November 05, 2011
Normal House Maintenance has Hit Me
Wrapping up my coffee, caught up on emails and blogs ... so now its to some of those stiks and bricks things that take time and money. Ill have a good view but not good as some of the RV pics I see on other blogs. What is it I am doing this morning before my college football addiction starts at noon? Hanging a new storm door. Oh fun fun. Of course it's Saturday for the hounds and they are already back to sleep for the day.
November 04, 2011
My Bloodhound Makes Me Wonder about RV's
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| Guilty |
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.
November 03, 2011
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.
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.
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.
November 02, 2011
I want to leave now - but I can't
As bad as I want to leave now, the financial numbers and the "to do" list prevent my impulsive, exciting departure. A HUGE blow to the left side of my brain....HUGE! On top of this, I haven't bought my RV yet! Throughout the day at work today I was ready to pack and go. Job stress was not causing this thinking because there isn't any job stress in my life. It was just the continuous thought of living in the pictures I am seeing in the different blogs that I follow. When I make my 12 mile commute every morning through farm lands, trees, hills etc, with the sun coming up I can relate to my past experiences driving down the highway at that time of day while on a trip of some kind and YOU driving your RV or just getting outside at your campground with a cup of coffee as the sun is coming up. I have always loved driving long distance.
So my day started by answering a the few emails I had in my inbox, did about an hour of work, then got online and started looking at different kinds of RV's. Read a few blogs, checked the forums for new posts, then back to looking at RV's. I looked at different National and State Parks I like and know of (ie: San Clemente State Park) and checked for maximum length. At San Clemente, it was 30ft. Others I checked up through the Pacific Northwest, near Whidbey Island was set up for any length.
Now the day starts getting interesting. A co-worker of mine that kind of lit my RVing flame last spring was at work today. I had not seen him for a few months. I figured he was traveling. We start talking and catching up on our interests when I told him my "new addiction" is RVing. He asked if I was going to buy one, a 5th wheel or a motorhome. I answer motorhome, probably a Class C, around 30' max so I can get into some of the state parks. He mentioned that he wished he would have known that limit before he spent money on his 40' 5th wheel last spring. He said he did do a lot of research on what manufacturer to buy from but not much more than that. He is 59 can retire anytime from his previous employer retirement plan but has been waiting for his wife to retire from work in 2 1/2 years. Last spring, they sold their house with plans of living in their 5th wheel until she retires. Which they have been doing. Plus they spent some time this summer traveling and finding out somethings they didn't expect or didn't know about.
He said "there were just a lot of places I wanted to go but couldn't get into because of the length of my 5th wheel. He has bought space at an RV park in Florida and is thinking of just leaving his 5th wheel down there and live in a smaller RV up here until his wife retires. (Indiana winters???). Anyway, the "bomb" hit suddenly in his conversation.
The wife wants to buy a house and stay in the area permanently and RV part time. Last April it was full-time after selling their "dream home". I just listened but was surprised. He would prefer to RV full-time. We then started talking about retiring from our work positions instead of waiting. That got me thinking that I needed to take another look at my analysis I have on an Excel spreadsheet and make sure the numbers are good.
So when I got home, finished the daily walk through a 15 acre hay field with my 3 hounds, I sat down and went through my numbers again. I then made a "no holes barred" pros and cons list. The list surprised me! I guess I found out that I have a lot of likes living where I do, that I really hadn't paid attention to. This then led me to wonder if I should ever sell the house? When I looked at the numbers....I CAN'T quit today, unless I pay my mortgage off or sell the house. I do have some people interested in buying this house and I believe I could price it right for a quick sell and good profit. That list put a little bug of confusion if I should sell everything or not.
My financial analysis showed it would be best for me to work another 2-1/2 years, instead of retiring now and yes that is a valid option.
So it feels almost like it did the first time I started this RV thinking.....like what to do? That is somewhat disappointing after the emotional high I spoke of last night. So, I guess it is back to my original plan of taking this next couple of years of downsizing (selling my cars, my house), then picking out an RV. Still, with the economy the way it is, it seems to me it would be a great time to buy the RV now. Then take it out on weekend trips (I rarely take vacations from work) for the next couple of years to "sharpen my RV skills".
My plan LAST YEAR was to keep this house as my base camp and spend most of my time traveling and camping in an old, mint condition, VW camper. With 3 dogs that would change from VW CAMPer to VW CRAMPed. So that vehicle is a dead issue.
This whole thing is like mental torcher.
So an interesting day.....the RVing co-worker story, my pros and cons list, my number analysis and possibly a dab of doubt wondering if I am making the right choice.
I saw that google visited my blog today, which was kind of cool. It usually takes google 3-5 weeks to show up to "crawl" your blog or site and it took less than a week to pay me a visit. For those that don't understand what I am saying, anytime you have a blog or website, google "spiders" will crawl your space automatically gathering keywords so you can be found in their google search engines when other people type in keywords that can lead them to your site. This is advantageous for those here with an adsense account and make some money with their google advertising on their blog or if they were selling something on a website like I use to do.
After the day I had, I still thought it was pretty nice that google showed up.
