Some Days it Just Hits You

I just spent wasting an hour and five minutes of my life, mowing the yard. There's nothing hard about it but not something I will be wanting to do in the future, or even now. My job is going downhill fast. I have never seen so much confusion, "duh moments" in my life and the sad thing is it deals with more money you would want to think about.  I had the urge to retire last year also but thought I'd stick it out but now that feeling is back stronger than it has been in a while. I almost resigned yesterday.

Strong enough feelings that I had an idea hit me hard today, something I had thought about in the past and an idea that was suggested by a friend of mine with a lot of experience in that type of environment.

A Crew Cab Pickup Truck and a Bigfoot Trailer.

I like the Toyota FJ Cruisers myself, always have, but had 4Runners in the past. So I am going to clean up from my yard mowing job, kick back and look at Tundra's, FJ's or Pickups along with the Bigfoot Trailers.

The hounds ??  Like I said previously ... when I am at a location, most of my time will be spent OUTSIDE, I need a place to hide when there is bad weather, to sleep, fix meals, play on the computer, watch a ballgame and store food.

After a great meal of (TOW) Taste of the Wild dog food, no grain, Bison Meal, Chicken, Chicken Meal .... all three hounds are passed out on their blankets within a 6' area....the bloodhound is snoring at 5pm....unbelievable. It doesn't matter where my couch or bed will be located, any kind of RV, Tent, Trailer...the bloodhound will make it her's.

Why??

Bloodhound Property Laws

If I like it, it’s mine.
If it’s in my mouth, it’s mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
If it just looks like mine, it’s mine.
If I saw it first, it’s mine
If you are playing with something and put it down, it’s mine.
If I am chewing something up, all of the pieces are mine.
If it’s mine it must never be yours
If it was yours, get over it, it's mine.
If it’s broken, it’s your fault, but it’s still mine.

Back To The Original Plan

Back in October 2011 when I read an article on Yahoo Business page about Glen living full-time in his van, that led me to blogs of people doing this full-time in all different kinds of vehicles. I have followed a lot of those blogs since that time, learning a ton of information about the RV lifestyle on the road.

After my blog post last night, thoughts started literally bombarding my mind. Clear thoughts, a lot of thoughts....to the point I wondered if I should go back and delete that post because of all the indecision I had written about. A couple of things struck me as quite clear.

1.  What was my original plan back in October 2011?
2.  What caused all my excitement to the point of an obsession?
3.  WHY ... yes, why was I wanting to do this?

When I answered those three questions, I had my clear plan once again and my "to do list" was out visibly so I could check the items off and get closer to a departure date. Like anything else, when you stray from a plan, confusion, indecision and 2nd guessing come into play.

All of the answers to those 3 questions were applicable 10 months later.

So, with it being a cool sunny morning here in the "tropics" of Southern Indiana, I am having one more cup of coffee then hitting my list of things to do and back to my downsizing expedition.

A Week of Thinking

It's hard to believe that cooler temps have hit the Midwest here in southern Indiana. It's 68 as I sit here writing this. Just last week it would have been in the mid to high 80s now at this same time. So, the windows are open, with no fans running.

Like this post title says, it's been a week of thinking, also getting more information about different types of boondocking and camping from people that have a lot more experience than I.

A few things are pretty consistent over these past 10 months since this "rv urge" hit me. Of course everyone has a different type of rig, different maintenance, different lifestyles and experiences. Each has a different rig set up, some have animals, toads they tow, or toys they ride ... all different circumstances.

I have come to the conclusion being on the road will cost me no more than I want it to. As living in a house, with a job and unexpected expenses, or spending money on entertainment .. my costs per month are pretty set.  I don't think it will change much living on the road. Sure, I will be able to save monthly but then that savings will be used later for routine maintenance or unexpected repairs on the rig I choose. Just like living in a house.

One thing I did decide this week, it's not the ability to afford major repairs that pop up on occasion but what I am willing to spend. After a lot or re-reading information I have saved, the Class DP is the most expensive. There are a couple of friends of mine that have these and have never had any kind of problem with them. Yet, some of the blogs I follow have them and describe some expenses they have had to pay, in amounts that I don't want to deal with.

So I think of me and wonder, which side of those stories would I be on. If I am on the expensive side is it worth it to me to have a Class A DP.

