sandsys

5 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Cortes Campers looks to be competing with Casita Travel Trailers. 

And Scamp trailers for us northerners. https://www.scamptrailers.com

Linda Sand

If the weather gets good enough, you might enjoy taking the Natchez Trace, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Skyline Drive heading north. We took that route south one year in the fall and had gorgeous color all the way.

Linda Sand

KOAs are always safe but not always pleasant; they are geared to families so can be noisy. CoE campgrounds are along waterways so rarely good for a one night stay unless you are traveling along someplace like the Mississippi River. Passport America parks are a hit or miss situation; some good, some not so good. If you are member of Escapees, that entitles you to a discount at a bunch of parks similar to the discount of Passport America. Most rigs can stay one night without hookups even if they are not typically set up for boondocking; for those nights we often stayed at Walmart or Cracker Barrel and bought groceries or a meal. Also, check out other cards you might have; I once offered all my cards to a place and asked them to pick what would give me the best deal and they gave me a discount using my AARP card.

Linda Sand

3 hours ago, Wrknrvr said:

When racing cars, who would look at boats.

When building out a van or similar sized vehicle, it is good to look at boats. Those marine folks have solved a lot of problems.

Linda

20 hours ago, Kirk W said:

That's no longer an option as they all come with lifetime map updates and have for several years now. 

Oops. But good they do that now. I never understood why anyone would buy one without updating capabilities. That does indicate how long they last, though, as I haven't needed to buy one since 2008.

Linda

If you buy a Garmin be sure to get one with the Lifetime Maps option. Keeping it up to date is critical to its usefulness. I updated ours twice a year--spring and fall. it still didn't always have new streets because it takes time for those to be added.

Linda

1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

To me, assuming that you have not yet bought the land, you would be buying a major headache or worse. I would keep looking. 

Me, too. Our daughter picked out some land in Wisconsin she wanted us to buy with her. Nope. Too many improvements required.

Linda

5 hours ago, Kirk W said:

The issue is not as much what they could do as what they are willing to do.

This!!!

7 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Since it is the federal banking regulators who make those rules, at present it would be acceptable as long as they can send mail to that address and you receive it. 

Just be sure to install a BIG mailbox and visit every once in awhile.

Linda

19 hours ago, bthomforde said:

*update*

I was able to find a doctor in Florida to not only renew my meds but also work with me and with our fill time RVing lifestyle. 

Yay! Persistance pays. Thanks for letting us know.

Linda

14 hours ago, kb0zke said:

To each his own. I've had eye doctors try to talk me into plastic lenses and contacts. I always say no to both. I have glass lenses with lined trifocals. Yes, I'm old-fashioned and stubborn. Glass lenses have worked just fine for me for 65 years, so why change now.

I'm with you. I have lined, wide bifocals. The line helps hide the bags under my eyes.

Linda Sand

ps. I was a bookkeeper when I got my first bifocals and the wide lower part let me see a whole journal without getting seasick from having to move my head back and forth. Regular bifocals don't offer you peripheral vision.

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Linda is in Minnesota and no longer traveling. 

Yes, but, I had that same doctor while traveling even while domiciled in South Dakota. I've been with her for at least 20 years. We just came back to Minnesota each summer long enough to do medical appointments. Since you are also in Minnesota, it might help to know she's part of the Park Nicollet system.

Linda Sand

When we stayed in one park all summer one year, we took our motorhome out for a half hour drive once a month and used that time to run the generator as well. No sense running the generator while in the park and annoying the neighbors.

Linda Sand

15 hours ago, TXiceman said:

We have used Walk-in Clinics with good success.  I look online and pick ones that have 4- or 5-star ratings.  Twice I have had to use the local emergency room and was pleased.

Ken

You use walk-in clinics to get diabetic supplies? I have used those clinics for short term conditions but not for ongoing ones that require monitoring. I'm lucky in that just having my A1c checked is all that's required for monitoring and I use Ozympic for control which only requires one injection a week and each pen lasts 4 weeks. My doctor prescribes them for a whole year and I just get a refill every month. The OP needs to find a doctor like mine.

