This is just a short note to let you know I have FINALLY made a decision. Buying from a private party, we have agreed on the price and delivery will take place after a couple of modifications are complete. I can honestly say I have been more excited about what I am buying than any other rig/trailer I have looked at.
Details - Pictures - Reasons to follow in the next few days! I'll just say one thing ... most if not all of you will be shocked .... lol
June 26, 2013
June 22, 2013
Saturday at Camping World In Indianapolis
I didn't go to Camping World to buy, but to look. They have the largest selection of different RV's and trailers in my area. I was once again able to travel through their lot without a salesperson with me. I was able sit inside of the ones of interest, think while I sat there, inspect their conditions and think some more.
I am not sure what is going on but I have never seen their lot as full as it was today. Not only for the rigs for sale but the lots for storage and the lot for people staying that are getting maintenance or problems fixed....not sure which. There were a lot of rigs parked in an area that I thought was for storage instead of repair.
I was there to look at a couple of trailers I had seen online, that could be pulled by my Hummer. Since I had sat in a Casita a few weeks ago, I could sit in these Starcraft Trailers and compare them to the Casita. Gary Ramsey has a Starcraft AR-ONE 17RD that he likes a lot.
I also wanted to check out their Class C's again, thinking about towing my Mini Cooper or my Hummer.
The two trailers were the Starcraft AR-One 14RB and 15RB. I believe both of those could work and seemed to have more room than the Casita. Sure, the hounds, but I could see where they would be if we were stuck inside during bad weather or after dark. Most of the days will be spent outside, them and me. Yes, I agree those trailers would be small, but a lot of couples fulltime in Casita's and love it. I could see myself being able to use those trailers and carry most of my supplies inside and outside my Hummer.
Over the past 20 months I have visited Campy World and Colerain in Indy 5-6 times. After all those visits there is ONE rig that I always like and feel good when I sit inside thinking if that is the one, if I will have enough room for me and dogs, can I drive this on BLM land.....and the ONE consistent rig that I always like is the: ....Gulfstream BT Cruiser with a slideout and a queen size bed in back.
I don't know why, but that exact rig has always been the one I have liked, even over the Class A's.
Now could the E-450 set up tow a 4x4 .... salesperson says yes it can.
I see Wheeling It putting their 40'er in places I would like to go, so a 28' BT Cruiser would be able to do the same and I would have more room than I would in the trailers that I am looking at.
The house is back off the market. Once again I am trying NOT to make this an all or nothing situation. Fulltiming might turn into part-timing, at least 8-9 mos out of the year and 3-4 months at home but that could change after I am traveling.
The majority of friends and people that email me agree that is the way to go, even those that have traveled for a lot of years.
That's all for tonight.
I am not sure what is going on but I have never seen their lot as full as it was today. Not only for the rigs for sale but the lots for storage and the lot for people staying that are getting maintenance or problems fixed....not sure which. There were a lot of rigs parked in an area that I thought was for storage instead of repair.
I was there to look at a couple of trailers I had seen online, that could be pulled by my Hummer. Since I had sat in a Casita a few weeks ago, I could sit in these Starcraft Trailers and compare them to the Casita. Gary Ramsey has a Starcraft AR-ONE 17RD that he likes a lot.
I also wanted to check out their Class C's again, thinking about towing my Mini Cooper or my Hummer.
The two trailers were the Starcraft AR-One 14RB and 15RB. I believe both of those could work and seemed to have more room than the Casita. Sure, the hounds, but I could see where they would be if we were stuck inside during bad weather or after dark. Most of the days will be spent outside, them and me. Yes, I agree those trailers would be small, but a lot of couples fulltime in Casita's and love it. I could see myself being able to use those trailers and carry most of my supplies inside and outside my Hummer.
Over the past 20 months I have visited Campy World and Colerain in Indy 5-6 times. After all those visits there is ONE rig that I always like and feel good when I sit inside thinking if that is the one, if I will have enough room for me and dogs, can I drive this on BLM land.....and the ONE consistent rig that I always like is the: ....Gulfstream BT Cruiser with a slideout and a queen size bed in back.
I don't know why, but that exact rig has always been the one I have liked, even over the Class A's.
Now could the E-450 set up tow a 4x4 .... salesperson says yes it can.
