JimK

You appear to be comparing a trailer with a 3000# capacity with the OP's trailer with a 700# capacity. That is a world of difference. Seven hundred pounds will barely cover minimal food, supplies, bedding, and gear for a weekender trip, leaving the bicycles, BBQ grill, chairs and the rest at home.

I don't know anything about that RV brand, BUT.... I would not trust the quality or reliability of an RV that was built so cheaply that it could barely carry its own weight. On top of that is the safety issue. The CCC is surely limited by one or more of the following: axle, wheels, tires. With a cheaply built RV, they are all likely to be near the maximum even with a mostly empty RV. Most of us who travel have seen plenty of RVs with broken axles or suspension components and even worse blow outs or other serious tire/wheel issues. Those issues can end a trip but worse can result in wrecked RV and serious injury or death. Personally I would recommend getting rid of that death trap and don't even consider putting your family at risk! Those who are new to RVs often fail to appreciate the amount of weight that most of us need and want to carry. The weight of accessories and personal items can really add up. RV accessories often include A/C unit, extra battery, extra beds/bunks, microwave/oven, awnings, solar units, etc. You really need to know what the manufacturer has included in their specs and what they consider to be accessories. Then there is the weight of user accessories such as a generator, bicycles, chairs/tables, screen house, mattress upgrade, rugs, carrying racks for the chairs/bikes. On top of that there is the weight of food. It is easy to fill a refrigerator and pantry with hundreds of pounds of food and drinks. Then consider all the tools, ropes, extension cords, cleaning supplies, broom, etc, etc. Then we all need cooking gear, plates, silverware, glasses, clothing, extra boots, towels, bedding, pillows, hats, jackets, etc, etc. There is absolutely no way all of these are going to be less than 1000#. With all of the items I have mentioned you can readily see that it is easy to exceed 2000# over the trailers base wet weight.

Sadly I have even more bad news for you. Your trailer has a cargo carrying capacity of 710 pounds. That is based on "average" weights and accessories can further reduce that. I have no hint what accessories are not included but that could also be reduced by the weight of an A/C, awnings, extra battery, solar panels, etc. Your CCC needs to also cover food, cooking gear, clothing, bedding, tools, chairs, BBQ grill, a generator (if you have one) and all the miscellaneous stuff you are likely to bring. For most of us the total would be well over the 710 capacity not counting extras such as bicycles and the bicycle racks to carry them. Personally I would want at least twice that cargo carrying capacity even for a small trailer.

An introverted person who is also lonely unless in the company of others. I need to think about that one for a while. It seems a recipe for unhappiness.

It seems that the OP has a lot of enthusiasm and strong interests in seeing some of the beauty of the world. I certainly would not venture a guess about traveling alone. Many people do it. As to being too old, I should not be an issue as long as you have the ability to drive safely for at least moderate amounts of time. To make RV life a lot easier I would recommend looking at a small RV. My wife and I did it in a truck camper. Others, especially singles, drop down to a conversion van level. Smaller makes driving, parking and finding camping sites easier. At a minimum I would want a toilet, wet bath, small kitchen, comfortable bed, heat and A/C. You can get all of that in a quite small trailer for not much money.

I have used both a Garmin and the nav system built into my 2018 Ram. I don't care for either one, but the Ram has the edge because it does well with weather, road and traffic issues. My cellphone Google maps and related search functions do much better and are always up to date. With Verizon, I very rarely lose my cellphone connection while on any major roadway and any lapse in service is usually very brief.

I have no knowledge of USAA, but I can echo some of the above warnings. You need to be extremely careful when buying insurance as a full timer. When I went full time I stopped at an independent agent whose major business was like mine, referral from the next door mailing service for full timers in Sioux Falls, SD. A couple of years later we had cameras and other gear stolen from a rental car. At that point we found (1) we had no coverage and even extremely limited coverage if our stuff had been stolen out of the RV and (2) the specialized independent insurance agent had no idea what he was selling or what was appropriate for a full timer. After our bad experience, we shopped for insurance that had reasonable coverage for full timers. We quickly found (1) almost no companies, none of the majors had suitable insurance and (2) even company agents had no idea about what was needed or what their policies provided. We eventually found a company with good, but expensive policies. A couple of years later they stopped providing suitable insurance but by then we were no longer full timers. The issue seems to be that RV insurance is modeled on auto insurance. It provides little or no coverage for theft and loss of property. That is typically covered by renters or homeowners insurance.

