Negative Thoughts

I don't watch much tv but a few years ago I became addicted to a show that lasts only 12 weeks??, not sure...So I watched it tonight, this being it's last season. This summer after that show CNN has a 1 hour special where they send one of their reporters out in normal off the news living.

Tonight he was in Nebraska with a rancher, along with someone else reporting on the river traffic in St Louis on the Mississippi River….the major highway for transporting corn throughout the Midwest.

The theme of both locations….drought.

They were about the close down the river traffic because it has become so shallow. The Rancher in NE is about to lose his ranch, unless he is getting rain this summer. I could not tell which year they were in, 2012 or 2013.  I think it has rained a lot through there this year but I'm not sure.

By the end of two shows I had some interesting thoughts….no couch.  The trailer has no couch and during these two shows or the few times I watch tv, always, the bloodhound and the older basset hound lay under the coffee table and the younger basset lays on the couch.

So I wondered how that would be with the trailer having no couch?…just then a "brief" thought on selling the house….but more thoughts on what if nothing sells…the house, the truck, the Mini Cooper?? 

So my response tonight to all of this fast bombardment of negative thoughts I think is interesting because it is different than all the other times this happened to me. In the past when I had some quick negative thoughts like that, I would be outside right now at 11:40pm, pulling my for sale sign up in the dark…..but not this time.

I thought about what if the house and the cars sell….what if the house sells quick and I have not sold my vehicles yet….I would leave my vehicles on my friends car lot and sell them on consignment.

So I no longer wondered about the couch…..I saw the dogs finding their own sleeping/hanging out places inside the trailer once we came inside…I saw getting up early in the morning and after a cup of coffee, pulling out to a new camp within a few hours.  I saw traveling when I had an urge to go somewhere I had either been before or a place I've wanted to see and towing my house behind me…a bed the same size I have in my house, AC IF I want it and peace and quiet away from people, traffic noise, stuffed up sinuses, and to save electricity….a lantern.

So instead of freaking out with doubt….I have finally been able to recognize those thoughts (tiny negative voices) and then think of what I really want to do and that is to be moving around the western states with no yard work, tornadoes, freezing snow, boring work. Then pull into some small town for some gas, groceries maybe a dog park or a local diner.

I can't wait for Linda to show up on Wednesday to sign paperwork for her agency to list my house.….and I can't wait for my cars to sell. Her schedule was not open until Wednesday for us to meet and get the house on the market.

Looking at the "completed" listings on eBay on my Mini Cooper, there were a lot of listings the past two weeks and a lot of no sales and the couple that did, sold way below book value. My friend mentioned to me that it's August and that may not be the best time trying to sell cars or trucks because people are having to spend a lot of money getting their children into school, with book fees and clothes. I then remembered my co-worker telling me she was spending about $1,500 for her 6, 8 and 18 yr old to start school.

Still it only takes one person that likes that color of car, or the location or the low miles.

Spent the day cleaning....for just one person living in this house, its amazing where dust comes from. I took my biggest load of clothes yet to Goodwill, yes they are open on Sundays.  I am down to what I would call the bare minimum....I have a closet and 1/2 to clear out but that will take place this Saturday when I take 8 plastic tubs of sports programs and magazines that I use to sell online to recycling. Then I will have 8 tubs for storage on the road. The other part of the closets are throw away stuff. I even cut down my dishes and silver to a 4 pcs setting, even though I plan to use paper/plastic on the road.

Spent all day getting rid of stuff and as I sit here, it hardly looks like I put a dent in downsizing.

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.

2006 Casita Liberty Deluxe 17'

After 21 months of research, changing my mind a million times, test drives in A's, C's, tow vehicles and sitting in 5er's and trailers, I decided to start with the smallest. That fits in with the goal I had in 2010 after reading about Glenn over at "To Simplify", was to downsize and travel. I will not go through the reasons I didn't buy the larger rigs but I will tell you why I bought this trailer.

1.  The least expensive cost for me to get on the road and a place to live.
2.  I can start this weekend to apply for workamping jobs if I wish to go that route, who knows I might have an offer from a location that I can't refuse.
3.  Trailer is in great shape with free add-ons included in the price.
4.  I have a ton of research bookmarked on Casita mods, repair, and places to go.
5.  Too many Casita owner love these trailers.
6.  Aerodynamic for good fuel mileage.  Without a tow my H3 is getting 17.8 mpg since it left the lot.
7.  Owners on forums have shown me it can be done with 2 adults and 2 large dogs so why can't 1 adult with 1 large dog and 2 short dogs fit ok?
8.  If I want to change it up later, these trailers have great demand and resell value.
9.  Small spaces equal less electric used for heat and A/C.
10.  Bigger bed to sleep on than the one's I used on Aircraft Carriers :)

All of you are thinking "what about the hounds"??  Well nothing has changed, they are going with me and THEY will decide where their comfortable spot is. Good weather days and nights, I don't plan spending time inside a trailer living on a computer ... I plan on sitting outside in the quiet watching the sky at night and hiking, napping, cooking, photography and writing during the days. As a suggestion from a friend that has been traveling for a long time in set ups like these, I will take a tent with me that is as big as a spare room, "sun room", "porch" when I feel like going large.

On days and nights like we experienced last night in Indiana the hounds and I will be in the "cave" waiting it out even if it's for days or weeks. I'll move before it is weeks. Last night we had tornado like winds that blew over power poles, trees and anything else .. along with more rain water faster than I had ever witnessed in my 17 years at this house. The Casita was in perfect condition today after high winds and hard rain.

I will install solar, the wiring already added by the seller. He is installing laminate flooring for me and as a "gift" he is giving me a new Sway Bar.  He has installed tubular lighting inside and rope lighting in all the cabinets spaces. He has installed an electrical system with LED warning lights to let me know (old and senile), that I have left something on that is using battery power. It was 92 and muggy today when I stopped by and the AC ran freezing temps inside or as cold as I wanted it...78 felt pretty good.

