My Sanity Has Returned

I wrote this post earlier this afternoon but tonight my enthusiasm is still with the Truck Camper  :)

As much as I would love to do it, once again the hounds play a factor in my decision making process. The truck camper is no longer an option. The tape on the floor following the floor plan of the favorite 4-season camper, shows that it cannot be a option for full-time travel and hounds ... even if they chose to travel alone.

My narrowed choices today are travel trailers and using my truck bed as storage, etc. The truck will have a lid installed before I leave. Since I plan on spending more time boondocking than campgrounds, I need a trailer that is well built. In most cases from the pictures I have looked at over and over and over these past two years, the 4-season trailer seems to rise to the top. If it were just me, I might go a different direction. Even though my hounds are not destructive, having a trailer as our domicile all the time, a trailer that is built well is a priority.

The list of three are:
1.  Bigfoot Trailers
2.  Northwood Nash
3.  Northwood Arctic Fox

A couple of the bloggers I follow both travel full-time in two of those trailers and have written of their experiences and how the trailer has performed. The Bigfoot trailers seems to sit a little low to the ground, not enough clearance to go down a two track road. So that brings me to two to choose from. Length will be no more than 24'. A lot of these two trailers seem to fall in the 22' range more than 24'. Some of the longer models I do not care for due to the bed being in the rear corner. I just sold a Class C with a rear corner bed.

So the search continues but at least my options have narrowed a lot ... I might be able to get something productive done now.

For those with any experience in trailers other than those listed, I would love to hear your comments and experiences with the brand of trailer you had. I don't have plans to camp in the snow or the mid summer heat of the desert ... I can stay home and do that. I hope to stay one step ahead of bad weather, just like everyone else but I do realize there are times you cannot beat mother nature. Plus, the 4-season trailers I have looked at seem to be built with better quality.

Mowing the yard was my main activity today. It wasn't any more fun than I had last year. It's a pain more than enjoyment. I continue to downsize possessions.

Trailers and Campers

First of all I have been having some really strange internet connection problems since last Wednesday. I've called my local provider for setting up an appointment with the AT&T phone people to come out and check their lines. They did the same thing in February or coincidentally the same time I was told my monthly fee was increasing $10 per month like the wireless plan I cannot have with them due to my location. Still I had to pay for that plan because their DSL plan was going away. I have no choice other than LAN lines for DSL or the HughesNet Satellite. What is strange is the period of time my connection has been intermittent. In the early morning hours up until 9am and after 9pm, it's a strong fast connection. I guess that is a way of telling me to back away from the desk and get outside.

It's another great weather day here in the 'tropics' of southern Indiana. The only thing I have planned for today is mowing the yard this morning after the sun dries out the morning dew. The hounds are still waking me up to go out in the dark morning like it's a normal work day. I guess they didn't get the memo that I have stopped working a job. Then ten minutes after that morning "dog bone" when they come back in, they are all sound asleep for the rest of the morning. Life is rough for these hounds.

The times my internet connection was working, I spent the weekend nights looking at forums that discussed trailers. I looked at trailers, all different lengths, different distance from my house, and different brands. I had a few phone calls to discuss different options, had a lot of private email offering suggestions and a few comments on the blog.

Whatever length of trailer I decide on, I am working with 80% of my towing rating so I can stay inside the safety zone as well as a little less weight for a mile or two added to the mpg. I'm not sure if that even makes much difference. I'm am finding out the longer the trailer is, the easier they are to back into a spot. Still with a 19+' truck, just a 21' trailer, I am looking at 40' going down the road. What's strange about that distance is, I would not want a 40' Class A. Am I looking at that the wrong way? An off-grid friend says 24' would be about the max they would buy based on how and where I want to camp. Other's suggest the bigger the truck, the bigger the trailer. So I guess it might depend on what is my priority, comforts of home or better off-grid navigation possibilities?

Included in this thought process on what length to buy, are the hounds. What will be enough room for them? Do I need just one slide out? I know from looking at photographs that one slide out in a trailer makes a world of difference. Like anything else there are pros and cons of having a slide out. Yes I can park the trailer where I am camping, unhitch and use my 4x4 truck for exploring, trips to the store or any emergency runs. That is one reason I like the truck/trailer combination. Still, it's hard to decide just on what length to buy. Priorities again.