I see Wheeling It putting their 40'er in places I would like to go, so a 28' BT Cruiser would be able to do the same and I would have more room than I would in the trailers that I am looking at.
The house is back off the market. Once again I am trying NOT to make this an all or nothing situation. Fulltiming might turn into part-timing, at least 8-9 mos out of the year and 3-4 months at home but that could change after I am traveling.
The majority of friends and people that email me agree that is the way to go, even those that have traveled for a lot of years.
That's all for tonight.
June 21, 2013
Rambling Thoughts
It's been quite a week. Nothing new on the house, not a call, an email or even a "sniff". After 6 mos for the 3rd year in a row, my neighbor (not close), has taken down his For Sale signs. So we will see what happens on the house front, probably a slower process than I expected.
I test drove a possible different tow vehicle. I found a very sharp 2007 Ford F150 4x4 on cars dot com with the truck being only 30 miles from me. It was a one owner, body in mint condition, new tires, bed liner looked as if nothing had been ever loaded into the bed. Had a possible tire balancing problem at 60 mph (heavy vibration) but overall drove great. It was priced way below NADA value.
The problem was the dealer didn't want to give me anything for trade in for my H3 Hummer. Not really anything but a lower price than I expected. Due to the time of year, if dealers don't try to sell Hummers in the summer, there must be a reason for it.....not hard to figure out.
So, we couldn't close they deal and I am stuck with a H3 that I like but won't tow enough weight.
A few friends have told me to take the loss and trade the H3 for a truck. The trailer I want just dropped in price $5,000 the other day. Its a Bigfoot trailer, used a few times over an 8 year period.
I've always looked for trailers that would fit the tow rate of the H3 and one that is nice and even has a slide is the Lance 1575. The GVWR is below the 3,500 lbs. That rate has a factor of a 20% decrease for traveling in the western states and mountains. So far the only trailer I have found that has enough room is the Lance 1575 and is under the 3,500 lbs.
At the time I bought the H3 I honestly thought I was on my way of towing a Casita but I had never sat inside a Casita. I thought from the blogs and picture that the Casita was the winner for me hands down. So I was basically choosing between the H3 Hummer and the Toyota FJ Cruiser. I had test drove both and even as a past Toyota owner of different models, I preferred the H3 over the FJ.
I remember, without looking it up on this blog, that I had no desire to use a pickup truck to tow a larger trailer.
So like I was told today ... I have to decide where I want my comfort level ... in the tow vehicle or the trailer. There are a couple of other trailers that are below the 3,500 lb limit that interest me and I could see living in them full-time but I like the Lance. They are a 4 season trailer. Their 60 years of experience in truck campers moved over to the travel trailer side of the production line.
So we will see if I take a loss and trade the H3 for a truck and a little bigger trailer, 19'-24'.
For those wondering, yes ... I did have thoughts at times this past week, of keeping the house, the H3, the Mini Cooper and my old 94 Chevy truck .... then traveling only when I had the urge to get out of town or became bored. I really do like all of those vehicles.
There are a lot of things I like about 'sticks n bricks'. I know what it's like to be in small push button showers while deployed 10 months at a time on aircraft carriers. One of the top 3 things I always enjoyed coming back home ... long long long hot showers. Those will be few and far between traveling in a trailer.
I like all that I own, the house, the H3, the Mini Sport and even the old truck that I drive 400 miles per year. I love college and NFL football on a large HD screen.
I can do most of those likes traveling in a trailer...showers will not be as long, the tv screen will be smaller if I even have a tv. My dual 27" monitor iMac will be a 15.5 Macbook Pro.
Everything smaller and shorter so I can have the ability to decide what my 'front yard' will look like. Or how warm I want my weather.
I am 4-1/2 hour drive from a Lance trailer dealer, unless I could find one at Camping World in Indy. I'd like to take a look at one, sit inside for a while and see what kind of vibe I get. I have enough room to store in the H3 as I don't plan on taking a lot of stuff....water quantity could be my biggest item to carry.
One interesting thing that did make me flash back to a Class C ... with pictures and articles sent to me by an H3 owner, I can tow my H3 wheels down while sitting it in neutral without any adjustments. He tows his H3 with a Class A.
On a final note ... I've been having painful problem with my right wrist, my "mouse" hand. At first I thought I had carpel tunnel but found out the wrong fingers were numb. I had chiro treatments, ultrasound treatments, a Futuro wrist and elbow brace, along with ibuprofen....nothing worked. The last few weeks I noticed a ganglion growing on top of my hand near my wrist.