As we sat on each side of the trailer inside going over all of the operations and features, I noticed where my hounds could hang out even with 2 people inside the trailer.  Everything is as nice as it looks in the pictures. I must say inside it is in "mint" condition and the exterior is not far behind the "mint" rating.  TV has HD quality with an antenna that lays flat inside the door beside the tv. All appliances looks like they have never been used. The canopy is manual and has a new top that was changed just to make sure it was not aged.

I will be able to carry and store more water for my hounds and I inside my H3. I will have a full Baja roof rack where I will keep out of season clothes (not much), spare tire, Hi-Lift Jack (made in this small town I live in), and thinking of a drawer slide out system in the back of my H3 for tools and emergency equipment that I might need.  All ideas are from the Hummer Forum.

I've never been a "pack rat", so the storage inside the Casita is perfect for me.

So the plan is, within two weeks the seller will finish the floors, maybe in 3 days, maybe 14. It's hot back here and he is in his late 70's so I told him to take his time and do the floors on his schedule. He has a 2nd Casita he is working on to resell. This seller traveled in these for 30 years and I can honestly say loves these trailers....loves them.  Has been all over the Rockies, the west, Texas etc but the body wore out so he had to get off the road but he loves "rehabbing" these trailers and getting them back on the road for traveling and camping.

I will bring it home and park it in my backyard, hook up the electric, water and they don't know it yet, but the hounds and I will be moving into the trailer and we will find out real quick what works and what doesn't. My place of employment starts the Government forced "Sequestration" July 12 and that is scheduled to go through September. So as soon as possible with my weekly Friday off to save them money and a 3 day weekend, the hounds and I will hook up and go to the nearest State Parks or one National forest for the weekend. In fact where I work, they have a nice facility for RVs that is in a wooded area and borders a lake.

I have had many suggestions from everyone, local and distant, on whether to sell my house or not.  I can't decide if it should be Plan B or not. Most people tell me to travel 6-12 months before I make a decision whether to sell it, since I have ZERO experience in RVing, although I have experience tent camping and backpacking in the Rockies, Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula.  I would prefer to be on the road out west before the winter weather hits the Midwest and end up in Quartzsite AZ for my first big rally and possibly only rally. Boondocking off the grid is going to be my DNA. With small tanks, small fridge I will implement some of my backpacking and tent camping knowledge to extend my stays in the Casita.

If I didn't have dogs, i would go the teardrop route....yes, I'm serious about that. I want to get small and travel anywhere I want to go ... with this small trailer and my H3 4x4, I can do that. For the first time in my life I will learn and take the time to fish when the chances present themselves.

So there you have it.  After all the turmoil I put you through, this is what I have decided on with no doubts it will work.

I will have more pictures later but here are 5 basic views I took with my iPhone because I forgot to take my camera with me today.

Saturday at Camping World In Indianapolis

I didn't go to Camping World to buy, but to look. They have the largest selection of different RV's and trailers in my area.  I was once again able to travel through their lot without a salesperson with me. I was able sit inside of the ones of interest, think while I sat there, inspect their conditions and think some more.

I am not sure what is going on but I have never seen their lot as full as it was today. Not only for the rigs for sale but the lots for storage and the lot for people staying that are getting maintenance or problems fixed....not sure which. There were a lot of rigs parked in an area that I thought was for storage instead of repair.

I was there to look at a couple of trailers I had seen online, that could be pulled by my Hummer. Since I had sat in a Casita a few weeks ago, I could sit in these Starcraft Trailers and compare them to the Casita. Gary Ramsey has a Starcraft AR-ONE 17RD that he likes a lot.

I also wanted to check out their Class C's again, thinking about towing my Mini Cooper or my Hummer.

The two trailers were the Starcraft AR-One 14RB and 15RB. I believe both of those could work and seemed to have more room than the Casita. Sure, the hounds, but I could see where they would be if we were stuck inside during bad weather or after dark. Most of the days will be spent outside, them and me. Yes, I agree those trailers would be small, but a lot of couples fulltime in Casita's and love it. I could see myself being able to use those trailers and carry most of my supplies inside and outside my Hummer.

Over the past 20 months I have visited Campy World and Colerain in Indy 5-6 times. After all those visits there is ONE rig that I always like and feel good when I sit inside thinking if that is the one, if I will have enough room for me and dogs, can I drive this on BLM land.....and the ONE consistent rig that I always like is the: ....Gulfstream BT Cruiser with a slideout and a queen size bed in back.

I don't know why, but that exact rig has always been the one I have liked, even over the Class A's.

Now could the E-450 set up tow a 4x4 .... salesperson says yes it can.

I see Wheeling It putting their 40'er in places I would like to go, so a 28' BT Cruiser would be able to do the same and I would have more room than I would in the trailers that I am looking at.

The house is back off the market.  Once again I am trying NOT to make this an all or nothing situation.  Fulltiming might turn into part-timing, at least 8-9 mos out of the year and 3-4 months at home but that could change after I am traveling.

The majority of friends and people that email me agree that is the way to go, even those that have traveled for a lot of years.

That's all for tonight.

Rambling Thoughts

It's been quite a week. Nothing new on the house, not a call, an email or even a "sniff". After 6 mos for the 3rd year in a row, my neighbor (not close), has taken down his For Sale signs. So we will see what happens on the house front, probably a slower process than I expected.

I test drove a possible different tow vehicle. I found a very sharp 2007 Ford F150 4x4 on cars dot com with the truck being only 30 miles from me. It was a one owner, body in mint condition, new tires, bed liner looked as if nothing had been ever loaded into the bed. Had a possible tire balancing problem at 60 mph (heavy vibration) but overall drove great. It was priced way below NADA value.

