The Momentum Train Comes to a Screeching Halt

All that momentum from my last post a few weeks ago, came to a screeching halt soon after that post. I'm not sure if it slowed as the temperatures dropped to below zero as a daily high ... but the thrill and anticipation is gone!

A few times over the life of this blog I have had these urges to sell everything and hit the road. All those beautiful blog pictures of where people were traveling ... could be me and the hounds.

So what's the problem?  Why did I pull up the For Sale sign numerous times last summer?

At the start of this month I was in the final stages of downsizing. Plans to retire and plans to leave by this spring, full-timing for at least 18 months so I could miss Indiana's winter next year. The thing is, as I moved from room to room, things that were left I did not want to sell or give away. What books I had left, I didn't want to sell or donate to the local library. I didn't want to sell my new "road" bicycle I bought last spring, nor my custom made all campy racing bike of the 80's. Add the music collection, from vinyl records to cd's or the sports memorabilia collection ... I just didn't feel like packing those away to storage while I traveled, sell or donate them.

To find out if I had a 'true' burning desire to travel or was it the blogs I read daily that kept that 'hitch itch' alive .... I moved all of my RV bookmarks from the Google Chrome bookmarks bar back with all the other 1,000 bookmarks. I moved my blog off the bookmarks bar, so I didn't see it, nor the list of blogs I read daily along the left side. I quit reading blogs, rv forums, rvs for sale...anything rv.

I let go of all the thoughts trying to make a decision. Didn't think about it.

My mind changed as fast as my weather changed. Last Saturday I am shoveling snow and ice with a windchill temp of 17 degrees and as I write this it is 64 degrees with a Tornado Watch warning until 10pm tonight.

When I stopped looking in on the RV world my thought process started showing me what a nice house I lived in, how I may not like the area at times but the location was great not only for me but the hounds. They have 10 acres of hay to put their noses to the ground and sniff all they want ... without a leash. It's paid for with a very low tax base. My year round electric bill is $129 per month, adjusted annually in May based on previous year burn rate. I have lakes, woods and camping nearby.

So I decided this house finally would became my base camp.

The time I drove the '94 pickup through the snow drift and went for a ride just for a change, I didn't want to get rid of it. Same with the Mini Cooper. They don't get driven daily but when I want to, they are there when needed. I didn't want to sell either vehicle when I tried to type the for sale ad.

I started finding out that I did not have a burning desire to pack up and travel. I am glad I found that out before I sold out.

I had more of a desire to ride the bicycle when the temps rise and the weather breaks in about a month. I had more of a desire to fix some things that a brutal winter does to a house rather than dumping tanks, taking navy showers and picking up after a bloodhound and two bassets that can lay 'land mines' bigger than I want to pick up in a plastic bag. The urge for solitude was there but I have that opportunity on any spring, summer or fall night in the backyard of my house looking at a sky full of stars.

I realized I didn't have to spend all day in the dusty desert to read a book, I could read here or down by a local lake with few if any people around.

I started thinking about RVing 6 months and living here 6 months. I felt good with that decision. I could trade highs of 7 degrees and snow for 75 degrees and sand, wind and mountains even if it dropped to the 40's at night. I starting thinking maybe of leaving in November and coming back in April. Then if I had the urge to continue, I'd keep driving down the road. If I had the urge to get back to long hot showers, room to stretch out with three hounds and a place that is paid for to hang out ... I could do that.

So that is where I stand as of today or these past 7 days. It's ok if I want to stay where I'm at. It's ok if I want to RV on weekends this spring and summer or take a week trip somewhere. Who knows, those trips might change my plans.

It's good for me and good for my hounds living here. We have our laid back routines. My mind is no longer racing 500 mph anymore. No fighting with myself on what to do. Maybe the blogs and feel good stories of full-timing is/was more of a desire than what was inside me.

Everything is good.

Just Sitting Winterized and a Flat Rear Tire

How many have changed their own flat tire on a Class C?

