Class of 2019

[fpmtngal]

3 hours ago, CasperBob said:

But the big project will be the garage full of woodworking tools and supplies. That will be the hard one for me.

We didn't really up size or down size when we made our move from a 32' 5th wheel to a 32.5' Class C. Still need to get it out on a shake down weekend, but the weather has been be crazy. We had about 5 days of summer last week, now been snowing for two days. Ah spring time in Wyoming.

My project is the computer and photography stuff. They bring up issues to be solved, and due to the fact someone turned the calendar back to February, I’m dealing with it instead of the under house storage. Ugh! What to do?!!? 

SoCal should not have an inch of snow on the ground the last full week of May. I was camping 3 days ago so I have 2/3 full fresh water tank and not winterized! The furnace is set for 39, the trailer has heated tanks, it will be fine.

4 hours ago, Reedhoppa said:

I am so looking forward to life after property. Funny, you’re thinking of transitioning to a larger TT ... I’m thinking that the 26-footer I have on order may be too big. Guess we won’t know until the houses are completely out of the picture. I’d say revisit the idea in July. 😊

Larger and smaller are relative. The larger trailers I was looking at were about the size of the one you have on order, 26-27’ overall (looked at the Lance 2295 and 2375). My trailer is only 21’ overall.

I am very, very reluctant to buy anything that big, and the next size up from mine (1985, 1995 if I stay with Lance, which I probably will) don’t really offer much more than I already have when it comes to storage. I don’t care about a walk-around bed, because I’m solo.

[ROUS]

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

[Reedhoppa]

I’m going to officially join the class of 2019 if I may. I’ve been hanging out in the new members forum but I’m less than a month away from Full-timer status. House sale will close on June 2Oth, I pick up my new 26’ Cougar the day after tomorrow and then it’s off to the races. I plan to full-time for a year. If it agrees with me, I will just keep going. I’m retired from a 30 year career in environmental management. My hobby is restoring and selling vintage film cameras. Have been selling on eBay for the past 10 years. I will have to shutter that operation now and will be storing approx. 100 vintage cameras that I never got around to listing. I’m a solo traveler ... empty nester ... a couple friends and my older brother will be joining the caravan with their own rigs, at least for a while, when I head for warmer weather in November or December. Will probably split my time between BLM and national forest boondock locations and park lands. I finally have a little time to work on domicile and other details. Right now I’m just gearing up for the big day on Saturday with checklists in hand. Pics will be forthcoming!

[sandsys]

1 hour ago, ROUS said:

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

Graduation in this case usually refers to moving from whatever house/apartment in which you've been living into the full time RV lifestyle. Whatever year you go fulltime, thus becomes your graduation year. No application needed; just an announcement which you did above. Welcome to a great lifestyle.

Linda Sand, Class of 2008

Edited May 23, 2019 by sandsys

[mds1]

Welcome to the group ROUS! Many of us here are not yet fulltimers.  Keep us posted on your progress so we can learn from it and also share the successes.  

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.  The rest seems so easy from then on.

[ROUS]

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!

[mds1]

11 minutes ago, ROUS said:

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!

Thanks.  I wish the house was at 100% of what I wanted it to be when it goes on the market but it will be close enough. If our schedule works out we will be away on a camping trip the first two weeks it's on the market thereby giving the relators free run of the place to include us not having to move the dogs out.

Around here they are also selling quickly. Congrads on your sale!  I figure once it sells there will be a 30 to 45 day closing period, although our last house way back in 2003 sold in two days and we had to be out in two weeks.  Got the fifth wheel and a place to park it so we are hoping we have to move into it early

Good luck getting that class B purchases ASAP.

Mark from Missouri

Edited May 24, 2019 by mds1

[fpmtngal]

20 hours ago, ROUS said:

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!

I’m envious! I’m right now sitting in a AAA Club office waiting to get two forms for escrow notarized. Appraiser came by this morning and home inspection is next week. I’m having a tough time focusing on getting anything done, all of a sudden there’s just so much! I wish it were all over and on the road already.

