kb0zke

The last time we were in Sioux Falls we asked about getting library cards, and explained to them that we are full-timers who use a mail-forwarding service. That was fine with them, and we were given library cards. We've regularly checked out ebooks for the past couple of years. Recently, after an update, the app stopped working properly, so I deleted the app and reinstalled it. Nothing worked, so I contacted the library. They just called to tell me that, since I don't own property in Sioux Falls, I'm not eligible to have a library card. I can, however, get a nonresident card for $63/year. That's for each of us! What do other full-timers do for books? Since we are now leaseholders at The Ranch, maybe there is something available from Artesia or Carlsbad?

Somehow I've managed to get onto some of their brand-specific newsletter sites that I don't want to be on. I've tried unsubscribing, but that seems to get me more newsletters. I tried the link above and clicked on CONTACT. That brought up an ad for gmail! At least delete still works.

The one-night stay is a requirement to obtain the driver's license AND to register to vote. If you don't care what county you are registered in, you can use just about anywhere for that stay. Your license and voting will be in that county, which may or may not be the one where your mail is sent. When we moved to SD we stayed at a great State Park south of Sioux Falls. The attendant was familiar with the receipt requirement and made sure that our receipt had both of our names on it. We got the car registered (we had done the MH via mail months earlier) and then went to register to vote. That's when we found out that we would be registered to vote in the neighboring county, because that's where the park was. We were on our way to Brookings for a Habitat For Humanity RV Care-A-Vanners Build, so we went up for our two weeks there, then came back down to Sioux Falls, where we stayed a few nights at the fairgrounds. We could then change our voter registrations to Minnehaha County.

Another name for full-timing is Chasing 70. If it isn't 70 degrees where you are, go somewhere else where it is. We generally put fixed dates on the calendar and then figure out how and when to get from one place to another. A couple of times that has involved some pretty fast cross-country moves. Most of the time, though, we take our time. We stretch our money by volunteering at places that provide a FHU site in exchange for some work. We do campground hosting several months each year and we also do Habitat For Humanity RV Care-A-Vanner builds. We spent 10 weeks in Hobbs, NM earlier this year working on houses. Check out: http://www.habitat.org/cd/rv/schedule.aspx Our original plan, five years ago, was to work (for pay) four months, volunteer four months, and be on our own four months each year. We've never yet had a year that hit that exactly. Some years the work has been more than four months, and some it has been no months. Some years we've volunteered more than four months and some less. The mix is pretty much dictated by what positions we can get. Sometimes family things change plans. Earlier this year we became leaseholders at The Ranch, one of the Escapees co-ops. We pay an annual maintenance fee and our electricity when we're there. Yes, we had to pay a lease fee, but we get almost all of what we paid back when we turn the lot back in, so our costs are pretty minimal and we have a storage shed in which to keep things we won't need until the next time we're there.

No one asked our ages when we visited The Ranch or Lone Star Corral. When we got on the Active Waiting Lists we had to verify our ages by including a copy of our driver's licenses. I don't remember the exact percentage, but in order to qualify as a 55+ community an certain percentage (80% maybe) has to be at least 55.

Welcome to the forum. As Kirk said, establish your mail service first. There are several in SD, each with advantages and disadvantages. Check them all out and make your decision. Once you have your new address you can register your vehicles there. It is easy enough to do yourself if you are there, but it can be done by your mail service for a fee. I'm not sure about the insurance. I'd suggest you contact your current agent and ask. We have our car insured with State Farm, and they require an agent in the new location write the policy. As you are doing your mail service research you may want to call each company and ask them some questions including the ones you asked here. They should all give you the same answers (other than fees, of course), but if one doesn't match up with the others that may be a red flag.

Right now there are three rigs in the campground, all widely spaced, with us in the middle. This morning I was doing stuff outside, when I turned around and saw a large dog at the front corner of our coach. It growled at me and I get inside as quickly as I could. A few minutes later it was checking out the firepit at the next site, so I hopped into the car and drove up to the host. He immediately went to the rig that he thought owned that dog.

I tried it (Mac and Firefox) with no results. Tried a search for rvnotepad and got the same info plus your post.

We're at a campground that is pretty empty Sunday evening through Thursday afternoon. People start coming in on Thursday, and by Saturday morning the place is full. The rule is that dogs must be on a leash, but it isn't enforced. The first weekend we were here a family of "regulars" had two large dogs that were "leased" by an electronic leash. I don't know exactly how those things work, but I suspect that if the dog was really intent on getting past the boundary there would be no real consequences. There might be a moment of pain as the boundary was crossed, but once on the other side it would be just like being inside as far as the dog was concerned. This weekend a group of people had several campsites near us. One of them had two or three larger dogs that looked like Labs. The first thing they did when the dogs were released from the truck was to let the dogs jump into the lake for a swim. They were leased for the rest of the weekend. Just now a man came back from the bathhouse and his dog (looked like it has dome boxer in it) was running free.