Well as of today I am in hour number 5 of removal treatment without needles or surgery. I'll find out if the google search worked for removal of the ganglion. I hope so, I don't have time for surgery.
That is all from the "tropics" of Southern Indiana.
Safe journey's to all that are traveling Arizona, and Colorado near the fires.
I test drove a possible different tow vehicle. I found a very sharp 2007 Ford F150 4x4 on cars dot com with the truck being only 30 miles from me. It was a one owner, body in mint condition, new tires, bed liner looked as if nothing had been ever loaded into the bed. Had a possible tire balancing problem at 60 mph (heavy vibration) but overall drove great. It was priced way below NADA value.
The problem was the dealer didn't want to give me anything for trade in for my H3 Hummer. Not really anything but a lower price than I expected. Due to the time of year, if dealers don't try to sell Hummers in the summer, there must be a reason for it.....not hard to figure out.
So, we couldn't close they deal and I am stuck with a H3 that I like but won't tow enough weight.
A few friends have told me to take the loss and trade the H3 for a truck. The trailer I want just dropped in price $5,000 the other day. Its a Bigfoot trailer, used a few times over an 8 year period.
I've always looked for trailers that would fit the tow rate of the H3 and one that is nice and even has a slide is the Lance 1575. The GVWR is below the 3,500 lbs. That rate has a factor of a 20% decrease for traveling in the western states and mountains. So far the only trailer I have found that has enough room is the Lance 1575 and is under the 3,500 lbs.
At the time I bought the H3 I honestly thought I was on my way of towing a Casita but I had never sat inside a Casita. I thought from the blogs and picture that the Casita was the winner for me hands down. So I was basically choosing between the H3 Hummer and the Toyota FJ Cruiser. I had test drove both and even as a past Toyota owner of different models, I preferred the H3 over the FJ.
I remember, without looking it up on this blog, that I had no desire to use a pickup truck to tow a larger trailer.
So like I was told today ... I have to decide where I want my comfort level ... in the tow vehicle or the trailer. There are a couple of other trailers that are below the 3,500 lb limit that interest me and I could see living in them full-time but I like the Lance. They are a 4 season trailer. Their 60 years of experience in truck campers moved over to the travel trailer side of the production line.
So we will see if I take a loss and trade the H3 for a truck and a little bigger trailer, 19'-24'.
For those wondering, yes ... I did have thoughts at times this past week, of keeping the house, the H3, the Mini Cooper and my old 94 Chevy truck .... then traveling only when I had the urge to get out of town or became bored. I really do like all of those vehicles.
There are a lot of things I like about 'sticks n bricks'. I know what it's like to be in small push button showers while deployed 10 months at a time on aircraft carriers. One of the top 3 things I always enjoyed coming back home ... long long long hot showers. Those will be few and far between traveling in a trailer.
I like all that I own, the house, the H3, the Mini Sport and even the old truck that I drive 400 miles per year. I love college and NFL football on a large HD screen.
I can do most of those likes traveling in a trailer...showers will not be as long, the tv screen will be smaller if I even have a tv. My dual 27" monitor iMac will be a 15.5 Macbook Pro.
Everything smaller and shorter so I can have the ability to decide what my 'front yard' will look like. Or how warm I want my weather.
I am 4-1/2 hour drive from a Lance trailer dealer, unless I could find one at Camping World in Indy. I'd like to take a look at one, sit inside for a while and see what kind of vibe I get. I have enough room to store in the H3 as I don't plan on taking a lot of stuff....water quantity could be my biggest item to carry.
One interesting thing that did make me flash back to a Class C ... with pictures and articles sent to me by an H3 owner, I can tow my H3 wheels down while sitting it in neutral without any adjustments. He tows his H3 with a Class A.
On a final note ... I've been having painful problem with my right wrist, my "mouse" hand. At first I thought I had carpel tunnel but found out the wrong fingers were numb. I had chiro treatments, ultrasound treatments, a Futuro wrist and elbow brace, along with ibuprofen....nothing worked. The last few weeks I noticed a ganglion growing on top of my hand near my wrist.