Linda

16 hours ago, rickeieio said:

As long as the money's not visible in the pic, no one would ever connect the dots.

Except you told all of us.

Linda

9 minutes ago, bthomforde said:

What do other full timers do in a case like this?

Change doctors. Find one that cares about people, not just cases. Twenty some years ago, I found one that women living in a senior's complex liked. Fortunately, the doctor was young so she's still my primary.

Linda

16 hours ago, Expat2B said:

Also curious about this.  Currently in FL but about to sell vehicle and head overseas.  Want to keep FL DL using Escapees Bushnell address.

You might check with the DMV to see about early or late renewal. Some states allow 6 months either side of due date.  If you can renew before you leave, that might help. BUT! My Dave renewed his license just before we went full time but I didn't. Several years later we moved back home and I reapplied which was a quick computer test. But, Dave's license, even though expired, had been renewed too recently for him to get a new one so he had to stand in the LONG line to do a renewal.

Linda Sand

Which is also why it is good to get your mail service started a few months before you go full time. It takes time for all those address changes to happen. It's OK to have everything go to your service because you can simply have them send it on to your home until you actually leave.

Linda Sand

2 hours ago, kb0zke said:

All of a sudden we have a family reunion and a retirement right after Escapade - 700 miles away! We could probably make those if we left on Thursday, driving all day Thursday and Friday. We're not signed up for the Flaming Gorge trip since we were just there recently. What will we miss if we leave Thursday morning?

The Friday night entertainment is usually really good! But, probably not worth missing your two special events for.

Linda

3 hours ago, rickeieio said:

While tax avoidance is a concern, it's none of my business, nor my job, to assure a vendor is honest.  That goes for reporting tips as well.  My job is to be fair, and pay less if I can do so without cheating anyone.

My only experience with this was when I sold our tent trailer to a guy. When we went to city hall to transfer the title, he wanted me to say he paid less than he did to reduce the tax he owed. That felt like my business and I couldn't do it. 

I once had a friend who told me I was excessively honest because I wouldn't accept a cassette of train sounds he pirated.

But, I do have music on my phone for which I once owned the originals but no longer have them.

Linda

The small, private bank we used when first married did not want to finance our car purchase because Dave was in the military. I persuaded them to do so but it did take having some leverage. (Reminding them that Dave started banking with them while still in high school since that's where his father banked and that we would be moving back when Dave's enlistment was up so I was sorry they no longer wanted our family's business.)

We now bank with USAA. USAA started as a group of Army officers self-insuring one another because no one else would. They have always given us excellent service in both insurance and banking and we are still using them more than 50 years later.

Linda

ps. The small, private bank went out of business many years ago.

3 hours ago, palmeris said:

We ask if there's a discount if paid in full with cash.  We have seen different percentages range from 2 % to 10% but the majority being no sales tax on the transaction...

They can't actually do no sales tax. What they do is give you a discount using that explanation for the amount as it is easy for the buyer to understand and makes it sound like the seller can't negotiate the amount.

Linda

1 hour ago, kb0zke said:

we like to have very little out just in case.

And so I didn't try to drive off while still hooked up. I boondocked a lot so bringing in a water hose was not a regular part of my departure process.

Linda

54 minutes ago, WILDEBILL308 said:

Does having the hot water run out when in the shower count?

Bill

Or having someone flush a toilet while you are in the shower? I will never forget the day our daughter decided to hand wash and rinse dishes while I was in the shower and had just applied shampoo to my hair! Talk about polar plunge!

Linda

2 hours ago, bruce t said:

If you're my age you will remember the days before ATMs. Days before cards. Days before the 24 hour 7 days a week trading. Where the weekend was for relaxation and family. Oh but I long for the good ol days.

You can still schedule your weekends to be for relaxation and family. It's just a case of deciding to do that.

Linda