The problem was the dealer didn't want to give me anything for trade in for my H3 Hummer. Not really anything but a lower price than I expected. Due to the time of year, if dealers don't try to sell Hummers in the summer, there must be a reason for it.....not hard to figure out.

So, we couldn't close they deal and I am stuck with a H3 that I like but won't tow enough weight.

A few friends have told me to take the loss and trade the H3 for a truck. The trailer I want just dropped in price $5,000 the other day. Its a Bigfoot trailer, used a few times over an 8 year period.

I've always looked for trailers that would fit the tow rate of the H3 and one that is nice and even has a slide is the Lance 1575. The GVWR is below the 3,500 lbs. That rate has a factor of a 20% decrease for traveling in the western states and mountains. So far the only trailer I have found that has enough room is the Lance 1575 and is under the 3,500 lbs.

At the time I bought the H3 I honestly thought I was on my way of towing a Casita but I had never sat inside a Casita. I thought from the blogs and picture that the Casita was the winner for me hands down. So I was basically choosing between the H3 Hummer and the Toyota FJ Cruiser. I had test drove both and even as a past Toyota owner of different models, I preferred the H3 over the FJ.

I remember, without looking it up on this blog, that I had no desire to use a pickup truck to tow a larger trailer.

So like I was told today ... I have to decide where I want my comfort level ... in the tow vehicle or the trailer. There are a couple of other trailers that are below the 3,500 lb limit that interest me and I could see living in them full-time but I like the Lance. They are a 4 season trailer. Their 60 years of experience in truck campers moved over to the travel trailer side of the production line.

So we will see if I take a loss and trade the H3 for a truck and a little bigger trailer, 19'-24'.

For those wondering, yes ... I did have thoughts at times this past week, of keeping the house, the H3, the Mini Cooper and my old 94 Chevy truck .... then traveling only when I had the urge to get out of town or became bored. I really do like all of those vehicles.

There are a lot of things I like about 'sticks n bricks'.  I know what it's like to be in small push button showers while deployed 10 months at a time on aircraft carriers. One of the top 3 things I always enjoyed coming back home ... long long long hot showers. Those will be few and far between traveling in a trailer.

I like all that I own, the house, the H3, the Mini Sport and even the old truck that I drive 400 miles per year. I love college and NFL football on a large HD screen.

I can do most of those likes traveling in a trailer...showers will not be as long, the tv screen will be smaller if I even have a tv. My dual 27" monitor iMac will be a 15.5 Macbook Pro.

Everything smaller and shorter so I can have the ability to decide what my 'front yard' will look like. Or how warm I want my weather.

I am 4-1/2 hour drive from a Lance trailer dealer, unless I could find one at Camping World in Indy.  I'd like to take a look at one, sit inside for a while and see what kind of vibe I get. I have enough room to store in the H3 as I don't plan on taking a lot of stuff....water quantity could be my biggest item to carry.

One interesting thing that did make me flash back to a Class C ... with pictures and articles sent to me by an H3 owner, I can tow my H3 wheels down while sitting it in neutral without any adjustments. He tows his H3 with a Class  A.

On a final note ... I've been having painful problem with my right wrist, my "mouse" hand. At first I thought I had carpel tunnel but found out the wrong fingers were numb. I had chiro treatments, ultrasound treatments, a Futuro wrist and elbow brace, along with ibuprofen....nothing worked. The last few weeks I noticed a ganglion growing on top of my hand near my wrist.

Well as of today I am in hour number 5 of removal treatment without needles or surgery. I'll find out if the google search worked for removal of the ganglion.  I hope so, I don't have time for surgery.

That is all from the "tropics" of Southern Indiana.

Safe journey's to all that are traveling Arizona, and Colorado near the fires.

Travel Trailer it Is

Thinking of vehicle options this weekend, talked to a couple of friends, one of those that full-timed in a Class A for a few years. He is going back on the road by next year and plans on going smaller. He gave me some of the pros and cons to a Class A and Class C with a toad. I told him I had been leaning toward a Truck 4x4 and towing a trailer and would trade in my H3 Hummer for that truck.

He made a good point about the trade that I had not thought of. Everyday wear and tear camping with dogs and an H3 compared to a pickup truck. The H3 is a 4x4, that can go anywhere but has plush leather seats and interior. Plus storing gear inside and out, along with dogs riding in the back seats with the seat part pulled forward (H3 way) and their foam padding and blankets, with the seat backs up to divide dogs/storage would show more wear than normal than it would in a truck. Also a full size truck bed and would store more.

More than a few people like that combination, some of those people on the road full-time.

So, another decision is made ... trade the H3 in for a Pickup 4x4, camper shell and a full-size truck bed. I am currently looking at trucks locally and on cars dot com. For trailers I am looking at Bigfoot, Northwood Nash, Starcraft AR-One, Jayco, Lance and any refurbished Airstream.

I will be continuing my prepping on the house interior, things I do twice per year anyway but will make the house ready for walk-thru's.  After the house prep is finished, I'll be listing things for sale on eBay and Craig's list.

Truck recommendations??

Trailer recommendation??

The Casita Trailer is Ruled Out

The Casita trailer option was ruled out today. 

While looking at the site for fiberglass trailers for sale today, I saw where someone within 30 miles of my house had two of them for sale. This man is retired, buys them in "as is" condition then cleans them up and adds his own electrical features that are really neat.

He had a 2009 16' that was still in the rebuild status and a 2006 17' ready for sale. The 16' model was a deluxe with the two separate chairs along one wall with a small table. As soon as I walked into it I knew it was two small and that was not including my big bloodhound and 2 basset hounds.