Quite a few years ago our neighbor's overweight pit bull got loose and visited our dog, who was on a run line. The pit wanted to fight, and our dog was more interested in playing. Our dog was backing up as the pit came toward him. Finally the pit lunged. As he made contact with the front end of our dog, out dog's hind end made contact with the electric fence. There was a brown streak going one way and a black one going the other, but dogs crying in pain. By that time the neighbor arrived to get his dog. We told him what happened, and we all had a good laugh. When we host we frequently have to tell people that their dogs need to be on a leash whenever outside of their vehicle. When we're not hosting we may mention it if a dog comes up to us, but usually we will just report it to the host or ranger.

So we can tell Amazon that we want everything sent USPS? Great! How to we convince them of that? We're holding off on some purchases just because we can't be sure of where or how packages will be sent.

Welcome to the forum. If you can tell us some about your needs, wants, and budget we can provide you with some suggested coaches. Remember that coaches depreciate - sometimes fairly quickly. I don't know what your budget is, but you can get an entry-level diesel coach for maybe $100,000 or a bit more. That same $100,000 can get you a Foretravel or Newell, but as a used coach. Five years down the road the Foretravel or Newell will still be worth close to the $100,000 (although somewhat less), but the entry-level diesel may be worth only $50,000. The Foretravel or Newell would have been close to $500,000 new. In other words, buying used lets depreciation work for you, and you get a higher-end coach. Check out http://pplmotorhomes.com/ for low-end prices. RV Trader prices vary quite a bit, as some people ask more than what their coaches are actually worth. Last thought: there is a difference between a FRED (FRont Engine Diesel) and a DP (Diesel Pusher).

Welcome, Fiss. The more information you can provide about yourself, your family, your pets, and your plans, the better we can assist you. NYC doesn't strike me as an RV-friendly place. Are you planning on full-timing, or have you thought about where you can park your RV when you're not traveling? Why are you looking at a travel trailer? Is it because you already own a vehicle that might be able to tow one? If so, what weight limits are there? Are you afraid of the size of a fifth wheel or a motor home? If so, don't be. If worst comes to worst, you can find someone to drive your RV to a place where you can practice (an empty parking lot is the usual choice) until you are somewhat comfortable. Then take it out on the road. Many people buy an RV with little thought to how they plan to use it, and as a result, they end up buying the wrong RV. Then they compound that error by buying something new. You aren't falling into that trap. My suggestion is that you spend some time visiting every RV dealership within a hundred miles or so and look at everything on the lot, regardless of condition or price. You are looking for two things: quality and livability for you. If you are 7' 2" tall (like a friend of ours) headroom will be an issue. If you like watching television outside look for something that has an outside television. If you prefer watching inside, and watch a lot, make sure that you aren't sitting sideways to the set. If you like cooking, is there enough counter space for you? Remember that every RV is a compromise. Slides add space but also add weight and repair issues. A wet bath takes less space than a regular one, but isn't for everyone. Some small trailers tuck a regular double bed into a corner and put the bathroom next to it so the only way in and out of the bed is from one corner. That can make making the bed a challenge, not to mention the fact that the person on the outside wall has to crawl over the other one should nature call during the night. Those small trailers can tuck into campsites that larger ones have to bypass.

The Ranch doesn't take reservations anymore, but I don't know why. When we were there a couple of years ago they did. While we were at The Ranch last month we were able to get a lot, so we have given up our spot on the list at Hondo.

We were told the same as Linda. Probably the best way to do it is to set up the new address and have your mail sent there. Each time a packet arrives, contact those you really want to hear from and let them know your new address. It won't take too long for the address changes to take effect. While you are doing that you can get your vehicles inspected, registered, and new drivers licenses.

We've been full-timing in a 1993 Foretravel for five years now. Yes, we've had some problems, but nothing that we couldn't handle. Condition and history are everything. If you haven't already done so, find the owners forum for that brand and ask about known issues for that model. There may be people there that can do an initial inspection for you. If not, find someone to do one for you. Spending a couple hundred dollars for an inspection can save you thousands in repairs. Initial quality may be a factor. The more expensive the coach was when new, the more likely it will have been well cared for. Yes, there are exceptions, but those are rare. Find a similar model at PPL to get an idea of the low end of the price range.

Back to the original topic, we've made reservations at The Ranch, Branson, Livingston, and The Plantation. Lone Star Corral (Hondo) doesn't do reservations. If we're pretty sure that we won't have any troubles getting a site for the night we may just call when we're a couple hours out to make sure. If there is any question, though, we'll make reservations. A couple of years ago we hunted for hours trying to find an open site. It wasn't any holiday, or any other reason that we could think of to fill all of the campgrounds. Finally someone mentioned that a pipeline was going in and all of the campgrounds were full of pipeline workers. Two hours past that area gave us plenty of sites. This is one of the reasons why we're on the road by 9:00 a.m. and plan on arriving by 2:00 or so. Extending the travel day by another couple of hours doesn't hurt. We'll still be landed by dark even on the shortest day of the year.

