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Class of 2017


Tumbleweed

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Congrats on the house sale!!!

 

You're almost past the finish line.

 

It has to be exciting.

 

We're just starting to get our house ready for sale. We're not planning on selling it until next year.

 

Dave

Dave

2008 Airstream 34’ Classic Trailer

Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins CTD

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Yes, time is getting closer but it still seems so far away. We are continually going through all our stuff. We laugh at some of what we have found from years and years ago. We will be putting our home up for sale the beginning of 2017. Kathryn

Kathryn

2011 Winnebago Itasca Suncruiser 35p

2016 Ford Focus

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  • 3 weeks later...

This is my first post as a member of the class of 2017. It was supposed to be 2016, but our youngest daughter took a year after college graduation to find a career job. She moves out this coming Sunday! So now, all that stands between us and full timing is decluttering, downsizing, and selling the house. Since we've been in this house for over 30 years, we are fairly well cemented in. So downsizing is a tall order. Hopefully, we'll sell in the spring.

 

Since our current travel trailer isn't suitable for full timing, we plan to move up to a 5th wheel. Before we do that, We'll probably temporarily relocate to Asheville, NC, out planned permanent location after full timing. While there, we'll get the 5th wheel and the tow vehicle and then hit the road.

 

Mean time: soak up as much knowledge about preparing for full timing.

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Wannabes in:

 

Welcome to the class of 2017. Your plans sound exciting.

 

The Escapee forums contain a wealth of knowledge.

 

What brand of 5th wheel are you considering?

 

Dave

Dave

2008 Airstream 34’ Classic Trailer

Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins CTD

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Wannabes in:

 

Welcome to the class of 2017. Your plans sound exciting.

 

The Escapee forums contain a wealth of knowledge.

 

What brand of 5th wheel are you considering?

 

Dave

To be determined! Funny story: We expected to be traveling with 3 cats and medium/large dog. Didn't see any way they could travel comfortably in the back seat of a pick up truck, so 5th wheels were off the table untill....this past January, when we were at the local RV show. Spent the afternoon looking mostly at class Cs, but as we were heading for the exits, my daughter wandered into a 5th, called my wife in, who called me in. Wife fell in love with the front living room layout. Suddenly, 3 cats and a dog were no problem in a pickup. Game changer!! So, we've only been exploring 5ths since January. Things also got a bit more simple when, sadly, we had to put our aged dog to sleep this past Spring. We know the floor plans that work for us, and are getting a handle on what equipment we want, but we aren't sure how to determine the brands with the best reputations for reliability, quality,etc. Any hints?

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To be determined! Funny story: We expected to be traveling with 3 cats and medium/large dog. Didn't see any way they could travel comfortably in the back seat of a pick up truck, so 5th wheels were off the table untill....this past January, when we were at the local RV show. Spent the afternoon looking mostly at class Cs, but as we were heading for the exits, my daughter wandered into a 5th, called my wife in, who called me in. Wife fell in love with the front living room layout. Suddenly, 3 cats and a dog were no problem in a pickup. Game changer!! So, we've only been exploring 5ths since January. Things also got a bit more simple when, sadly, we had to put our aged dog to sleep this past Spring. We know the floor plans that work for us, and are getting a handle on what equipment we want, but we aren't sure how to determine the brands with the best reputations for reliability, quality,etc. Any hints?

 

All brands have some type of issue(s). I own a Heartland Landmark and the forum (heartlandowners.org) is VERY active--it makes the Escapees' forum seem sleepy and if help is needed, there are almost instant replies to questions, plus Heartland's customer service is one of the best.

Rex & Karen

Libre y pobre en La Casa Rodante

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Wannabervin:

 

5th wheels built for fulltiming are heavy and well built. Thus a substantial truck is needed. IMHO New Horizons are the Prevosts of 5th wheels. These units over 34' need a medium duty truck (class 4,5,6) or HDT. Outside of New Horizons, I am not familiar with who the good 5th wheel manufacturers are. Others will chime in here.

 

We decided that we will keep our life simple and stay with our trailer. However, it is only two of us.

 

Dave

Dave

2008 Airstream 34’ Classic Trailer

Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins CTD

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Wannabervin:

New Horizon is a great 5th wheel! We toured the factory last December. Very impressive, very heavy and at the high end financially.

We too are full timing and wanted something very study and able to go places we want to go, in most any weather. We also wanted something on the smaller side. We also wanted something more in line with our price range. We ordered a 34 ft. Ambition made by Augusta RV. They are just now beginning to make the 34 ft and ours will be only their 2nd one made that size. They also make the LUX which is a higher end 5th than the Ambition. Great floor plans too! The sizes range from 36ft to 40ft but like I said, they have just started making a 34.6ft. We pick ours up in October.