More than a few people with large Class A's have told me privately they wish they either had bought a smaller rig or will when they will buy their next one. Hearing something like that, makes me think.

The Class C from what I understand in most cases can be worked on at a service center of the type of engine. A Ford or Chevy dealership, local garge. A place easier to find than a speciality diesel shop and a little less cost. The number of slides you need are nice, sides work for some all of the time with no problems and others have had problems. So is the extra room for comfort worth it?

Do you look at the comfort level more than what it would take to be on the road with minimum cost? Could I spend less on a rig, find it dependable and get on the road without the initial expense I was planning on in making the purchase and be just as happy? I will only find this out when I do it.

Smaller rigs can get into more places boondocking.  Boondocking is what I plan on doing the most of. Free stays as much as possible, that has always been the plan. Seasonal movement more than a tourist on vacation movement.

The hounds, they can adapt to anything I will buy. Right now they are all sleeping together on their favorite Mexican blankets within an area of 5'. They do that a lot throughout the day. So does it really matter if I am sitting in a 36'-40' rig at night while on a computer, watching a movie or reading a book after thinking I needed a bigger rig for the comfort of my hounds and I?

I envy Glen over on To Simpify because he can live in such a small space (A great Chinook) has stayed full-time longer than he had originally thought he could. He travels to some great country and does so with only minor repairs over the course of a year. Yet even in that rig there are places I want to go and stay, where the Chinook could not get me there. Yet, he has some wonderful "front yards" in his travels and easy to find a place to park his home.

Then I analyze what year of rig to buy. Everyone has different experiences with the years they have now or have had in the past. Would I have good repair luck spending less to buy an older model? Or would I be the one that has a 1-3 yr old rig that has repair problems one after another. Some in this range of age have no problems at all. Just like buying a car or truck, new or used. I have/had both with different results .... so that is a moot point I guess.

The problem I have and have mentioned before .... I like them all!!  No matter what class of rig I look at ... I like them and want them. Everything from a small fiberglass trailer to the Earthroamer.

That right there makes it really hard for me to decide on what to buy.

What about a 4x4 Pickup pulling a trailer. There are a lot of people doing that for a number of years successfully. Some pulling a 16' trailer and having a blast of their life while other are boondocking with a 35' 5th wheel. Some of those 5th wheel towing rigs have been towed for repairs while others are great. Wandrin' has been traveling that way for 12 years or more.

Just like owning and living in a house.  Some are "money pits" while other are just general maintenance. In my case living in the Midwest, what you put off in routine maintenance in the summer could be costly in the winter. That is the part, the time spent in that type of preventive maintenance, where I am getting tired of and would rather be sitting in my chair in front of my rig somewhere, watching the sunrise, soaking up the rays or watching the sun go down.

So, you can see where I am at in trying to decide what to buy and when to leave.

I have absorbed a lot of information and looked at a lot of pictures of different setups, heard a lot of different stories and opinions.

I know a lot of what I have written tonight has been mentioned before. I can only guess that when it's the right time to happen, everything will fall into place and I'll sit back and think "that was easy, why did I take so long?".

The range of thought this week was wide. From a Class A DP towing a 4x4 jeep all the way down to traveling in my Mini Cooper with a rack on top with my camping equipment and the hounds in the back.

You can see that my mind is very similar to scrambled eggs right now. Tons of thoughts and not even a clue on what to do.

For those that have posted comments or emailed me their thoughts on all of these lingering questions I have all the time ... Thank You!

Now,back to your blogs, RVs for sale sites, and google images, while I hear the coyotes and crickets outside my open window.

I Started Looking at Smaller Class C & B+

Yes, I moved my search away from Class A's to the Class C 27-31' and even some 27' Class B+ .... I LOVED them!!  I could see me getting away to locations that a Class A may not get. The main thing was, the repair cost. Class A diesel repair compared to a Ford engine Class C or B+ (with sides).

Sure I have the 3 hounds....but I tried a little trick in my house. I measured the living space of a Class B, put the hounds in that area and took a look at what I might be looking at. In a way, I think I could do it....reason is???

If I am parked somewhere out in the boondocks, BLM, Federal Parks or Corp of Civil Engineering land ... I am going to be OUTSIDE!!  Even if Im in a chair looking at the sights, reading or napping. ..... outside!!  I just need somewhere to fix my meals, sleep and watch games on the tv. I can do all of that inside a Class C or B+ and 3 lazy hounds.

