Class of 2011

[JMonroe]

I hope to join the class of 2011!

 

I retired June 1st of this year, Peggy is trying to hold on to 2012. We had two homes to sell and got very lucky, the one we put on the market this past spring was sold to the first couple that viewed it. We had a contract three weeks from listing. We hadn't expected that. Me and the dogs are now living in what had been our second 'up north' house, Peggy joins us on weekends. We rented a small apartment for the work week. We did not want to incur the expense of an apartment large enough for all of us, while still maintaining our second home, and have to keep all our furnishings and 'stuff', only to have to deal with it all again later. We did not consider keeping the 'primary' residence and selling this one first, as there was no room there for everything we have here (the motor home being the biggest 'thing'). Her apartment is little bigger than a dorm room and is furnished with 'throw away' stuff, and not much of that.

 

Next spring or summer this house goes on the market. I don't expect lightning to strike twice, but it would be nice. As soon as the house sells, I'm officially full time! Our 'living arrangement' is a bit strange now, but it is designed to get us to a 'good place' long term.

 

I'm hoping this will be my last winter in Wisconsin. If so, Peggy may be building up her air miles her last winter employed. We bought an RV property in South Carolina where we could over-winter, but if we hit a cold spell, well, that's the beauty of a home on wheels, we just head farther south until???

[Trusty_2010]

Plan is to start fulltiming for a year or two in February 2011 with my 9 year old son and almost 14 year old Husky. I telecommute and homeschool (soon to be road-schooling) my son and it is very exciting to be leaving the SoCal area and heading out to travel through our wonderful country. We will live in Tx to establish residency and enjoy the Austin area for a couple of months - and then off we go!

 

 

 

Great suggestions ChristArtist – the color coordination will help my son find his things.

 

 

 

Currently we are letting go and purging lots and lots of stuff – garage sales, Craigslist, donations to charities and friends. I will get a small storage unit for a couple of antiques and things we love (photos, my son's art work).

 

 

 

I look forwarding to meeting you on the road.

 

Esther

[Loviosa]

2011 will soon be here and we hit the road. Earlier this month we bought our new (to us) 5th wheel. We bought a Holiday Rambler Presidental, 37 ft. It has been gently used and we love it. (especially that double fridge) Earlier this year be bought a 3500 Dodge Dualy to pull it. Although we have not really pulled it much the truck handled it just fine. Backing it into the driveway at home was interesting to say the least. Being as inexperienced as we are - we were not sure if we were going to have enough room to swing the truck to back it in, but managed to do it in only 3 tries. (I direct with our little radio and Ira drives) As luck would have it right at that time our neighbours would arrive in their 40 ft MH. They were quite impressed at how well we managed to back that thing into our driveway and park it. We didn't tell them about the first 2 tries they were not here to witness.

 

We are now packing it up gradually and still purging the house. We are hoping we will have it nearly ready to sell before we leave to Florida at the end of Dec. When we get back in March we will finish up some odds and ends, put some stuff in storage and stage the rest. We will continue to live in the 5th wheel to keep the house as neat as we can.

 

I have downloaded a counter to my desktop and have it set - - 61days till the end of the year.

 

Vicky

[The Kinnes]

I noticed, Hydehunter, that you guys are in Sacratomato" .....we currently live in Camptonville about 90 miles north of you! We hope to start our journey into fulltime Feb 2011. LOTS to do beforehand....we still have to find that perfect class A. Hope to see you out there!!

Carol, Lisa and Alan Kinne

and Irie (the dog), too!!

 

we have been planning this for many years also so the summer of 2011 is our time to start living the new good life. Jim,Karen and Nicki the black lab

[The Kinnes]

LOL!! This is the very reason we decided to go with a class A!! Neither of us have ever successfully backed a trailer 10'......we figured it would just be too embarrassing!!LOL!! Thanks, I enjoyed your story! And congrats on getting out of the rat race! We leave Feb 2011 and I can NOT wait!!!!

Carol Kinne

 

2011 will soon be here and we hit the road. Earlier this month we bought our new (to us) 5th wheel. We bought a Holiday Rambler Presidental, 37 ft. It has been gently used and we love it. (especially that double fridge) Earlier this year be bought a 3500 Dodge Dualy to pull it. Although we have not really pulled it much the truck handled it just fine. Backing it into the driveway at home was interesting to say the least. Being as inexperienced as we are - we were not sure if we were going to have enough room to swing the truck to back it in, but managed to do it in only 3 tries. (I direct with our little radio and Ira drives) As luck would have it right at that time our neighbours would arrive in their 40 ft MH. They were quite impressed at how well we managed to back that thing into our driveway and park it. We didn't tell them about the first 2 tries they were not here to witness.

 

We are now packing it up gradually and still purging the house. We are hoping we will have it nearly ready to sell before we leave to Florida at the end of Dec. When we get back in March we will finish up some odds and ends, put some stuff in storage and stage the rest. We will continue to live in the 5th wheel to keep the house as neat as we can.

