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RV_

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  1. Cmon guys, no one can recommend where an SKPs member can get their motorhome inspected in Livingston? I haven't been to Livingston since 1998 so have no current info.
  2. https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/AFSA/newsletters/48865
  3. Ray, good info on Home Depot and appliances, I hadn't heard about that.
  4. Great write-up Steven! Thanks! I'm a retiree but had heard vaguely about veterans getting access to the BX but never looked into it. Shipping is free for all orders over $49. All shipping is free if you use the Military Star card to order. Of course you need to be approved with ID as Steven posted above and would have to qualify for the card as with any card. I just bought an LG 75" TV there and had I ordered it online shipping would be free, as well it shows how much I saved with no taxes: The Military Star credit card has great rates and bennies. I just called and found this out about free shipping from Exchange online. If using your Military Star card shipping is always free, you are only charged for shipping if you use other cards and your order/item is under $49. Over $49 orders with any card are free shipping. Since Amazon and other stores must all charge taxes, this alone makes buying at the BX almost always more bang for your buck. Sounds like a good benefit for our fellow vets without base access. I picked up my TV at the Peterson SFB BX yesterday and saved a bunch over Amazon etc just in taxes.
  5. It shows! May I use it if the question is asked and on my FB page with your name on it? rpsinc?
  6. Good info. Have you tested it to see if it is still in effect? More sales online like Amazon may cause them to become competitive in pricing. That helps us all.
  7. Excerpt: "Apple iOS 16.5.1 (c) has landed for the iPhone. You should install it as a matter of urgency since it fixes a flaw already being used in real-life attacks. OK, if you're the sort of person who pays attention to Apple updates, you might have noticed some weird stuff happening with iOS updates. Earlier this week, the company pushed out the iOS 16.5.1 (a) to iPhones, but the update was pulled shortly after following reports that it broke the Safari browser when used to visit websites like Facebook, Instagram, and Zoom. The update was to fix a security bug with the WebKit browser engine that was being actively exploited in the wild, so it was considered critical. Well, now we have iOS 16.5.1 (c) (along with iPadOS 16.5.1 (c) for the iPad), which hopefully fixes the WebKit issue without breaking the Safari browser. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET This is how Apple describes this update: "Rapid Security Responses iOS 16.5.1 (c) and iPadOS 16.5.1 (c) include the security content of Rapid Security Responses iOS 16.5.1 (a) and iPadOS 16.5.1 (a) and fix an issue that prevents some websites from displaying properly." Updates with the (a) and (c) designations are called RSR releases, which is short for "Rapid Security Responses." These are security-only updates and don't contain new features. To manually install iOS 16.5.1 (c), tap on Settings then General > Software Update. Then, tap Download and Install to kick off the update and keep your iPhone safe." Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-just-released-ios-16-5-1-c-and-you-need-to-install-it-now/?ftag=TREc64629f&utm_email=3b2e0f94e4947c973f63c5cf2d34603c24fe97fe01cb10979119da7270e034b9&utm_campaign_id=7252235&utm_email_id=7bde29f2567be947d1a1186995eba035bc4c126d913eb630f05afa53e90ab110&utm_newsletter_id=92316&medium=email&source=iterable
  8. https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/AFSA/newsletters/48841
  9. Thanks Rob, while I have found that info before, your post is very concise now saved as a Word Doc in my military folder. I have never seen the Com charge tax but they do charge the 5% surcharge. The BX has no sales tax or surcharges and is about the same as downtown on the same name brand items but you can do better at Wally World and still no sales tax at the BX. The BX prices on computer accessories and drives are horrible! I have gotten some excellent buys at the BX on handguns/rifles/pistols when on sale. I got it for $260 total when S&W .40 M&P shield were on clearance to make way for the new model back in They have had more ammo available at lower prices on and off since those prices went up. I have bought all of my AR and pistol accessories at TEMU lately. AR wrench multi tool is $14.99 there half off and the same quality if not the identical. The BX and all other stores are too high for gun accessories now. But that's another topic except that they are way cheaper for accessories. We shop every few days at the Commissary (Com)and King Soopers or KS (Kroger subsidiary). Despite the 5% surcharge these are price comparisons between the two. See there are a few items at KS we can't get at the commissary like the giant Italian Subs that are about 15" long for $6.99 that are almost too big for the two of us to eat. We find a Big savings at the Com. Here are examples from here. Your prices my vary in town. KS does not have our favorite Louisiana Hot sauce, Crystal, but the BX does. 12 pack of soda Coke and other name brands are $9.99 at KS and $6.99 at Com but the Com has them on sale for $3.99 often and did have them on sale at that price last week so we stocked up. A bunch of scallions/green onions the same size at KS is $.89, and at the Com $.59. Those prices are today not years ago. In Bossier City Louisiana/Barksdale AFB Louisiana the differences were the same but both were lower before COVID and savings were real at the Com. The 5% Surcharge adds $.0295 to the $.59 so much cheaper. If you are near a base and one of those authorized above and believe civvy groceries are less expensive, I would suggest buying a few things at the Com and then buy the same at you local preferred grocer. It was the same in 1971 and 1998 when I retired. Granted sometimes with sales back in the day and now we do save and do buy at KS. But it is less and less often they have sales that compete or are much less. Your prices may vary but I would check Com and BX if your info is decades old by shopping there. We shop the sales everywhere but it's the weekly big shopping trips with a majority not on special sales that save big at the Com.