What do they do now when I watch games ... they sleep.

I know the tanks are smaller, could decrease the number of days I am out but are larger tanks and more storage space a good reason to spend more for a larger Class A???

I am traveling light ... seriously.  When I was working at home a few years ago, I lived in a pair of jeans in the winter, shorts and tshirts in the summer.

I really like those Dynamax's.  I also like the Jayco Melbourne, like John's.  I can almost see a Lazy Daze, with half of the back room my computer desk and the other side the bed.

Blast away with comments ... I know ... always back and forth

A Crazy Day ... House Repairs

Saturday started out normal. Sunny and 84 degrees at 8am, waiting for the grass to dry so I can mow the yard. Cup of coffee and reading blogs. Just sent an email to my dad and a few minutes later, I lose power here at the house and as the overprice iMac plus the 27" monitor try to reboot there is a loud explosion outside at the transformer. It was nothing like I have heard before, even in the worst storms.

I go outside to make sure nothing has blown into the transformer, even though it's a perfect weather morning. Then look up on the roof where the main power goes into the fuse box, looks good there.

I check out my fusebox expecting some breakers to be popped ... and not a one ...not one. I called a couple of neighbors and a landscaping business nearby on the owner's cell phone.  Power completely out.  About the time I start to walk back inside, the transformer has a huge explosion!

Power is out for almost 4 hours and kicks back on just as the outside temps had hit 97 degrees. Yes, it was hot inside, outside etc.

In the meantime inside I smell a "slight' aroma of that infamous electrical burn smell. Even though the power is off, both surge protectors where the computer is  .... no lights, completely off.  I check my living room, one surge protector mounted into the socket is fried and "brown explosion" marks are on the wall.

Remaining calm and already in my mind thinking my HD large tv is history as well as the overpriced Mac's. Not being an electrician, I start my process of elimination. 2 fans plugged into different outlets are running so I'll plug my computer in that one directly to see if my worst fears are real or not, or will the overpriced Mac bootup????

Plug it into the wall outlet that I know is working .... computer boots up!  Shut that down and plug in my overpriced large Mac Monitor ... looks good. Both surge protectors are FRIED. (must have been that burnt smell).

On to the living room. One wall outlet is fried. I look at the other outlet with the wall mounted surge protector that I had my DVD player and PS3 plugged into due to the length of the cord. Due to those lengths, I had to plug my Directv DVD, my large TV into the fried outlet. Using an extension cord to reach the good outlet, I plug both tv and the DVR directly into the good outlet, both turn on. DVD says "starting up will take a few minutes".  I figure incorrectly that if I have a screen then both the tv and DVR are good....Call the tech help at Directv (she was great), we determine that the receiver is fried and she is sending out a replacement. We tried connecting to the tv with new HDMI cables, then the component and video cables ... no good.

An interesting thing that makes me think my tv is wasted. Maybe a reader with more electrical experience can enlighten me.

Each time I moved the component cables (red,blue,green) and the video cables to a different port (AV1 or AV2), the port it was plugged into would disappear from my tv source input list. Same thing happened when I tried 4 different HDMI ports...whatever port the cable was plugged into, that port would disappear from the list.

So, I head to Walmart for 2 new surge protectors, have my computer, ipad dock, modem, printer and desk light all working normal with the new surge protector.

I'll spend the rest of the night trying to find out if I can plug and play a DVD player and PS3 into the tv, one that is not getting a tv reception signal from the DVR, or will I need some sort of antenna signal to get the DVD player or the PS3 to play.

As for RV's ... It was a week of reading about a lot of problems with what some people had. A few LARGE repair bills ... much like my day today!!!

The yard was mowed but I kept thinking as I mowed, that I am so tired of house and yard upkeep. After some of the bill totals I read about, I am not so sure my house repair bills will be a lot lower than RV repairs.

There always seems to be some doubt in back of my mind about RVing.....and those HUGE repair costs is what keeps me wondering about the future. I have cashed saved for house emergencies but the more I save the tighter I get in spending it.

One Less Obligation

For those of you that have been reading my blog for a few months, you may have remembered that I spoke recently of being chosen for an accounting position different than the one I presently hold.  It was a potential new project, with more responsibility, thus higher pay and a longer obligation. Even though the job has not been given to my company yet, I let my future project manager know on Thursday that I had changed my mind and would not be accepting the new position.

