The "itch" to Full-Time Travel is Back

I just finished up a 3-day weekend not doing a lot, but thinking, reading different blogs, glancing at RV's for sale .... and did I say thinking?

That feeling to travel full-time is back stronger than a few weeks ago and increasing. I can't see it any other way when I think of what I should do after I retire or even sooner. I feel my time is up here and it's time for new adventures, new towns, and new people.

Otherwise, it is my belief that I will continue the same "rut" I have been in for what seems like forever. I have had some good times at this place, but it's not one of the best places I have ever lived. I've lived across the street from the beach in Carlsbad California, to Whidbey Island Washington, ten months living in Breckenridge Colorado during ski season, back to Whidbey Island until 1995 when I moved back to Indiana.

It's strange that I have such an attachment to this place.

Is it the chance of mortgage free living? Low cost of living? Near a large college town? I keep wondering what it is that keeps me here.

I can sell my house, my Z4, my Toyota 4Runner and buy a good used RV for cash. That's mortgage free living isn't it? Low cost of living could still be maintained with solar panels, tanks large enough to boondock and I could visit about any large college town that I wanted and even tailgate on Saturdays if I wanted to attend a college football game.

That kind of paints a different picture doesn't it.

I stepped out of my house the other day to hook up my bloodhound to her 80ft climbing rope I have anchored in the field behind my house. If she isn't tethered she would take off at the first smell of a deer or rabbit and being 100ft from a RV traveling US Highway, her life would be short lived.  I would hate that ... so I tether only for short periods of time when she wants outside. She knows where that 80' ends, someway.

So, as I started to say, just as I start to connect her collar to the rope connection, my basset hounds start baying loud and they are off the to races. I glance up and deer are scattering everywhere in the field behind my house. Going in different directions. Maybe 15-20, too many to count and too fast for me to get inside to grab my camera. They must have been grazing in the hay field before we came outside.

The hounds eventually stopped and stared. Some of the younger deer stopped and stared back.

That's one of the nice things about living in this area, the wildlife, unannounced appearances.

Still, I could get the same thing camping out in the Cascade's or Rocky Mtn state parks.

Basically, I need at least two things:

1. The freedom to move when I want
2. Solitude

RVing full-time is the only way I can get those two things ... in my opinion.

P.S.  .... It would be nice to get rid of the year-round allergies I have.

Back to What to Buy and What to Do

Sunny, blue sky and 28 degrees.

Just returned from a dog walk, the hounds and I were getting "cabin fever" and the ground was hard enough to take the trip through the field. It has been wet most of the time with the temps hovering around the freezing point give or take a few degrees.

The past few weeks I've been keeping updated on my blog reading. People boondocking in the desert, out in Santee, down in rainy Texas and some up by Las Vegas. The stories and pictures keep the flame lit to travel full-time.

That has always been my plan, boondocking as much as possible. Following the weather, SW in the winters and up through Utah, Colorado, the Dakotas, Washington and Oregon in the summers. All places I have been to in my past travels but not far enough out in the "boonies". With no schedule on how long I stay at each place.

With that in mind, the perfect vehicle would be a diesel pusher, large tanks, solar panels and my large screen tv for sports along with my 27" monitor.  Along with my 3 hounds, would all that be attainable in a 16'-17' camping trailer pulled by my V8 Toyota 4Runner? The easiest way would be a 33'-36' Motorhome, downsize both my cars to a smaller SUV as a toad. Rent my house if it didn't sell ....

Then hit the road full-time with no obligations behind me.

My exit plan would be a smaller place to live somewhere in the SW USA or eastern Southern California. Somewhere the temps are good year round. At the age of 62+ depending on when I would stop RVing and single, a smaller house would work in that area.

The nomadic lifestyle excites me, whereas the thought of retirement and staying here makes me feel bored and restless.

Instead of leaving as soon as possible, I am going to change my departure date to May 2014.

Now, back to my laundry, watching basketball, reading some blogs, continue my downsizing and looking at RVs for sale.

