Are You Crazy????

Well, it's only been 4 full days, only 96 hours, since the for sale sign was put in the yard....and in that short time I have received a lot of email, some from people I know and some I don't know but each group has an opinion .... and many think I am crazy!!!!

For those readers that have already gone through this process, I assume this post will be old news, reminders of what you went through.

A large percentage of readers feel that I should keep the house until I spend time on the road with a truck/trailer/dogs etc.  Some would like to buy the house but only if they could move it to their current location, which is usually outside the state of Indiana. Other's say "go for it", good luck, why?, are you really going to do this? or that's a nice house ..you should keep it.

I have had some interest in the house locally. One couple stopped to look along with their daughter, whom is in the market to buy a house. A couple of others may stop by this weekend, while tonight I had someone at work that planned on stopping by but didn't. Such is life in house selling.

My house prepping is moving at a slower pace than I had planned. I am getting things done but those short breaks in front of the computer, answering emails, reading blogs and looking at trailers almost stops my momentum. I've procrastinated in almost everything I have done for as long as I can remember.  Am I lazy?  Will this attitude hurt me on the road?

At work I am totally opposite. I hate to be behind, love being on time with paperwork and very little procrastination is taking place with me at work.  Don't confuse that thought with me liking my job...I can't say I do.

I live here. At times it's a "man cave". I think it will be hard for me to keep it immaculate, "spotless" for possible viewers.  As I go through my list of things to do, I see more and more stuff I have to get rid of. I wonder when to put my car and old truck up for sale, or the Hummer?  I wonder if I will find what I want before I sell this house? I value privacy ... how will I react to having complete strangers walking through my house??

I believe you all get the picture.  No word verification anymore....comment away!!

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??

For Sale Sign is Up This Morning

I almost put the sign out yesterday even with my "to do" list not finished. I talked it over with a friend this morning by email and we both agreed that it could go up now and if someone calls or stops, let them know we are setting up appointments for showing, next week.

I felt a feeling of excitement and being motivated to get that list completed as I printed the phone number on the sign ... it's going to be good day!!!

Just as I started to post this ... a car stopped in the driveway.

House Prepping for Sale - Day 1 - Potential Delays

I'm sitting here at 9:22pm local and don't have nearly as much done in my first day of prepping my house for sale ....but I still could, as I said 'plant' the For Sale sign in the front yard by 5pm Sunday. I did get a lot done even with my late start after my Internet addiction rearing it's ugly head ... as I spent the morning drinking coffee, reading blogs, facebook groups and looking at RV sites ... before I knew it, it was past 12:30pm and I am WAAAAAYYYYY behind my planned schedule.

I had a major rally.

Mowed, trimmed the yard, cleared my gutters again ... which I was planning to do on Sunday but when I checked the weather forecast it looked like possible rain on Sunday. In Indiana they say if you don't like the weather just wait, because it will change within hours and now it shows that Sunday should be a clear and warm day. Still the yard work is finished and that is another reason I want to live on wheels with no mowing, weed eating etc.

So, I moved my plans and reversed the days for my list. While cleaning out some closets (more clothes to goodwill) and some nooks and other spaces that are not cleaned on a normal basis ... I found my first problem that MAY prevent the sign being planted in the yard tomorrow.....drum roll "homeowners" ......and that first problem is????

1.  The floor that the water heater sits on is damp ... not wet ... damp!!

So I track through my organized files and see the receipt that shows the water heater was replaced recently IT SEEMS but after subtracting 2013 - the year of replacement = more years than I remembered and I need a new water heater.

I shut the door hoping the issue goes away and I move to the next item on my list ... cleaning the walls. This is where my 2nd problem raised it's ugly head ... drum roll "homeowners" ... and that second problem is???

2. Each of my rooms has their own heater switch for baseboard heating and in my bedroom for some reason TODAY....TODAY....WHY TODAY ???  The baseboard heat kicks on FOR NO REASON!!!!  while I am mowing outside, so when I enter the house I feel it's about 100 degrees inside the bedroom and that heat is spreading like a forest fire through my house.  It is hot, it's really hot. The hounds are panting, drooling, water dishes are empty and they want outside....they are smart even with their sagging eye lids and long ears ... they still know when things are not good.

So I turn off the circuit breaker to the baseboard heater and wall switch.  Of course since my house was built in 1975, I doubt that same wall switch can be found and I will find out Monday when I call the local Plumbing and Electrical shop downtown on the square. They know this house better than I do. I have been here 16 years but they tell me they installed the original equipment in 1975. So there may be a chance for a switch replacement.

The Amish built this house in 1975 ... it is strong as a Clydesdale horse, not a sound during high wind storms but I swear they day they were running the wiring in this house .. they had to be drinking at lunch and were drunk because nothing makes sense when finding which circuit breaker goes to which rooms and outlets. This is not a new revelation, I realized the confusion years ago but it's a reminder the times you are trying to match the right circuit breaker with that room/outlet.

So, that's my OFFICIAL first day of prepping my house for sale.