Well as of today I am in hour number 5 of removal treatment without needles or surgery. I'll find out if the google search worked for removal of the ganglion. I hope so, I don't have time for surgery.
That is all from the "tropics" of Southern Indiana.
Safe journey's to all that are traveling Arizona, and Colorado near the fires.
June 17, 2013
House Back on the Market !!!!
Basically I have to make changes, I don't want to keep living safe like this when I would rather be living back in the western USA. The more I think about it, I go back to my original train of thought in October 2011. Sell the house and everything I own and hit the road. If/when I settle down again it will be out west somewhere, not in the same western places I spent 20 years living but in the west somewhere. I will find that place during my travels.
The sign is back in the front yard. The blog is back online http://leavingbloomfield.blogspot.com and by late tonight I will have listed my car, and the house on Craig's list, with a link to the blog for more pictures and description. There are more pictures at the end of this post.
What about the "backup plan" or the "need to have a base camp" thoughts in past posts. Well if I decide I don't care for the traveling or need to get back to a 'sticks n bricks' then I'll find something out west, possibly some land and put up one of those new 'tiny homes' on it, or buy land and build a home around 800 sq ft, or a small town with a small home that I can work on while I live there.
Endless possibilities!!
In the meantime I could be up camping right now in the Dakotas, Montana, PacificNorthWest at higher elevation to keep cool, then head for Arizona, or New Mexico, eastern Calif for the winter...just like I have been dreaming of the past 20 months.
Ballgames??? I have a DirecTv account where I can watch a game on any device (iMac, iPad, iPhone) as long as I get an internet connection and if not, it will not be the first time I have missed ballgames...not really a big deal. I was wondering this weekend, is the reason I watch so many games on tv is because of boredom?
Today I could picture hiking or mountain biking trails off the grid, dogs off a leash and spending most of the day outside. I could get use to that type of day real easy.
I also sold my '94 Chevy Truck today to a manager at work. He commutes by my house daily to work and noticed and laughed about "one day your house is for sale, two days later it isn't"...I see "my" truck is still up on the hill waiting for me to buy it....well I'm ready to buy it.
My Mini Cooper will be on Craig's List tonight and Cars dot com. That will leave me with trading the H3 Hummer in for a 4x4 Truck that can tow more than 7,000 lbs. Some of my friends are still pushing me to get a diesel truck and a 5'er. I am thinking a Ford F-150 4x4, towing a Bigfoot or a Nash Trailer.
Exciting times!! Stay Tuned!!
I swear, I only have one personality. LOL
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| NOT Part of Sale - Property Behind House |
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| Early Morning From The Front Corner Of The House |
June 16, 2013
Teardrops and Casitas
The title and this post I think you will find a little humorous, makes me wonder where my mind is.
Occasionally I have seen and looked at Teardrop Trailers, thought they were almost an option if I were completely solo. Today I was reading The Blonde Coyote blog, about her living in a Teardrop Trailer full-time with 2 pretty good size dogs. No bathroom, no fridge, little storage yet light enough to be towed by a SUV.
Here is the humorous part of this post ... As I was reading her stories I was beginning to feel that I too, could travel full-time with 3 dogs, and a Teardrop Trailer towed by my Hummer. For a short time I even imagined I could handle no refrigeration and no bathroom facilities!!! How crazy is that?? It was just a little over 8 days ago where I posted that the Casita Trailer was way too small for me an my hounds to travel full-time!! LMAO!
Yet, the Casita Trailer is like a condo compared to a Teardrop Trailer! It has more room, a fridge and a bathroom and under my 4,500lb tow limit. Still after walking around inside the Casita 9 days ago, I knew there was not a way I could full-time in that with my 3 hounds.
Where is my mind at???? When today I thought for a short time, I too could be like The Blonde Coyote and travel in a Teardrop Trailer with 2 dogs.
I still feel the best combo for me is a truck/trailer and even this past week that has been narrowed down to a Ford F150 4x4 and either a Bigfoot or Nash Trailer. I have a truck picked out but the dealer is about 70 miles away from me and it will be Monday before I can get in touch with them.
So that is the humor for the day ... Me, 3 dogs and a Teardrop trailer full-time.
Now, back to my frustrating puzzle of a new $96 36V Lithium Battery, a charger sent from Black and Decker ... it doesn't charge. The red light blinks continuously.