A Slow But Nice Week

I thought I'd drop in and at least write something. Nothing going on to report as far as RV developments. I have decided it is too much trouble to sell some of my stuff online, so I have decided to give to goodwill or some local charities as I downsize my possessions. I do this annually anyway so there is really not that much to do.

My biggest job is converting important paper files to PDF's to store on my computer and external hard drives, along with converting my music to digital from a "zillion" cds and cassettes.

Have I decided exactly what I want to buy? No, I haven't. I have almost ruled out a trailer being towed by my 4Runner. So it's between an A and a C.  It would be easy to buy a Class A and tow the 4Runner but there are enough things that I like about a Class C to keep me from making a decision at this time.

It's great weather here in the "tropics" of Southern Indiana, cold at night nice (45's)  during the day. I am in the mode of preparing for the holidays, College Football Bowl games along with all of the college basketball games they are now showing on tv.

Reading some of my followers, I see that Don is traveling through the south now and headed for Arizona. Glen is back on the road and found a great place it seems in the panhandle of Florida. Shoeless Joe is battling rain and cool temps at his winter spot in Texas. I haven't seen anything from "4 Windows & a View" since she traded in the 24' Class C for the 40' Class C. I'm interested in how that change in RV's works out for her. Sue and the hounds are boondocking in Arizona in the Casita, she seems to be really enjoying those solar panels she had put on a few weeks ago. "Me and My Dog" is enjoying the winter spot in Quartzsite. I love her pictures and the stories of Katie traveling.

Wandrin' just made an interesting decision about his phone upgrade. I just did that last weekend but unlike him, I could not resist upgrading to an iPhone4. I went from an iPhone 3GS to a 4.  Yes, a 4...thought I was getting a 4S, wasn't paying attention and realized it a few days later.  I have 2 weeks to return the iPhone if I don't like it but after reading about the difference between the 4 and 4S and what I use mine for, I decided to keep the 4. It's not a big deal and probably more than I need anyway since I have an iPad. The iPhone 4 still has a great camera at 5 pixels.

There are a lot more blogs I read than I talk about in the previous paragraph but those are from the top of my head. I read all of these blogs and love hearing about all of the travels, the pictures and even some of the maintenance problems. I can only learn from that type of information.

For those on the road, I enjoy reading about your experiences and seeing your pictures. As always, be safe out there.

Decision Must be Right

These past few days since I posted my departure date has been interesting. There has been a calmness of some sort in everything I did Friday at work and yesterday. My mind is not racing like it has been since October 21.

As I see more 'stuff' get packed up either for goodwill donations or the weekly trash pickup, the future picture of rolling down the highway gets clearer.

Sure, even since Thursday I have thought about "what if...", but the answer is always the same. I need to get out of here for a new stage of my life and the adventure of seeing new land, meeting new people and take the time to see things that I have been wanting to see over the years.

I have always wanted to take vacations and either re-visit places I had traveled years ago but my "workaholic" personality never let me escape. I am the type that even works the week between Christmas and New Year's and have for as long as I remember.

Still when I have scheduled long holiday weekends that lead to 3-4 days off from work, I enjoy them more than anything.

With frost on the ground here this morning and temps in the teens I can only think of cooler night temps boondocking in SW Arizona yet those daytime temps will be much different than what I am facing today or in the next few months.

I thought I might wake up with a change of mind about RVing after what happened in college basketball last night in Bloomington Indiana but I'm sitting here reading RV blogs, looking at RVs with plans today of more downsizing. See, I am a HUGE IU basketball fan (alumnus) and one of the reasons in 1995 I moved back to the Bloomington area was IU sports. Back 15 years ago, they didn't have the mobility of satellite dishes to pick up games, there wasn't BTN where you can see all the IU games that are not on ESPN or CBS.

So location is no longer a factor with my sports addiction.

From all the bloggers and full-timer's that I follow and some following me.....your pictures while you travel are awesome!!

Downsizing Buying an RV and Hitting the Road This Spring

Well it's been almost a week since my last post, last Friday night.

In my last post I had someone comment that I am just screwing around. They told me what to buy, hitch up my 4Runner, load the hounds and hit the road.

That comment struck home with me and made me think.  He was right.