All of my tires were filled to 65lbs in November, the day I winterized the rig. Since November, temperature highs have ranged from low 40's to -9. After a couple of major snow storms with a lot of snow stacked on top of the Coachmen, I would check the inside for leaks, water stains on the walls or any water drops on the floor ... all good, nothing leaking.

Luckily the flat tire is on the outside. I put in around 30lbs of air but when I turned off my air compressor I thought I heard a hissing sound. Within 15 minutes that 30lbs of air was gone.

I have some blocks of wood to set my 6 ton jack on, I do have a spare tire fully aired but the ground was already saturated from the melted snow and it's been raining all afternoon and tonight with another snow storm predicted tomorrow.

It could be another week before the weather breaks before I can attempt the tire change.

Action Has Started

This week I was finally able to mentally let go of thinking over and over what I had decided to do or not to do. That seemed to help me a lot mentally of not second guessing my plans and have a clearer idea of what was taking place. By doing that and listening to what my mind was telling me, things have been falling into place and some things at a fast pace. I actually marked my calendar for the first time today, showing the date that I will send in my resignation at work. It will be a shock to many. I will then have my last day at the job two weeks later, then a week at home wrapping up loose ends and plans to be on the road by the end of that week.

It's been a really good few days. I have been in the action mode the past couple of days. I have re-listed my Mini Cooper and Chevy Truck on Craig's List. I will sit them down by the highway with For Sale signs after the snow stops flying but thought I might find a buyer sooner via Craig's List. I have also taken pictures of things I will be selling on eBay. I usually take pictures first of all of the things that I am selling, download them, edit them and then write the ads for each item to list it.  I've always had good luck with eBay and was a full-time seller, Power Seller a few years ago before closing my online business in 2010. So, it might take me a little longer to get the ads written but by Sunday night I plan to have the majority of my items up for sale either as fixed price or auction items.

Taking a tour through the house, there is not that much work to clear it out. I have downsized a lot last summer and this past fall, so now that has paid off. With what possessions I have left, I know exactly what is going and what is staying. The inside of my house is not barren but just the minimum things I needed to live in a house.

Remember when I have said that yard work and general house maintenance had gone from enjoyable a few years ago to a dreaded waste of time recently?  I cannot wait to get away from that. It's a never ending battle where there always seems there was something to do to the yard, house or one of the 3 vehicles, taking up most of my free time on weekends. I will trade all of that for just some of that maintenance being transferred to my rig as needed.

I will probably not talk names of states in my plans until I actually hit the road, but the "road trip" is all laid out and in the final stages of preparation.

The "momentum train" has left the station and is moving forward at a nice pace.

Snow Again and No Change in Plans

I was back at work today after a nice 3 day weekend. Something out of the ordinary, my internet line went out Friday and was not fixed by AT&T until Monday night ... so I had some time to think about plans and read books over the weekend. These past 3 days gave me a "feel" of what retirement will feel like and from those thoughts I know that I am making the right decision this May. That is one decision I have NO hesitation on, nor 2nd thoughts.

The only thing I have been going back and forth on is how much downsizing I need/want to do. Sell the house or keep it, how much more stuff to get rid of ... things that I have thought about since October 2011. I am down to what I would call the basics as far as house possessions. There is really not that much to get rid of. I am thinking when the weather changes in the spring I'll have a yard sale for a couple of weekends and get rid of a lot of it. By that time I plan to have the RV loaded with what I want and will live in the RV until my departure date.

I know, I know I had talked about living in the RV since last fall but this winter has been worse than normal and would be beyond any type of weather I will be staying in the future. For example it was 17 when I drove home today telling me with the wind chill it felt like Minus 8.  Even with a heater, we are not staying in the RV until probably April.  It is still plugged into house power to keep the battery charged and gives me lights when I go out to check out the interior after the storms that have taken place.