The 2006 17' was immaculate, one owner and never used. The carpeted walls and ceiling looked in brand new condition. He said he would put in laminate flooring if I wanted and tint the windows at no extra charge. A very nice man that said he and his wife had been camping in Casitas for the past 13 years but they were at the point due to health and age that there traveling days were over. Asking price was $12,500. It could have worked if it were just me but it would be pretty cramped with me and my 3 hounds.

So one option is taken off the list.

The options left have been discussed here over the 20 months I've been looking.

1.  Class A towing my H3 Hummer or my Mini Cooper.

2.  Class C towing my H3 Hummer or my Mini Cooper.

3.  A different truck and a 5th wheel.

4.  A different truck and a 19'-22 ft trailer.

My H3 Hummer can only tow 4,500 lbs and take off the allowance for driving in the west and I'm looking at smaller 17' light trailers...take the 3' off for the hitch and I'm in the same situation I was able to look at today of 13'-14' of living space and knowing its not enough room.

My thought process even before looking at the Casita was a Class A 30'-32' or a Class C 28'-31'.

I was glad I could finally see the Casita trailer up close. I commend those that fulltime in the Casita.

Well after this post, the cleaning process starts on the house. My deadline to mount the For Sale sign in the front yard is Sunday afternoon around 5pm.

A Day Away From the Purchase

Nothing done on the house today, so no For Sale sign this afternoon. As you can see from the picture and the story below, the house schedule was again pushed to the side.

Last week I mentioned I had found an RV for sale in the local small town I live in. I had planned on just looking at it to see if I liked the floor plan and to compare it to the trailers, Class A and Class C's I had sat in up in Indianapolis on 2 different trips.

After talking to the seller, found out he works at the same government facility that I do. He also was in racing with my next door neighbor and came highly recommended for taking care of all of his vehicles. The seller was in Florida with the family for spring vacation and due back tomorrow afternoon. After talking to him this morning, we decided I could go out and inspect the RV as much as I wanted, it was unlocked and keys on the seat. So off i went with my printed checklist for buying a used RV.

I started by looking in every outside bay, granted they have this RV packed with their stuff to camp in, still I could see enough of the bays, engine compartment, wheel wells, tires, roof, all the closets, stoves, microwave, oven, woodwork, plumbing bay, power cord bay, etc.

Condition throughout is like new ... only the driver seat needed some repair, the roof needed a new coat and the rear side light lens needed replaced.

All roof top vents, electrical wiring, electrical power cord, hoses, tanks, tubes, plumbing....like new condition. It was as good as the pictures.

Information and pictures were passed to a couple of friends that have or are rving full time and had bought used RV's, so I could get their opinion and I knew they would ask me all the right questions.  They both said IF it looked as good as the pictures, that everything worked and it drove well .... it was a great deal for the price. NADA had it appraised much higher. Extremely low mileage, only 247 hours on the generator.

The first owner let it sit, older couple and hardly used it. The seller bought it in 2011 and has put 2,300 miles on it, using it while he raced locally, Indy Colts tailgating and Indy 500 tailgating.

So the deal will be final after the test drive. Everything works, extremely clean and mechanically taken care of.  No sign of interior leaks, no smoke smell, no damage of any kind to the wood cabinets and trim. It has been winterized and has been sitting since last November.

I have told him to consider it sold. He has had a lot calls, emails and interest but like all the deals I lost out on when trying to buy different trailers out of state, the local interested person had the better chance to purchase.

So here are a few specs:

2000 Gulf Stream Palm Breeze, 32', one slide (table/couch), Ford Chassis, Triton V10 engine, only 6,343 total miles, tow package, towing brake, 15,000BTU A/C...$19,990.

I had not planned on buying something this soon but I felt as well as a couple of RV friends that it was a deal that I could not pass up and it was what I was looking for if I was going to go the Class A route. With the hounds I felt I needed the extra room and I believe this will be a great boondocking rig after I have solar installed. I plan on installing all new batteries, possibly the tires but they look good.

I'll post more pictures after it's in my possession.

An Unproductive Week

Well for those readers waiting to see if that For Sale sign goes in the front yard tomorrow, I don't know. I didn't get anything done this week as far as my house goes. I did nothing but work overtime, came home and did nothing about getting out of here. Read a lot on the internet, watched a little college basketball ... and thought ... and thought ... and thought about what to do.

Not really doubting my plans but just wondering if I am making the correct decision ... I guess that is doubt, isn't it.

Unexpectedly my neighbor had a realtor for sale in his yard on Tuesday.  I was curious last Saturday why he had finally decided to clear a bank of brush and trees for over 200 feet. I own 13' of that bank from the top down but he had some men clearing to the top. Good, takes something off my "to do" list in April when it will be getting warmer.

Back to their house for sale, any disadvantage of having 2 houses next door to each other for sale at the same time?

I have a small 2 bedroom/1 bath, he has a small 4 bedroom/2 baths, both older houses.

The news of sequestration is going to affect me. I've been planning for it to happen when it mentioned the first time. I will be one of the many government employees or government contractors that will be forced to work 4 days per week and only get paid for 32 hours. My salary will be prorated for 4 days instead of 5...then add in the fact, I work overtime now and still cannot keep up with the pace of the schedules. Nothing like a 20% pay decrease to make me even more thrilled than I already have been. That may start around the middle of April and run into October 1.

Then my #1 Hoosiers got upset at Minnesota on Tuesday, only later that same night I find out that 2 close old friends of many years, are in a new battle against cancer. Puts that ballgame in a little perspective doesn't it.

So with all things considered ... I haven't been in a great mood nor motivated to do much this week, other than a lot of thinking.

I will say my range of thinking is consistent with the other times over the past year or so, when nothing gets done. It ranges from enjoying the various stories of some of the people I follow here that are in Arizona boondocking in some decent weather......all the way to the other end of the spectrum where I ask myself am I making a wise decision of selling a house that I own and only pay a very small amount in yearly property tax.

