension added for towing, along with a brake controller.  Still, neither of those vehicles can tow the Nash 17' all season trailer, but it can tow more than 4,500#'s.

So currently I am thinking the H3 towing a small trailer and then setting up a 10x10 tent as spare room once the camp site is set up. If extremely bad weather hits all of us can sleep in the H3 with room to spare.

So the house stays as do the vehicles.

House Truck Car and H3 Hummer For Sale

Craig's List was not a fast process but I have listed my 2006 Mini Cooper S and Chevy 2500 Truck on Craig's list. This was after spending the day washing all 3 vehicles and taking some current photos for the ads.

The For Sale Sign for my house has gone back and forth from the front yard to out of view ... LOL

Each time I have posted it out front, down by the highway, I get calls asking about it. The small town local people probably know more about this house than I do and I have lived here for 17 years. My friend that is a popular real estate agent has told me over the years people have asked about my house and if it was available. She feels it will sell fairly quick based on the current market.

So I'll see what happens with everything for sale. I have only tried selling 1 set of Z4 wheels and tires on Craig's list in the past and the only response I got was from my favorite people down in Nigeria with the best shipping costs there is. (j/k)

Yet, people I work with tell me they have always had great luck selling cars and trucks on Craig's List.

It is still early tonight, so I will be listing some personal items on eBay, I still have good results selling there.  That will be the plan tomorrow, taking pictures and writing eBay ads...a lot of this stuff I was going to sell even I had stayed here.

The days off I have from work (The Forced Friday Off by the Government) show me what retirement would be like if I were to stay "status quo" .... and I can't do it that way.  I have to be on the move otherwise I would go nuts sitting here day after day. I have seen about all I want to see within a 5 hour drive from here, over the years I have lived here. I have looked at keeping the house and traveling, yet that changes with costs on the road and costs at home to keep it maintained, also with possible additional stress leaving a house empty for extended period of time. I have had to do that in the past for 6-10 month periods, all with negative results. 

There are periods of great weather in Indiana over the course of the year but it's tough living through the extreme weather changes as you get older. As temps and humidity become unbearable, the cost of electricity increases rapidly. As those temps drop into the single digits with ice and snow in the winter, the cost of electricity increases rapidly. I don't know about your local electric company but mine prefers to charge you more per kilowatt during the "high usage" months, as they call it.

I would prefer to be pulling my electric from a solar system and at times a small generator if needed or boondocked in locations to beat each extreme weather and not paying the overpriced power companies. I even have to pay $32 per month for a "facility" charge on my utility bill....they could have built a castle with that monthly fee per customer!!  LOL

So, even when traveling full time was not even a thought ... I was still thinking about moving back out west after I retired and do that I would have been selling my house.

Here are my 2 Craig's List ads links. For some reason when I post links, they never change to the color of font that I have chosen for links....so you can hover your curser over each and click.  Feel free to send the links to your friends if they interested.  I am also open for suggestions for a better ad if needed. 

1994 Chevy Cheyenne 2500

2006 Mini Cooper S For Sale

It's good to see a plan come together.  No time limits, just continuous daily action toward that goal of traveling....hounds and all.