On 5/23/2019 at 11:45 AM, Reedhoppa said:

 I pick up my new 26’ Cougar the day after tomorrow and then it’s off to the races. I plan to full-time for a year. If it agrees with me, I will just keep going. I’m retired from a 30 year career in environmental management. My hobby is restoring and selling vintage film cameras. Have been selling on eBay for the past 10 years.  Right now I’m just gearing up for the big day on Saturday with checklists in hand. Pics will be forthcoming!

Hope all goes well with your delivery. Make sure you inspect everything possible and that you understand all of the functions of the trailer. I once met someone at a campground who couldn’t understand why their grey tank indicator still said full when they pulled the only (and black) handle that was on the trailer. Their dealer did a very poor job of inspecting the trailer to begin with, a worse delivery briefing and the couple didn’t know enough to realize there should have been a grey handle also. Some people recommend videoing the delivery briefing, it’s easy to forget some part of it. 

Too bad you aren’t in business any more, I had a 1930’s era Contax that didn’t work. I was tempted to try to find an adapter to use the lenses on a modern Pentax Q but decided it wasn’t worth it. Now I’m wondering what to do with the Q camera itself.

[Jesse A]

My wife and I recently started full-timing in our new to us 2015 Keystone Cougar 313RLI 5th wheel. We have a 2016 Ram 2500 Cummins. We decided to start this  full-time RV journey after surviving the Route 91 Harvest festival shooting. After a near death experience and struggling with daily life, we realized that the life we were living was not living! We started to make the switch to full-timing, sold off most of our possessions, rented out our house and bought the 5th wheel. So I guess we are class of 2019? we started March of 2019 currently we are in Florida visiting family. Loving this lifestyle so far! I made a couple videos of our start and some of the process.

 

 

Bare with me the quality has gone up since!

[fpmtngal]

Well, my deal might have hit a major snag - should have known because things were going along so well.  Buyer loves the house, the list of repairs was really minor, biggest headache was going to be finding someone who could take care of some of them that are either beyond my reach with a 4 foot ladder or beyond my knowledge of how to do.  

Then came the septic tank certification process.  First snag but one that is fixable is that the septic tank needs to be replaced, not an uncommon occurrence where I live.  Then the water didn't flow into the leach field right.  Gulp - the hose stopped at the middle of a concrete driveway, which more than likely means I've put concrete over the existing leach field.  A whole lot of concrete.

So on to Plan B - put in a new leach field.  Only problem is that the next level spot in the yard is down a big slope and at the opposite end of the lot, plus there are trees that would need to be removed.  Or if the county will approve it, put in a leach pit at the top of the lot near the septic tank.  In any case, it's going to be very, very expensive.  Not happy, but it just means I get less back to invest escrow closes.

Before my realtor could tell the buyer's realtor about what was going on, she said that the buyer was balking at the $400/month she was quoted by State Farm for homeowner's insurance (I'm paying about half that with Progressive).  I had warned her that insurance could be a problem up here and that it seemed like a lot of companies had raised/doubled their rates last year (my old insurance company pulled out completely).

So now what?  I would hope the buyer would not try to get her earnest money back because she "can't get insurance" when it's a matter that she can't or doesn't want to pay the premium.  The earnest money will not cover the entire cost of fixing the septic system (which has been working for me as I'm gone so much - I had no idea there was a failure in the leach line), worst case it would cover about a third.  That would mean I'm on the hook for a very, very large bill, regardless, if she backs out of the deal.

Which would mean that I'd be out a whole bunch of money and still be stuck with a house I no longer want to live in, and I'd have to go through all the business of listing it and hoping it sells all over again.  I don't think I can ask any more for the house than what I listed it for, even saying that it has a new septic system.

I'm still going to move a Grand Cherokee full of stuff to Vegas tomorrow and rent a storage unit. I'm only taking off-season clothes and sentimental stuff, I can always retrieve it any time. 

I'm trying to remain hopeful that it will all work out in the end.  I sure hope no one else is stuck in this situation!