 

I have downloaded a counter to my desktop and have it set - - 61days till the end of the year.

 

Vicky

[christartist]

Hey Class!

Go To BootCamp! WOW!

 

WOW.....I did write a post about that on beginning RVing...but, WOW!

 

AND - before you go, get weighed! The Escapee Smart Weigh is worth every penny!

 

So, now, we are planning on new tires for the truck, fire prevention equipment, creating our virtual library on a nook(hopefully a color one - but the b/w ones should drop after Christmas), and fine tuning the trailer.

 

We have established Texas Residency...and our lease is up June 2011. My biggest concern now(as some fellow bootcamp graduates will attest) is where to put my hobby stuff! How much can be put into the trailer...how much do I need to let go of?

 

When we full timed in 2001-2004, technology was just catching up to the RV world...now there's WiFi, tablets, driods, tv on the internet...skype! I can get my house down so much more with all this new technology.

 

It's amazing, we sold everything and moved into a 38ft TT with only ONE slide in 2001, and we are now looking at another houseful of stuff, much of which we got rid of when we left Ohio. But where do you put the 4 recliner sectional in the RV???

 

I hate to say it, but we are going to end up with a storage area. But the sectional will go to our daughter in Dallas!

We are leaving for Galveston this weekend to do our planning...7 months until we are free from this lease. Jim will continue working, but we intend to do lots and lots of short trips.

 

We are so thankful to have attended the Boot Camp last weekend...and now we have even more confidence to move forward!

[christartist]

Very Big recommendation - go to Boot Camp!

http://www.escapees.com/bootcamp/

[The Kinnes]

Thanks very much. I was bummed we couldn't make the bootcamp....I know it would have been great! Hopefully, the next one will be closer to us.

Hugs,

Carol Kinne

 

Very Big recommendation - go to Boot Camp!

http://www.escapees.com/bootcamp/

[christartist]

Hi Carol,

I'm sure you can find a lot of the information on here...Maybe someone can come up with some links for homework!

 

On the website www.escapees.com/bootcamp/ there are links to the experts' pages....that would be a great place to start.

 

I'd love to go to Quartzite, AZ just to do it all over again!

 

Our problems are scheduling...:-(

[deafsetter]

Just purchased our "new" 5th wheel yesterday. 35' Silverback. We have been 5 years in the planning stage and 2011 is our year!

Still need a TV, but are storing the RV for the winter and purging our home and getting ready for sale in Spring of 2011. I am retired, hubby retires in Aug of 2011. We are lucky to have friends that live an hour north of us and 1/2 from hubby's job that will let us live on their 25acres until we head out after retirement in Aug. This will give us a chance to empty the house and fix up and get the doggie smell out for selling. So I guess we'll be full timing in the Spring, even though we'll still be in our home state.

Debbie B.

[GzrGldGeo]

Hello All. I am also plan to be in the Class of 2011. I am KD or Kelli Roberts' husband.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the boot camp. That was some of the best money I have ever spent.

 

I will get caught up on this thread and start posting more now.

 

I really enjoyed meeting those of you I got to meet last weekend.

 

We are very excited and need to get rid of a bunch of stuff between now and next August.

[Mooney12]

It looks like we have a couple of new faces. Welcome to the class of 2011. We hope to hit the road next summer also.

[christartist]

Glen - you got it! I was so happy! I get to take my sewing machine! I just have to pack in on the side opposite the kitchen! LOL

 

My biggest weight issue is the paper for painting on...but I guess I could just buy ONE tablet at a time! <grin>

 

We are going to need to work out the desk situation...are ya'll gonna be in the Dallas area for Thanksgiving? We've got a great TV for the games!

 

George...let's go...2011 all the way!!! Let us know if you are coming down to PPL here in Houston anytime...we'll try to meet up with you.

 

Glen, say Hi to Dixie, George, say Hi to Kelli!

 

Gotta 'run' to PT.

 

Jane and Paul - what are you two working on for 2011?

 

My two biggest prep projects - photos into Shutterfly photo books, eliminating all the photos I have AND categorizing my real books, and determining my virtual library and physical library needs. Gotta get a Houston Library card!

 

ttyl!

[The Kinnes]

I am also putting all of my fav recipes on Tastebook.....about 1/2 way thru them I guess, but I had a huge collection of cookbooks!

Come on 2011!!

Carol (of Carol, Alan, Lisa and Irie the dog)

 

Glen - you got it! I was so happy! I get to take my sewing machine! I just have to pack in on the side opposite the kitchen! LOL

 

My biggest weight issue is the paper for painting on...but I guess I could just buy ONE tablet at a time! <grin>

 

We are going to need to work out the desk situation...are ya'll gonna be in the Dallas area for Thanksgiving? We've got a great TV for the games!

 

George...let's go...2011 all the way!!! Let us know if you are coming down to PPL here in Houston anytime...we'll try to meet up with you.