This does a couple of things. It does not lock me into working for another 3 years and I can actually leave within 30 days after my house sells.

I feel that is just one more thing checked off the list that gets me closer to full-timing sooner.

Of course I have spent the time since my last post here, reading new blogs, new RV information, reading some of my old boondocking information and looking a RVs for sale.

I am also pretty sure I am going to buy a Class A. With the hounds I don't have much choice in that matter .... We need the room. There will be those times where due to weather or other unexpected things, where you will be inside longer than a normal day. It's those days the extra room and storage will work better than a Class C. Plus, the more I look at the Class A, the more I like them. Now if I were traveling solo, I would probably lean more to a Class C than I do now.

I have been surprised that I have found so many Class A's in good condition and within the price range where I can pay cash. Which leads to the discussion, is it really worth buying more RV for more money when I would need to finance some of the sales price, thus adding a monthly expense of RV payment. Then leave a home that is paid for, with no mortgage payment. Sure, I can write off the interest of the RV loan but is that really a good enough reason?

All I know is, like some of my readers have commented here and through emails, when the time is right everything will come together and it will happen. In the meantime all I can do is keep preparing to leave and keep checking off things on my "to do" list.

The Snowball is Starting to Pick Up Speed

Amazing how after a period of time of indecision, things start falling into place or different bits of information are found and different opportunities / ideas start revealing themselves.

In the past couple of days I have been able to release some things mentally that have been holding me up/back from rv'ing full time. It's been only 9 months since I read about the guy on Yahoo business page living in a Chinook. Then finding more and more blogs to follow and finding out just how many people of all ages are living full time on the road. Thus this urge to RV fulltime for the first time in my life practically took over my life in October 2011 and I was spending every waking moment to learn how and what it took to RV full time.

I tried a couple of times to "push it away" by ignoring my feelings, justifying how I liked my job, house and soon to be mortgage free. Then trying to not even think about it....but after a few weeks the feeling of RVing would come back and I'd start reading my blog list, looking at RV's etc and the urge was just as strong as it was in October 2011 when it was an obsession.

Now that I have "cleared" those mental blocks I have had, that prevented me of moving forward I can feel a ton of action by me is right around the corner. I have a few thing I want to do before I put my house on the market, nothing that 2 or 3 weekends won't take care of. I've been downsizing a little here and there and there is note much left to do in that department.

I have decided I am going to buy an older RV for cash, one that is top of the line for the features yet within my budget and cut my expenses bare (have already did that in my current living situation). I know what type of boondocking I want to do and which RV will be too big and which rv will be the right vehicle.

So that search for the right rv is on 100% right now.

The house will be painted inside and a couple minor wood repairs will be fixed, so the For Sale sign will be in the front yard within the next 4 weeks if not sooner.

I will give my 2-3 week notice at the time my house sells. (I think it will sell quick).  If there is a longer time to sell, like I said before I will leave and rent the place out  while its sitting for sale. I do have a person wanting to rent it by September if it doesn't sell.

This blog post really got me thinking hard this morning after spending most of the week at work thinking and wondering about the same stuff.

I'm outta here!!

Took a Break and I'm Back

Has it been 6 weeks since my last post?  Hard to believe and just shows me how fast time is moving.

First of all, nothing exciting to report as far as RVing purchase or traveling, yet. I did have some progress though in the form of plans and a couple of answers to lingering questions.

I don't think my absence was intentional but about the time I started to ride my bicycle again to get in shape plus I missed an old hobby of mine, was about the same time I stopped not only posting on this blog but also stopped reading my blog list or any information about RVing.

A couple of weekends in June were used to help my dad out. We drove 3 hours to pick up a car he had bought off of eBay. He's 83, so I thought it might be an adventure with the trip back in his "new" car. We made the 3-1/2 hour trip home with no problems, other than he making it home on fumes because he was reading the wrong gauge for the fuel. Close call....LOL

The third weekend in June we both headed back up to the town I grew up in and the school my dad taught and coached at for the annual "basketball" reunion. These men played high school basketball from 1961 - 1969, myself included and many interesting stories were traded that afternoon. My close friend in high school has a 36' Winnebago Southwind that he full timed in for 3-5 years mostly in the SW. He has been telling me about the Workcamper News and sending me listings that he thinks might interest me.