THAT is the way I use to make decisions, now I over analyze EVERYTHING!!  ...  as you can see from this blog.

So, I spent the week re-thinking, reading blogs, more stories, looking at Class A's, C's and trailers...basically everything that I have been doing since October 21 when this huge urge hit me.

What I found was, all the reasons I first had to RV fulltime, KEPT COMING BACK to me.  A few friends that knew of my plans kept asking me when I was leaving.  "What are you waiting for?".

Then something hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been thinking of everything that could go wrong. I'm a survivor. Just like most everyone, I have had my ups and downs in life, things at times didn't go as planned and yes there have been a few times after taking risks I ended up with very little cash left. Each time I was able to rebuild and continue on.

One thing when I look back over the years, that no matter what happened ... in some way I was always provided what I needed and only when I needed it.

I cannot think of a time I ever went without getting what I needed to go on.

This week I started downsizing again ... a bunch of stuff was picked up by my garbage man sometime around 4am this morning. He may be a trash collector but out here in the rural area, he loads anything I sit out to be picked up. Last night it was a TON OF STUFF.  After I post this blog, I'm hitting my closets again and filling up those 32gal black hefty bags with clothes to take to goodwill on Sunday. I am starting at one end of my kitchen cabinets and throwing away stuff I don't use or don't need.

The For Sale sign goes out front of my house no later than Saturday morning...I am still looking for the sign stand to plant in the yard. I will sell the house as is and will start on minor repairs while it is advertised. If I have someone stop to see the inside unexpected, they will see a "lived in" house, otherwise give me about a week and Ill have it spotless for showing.

I plan on leaving May 14, 2012

I plan on buying my used RV for cash. I will have solar panels and large tanks to boondock and in the spring or as soon as my house sells, my first RV trip will be heading to South Dakota (spring time) to set up residency and getting my SD drivers license.  I will workcamp when I feel like it or see a place that I don't want to leave for a while. I will also follow the weather. I realize it may get a little cold in SW Arizona at night in the winter but I'll take my chances. It can't be worse than what I am feeling right now in Indiana at night.

So there it is ... a plan and a SET DATE for departure!

Did You Think I Was Going to Quit?? ... No Way!!!

I am assuming my followers looked at the title of my post last night and thought "oh, he's going to quit before he even starts".   That thought NEVER crossed my mind. What you don't know about me is my mind has always been going , will be going a 1,000 mph all the time. A friend of mine stopped by my work one day while I was answering an email, while talking on the phone and talking to the person standing at my desk....all at the same time. I'm not sure what you call that, but it probably isn't a good thing. Plus, I analyze....too much.

So last nights post was nothing more than me putting some of my mind travel down on paper (blog) for all to see, when I am usually having this discussion with my dogs and expecting them to give me answers.  :)

About the time I think I have it down what I want, I read a new blog, look at their rig, read their story and then start looking at A's or C's again. Today it was a "C" day. Yet, there is just something about putting those sides out and having room in an A. I know C's have slides but still, a lot of room in those A's.  Sadie (bloodhound) would probably enjoy that as would I. The basset's??? They don't really care about much...they are totally laidback, just a good soft blanket, bed or couch, some food, a daily walk and they are good to go. Today Winston (basset) and I took the old pickup to the local "Feed Store' to pick up some dog food. He was a happy camper when I told him he was going to go in the truck, couldn't stop that deep basset barking.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

New blogs, new ideas, new rigs, new thoughts, my house, my cars (1  Z4), etc, etc, etc.  You get the picture. My mind going that 1,000 mph, ALL the time. Knowing what I would like to do but not knowing if I should take a gigantic leap or go as planned. (2yrs, 7mos). Local suggestion is to keep the house, keep the Z4, sell the other car, work until May 2014, then hit the road. She says my left side of my brain is running wild right now.

I've looked at the start of blogs that I follow, to see how long it took different people to hit the road full-time after they first had the thought. (I think I'm right on schedule and all of this is normal thinking). How long did they take to by their RV? What was their financial situation, how many repairs have they had on the road, were they shut down, what type of work do they do on the road if any at all. Boondocking, or national forests, rv parks etc.

