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Class of 2018


wfuge

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OMG.... does anyone know how much crap you collect after 47 years of marriage.... Wait! Of course you do, we're all in the same boat.... We've started the countdown and are seriously downsizing, after a few half hearted attempts. I have over 100 Harley shirts, 70 Harley books, a complete woodworking shop in my workshop, two roll about with tools, where does it end??? Give me strength to keep what I need, donate what I don't, and the wisdom to know the difference......

 

Jeff and Diane

HouselessNotHomeless

I support the "Thin Blue Line"

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On 10/31/2015 at 8:26 AM, cesalie2 said:

Greetings,

 

DW and I are working toward retirement 31DEC17.

 

DD, her husband and 4 grandchildren live with us while they are completing Nursing School. They will both graduate December 2017. While it is a joy to have them with us, DW home schools the grandkids, maintains the home and helps with the farm.

 

Our current plan is to start 2018 by decluttering our sticks and bricks and preparation for sale.

 

We purchased a used rig July 2015 and initiated bringing all the maintenance current...a large and costly endeavor. I am pleased we have our future full time rig now so we have the time to get it the way we want before hitting the road.

 

Daniel & Lynda

"...of the best laid plans of mice and men..."

Unexpectedly events have turned in our favor...

Putting the finishing touches on our "sticks and bricks" and will list 01APR17 (not an April Fools joke :-)

I am retiring 02JUN17...guess I am graduating in 2017!

Good luck to everyone!

 

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Well we were in the Class of 2017 but looks like Class of 2018 is what it will be. Plans change! 

Like Cesalie2 we have a child and 2 grandchildren leaving with us. We are trying to decide what to do regarding the house. Our plan changed from retiring in August 2017 to January 2018. The house sale is still in limbo but we plan to winter in AZ and try 3-4 locations for a month or so at a time. We have narrowed the area and identified RV parks that look like a fit and have contacted them about 2018 reservations.

We will sell and probably rent something closer to son and his family since the youngest grandchild is there and the ones that live with us are in high school. We have always talked about fulltime but are realizing that we still need to maintain roots.

We bought our retirement home and tow vehicle 2 years ago in preparation for the day! Working at getting the camper the way we want it and making sure everything is in tip top shape (bought a used unit). We are working at de-cluttering the house and have the first garage sale planned for the end of April.

We will be parking the rig at a County Park about an hour from our jobs so we can take some long weekend to rest for the drudgery of downsizing and getting things ready to sell during the week.  The lot rent at the County Park is $375/mo and includes water and electric (free dumping or $15 to come on pump you out).

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  • 4 weeks later...

Looks like we will be joining the class of 2018. Wanted to make it this year, but a slow real estate market in our part of Wyoming and too many remodeling projects, my old contractor days coming out in me, moved things out to 2018.

We've already sold much of the furniture, had garage sales, donated a LOT of stuff to some local charities. Getting close to just the necessities left in the sticks and bricks. But still have a shop full of construction tools and cabinet building/woodworking tools to move to the sons' houses. Still, it sure feels good to finally be letting go of all the stuff one accumulates over 4+ decades, lol, as many of you know.

Will be ordering the new 5er toy hauler and tow rig, and selling the old 5er and pickup. Before my DW and I got married a year and a half ago I told her my plan to full time and her response was, "Let's go now!" When she said that I knew she was a keeper and the perfect match for me.

So looks like we will be joining all of you fine folks to become part of the Class of 2018.

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/14/2015 at 7:40 PM, filthy-beast said:

We are planning for early retirement and going fulltime in 2018. Only wrinkle that could delay the plan is what will options and cost for pre-medicare healthcare be like in three years. I'm worried it will north of 2k a month. With that said, currently in learning mode and having fun figureing out what we want have as our house on wheels when the time comes.

Lurker, finally speaking up.

Ditto every word of this paragraph. Additionally we will be homeschooling our youngest, who will be either 7 or 8 depending on what time next year we pull the plug. Older kids will be graduated and gone.

Scared and excited all at once! ? 

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4 hours ago, Burgin said:

Lurker, finally speaking up.

Ditto every word of this paragraph. Additionally we will be homeschooling our youngest, who will be either 7 or 8 depending on what time next year we pull the plug. Older kids will be graduated and gone.

Scared and excited all at once! ? 

Wow, I can understand why you guys would be a bit scared. While we don't have any children younger than 27, the health ins. issue can be a big concern to those of us who are pre-Medicare. Currently my health ins. is fully covered by my employer, but it was ridiculous to cover my wife on our group plan with my employer.