Questions that I have always had and won't know the real answer until I am on the road. I will not know for sure until I do it.

This week a friend says that with my 3 dogs, a 17' trailer would not be enough room for them and I, I'd need more room, even though they do it with multiple dogs that are smaller than mine. That 17' really equates to 14' and while I look at that measurement taped to my floor in the room I am currently writing from ... it really does look small for full timing. With that in mind that moves me away from a trailer that my H3 can tow, so I started looking at Class C's again and Class A's (prices are low) with towing my H3.

Back to the job situation ... currently not in a job that thrills me since I am out of the financial part of the work (Jan 1 policy change) and thinking maybe this sequestration might be the right time to pull up stakes and move out.

Yet, as I have downsized recently, I run into things that I really don't want to sell or store but too big to take with me or too valuable to want to get rid of. Then I read other bloggers who within a year have had doubts if they made the right decision to sell everything and hit the road full time. Makes me think.

My mind has always gone back and forth on this decision, as you know ... since October 2011.

Yet, for the readers that are checking back here or planning to check for that For Sale sign picture this weekend, I'm not positive that is going to happen this weekend. I still need to move my house inside from the "lived in" look to the "presentable for viewing" look in case I would have an interested buyer.

I'll keep you posted.

Will 2013 Bring Changes?

Happy New Year to my followers and the other people that read this blog. I hope that 2013 will be a good year for all of you.

I looked at my post from last January and also the last two posts I had in December 2011. It was quite a surprise actually....and sad in a way.  The weather was the same and my thoughts were so similar to what I have now that I could have cut and pasted those posts for today.

To me that is a sad, depressing find.

I spend a year researching different RVs or trailer combos, read blogs from other fulltimers daily, get great advice by email .... then a year later I don't feel any different????  Really?? I guess in a way that shouldn't be surprising. I at times have felt like I have been in a major rut and I think seeing the blog posts from a year ago being so similar to what I was going to write today, confirms my feelings over this past year.

I think later today around the 2 football games I am going to watch, I will pull an old book from the shelf and re-read some different chapters explaining the "Stuck" phenomenon. The book is called Stuck -- Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On by Anneli Rufus....along with a nice fresh cup of Seattle's Best Coffee. Maybe there will be an answer in there somewhere.

Don't take all of this post wrong.  I haven't fallen off the deep edge. I have made attempts to look at 3 different 16'-18' Casita and Escape trailers, all with negative results. The one I liked the best, had all the mods I wanted, sold 2 days before I could make the trip to see it. The 2nd choice, I have not heard from the owner via forum reply, email reply and a phone message. The last one was just in what I considered bad shape. I got bad vibes as soon as I was walking towards it, but the price was right ... I guess for a reason.

Since they seem to hold their resale value, I may just buy a new Casita or Escape if I decide to go that direction.

"You mean the direction may be changing AGAIN??" ... you ask.

Yep, after 14 months I still can't make up my mind what I want to travel in.  I am just as confused about a RV/Trailer as I have always been.  Maybe that book today will help me sort that out.

Last week after reading Wheelingit, a blog I read daily ... I thought the room for me and the hounds, the floor plan and the ability to boondock on the desert floor is the best option. I was told early in my research, that the floorplan was the most important when buying an RV.  So I started looking at Class A's that were 32' - 35'.

Shoeless Joe is another blogger I read daily, with his 31' Jayco Class C. That set up would also give me plenty of room for my big bloodhound, ability to tow if needed and could get to a few more spots than the Class A could. He sent me a picture of his living room set up so we could match "sports addiction" ideas that would be nice in an RV.

Then there is the all-time favorite Casita boondocker - RVsue - with her two small dogs, great mods and how to do them along with all of her traveling information...so valuable to me.  We are similar because of the reasons to full-time, enjoying being off the grid and away from people. I'll remind you that even where I live now, at times I don't leave my house from the time I get home on Friday until I leave for work on Monday morning.

So those are the three lifestyles I have been looking at for the past 14 months, along with many others that I love to read about. Everyone in different situations, different phases of their RVing and different rigs. All great blogs and a great source of information.

So will 2013 be a year of making the change?

It might very well happen.  As I mentioned in December, due to a change in policy, I will be moving to a different position tomorrow January 2.  This takes me away from an accounting field that I enjoy more than anything even though the job was a PIA at times, like all jobs really. The important thing that might make me change my plan fairly quick and hit the road ... I am not excited nor motivated about this new job ... at all ... nada, no zip, a bad feeling that I am trying to be positive about.  It will be in an area of project management support instead of "crunching numbers and counting beans". There are just a few aspects of the job that I am not thrilled about.

So 2013 may be bring big changes and a lot more blog posts if things start heading in the direction of hitting the road.  When I am not thrilled about things are the times I make major changes ... I've seen it happen before.

So stay tuned.

Thanks for reading, comments are welcomed and be safe!

Maybe the Time has Arrived

I've read in past blogs that for some RVer's, unexpected events took place that led them in the direction of fulltiming in an RV. For me the unexpected event may be taking place. I mentioned a few posts ago about the changes at my job. Well this week with each meeting things changed and as usual everyone has to have "their" meeting about the situation. It's actually fun to watch these people "tap dance" and each with a different spin on whats happening.

Abruptly my contract will come to a halt December 31, instead of April 2014. I can keep the same job and just switch to the company that has taken over the contract for my job. It's a company I don't like and they would pay me less for doing the same work, the same stress, the same daily bs.

Or I could stay with my current company, as they try to place me and another person they just hired 3 months ago in a different positions outside of finance. Problem is, finances/money/numbers are my thing ... not PowerPoint slides, boring meetings, written reports, etc. I love working with spreadsheets and analyzing budgets / expenditures.