Yes, same questions I have had the past 3 weeks, but they keep re-appearing. I even fight with myself between a C and an A class RV. Will the A be able to boondock like some people say it will? Will it be more handier for me to have a C even thought it might be smaller inside with 3 hounds?

I know these questions have been asked on this blog before and many have answered either by commenting or by email and I thank you for those comments and suggested links.  They really have been a great help.  In fact all of the info has made me want to full time even more than when I started this blog a few weeks ago.

So, if all of this is not boring to you, hang around and see what happens. Comment when you want and enjoy the humor. I will laugh about these times around a campfire some day, asking myself and others...."What took me so long" ??

A Lot of Thinking

Another normal day of reading RV information, in some cases read for a 2nd and 3rd time. Looked at A's, than back at C's. Ran a lot of numbers through my head, whether to pay cash or finance. Currently my mortgage balance is so low that I am unable to write off what little interest I pay every month. While walking the hounds through the field behind my house, I wondered if it was really fair for the 3 of them to be RVing or keeping their life the way it is. Here is a picture of that field. You can slightly see the path I make while they walk 25' out on retractable leashes.

I did look at C's while I was at work today. I saw some different and good ideas how people used that space above the cab for their large tv's, and computer equipment. I am going to need to arrange for my 46" HD tv, as a sports junkie that would be hard to give up. Computers I use right now is an iPad and an iMac with a large 27" monitor that I think I can make arrangements with some slight modifications (office desk) to keep that monitor. Here is my current set up:

I am pretty set on a A's 30'- 32', and only started looking at C's after reading a blog where a couple had spent 4 years full-time RVing and running their computer business on the road. I really don't think I would use the overhead bunk if I had a C, so any ideas about large tv's and computers are welcomed. On a A I already have some pictures of fitting large screen and my computer set up.

I also thought about this blog. I've gained a lot of good information from comments, emails, suggested links but at the same time it is kind of different for me to go public with my thoughts. Yet, I got this idea to start a blog now and not waiting until I started on my RV trip because most of the blogs I started reading a few weeks ago and currently, all started the same way. I guess in a few years it will be nice to go back and look into these earlier blogs and recall just how many different directions my mind was going.

To all the A owners out there on the road that boondock, what is the smallest road you ever traveled on to get to a great camping spot? To all the C owners out there, how many of you wondered if you should have bought a C after you lived in an A for a while and why?

Why do I ask that? The example is the picture of my computer set up. I spent months researching which iMac to buy or a MacPro or a MacAir. When I decided on a iMac, then it was either the 27" or the 21.5" iMac. Even the day I went to the store to make the purchase I looked at each side by side for over an hour and walked out with the 21.5 Then months later I kept thinking about the 27" I passed up. Instead of selling my 21.5 iMac and boxing it up and shipping it to someone that would have bought it outside of my location, I decided to buy the 27' monitor and plugging it into the iMac as a 2nd monitor. I love having two monitors.

So if I bought a C and was happy with it, would I always be wondering about an A????

This picture was taken last August when the temps were really hot but the hounds were wanting to walk.

The Three Amigos

My Bloodhound Makes Me Wonder about RV's

Guilty

First of all the title does not mean I am thinking about giving up my bloodhound nor my plans of RVing fulltime. All it means Sadie is having "one of those days". Our daily routine is getting home from work, letting them outside (today was beautiful), by the time they are finished dumping their tanks they are use to having their food and water poured and ready for them to eat. They come back in, eat while I check my email. Then about 30 minutes later we take our daily walk through the hayfield and back, usually about 30 minutes. Today must have been heavy rabbit scent because all three went crazy with their noses to the ground pulling me as I held their two retractable leashes. If I would have had been on skis they would have been pulling me across the grass at a pretty good speed. Winston is leashless here but will no problem using a "dually" on one leash with the other basset.