We found a faith based ins. plan through our pastors for my wife. But still, to cover both of us for 2-3 years for me and 4-5 years for my wife puts a big dent in the monthly budget.

Still excited though.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I guess it's time for an update. We are now just exactly a year away from retirement and hitting the road. We have settled on what coach we want to buy. The first week of June we went on a factory tour and watched them build a coach like the one we want. Then, towards the end of June we took one for a test drive. That really settled it in our minds so there is no more debating. We are also in the midst of purchasing a Thousands Trails Elite Membership. I think we got a great deal on the membership so we are very pleased with that. It should fit our needs very well. We have also started collecting some of the items we want for the coach. And of course, we will now start weeding stuff out and disposing of stuff we won't take with us. 

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  • 2 months later...

Another update. We have now established our Escapees Florida address and made a trip down to Bushnell and got our Florida drivers licenses. Yesterday we were at the Hershey RV show and put the final touches on the order for our Entegra Aspire 44B motorhome. We got a great deal from RV One and will take delivery in July from their Orlando location when I retire. 

I also should add that the Thousand Trails Membership is finalized and we have booked our first adventure which is a Fall Colors Tour in New England. 

Edited by wfuge
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Include us in the 2018 Class.  We have began the purge giving things to children, having our first garage sell in a couple of weeks, selling some other major items we will not need any longer, and doing some house repairs to put it on the market.  Plan now is to be on the road the first of June if not earlier.  

We started in tents, went to a pop-up camper, then to a TT, then to a Class C.  Looking at a Class A gasser for retirement travel.  It is good to hear that other sales people don't know their unites or have any idea what it is to full time.  Still trying to pick up advice and knowledge from experienced folks to make our journey a little easier and more pleasurable.

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Hi all, we want to join the class!!  DH and I are actually going down to Florida (Palm Harbor) Nov. 1, 2017 - Feb. 1, 2018 for our "trial run" to make sure we like it then coming back home to either put the house for rent or for sale.  We are in the process of establishing our new Florida address with St. Brendan's Isle in Green Cove Springs, FL.  We are also starting to go through closets, sell/giveaway some things.  Our house is in good shape to sell except for needing some inside painting and new carpet and getting rid of all the contents!

Question ladies: what are you doing with your crystal/china?  I thought about saving it for my niece or nephews (I have no kids) but I can't imagine it will be used any more in 20 years than it is now! So I'm thinking about selling but feel like I"ll probably get nothing compared to it's value! 

BTW we got a 2014 Thor Tuscany 40' class A this past February and are still learning how to work everything. Have been on two week long trips with her and love it so far!

Looking forward to getting to know you all and see you on the road!

Kat and Jacques

:D

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  • 3 weeks later...

Katblondie,

Welcome to the class of 2018. My wife and I just did the Florida thing. It sounds like we are doing much the same things, going through closets etc.  We currently live in Virginia but we have a nice set of china sitting in a storage unit in California that we will have to deal with at Christmas when we are there. So far we haven’t found anyone interested in buying them, so it looks like they will end up a donation.  

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  • 1 month later...

Didn't know we would be Graduating so quickly! Looks like we will be in the class of 2018!

My wife (53) and I (57) decided to retire early and start RVing fulltime. Our house is too big and we started clearing it out. (Winter project). We own a new truck (2016 GMC Sierra 2500HD) and a new travel trailer (2017 Cougar 28RLS).

Background- We spent 65 days and 11000 miles on the road in 2017. We had an absolute blast! It's killing us we wont go out again until April 2018. (Hence the extra energy to clear out the house) Should be our last winter in the north.

We are already members of KOA, GS and PA.  With help from this group (We will join soon) we can "catch up" on how to become Full timers.

BTW-This is my first post. 

Rob and Marie (Class of 2018)

Lucy and Ethyl (Chihuahua Shitzu) (sisters) 

2016 GMC Sierra 2500HD

2019 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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On the most part we are doing the same. Waiting for full declutter in January.  Exception-Our daughter needed two beds for her new place and it worked well to get rid of those now. More room for sorting the sell pile and the storage pile.  

Before my termination we had already made reservations for two vacation trips next year. Those are still a go.  Va beach and Yellowstone.  Then we need to put the shifter in low gear as we try to learn how to be work campers.  We have enough saved to be full timers for 7 years.  That’s  when SS kicks in. 401k kicks in 2 years if we need it.  

