SteveandLiz

Congrats. Don. I'm glad things worked out well with the house sale and that you like the Newmar. We have been procrastinating and are on a 3 month trip right now. Heading to the UP of Michigan, then the Dakotas followed by the Newmar rally in Pueblo, CO. After that we're off to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and then finish up with the Hoots rally in Texas. Once we get back we start in earnest with the house. Our "drop dead" date is April 1st even if it hasn't sold. We will be hitting the road then full time and only returning for closing. May even do that electronically from the road. Best of luck to you and I look forward to your blog. Enjoy the Rally in VT. Steve

Kyla, We are fortunate that we live in a neighborhood that has very little problems with crime so that isn't an issue and we have our neighbors keep an eye on the house. They will either take care of the issue or give us a call depending on the problem. So far so good. We keep our fingers crossed when we are gone for several months at a time. Since we live in the south, we do have to have a lawn service take care of the mowing, spraying and bush trimming most of the year. Once we sell the house, it will be like getting a pay raise for us. If I have the bee problem again, I will turn the fan on low and help some of them get out of there without smashing them. The rest will have to find their way out or perish, and once they are lifeless I will just remove the screen and empty them into the trash. That should keep me from making another mess. I could also put some Maxx Air Vent covers over them, but just haven't taken the time. It makes life interesting. Good luck to you and keep the faith. Keep in touch with all of us hear on the forum. It's a great life!!

Welcome Kyla! Good luck to you. I applaud your adventurous spirit. Although we are retired, it seems that adventure attracts all ages. We are also in a slow process of working our way into the full timer realm. Currently, we are half timers. We are on the road for two or three months and then back home for a couple and then on the road again. If we stay home long enough to get rid of some stuff, we should put our house on the market later this year or early next. I think you will find a lot of support from this group and you might want to check out Xscapers as there are a lot of young people involved with them and they are affiliated with Escapees. Keep that website going. It looks great and writing posts (and poems) is a great expressive outlet. I might suggest that you try to get your van in tip top shape before you hit the road for any extended travel. We are fairly new to RV'ing but I can tell you it is much easier to fix and replace things at home than it is on a road, especially in some secluded spot. Safe Travels to you and Hoppy.

Don, Sounds like you are moving right along. We had three vehicles so quite a few months ago we sold the 2014 VW Bug as it could only be towed on a dolly and we didn't want to do that. That turned out to be a good move as it was a diesel. Actually it was a great car with great mileage and acceleration, but the issue with VW altering the emissions has hurt the resale value. Usually we are on the other end of these things, but this time it worked out. We tow our Ford Edge which is working out great. We got the dealer to include a Blue Ox hitch, base plate and installation in our deal so fortunately, I didn't have to worry about any of the installation. I like the Zillow listing approach. I wasn't aware that you could do that. We may have to give that a try when we are ready. Also congrats to your wife Jane. I know she will enjoy it. We are enjoying everything about it and the traveling too. We have a short trip next month to see my mother in Illinois and then back through SC to the Freightliner Service Center in Gafney for the year service on the chassis. It's funny how they figure the date. It is not when you bought it, but when it was made so ours is due in May of 2016 even though we bought it last October. That's ok though because it will have 8000 miles on it and it should be serviced. These things aren't like cars that you can fudge on the service. Pay me now or pay me later! As far as the balloon festival is concerned we are already booked for that through the Newmar Kountry Klub. It was pricey but it is something I have wanted to do for a long time as a photographer. We camp in the VIP section adjacent to the launch field for 6 days and 5 nights. We plan to leave August 1st. and go through Illinois to visit my mother and then to Michigan for a month then we will work our way to Pueblo, CO for the international Newmar Rally and then to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta. Once we leave there we are going to visit a few sites in New Mexico and then end up at the Hoots (iRV2) rally in Texas. Finally, we will work our way home. At least that's the plan. Later....

Don, I haven't talked to you in a while, but it sounds like things are going pretty well for you. Even if you stay in the area a little longer, hopefully you will have sold the house. Boy that Mountain Aire is sure shining under the lights. That is a really nice coach and I'm sure you will be very happy with it. I know you are ready to get that thing out of storage and ready to go. We have been traveling most of the winter and just got back from a nine week trip. Details on the blog: http://fulltimingit.com We have been having so much fun traveling that we have ignored getting the house ready. We are back on it now, but leave for a month here shortly, however, we will then be here till August when we leave for three months again. Somehow we will get this place ready in the next year. Doesn't look like we will make Vermont this summer, but hope to catch up with you soon. Good luck with that MA. Steve

Kampincrazy, Good luck on your knee replacement. So far I've been able to avoid that, but have had other issues so I guess no one can escape some malady. We spent January at Bentsen Palms RV Resort in Mission, TX and enjoyed it. We have never been to South Texas before so it was interesting and an enjoyable change from Florida. There is plenty to do and as you would expect the Mexican food is plentiful and tasty. I think the jalapenos there are even hotter than anywhere else. Lots of things to see and do and a lot of folks make the trek over to Mexico. We decided not to do that, but might another time. We then headed west and spent some time in Terlingua and Lajitas int the desert at Big Bend National Park. It is worth the trip and quite the experience. I wrote a few posts about our visit to Mission and Big Bend on our blog. http://fulltimingit.com Just be mindful of the mice that want to try to come into your rig when you are parked for a long time, and you'll get used to the constant sound of Border Patrol helicopters flying above the park at night. Actually we had fun and there were a lot of activities held by the park staff. The local folks love their "Winter Texans".