Now.....back to looking at of those RV's for sale online !! (laughing as I open my sales site)
So my day started by answering a the few emails I had in my inbox, did about an hour of work, then got online and started looking at different kinds of RV's. Read a few blogs, checked the forums for new posts, then back to looking at RV's. I looked at different National and State Parks I like and know of (ie: San Clemente State Park) and checked for maximum length. At San Clemente, it was 30ft. Others I checked up through the Pacific Northwest, near Whidbey Island was set up for any length.
Now the day starts getting interesting. A co-worker of mine that kind of lit my RVing flame last spring was at work today. I had not seen him for a few months. I figured he was traveling. We start talking and catching up on our interests when I told him my "new addiction" is RVing. He asked if I was going to buy one, a 5th wheel or a motorhome. I answer motorhome, probably a Class C, around 30' max so I can get into some of the state parks. He mentioned that he wished he would have known that limit before he spent money on his 40' 5th wheel last spring. He said he did do a lot of research on what manufacturer to buy from but not much more than that. He is 59 can retire anytime from his previous employer retirement plan but has been waiting for his wife to retire from work in 2 1/2 years. Last spring, they sold their house with plans of living in their 5th wheel until she retires. Which they have been doing. Plus they spent some time this summer traveling and finding out somethings they didn't expect or didn't know about.
He said "there were just a lot of places I wanted to go but couldn't get into because of the length of my 5th wheel. He has bought space at an RV park in Florida and is thinking of just leaving his 5th wheel down there and live in a smaller RV up here until his wife retires. (Indiana winters???). Anyway, the "bomb" hit suddenly in his conversation.
The wife wants to buy a house and stay in the area permanently and RV part time. Last April it was full-time after selling their "dream home". I just listened but was surprised. He would prefer to RV full-time. We then started talking about retiring from our work positions instead of waiting. That got me thinking that I needed to take another look at my analysis I have on an Excel spreadsheet and make sure the numbers are good.
So when I got home, finished the daily walk through a 15 acre hay field with my 3 hounds, I sat down and went through my numbers again. I then made a "no holes barred" pros and cons list. The list surprised me! I guess I found out that I have a lot of likes living where I do, that I really hadn't paid attention to. This then led me to wonder if I should ever sell the house? When I looked at the numbers....I CAN'T quit today, unless I pay my mortgage off or sell the house. I do have some people interested in buying this house and I believe I could price it right for a quick sell and good profit. That list put a little bug of confusion if I should sell everything or not.
My financial analysis showed it would be best for me to work another 2-1/2 years, instead of retiring now and yes that is a valid option.
So it feels almost like it did the first time I started this RV thinking.....like what to do? That is somewhat disappointing after the emotional high I spoke of last night. So, I guess it is back to my original plan of taking this next couple of years of downsizing (selling my cars, my house), then picking out an RV. Still, with the economy the way it is, it seems to me it would be a great time to buy the RV now. Then take it out on weekend trips (I rarely take vacations from work) for the next couple of years to "sharpen my RV skills".
My plan LAST YEAR was to keep this house as my base camp and spend most of my time traveling and camping in an old, mint condition, VW camper. With 3 dogs that would change from VW CAMPer to VW CRAMPed. So that vehicle is a dead issue.
This whole thing is like mental torcher.
So an interesting day.....the RVing co-worker story, my pros and cons list, my number analysis and possibly a dab of doubt wondering if I am making the right choice.
I saw that google visited my blog today, which was kind of cool. It usually takes google 3-5 weeks to show up to "crawl" your blog or site and it took less than a week to pay me a visit. For those that don't understand what I am saying, anytime you have a blog or website, google "spiders" will crawl your space automatically gathering keywords so you can be found in their google search engines when other people type in keywords that can lead them to your site. This is advantageous for those here with an adsense account and make some money with their google advertising on their blog or if they were selling something on a website like I use to do.
After the day I had, I still thought it was pretty nice that google showed up.
Now.....back to looking at of those RV's for sale online !! (laughing as I open my sales site)
November 01, 2011
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!
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!
A short note
After some new information, and sorting of notes on my iPad, I have changed my focus to a C, 29-31', a couple of slides. I feel pretty confident that is the direction I am going to go. It feels good to get that past me and I can move to other things on my checklist. I plan to test drive some C's on November 10 or 11. Do any of you have laminate flooring in your rigs instead of carpet? If so, do you notice more road noise or any additional noises not heard when you had carpet?
I do not consider myself a pack-rat but looking around this small house....I have a ton of stuff to get rid of. I think I am going to start a Craig's List account and go that direction. I use to sell full time on eBay so I am familiar with that system but it just takes too much time to ship and pack things. Otherwise, local ads. Living on a highway makes it dangerous to try having a garage sale.
On to the next step....still I can't stop looking at rigs and reading information. I have to force my self to sleep.
How many of you use solar panels for your electrical needs?
I am just curious on this last question, if you would rather email the answer instead of commenting is fine....What is the worst thing that has happened to you in your travels?
I do not consider myself a pack-rat but looking around this small house....I have a ton of stuff to get rid of. I think I am going to start a Craig's List account and go that direction. I use to sell full time on eBay so I am familiar with that system but it just takes too much time to ship and pack things. Otherwise, local ads. Living on a highway makes it dangerous to try having a garage sale.
On to the next step....still I can't stop looking at rigs and reading information. I have to force my self to sleep.
How many of you use solar panels for your electrical needs?
I am just curious on this last question, if you would rather email the answer instead of commenting is fine....What is the worst thing that has happened to you in your travels?
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