By Sunday afternoon I had a brand new option to consider. Many of you will disapprove, some will think I am all out bonkers and have fallen off the deep end and other's will get their morning laugh. I even laugh to myself when I think about it. A clue is, I've always wanted the "EarthRoamer" but never had a spare $250K - $400K to buy one. So yes, the new option was a truck camper.  How did all of this come to the surface? While reading an rv forum yesterday in the "truck camper" section, someone posted they traveled with their wife and 4 dogs ... one of the dogs being large. Two adults and 4 dogs inside a truck camper for many months at a time (6 mos minimum).   I replied to that post asking if it was possible to travel that way with one less adult but one big dog, over 80 lbs. (my bloodhound) Not only did I get possible replies to that posted question, I received positive emails and private messages on that forum.

I knew someone I could ask, a friend of mine follows my blog, has been traveling with dogs for many years and by the pictures sent in the past of their truck and truck camper, it COULD be possible. They said it would work. Of course a ramp will be needed to help the hounds get into the camper and also save my back from lifting them. I was going to need ramps with a trailer and also helping them into the crew cab of the truck, so ramps are ramps.

Even with a trailer, the majority of time in my day will be spent outside. We just need a place to stay at night and during bad weather. I would take a screen room tent for me and the hounds to use if needed only during the daylight hours. If I ended up needing more storage I could tow a small cargo trailer or off-road trailer. I know that option is hard for some of you to swallow but it's always the way I wanted to camp ... off the grid. This has many advantages, too many to go into during this post but it might be a post later on after the "flames die down".

If it didn't work out, I would do what everybody else does in this area of rv, trailer traveling and what I have done once so far .... if it doesn't work then sell it and buy something else.

My hounds do not do much but sleep, sleep and sleep. I have had a better chance this past week to witness their schedules and it doesn't change whether it's a week day or weekend. The only times they are awake and active are 15 minutes in the morning, around noon to go out and mid afternoon to play, eat and a walk afterward. At night they are up for a short time but always asleep somewhere by 8pm. Although last week we walked twice per day. When we are outside, the bloodhound scouts ever smell she collects while the older basset lays in the sun .... and sleeps!!! Heidi, the "queen of the couch", doesn't like outside because the couch is inside, thus the majority of her time is sleeping. She does let me know by barking if I have gone past the normal time of feeding them.

So there is today's thought. Plenty of time to decide what to do, trailer or camper. I really don't want to hit the road until at least two of my vehicles are sold. Both were detailed over the weekend. The old '94 truck is getting visits, the '06 Mini Cooper is getting calls and texts with questions. In the meantime, I'll work in the yard, downsize more stuff inside and enjoy my new freedom.

Here is my idea of a great camping spot for weeks at a time

First Week Off Is a Success

It was week ago today when I sent in my letter to the company to let them know I was retiring. It's been a fast week, with NO stress of any kind, and a lot of things got accomplished. In fact I have not thought about work or my past job for one second. If I didn't have my exit interview appointment on my iPhone calendar, there would be a chance that I would forget all about it. I did get a lot of emails from co-workers that either worked at home on Monday when I was there or didn't realize that I was sneaking out without the goodbyes. They didn't realize I finally did what I warned them about ... retirement. All of them understand and are excited about my future plans. A majority of them wished they could do the same thing.

This week I started looking at trailers and trucks to replace the Class C I sold last week. I ended up with a good truck as a tow vehicle. I have my 1994 Chevy Truck cleaned and sitting down the hill by the highway with For Sale signs, a new bench seat cover, two new floor mats, plus the oil filter and oil was changed just last Saturday. I would say the future new owner will be happy with their purchase. It is also listed on Craig's List. My Mini Cooper was also washed today, will vacuum the inside Saturday morning. I've had one caller from Indianapolis, 70 miles away, wanting to drive down and see it Saturday. In these kind of sales you never know who will show up and who will not.