Well today, Sadie the bloodhound seems to have a little cabin fever, she wants out, then wants in. A little obnoxious. Anything from checking to see what's on the counter to eat, trying to get the bassets to play with her and giving every place in the house an inspection with that nose of hers. She is a smaller size bloodhound due to poor breeding I think, yet is she 73lbs and does not know how strong she is. Winston can hold his own, standing 13" high and packing 57lbs. Heidi is just content to hang out on her pile of mexican blankets next to my desk while I am on the computer.

Today was one of those day's that Sadie felt she didn't get enough to eat .... or the food is so good she can't get enough of it.  Not 10 feet away from me while Im on my computer, she is trying to get the lid off the container I keep the dog food in. She HAS BEEN successful before at this and ate so much one night when I didn't know it, I was concerned she was going to bloat. She has been known to slide open closet doors to get to my spare food that is in bags, chew open the bag and make it her own disposable dog dish. So to say the least, she still has a lot of puppy in her at the age of 3.

An hour later both Winston and Sadie find a place to sleep. It is that hour of being obnoxious when I wonder about a Bloodhound / RV mix.  Are they made for one another or will it be a problem? It is usually just that first hour or two after I get home from work where she is pretty active and excited. On weekends when I am around, she is a little different. Based on all three hound's daily schedule, I have no doubt they will work in an RV. The majority of their days, 7 days per week, they love to sleep. The times I am home during the week, they sleep all day, a little food in the afternoon, a walk and they are good to go. Of course it might be different for her since I will not be gone 9 hours per day once I make the transition to the RV.

It's days like these if an RV will be right for the bloodhound. 22 hours per day, laidback and a couch potato, but at times 1 - 2 hours can make you wonder.

There is a good discussion going on about the difference of Class A and C's on the RV Forum, linked to the left side of my blog.  A lot of good information in there from people that have been on the road a long time to the newbie such as myself.

I'm still "feelin" a small Class A (30'-32').

I am planning on next Friday driving up to the Indy area to look at different RVs and hopefully test drive some.

I was thinking today....RVing and Workcamping as an option if I didn't want to wait the 2.6 yrs to go fulltime.  I will spend some time this weekend reading about workcamping. In the meantime I have a bunch of new websites/blogs to read in a few minutes that I find from reading other blogs or ebooks. I have made folders within my "RV Info" folder, to keep any ebooks I like, or blogs or websites that have good reference material.

I think it might be time to start downsizing and just for fun try selling somethings on ebay or Craigs list.  I am familiar with eBay but have never tried Craigs list. I thought Craig's list might be better for selling some desks, chest of drawers, bookcases, mowers, tools .... things I was wanting to get rid of anyway even if I stayed here.

Have a great Friday night where ever you might be.

Today it's a Class A....go figure

An interesting day to say the least. My DishNetwork installation didn't start until about 4pm, was scheduled for 8am till noon. I didn't care, I understand those guys have jobs that run into surprises.  I am going to tell you what I got for free through them, because it can be used by RVers that have internet connection and a tv.  It's like the old WebTV years ago, only with a lot more modern features. The fact is you can bookmark different websites on this program and use your tv as a monitor. I am Wifi mine from the living room back to my computer modem in the opposite corner of my house it works well. So I am sure it will work with your Verizon air cards and you can use your TV as a monitor instead of your laptop screens.  Just an idea.

I spent all day again today while I waited for them to show up, reading blogs, looking at RVs for.....I must admit, I like the C's but I really get good vibes when Im looking at A's. Now I have progressed so much that I have almost changed my mind on a diesel engine instead of gas. My friend is pulling 37' feet and said she use to slow to 40mph going up the mountains with their gas powered C but no problem with a diesel powered A. She and her husband do not boondock but they do stay in state parks in florida and eastern states at 37'. I am still thinking 30-31' though.  It would give me more storage than a C. I want to bring my bicycle with me to ride when the opportunity presents itself. It's a road bike that I use to race many years ago.

I know I probably wont go deep into the forest but I can get far enough away from traffic and have bigger tanks, more storage and more room for long stays.  Of course if you have been reading my blog from day one....I am all over the place on what type of RV to buy....daily.  So today its an A and after I post this I am going back to look at pictures.

