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ROUS

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Posts posted by ROUS

  1. When making brand/system decisions, consider first whether you will be installing yourself or hiring another to do so.  If you're hiring out this work, it would probably be wise to ask for the brand that they are the most experienced with.  You won't want them learning on your vehicle.  (Like mine did.)

  2. We just changed our toad from an aging Jeep to a new Ford Ranger.  We have an all Blue Ox configuration.  The base plate installation was straightforward, but the real challenge was in the taillight wiring.  I was very fortunate to have a brother-in-law who is a mechanic and he has quite a bit of experience in wiring issues.  There are just lots of options in this stuff.

    The Blue Ox wiring kit instructions were of limited use.  But, etrailer.com has some very detailed videos on the process.  That saved our bacon.  We ignored the Blue Ox instructions and just did what the etrailer installer did.  Our installation was made more complex because of LED taillights and highly featured taillight modules.  But, it worked fine.  And, sadly, just hiring someone to do this for you doesn't always work.  Sometimes those 'experienced' tow system installers are anything but 'experienced' and are learning on your time.  

  3. We actually started out our retirement nomadic life sans RV.  We thought that the temporary housing model would offer a relatively inexpensive lifestyle that optimized freedom.  It didn't turn out that way for us.  

    1) For us, it turned out to be expensive.  Unless one is willing to spend time in the very least expensive motels, your average name brand hotel/motel would eat up most budgets.  We focused on AirBNB and VRBO.  Yes, there were some deals on monthly stays and we lucked into some great opportunities.  But over time, you really do get what you pay for.  (Pro tip:  Don't trust the photos and descriptions on ads.)  Again, unless one is willing to pursue monthly/longer stays in the most meager places, AirBNB and VRBO get pretty pricey--especially in pretty, tourist-oriented places that we wanted to visit.  Top tier RV parks/resorts deliver comfort and amenities at a fraction of the cost of similar temporary housing.

    2) Freedom--or lack of.  We envisioned a spontaneous life and spur of the moment decisions.  One can do that, but living that way probably means that your staying in hotels or pitching a tent.  We found booking AirBNB/VRBO at the last minute impossible for us.  Smart shoppers had already booked up the optimal places months before.  So, we were left with expensive places or dives.  This forced us to start booking months before hand and there went our freedom.  We were tied to a schedule.  Twice, we had to cancel reservations and lost big bucks.

    After six months of this, we bought an RV.  We got the lifestyle that was exactly what we'd been hoping for--a balanced affordable, nomadic life with gobs of freedom.  That's our experience.  Your mileage may vary.

  4. If you're looking for a great deal on library e-books, you need to go no further than the Livingston Municipal Library.  A library card/account there gives you access to an enormous online library of books.  Sure, we buy e-books regularly, but we also download library books for free.  The library's consortium uses an app called OneDrive and the lending library behind it is extensive.

  5. There certainly aren't enough telecommuting roles.  That's for sure.   But, there are needs in small states or remote places that have a very difficult time being filled.  South Dakota is a good example.  Airline commuters tend to avoid those places because the connections are typically terrible.  While not telecommuting, it could be a great fit for a full-time RVer that will physically go there.  Heck, RVers tend to like remote places like that.  So, in some circumstances, you would have a distinct advantage over people that would need to buy air tickets and hotel rooms.  (You would snicker at your competitors in a bemused manner.)

    Anyway, best of luck in your hunt.  I bet you do just fine.

  6. I'm retiring over the next few weeks, but have been in the management and technical consulting field for about 35 years.   Almost all of that has involved full-time travel.  (Not the fun RV type, but the tiresome business travel type.)  You should be familiar with the suggestions below, so forgive me for mentioning some common sources.  But, just in case, here's my two cents.

    As always, the very best opportunities will come from within your network of colleagues.  No question.  But, if you need to reach outside your circle of friends and clients, I'd look at DICE and LinkedIn.  More specifically, I'd join groups within LinkedIn that relate directly to your interests and experience.  There's always people there discussing needs and you might just match that need.  I'd ignore the other boards, but others might disagree with that.  Good luck with your hunt!

  7. I believe regulations came in with the Patriot Act that requires banks to tie accounts to physical addresses.  When opening our TX bank accounts, we used the address of a Texas relative as our official bank physical account.  But, our bank mailing address is in Livingston.  We've had no other issues with using our Escapees mailing address for all else, but bank addresses are in a different category.

  8. 1 hour ago, 2gypsies said:

    What parks are you looking at where you think they're all big sites?  You mentioned state parks. 

    Thanks everyone for all the great feedback.  It was very helpful.

    My first trip will take a (flexible) route between Gainsville, FL and Columbus, OH.  In my initial planning, I just opened Georgia's and So. Carolina's online state park site reservation systems and began looking at options.  Park after park along my route seemed to show only big 50 amp RV sites or tent sites.  It was not a comprehensive search and I'm sure that there were options that I didn't see.  But, it got us wondering about what to do in that scenario.  It just seemed strange to reserve a giant 50 amp pad for our humble use.  More experienced campers would probably just not reserve ahead of time and pick from the best options found along the way.  But, early reserving seemed to remove a potential frustration factor from a big first trip.  Maybe not in this case.

    Thanks again for the thoughts and ideas.  Learning here.

  9. We've got a seriously newbie question for the group.  We are approaching a Class B purchase and are already planning its initial trip.  I'm not sure that we'll be confident enough to boondock right out of the gate, so I've been looking at state campgrounds along our route.  Typically, my online reservation system options are RV site or tent site.  Many of RV sites I'm seeing tend to be huge, provide 50 amp service, and are pricey.  One campground I saw ONLY had those big RV sites.  Parking our diminutive 22' in one of those big sites seems like overkill and borders on silly.

    I've googled this topic, but can't seem to find it addressed.  When picking out a state park campground site (online or in person), what do Class B owners aim for?  Are you looking at RV sites?  I see those humble, cozy tent sites with a picnic table and adjacent car parking.  I suspect that there is little/no electricity for most of those tent sites (maybe 20 amp).  But, assuming that I've got the battery for it, that's all I'd need.  What's the etiquette here?  I could see my tent site neighbors not liking to hear my generator kick on after hours, so I'd probably keep it off. I just don't know where camper vans aim in situations like that.  Do Class B owners grab those giant sites?  Would a park office even permit a Class B to show up and head for a tent site?

  10. 2 hours ago, mds1 said:

    Karen and I are working hard to get our home on the market which is a big hurdle we can't wait to climb over.  

    Good luck on the home sale.  Our home sold within 24 hours of listing and we close tomorrow.  So, we're now homeless and need to go find that RV!

  11. Okay, I need a ruling here.  We are going full-time this summer, with our domicle change almost complete and a Class B purchase coming very soon.  But I'm not sure if we should be considered graduates or newbies.  We have no part-time RV experience to graduate from, but we do have recent experience in part-time cruising on sailboats.  The cabin and systems of a sailboat are not that different from an RV.  So, can we apply to the 2019 graduating class or not?

    John and Tandy, "Roadtrips of Unusual Size", Livingston

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