Solo18

Thanks for the link to the donation web site. I also am lucky to be able to afford my full-time RV lifestyle, but I know the problems people can have when they have no choice and their vehicles quit on them and systems like water and heat fail. Briefly knew of a lady who was using a bucket as a toilet, so I will donate something to this group. The picture of the book was tiny, but i assume the title is the same as the movie, right? I don't have enough bandwidth in internet to do any streaming and i usually like the book better anyways.

I have a similar problem with replacing an RV folding couch, but mine was made by Steelcase which no longer makes RV furniture. Also, it is bolted to a slide so the front is longer than the rear, and it has a furnace duct underneath it and a heat register cut into one end. Can't just unbolt it and replace it because it was apparently made to fit this rig in that particular spot. Anyone know of a good place in Indiana that can modify something to fit this unique spot??

One important thing is that the east entrance/exit to the park goes through an Indian reservation and has been closed for almost a year. I am not sure if it is open yet or not, but check the park service. So, you will likely have to go out and in via the south entrance, and if you leave early enough in the morning, you will have several hours to visit. You might want to switch one of your three nights in Needles to one night in Williams, which is closer to the park, but will likely have commercial campgrounds available. Williams is where the Railway RV and several other campgrounds are located.

I was at Organ Pipe National Monument in March about five years ago. The park had a rule that you could not use your generator for AC unless it was a specific date, which it was not, even though it was 95 degrees outside. Too hot in my RV so I decided to go for a short walk. I looked at the little newspaper you get when you go through the entrance gate and it showed one hike that was only about 3/4 of a mile long and categorized as "easy." Headed to the parking lot where the trail started on my bike and found a well-marked entrance. There was a breeze, and I had two bottles of water with me, enough for a short, easy trail. (FYI, I was 73 at the time.) Except it wasn't easy. What the newspaper forgot and no sign informed me at the beginning was that it had an sharp elevation rise to the top of a ridge. Also, the start of the trail was well-marked, but apparently whoever marked the trail gave up very quickly, because the rest of the trail had a lot of switchbacks, which could not be distinguished from the animal trails. No signs, no markers, no nothing. Anyway, I got off the trail and was fighting my way through cactus, trying not to get scratched. I could see the campground and the parking lot, but I could not get to them because of the slippery gravel on the slope, cactus, and lack of a trail. Finally found a couple coming up the opposite direction and asked them to stay where they were so I could find the trail again to go back down. They had no water at all on them at all because they also were expecting a short, easy trail. I managed to get down to the parking lot and rode on my bike to the ranger station. I was furious!! Walked in with a red face and overheated and asked for the head ranger. They gave me water and sat me in front of an AC unit. He came out and asked what happened. When I told him what trail I had been on, he said that that one was moderately difficult!! At this point, I made them get me the newspaper printed by the national park system that said it was an easy trail. I said the true length and elevation change should have been marked at the bottom of the trail, and the newspaper should have been corrected. Plus, there should have been maps available at the start of this trail or at least a map on a sign. I also told him it was stupid to set generator dates by the month instead of by how hot it was outside. Lesson Learned is that you cannot trust descriptions of trails or how well they are marked!! I don't know if they ever changed the description, but it was their fault for sure, so I know where you are coming from!!!

I did not mind them pumping my gas for me, assuming they were available and prompt, but I lost two gas caps in that state because they did not tighten them past one click, even though I would remind them to make sure the cap was tight. My original gas cap had been damaged, and a truck repair place had put on one without the tether because that was all they had. Eventually I found a Ford dealer that was able to sell me the right gas cap with a tether. Frankly it is a silly law and makes getting gas take longer.

My parents once kitten-sat my brother and his wife's new kitten for a week. The first day, the kitten disappeared and never came out for the whole week. They did what you did, left food and a litter box available. My parents were really upset that the kitten had somehow escaped the house and now they had lost their son's new pet. Well, the last day, the kitten reappeared. Apparently, he had been hiding in a bedroom drawer that had an opening in the back big enough for a tiny kitten to get in and out of because they found the clothing made into a cozy bed. My guess is that your kitten will come out eventually. You might want to leave some wet food out for her. The big problem if you are living in an RV is that you need to be very careful about putting slides in and out while she is hiding. Many cats do very well living in an RV, by the way.

Ditto on NOT going to a salon!!!! Podiatrist is much more likely to be sanitary. I also knew someone who got infection at salon!!

