rpsinc

12 hours ago, RV_ said:

You had your chance, so did most others of my generation.

And a choice was made.

I appreciate that you are providing hope for the SE.  

Nicely laid out Todd.  

As a follow up to Kirk, yes many companies have changed significantly the benefits packages they offer, esp. as it relates to after retirement.  I think that a large part of this is cost, probably the biggest, but also the trend that people dont stay with companies for a career.  My Father worked 43 years in his industry and for only 3 companies.  Now, many work for that many in a few years as that is a common way to progress up the corporate ladder.

So many things have changed.

I have used AmericasMailbox for several years and they are very good at their customer service business.

I have tried and used UShip before and the trick is to be patient.  The last time I used them, the first quote was $899 for a truck bed shipped 175 miles. I was patient and the prices came all the way down to $245.  That was worth the wait.

Dont forget to replace the CO detectors too.  Or you might get a rude early morning awakening.

Sure, order a 12VDC motor that is intended to be used in that application, as you would order a spare.  The a couple of sprockets and some chain, a fuse protected power source to a switch, and that should do it.

I've even seen these motors on CL sometimes.

Kind of like www.flavortownusa.com??

17 minutes ago, Stormin' Norm said:

We officially joined the 2018 Class on May 29th, a little late to update. House sold without a hitch, and now 24 days and 7 campgrounds under our wheels, en route to Rapid City, SD to get driver's licenses, etc. squared away. 

 

No regrets in the early going, all systems are green. Will say that I was glad to have made all my camping reservations some time ago, as many campgrounds we have stayed at have been full on weekends.

Congratulations on your accomplishment.  Enjoy your journey, it appears to be a nice one in progress.

7 minutes ago, Barbaraok said:

Zulu,

The answer to your question is YES.   Having once faced near death, the idea of waiting was not something we would do - - we know that we only have a finite time to enjoy retirement.   If it were today that might mean buying a less expensive DP in order to have funds to purchase heath care until Medicare kicked in.  

Thank you for your perspective.  This is a pretty personal issue and having the opportunity to have your experience shared with those of us(me) in a place in life that we are considering this type of decision, is very generous.

Well, that just goes to show you, that when you get there, there ya are!

We each have different circumstances and have to make decisions that work for us, and I am grateful we each can do that.  

We seem to all enjoy the journey rather than the destination, and its the journey that offers up the experiences we can later reminisce about.

I was not expressing an opinion, but sharing what I have learned.  I am not retirement age, in fact only just 60 and SELF-EMPLOYED.  I have had to find a different path to invest in for retirement.  So glad that some of you have jobs/careers that allowed you to experience the fruits of your labors.  My Father retired at 59-1/2 from a Fortune 50 company and lived to 81 & was SKP.  His net worth increased each year and he did not collect his SS benefits until he was 70, he didnt need it, he told me.  He left my Mother in a good position, financially.

Some of his teachings I have been fortunate to be able to apply as well as some of my own.  He was never self-employed so that is unique in my and DWs case.  We are working on reducing working time for more time off, off course in our RV, which is why I come here to learn from many of you, and for that, THANK YOU FOR SHARING.

IRAs and real estate continue to fuel our plan and we hope that the plan will come to fruition for us.

Keep in mind that full SS retirement is going to likely be at age 66+ some months depending on the year you were born.  For DW, born in '56 its 66 + 4 months, for me, born in '58, its 66 + 8 months.  Yes Medicare can be gotten at 65 but SS is another deal.  Now if you can afford to wait on SS, for each year beyond your full retirement benefits time, you will get an 8% increase up to age 70 when no more increases are available.

At least that is how I understood it after doing some research and attending a SS benefits luncheon with an "expert" sponsored by my CPA and an insurance company.

5 hours ago, Phil Saran said:

I have sold off my MH and toad and we are in the process of purchasing a truck & 5th wheel trailer.

I want to purchase one or two small generators for the times we boondock.

Anybody have an opinion of the Honda 2000i vs the Harbor Freight Predator 2000.

Their specs are very similar.

I've owned the Honda 2000i generators previously, but the $450 each price for the Predator vs $1000

for the Honda 2000i is appealing.

Open to comments and opinions.

You always get what you pay for.  HF has made claims about their stuff for years, yet they are still looked at as a BUDGET brand.  There is a reason why.  Honda or Yamaha or even Champion are much better options.  And consider buying a propane kit so you can avoid the dreaded bad gas problems.  The kits are available on line for a few hundred dollars, which is about what a replacement carb is gonna cost you, once.

Cant beat a Honda genset but yes, you are gonna pay for it.  But if you want it work when you need it, then buy quality.  I earn my living with tools and that has served me well.  I never buy HF welders because they dont hold up.  The only tools I buy from there are wrenches and impact sockets and hammers but never electric or air powered tools.  And almost all of those have gone into trucks that dont get used every day.  Tools that work every day come from name brand companies.  Spend more but they work when needed.  Not sure if that is your need but its just my input.