Check them out at:

augusta-rv.com

Good luck!!

Kathie and Tom

Ambition 33QS (Honalee)

Augusta RV

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Time for an update!

 

WOW things have REALLY shifted into light speed! All those extra credit courses we seem to have taken have pretty much shifted us into the Class of 2016 (even though we are sorta “Early Graduates” we will always be in the Class of 2017 though!)

 

DEEP BREATH so Here Goes!

 

Our son graduated with a BSRN in May, was immediately accepted to the Critical Care RN Residency at Crestwood Medical Center. He moved out shortly after graduation and is set up in an apartment not 2 blocks from the Medical Center!

 

Our daughter moved out of the house 2 weeks ago and is soon to receive a B.S. in Criminology. Her Major Professor is fairly confident she can get an interview FBI academy as soon as she turns 21, so we are now officially Empty Nesters!

 

The Estate Sale is the 22nd and the house is on the market as of that day as well! Yesterday we signed for our Forest River Berkshire XLT! We are over the moon happy new owners, as I type this to y’all from our new motorhome!

 

We will drive back to Huntsville tomorrow--we have been on a 3 day shakedown campout here in Elkhart, IN (hey if you’re gonna do it, might as well buy at the factory J )

 

So the near-term plans are: Survive the Estate Sale and hope and pray the house sells quickly! Other than that, as of 15 July we will be out of the house and in Fulltime status!

 

Both of us are still on glide slope to retirement 31 DEC 2017 from US Army Civil Service and then in 2018 we start the adventure of a lifetime and head up the AlCan to Alaska with 15 other RVs in a caravan we are organizing!

 

Still want to remain active in Class of 2017 – I guess we can hang around as the early graduates – sorta like those seniors at high school that graduated but kept coming back to the campus to relive high school life ​!

Bob & Anne-Marie Williams

| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego bikes |

| Nights Camped: 2013 - 242014 - 422015 - 56Jul 2016 - Fulltime |

 

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Bob and Anne-Marie,

 

Yeah, stay in 2017. We are living in the 5th wheel full time, but don't consider ourselves true full-timers because I'm still working through Feb 2017. Once we're free to travel at will, then that's what I consider a "true" full-timer.

 

Rex

Rex & Karen

Libre y pobre en La Casa Rodante

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Bob & Anne-Marie:

 

Congrats on getting it all done and getting your new Forest River Berkshire XLT.

 

Exciting times!

 

It's great that you will be staying with the class of 2017.

 

Dave

Dave

2008 Airstream 34’ Classic Trailer

Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins CTD

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Well.... I Was going to post a couple of photos of our new baby but...does the forum not allow photo uploads?

Bob & Anne-Marie Williams

| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego bikes |

| Nights Camped: 2013 - 242014 - 422015 - 56Jul 2016 - Fulltime |

 

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We are less than six month away from our first members starting their fulltiming in 2017.

 

Where are you planning on going and what are you planning on doing during your first year of fulltiming?

 

Dave

Dave

2008 Airstream 34’ Classic Trailer

Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins CTD

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Well...we will begin Fulltiming NEXT SUNDAY!!!!!

 

But unfortunately, we are still Fulltiming at our jobs :unsure:

 

So, for now short vacations here and there and then when we retire in DEC 2017, we head out to Florida & the Keys, then travel the AlCan in 2018!

Bob & Anne-Marie Williams

| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego bikes |

| Nights Camped: 2013 - 242014 - 422015 - 56Jul 2016 - Fulltime |

 

event.png



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Florida for Jan 2017, followed by a one week TBD stop halfway to Pensacola, then at Fort Walden for a week and then two weeks in N.O. For Mardi Gras and a visit with our niece.

 

The balance of 2017 is probably a loop up the interior west and down the west coast landing in the Mesa/Phoenix area for winter 2017.

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Early Graduates :)

 

So, here we are at Redstone Arsenal - officially Fulltimers! excited, scary, happy, sad, the whole gamut of emotions...but regardless over the moon happy with each other and our current and future plans!

Estate sale starts next Thursday (thru Sunday) House is on the market as of Wednesday and we have completely moved into out Berkshire XLT. We will live in it at Redstone Arsenal until out retirement in December 2017.

Here we gooooo!! ​​​

Bob & Anne-Marie Williams

| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego bikes |

| Nights Camped: 2013 - 242014 - 422015 - 56Jul 2016 - Fulltime |

 

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