[Tim & Michelle]

Tim n Michelle Bailey from Goodells MI. Been planing on this for about 10 years, and it happened and we are loving it! Sold the house (quick) in September of 2018, took care of a few medical things and we retired April 2019. Our plans are to be warm in the winter (Florida), and around our family and grand babies (Michigan) Mid April-beginning of December. We are young enough to still go and do (mid 50’s), but early retirement=less money, that’s ok we like bike riding, kayaking, swinging, hunting, fishing and hanging out together. We are looking for help with things like best place for residency, camping discounts, camping with ppl our age...last year we stayed in Englewood Fl great ppl but the average age was 75. I have had 2 ppl tell me to check Escapees out, so here I am. We would like to get together in a small group setting to learn more. Is this something you guys do? The big rally’s look fun but maybe to big?? 

[Reedhoppa]

On 6/5/2019 at 9:32 PM, fpmtngal said:

Well, my deal might have hit a major snag - should have known because things were going along so well.  

Very sorry to hear about your property sale dilemma ... I can imagine how frustrating that must be. Good luck and continue to persevere ... you will get there. Maybe a dumb question but would there be an option to remove the concrete and replace the leach field in its current location? Good luck and keep us posted.

[fpmtngal]

4 hours ago, Reedhoppa said:

Very sorry to hear about your property sale dilemma ... I can imagine how frustrating that must be. Good luck and continue to persevere ... you will get there. Maybe a dumb question but would there be an option to remove the concrete and replace the leach field in its current location? Good luck and keep us posted.

Not really practical. There’s 100 feet of concrete and retaining walls, it cost $10,000 to put in 3 years ago. Hopefully the inspector will give a green light to the leach pit, but it would still be cheaper to put the leach field in the back than it would to demo and replace the concrete driveway. 

My buyer backed out last night, so I’ve spent all afternoon unpacking books etc. that are still here (I took a load of containers to Vegas yesterday and rented a unit) so there’s something in the empty bookcases. My realtor is doing an open house tomorrow, piggybacking on another open house that the same office is doing on the same block as mine. 

Keeping my fingers crossed.

9 hours ago, Tim & Michelle said:

Our plans are to be warm in the winter (Florida), and around our family and grand babies (Michigan) Mid April-beginning of December. We are young enough to still go and do (mid 50’s), ...We are looking for help with things like best place for residency, camping discounts, camping with ppl our age...last year we stayed in Englewood Fl great ppl but the average age was 75. I have had 2 ppl tell me to check Escapees out, so here I am. We would like to get together in a small group setting to learn more. Is this something you guys do? The big rally’s look fun but maybe to big?? 

Many of the people I camp with I’ve met at rallies put on by folks owning the same type of rig (manufacturer) as mine. They are all ages. You might see if there’s an owners forum for your rig and if there are any gatherings put on by other owners or the manufacturer. Last year I got talking to someone who was with a good-sized Grand Design Rally at Quartzsite, sounded fun and a bunch of useful classes. 

Next year I am planning on going to the Escapade in Wyoming, I’ve never been to one. It might be huge, but I’m sure I’ll have a great time meeting whoever is set up next to me. And I’d like to do the RV Boot Camp. Check out nearby Escapees chapters and BOF groups, too.

There’s lots of articles on the Escapees website about domicile and residency. I’m still working on becoming a full-timer, so my knowledge is limited to the articles and what my tax accountant tells me. 

I still haven’t made up my mind about membership campgrounds and the organizations that they are associated with. So far my RVing has been as a traveler and didn’t feel my usage would be enough to make it worthwhile to buy into one. Ask me again in a year, then I might know if being a full-timer would change that.

As far as discounts go, belonging to something like Passport America, Good Sam etc. can be good if you use them. I am probably going to use them a fair amount if the house sells quickly, less in the winter when I plan to boondock in Arizona and Nevada most of the time. 

[lg61820]

I just wanted to say that I'm still here.  I didn't retire in December, but have committed to retiring effective 08/01.  Not sure of my exact plans after that.  However, I am looking forward to the self  I discover when I am free to be whoever I want to be.  I have purchased the TT I wanted, a T@B CS-S.  This is my third RV purchase and I think I got it right this time.  

I look forward to reading about your adventures and sharing mine!

[fpmtngal]

5 hours ago, lg61820 said:

I just wanted to say that I'm still here.  I didn't retire in December, but have committed to retiring effective 08/01.  Not sure of my exact plans after that.  However, I am looking forward to the self  I discover when I am free to be whoever I want to be.  I have purchased the TT I wanted, a T@B CS-S.  This is my third RV purchase and I think I got it right this time.  