I was able to get the paint info for our 2004 Newmar.  Its a KA and full body paint.  I have the paint already and some clear to do touch ups and resprays.  I will be using some commercial EPDM roof coating that I had tinted to the base color of the trailer, which will go on the roof down to the trim/gutter.  Then will also do the entire front cap and the front area which will be behind the truck when towing, to reduce the effect of chips etc.  

17 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

Not absolutely sure , but , it seems you're squeezing oranges to get apple juice .

Then let me add some conditions:  These results are not based on any technical or scientific procedures but rather based on a personal experience, which is what is shared here.  Your results will likely be different.  No oranges or apples were harmed in the process of this experience.  LOL

12 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

May I ask the source of that figure? While I agree that they aren't very good, the figures that I have seen and those quoted by Mark Nemeth of Escapees, are more on the order of 60% efficient, which still isn't great. 

That efficiency is based on actual use.  My Dad was living in an Alfa 3 slide 5er and when using the RV furnace he was using around 3X more propane than when I took him my ceramic brick heater.  He was struggling with leukemia at the time and so was pretty thin and frail and had the heater going most of the time in the winter.  Granted it was winter in So Cal, but the periods and conditions were pretty similar.

Heating your trailer should be considered with the following info.  RV furnaces are VERY inefficient.  In the order of ~35%.  So to the poster that is using LOTS of LP, and the OP try this.  Buy a sufficiently sized ceramic brick heater, which operate more on the order of +95% efficient.  No fan running because they dont have a fan.  They are ventless and many have oxygen depletion sensors for safety.  I always leave a window slightly open just in case though. Remember to consider that you dont have a cold weather package in your current trailer and so will need greater heating capacity.  But when you upgrade to a possibly larger trailer, then the heater should be sized sufficiently for your rig.  But get all the insulation you can when you buy another.  It will help for HOT and COLD.

I bought a Procom.

I have done a few RV floors.  First one was with Pergo in a Dolphin.  I went OK.  I agree with your comment about walking away when frustrated.  I actually built that into my schedule.  I would do a couple hours each day after work and while waiting for dinner. That way it was not too much at once.  I am a contractor, but this was a job on my stuff.  Harder to get around to doing it, you know the mechanics cars are always last to get serviced.  The most recent, which I plan on redoing, is on a Newmar 5er, and I used 13mm laminate.  It looks to be too thick for the slides to work right.  I will re-evaulate this when I have time to get back to it.  I do like your choice of material.  It looks GREAT.  A small area is tough to do right, SO MANY CUTS.  A captured areas too.  Good tools are definitely a benefit.  GREAT JOB.  Now enjoy it.

Protection for most electrical devices are based on thermal (heat).  So, be very grateful that the devices tripped the breaker and you saw the effect before a fire started.  By your description, I would say that everything worked like it should have and prevented that fire.  Now, learn from the experience and from the input given here and dont repeat that experience.  Electricity will find the weak link and exploit it.  The greater the load, the greated the demand, the greater the heat potential.  Yes, a 100' 12Ga cord feeding your 20A AC from a 20A breaker will be affected by all that and the voltage drop in that 100' cord plus whatever distance the Romex in the house and the wiring in the coach have.  Be careful.  Using that extension cord really isnt good for anything more than running the refer before you leave, mostly because other things will run on it as well.  Need to run the AC?, use a 30A plug, breaker and 10GA cord MINIMUM and NOT 100' long!

On 6/19/2017 at 8:33 PM, Egon said:

Replaced the subfloor panel with 5/8'' plywood, but its too thin. I know 3/4'' plywood will be too thick so I'll have to figure out a way to raise it. Need the floor to be perfect prior to installing vinyl over top.

Try some drywall shims under the 5/8 ply to get it perfect.

7 hours ago, Star Dreamer said:

Congrats! If it is coming with those 15" tires that are on the spec info, we wish you luck that you have no issues with them. I would at least get tire monitors and maybe a 2nd spare. Check them regularly for any unusual tire wear and replace them if you do, don't wait till they blow.

Dave

I recently upgraded the tires on an enclosed trailer from the supplied 15" on 5200# axles to 16".  Same lug pattern though.  The difference in how it tows was AMAZING and the peace of mind knowing that I am in a position of having excess capacity, read safety margin, is very comforting.  I imagine that it is similar to those that have gone from those dreaded Load Range Gs on 16" wheels to the Load Range Hs on 17.5" wheels.  

Wish I had done it sooner.

Check out https://www.stevesblindsandwallpaper.com.  found them to be about the best price overall.  Use them to buy blinds for our rentals, fast service and good quality for the price.  We bought cellular shades with foil inside for the RV.  What as difference in the HEAT.  More privacy than day/nights too.

I used a product called Poli Glo on the outside of an Alfa 5er and it brought it back to life. Many coats required but after removing the oxidation with their product and applying the finish coat, I was pleased with the results. I found that it smelled remarkably like Johnsons Liquid Floor Wax, which I am familiar with. Did not try Johnsons.