Don, Thanks for the nice comments. We are really enjoying it and heading to Charleston, SC for Thanksgiving with the kids and their families. It will be the first time they see the coach. Congrats on 22 days left. I know you there is a perpetual smile on your face. Enjoy retirement and the rig search. Don't get yourself all wound up in the decision making process. Remember, it's supposed to be fun!! Keep us informed of your progress. R. Walter, Thanks for your comments also and congrats on 163 days left. Your smile will get bigger as you get closer. I remember that it seemed like it took forever, but when it finally arrived - Oh What a Day!! Your way ahead of us as we have to pry ourselves out of the coach to get busy here with the house. We have one more trip planned and then we are going to focus on the house issues. We leave the middle of December and return the middle of February. Hopefully we will be ready then! Steve

Here is a link to some pics of our new RV. We took delivery at the Newmar factory in Nappanee, IN and spent 5 days camping in their campgound with a tech available everyday to handle any issues that we might find. Other than a few minor issues, we spent most of the time learning all the systems of a diesel coach. Once we were done we took a little over two weeks to work our way back to GA. We plan to do extended stay trips over the next year while we get the house ready to sell. We're both looking forward to being on the road. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/52mdx5iqe3ewzta/AAAUadzEeGM3LkOa5YqhQFIOa?dl=0 Thanks

Don, You're right. Thanks for remembering. We took delvery on Oct. 12th and spent the week at Newmar in Nappanee, IN. We then took a little over two weeks to get home and now have 1700 miles under our belt. Great experience and some adventurous times. we are still smiling. I will try to get some pics up soon. We are catching up here and I need to take a few pics of the inside too before I post. Steve

Don, I try to think more long term on the market or I will go crazy. What a mess! Even if your not buying a big show like Tampa is really a lot of fun. You really get to see what is out there and you can get a lot of ideas of what you might want. It really made us think. Plus they have an unbelievable amount of other vendors that have all kind of neat acessories for your RV and literature on campgrounds and sites all over the country. It's the Disney World of RV'ng. We pick up the coach two weeks from today and needless to say we are excited. Thanks for asking. We took our TT to the dealer last week and closed the deal so the garrage is full of stuff from the trailer and other gear we have purchased to haul to Nappanee and put in the new coach. The factory delivery process is five days so we will be camped at the factory until the 17th and then we are taking a week to visit my mother in Illinois and then two more weeks to work our way back to GA. I attached a pic of the new RV. I am going to look into the 2016 Rally. My wife is from MA so it might be a great time to go to New England. Steve

Don, You should go to the Tampa Super Show in January. It's as big as Hershey or close to it and it would be a nice break from the cold. It's a manufacturers sponsored event so there is a chance for some decent pricing. We went last year and learned what was available and approximate prices. Actually there is so much stuff there it is overwhelming. If you did find something you could probably work it so you didn't take delivery till the snow melts. Just a thought. Steve http://events.frvta.org/florida-rv-supershow/

Getting a Little Closer! Liz and I are getting a little closer to our full time goal, at least on the RV side. The getting rid of the stuff and the house ready to sell part is still going slowly. The kids are coming into town on Labor Day to lay claim to anything they would like before we start the garage sale/Craigs list business. I was wondering if anyone out there has just contracted with an estate sale company to come in and handle most everything? It certainly would take a lot of stress off us and I'm not sure how much more money we might make doing it on our own. We also have to contact a realtor to see what they think is best as far as staging the house. Our target is sometime in the Spring of 2016. We are fortunate and can take our time as we are already retired and we didn't have to liquidate the house to get the RV. So now for the fun part. We started our RV search back in January with the Tampa RV show. After much hand wringing and discussion we decided on a Class A and then ultimately on a Newmar. Newmar is very ameneable to individual customization so once we chose the model and availlable options we wanted then we started to choose colors, countetops, sink styles etc. that weren't normally offered and that fit our taste. I added electrical outlets and we will have cell and wifi booster antenas added to the roof. We chose factory delivery, so in October when we pick this baby up we will have a week of camping at the factory in Nappanee, IN with a tech at our disposal for that week to completely explain all the systems and how to operate and maintain them. Plus we will drive and live in it so that they can correct anything we might find wrong. They will do other minor installations that we might want such as install inline surge protectors. Finally, we jsut retrned from a three week trip in our TT that included a factory stop to watch part of the build process. It takes 28 days from chasis prep to final paint to complete a unit, but the purchasing customer can watch the four days when they are putting the house on top of the chasis. It was really exciting to watch them actually build what we had helped design and to see it all come together. I've attached a link with pics from the build and a few others that were sent to us once they finished painting it. They are doing the pre delivery inspections now and we were scheduled for pickup on Sept. 14th but because of family obligations we can't get there till Oct. 12th. :-( We are going to have trouble staying out of this thing once we get it. https://www.dropbox.com/sc/u6izbugtlk68nga/AAAXOhxbs0FqOEdE0k3ypYXZa Blog http://fulltimingit.com