  10. https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/AFSA/newsletters/48828
  11. If we were still full-time we would likely do Texas as our domicile but not Colorado. We love it here except for the smoke polluted air most summers, income taxes, higher now property taxes, capital gains taxes, etc. If you have investments that will earn capital gains this could be important. Excerpt: "Capital Gains Tax Rates In Colorado, you’ll pay capital gains taxes at the same rate you pay on your general income. This is 4.63 percent, putting it on the lower end of the states that do tax residents on capital gains. California is the highest, at 12.3 percent, while North Dakota is the lowest, at 2.9 percent. However, there are many states that charge no local tax whatsoever on capital gains, including Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Dakota, among others. It’s also important to look at the combined capital gains tax. The federal, state and local capital gains tax is combined to make one large sum, and that sum in Colorado is 29.63 percent. This is also on the low end, compared to the whopper California residents pay on capital gains of 37.3 percent and Oregon’s 34.9 percent." Source: https://finance.zacks.com/capital-gains-tax-laws-state-colorado-8351.html
  12. Welcome to the Escapees Forums! Lots of good folks willing to help here. 62 is the earliest age you can start to draw Social security. I would get them mixed up too until we both decided to draw SS early and then we knew the next milestone was 65 for Medicare. My Lynda is two years my junior. My initial thought is to first decide if you need medical care more often than your wife because all out of pocket is expensive for even one person. Here are some random thoughts. They may or may not be what you want. Get the cost to you for full medicare which is deducted from Social Security for us. It could be more to pay then you realize.If no cost for her insurance then that is a no-brainer. However you will pay something for Medicare so see if it costs or not if some is taken out of her pay for your coverage. If it is a wash then you could go full medicare any time and stay there or close enough for her coverage to be in effect.I would also check with her medical coverage provider because folks are allowed vacations and emergency room treatment out of area is normally covered for us non-medical in house care folks. If emergency room visits are covered until you get back I would stay with hers as long as she wants to work. Then just stay within a day of your coverage area for the first year or until she retires too. We are military retired so take my advice here with a grain of salt until you do your research for your providers and situation. We haven't done civilian providers or There may be another option. I would check and see if the traveling nurse organizations also have similar insurance for their nurses or make them part of their system when she arrives. I have no idea but it would be great if a central traveling nurse organization has something similar. Then perhaps you could stay in an area for the required minimum of weeks/months and really explore America in detail. My youngest son and his wife are both BSRNs and not military but they have been in Germany for several years. Both lived in Germany when her mom was USAF active and we were USAF active. They applied for and got civil service positions there and are loving it. They both did a stint in Nicaragua with doctors without borders for a few months too. They were in Hungary last weekend and have been to just about every country in Europe, with our grandkids. My son decided to try Norwegian cuisine and flew there on a Friday alone, and flew back on Sunday and got plenty of sleep before work on Monday. They have an AuPair and get housing allowance and a great retirement too. I am not suggesting those things just that medical personnel have some great travel opportunities with or without RVs. https://www.va.gov/nursing/ https://rnnetwork.com/inquire/general?source=PPC_NonBrand_Microsoft&kpid=bi_cmp-346309960_adg-1183075084433162_ad-73942447106350_kwd-73942252397606:loc-190_dev-c_ext-_sig-b9223ecf491a199427065a637dd21447&msclkid=b9223ecf491a199427065a637dd21447 Welcome again!
  13. RV_

    Hail no!

    We got creamed last week. On July 4th we got golf-ball size hail at ~1pm and marble size at ~6pm, then on the 7th of July we got hit again with same size hail again. It was pouring rain hard at the same time. I was not running out to get a sample to photograph until it was safe and they melted by 1/3 by then. We are insured and can afford our deductible easily but no necessarily happily. We have damaged roofs, shed roof and even the hail resistant roof it had put on in the big 2017 hailstorm the previous owner had replaced then. Damaged windows, screens, siding, wood privacy fence, and even damaged wood trim and bent the A/C grille and rain gutters on the shed.I have never seen hail like this, let alone three hailstorms in the same week. I put some in the freezer but they are not nearly as large as when they first fell from the rain. Still big enough to do that damage. The grass is about 8" tall and not cut recently because we are xeriscaping and getting rid of the sod and water bill. Melted but still big Gas fireplace exhaust. All windows in back are damaged frames but the glass is fine??? No more plastic gutters on the shed The dead sod has holes all over it and inch and a half and 2" deep. Lots more. Our tree was shredded and we cleaned up yesterday Thank goodness I changed my mind about self insuring and switched from USAA insurance. This was golf ball and ping pong ball size, they had baseball sized hail in other areas near our city and in Security. Hope we don't go through that size ever. This was bad enough.