So, the majority of time when thinking of my options on the house, possessions, etc ... I still see getting rid of everything that does not fit in the RV, and leaving the house empty with a realtor showing and selling the house while I am gone. I know that is repeated info for most of my followers and something that has been discussed a lot ... but that is the most consistent thought when asking that question.

Basically it boils down to two things. 1) I want to change location.  2) I just don't enjoy the time it takes to maintain a yard and needed house maintenance.

Sure, there will be times of needed maintenance on the RV, similar type of work, but not nearly the amount of time it takes me to keep the house/yard maintained.

So I spent most of the day at work today going over my options spreadsheet, reading different blogs I follow, looking for any more info on some of the RV forums and dreaming of getting out of here.

Is this weather related?

Recently it shows I have posted on days where there is bad weather or some on the way. 

I don't believe this is weather related. It is just a point in time where plans are becoming solid after two years of research. Questions I've had in the past are now being answered (finally) and everything feels good.

I still plan to travel light. I still plan to take 3 hounds with me. I still plan to be in SW Arizona this time next year.

Snow Flies and Plans Moving Forward

The brutal storm in the Midwest is to arrive today. So far its only been rain/snow mix with the temps to drop around 4pm and then the snow will fly and by Monday our high temp is predicted to be MINUS 8. Looks like a lot of snow and ice by tomorrow morning. Borrego Springs comes to mind when I see that temperature forecast.

I have finally moved out of my "winter blahs", hibernating mood and am fully charged and excited to get back on track for my departure in May 2014.  That date will be here before I know it. Thanks to the downsizing I did last summer I am not that far away of being able to pack what little stuff I want to keep for the future when I decide to settle. Sports memorabilia, books and some music that I would rather not sell or give away will be stored somewhere until I decide where the settling spot is.

I've been following all the blogs on my blog roll daily this winter but kinda tuned out all the informative forums, RVs for sale sites while I hibernated. After all the information I have read and collected these past two years, I seem to have forgotten some of it so I'll start doing a little review of rving fulltime. During this time I will also start packing the Coachmen and will have a better idea of what to take or get rid of.

As it stands, I'll leave in May 2014. The house will be empty and a realtor will show it for sale. I may tow my H3 Hummer since that can be towed wheels down and is a 4x4. I will sell the old Chevy Pickup and my Mini Cooper. All of these different plans/options have been tossed around for years and every time there is one plan that consistently shows back up ... the one I am going to follow in May.

Things change, places change over time and after 17 years this March I find it is time to move on. I just didn't enjoy living here this past year for various reasons that I will not discuss here but some things can't be changed for the better. It is the longest period of time I have ever lived in one place in my life. All ranging from the beach in Carlsbad CA, to Whidbey Island WA, Breckenridge CO and back to the Midwest, the land of humid muggy summers and freezing winters.

It's time to move.

I have a few places in mind but will find the place during my travels. This traveling itch has never gone away and I know if I don't get out on the road now (May 2014), that traveling thought will linger in the back walls of my mind for the rest of my life and continue to bother me.

So, I have 5 short months to go back through each room and discard or load things into the Class C (no name yet) and 5 short months to prepare the house for showing.

I know time is moving so fast that May will be here before I know it.

I can't wait to hit the road!!

Low Temps and Lots of Snow

Winter came early this year to the "tropics" of Southern Indiana. Consistently 12" of snow.

At least we were warned and there were no surprises, except for one.

Last summer/fall, when I was downsizing and taking all kinds of stuff to the goodwill I really thought I'd be out of here by November 15 and snow boots were no longer needed. So this past Saturday I was buying some very nice boots to keep the feet warm and dry as I worked removing snow. The mail carrier will not deliver mail unless he has a cleared path for him, on the shoulder of the road to the mailbox. Also the Basset Hounds have a hard time relieving themselves when the snow is deeper than they are tall. So, with a new pair of North Face Snow boots and my handy shovel, Saturday afternoon was spent removing as much snow as possible with more forecasted on Tuesday.