Don, Great to hear your plans and love the owl shot on your site. Its fantastic. I do like hdr and try to do them in a way that they don't look over processed. I've kind of put photography on hold as we have been focusing on stuff around here. Once things slow down I hope to get back in to it. We are already retired and I have the Newmar ordered so we can really go at any time once we take delivery in October. I figure we will wait till late spring to put the house on the market as I think it will sell quicker. Until then we are traveling occasionally in the TT. When we go to Newmar in Nappanee, IN at the end of the month to watch them build our coach we plan to meet a couple other Newmar owners who we met on another forum. Once we get the new coach it will be hard to stay out of it, but we need to split our time with travelling and getting rid of stuff here. We are keeping our Ford Edge to tow four down. I bought a new VW Beetle convertible TDI last year before we decided to buy a class a so I just sold it. Certainly didn't need that payment. I think you will be happy with a Tiffen or Newmar Ductch Star. Both are great companies that stand behind their product. We liked both the Phaeton and the Allegro Bus in the Tiffen line. I wouldn't hesitate to buy either one used. Initially we wanted to buy a used Dutch Star or Mountain Aire, but ended up making the decision to buy new but had to go with the lesser model. I'm sure we will be happy. I have a Progressive Industries EMS for the TT and won't be without it. Newmar is hard wiring one in the new coach. You are right about the voltage. We have encountered it only one time while camping in Florida. The EMS we have kept cutting off the power to the trailer because of the voltage drop at the pedastel, but it wasn't designed to boost it so we had to wait till it came back to an acceptable level before having power. It would have been nice to have the Hughes Autoformer. We may end up adding one of them too, if I have any money left. Lol. Check our blog and I will post pics of the build. Keep in touch and safe travels! http://fulltimingit.com

Don, Sorry I haven't been active here much lately. Always great to meet another LEO and a photographer to boot. Please give me your photo website so I can check it out. Photography has taken a little bit of a back seat lately. Hopefully it will pick up as we get along in the process here. We have been slowly working at getting stuff done, but there is no sense of real urgency yet (Our plan is to put the house on the market in the spring of 2016). I have sold my boats and our 2014 VW convertible goes today. I've also sold a few bigger items from the garage but, unfortunately, I have accumulated a lot of stuff - all of which was important at the time. The kids still have to come by with their "I want" list and then we will have to decide how we want to handle what's left. I'm for just turning it over to an auctioneer and letting it go and what doesn't go they can haul it off. My problem is that once I'm ready to move on I have little patience in dealing with all the details of selling the stuff. We will see what the realtor says we should keep for showing the house. I guess furnished is better than not. I certainly hope our house goes as quick as the ones by you. It has been a slow market here in Southeast Georgia. We were spoiled as we used to live in the DC area and all our homes there sold in a few days. We have been mixing travel in our TT along with getting the house ready. I won't go into that as I try to post our trips on our blog, but traveling helps remind us of what we are working towards. We ordered our new coach, a 2016 Newmar 4041 DP all electric. Since we special ordered it, we were able to spec it out like we wanted. Newmar allows a lot of individualization in the order. We are adding a few things that aren't even on their option list. We are headed to Nappanee, IN at the end of the month to watch them build it and we will be taking delivery at the factory in early October. We have a five day orientation and shake down run with one of Newmar's techs assigned to educate us and address any problems that might show up. We are obviously excited about that. Once we get the new coach, I will really have to discipline myself as i'm sure I will want to travel even more. So I guess we will focus on getting the house in good condition to sell and slowly work on the mundane tasks of ridding ourselves of 40 years of accumulated things until October. And so it goes.... fulltimingit.com

A big Hello to everyone planning to full time in 2016. This is Steve of Steve and Liz. I spent 35 years in law enforcement before retiring in 2009. Liz and I ended up in Brunswick, GA on the coast and we really like it here. We started Rving in October of last year when we purchased a 27' TT that we have put about 5000 miles on traveling in the Southeast and up into the Midwest. We are really having trouble staying out of it and have another trip planned in April that will take us through 10 states and over 2000 miles. In January of this year, for a multitude of reasons, we decided to work towards traveling full time starting in 2016. So we are just getting started, and we look forward to sharing our adventure and learning from all of you who have gone before us. I jsut started a blog to chronicle our trials and tribulations, mainly for family and friends, but would welcome you all visiting it. You can learn more than you want to about us. This is my first attempt at a blog and am just learning the software so all I ask is for you to keep that in mind when viewing it. I also do amateur photography and I will attach a link to that too. You can just check out the slide show for a sample. http://fulltimingit.com http://sbahrnsphoto.com I know I am going to enjoy beeing an Escapeee. We have already camped at Sumter Oaks in Florida so we are getting excited. Thanks