You can call a podiatrist to check, but for most elderly people who have toenails that are extra thick or hard to cut, Medicare pays for cutting by a podiatrist every six weeks. Also, did I mention that the no rinse body wash needs to be diluted? The hospital might give you one, but you should get a grabber or two. They are very handy. They also have these things for putting socks on.

I once spent 17 days in the hospital without being able to shower because of multiple IVs. (I had a knee replacement and acute pancreatitis at the same time.) The nurses would give me a ziplock bag once a day full of maybe 8-10 of those cheap washcloths and soaked in this no rinse body wash. https://www.amazon.com/No-Rinse-Body-Bath-Refreshed-Odor-Free/dp/B003MX07I2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=221C9JP2M9N3H&dchild=1&keywords=no+rinse+body+wash&qid=1618036240&sprefix=no+rinse+body+wash%2Caps%2C282&sr=8-5 They would put the washcloths in the bag and put in some diluted body wash until they were soaked, then stick the whole thing in a microwave to heat it up. I would sit on a towel on the shower bench, but without the shower turned on, and go through the bag of wet washcloths one at a time. It smelled fantastic and felt great! You can buy stacks of washcloths in a pack at Walmart's cheaply and having a couple dozen would really be helpful for a lot of things. Get the white ones so they can be bleached.

I am planning a month-long trip to the UK next spring, and having been vaccinated will likely make it a lot easier to fly there and travel while there. No one knows what the UK laws will be by then regarding foreign nationals entering their country, but I suspect being fully vaccinated will be an advantage. And, by the way, I had shingles in Fall 2019. However, since I had had the original shingles vaccine a few years earlier, my blisters were very tiny (1 mm in diameter) and the whole bout lasted only 3 weeks instead of the usual 6 months with blueberry-sized (1 cm) blisters. I have since had the newer two-dose vaccine.

When someone says they are not reading responses, it means they do not want to have anyone disagree with them or post information that refutes what they have posted. Way too much info missing from the original posting or the article referenced. I also put this person in my ignored folder because it seems he was just interested in posting unsubstantiated info. Got my second COVID vaccine yesterday and had only a few side effects, so I am happy to be protected now.

I am a 77-year-old woman and have been divorced for about 35 years. It was hard at first to be alone, but you do get used to it, and in fact, i really prefer it now because I make all my own decisions. I even teach half-time online, which gives me something to do although I am thinking of cutting back on that so I have more time for reading. I have satellite TV, and a couple of WIFI hot spots so I keep in touch with friends and family, and really I am not lonely. I retired at age 69, bought a 32' motorhome, sold my condo and most belongings, and took off. I have drive 153,000 miles and am still on the road, moving about every week or two. Physically, a few things are getting a little harder, but I am hoping to keep doing this for at least another few years. Had a friend who quit at age 89, so there is hope. Frankly, being short and not being mechanically handy is more of a handicap than my age. If you did not already have a truck, I would say that you are better off with a medium-sized motorhome. Motorhomes without towing are easier to handle and set up as you get older. When I started out 9 years ago, my younger son said I would die in a fiery crash before I made it 200 miles down the interstate. I told him I could also sit in my living room and watch TV for 20 years and die in my recliner. At least in traveling, I would have tried and done something. And I have made it a LOT farther than 200 miles and am still kicking and still enjoying life!

One other consideration is the time you spend in a state where you are not a resident. Some states get pretty fussy about that because they believe you are trying to avoid local taxes and registering your vehicle in their states. They can fine you substantially. In many places, the limit of time you can spend without becoming a resident is 6 months, but that can vary, so it is another question you will want to ask a tax lawyer. You don't want to discover that you had inadvertently become a resident of California and owe then a bunch of taxes!! And I agree that staying in hotels and airbnb's would be exhausting--not only finding them but constantly moving your stuff around all the time. Ditto for cooking and lugging around your food and cooking equipment. A small conversion van or a small trailer and a pickup truck to tow it and use daily would be a lot easier.

Back to the original question, i would add the following: Flashlights, including at least one headset flashlight. Extra batteries. First aid kit with variety of bandages and antibiotic creams. Couple of rolls of paper towel, and of course, TP. Rags and dish soap for cleaning. Windex or similar for windows and mirrors. Mop or Swiffer, etc. and a bucket. Paper plates, cups, etc. plus plastic silverware.

