sandsys

An RV friend has a whole flock of flamingos in her yard. I sent her husband the link to the article.

I'd add paperwork--all those user manuals, vehicle registrations and insurance, tax stuff, and medical stuff. Linda

Any tool can be misused. Linda

That actually used to be a thing. They were called "leading strings" and they were used to keep toddlers from running loose. In this day and age, when there are so many laws intended to keep kids safe, I wonder why leading strings have not come back into fashion? Linda

That's what we did. Go in and buy a meal or two. Casinos used to offer cheap meals as a way to get gamblers in but they don't do that anymore so I figured buying a meal paid for my campsite. Linda

I have not been called but my mother also said it was educational. Linda

I liked Cracker Barrel for free overnight stops while traveling from one place to another. I like their food and I was often the only one there overnight. Linda

I can cope with almost anything except required reservations. How am I supposed to know in advance what wonderful eating/site-seeing place I am going to stumble across while traveling? Linda

Yes. You, and anyone else, may pass it on however you choose to do so. I'd like to see it widely spread. Helping newbie RVers is a main focus of my life now that I am unable to actively participate in this way of life anymore. I miss RVing. Linda Sand

South Central Missouri. https://meramecvalleycampground.com Linda

Thank you. I worked on that a long time--even adding the newest line just before I posted it thanks to rpsinc on this forum. Linda

Shopping for an RV Part 1: On Line Research Join some online forums like Escapees and IRV2. http://www.rvnetwork.com https://www.irv2.com/forums/ Read blogs from signature lines on those forums and at Cheap RV Living. https://www.cheaprvliving.com Read about what rigs people live in and what they say about them. Take notes. Notice that people live in all types, sizes and brands of rigs. Realize no one else can tell you what will work for you. Part 2: Costs Time to plan a budget if you have not done that yet. Figure out costs for a trailer and tow vehicle. Figure out costs for a motor home with or without a towed vehicle. Figure out how old a unit you would need to buy to fit in your budget. Figure out how much money you will likely need to bring an older unit up to your comfort level. Figure out how much money you want to set aside to maintain the rig. Find your options for financing if that is likely to happen. Wonder if you are ready to do this or not. Part 3: In Person Research Go to an RV dealer or RV show and visit a wide variety of types of RVs. If a salesperson wants to give you advice, ask them what type of rig they have and if they have lived in it. If their answers are negative, ignore their advice. Take a picture of the badging/signage before you go in each unit. Take pictures inside the unit so you will know what you saw where. Sit down and start mentally putting your things into cupboards. When you start putting things into the same cupboard for the third time realize you either have too much stuff or that this rig is not for you. Decide whether to go home and sort stuff again or to cross that unit off your list. Part 4: Try It On For Size Once you get your choices down to just a few rigs it is time to visit one for an extended period of time. Again, before you go inside make a record of the badging/signage of the rig. Once inside start by sitting in “your” chair and reading that rig's manual. That will let you know if the chair is comfortable for more than a few minutes of relief from walking from rig to rig. Take off your shoes and lie down on the bed. (You did wear slip on shoes, didn't you?) Can you stretch out without hitting either your head or your feet? Can you lie on your side without hitting bottom? Figure out where you will put your alarm clock, flashlight, keys, etc. (Yes, you will want an alarm when attending gatherings or going to service appointments.) Sit on the closed toilet and see if your feet and knees fit with the door closed. Where's the toilet paper? Stand in the shower (without your shoes again) and go through the motions of washing your hair and of picking up the soap you dropped. Where did your reach for a towel? Stand at the stove and mentally cook some ground beef. Where did you lay the utensil when done stirring? Where did you put the grease? Stand at the sink and “wash” dishes. Where were the dirty ones waiting? Where did you put the clean but wet ones? OK, you need to prep some vegetables. Where did you put the cutting board to use it? Where did you get the knife from? How about the paper towels to dry the washed vegetables? Sit down to watch TV. How long can you do that without getting a crick in your neck? Pretend you just came in out of the rain. Where will you put your wet things? You made notes of all those answers, right? On to the next rig and do it all again. Part 5: Buy It Pick your final rig. Find out if anyone is selling one of those. If more than one is available, decide which you'd rather buy based on location or seller reputation or whatever criteria is most important to you. Take it to a certified scale to be sure it has enough capacity for your stuff. Arrange for a qualified person to evaluate that particular rig. Check to see if there are any recalls on that particular rig. Finalize financing if needed. Part 6: Take it Home Start putting your own stuff into your new rig. Downsize some more until it all fits. Weigh the rig again to be sure you didn’t overpack. Go play.

This is the best RV buying advice I have ever seen! It should be reposted everywhere! Linda Sand

By resident, do you mean domicile? Those are two different things. You can be a part-time resident in more than one state but you can only have your domicile in one. Linda

No, because I hadn't realized that was part of the problem until someone mentioned it earlier in this thread. Since my membership in the club itself is now inactive, I don't think it is my place to do so other than responding to this thread. Linda

I agree; why Grand Junction? Your answer may help us help you. Linda

Hire another good administrator. I miss Mark. Linda

Ugh! I'm glad you were not outside at the time! Linda

Wow! That's an amazing house! I do wonder about the limited carrying capacity, though. If I'm reading that right, you won't be able to bring much stuff. Linda

We had them do our Class C, Class A, and Class B. None were ever extremely dirty since we rarely parked under trees and we had it washed at least twice a year. The Class B only cost $20 so why not? Linda

Before my father's death all three of us kids were visiting at the same time--two us us with spouses. Dad sent us upstairs to choose who wanted what but required the spouses to stay downstairs. We all knew which one was the greedy one that caused that ruling. We were lucky with Dave's father's death. We were all invited to come decide what we wanted at the same time. No two people picked the same thing. We even went so far as my SIL wanting just the frame of the painting I wanted without the frame. We all went home happy. OTOH, Dave's grandmother's settee has moved around various family members at various times. It is currently in our living room. Some families simply get along better than others. Linda

I don't remember Blue Beacon using any elbow grease. They sprayed on soapy water then clear water and were done unless you paid for something extra. I never let them wax my rigs because I never felt they were quite clean enough for that but they did a better job than I could do on my own. The first Class C we rented required us to clean it before returning it. We took it to a truck wash. The rental place wanted to know how we got it so clean. Linda

My class was 500 and I have no idea how many are left. What I know is when we moved into this life care facility seven years ago they were reluctant to let us in because we were so "young". I'll be 76 in a couple of weeks. Linda

That's why we bought cheap furniture when we came off the road. Our only child has everything she and her husband need so why would we buy expensive stuff when cheap is just as comfortable? We furnished our entire apartment for ~$2000 at IKEA since leaving money made more sense than leaving furniture no one will want anyway. Linda

Part of that is the move towards minimalism. It teaches people to simplify their lives so they can dedicate their resources towards the things that have the most meaning for them For most of us that means RVing in one form or another. That's why I am a supporter of the Homes On Wheels Alliance; they teach nearly broke people how to RV cheaply and they provide physical and monetary support when they can. For those people, being able to leave the stresses of city living can be a lifesaver. Linda