I am reading two things I found today, on is "Fulltiming 101' from the RVforum.net, newbies corner.  Then an ebook called "Answers to the Common Excuses" to not to RV.  A lot of new blogs to read. I spent way too much time with the tv installation and got behind on my "new addiction".

Blast away with comments if you think I am making a wrong decision going for the A.

RV thoughts

Actually this is not a vacation but a day off ... one of those days off where "they can be there between 8-noon or noon-4".  I am switching out from DirecTv to DishNetwork. It's a long story and deals nothing with hounds or Rv's, so that is all I will say about it.

What that has done is give me some MORE time to read a pros and cons ebook, found some new blogs, different views, and of course more pictures of different RV's that people are living in fulltime. I would assume the reading and studying never ends?  Always keeping updated?

I still am thinking a Class C is the way to go for me, 28'-30' because I have dogs that will travel with me.  Yes it's tempting to buy a 30' class A, but I am not a "gearhead" and will need a Ford or Chevy dealer/mechanic to do work when needed. I can do the basics but not repair. So far there seems to be one consistent answer from comments here, other forums, emails, etc...."find the floor plan you like and go with it".....the engine, brand name is all about the same. It's a home on wheels, screws will loosen, sometime there will be leaks, or a dead battery etc.

Does that sound right?

BTW, my DishNetwork installer just called and that 10 minute job turned into a few more hours....so my 8-noon has now turned into 1 or 2pm.  :)

I looked over my numbers again late last night and found out, once my house is paid for (7K to go), my expenses living here mortgage free is almost identical as RV ing fulltime. Sure that is a rough estimate for expenses and you never know how much exactly it will cost until you are on the road.

Well I am going to go back to my reading and looking....more dreaming.  I'll be back later today or tonight for another post on what I may have found out new or any new questions or ideas I may have.

I Can't Believe How Ready I Am to Leave

As I read more information and look at different motor homes, my desire increases to sell everything and hit the road. Ive been able to read how everything works. I have a clearer understanding of the plumbing, the electrical hook up, generators, tire pressure warning systems, the black and grey tanks, RV parks or boondocking. The most important feature....the time you have to choose where you want to be and what you want to do., is the best.

I wish I could pack up and leave tomorrow and beat the cold Midwest winter that feels like it is right around the corner. As I decide when to retire and what RV to buy, I am going to start downsizing my things immediately. Actually I started that last spring and try to clean out things not used annually. Now it's a little bit different...before putting the house up for sale (already local interest in the house) I need to fix a couple of things I was planning on doing before winter.

What is interesting, based on my Excel spreadsheet comparison of expenses I have now and what I would have on the road, the totals are pretty close but a little less on the road. I have monthly income from my military retirement, no debt except my small mortgage and social security just 2 years and 7 mos away. (savings).  Its very tempting to start the process now and not wait until I am 62 to be on the road. I have a long list of places I want to see. I know where I want to be in the winter and where I want to be during the spring and summer. From all of your blogs Ive read, the notes I have taken and the blogs you read that I looked at.....plus the forums people have suggested, I have sites bookmarked and notes a mile long on what I need to start this journey. The picture is a lot clearer now than it was 2 weeks ago when I read Glen's article on Yahoo.

It's all very exciting!!

My mindset is already focused on what I want to happen.

To all the people I am following and all the blogs I am reading...you have taken some great pictures of places you have been.  Yet there are just as many more places not seen yet and that is what I am looking forward to.

The hounds will be ok, because they love to ride and by their nature, really laidback dogs. Even today when I walked over to my old pickup truck to check inside, all the dogs were following, barking, talking, ready to jump in the truck because they thought they were going to "go" in the truck.  Not only do they like to ride, they like to sleep and ride. So I don't see an issue there.

To all on the road....be safe!

Some New RV Questions

I'm typing this live and its pretty late, still have college football on (Arizona at UDub) and its 1:17am .... yes, college football could be an addiction for me.

Thanks for all the comments today and the new people following. For those following, remember that I am still not really sure when this change in careers is going to happen. It would be within months or not until I retire from my job in a couple of years. I know when I would like to leave but I have some work to do to downsize, decide what to sell, or if I should rent out my house at first to see if the full time RVing is going to work with me and my 3 hounds. Anyway, I have some new RV questions today.