I also am in the category of drinking my water for 8 years and still standing. I bought my motorhome new, and it had a whole-house filter, which I change every few months. I also sometimes use one of the hose filters, but I also trust state and national park water because it gets tested more often. I also sanitize my tank every few months, depending on how hot it is outside. And since I full-time, my tanks never sit with water in them for very long because I tend to use them instead of hooking up my city water hose. If you get cloudy water at a faucet at a state or national park, just let it run a few seconds, and it should clear up. If it has not been used recently, like you are camping right after the park opens, it might be rusty or cloudy. Check it after a few seconds to make sure. And I drink the water regardless of it being city water or from a well because I actually prefer the taste of well water. Reminds me of my childhood at our cottage--lots of minerals in that water, but we had it tested, and it was safe. The water from my tanks always tastes good, and it has never made me sick, at least to my knowledge. And I save money and plastic waste by not buying bottled water. I do have several reusable water bottles that can be frozen, so I fill them half-way and then lay them in my freezer on their sides. Add tap water and let the large cube of ice melt. By the way, if you have a whole-house water filter, you should know that there are various levels of replacement filters. The more expensive ones filter out more things, such as giardia, should you ever have water that has that in it.

Don't forget that park models will have the utilities more insulated. In an trailer or 5th wheel or even motorhome, they are up off the ground, so you are going to have to worry about pipes freezing and you will end up having to spend money having the underneath protected from weather. A park model will be much more like a tiny house or tiny apartment in that there will be less worries. Also, big point, is that you will burn a LOT less propane. I was in northeastern Ohio last November getting some medical things taken care of, and I was spending about $35 per week on propane and was STILL FREEZING!! And several nights I had to put lights or heaters in the compartment where my sewage and water hookups are located. I was REALLY glad to head south. And I cannot imagine what January would have been like. By the way, the reason most RVers are ""snowbirds" is because RVs are not intended for snow, so we head south to stay warm.

Ditto on the recommendation of a park model. A park model is a "trailer" of sorts that is not intended to be moved very often, if at all. It will be smaller than what we think of as Mobile homes, and very appropriate for one person. The difference between that and the trailers you have been looking at is that the insulation will be better and it will be more like a home. It also will be closer to the ground. They will also have permanent sewage, water, and electric connections and bigger appliances. As you are looking at RV parks, ask if you can add a small storage shed. Most trailers have very little storage. Here are a couple of random sites that show park models for sale: https://rvpmt.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_Y_8BRBiEiwA5MCBJonBfv2ZODFwRXqQLZUHrPzQep2zfkUzvKIOf-jCOUiPyMGdbB2DYhoCCJQQAvD_BwE http://wthsinc.com/component/jea/?start=80# https://at.parkmodelsdirect.com/ And because park models are not moved often, they are often found for sale in mobile home or RV parks.

On a slightly different topic, but still very important, is what happens when you require a very expensive medication for something like cancer. The newest cancer "targeted" drugs are very expensive. I participated in a research study and got all my drugs free, but over 15 months, my total drug bill without Medicare would have been $13,000 per month for one new medication that came in pill form and about $100,000 for a year of the other, which was a monoclonal antibody--a total of about $250,000 for just the meds, let alone the other medical costs. (A year later, price is still $13,000 per month for the pills, but I am done with them, hopefully, forever.) I chose the research study for reasons other than drug cost, but the drug cost was shocking. (The new drug would not have been available to me other than in a research study for various reasons, and I wanted this drug because it had fewer side-effects and was only for 12 months, etc. I also liked the idea of being followed by a research physician who specialized in my condition. You get excellent care in most research studies!) The maximum copay for Medicare Plan D is $10,000 per year, but even that is way out of the means for many people. However, if you need an incredibly expensive drug, manufacturers do have programs to help you. Also, there are non-profit organizations that will give you a grant for the co-pay. I had a choice of another drug, not part of a research study, that would have cost about and because my income was less than five times the poverty level, I was given a grant for the entire $10,000 copay. I did not use the grant because I did not choose that treatment plan, but it helped me choose which treatment I wanted to choose without considering cost. (Cost of that medication was $7,000 - $10,000 per month for the rest of my life.) The important thing is that you need to work with your doctor and hospitals to apply for and get such grants. No one will offer them to you unless you ask and pursue them.

