Jinx & Wayne

When we established domicile at Sumter Oaks we called the Sheriff's office and they sent a deputy to verify the vin on the RV. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

I suspect I'm looking for the same things people from other BOF groups seek. Camaraderie, information from other Rvers specific to photography such as place to shoot in certain areas, locations of good camera shops about the country, photo techniques, morning coffee over the keyboard reading posts from folks who've become friends. By way of example, there are other quilting groups but there is a quilters BOF. I'm human. I'm a herd animal. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

What areas of this adventure require our help? Travel routes to Cali? Buying a RV? Finding a park? Keeping your dog in a RV park? Domicile? Truck advice? Something else? Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

The photography BOF appears to be defunct. The link from the BOF page is broken and the email address for the organizer gets no response. Is anyone aware of a photography group here in escapees? Jinx and I began taking photography seriously over the summer and are interested in contacting others. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

I'm not sure there really is a problem. Kirk is correct about the mail and Sumter Oaks. We are domiciled at Sumter Oaks, Bushnell, FL and have Escapees Mail service out of Livingston, TX. I am over 65 and Jinx is under. She gets insurance through the exchange based on Sumter County. I get medicare supplement based on the same address. The insurance company sends the mail to Livingston, TX and they forward it. Our DMV, voting and the few other mail/documents that come directly from the state go to Sumter Oaks and they forward it to Livingston. All other mail goes directly to the mail service in Livingston. Our credit cards use the Livingston address as billing addresses, even though we are paperless. That is the zip code I enter when charging things. It works well and has for over three years. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Thanks to all. Presently trying to get in touch with Red Gate and looking at others. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

According to a cartoon in yesterday's Tampa Bay Times, the biggest issue for high fuel prices may be endangering vulture survival by reducng the amount of roadkill. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

I agree. The less frequently my banking information is exposed to hacking, the happier I am. That being said gas buddy saved me 16 cents per gallon on 58 gallons yesterday. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Thank you for the information. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you guys (or to all y'all, depending on where you are from). We were away with family for a few days. Nice to visit. My aging body says glad to be back in my own bed, I will look at all of the suggestions, particularly Red Gate. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Recommendations for RV parks within hour of Savannah? FHU and prefer 50A. 37 ft fiver. We are planning on staying in the area for a couple of weeks. We have both taken up photography so any suggestions of photo sites within an hour or two of the CG are welcome. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

My late Labrador hated the external foldout steps on the Carriage. I found plans for a set of wooden steps that was stable, went together without fasteners and came apart into five pieces that lay flat in the PU bed. I got rid of it when the dog died. They worked well for the two years that I used them. Here is a video of the steps in use. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

On my first trip with the Carriage (my first trip with any RV) I was coming to a stop at a yellow light when a two guys pulled in front of me to try to beat it. The front one changed his mind and slammed on the brakes. The second one hit him. I avoided the whole mess by about a foot. When I got back from that trip I had 11.5" discs added. That required an axle upgrade to two 8000# Dexter wet hubs. The disc brakes are worth every penny. Stopping distance is WAY down. Two years ago we added the CRE3000 system. If money had allowed we would have gone to the full independent. Still, the 3000 cut way down on things moving about in the trailer. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Did anyone consider going to their blog site and asking what it is? I guess it is like asking for directions. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

We had three experiences with this. First time we were a year into full timing. We have an older 5er and decided to wait and live in it for a year before making changes. We were told the rebuild would take four weeks so we dropped it off in Elkhart and rented a cabin on a lake in Michigan for a month. Two days before we were due to leave the cabin the shop called and said they would be a day or two late. We rented a motel room in Elkhart. A day or two turned into eight weekdays, the last two of which we lived in our 5er with power inside the rebuild shop building. Not happy. Over the next several months we corrected several problems the shop created in their work. Even less happy. Now it is the way we want it. Last fall we had a slide issue that took four days to fix. We rented a cabin in the woods in Maine with my eldest and her husband. We used VRBO to locate the cabin. The work was done on time and below budget. A good time was had by all. This year we scheduled annual maintenance for three days. Parts delays for our heat pump control delayed that three work days (five days). We spent the planned repair time in a VRBO rental. The extra days we lived in 5er hooked up to repair shop power. As we were getting ready to leave one of the big slides stopped working. We discovered the slide motor housing had broken. A used motor was available in Texas (we were in Maine). Motor - expensive. Express shipping - expensive too. The good news is that were were in the shop when it happened. We could have been parked in Lower East Overshoe with the slide out if the motor had decided to last one more cycle. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Pretty much describes most businesses except mining and farming. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Korean tire manufacturer. Subsidiary of Doublestar which is Chinese. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

At least you didn't join the "Rver for Lunch Bunch." Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

When we bought Jinx's e-trike (78#) the shop sold us the Hollywood rack for it and my regular bike. We had endless problems with parts cracking and loosening. I finally had everything reinforced and welded to reduce movement. It appears to be working, but we only have 600 miles on the modified rack. If I had it to do over I would look at a rack for a M/C. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

When I was a Boy Scout I was taught that moving water in the woods was safe to drink. When I studied to be a Maine Guide I learned that was not true. Moving water or still, it can contain giardia (aka Beaver Fever) parsites. It is not just humans that spread it, but animals, too. The Mayo clinic say: "Giardia parasites are found in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams worldwide, as well as in public water supplies, wells, cisterns, swimming pools, water parks and spas. Ground and surface water can become infected with giardia from agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge or animal feces." Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Just came over US-2 east of Montpelier, VT. There are some very rough, teeth jarring stretches. The road deteriorated over the last year. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

And another here for JC Refrigeration aka Dutch Aire/Amish Cooling. And it keeps ice cream solid! They installed it while we waited. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

I bought Kumho Crugen HT51's based on Consumer Reports ratings. They seem to do well. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Thanks again. I will definitely update. Or maybe they will update when they have time. I expect that they will join. Just the two of them running the inn. And they are very persnickety about having it done just right. That makes it a 18-20 hour per day job, 7 days per weeks from May through mid-November. (At which point nature shuts off the heat and turns off the leaf lights in Maine. Not much business in Bar Harbor after that.) Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Thanks Bigjim. This daughter is one of the most capable people i know. They understand that size/room/space will be an issue. They are young and able enough to figure this one out. The help from this forum is appreciated by them. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Not really. Most of the place is guest space/kitchen/office/storage. Until last year they lived in one room with a bath. This year they revamped the Inn and expanded living quarters to two rooms plus the bath. They are pretty sure they can step down. Wayne & Jinx 2017 F-350 diesel, dually 2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