So you see I am kinda between a rock and a hard place. OR I may be in a very very good place because it might just be the situation to move me in finding a trailer sooner and hit the road.

To keep the job I like ... I have to work for a company after December 31 that I don't like.

To work with a company I like ... I may have to go to a job that I don't like, also by December 31.

Have I confused you?

I noticed yesterday the house down the highway a 1/2 mile finally sold after being on the market for only about 6 months. The house was in terrible shape and the asking price was higher than what I would have asked for mine. So I am kicking myself for not making a decision last summer of putting my house on the market. I couldn't make up my mind on whether to keep it or not and it may have cost me a sale.

Now with my current job situation the thought of selling is a little more stronger and I actually see being on the road a much better option, than staying here and working in a situation I don't like but would only do for a paycheck every 2 weeks after December 31.

Maybe this recent job situation is what I needed to kick me in the ass and get me moving in the direction of pulling up stakes while the weather is still good and getting out of here before the weather gets cold and snowy. Whats the worst thing could happen? I could find out I don't like living fulltime on the road and I need a house so I would end up in the western USA where I want to stay anyway and either buy or rent a place out in the boonies somewhere in a small town.

All this I have thought about for over a year but it looks like "an unexpected event" has had to happen to move me into action.

Sebastian

This link hit home tonight while I was reading it. I've had a couple of friends tell me a lot of the same things. It was written a few years ago but still states the same thoughts I've had for over a year now.

The post here hits home: It sounds loud and clear!

Boondocking and Isolation

Those two words in the title never seem to leave my thoughts and today came back into the mental scene like a high speed storm. Sell everything, hit the road and figure things out on the way.

How's that for a wide range of thinking?

I have 4 days off from work after tomorrow, the 21st, and plenty of time to shampoo my carpets, wash down the walls, a thorough cleaning, more downsizing and put that brand new "for sale" sign in the front yard. Yes, I know it's the holidays, I know its winter and maybe it will not sell during this time ... but at least it's a start and if I were to get lucky with a sale, then I hit the road.

I am not sure of the reason for the sudden change in thinking.

My favorite college basketball team is #1 until they get beat and they will get beat eventually ... maybe tonight. Yet, I know I can watch them anywhere in the USA with my Directv dish and transfer my service.

All I thought about today during a slow day of work ... was boondocking and sitting somewhere with warm weather, a slight breeze, sun and 3 hounds napping outside on a rug.

So we will see. I think I am going to be very productive these next 4 days and that will get me back in forward motion of clearing my house out, selling it and hitting the road.

What if it doesn't sell?  After a period of time where I give it a chance to sell, I'll buy a trailer, head west and see what the future brings.

RVsue's story has always been very interesting as well as her current blog posts. When I read last year, the reason she decided to sell out and hit the road I could see we had similar reasons.

Stay tuned.

Is Sadie a Hold Up in the Decision?

As much as I love my hounds, I wonder sometimes if my 80lb bloodhound Sadie is subconsciously keeping me from making a decision. Two "low level" basset hounds are much different than 2 basset hounds and 1 large bloodhound. Plus a "hound" is much different than those smart never run away shepherds. I would have to have all 3 of my dogs on 3 different retractable leashes because even with the older Winston (8yrs old), when they get on a scent, they are off and all 3 can run much faster than I can.

I know this from past experience in the hayfield walks in the afternoon and an unexpected deer shows up within their scent range ... and I know how slow I am chasing them.

So when I see pictures of other travelers hiking with the dogs unleashed, and they stay around without running off, I know that is not possible with the noses of my hounds.

With a tow vehicle that I am currently driving daily to work, that puts me in the range of a small trailer. The more I think of it, the more I could see me and 2 basset hounds doing it comfortably but that 3rd 80lbs of fumbling tumbling hound INSIDE something only 16'-18' makes it seem hard to imagine.

So that is why I asked, if Sadie, my big bloodhound has been the reason I have not been able to make a decision, when I am use to making decisions pretty quickly on other topics.

All through my google searches over the past 13 months, I have not found anyone RVing full time with a bloodhound or even a large dog with 2 other dogs. Definitely not inside a smaller trailer.

Based on weekend observations, my hounds sleep A LOT during the day while I am at work and also while I am around on weekends. Those naps could be on a rug inside a portable fenced area like RVsue uses for her two smaller dogs but when the winds are howling and the rain is flying, the big girl with the 2 basset hounds and I would seem to be pretty cramped inside a smaller trailer when I think about it.

Does that move us back to a Class C or a 32' - 34' Class A?  Even in times of $4 gas?

I have done all of my gas estimates with different types of RV's at $4 per gallon fuel in the past year. I am pretty close to an estimate of 8,000-9,000 miles traveled in a year, maybe less if I stay in places I like longer. Having lived in the west in the past for 20+yrs, I have seen a lot of Calif, Washington, Idaho, and Arizona. So I see myself doing less traveling than maybe some others I read about.

Still, I keep coming back to traveling full time with 3 hounds and 1 of those hounds being 30" tall at the shoulder, packing only 80lbs and a tail that can clean off a coffee table with a couple of tail wags. I will not even get into the drool stories....lol

I could do a Class C or A and used my current tow vehicle as my toad.

More and more to think about.

Feeling Content

I have to admit that the fall season is one of my favorite seasons here in southern Indiana. Great daytime temps of low to mid 70's and night time temps down in the 30's. There has been just enough rain to make up for the lack of last summer, so there is still the yard mowing every week. Attending football games at IU is great. Not a lot of wins but it's great being outside in good weather watching one of my favorite sports and teams.