That is one thing I like so far about being away from work, there is no pressure to get something done that day. Normally I would have spent more time to finish the vacuuming and spraying the stuff on the tires to make them look great ... but today after washing a truck and a car, I didn't feel like finishing it today. A dog walk was a better option on a beautiful day. As far as the potential buyers, if they show up fine, if not, doesn't matter. The Mini Cooper is also listed on Craig's List, a few dollars below the NADA value because of a few cosmetic blemishes I would fix if I were to keep it.

I've looked at trailers most of the week online. Talked to some people on the phone and via email for trailer ideas and opinions. I have narrowed the search .. I think?? I have had some people send me some pretty good ideas, all of them considering the fact that I will be traveling with dogs which one of them is pretty good size. Of course the majority of trailers that I like are 1500-2000 miles west of me. I like that idea of sitting inside a trailer before I buy it, kind of visualizing what it would look and feel like living in it with my hounds. I would like to kind of get a feel for it, what kind of vibe I get when I am sitting in the trailer day-dreaming. So, will that distance play a factor in my purchase? A lot of people buy trailers, rvs from a distance. I have bought old VW buses from a distance and paid for them just by what the pictures showed and what the owners told me. It seems different doing that with something you are going to be living in.

At least if I have to travel to check them out, I don't have to ask for a day off from work to travel...LOL

So to end the week, I have great weather, happy dogs because they can go out anytime they want now, a couple of vehicles for sale, a great new to me truck, and a plan that is in action while not even being May 1 yet.

Thanks to those for the helpful emails, blog comments, phone calls, .. all very helpful information.

One thing I forgot to mention. This past week is the first time in years I haven't gotten up multiple times during the night. I have slept through the night from the time I got to bed until the time the hounds wake me up. Currently normal time because they think I am going to work. Instead of staying up until 1-2am and getting 4-5 hours of interrupted sleep, like I have for years, I've been getting close to 8 hours of un-interrupted sleep. I am also noticing some diet changes taking place showing the proof that stress did play a part in the junk food I ate on a daily basis.

Bought a Tow Vehicle

As much as I like my 1994 Chevy 2500 Cheyenne truck and it's temptation to use to save some money, I thought it might be uncomfortable for not only the hounds but also myself. Traveling on a single cab bench seat might not prove to be the right decision a 1,000 miles down the highway. The hounds love the ride in the truck to the vet but that is only 24 miles round trip. A lot different than traveling 1500 miles to get there and then through the western states. The more I thought about it, the more I knew three things.

I needed:
   -  4x4
   -  Crew Cab
   -  1500 or 2500HD or F150

The crew cab for the hounds and the HD and 4x4 to keep me out of trouble.Now I can tow anything I want. I have no desire to tow a 'house' but at least this gets me out of the range of 18' trailers.

It's strange how putting pictures of things you want work, but a few weeks ago when I decided to sell the Class C and go the truck/trailer combo, I changed my desktop picture on my iMac to my friends picture of his 2003 Chevy Silverado towing a trailer in Utah. Well today I bought a 2006 Chevy Silverado about the same color as my friends.

The day started with me heading to Bloomington to check out a truck I had seen on a local website. A Chevy 2500 4x4 that was priced fair but since those lower priced (less than $25K) don't seem to hang around long in this area, I realized there was a chance it might be sold. I was right. I got to the car lot early Wednesday morning to find out it sold the night before and had not been updated on the dealer's website yet. So I drove down the street to a friend of mine's car lot, one where I have bought a few (my addiction) cars from him. He usually has a good choice of used trucks to choose from.

So really for the first time in my life, I pretty well knew what I was looking for and what price range I would settle for. He will budge some on his prices but not much. As I pulled in he was taking pictures of a truck that had just been detailed that morning and had been parked not 5 minutes before I got there. He had the trucks I had seen on his website but they were more than I wanted to pay. I didn't drive over to look at those. I was wanting to see if something might have just come into his lot or at least let him know what I was looking for.