  14. No but that was not the topic. You can Google it and find we have enough here in the US. I just did.
  15. As well they make RV specific mattresses. They are a tad bit shorter and we used them for both of our rigs one with a BR slide like yours and the other did not. I am 6" tall and a stomach sleeper so for me I prefer my get hanging over for comfort. If I needed the longer mattress your solution is exceptional engineering. Thanks for the videos and great pics.
  16. I did a lot of volunteering to help with repairs when were full time for seven years. This manual is out of print now and mine was loaned out and stolen. (Not returning a book because you haven't read or use it yet, after a year is theft.) That was before I made a policy to never lend my few remaining analog books and manuals. The RV stoves, furnaces, water heater, refrigerators, electrics etc are pretty much the same now as then in most rigs. https://www.ebay.com/itm/256050917081?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338590836&toolid=10044&customid=2411c873572c191fb62eacd879982f3c For most that book is all you will need if you are handy. For specifics for your model it can help you decide if it is a repair you want to DIY or hire out. Most particular model service manuals are available online if your model is not covered.
  17. Retirees with a retiree ID card and base access earned having this done free of additional charge at the base legal office. You can also buy software that does it legally for each state. If you live in Louisiana since all states are based in English common law except Louisiana which is based in French law, and want to do it yourself make sure the software includes Louisiana. It is cheaper to have an existing last will and testament and living wills looked over by an attorney rather than having an attorney write it from scratch. However military attorneys do have to write them daily for active duty troops and retirees for all states, and especially the state where the base/post is located. Have all your details like who you want to get what, and how you plan to handle online accounts and social media. I keep a flash drive that is only connected to my computers when I need a password or link to a website I am a member of like here. That way they can go on and announce our deaths and any funerals or other details we ask for or they choose and never goes on a government computer. I have two notarized copies made but the executor needs a notarized and signed original copy. If you are on the road or traveling on vacation it may be wise to have the emergency numbers for your executor and any family not executors you want notified in order.on your phones and carry an original copy with you if you choose. Some are dictated by local state law in the state in which your estate will be probated. We have personal experience with how greedy and dishonest family members can be in a succession. Fortunately we were in charge and made sure all got an even share and ignored the petty hidden things. In our two experiences the ones with ethical issues had neither the money nor the ability to hire a lawyer or pursue it. Both parents died intestate (No wills) with large real estate holdings and cash in the bank. In the large asset case Lynn had the power of Attorney as executor. You can avoid all that by preparing now with an eye to making it easier on your loved ones that survive you.
  18. We too have Last wills and living wills. Our youngest son is our executor and we have defined everything so he does not have to be the bad or good guy. We have again gathered too much stuff since coming off the road. I started last year and am slowly selling everything we don't use daily so my son does not have to deal with it. Just sorting is too much to pass on as a chore. Folks don't really want wood furniture or antiques so we will sell those too, save a few the kids and G'kids might like. Lynda ran estate sales for about five years and I got to see what they walked into before they cleaned and organized. They have to clean and organize everything and call in appraisers etc. then set it up and conduct it. I was usually saddened by seeing the unusable old stuff, not antiques. The biggest thing to do is realize they are going to throw out or give away 90% of it. I am not counting videos and analog family pics - they stay and they can split them up, throw them out. They key is to ask if they want anything before you start clearing out. Part of doing estate sales for the elderly involved arranging for them to move into smaller quarters usually assisted living unless they have memory issues and need memory, medical care or both. If the fates cause me to lose my love of my life first I will not need any of the "stuff" here and will either move into a deluxe motorhome or perhaps a smaller place. So I am keeping only what I need to live in and maintain this house to lessen the burden on our kids.
  19. That's why I started here. Gratitude for all the help we received when we were noobs before and after the forums went up~ 1999/2000. I still pay it forward. Here or elsewhere. Life is too short to feed the trolls. Or let them drag us down to their level on the Internet. I'd like to add my thanks to our founders the Petersons for their love and kindness and hope they spread here and wherever they went. Kay reinforced the good and camaraderie and brought out the best in us. I appreciate those still here who still do. I'll keep passing that along as long as I breathe. We each have much to be grateful for in this group. We live the dream for however long, and if we are lucky, make some real friends in the process. SKP hugs! Safe Travels!
  20. Metal that you park under is the only one I would do.
  21. Colorado Springs my neighbor had his Motorhome water heater ingniter cleaned and gap adjusted, new Check valve, re-installed temp and ECO sensors for tank water temps that were hanging loose. Total cost including coming to his house, parts was $189 total I think or a little less.
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