I cannot understand what "preapproved" means regarding a mortgage. Getting preapproved has never been difficult. We have used real estate agents who want to know that we are preapproved. I guess that means we are serious and able to buy. Sadly I have found that being "preapproved" is not at all the same as being approved. We have bought two houses years apart when we were initially preapproved. The actual approval process took 3-4 months and involved all sorts of documentation and hoops to jump through.

Due to Covid, there is a shortage of both new and used RVs. You might want to wait a bit. In any case, definitely buy used. RVs depreciate rapidly. A lot of people also buy them and then realize that they don't really like camping that much. Kids grow up rapidly and many teenagers do not want to go family camping. I also recommend you look at trailers. They are typically much less expensive. Be aware that RVs are typically of abysmal quality. You can almost count on initial repairs and defects for a new unit. For a used RV, I highly recommend you find a reputable 3rd party to inspect the unit. You can do better than buying new since the initial issues will be resolved. In addition to finding an RV that suits your needs, do your research. Start by looking at the specs for the suspension and tires. With passengers, food, cooking gear, clothing, personal items, etc you can easily at at least 1500# to the base weight. If you add extra batteries, solar panels, a generator, lawn chairs, bicycles, you can easily add another 500# or so. Research will show that a great many RVs are not able to carry that sort of weight and the tires will be overloaded and unsafe. I do not mean to discourage you but avoid buying until you have done the research to get a decent unit that will last and be safe. Many buyers are blinded by dreams of vacations and travel and they make poor choices.

The diesel is pumped from bottom of the tank. That is where all the sediment settles. Perhaps you would get less sediment if you pumped when a tanker was emptying and stirring the sediment.

The manufacturers do publish the dry weight, GVRW and load weight. I just checked a popular manufacturer. Their 25' trailer designed for 4 adults had a load rating of about 2000#. As usual, that was based on dry weight. So with fresh water and propane, the load capacity would be about 1500#. In addition a great many common accessories were not included so a microwave, solar panel, a/c unit, awnings and perhaps a generator could easily remove another 500#, dropping the available load to 1000#. That 1000# and more would vanish due to tools, lawn chairs, a stocked refrigerator, dry/canned goods, cooking and eating gear, and clothing. Clearly the manufacturers know this and have decided to cut costs. The decor, bath and kitchen are going to sell the unit. Almost no one will ever question the undersized suspension, wheels and tires. On top of all that a great many people who buy these units seem to drive like fools. Most of these units, especially the tires, are not designed to handle 75 plus mph on a hot summer day.

I have seen RVs with bent axles because the axle rating was only about 1500# over the base RV weight. It is easy to exceed that and in addition RVs can take a real beating because of the poor suspensions. A decent RV should have a suspension that will easily carry the weight and lots of gear, water, solar panels, generators, etc. Wheels and tires need to be able to carry the load continuously including at highway speeds on a hot day. It is hard to believe but many 5th wheels and trailers do not have shocks. The trailer itself and everything inside takes a beating on even normal paved roads.

Over the years I have cut back more and more on the stuff I once saw as essential. For example my tools are now down to what fits in a small canvas tool bag. Even so I do have one heavy cumbersome "essential" that might seem odd. I have a 100' HD 12 gauge extension cord. I have only used it a few times but it has been worth lugging around. I have used when parked in a driveway at a relative's house. I even used it at Badlands NP. The day temps were over 100 degrees. I did not have a reservation and the campground was full but the host was able to give me an overflow spot over 50 feet from a 20 amp outlet. With the extension cord it was enough to run the AC.