After talking that afternoon a little about RVing, I could tell on the drive home, the "feeling" to full-time was coming back and also showing me a way I could tie in my bicycling (road bike) with RVing full time. Still I spent a few weeks staying away from any RV news/info.

I've always wondered since October of 2011 if this RV itch is real with me or just another one of my ideas that come and go. I left the subject some last spring and the itch didn't go  away.

July 4th weekend I drove over to a local state park to meet up with an old friend of mine and his wife in their 36' Monaco. They were returning to their home in Florida after visiting his parents in Indiana. It gave me a chance not only for a great visit, good food and some cold beer in that 104 degree heat that day ... but also talk RV's. Through the years as his family grew, this couple had experienced RVing from a pop-top camper, to a Class C, a trailer and now their 2nd Class A. He had a real good idea what they liked, what worked and what didn't for what I am wanting to do.

That day also proved to me that I MUST be able to follow the weather. This heat in the Midwest is not fun in any type of homes, SB's or RV's.

Before I left that day, we made plans for me to fly down to their house in Tampa and go to Lazy Days to look at RV's and possibly make the purchase. He recommended buying from there, no matter where I live...that their program was great for a RV "rookie". So it will be in the Feb/Mar time frame, when he thought prices would be the best and there is a large RV show in the area during that time period.

I saw a lot advantages of the Class A, that day. It was a 2008 model, in great shape and had a lot of things I would want in an RV.

Still, even today I can still see myself in something smaller, even with the 3 hounds. The indecision NEVER STOPS!!! when it comes to what type to buy.

I have also found out these last 6 weeks that my house will be easy to rent if I want to keep it for a while to see if RVing is for me and may be just as easy to sell, if I chose to go that route. I have someone wanting to rent my house now, her lease is up in September. I am leaning more to the selling side rather than the renting side. I believe that once I got back out west, where I lived for over 25 years, I would not want to live where I do presently even with no mortgage.

So that's it....still progressing toward my future RV plans.

Did any of the fires give you problems for those readers that are RVing out west?

I'm headed over to my blog list and spend the rest of the day catching up with what all of you have been doing.

Thanks for reading!

Fridge Fixed .. House Cleaned ... Good Weekend

With my accounting degree NOT being a factor, I did a little "reverse engineering" on my fridge Sunday and not only fixed the lingering past problem but it also looks brand new on the inside. (cleaned)  Massive ice build up under the freezer floor and also a frozen drain tube.  As I reloaded the fridge and uncluttered the house, I put more items in the bags and boxes going on the next trip to Goodwill. After 24 hours the fridge is like new!

I am basically down to 2 closets to clear out in my downsizing evolution. They are small closets and I already know what I want to get rid of, so it will not take much time to do both of them.

I still don't know what to do. Some say keep the house and rent it while I am gone. The rent could pay my RV payment if I financed on or go into the bank if I buy an RV for cash. A few say workcamping jobs are available if I choose to work. Some people say pack up and leave now but I need to buy an RV first ... lol

Lately I've been thinking of an older Coachman, or Monoco and even a converted bus that was in good condition. Late last night I even went back to looking at Class C's. The number of dogs (3) I have tends to lead me way from the Class C's. Some that have 35' or longer RVs tell me they would rather have something shorter.

So, a lot of different opinions, a lot of different ideas ... and no answers ... just like I was in October 2011.

I think the weekend of the 16 or 23rd I am going to rent a new Class C and take it to the local State Park on the lake for my first RV trip. I think that will help A LOT in the decision making process. The local RV park (different than the state park) near the area where I work is packed for the summer, near the lake.

I am thinking probably the best thing I can do is keep the house, rent it out for as long as I am gone (months or years), keep downsizing, buy the RV that I have thought most about and hit the road heading northwest from Indiana within the next 2-4 months.  If I would have a deadline I would work my "to do" list faster.

Why all these thoughts today of packing up and leaving???

This morning driving to work through some beautiful 12 miles of land, I was wishing that I didn't have to stop to work but could just keep on going. It was early morning, the sun was just coming up and the traffic was light on a US highway.

Plus, I am in a "rut" with my current situation.  Even with a job I like, a house I like and good income ... I feel like I need a change and have a powerful urge to travel again.

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.