During this change of seasons, I noticed a change in my urgency to "sell out" and hit the road. I didn't feel that "rushed" feeling of getting a bunch of things done so I could put the For Sale sign out in the yard. I'm still downsizing, took another huge load of clothes to the goodwill just last Monday and have disposed of a lot of things that I had not used in years. So the downsizing is still progressing. A couple of blog followers emailed me to tell me they thought all I needed more than anything was a vacation away from my home and local area. I thought about that on my daily dog walks through the field behind my house. They might be right. I haven't had more than a day or two vacation days off from work in 7 years and that includes the time I was working at home with my online business.

I also noticed a trend in the blogs I read. More and more people were saying how they were either looking for or had a 2nd location so they were not traveling every week or two constantly. Some had already returned to their winter locations where they will stay in their RV's or trailers until next spring and then travel during the spring and summer. A few that I follow are traveling and will travel full time during the winter, moving to different locations every few weeks.

I liked the honesty recently in a few blogs I follow. They each brought up things in my "con" column on my analysis spreadsheet for which of my 4 options to choose. I have always wondered how much I would be willing to compromise while living smaller on the road. I have always wondered about my short attention span and how that would affect traveling on the road full time. How soon would I tire of it and want to do something else? Or would I tire of it at all?

So I think I am back to my original plan that I had even before the thought of full-timing and RVs were ever a thought in my mind. That original plan was to keep my house that is paid for as a "base camp", and travel in warmer climates during the Midwest winter's or travel when the urge hit me and for as long as I wanted. Then follow whatever I felt like doing.

I am still wanting the travel trailer/truck/SUV combo.  I'll decide on either a Casita, an Escape, Bigfoot or the Lance 1575 towed by my H3 and visit the places I have been to in the past or the new locations I read about on my blog list. During those travels I believe all the questions I have had about what to do will answer themselves and only then will I know if I should "sell out" and hit the road full time or keep a couple of locations to stay at.

I am still sure that when I do travel I want to boondock more than anything and get off the grid as far as possible. With 3 hounds possibly my largest quantity of my supplies will be drinking water...for me and them. Who would have thought that water would be possibly the biggest quantity of all the stuff I would take with me? Yet it would have to be based on the water consumption of myself and 3 big dogs. (granted 2 of them are short but over 60lbs).

Thank you for the Amazon stories, I now know I would never want to work there.  :)

So in summary, not much going on here. I feel the "hibernation" stage approaching. In some ways I am like a bear once winter hits.

Next week will be 2 years ago when I read about Glenn on the Yahoo Business page and started my curiosity of RVing full-time.

The Mind is a Dangerous Thing

It all started last night when I was organizing all of my bookmarks, deleting the old/unused ones, when I ran onto some older bookmarks leading me to RVs for sale.  Some of these were on eBay, Craig's List, Mfg Websites, etc. I started searching travel trailers then moved to the Class C's. The Class C looked like a large house after spending the past months looking at different travel trailers. When I jumped to the Class A's, they looked as large as a mansion on the inside. All that additional room scrambled my brain cells.

I then remembered a comment on one of the blogs I read "A Class C can go anywhere a truck and trailer can go" when boondocking. That comment scrambled more of my brain cells (what few are left).

My mind turned to being dangerous, thinking back to my original plan of a Class A or C and towing a 4x4. I stopped looking or thinking and logged off for a few hours of sleep.  You cannot get a lot of hours of sleep if you are a night person like I am, so it's always just "a few" hours of sleep.

So this morning with a couple of cups of Seattle's Best Coffee, the thought of a Class C pulling my H3 popped back into the possible plan.

I spent the rest of the morning updating and adding new email addresses to my Facebook account, so the email would tie into this blog domain name. I guess I have a few new ideas after last night, all leading in the direction of full-time living on the road. I might try a few new ideas online for producing some monthly income. Working online fulltime from 2005-2010 makes you always remember how nice it was to work at home and not going to a job.

The rest of today and night (Saturday) will be spent satisfying my addiction to college football with almost 14 hours of viewing pleasure. At the same time I will see if my dangerous brain cells will calm down a little bit about what to buy.

Did anyone else have this much trouble trying to decide what RV, truck or trailer to buy?

Still Alive

I have had a few people email me asking me if everything is ok since my blogging seems to have taken a vacation. At the end of August I had huge amounts of motivation and action. Then Labor Day weekend hit with a lot of plans to get closer to putting the house for sale, downsizing and hitting the road after finding a tow vehicle and a trailer.

I hit a gigantic wall that weekend.

Did nothing on my list, watched a lot of college and pro football, mowed the yard once, did a lot of thinking, reading and looking at pictures of different setups and spent time around the house with the hounds.

I haven't done anything since.

I've been looking at google images, reading forums and talking to a few people that fulltime or have in the past with an SUV and a small trailer. As far as trailers I have narrowed it down to the Escape made in BC Canada, the Lance 1575 and the Bigfoot 17'-19'...possibly a Casita.

While I am still able to with good health, I want to travel to locations that are way off the path. It's the only experience I have in camping, but those were short stays, camping in a tent after backpacking in the Cascades in Washington. Still I want to be able to take a trailer/SUV as far back as possible and stay there. Also have the ability to stay on BLM or National Forests.

I chose to trade my Mini Cooper for a H3 Hummer, even with the low towing capacity of 4,500 pounds.  I am using the 75% of the max weight to find the trailer that will fit those limits while traveling in the west. I don't mind going slow in the truck lane, but I liked the comfort of the ride and if needed they can climb anything. It has low mileage, serviced regular at the dealership and in my price range. Currently just driving in the local area not towing anything, I am getting 19.2 mpg. The Toyota FJ Cruiser was my other option and a hard decision to make but I couldn't find one with less than a 100,000 miles within the price that I wanted to pay. Each has it's pro's and con's.

If I get out on the road and decide all of this does not work, then I'll go from there and buy something bigger. This combo gets me out on the road the fastest and without touching my savings. Also I have never wanted to take a bunch of stuff with me and fit the rv/trailer around what I was taking. I have wanted to buy the trailer/rv that I want and then decide from there what I would take. I have always said I can and have traveled light.