1.  Is there a disadvantage in staying at RV parks if your RV is older than 10 yrs old?
2.  What would be the differences in a 30' Class C or a 30' Class A?
3.  If you had the same amount of money available to by any kind of RV, would you buy an older model for the same amount of money as a newer one?
4.  I plan on spend more time boondocking than staying in RV parks.....is that why a Class C would be better than a Class A?
5.  Best to buy locally or in those no humidity states in the southwest?
6.  I know it would be based on condition of the RV but if a Class A and Class C are the same price and have less than 25,000 miles on them, which is a better RV?

Some of these questions are based on some comments and others are ones I had as I was looking at ads for RVs while watching my football games. I have decided with the hounds I really need at least one slideout, I would prefer a bed in back. I have an iMac at home but also a large monitor attached to it. I would prefer to keep the larger screen set up rather than going to a full time laptop. I have an iPad that I will be taking. I am also going to google on ideas of mounting or installing a 46" HD tv someway the RV I buy.  If any of you have an answer for those two (computer & tv) it is much appreciated.

I decided against my friends bus. Its a great design but I am not really keen on a diesel and a 4 speed stick at that. Yet, I keep going back to a Class A that is 32-36' long. Would I need that room being single?  Probably not but with the dogs it would be more room and more storage.

I have a pretty good idea in my head when I want to make the move but do not want to announce it yet. I still want to test drive different RVs, Ill do that locally and as many different A's and C's as possible.

Can anyone suggest a good RV Guide I could buy where I would have information on what are the best RVs before I buy one. I guess I could probably look on the internet for reviews but thought someone here might have one that they really liked.

Good night everyone and for those on the road and a full-timer.....I envy you.

RV Sizes and Types

First of all thanks for all the comments and new followers after my first post. I am not new to blogging, just to this niche and it was nice to see that some people decided to hang around and see what I end up doing. I will read all the comments and will answer emails as soon as I can.

Well it was a pretty productive day and some answers are starting to surface. With my 3 dogs that I am going to travel with, I am thinking a 27'-29', Class C with a sideout is what I am going to need. It is tempting to buy the older 35+ Class A but from most of the blogs that I am reading, they are able to get into some spots where a smaller RV has it's advantages. I am going to want to stay out in the open more than parks. There is a huge selection but I have narrowed my search to the Southwestern part of the USA. I found in my VW Bus buying day, the southwest had dry metal and very little rust if any.

Which brings up the question, is it better to buy from a private party or a dealer?

Even the Class C 28' with no sideouts looks to have enough room for my hounds to sleep (their favorite hobby) while driving or even after parked and set up for a month stay. I walk the dogs daily using retractable leashes. They can go out 25' while we walk but I can control that with a push of a button. Their only problem is, they love people and always seem to move that direct to be able to sniff them a little or sit to be petted.

These blogs are really a great source of information for someone that has traveled but NEVER by RV.

So, before I head out to do some work on my blog, I guess I am looking for a Class C, 1 sideout, 27'-29', Gas Fuel, from either a dealer or private owner located in the Southwestern USA.

In the mean time I am going to try to get some pages up and filled in. Then give you some pictures and history of the hounds so you know will be taking this adventure with me. Also I tried many times to get a profile picture up but Blogspot didn't like them and kept having "internal errors", yet they didn't seem to mind adding the same picture to when I was following a blog.....go figure.

I am also finding that adding photos from iPhoto on my iMac is not a smooth friendship. As soon as I figure out how to keep Picasa from importing ALL (1,000s) of my photos from my hard drive, I will then load them into the blog from Picasa. I am computer literate, worked online at home from '05-'09, so it should not take to long to figure out what I want to do.

Can I follow these blogs of other people if I am using a WordPress blog instead of Blogger?  My frustration trying to use Blogspot is the same as it was years ago when I decided to move to WordPress.

Anyway, wherever you are, have a great Friday night and weekend.

Yes, my mind is still going a thousand mph with all this new exciting information.