I am glad I didn't start early in the morning and then figure all of this out, then the day would be a waste ... (laughing) ... after all, I got all my blogs read, RV facebook groups, RV sites that sell sell sell and a few emails....plus some great coffee.

So the question is ... do I go ahead and 'plant' the For Sale sign in the yard tomorrow as scheduled?  Remember I am doing this different than most. After I shampoo the carpet tomorrow, this place is nice enough to show ... as long as they don't ask to see the water heater .... LOL.

After all my plan has always been, even last fall, was to advertise for selling while I lived here and also did regular maintenance or improvements as if I would stay here ... except the floors.  I will let the buyer decide what they want to put in....as per the advice of a friend that is a real estate agent.

So that is my fun for today.  I hope and feel optimistic I will get an earlier start tomorrow morning on my carpet shampooing and clearing my tables, desks of all my books and magazines that I don't read.

Here is one of the main reasons I decided to 'plant the For Sale sign in the yard before everything is perfect .... I am the type of person where it will never be perfect enough in my mind. There will always be something that needs cleaned, changed or improved on before I would put the sign out front ... understand???

So I know it's good enough to sell as is, I've been told that by friends ... so the sign is going out.

I can use issue #2 as a prime example ... IF they cannot find the same replacement for that one wall thermostat switch due to the age .... MOST LIKELY, I will replace all the other wall thermostat switches so they all match. That is just the way "I'm wired" so to speak.

Suggestions are welcomed from all ... except that "anonymous" commenter today on a different post.  :)

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.

Fear and Decisions

Since returning to blogging and stating I was back in the RV/TT decision mode, I have received a lot of good feedback from blog followers and friends via blog comments and emails. I have asked over the months if not this past year, why I am having such a hard time deciding on whether to by a Class A, Class C or a TT and that question would bring a lot of answers through blog comments and emails.

All along I really knew that answer but didn't feel it needed to be public knowledge. Maybe afraid to say.

A friend today pointed it out to me via an email and it's a word that many have and it's only 4 letters.

FEAR

Yes I was and continue to be confused on what to buy but the difference is, not only today but the past few days, I am going to buy one of my options and hit the road. If that doesn't work out, I'll sell it and buy something else.

Yes, my house is paid for but I'd really rather live in a different part of the United States. I grew up in Indiana, graduated from Indiana U and am an avid fan but I also spent 10 years in southern California and  another 10 years NW of Seattle in the San Juan Islands. I spent only a year in Breckenridge Colorado and traveled through many of the western states. I would love to live in a different part of the United States, I just don't know where yet.

I would rather end up in the west or southwest therefore I am putting my house up for sale by Sunday afternoon and sell it as is, by owner.

My best option is to wait to sell the house and then buy the rig and then travel but that is not the only option. My other option is to buy the rig/TT now, apply for some workcamping jobs even though it's late in the game for that and then travel to the job, learn more about my rig and in May of 2014 when I can add Social Security as another source of income, I would then have the choice of workcamping or not. The last option is work until May 2014 or until the house sells and then hit the road.

I did look at and thought of keeping the house as a few suggested or even rent it out but looking at all the angles, being an out of state out of mind landlord or home owner is never a good thing in my opinion.  I need a clean break while I am out traveling. No late night calls from renters or disturbing news by email about a house problem.

If I decide RVing fulltime is not for me, then I move to a place I like in the west and go from there. As they say in basketball "no harm no foul".

Sooooo, it's back to selling as much as I can and/or donate what doesn't sell to the local goodwill or others that need it.

You didn't think I would leave you hanging by ending this post and not telling you my fear(s) did you?

1.  Financial disaster - either have something break on the RV/Tow Vehicle that would cost a lot of money to fix that would put a huge dent into my savings. Even after seeing all options spelled out for me on an Excel spreadsheet showing me that it would be ok, that I had enough income to live on ... the question was always in the back of my mind "what if...."

2.  Regret - selling a house already paid for where you have lived for 16 years. I don't 'love' where I live, but it's not that bad, where I just have to move to keep my sanity. Plus, having to buy a house later possibly where I was getting less bang for the buck .. but like a friend reminded me the other day, the difference in house cost is the cost of living in an area that you love compared to an area that you could leave at any time.

3.  Dogs - My dogs have a great set up here. The field behind the house where we walk every day is 10 acres of hay.  Would it be good enough for them to travel all the time and be outside in the dirt of the desert floor at times, etc, while their environment now is perfect for them? I know they can/will adjust but I kept wondering if it was the right decision for them.

Those were basically the 3 main fears.

They WERE a factor in not making a decision sooner because at some point in time I started focusing on the worst possible situations instead of remembering what led me to RVs enough to learn about them and the places to travel and how to boondock. I forgot about my original plans to "follow the weather", or travel to see a specific area that I had been to in the past or an area that I had always wanted to visit but never took or had the time. Or, have the ability to pack up and move when my mind wanted to change views.

You have NO reason to believe me because I have said the decision has been made before....you can scroll down on the right side of this blog to the "decision" or "decision is made" and see the number of times I posted that....but finally it has been made and I am already in action to make it happen.