I recieved two offers for medical today. One is catastrophic insurance for $266/month. The other is Medicaid insurance. Luckily the wife and I had a good bill of health in Oct. still not sure what direction we will go.  

Edited by Ridgekid
Spell check.

Rob and Marie (Class of 2018)

Lucy and Ethyl (Chihuahua Shitzu) (sisters) 

2016 GMC Sierra 2500HD

2019 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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Since my last visit.......

Passport America is having a Black Friday sale. 7 year membership for $184.

99% sure we are going with Catastrophic Health insurance.

Thought about TT. Not really convinced that's the way we want to go. Been doing a lot of reading by wheelingit.us It's almost like he can read my mind what I want to do.

Was approved to be Campground Host at a local State Campground here in Pa! (highlight of our week!)

Added another vacation week to the list. Our son is a camper and requested our presence in Myrtle Beach for the 4th of July. (Lakewood)

Probably put the house up for sale in Mid May.

Joined Escapees but didn't get my SKP# yet. Hope it didn't go to spam.......

Had a bitter sweet Thanksgiving with the kids. Our last in our home. Dropped the bomb on them of our plans and they are very supportive. Proof we have the best kids in the world......

Rob and Marie (Class of 2018)

Lucy and Ethyl (Chihuahua Shitzu) (sisters) 

2016 GMC Sierra 2500HD

2019 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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  • 2 weeks later...

It looks like DW & I are set to join the class of 2018 around July, ranch is sold except for the final details. We will still be working but living in our new home on wheels (2018 Keystone Montana & 2008 Volvo VNL 670).....at least until we can figure out an affordable healthcare plan of some kind. I've been living in snow country for all my life and I'm ready for sunny & 72........the downsizing has began.

28059299_1833533436658807_2906550914030110103_n.jpg.f147a9cc234fdcc2812d3b66d5777952.jpg2008 Volvo 670,D13, 13 speed,2018 Montana 3210MS

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We are joining the class of 2018.  Our anticipated launch date is the end of January 2018.  Less than two months to go!!  It is hard to believe that it is finally almost time to hit the road.  The road to this point has been filled with research, determination, fear, stress and most of all...excitement.   We sold our house early this summer and have been living temporarily in an apartment.   We plan on heading south to Florida to get established and then we will start heading west.  

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Time for another update-

Got the catastrophic health insurance. Needed something until we find something affordable.

Cleaning out closets. Took our first truckload to Good Will. Advertising other stuff for sale.

We are ATV'ers. Our ATV club has a campground. We were AUX members based on our volunteer time to the club. Work kept me away for almost two years. We were grandfathered back into our position and given a campsite. We now have a free* place to live from April 1-Nov 1. (*=We Pay for Electric and Pump out and Volunteer for club events)

Next challenge-Looking for a place to winter Nov 1, 2018-March 31, 2019 and beyond. We hope to solve that issue by July while we are vacationing in Myrtle Beach. Looking for suggestions-

 

Rob and Marie (Class of 2018)

Lucy and Ethyl (Chihuahua Shitzu) (sisters) 

2016 GMC Sierra 2500HD

2019 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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Welcome Crazy Camper and Purple Tractor.  We "feel" your anxiety as we too more towards becoming full timers. I think sharing our ideas and suggestions are an important part of our decision making. Should help us in making any undesirable mistakes.

Well back to packing and planning...Happy Holidays~

Rob and Marie (Class of 2018)

Lucy and Ethyl (Chihuahua Shitzu) (sisters) 

2016 GMC Sierra 2500HD

2019 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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  • 2 weeks later...

We will be joining the 2018 group on April 1st.  We have the house for sale, and we've rented a small storage shed.  We have been de-cluttering for months, and have begun selling our furniture.  We like everyone else have acquired a lot of "stuff" through the years.  We have made a sizable dent in the inventory, but will be making some harder decisions on what to "save" and what to part with in the next few months.  Darlene is already retired and my last day of work is 3/29/18.  We will unplug the motor home and head to Florida on 3/30/18 first to set up domicile, then off to Disney with the grand kids.  After Florida we will slowly make our way West.  Hope to meet some of you on our journey.

Merry Christmas and save travels during this holiday season to all.

 

Joe and Darlene

1996 Newell 45' Motor Home

Detroit Diesel Series 60 with Allison 6 Speed Transmission

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

We travel with pets

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