He was taking pictures of a 2006 Chevy Silverado 2500HD, 4x4, Crew Cab (4 doors), short bed. It was one of my favorite colors, light between a silver and gold. I checked it out from bumper to bumper, including scooting on my back to check out the underside of the truck. It had only a couple of small dings in the body, nothing major and to be honest I always like a truck that has kinda a used look to it. Not trashed out but not showroom quality either, because it is going to get used off-road and about once per year I make a mistake (joke) that causes slight damage.

By the time I crawled out from under the truck, with a satisfactory inspection, he was back from his office tossing me the keys and told me to call him if I got it hung up someplace. Good salesman eh?? He already knows I have the bait in my mouth and very close of being hooked. Well to say the least, it drove like a dream. Smooth quiet and had power when I needed it. A lot of room inside front and back. Great condition. No rust, which is rare for a Midwestern truck.

So here is the new tow vehicle with the hounds starting their inspection:

Now that has been taken care of, it is time to find something to live in. My plans seem to be moving on right on schedule. This retirement life isn't a bad deal, I like it.

Retirement Has Started Early

Last Friday when I sent in my resignation, I didn't want to go back to work.  I had a great weekend, great weather, had a close friend visit that I had not seen in 18 years....and by Sunday night I mentioned that I had no desire to return to work. So would I sacrifice some vacation pay to start my retirement earlier than April 25 and keep my sanity?

By late afternoon Monday I requested and received approval to take 9 days vacation, all the way up to my 1pm exit interview on the 25th. So starting tomorrow morning, the iPhone alarm clock will no longer be going off. That doesn't mean I will not rise early, it just means it may not be until right before sunrise. The hounds will be happy being able to go out multiple times per day everyday, instead of sleeping all day. I will be happy because I am finished with a job that I couldn't stand by the end of the day.

I come close to meeting the retirement date I stated on this blog in October 2011 and that was to retire in May 2014.

So I have been going through the gauntlet of vehicle possibilities. Not trading trucks but what to buy as far as a camper or a trailer. I know with the hounds, it looks like a trailer. As a couple of fellow readers suggested by email, with the hounds I have, nothing less than a 24' trailer.

So it looks like I am trailer bound. No answers back from my questions on the used Nash trailers I have found for sale. One Bigfoot trailer possibility. Of course nothing in my Midwestern location for those two brands of 4 season trailers.

Don't forget the lunar eclipse later tonight/early morning.

I Sent My Resignation Letter Today

After years of analyzing and the past few months of thinking about it, analyzing all the personal financial information on my spreadsheets and trying to make it until May 30, 2014 .... I decided today "enough is enough".  I had been unhappy in my job rut for quite a while but liked the money. I'm not sure if I was burned out but there were just too many new plans that I wanted more than just making more money.

I sent the required resignation letter to my HR department and Department Manager today, stating that April 25 will be my last day of work.  I had a quick response from the HR department and they will set up my exit interview and the processing of my separation package.

Major relief was felt on the dog walk this afternoon.

I've been spending time looking at the All-Weather trailers made by Bigfoot and Nash. Thinking of hooking one of those up to a 4x4 pickup truck and going with that combination. I can say that I feel much better that the RV is sold, than I did when I bought it.  I was happy I bought it but I am thrilled that I sold it. With the recent weather changes of cold weather at night in the SW and Southern Texas, I thought an All-Weather trailer would be the way to go.

The plans may have changed recently but they look clearer and closer to happening than they have ever been.

The RV is SOLD!!

The 2004 Coachmen Freedom 258db was sold last night and the buyer picked it up today, cash in hand. Now before you 'sprint' to the comment section, let me explain.

"She" fought hard to stay. The buyer did a very detailed look over, even on the roof. Let the engine idle but turned down my offer of a test drive. ONLY LATER after he left I found out why his refusing the offer was a GREAT idea. See even from the first day of buying this RV, Murphy's Law has always been sitting on my shoulder and last night was a glowing example.

The buyer left, gave me a deposit that was not asked for and said he would be back today to pay in cash and pick it up. I thought I would drive down to the local station and top off the gas tank for him, as I did just a couple of weeks ago when I checked tires.  Only this time while the RV had been sitting on leveling blocks on ground that was more than saturated from the winter weather but this past Monday we had 2" of new rain.