I look forward to reading about your adventures and sharing mine!

Sounds like you’ve got yourself well organized and I’m envious.

My house hasn’t been shown since the open house the day the buyer officially cancelled. At least my septic tank and leach pit project is going along well and will hopefully be complete the very first part of July. If I still don’t have an offer by then, I think I’ll go to Idaho and western Montana until either I get another offer on the house or the end of the summer, whichever comes first. 

So everyone who’s on track or have already started down the full-time road, tell me about your positive experiences, let me enjoy it through your eyes. I want to be really envious of all of your good luck.

[Reedhoppa]

Having a hard time posting to this thread ... what am I doing wrong?

[Reedhoppa]

Okay ... maybe it’s working now.

I’m about 96 hours away from the closing on my house sale. The house is empty and I’ve managed to cram it’s contents into a 10’x30’ storage unit. I have a jumble of boxes and containers left that are full of what I think I’m going to need for full-timing ... but haven’t had time to organize so of course I can’t find anything. This is such a big change ... amazingly all the pieces seem to be falling into place. I’m finally able to relax outside the Cougar and contemplate my future travel plans. I live in a split-level and must have made a thousand trips with furniture and boxes up and down flights of stairs. My knees took the hit but are slowly coming around. Soon I will begin laying out a travel itinerary including a rally or two ... still counting on boondocking about half the time. That’s about it. Stay positive ... make lists incessantly ... and eventually you will get there. 😊

 

[fpmtngal]

That’s great news!!!!! 

Knees - know what you mean as my house is 2 story. Even though I’m no where near as far along as you are with the furniture, my knees have complained. You have my sympathy, but at least your only a few days away from giving them a proper break.

10x30 storage unit?  You are keeping more stuff than I am, we have different long-term goals I think.  But I’m wondering if the 10x10 unit I rented is going to be big enough. Every time I turn around I spot something I had planned on keeping that I had forgotten about when I looked at the unit.

I’ve been packing stuff for the storage unit in plastic bins. I had bought them several years ago for temporary storage while I had hard wood floors installed.  I kept them all, using some of them occasionally for some reason. Now I am very glad I did - they aren’t huge boxes so I can manage them by myself, and most importantly, I can see what’s inside them.  I have been trying to pack with some sort of organization, and have been putting them in the storage unit with some sort of order in mind.  

Since my trailer is so small and winter clothes are so bulky, I packed most of my winter and dressier stuff up and put them in the storage unit in Vegas.  I figure that when winter comes I’ll pack up my summer clothes and retrieve my winter sweaters. I’m going to keep one heavy jacket with me along with various lighter layers that can keep me comfortable through the fall and can be combined if it gets cold unexpectedly or before I pass through Vegas in the fall.

My clear plastic containers came in handy this weekend when I took a partial load over and my sister had gotten me a ticket to see Frankie Valle in concert at the Smith Center. The shoes I wanted to wear were packed but I had no trouble spotting the container and retrieving them.  I’m now convinced that my idea of how to pack and organize the unit is going to work.

It sounds like you are at the point where you can unpack all of that stuff you have packed for full-time living, organize it and put it all away.  I’m not really good at it, but life in a small trailer is so much better when everything has it’s “home” and is put away where it’s easily accessible or filling some far corner if it’s something you only need once in a while.  It makes a huge difference!

And it’s something that’s on my mind as the next indicated step for me.  I’ve been using the trailer somewhat for staging stuff, but the house is now organized and much of the stuff for storage is already there or in a closet.  I want to go through everything I have in my trailer (which is still somewhat packed from my last trip), re-organize and get rid of some stuff that I seem to have accumulated that are duplicates and decide what of the stuff I found in the house that “could be useful for camping” I really need.  I’ve gone back and forth with what to take with me - thinking that I’ll need more stuff than what I’ve always carried before and then wondering why since I have been very comfortable in it for months at a time.

Keep posting success stories and what you are doing, it helps keep me focused on my goal, and gives me ideas on how to get there.