We really liked The Ranch, and actually talked about getting a lot there, but opted for Hondo instead. We only got to stay at Hondo for a few nights last year, and when we tried to get in this year we were told that there were few open lots as all of the owners were there for the winter. Hondo does NOT take reservations. If they are full you can either boondock or go elsewhere.

Different denominations have different policies for their workers, so it is difficult to know what the OP had in mind. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, for example, is structured differently than the Methodists. In the LCMS, workers generally stay until they accept a Call elsewhere. The congregation may or may not provide housing or a housing allowance. If a pastor spent his entire ministry in congregations that provided housing, he would be looking to buy (read get a mortgage) at age 65+. Since the housing was provided, the salary wouldn't be as high as it would need to be if he had to pay for his own housing. Now, at retirement, he doesn't have a lot in the bank, a fairly low pension, and he has to somehow provide a place to live for himself and his wife. IRS regulations have long recognized this, and allow retired pastors (and other rostered church workers) to have a housing allowance in retirement.

The insurance is your first step, as it is the only thing that is completely dependable. Have your bill of sale with you in the hotel room as well as good pictures of the vehicle and trailer. That way, if something happens, you will have something to show the police and insurance people. Every once in a while I see a post of airforums about a stolen Airstream, and all of these ideas (and more) pop up. There is nothing you can do to stop a determined thief other than have an armed guard standing watch. There is a video out showing someone "stealing" a trailer in less than a minute. This was a demonstration, not an actual theft. The "thief" wrapped a stout chain around the hitch and through the tongue tight enough that the trailer wouldn't drop. He then hooked up the electrical connection, raised the tongue jack, and took off. The hitch lock was still in place. Deflating the tires is a good way to ruin said tires. I'd put a couple of jack stands under the axle first, then deflate the tires. Of course, since you are staying only one night, and then moving on, you probably won't have much to worry about. By the time a professional thief spots your rig and figures out how to steal it you will be long gone. Your bigger concern will be once you are home.

We went from KY to IN earlier this year. As we were planning our route we saw the toll bridge information, so planned the route AROUND the toll bridge. It probably added a few miles to the trip, but I'm guessing that we saved money overall. I don't like driving in big cities, either in the car or in the MH + car, so we are now planning routes that avoid such places.

Doug and Linda, the choice of an RV for full-timing should be dictated by what you want to do, not by what is popular. We're currently full-timing in a 40' MH, but would like to switch to a 34' Airstream TT. Why? Our "mission profile" has changed enough that a towable would make more sense for us. Since I'm doing more with Laborers For Christ I really need to have my tools with me, not back at the campground. That pushes us more toward the TT than a 5'er.

Chad beat me to it. The only drawback to DRV and similar coaches is that they are heavy. That's really a good thing, as they are stronger than average, but you need a bigger truck to safely tow them. Look up Chad's coach and see what it weighs.

When we started talking about full-timing we decided that we would go at it with an open mind. In other words, we weren't committed to going full-time, but we weren't ruling it out, either. As each question was answered (and the next five raised) we asked ourselves whether we had learned anything that would definitely rule out full-timing. I'd suggest that you follow a similar plan. The big issue is living in COLD temperatures. If you are going to stay parked you can use the various ideas that have been proposed here. If you are going to be moving around quite a bit, though, you will have to deal with other issues, such as keeping the coach warm while traveling. The MH will have the advantage here, as the Aqua Hot (or competing brand) will keep you warm while driving just as easily as while you are parked. A towable will have to run on the on-board propane, and that won't last all that long. As for driving, the best advice I've gotten is DO NOT drive the RV unless the roads are clear and dry. That applies to motor homes as well as towables. We have a 40' Foretravel diesel pusher that weighs about 30,000 pounds. Two-thirds of that weight is on the rear axle and the engine is behind the axle. If the rear end lost traction while going down the road we could well be sideways very quickly. NOT something I want to try! With our towed it would be maybe a bit better as I have the brakes set up to come on on the towed before the coach brakes. A towable should be set up the same way. There are may of us who full-time in Foretravels and Newells from the 90's, so don't let the age of the coach scare you off. High end coaches are usually (but not always) better maintained than cheaper ones and they start out with better materials and construction (which is why they are more expensive to start with). I'd suggest that you join the owners forums for the brands that interest you and share your proposed plan with the owners. Someone has already considered (and maybe even done) what you are proposing and can give you some advice. Keep asking questions and refining your ideas. Don't be so committed to something that you end up ruining everything because of stubbornness, but don't give up when you meet the first obstruction, either. Remember that it is better to ask a thousand questions before writing a large check than to ask one question a thousand times afterward.

Methinks this topic has lasted long enough.