The RV is SOLD!!

The 2004 Coachmen Freedom 258db was sold last night and the buyer picked it up today, cash in hand. Now before you 'sprint' to the comment section, let me explain.

"She" fought hard to stay. The buyer did a very detailed look over, even on the roof. Let the engine idle but turned down my offer of a test drive. ONLY LATER after he left I found out why his refusing the offer was a GREAT idea. See even from the first day of buying this RV, Murphy's Law has always been sitting on my shoulder and last night was a glowing example.

The buyer left, gave me a deposit that was not asked for and said he would be back today to pay in cash and pick it up. I thought I would drive down to the local station and top off the gas tank for him, as I did just a couple of weeks ago when I checked tires.  Only this time while the RV had been sitting on leveling blocks on ground that was more than saturated from the winter weather but this past Monday we had 2" of new rain.

You are getting the picture.  Here is a hint ... don't laugh too hard.  :)

Yes, you're right ... The 'sold' RV was stuck in the mud. So with a calm response (surprising), a shovel and some plywood .... and time ... I was able to drive it out of the muck. 

That lead to another hour or so, hosing off the under carriage, in between the dual tires that had solid mud between them and the tire sidewalls inside them and outside. By the time I finished everything looked like new, including my Keen shoes.

The Coachmen never felt like the right vehicle. I had buyer's remorse very soon after the purchase. The more time I spent inside with the hounds, the bigger the hounds looked and the less space the RV looked like it had. The more I looked at my list of things to take, the storage was an issue. I'm not planning on taking a ton of stuff but just the basics. I would have had to tow to travel off the beaten path once camp is set up plus have a vehicle for emergencies without packing everything up and driving only the RV.

I basically bought this RV 11 days  after swearing last September I would not buy anything until I got down to just one basset hound and giving any of the hounds away was NOT an option. It was local buy, only 12 miles away which had me thinking of the $1,000's of dollars saved by not buying out of state. It was in great shape, yada yada yada.

All the options of towing or not towing were analyzed beyond the norm. I didn't want to tow the Mini Cooper because that would be a terrible off road vehicle. Towing the H3 Hummer with the 5.7L and camper weight was borderline at best. Storage was the next concern. With what I would need to take with me, just traveling with the RV was out of the question, very little storage in that model of Coachmen.

I plan on selling my all of my vehicles, raise more cash, combine that will my vacation pay that is owed and other separation pay I will receive when I leave my job on May 30... then buy something for cash.

It is great to be shopping again for addicts like myself.

I have a plan in place to still hit the road. I still plan on retiring May 30 and at the minimum take the 3 hounds out west on a 'vacation' in some sort of camping vehicle.

Of course one of my local friends suggested keeping my Mini and towing something like this ... LOL.  The trailer does fold out into the tent that is pictured below.

Stay tuned for future developments! I've got to get to Utah no matter what.

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??

Truck and Trailer

I am back on the Truck & Trailer kick this week.  I keep thinking of all of those pictures I have seen and in some cases hiked, where you are only going to get back in there with a 4x4 Truck. Thinking of a 17'-21' trailer and a shell over my truck bed for storage and a crew cab for the hounds to lay down or sit up while riding. 

I know I could buy something bigger and tow a 4x4 and that has been analyzed....and tempting....but I don't think my pocket book wants to do that.  See, I want to make this transition without touching my savings.  I want to do it with cash raised by selling everything (downsizing) and selling my house. I know that once I spend time out west that I will not want to come back to Indiana. I lived in California for 10 years and Whidbey Island, Washington for 10 years....loved it all. 

I still can't get the thought of warm weather this winter out of my mind and to do that I should hit the road no later than November to beat the bad Midwest weather.

I'm back to the plan of cleaning out, selling what I can and donating the rest as I wait for that 1 buyer of my house.  Once the house is sold, buy the trailer and the truck that is going to tow the small trailer. Will put the Mini Cooper up for sale soon and will use the proceeds of that to buy my 4x4. Then I will drive my '94 Chevy PU until the house sells. Once the house sells, my friend buys my '94 pick-up, that he has been waiting to do for years and is still waiting for me to give it up.

Then I will hit the road with a truck trailer combo, all bought with cash from the house sale and will not have to touch my savings.  The feeling of having that savings for emergencies feels better than using some of it for a bigger motor home.

A lot to do this weekend. More stuff to drop off at the goodwill, more trash for Wednesday pickup. I plan to get down to what I would live with on the road as soon as I can, while working and waiting for the house to sell.  I have verified with my HR dept, that a 2 week notice is all I need and all vacation time and salary is paid up the day I leave. 

I have more "stuff" in this house than I thought I did .... unbelievable.