I have lived for eight years in a 32' Class C, with no towed vehicle. I am alone, and it is a good size for me. If I need to go into town or sightsee, I take the whole motorhome, but just leave all my stuff at the campsite. (When I want to go into a big city, I often rent a car from Enterprise and they pick me up.) I have never had anything taken other than one instance when a young state park worker thought my "campsite occupied" sign, water hose, and chair was trash. I caught him on the way to the dumpster and chewed him out thoroughly for being so dumb! My sign even said "BE right back" on the reverse side!!! And it IS much easier to back a C or A up into a camping spot. It is also a lot easier to unhook and hookup. My son has a 28' trailer and if he needs to dump his tanks, it takes him 20 minutes to hook his truck up. I can unplug my electric and put my slides in and be ready to head to the dump station in 3-4 minutes. My only problem with my C is that the Cargo Carrying Capacity is low--only 1,300 pounds. That CCC includes the weight of human beings, belongings, water, sewage, etc. When you full-time, even when you are only one person, you carry a lot of stuff that weekenders don't bother with, like a vacuum cleaner, air compressor, suitcase, winter clothing, extra shoes, legal documents, etc. The result is that I have to dump my tank even to go into town because I worry about the extra weight. And I don't fill up with water until i get to a campground. I would have had less problems with a small A, even though I love the floor plan of my C and the extra sleeping capacity to visitors.

My motorhome is 32' long and I have never found a national park I could not fit in. I don't know where that myth got started, but in 8 years, I have not experienced it. There is a campground in Grand Canyon with a limit of under 30', but you just stay in the other campground that has full hookups for RVs, No limit there at all. If you want to check it out, go on recreation.gov and check out a few campgrounds.

You could also try wicker baskets big enough for plates. Small ones for cups and saucers. Frankly, I started out with dishes, but soon dumped them for paper plates and paper bowls. Much easier and don't break if they fall. Also do not need to be washed.

One to two weeks in each location will give you a chance to relax and also see the area. There are a ton of COE campgrounds in the southeast that will be open in the fall and through winter. One of my favorites is Old Federal in Lake Lanier, but it is closed until some high water repairs can be made, but there are a lot of lakes in the southeast. And there is always the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Ditto for Tennessee and Georgia. And cut your travel between campgrounds to 100 miles as part of your slowdown!

I'm 77 and been full-timing alone for a little over 8 years. Also, I am still in travel mode, spending a few days to two weeks in state, federal, and county campgrounds. Also planning another trip to the UK next late spring if they will let me in. Some things are getting harder, and I cannot walk as far as I used to, but I just got a new electric bike to give me mobility in campgrounds. Not easy to lift it on the bike rack, but I am going to manage. And I am still teaching online college classes, which I hope will keep me mentally healthy. Biggest handicap is being only 5'1" tall. Want to continue this life as long as I can as I love to travel and see new things.

I have a 32' Class C and almost never have had problems finding a camping spot in a national park. Grand Canyon does limit one campground to less than 30' but that one has no hookups anyway, and I much prefer Trailer Village which is still in the park and can fit a 40' motorhome. And parking lots in big stores is also not a problem. Just park on the outside edges. It is difficult to park in some smaller strip mall lots, but that would be tue with or without the extra 5 feet. If you are camping for several weeks or months, you will appreciate the extra 5 feet, especially with two people.

I have not stopped traveling since I am full-time and heading slowly north to where my son lives. I have been staying 1-2 weeks at each of several campgrounds that were in fairly isolated rural areas in northern Florida, a state park in Georgia, and now am in TN. I cannot stay at my son's house because of subdivision rules and there are no decent commercial campgrounds nearby, so I am waiting for state parks to open May 17. I need to get some dental work done and some medical tests taken care of in Ohio, then will resume moving in late June, through northern Michigan and parts west. My biggest problem has been things that needed fixing. Camping World agreed to replace my water pump in the parking lot, but I had to have a mobile repairman come inside to fix my toilet. Right now, porch light needs replacing and my bedroom TV is flickering like crazy, but those things are not critical, so will have to wait. Tried to get the porch light fixed at a different Camping World, but they wanted to drive my motorhome into the shop to replace it, so I passed on that. Frankly, I feel very safe in the campgrounds I have chosen since I picked places with sites spread apart and I tend to stay indoors a lot. Much safer than an apartment building or condo complex, for sure.