 

[Reedhoppa]

Here’s a weird question for you. Wondering if my magnetic spice containers will stay put when I’m on the road (see pic). Guess I will find out tomorrow when I hook up and pull to my first destination.😉

[fpmtngal]

Report back tomorrow, an interesting idea, I’ve never tried something like that.

As a guess, you may be ok with the ones on the fume hood, but I suspect that the magnets aren’t strong enough for the oven door. But that’s a guess. I think the idea very cool if it works.

I normally have less load shifting than some people I know. My initial towing experience was with a horse trailer many years ago. The horse I had didn’t balance all that well and he would scramble if I accelerated before the trailer was completely around the corner first, or I stopped a little quickly. I try to drive the same way towing my TT, everything should be done smoothly with nothing sudden as much as possible, slower acceleration than what I would normally do. 

Post the results of your magnetic experiment, I’m interested if it really works.

[Reedhoppa]

Pulled the trailer fully loaded today for the first time. The Tundra handled the load with ease. My best guess is that the trailer weighs about 6,500 pounds loaded. I don’t use a checklist but probably would be a good idea to use one during preparation for towing. I didn’t travel very far but I’m feeling great about the way everything handled. Pulled into a friend’s lot and easily backed into my spot with no assistance. Probably the years I spent backing boats into lake access ramps helps me there. I’m happy to report that the magnetic spice containers didn’t move an inch .... in fact not much of anything shifted in the trailer ... with the exception of a few cans of beer that tumbled out of the fridge when I opened it. Have to remember to open the fridge s-l-o-w-l-y after traveling. Honda generator arrived today so will get that started and tested tomorrow. It’s the 2200 watt unit that weighs about 46 pounds. Super easy to move around. House closing is tomorrow. I’m beginning to settle into the rhythm of trailer life. Several short distance trips are planned over the coming weeks. That’s fine with me. Still lots to learn about the camper (which is still nameless, by the way). True story ... I was sitting outside the camper last week soaking up some early morning sun and sipping a cup of coffee. I was surfing the net looking for suggestions for naming a camper. It needs a name, right? So I’m sitting there with my nose buried in my i-phone when a wild black bear wanders out of the woods in my back yard and walks within 30’ of me. It was a yearling searching for something to eat I suppose. I watched him for about five minutes b4 he gave up and wandered back into the woods. Anyway, I think the bear was a clue for what I need to name the camper. So what ... Yogi? Smoky? Or maybe just Bear? Still working on that one. Suggestions are welcome. I’m getting eager to get out on the road and meet others to see how they outfit their rigs ... and what they call them!

[fpmtngal]

What a great report! Good luck tomorrow, sign on the dotted line, get the check and leave for parts unknown.  Have a great time!

Lucky you having no trouble backing up, I’m lousy at it.

You might think about getting tension rods for the fridge. They twist to get longer and work reasonably well. I use them in a back cabinet where I’m more likely to get shifting as well as the fridge.

Checklists are a useful tool to have, especially in the beginning. While I have a routine now, I get distracted easily so I’m always forgetting something. I usually go around a second time and double check everything both in and out. I never forget the same thing, either (I once left my EMS, whoever got my spot next must have loved that!).

Speaking of a Honda 2200, I should start mine soon, I’ve been sitting at home for a month and it’s been longer than that since I used it.

All right, you convinced me, I just ordered the magnetic spice jars. I don’t cook all that much, but they look cool and would be useful for the ones I do carry. My trailer’s spice rack is pretty useless, if you put anything in it it blocks the light switches. 

I think I’d be tempted to call your trailer “Cub” - cub after the bear, but also Cougar Cub sounds good together. My trailer is Arthur - what else do you call a Lance trailer that’s towed by the White Knight?  You are welcome to groan at that one.

[fpmtngal]

How are others doing for this year's class?  Any new stories, people ready to put their houses on the market or recent sells?  My septic system issue still hasn't been solved, though the paperwork has been written up and will be submitted to the county tomorrow, I think, new estimated date for construction end of next week.  And no one is looking at the house, so I'm now discouraged.  I've re-listed the house as a 2 bedroom plus bonus room which reflects how it's legally configured and because the only practical way to solve the septic system issues is to size it for a 2 bedroom.  But that also means that even fewer people will bother to look at it.  So I'm discouraged, wondering how to get anyone to actually look at it (it shows well once people walk in the door).  Open houses aren't working now, no one showed up at the last one.