I see a lot of 5th wheels and trailers were it seems the truck is adequate to carry the load, but the power is minimal. Climbing a steep grade can be difficult and slow. Another big issue seems to be overloading the trailer itself. When I looked many years ago, a large number of trailers were so cheaply built that the suspension, tires and wheels could not carry a reasonable load. Truck campers are a whole different issue and being undertrucked due to weight is common. My camper is a good example. The sticker showed a wet weight (drinking water plus propane) of about 2400#. Unfortunately, packed for camping, the unit weighs about 4400#. It seems deceptively easy to accumulate a 1000# of so of bedding, clothing, cooking gear, food, misc supplies and tools, etc, etc. In addition the wet weight from the manufacturer failed to consider accessories and upgrades including an 8" thick foam mattress, two large AGM batteries, solar panels, generator, truck bed mat, very HD suspension brackets and camper tiedowns. My diesel Ram 3500 will easily pull the load but the rear wheels and tires are about max'd out.

I wonder if the 5 panel members who refused to support the emergency release of the Pfizer vaccine will personally delay immunization. I suspect that is the case because, based on their expertise in the field, they weighed the risks of additional deaths versus the need for more studies. At this point I doubt it makes much difference. Surveys have shown a lot of concern about Covid vaccines. There is a concerted effort to counter that and that effort will not be based on facts or education. The strategy is to harness the power of group psych (aka herd mentality) to create a sense of popular support, support from popular/respected individuals and even a feeling of competition in being able to get the vaccine before others. With such a strategy, there is little reason to consider the science and in fact that would be counterproductive. Randyretired already exemplifies the desired group opinion and the feeling that we need to act promptly so other countries do not get ahead of us. Watching the manipulation of human behavior is going to be more interesting than any science involved with the vaccine release.

If the conclusions were so clear and the need is so high, why do you suppose 5 experts on the panel would not approve the Pfizer vaccine even for emergency use?

The Brits jumped ahead but the FDA was not at all "slow to react". Several panel members wanted additional studies that would have taken several months. Emergency authorization or not, if any serious issues emerge, faith in vaccines will be shattered. There are already way too many antiVAXers. There have also been a lot of assumptions involved. The big one is the length of time immunity might last. That would make sense, except the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on new mRNA technology and are unlike other vaccines in use. If these vaccines fail to protect for many months or years, the cost will be enormous. They are expensive to make and administer but worse the public is not likely to accept the need for additional vaccinations.

That is a poor excuse. The FDA has 15000 employees, huge numbers of contract employees and a multi billion dollar budget. They have virtually unlimited power in demanding documentation of claims, proof of safety and efficacy and the ability to impose substantial fines and send company execs to jail. Instead they rarely, rarely act. Five people working out of a garage could do better than the FDA for regulation of supplements and OTC drugs.

The FDA advisory panel was selected from individuals who are strong advocates for vaccines and who work in the field. They were expected to vote positively. Even so there was one abstention and 4 negative votes out of 22 members. Considering the negative impact of Covid and the strong desire for a vaccine, I think that was marginal support.

As far as I am concerned these statements reflect on the poor oversight of the FDA. The FDA is absolutely responsible for the safety of cosmetics and food additives, for approval, efficacy and safety of any medical claims. Yet they have chosen not to even bother with premarket approval for many products and seem to avoid any involvement when it comes to food additives, supplements or medical claims for OTC drugs even after those products are on the market. This lack of action and concern is very evident and the FDA has totally failed to bother with extensive medical claims for the worst of the snake oils. It is very common for companies to make all sorts of medical claims. There is all sorts of nonsense about antioxidants and free radicals for example. The FDA does nothing to halt these claims or to even ask for documentation. Some well hidden disclaimer about "not intended" is just worthless and does nothing. The FDA is still responsible and has the legal authority to assure the public that these claims are valid. In addition to observing the inactivity, I spent a year working at the FDA, National Center for Toxicological Research. The NCTR is great for spending money and studying the theories of toxicological research but does not evaluate any products, ever. The FDA is also responsible for cosmetics, food supplements, drugs, and medical devices made outside the US. The amount of oversight has been extremely minimal and in March of last year the FDA suspended any inspections of overseas facilities. This discussion has nothing to do with the Covid vaccines, except that the FDA has done a near worthless job with food additives, supplements and OTC drugs and devices. I have also worked with many FDA approved medical devices that were defective. Until I realized I was wasting my time, I also filed numerous whistle blower complaints regarding defective products. Those complaints included the documentation of the defects. No, I do not trust the FDA at all. They have failed to show even minimal concern or action for most of the issues for which they are mandated by the food and drug laws. Finally let us not forget the abysmal failure of the FDA to look at Covid test kits. They literally opened the door and permitted marketing of any Covid kits with absolutely no oversight. It took Roche Diagnostics filing complaints and press releases for the FDA to do anything. Roche showed many of the initial kits had false positive and/or false negative rates over 33%. In response the FDA merely asked companies to file documentation. Manufacturers immediately withdrew 100 different branded test kits because they did not have any appropriate documentation or studies and there products gave erroneous results. No, I have very good reason not to trust the FDA.