I started a different job a few weeks ago. Same building, same department just a different area but back with the same people I worked with for a couple of years prior to my change in 2013. It's a great change as far as working but I am still planning on retiring in May 2014 and hitting the road. I will have a good system for them to use by the time I leave and that was what they wanted.

I can't say I have any urge to travel this winter. It's the normal "hibernation season" with me, happens every winter. I am sure by the time the weather changes in March I will be ready to get the Coachmen ready for some weekend road trips.

Still reading the blogs from the list on the left, sounds like it is colder than normal everywhere. I see where Chinle had a scare recently while towing her trailer. When she mentions a Class C, I have offered to sell mine to her since she likes it a lot. One issue that prevents it, her Toyota FJ Cruiser does not tow wheels down even with a manual transmission.  Al and Kelly have had some unexpected colder temps in their beautiful house in Arizona.

That is about all from the "tropics" of Southern Indiana". Not a lot going on, more ballgames than I have tv's, more snow than I want and fighting through the annual winter blahs.

Winterized

Recently the temps have been dropping at night to 30 degrees and I no longer wanted to push my luck, with forecasts of 18-25 degrees overnight lows this week before jumping back up to low 40's after that. Typical Indiana weather.

As I read about winterizing and watching YouTube videos this past month, I kept thinking it wasn't that hard of a process. I drove to Bloomington this morning and picked up a pump winterizing kit at a local RV parts and repair shop I found a few weeks ago. That place saved me 150 miles of driving to Camping World in Indy.  I didn't need the whole kit, just the plastic tube and connector to the Antifreeze Connection in the upper right.

I made a few mistakes at first. I didn't drain the fresh water tank because I couldn't find the low point drain valves. Mine were not where all the YouTube videos showed them. I also didn't change the shut off valves on the water heater tank.  Next I had drained my water heater  and adjusted the valves on the Water Works panel that Coachmen has to "make it easier" to winterize with out all the manuals, still I had problems. In my first attempt I had used about a gallon of antifreeze but didn't have any come out of the faucets. I had a pretty good idea where the antifreeze was going but I did not see any coming out of the water heater drain, so I was confused.

I called Coachmen customer service and they took time out of their busy day to find my specific rv model in their computer and then directed me where my low point fresh water valves were. both my fresh water tank and hot water tank is under the bed. Draining the fresh water tank probably took longer than the whole winterizing process.

After that drained I started the process over for feeding the antifreeze into the water system and had the pink stuff running out of the faucets, shower head and toilet. I also pushed the center button of the city water connection outside and had some pink stuff shoot out like it was suppose to.  Just for my own piece of mind I put a little antifreeze in all the sink traps and the toilet.

Since the RV would be sitting on grass for the winter, I bought some leveling blocks and after a few tries got that beast on the blocks centered and off the grass. That yard would become very saturated after the snow and ice melts this winter so the blocks should help keeping the tires off the ground.

Just as I finished and picked up all the tools, empty containers, hoses etc....it started raining....perfect timing. The biggest challenge of the day was getting the bloodhound into the house, she doesn't care that it rains and besides that she was on a scent in the back field and was oblivious to my yelling her name.

So I believe I'm good for the mid-teen temps this winter and single digits.

It took a while but I am glad I figured that out for my own experience. Although I hope this will be the last and only winter I am doing the winterizing process. I still plan to go out on weekend trips but during the winter I will take my own water and revert to my tent camping ways and leave the rv winterized.

Not A Lot to Blog About

I thought I should write up a little update for my readers to let them know I have not disappeared from blog land, nor have I changed my mind about anything in my plans or my rig. It has been great weather here in the tropics of southern Indiana this fall and you would think i would have time on weekends to pack up and hit the road for a weekend of camping.....but....like any homeowner knows there seems to be something every weekend that needs to be done around the house.  That is the way it has been the past few weeks.

