Class of 2017

[Tumbleweed]

Bryan294:

 

Welcome to the class of 2017.

 

You will find a wealth of knowledge here!

 

It's great to have you on-board.

 

Dave

[BigTexRex]

Greetings from Virginia all! I plan on retiring 31 Mar 17, and the house is on the market now so we could be full-timing before that! We're not new to RVing but still have lots to learn as full-timers. We're looking forward to the experience and taking our time touring America at a nice slow pace!

 

You're right. We had been RVing for 8 years before we starting living in our 5th wheel full time and it seems like I still learn something new all the time. I'm still working until 1 March 17--upon retirement is when I'll consider ourselves real full-timers (free).

[Honalee]

Well, after 2plus years of researching, touring 4 factories and endless dealers and websites.... we flew to Bristol Indiana and ordered a new Augusta RV!!! We ordered an Ambition 33rl. They have been making the LUXE for several years and began making the Ambition a couple years ago. They are just now starting their first shorter version which is what we were interested in. It will be 34.6 feet. It's rugged and built well with 12 inch I beams and hung walls. We are so excited to have found a 5th wheel that is this size, for true full timing. We asked that it be completed the end of September. We hope to coordinate the house sale around that time and just move right into our new home. But, we all know how those plans usually go.... I don't consider us full timing until we actually retire in June 2017. But we are getting closer!!!

By the way, Augusta has pulled back all of their units from all dealers. They only sell from the factory now. They were not happy with the customer service at some dealers. They are extremely focused on customer service and quality. Call and talk with Debra Schmucker and you will see. We met factory workers who took such great pride in their work and the President of the company who is so full of energy and making the best units possible, which are also affordable. And, they do take trades.

So, I finally fell like we are on our way! We have learned so much and still have so much to learn since we are new to RVing. But, we are ready for the challenges. My husband keeps reminding me that it's a journey, not the destination that matters. So, I'm trying to relax and enjoy the journey.

Kathie and Tom - oops... forgot to say that we now need to find a truck to pull it with!!

[Tumbleweed]

Honalee:

 

Congratulations on your new 5th Wheel !!!

 

It's always very exciting in buying a new RV. It's like Christmas for adults.

 

I looked at the website; very impressive.

 

Dave

[Second_Star]

Hmm.. seems I haven't checked in for quite a while.

 

I've had to change my plans a little bit. I still technically will be a class of 2017, just not on the road. What I mean is, I will have sold the house off and moved into the fifth wheel, but I'll need to stick around the area for a few months to finish up my retirement. It will definitely be worth my while to stay put the little bit of extra time.

 

The house is coming down to the kitchen renovation being the last big ticket item and then I'll be finished! Most of the rooms are totally empty and the ones I live in have very little left. My running joke is that a burglar would be extremely disappointed.

 

I'm down to two fifth wheel models and will need to decide before too terribly much longer. I'm contemplating a trip to the manufacturer (same one for both models) this summer to see their build process and get some questions answered.

 

I'm also finding that there are a ton of details to be researched and understood. Seems like the list just doesn't end!

 

Russ

[NJTroy]

And the house went on the market this afternoon. We already had one showing and have two more booked over the next two days. It's suddenly very real.

[BigTexRex]

And the house went on the market this afternoon. We already had one showing and have two more booked over the next two days. It's suddenly very real.

Good luck...let us know how it goes.

[catsaplenty]

Hello all. I guess I believe I will be a member of this class. I think I am down to two choices - Phoenix Cruiser or Nexus. But then again in the last 2 years I have thought I knew what I was most likely to get - but it changed. More than once! Hope to put this together so my RV comes home to PA early next year. The animals and I will get used to it and use it extensively while getting the house sold.

 

It is exciting just to read about how all of you are progressing. I am looking forward to my own movement towards graduation.

[NJTroy]

We are through attorney review as of this morning and this afternoon we got the first pictures of our frame being built. It's an exciting time for us!

[DuneElliot]

I may be moving to the class of 2016. I have had some very negative dealings with my neighbor in the past week, including threats to my property, and I fear to stay in my home alone. I'd still prefer to wait until end of summer 2017 so I can save more money but I'm just not sure I can wait that long.

[NJTroy]

Oh, wow. I'm so sorry to hear that. Hopefully you are documenting everything in case you need to take action.

[DuneElliot]

I have been, and law enforcement has been informed as well...but they can't do anything unless he threatens me personally, or actually does something to my property. He's pretty unstable, but someone I also thought was a friend (before I learned about the instability) until he did an unexplainable 180 on me and started this nightmare.

[NJTroy]

Good news here today! My husband has been entangled in trying to get his retirement benefits sorted out from a company split. One of the two new companies is much more secure and for many reasons has more secure retirement benefits. The original position was that he was slated to retire under the less secure option, even though he had more years with the other company. He applied to be allowed to shift his service and retire under the more secure company. Today we got notification that they have shifted him and he will retire under the more secure company's benefits.

 

This is huge for us. More than the savings which are very nice, it means that I won't stay awake nights worrying that our health insurance will be pulled away from us before we are Medicare eligible. Having good quality insurance with national coverage is really important for us to be successful.

[AshleyDanh]

Welcome.

 

That's a great news. I like this post.

 

Be happy.

[HSVBamaBob]

Well I guess it's time for a update since it has been a few months of us lurking....

 

LOTS of moving forwards!! So a bullet list will be easier than a narrative!

 

Family "Stuff"

• Daughter moving out "Mostly" (she still has her room but that will change in a month)
• Daughter will apply (and with her contacts & Major Professor's (chair of Department) influence probably be accepted) to the FBI Academy next year when she turns 21. So daughter is "prepared to Launch"
• Son now a Graduated BSN, Critical Care RN and in the Residency Program at Crestwood Medical Center (full time $20+/hour job with promotion to a $30+/hour job in 6 months) accepted to Grad School for his Nurse Practitioners Master's Degree...so SON IS LAUNCHED!!!