You are getting the picture.  Here is a hint ... don't laugh too hard.  :)

Yes, you're right ... The 'sold' RV was stuck in the mud. So with a calm response (surprising), a shovel and some plywood .... and time ... I was able to drive it out of the muck. 

That lead to another hour or so, hosing off the under carriage, in between the dual tires that had solid mud between them and the tire sidewalls inside them and outside. By the time I finished everything looked like new, including my Keen shoes.

The Coachmen never felt like the right vehicle. I had buyer's remorse very soon after the purchase. The more time I spent inside with the hounds, the bigger the hounds looked and the less space the RV looked like it had. The more I looked at my list of things to take, the storage was an issue. I'm not planning on taking a ton of stuff but just the basics. I would have had to tow to travel off the beaten path once camp is set up plus have a vehicle for emergencies without packing everything up and driving only the RV.

I basically bought this RV 11 days  after swearing last September I would not buy anything until I got down to just one basset hound and giving any of the hounds away was NOT an option. It was local buy, only 12 miles away which had me thinking of the $1,000's of dollars saved by not buying out of state. It was in great shape, yada yada yada.

All the options of towing or not towing were analyzed beyond the norm. I didn't want to tow the Mini Cooper because that would be a terrible off road vehicle. Towing the H3 Hummer with the 5.7L and camper weight was borderline at best. Storage was the next concern. With what I would need to take with me, just traveling with the RV was out of the question, very little storage in that model of Coachmen.

I plan on selling my all of my vehicles, raise more cash, combine that will my vacation pay that is owed and other separation pay I will receive when I leave my job on May 30... then buy something for cash.

It is great to be shopping again for addicts like myself.

I have a plan in place to still hit the road. I still plan on retiring May 30 and at the minimum take the 3 hounds out west on a 'vacation' in some sort of camping vehicle.

Of course one of my local friends suggested keeping my Mini and towing something like this ... LOL.  The trailer does fold out into the tent that is pictured below.

Stay tuned for future developments! I've got to get to Utah no matter what.

The Blog is Back - RV is DE-Winterized

(Editor's Note: Not an April Fools Joke)

As you look at the home page you will notice the most recent posts I did are gone .... not sure why? A week or so ago I decided to delete my blog, get out of blogville so that is where I've been. At times it bothers me with the amount of personal information that is online. Also soon to be retired the question kept bugging me on how much or how many commitments do I really want after I retire. Will more followers/readers require bogging on a more frequent basis. Would I want unexpected visitors while traveling, like I have read recently on other blogs.

So the easy way was to just delete the blog and forget it. Still there are times I do enjoy writing. It's kind of like a journal for my whole process of "bad brain" thinking and at the same time a source of information for others that are looking for trailer info, towing info, motorhome info and traveling with dogs. So maybe all of my gibberish may help someone in the future if it hasn't already.

As of today and for the future the blog is back and I'll try to blog on a regular basis. I just find it hard to post since the weather has FINALLY changed for the best here in the Midwest plus I am not traveling yet.

So there are many days I don't have anything I feel would be interesting to my readers to put on the blog.

Last Saturday it rained most of the morning with a good weather forecast tarting last Sunday. My 10 day forecast looked like the over night freezing temps were over for the year, so I decided to de-winterize the RV.

Since I have been paying for road side service via insurance (too high), I decided to call and have them come out and repair the flat tire I had from sitting in the winter. I am glad I did because the lug wrench would not have worked. He used an impact wrench to get the lug nuts off and had the spare installed with the valve extensions, without a problem. He then aired up the flat tire because I had told him it sounded as if the loss of air was from the extended valve. 24 hours later the tire still the full amount of air in it, so it is a bad extended valve that caused the flat.

Sunday I started early with the de-winterizing process and It took less time than the process of winterizing. Then I pulled the chalks, fired it up, headed down the narrow drive with just enough room to miss the corner of my house and headed to the local air pumps to bring the tires up to the required weight. I took about a 12 mile test drive and the rig rode smooth and quiet. I wanted to keep going without going back to the house, it was that enjoyable.

So the blog is back, the rig is ready to hit the road and the weather has been great for a change.

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.