What about the hounds??? They are going with me just as it has always been the plan. Once I am on the camp site I will not be spending a lot of time inside the trailer. Bad weather sure, we all will be inside until it passes, it will be much bigger than a tent!! They don't take up a lot of space inside based on their sleeping habits. From the people I talk to that live full time on the road with dogs, they say a trailer 17-19' will be ok. I have done some testing here at home by using the smaller 2nd bedroom I use for my office/bicycle trainer/dog kennel and two desks, just to see how cramped that space would be with the hounds. It's doable without any problems.

I know it's a big change than what I have looked at, wrote about and questioned in the past 11 months but everything feels good in this.

All is good here in the tropics of Southern Indiana!

I Could be Boondocking on BLM Land

Instead of boondocking, I slept later than normal today in my house and then started washing my car soon after getting up, with no other plans. Car washing was NOT on any list of things to do today. With the temps in the 60's, a slight breeze and some sun ... washing the car led to waxing the car, which led to cleaning the inside of the car which was already clean. Go figure.

The car looks great ... still, I could have spent the day, kicking back in the silence of BLM land out west with no one around except the 3 hounds, clear blue skies and nice sunshine. Maybe hiking the local area. Then with enough solar power stored to run my TV satellite dish I could watch a baseball game tonight if I wanted or I could just spend more time sitting outside with a fire enjoying the evening.

As it stands now, that is all wishful thinking because I have a house to "unclutter" tomorrow, a corner of my gutter to clean to keep the rain going down the spout instead of over the side of the gutter and a refrigerator to defrost in hopes of fixing the current minor problem it has.

A day of house related maintenance. Not my favorite thing to spend time on.

As I read all the blogs on my list, people I keep up with and their travels, my mind wanders even more than normal today. All had great pictures of places they are, most are finished with any RV maintenance I have read about the past few months. The ONE thought that keeps me thinking .... ALL of them that are RVing full or part-time, can wake up in the morning, change their scenery and by sundown have a different view entirely when they are looking outside their window or sitting by a fire.

Where I will wake up Monday morning like all my Monday mornings dragging myself back to work.

My spreadsheet analysis of my monthly revenue and expenditures tell the real story. It looks like I really only work to earn income just to preform house maintenance, yard maintenance, pay for my house and car insurance, buy dog food, some clothes and a very little entertainment. My biggest expense?  Gas going to and from work, only a 25 mile round trip commute.

On the road I know I would end up doing something online to generate income, or maybe workcamp if I found a job in a great location because that is just the way I am "wired'. I have to be doing something. Maybe not all 12 months but at least part of the year. I have worked full-time online before but the niche I was in changed drastically after 4 years, so I went back to work instead of finding something else to do online to generate income. So online income is always a possibility if needed.

I guess what I am trying to say is, my spreadsheet of monthly expenses shows me that I have enough monthly pension right now to live on full-time RVing ... without a job...without this house.

I read something tonight on someone else blog, where it was stated on a forum something to the effect ... even if your house is paid for there is always money spent for upkeep, maintenance, unexpected repairs, insurance, yard maintenance.

So is that what I am really working for right now?  Just to pay my house off (I'm very close) ... just so I can put more money into it in the future to keep it in good shape ... instead of waking up tomorrow and changing my scenery because I feel the need to move somewhere else or see the next great mountain or canyon while I am boondocking out west on BLM land "enjoying the good life" as John says.

Thoughts Are Clear and Definite

First of all .... Happy Easter!

Things haven't changed much with me about the decision to RV. I go back and forth on what to do, what to buy, what to sell. My thoughts on what to buy are pretty consistent. With the 3 hounds and from what people say that have had both C's and A's, the A's at feel you have more room. I like the thought of being up higher with that big front windshield for viewing.

I have also realized since my last post in February, there have been times I have intentionally stayed away from the RV blogs I follow, the RV for sale sites and the forums. What I found out during those times, the thoughts of hitting the road never leave. I was caught up at work last week, so much that by Friday I spent most of the day reading RV blogs, looking at all of the great places people were boondocking and checking out what was for sale.

I could tell I was in the right direction. I am also finding that I feel pretty good about selling everything when I do decide to leave. Yes the Z4 sports car, the Toyota 4Runner and the house that I have lived in for 17 years. The 4Runner "newness" has wore off, to where it is just another vehicle that I have owned in the past. The Z4 is a great car and really enjoyable to drive with the top down and cruising the back roads. The house .... I am finding out this spring that where I use to enjoy mowing every week, has lately become a dreaded chore. Only takes about an hour with a push mower, still it's hard to take the time to mow.

I was thinking the other day while mowing, if I were to travel just for months at a time I am going to need all 12 months in the year to see what I want to see in this great country. I am not going to want to pay to have my yard taken care of while I am gone. I am not going to want to be enjoying the night sky in the desert while in back of my mind wondering if my house is being broken into ... is everything ok?

I am going to want to have the feeling of pulling in that secluded camp site knowing that is my house and the huge yard around me does not require maintenance of any kind. I want the feeling that when I have the urge to pack up and leave for a new location I can and will.

The hounds??  Well they basically do 3 thing in their daily schedules .... sleep mostly, eat and short periods of playing plus the daily walk, so that is 4 things. They hang out just like I do, not requiring a lot of room. Still, there are 3 that have to be considered and I feel that keeps me in a Class A.

Plans have become pretty firm:
 - Sell everything
 - Pay cash for the RV
 - Arizona and Southern Calif for the winter
 - Utah, Colorado, Washington, Dakotas for the summer
 - Leave no later than May 2014
 - Go back to downsizing NOW!
 - Exit plan will be living in an area nice winter weather

For all those blogs I read ... your pictures, your words, your experiences keep my dream alive.