So how are others doing?  Improvements made?  RVs purchased?  Lessons learned, positive experiences?  Plans working out?

[CasperBob]

2 hours ago, fpmtngal said:

How are others doing for this year's class?  Any new stories, people ready to put their houses on the market or recent sells?  My septic system issue still hasn't been solved, though the paperwork has been written up and will be submitted to the county tomorrow, I think, new estimated date for construction end of next week.  And no one is looking at the house, so I'm now discouraged.  I've re-listed the house as a 2 bedroom plus bonus room which reflects how it's legally configured and because the only practical way to solve the septic system issues is to size it for a 2 bedroom.  But that also means that even fewer people will bother to look at it.  So I'm discouraged, wondering how to get anyone to actually look at it (it shows well once people walk in the door).  Open houses aren't working now, no one showed up at the last one.

So how are others doing?  Improvements made?  RVs purchased?  Lessons learned, positive experiences?  Plans working out?

All of our remodeling projects are still moving along, albeit much more slowly than my wife would like, lol. The contractor in me keeps saying we won't finish till early next year, but the DW keeps thinking we should be done by end of September. I suspect we will actually end up being part of the class of 2020 instead of 2019. Oh well, this has been in the works for me for over a dozen years so what's a few more months. Besides, home prices have recently taken a bit of a dip which is not unusual for this time of year around here.

We had a relator come in and take a look at the house and give us some feedback as well as a market analysis of what our house might be worth. Better than I expected but a little lower than she first thought. All in all, sounds like I should be able to double my investment even with all the remodeling expenses added in.

The up side is that we have taken some weekends off to enjoy our motorhome, now that all the little issues are fixed. Went just about 35 miles out of town this weekend and camped on the North Platte river. Keep in mind that 35 miles from town in Wyoming is usually the middle of nowhere, haha. We saw several drift boat outfitters come by with clients fly fishing, as well as seeing a few deer at water's edge, several pelicans float down the river then fly back up stream to do it all over again. Even saw a Bald Eagle soaring overhead in search of a meal.

And as a bonus I pretty much convinced my wife that we should stop killing ourselves with the non-stop remodeling so we can still enjoy life... and more time in the RV! And that pretty much sums up what's going on in this corner of the world.

[fpmtngal]

20 hours ago, CasperBob said:

The up side is that we have taken some weekends off to enjoy our motorhome, now that all the little issues are fixed. Went just about 35 miles out of town this weekend and camped on the North Platte river. Keep in mind that 35 miles from town in Wyoming is usually the middle of nowhere, haha. We saw several drift boat outfitters come by with clients fly fishing, as well as seeing a few deer at water's edge, several pelicans float down the river then fly back up stream to do it all over again. Even saw a Bald Eagle soaring overhead in search of a meal.

And as a bonus I pretty much convinced my wife that we should stop killing ourselves with the non-stop remodeling so we can still enjoy life... and more time in the RV! And that pretty much sums up what's going on in this corner of the world.

Sounds like an excellent plan - taking some time off here and there.  Finding balance.  I'm in the opposite end of things - the house is done, just needs normal housekeeping to keep it in model home/show condition.  The trailer is mostly organized, certainly enough for a camping trip.  I've been sitting around doing very little recently, just waiting for the contractor to do something about the septic system.  As soon as that's done, I'm going to go camping somewhere for a while.  No idea where, but somewhere that's not too crowded and not too hot.

I envy you your Wyoming location.  I've never been in Casper but I've traveled around other places in your state and love what I've seen.  

Construction?  I looked back at some of my previous posts and noticed that I said the septic contractor was talking about the first week in July.  He's now saying the end of next week (last week in July), maybe it'll be done the first week of August?  Yes, it always seems like construction projects take longer than you expect them to.  There's always some part or tool you discover you don't have but need before you can go further.  Or you order something and UPS loses it between their local office and your house.  Or...

Hope your wife is correct and you are on the road in September, looking for warmer places than Wyoming in the winter.