Did you read the claims for caimon oil? The claims included TREATMENT for a host of DISEASES including: acne, age spots, burns, scalds, dandruff, eczema, joint pain, muscle pain, MRSA infections and nail fungus. Those are medical claims that need approval by the FDA, whether prescription or over the counter. Again, the FDA is worthless in carrying out a majority of its responsibilities. Visit a nutrition store, read the "health" mags, look at the claims on supplements. You will often see: not approved by the FDA for the diagnosis or treatment of disease. But they still make the claims. Since the FDA does nothing the situation has gotten way out of hand and blatant. In addition, you are absolutely wrong. The FDA does indeed regulate the safety of cosmetics.

Food and drug.... The FDA is responsible for the food supply. That would include dietary supplements. Remedies such as snake oil are under the purview of the FDA. Any claim to diagnose or treat any disease is covered by their mandate. My point is FDA is worthless in this regard. https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-basics/what-does-fda-regulate Foods, including: dietary supplements bottled water food additives infant formulas other food products (although the U.S. Department of Agriculture plays a lead role in regulating aspects of some meat, poultry, and egg products) Drugs, including: prescription drugs (both brand-name and generic) non-prescription (over-the-counter) drugs etc................................

After my allergic reaction to the flu shot I went to see an allergist. He had no clue. The family doc gave me a hot pad to put on my back when the spasms and twitching started with the pneumonia shot. I doubt she really believed it was a reaction to the vaccine. I know for sure I have never had anything like that before. I have had pulled and injured back muscles several times in the past. They were completely different. I was not at all happy to read that the Brits issued a warning on the Pfizer vaccine warning after a couple of cases of severe reactions. The officials in the US did not want to hear any of it. Obviously there is a big rush issue and no one wants to hear any cautions or need for additional studies or monitoring. Over the years I have had many dealings with the FDA regarding medical devices. I have no faith in their process. It is highly bureaucratic and, much worse, highly politicized and has been for many decades. The FDA does a very, very unreliable poor job especially for common food supplements and home remedies. Here is a great example. True SNAKE OIL, excuse me alligator oil: https://caimon.com/pages/why-caimon-oil

I had a flu shot about 20 years ago. I got really, really sick with all the symptoms of a really bad case of flu. About 10 years ago I got talked into trying it again. Within a few minutes of getting the shot my throat started to close up. I sat at the clinic for about an hour and the tightness passed. That was my last flu shot. A few months ago, my family doc pushed hard. She wanted me to have a pneumonia and a flu shot. I agreed to have the pneumonia shot. Immediately after she started in again on recommending the flu shot. I was about to agree when the reaction to the pneumonia shot started. I got what felt like electric shocks up and down my spine into the back of my legs. I came close to ending up on floor with the shocks, pain, and associated spasms. She told me it was too quick to be an allergic reaction. I must of sat in the chair wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I never felt anything in my life like that. Fortunately it passed, leaving me in bed sick for close to a week with flu like symptoms and minor spasms. At least millions of people will be ahead of me before I need to consider whether to take the Covid vaccine and which variety to try.

I would not count on wasp spray to even stop a wasp. It certainly will not deter an intruder or a bear. California and many States cannot figure out what makes sense. Pepper spray must be 2.5 oz or less but large canisters of "bear" spray are legal. I would also guess the State of California has determined that bear spray is a carcinogen and requires a label to that effect.