 

Glen, say Hi to Dixie, George, say Hi to Kelli!

 

Gotta 'run' to PT.

 

Jane and Paul - what are you two working on for 2011?

 

My two biggest prep projects - photos into Shutterfly photo books, eliminating all the photos I have AND categorizing my real books, and determining my virtual library and physical library needs. Gotta get a Houston Library card!

 

ttyl!

[christartist]

Carol,

that assumes I will cook! LOL

 

Seriously, that's a great idea....but I have so few cookbooks that I do use, the rest have gone to live with our three daughters!

[Mooney12]

My wife will finish working on 5/27/2011. Our plans are to buy a MH in the spring and take some short trips in the summer. Head up to the next Escapades and then south before winter. Of course we have a house that needs to be sold. It will get listed within the next couple of weeks.

[champ_49]

Howdy all from the 2011 Class. I once was with you as the Class of 2011 but got caught off guard a bit with the Dr. She decided it was time for me to retire this last May 1st. So I became a member of Class of 2010. Just thought it was the right thing to do. After the Dr. told us that we decided it was now time to go fulltiming.

 

In short we left May 15th and been living the lifestyle since then. Trust me, all your planning all the things you are doing to get ready is well worth every bit of it. Wow, what a life it is out here. Wish I would have done it sooner. Sometimes being forced to make a decision is better that having to make it on your own. Its all of what you might imagine to be out here and a whole lot more.

 

Gave the house to our daughter, gave away most of our possesions that we couldn't put in the fiver and sold some also. Still have a few things left that the kids are holding onto for us. Its just "stuff" don't make a big thing out of it. Go ahead with your goals and keeping going at it.........its worth it!!!!

 

See you on the road!!

 

Dave

[LFDR3116]

Glad you love it... joining you soon. We are not too attached to any possessions we have, so no problem getting rid of the stuff, well me anyways. I don't know how DH will do when it comes time to actually get rid of some of those tools!

 

Pat

[docj]

Hello to the Class of 2011 from another pair of new members, Joel and Sandie (soon to be known as "formerly from Maryland"). After several months of planning things seem to be coming together and we hope to be on the road by February along with our two poodles, Chips and Salsa (one is white and one is red, of course).

 

We're experienced RVers (Class C) who decided last summer that we wanted the freedom that we think full-timing will provide. We're still in the final stages of clearing out of our house, but my wife has given notice to her job that she is retiring by the end of January. I retired a few months ago and have just finished a course that should enable me to get a Class B CDL next week if all goes well.

 

Our new-to-us coach is still with its former owner in Illinois and we'll pick it up as soon as Sandie finishes work (weather permitting). All we'll have to do at that point is attach the toad, come back to MD to load up our stuff, and then it's on the highway. We're looking forward to meeting many of you and are currently planning to attend Boot Camp in Wyoming next August.

 

Joel

[heyduke]

Well guess our status update is much the same...

 

House is still for sale... just lowered the price and hoping it gets a few bites... we both retire on the 1st of March.Still have to buy the motorhome, still selling stuff although it is getting pretty spacious around here... still have to learn to drive our new home .... then need to move our stuff into it and sell the rest that doesn't fit, make any modifications to the home we need to... then sell both our vehicles and buy our toad and then attach the toad... then hopefully we are on the highway March 2nd or 3rd.

[christartist]

After settling the cats issue(on another thread) - I am excited to be moving out!

I want to throw stuff out! But, we do have a lease until June.

 

But I am motivated! It's really coming together!

[Loviosa]

Hello classmates

 

The DH and I took our new to us 5er out this past weekend for it maiden voyage. I am happy to say our assumptions were right. Its previous owners had used it very lovingly and everything works exactly as it should.

 

We had beautiful sunny warm days (mid to high 60s) and cool frosty nights. We did not want to come back to the S&B. As we pulled out on Sunday we couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if we had of been pulling out to our next adventure instead of the drive back.

 

Oh well, soon I hope, soon.

 

Vicky

[champ_49]

Vicki and Ira

 

Its a blast out here on the road. It will come soon and it will come together, and guess what..........its all it could be and even more.

 

Heres to hoping it comes soon.

 

Dave & Linda

[christartist]

Vicky and Ira!

Congratulations!

 

Jim and I have trouble coming home every time we are out...one day..........

[d2reid]

Well it has been over a year since I posted here. Our Jan11 escape date is at risk. We have been unable to get rid of the sticks and bricks. Real Estate here is really messed up.

 

We have taken the emotional step of "letting go" of a lot of stuff. I am really going to miss the tools I sold, I have been collecting them all of my life.

 

We still have some house stuff to let go. Those of you that have done this understand the full impact of the term "letting go".

 

We get a 10 day trip through TN over Thanksgiving, Christmas here, a Cedar Creeks Owners Club Rally in the Tallahasee, FL area in February, and we have started applying for work camper jobs for the summer, after that who knows?

 

We are looking forward to the change, it's just bumpier than expected.

 

Dallas