I relate that frustrating battery lesson to a potential future traveling problem where I am sitting out in no-mans land trying to figure out a fix and spending most of the day doing it.
Any recommendations for medical help or medication is encouraged. (that is a joke for those that don't pick up on my sense of humor)
Occasionally I have seen and looked at Teardrop Trailers, thought they were almost an option if I were completely solo. Today I was reading The Blonde Coyote blog, about her living in a Teardrop Trailer full-time with 2 pretty good size dogs. No bathroom, no fridge, little storage yet light enough to be towed by a SUV.
Here is the humorous part of this post ... As I was reading her stories I was beginning to feel that I too, could travel full-time with 3 dogs, and a Teardrop Trailer towed by my Hummer. For a short time I even imagined I could handle no refrigeration and no bathroom facilities!!! How crazy is that?? It was just a little over 8 days ago where I posted that the Casita Trailer was way too small for me an my hounds to travel full-time!! LMAO!
Yet, the Casita Trailer is like a condo compared to a Teardrop Trailer! It has more room, a fridge and a bathroom and under my 4,500lb tow limit. Still after walking around inside the Casita 9 days ago, I knew there was not a way I could full-time in that with my 3 hounds.
Where is my mind at???? When today I thought for a short time, I too could be like The Blonde Coyote and travel in a Teardrop Trailer with 2 dogs.
I still feel the best combo for me is a truck/trailer and even this past week that has been narrowed down to a Ford F150 4x4 and either a Bigfoot or Nash Trailer. I have a truck picked out but the dealer is about 70 miles away from me and it will be Monday before I can get in touch with them.
So that is the humor for the day ... Me, 3 dogs and a Teardrop trailer full-time.
Now, back to my frustrating puzzle of a new $96 36V Lithium Battery, a charger sent from Black and Decker ... it doesn't charge. The red light blinks continuously.
I relate that frustrating battery lesson to a potential future traveling problem where I am sitting out in no-mans land trying to figure out a fix and spending most of the day doing it.
Any recommendations for medical help or medication is encouraged. (that is a joke for those that don't pick up on my sense of humor)
June 14, 2013
House Not For Sale
The longer the For Sale sign stayed in the yard these past 5 days, the more I did not want to sell it. I decided I could not sell it until I had experience on the road traveling in an RV or trailer to see if that was really what I wanted to do. It will be my base camp in the meantime.
So, I pulled the sign up today.
I am still looking at BigFoot Trailers. I am still looking for a full size 4x4 Truck to trade my H3 for, so I can tow more than 4,500 lbs or 3,500 lbs out west in the mountains. Like neighbors before me, I'll probably leave my house late October/early November, travel through the winters in the SW and then return in April just in time to catch up with yard work and any house stuff. If during my travels I see somewhere I would rather live, then I'll put the house on the market and sell it ready to move in, empty.
I've always liked this house for more than a few reasons. I guess that is one reason I have stayed here longer than any other place I have ever lived ... SoCal, Whidbey Is, Breckenridge. I also noted comments by bloggers I follow that would say they enjoy having a base camp and with my base camp paid for, extremely low property taxes, low water and electric bills, it just makes it easier to keep.
As much as I want to be a full-timer, I will never know if that is a fit for me and my dogs until I am doing it. Until I know for sure that I want to travel full-time after experiencing real time miles on the road, I cannot sell it.
So, I pulled the sign up today.
I am still looking at BigFoot Trailers. I am still looking for a full size 4x4 Truck to trade my H3 for, so I can tow more than 4,500 lbs or 3,500 lbs out west in the mountains. Like neighbors before me, I'll probably leave my house late October/early November, travel through the winters in the SW and then return in April just in time to catch up with yard work and any house stuff. If during my travels I see somewhere I would rather live, then I'll put the house on the market and sell it ready to move in, empty.
I've always liked this house for more than a few reasons. I guess that is one reason I have stayed here longer than any other place I have ever lived ... SoCal, Whidbey Is, Breckenridge. I also noted comments by bloggers I follow that would say they enjoy having a base camp and with my base camp paid for, extremely low property taxes, low water and electric bills, it just makes it easier to keep.
As much as I want to be a full-timer, I will never know if that is a fit for me and my dogs until I am doing it. Until I know for sure that I want to travel full-time after experiencing real time miles on the road, I cannot sell it.
June 12, 2013
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!!
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!!
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