So we have just been dorking around for the past 2 months, having sold our 5th Wheel and planning on our MotorHome (Yep, we are RV-homeless ATM LOL!)

 

So this last week, by circumstance, life went into warp drive!! Here is OUR update!

 

• Got a call from the Berkshire Diesel Division: Our Freightliner XCR Chassies is now IN and at MORyde getting leveled and having the box welded on. Assembly and build to start next Friday and we will visit our "Baby" at the plant on the 18th! (YES we will post picts if you want us too
• We pick up our new TOAD (Jeep Cherokee Overland) the end of this month.
• All the TOAD tow stuff is on order and will be in next week
• Total Value RV will be handling the delivery and we expect THAT to occur mid-end June. We will drive up to Elkhart with the TOAD packed to the gills and test-camp the Berkshire for 4-5 days at the factory just in case something needs to be fixed.
• Drive back to Alabama and move into the Berkshire while parked in our driveway. (Technically beginning our full-time experience!)
• We literally fell in to a Estate agent - saw a sale in our neighborhood and stopped to talk. She was so awesome we are going with her and will have the estate sale in July!
• House will go on the market soon after the estate sale!
• We will be moving to the RV Park on Redstone Arsenal in August - thus being "no Joke" full-time!
• Live at the RV Park until DEC next year when we retire--then we will be on the road!

 

WOW How things have changed in just 2 short months! So it looks like we will actually be graduating to the class of 2016 rather than 2017 LOL!

 

(Keep your fingers crossed that something does not derail this! The MoHo pickup is a done deal so we can't really stop now

[NJTroy]

Wow, nice progress there! We're calling ourselves 2016 1/2 class members at our house lol. We'll be out of our house this summer, RV should be ready roughly the same time. We'll leave the state after Christmas since DH's work is letting him work his last few months in their Austin, TX. We don't expect to officially be full timing until March-April of 2017.

[HSVBamaBob]

AWESOME News NJTroy! Austin TX is a nice (and ONLY) city in TX we would live in Almost like the Boston of the South - you will like it there!

 

Now to work on the PO Box for he next year and then the domicile issues!

[VallAndMo]

Hello folks,

 

For those still grappling with legal domicile questions (like us), I've just stumbled upon this article, which is the best I've seen until now:

 

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/communications-mail-cell/choosing-state-residence-getting-drivers-license/

 

Cheers,

--

Vall.

[BoonHauler]

Vall, thanks, that is a good one

[HSVBamaBob]

Got a chance to stop by the Forest River Diesel Division last week...the walls are going up and the roof should be on today - looking at a 27 June delivery date!

[MilesAndSmiles]

Tomorrow we're going to look at a 2007 Winnebago Sightseer on sale by a private owner. I've been watching YouTube videos and reading countless articles on how to inspect a used RV and at this point I've got brain fog! We've also been talking with the owners of a 2007 Hurricane. Both have less than 20,000 miles.

 

This is the point where the whole thing starts to feel real to me. Who knows, by this time next week we may be motorhome owners.

 

-Jeff

[Klc]

We took our 1st adventure on the weekend of the 13th. We went to Mackinaw City, MI where it was very cold. That gave us the opportunity to test out our furnace. So glad it worked fine. This long weekend we have much warmer weather and get to try out the air conditioning, hot water and a few other things. We are still experiencing problems with our auto leveling jacks. It looks like another trip to have it looked at. I am so glad we got our motorhome this year so we can get all the kinks out before we go ft next year. Can't wait.

[MilesAndSmiles]

Update: We decided not to buy either. Ultimately we decided the Hurricane wasn't in good enough shape. The Winnebago was pretty nice, but while test driving we noticed for the first time that it has a two-piece windshield. The more we talked about it, the more we realized that the obstruction (center post and wipers) would ultimately drive us batty. So, back to the drawing board! Now we are looking for Sightseers from 2010 and younger. I'm glad (as my wife regularly reminds me) we've got lots of time!

 

Tomorrow we're going to look at a 2007 Winnebago Sightseer on sale by a private owner. I've been watching YouTube videos and reading countless articles on how to inspect a used RV and at this point I've got brain fog! We've also been talking with the owners of a 2007 Hurricane. Both have less than 20,000 miles.

 

This is the point where the whole thing starts to feel real to me. Who knows, by this time next week we may be motorhome owners.

 

-Jeff

[Honalee]

Wow! Everyone is moving right along! We have really moved forward too! Over the weekend we bought a new GMC 3500 Diesel!! We finally have a tow vehicle! And then today, we ordered (actually put money down, which makes is very REAL) our 5th wheel from Augusta RV. They are putting it in the que and we asked to have it ready by early October. We hope to put the house on the market in September. We'll park it in the driveway until the house sells. That means we can take our time moving stuff into the 5th wheel. Then... the bad news is we have to continue working until June next year! But, that's okay. We plan to try out several RV parks and campgrounds around here and just get used to living in it. Then, off we go!! I'm so excited!!!

 

I'm glad to have this forum to communicate with people who understand us. Our friends say things like, "That sounds great but I could never do it." "Wow, you won't have a home!" "Won't you miss your everyone?" etc. And you all, well, you understand the call of the sirens...

Kathie and Tom

[NJTroy]

And the house sale is final. I am so so so exhausted. We're currently waiting on the new RV/truck to be finished and so are staying in our current RV. It's challenging, space is very tight. It's going to take a few days to get sorted out in there. But hopefully in just a couple weeks everything should be ready.

 

How's everyone else progressing?