As the hounds show, not a lot to write about...

Winston - Heidi - Sadie

This weekend is finally dry enough to do a possible last yard mowing of the year and a full day of getting rid of leaves. When you have a lot of trees, there's a lot of leaves to get rid of in some form and that takes time. It is also where I will be right after this blog post.

I have gone back and forth on what to do with my Mini Cooper and H3 while traveling. Most of the time I would like to keep them but I am not sure I want them sitting for a year. When I leave in May or earlier I will probably be gone for a full year for the simple reason, I don't want to return to the house just to sit through a Midwestern winter in 2014. So that puts me on the road for a full year. Selling them would probably be the best option.

So I have changed my plan just a little. I will try to sell both vehicles and if I still have them the week before I leave, then I will make arrangements to store them long term. That way it's a win win either way.

So, there is not much excitement to report on, just normal living as a homeowner that wishes they were on the road. The pictures boondocking at the Q or anywhere west for that matter keeps the inner fire alive.

My blog posting will probably be every 2-3 weeks from now on.

The 2003 Coachmen Freedom 258db Is The Rig I Need

This past week while thinking about future plans, there is always one plan that consistantly shows up the most.  That plan is leaving this spring 2014, with plans of traveling probably until the spring of 2015 at a minimum. In that plan I would keep my house as a base camp, I would sell my H3 Hummer and my Mini Cooper S to reduce the cost of insurance and licenses. I would keep my 1994 Chevy 2500 pickup for local travel during the short times I would be back in Indiana. A few years ago I only had the 1994 Chevy Pickup as my only vehicle and it worked out great.

I also thought of some of the emails I had received and comments posted, after I had blogged about putting the rig up for sale after a month of ownership. I also thought back to the reasons I bought the Coachmen and why it was the perfect rig for me to start traveling in.  Everything I needed was contained, without towing anything. It runs great, has all that I need and seems quite large when comparing to tent camping or towing a smaller trailer.

During that time I wondered "what would you buy if it did sell unexpectedly" ? I had been looking at rigs for almost two years at the time I bought this one. So how would I improve what I already had, and really how much improvement would there be if I were to buy a bigger rig? I had already gone through a million questions over the past two years, and had come close to buying three different trailers and a Class A just in the past eight months. So really I had to ask myself, why am I selling a rig that gives me everything I had looked for?

There is plenty of room for the hounds and I when the weather turns bad. We have spent enough time where it is parked to know there is enough room for all of us after the sun goes down. All three hounds have already picked out their sleeping spots, with plenty of room to walk around.

So, how much better could it get?

I'm trying to simplify things instead of continuing to buy and buy and buy.  It's hard but I am making progress toward that goal.

I can leave sooner than this spring if I sell my H3 Hummer and my Mini Cooper.

The confirmed model year difference, the oil line repair within two weeks after purchase, doesn't change my plans nor my opinion about the rig. There is no damage inside, every thing works and it runs great.

So, the rig that I bought is the one I am keeping.

Winston's Vet Visit

Winston came out of the vet visit in good shape and some prednisone, 20mg for his back. He had dropped a couple of pounds since last year's check up and shots. He was told he is in great shape for a 9yr old basset. His back problem is just a stage of getting older, maybe tweaked it and is inflamed. The prednisone will calm it down a little bit and then some buffered aspirin after that on a daily basis.

We are hitting record lows tonight in southern Indiana, high 20's. It's times like these I wish I were in warmer country and traveling. The thoughts of Arizona and Borrego Springs Ca always come to the surface when it gets cold.

What do traveler's do to prevent freezing damage while they are traveling and can't winterize their rigs? You could be headed south and hit below freezing temps for an over night stay, with full or partially full tanks. Asking that question shows you how much of a rookie I am in the RV game.

As it gets colder, I realize it's nice to have a home base with heat and long hot showers available.