1.  Final inspection level cleaning by Sunday afternoon.
2.  For Sale sign planted in the front yard by Sunday afternoon after the cleaning evolution.
3.  Look for, find and buy the vehicle, a Class C or TT
4.  Advertise my 2006 Mini Cooper and my 1994 Chevy Pickup for sale in various formats.
5.  Sell as many possessions as possible before I leave.

The excitement is back about fulltiming on the road, selling everything and not looking back.

P.S. - Yes I will post a picture on this blog Sunday night that shows the For Sale sign in the front yard with the house in the background!!!

Back to Looking at RVs and Trailers While Working on the Blog

As some of you may see, I've been spending time trying to get my blog back to the way it was before I deactivated it.  I guess some things on Blogger have changed in the past couple of months. It wanted to load my nonexistent Google +1 profile into the blog but just found how to fix that problem a few minutes ago and was able to change my profile back to my Blogger Profile.

When you look to the left you will see I have lost my link to people that follow this blog. I know the 'why', its because my domain name is not active and does not redirect to this blog address now being used -- www.bhounds.blogspot.com

I'm pretty computer literate but after searching all over the internet I cannot find a way to change the settings to "Friends Connect", which was what it was before I left in March 31, 2013.

So I am asking anyone that is reading this, how can I change my URL like it is asking me to do, so the faces and links of my followers are back to showing up on my blog.

While doing this I have been taking time out to look at RVs for sale, trailers for sale, jobs listings on Workcamper and finding new blogs with good information.

Like a friend told me tonight, "its all about whether or not you really want to do it - if not, any excuse works. dogs are easy to rv with, rving itself is no big deal to learn."

I didn't have any doubts when I started this RV research in October 2011 and as time went on I found more and more excuses to keep me from making a decision.

Has anyone else done the same thing when they were deciding to full-time or part-time on the road?

My Domain Name Update

GoDaddy reactivated my account today and had my domain name in the "terminal" status....which basically means I needed to pay $80 for a redemption fee to load the domain name back to this blog. I wasn't going to pay that. So in a few months I will buy the name when it comes available and then redirect the old domain name to this blog.

In the meantime, my blog domain name is:  www.bhounds.blogspot.com

My Mind is a Constant Journey

As you recall sometime in late March, I was a "test drive" away from buying a Class A, great condition, very low mileage and local. The night before I decided I didn't want something that large and was planning on going back to my original plan of a SUV and a Trailer, even with the hounds.

I am really not sure what happened in my mind that is in constant motion and I do mean constant, never slows down. I woke up around March 31 and decided a whole new idea of no RVing, keep the house, keep the job (misery) and travel when I want using this small house that is paid off as my base camp. Yet that traveling and camping would be with an H3 and a tent....no trailer, no rv.

Instead of keeping the blog open and not posting, I decided instead of keeping followers hanging, that I would just delete the blog since I had decided not to rv in any form or fashion. I even had doubts that I would even camp when I traveled. So, I deleted the blog, domain name and got as far away from the thought of rving as possible.

It may have been the weather, maybe information I was reading from blogs I followed, but it seemed that more and more people on the road were moving back into sticks and bricks, or downsizing their rigs and/or not traveling at all. The funny thing is I started to figure out and dwell on the amount of water I would have to carry with me for me and my hounds drinking water. It seemed to be an astronomical amount of water, where I would probably have to go to town more often to get water for all of us more frequently than going to town to get food for myself.

So, I proceeded to push the thoughts of rving full-time, part-time, anytime out of my mind. I didn't look at rvs, trailers, etc. I DID keep reading the blogs I follow and I did think back to the reasons I had when I started to research about traveling and living full-time on the road. As these two months away moved forward and myself being in a "normal" routine, through 5 days at home due to the government sequestration and government contractors, plus the recent 3 day weekend .... I realized I still did not want what I have nor live where I live. I could look at my routine while home away from work and realized there was no way I could do that day after day being retired.

I realized with my mind constantly changing, what could be more perfect than a situation where I could pack things up and move to a different location every two weeks or every month or whenever. That was one of my original reasons to research about living full-time on the road.

Yes, I could keep this house as a base camp but at the same time to keep the house and yard maintained that is additional expense. To rent it out and pay to store my personal stuff, that is added expense. If I were traveling I don't believe I would want to keep the house in the back of my mind, wondering if it was ok, no storm damages, no theft, etc.

I started thinking of selling everything I own, house included and leave at the time of the sale closing. I have nothing holding me to having to live in this area.

My spreadsheet analysis has 4 different options, each listing expenses and income....of the 4 options, the one with the largest net income per month is selling the house and rving full-time.

Do the numbers and my gut feeling add up to the correct decision?

Stay Tuned - I Have Returned to Blogging

After 2 months away from blogging, from rv searching, from full-time on the road dreaming ... I have reactivated this blog and in the process of reactivating my domain name. The domain name will take about 3 days to process the request....so in the meantime you can bookmark bhounds.blogspot.com

I know I have some explaining to do for my followers, I'll post that in the near future. During this 2 months away, I have been reading the blogs I follow daily.