Class of 2013 is awful quiet

[Medico]

Our plan is to go to Colorado next year. We were so looking forward to that trip this year but events conspired against us. It sounds like you are having a great time. That's what this lifestyle is all about.

 

We are here until Thursday, then head about 250 miles south (that is generally my travel limit per day). We are not in a hurry. Also my back will not generally take too much more than that in a day, and that's with a stop every hour to hour and a half to stretch and walk around some.

 

We like visiting family and friends, but it seems a week is a good enough visit, for them and us, LOL! We spent 2 weeks with my wife's sister and really started getting on each other's nerves. Our lifestyle is just different from her SB lifestyle.

[bryansues]

Hi everyone,

 

Well we were on our way heading north on the East Coast toward Niagara Falls when we hit a major speed bump. Medico you know how that goes!!!

 

We were in North Carolina when I (Sue) got a call that my 84 year old mother had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Mum & I are very very close but she is in the UK, as I am from England originally. Knowing how quickly this can escalate we (my darling husband, Bryan & I) decided I should fly there to help look after her and provide support. Within 5 days I was on a flight out of Atlanta heading for London. I arrived June 12th. Mum developed pneumonia the following weekend but survived a hospital stay and has grown a little stronger. At this time she is not going to have any treatment as it will not increase her life expectancy which is about 6 months. The last weeks have been very hard. Bryan drove the RV back to his moms in Louisiana and will be heading for a visit with his daughter, brother and friends in Texas before flying over to join me in September. We are not sure how long our adventure will be on hold but I am so so grateful that I am able to be here with mum at this time. I am also very very grateful for Bryan's tremendous support through all of this, couldn't manage to keep strong without our nightly talks.

 

Hope everyone is traveling safely and we hope to be back on the road again next year.

[Medico]

Sue, so sorry to hear of your misfortune. We will keep your mom in our prayers as well. As you are aware I know exactly how that feels. Unfortunately we could not get back in time to say good-bye to mom, so we stayed with dad for almost a month, then stayed in NY for another month. After the summer we have had we decided to just go home to Florida earlier than we anticipated. We do plan on having some fun on the way there. We anticipate another couple of weeks before hitting home.

 

Good luck with your mom. I'm not sure which is worse, a sudden event such as we had or an extended event such as you are going through. Both are difficult. Good luck and we hope everything works out for the best for you and yours.

[roadhousecharley]

Sorry to hear about the bummer summers. Hope things improve for all.

 

We're bouncing around the Mid Atlantic for the next 6 weeks or so.

[smack2020]

Yesterday we started our 2 month adventure from Ca to SD and then back to Ca. Wife cried, her sisters cried, our adult children seemed sad. I guess all our family and friends did not think this day would come. Me, I am fine, looking forward to this next chapter in my life. Flag city RV Resort, Lodi, Ca today, Red Bluff, Ca tonight. I have to keep telling myself, go slow, your not in a hurry anymore.

[smack2020]

We are Valley do the Rogue state park in Oregon. Nice park and only $28 a night for full hookups.

[ChetParks]

Well it's been a year and 5 weeks since we closed on the sale of the farm and moved into the RV full time. We spent the winter first in Surprise, AZ until after Quartzsite then to SKP Saguaro in Benson for the rest of the winter. Met so many great folks there that we're back there for the whole winter starting 15OCT.

 

This summer we left Benson to Canyon DeChelly, Durango, Moab, Salt Lake City, Eugene, Bend, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Lake Oakanagan, Longmont, Elkhart, Detroit, and back to the old place in PA until 1SEP. To many stops in 5 months, so we're now finished with the visits to the relatives, and some needed general maintenance on the Monaco. Now looking forward to going slow where we want to go.

 

We are scheduled for the Albuquerque Balloon Fest with the Monacoers and then 6 months in Benson. After that, who knows where we'll be.

 

Should have started this full timing thing 10 years ago.

[Medico]

Hey all. We arrived back in our home base at Wilderness RV Resort in Silver Springs, Florida this week. Glad to be home, but a lot of work to do. Basically working a couple of hours per day in the morning, then errands or fiesta time until the sun goes down. Yesterday it was soooo humid, even after the sun went down it was AC time. Really looking forward to making this lot our own!

 

We spent 4 days at Lakewood RV Resort in Myrtle Beach. What a place. Nice facilities, but way to hectic for our tastes. We were told it is much calmer in the fall and winter. I think all the parents rent golf carts so their teenage children can test to see just how fast they can go. Thousands (it seems) of gold carts, many more walkers, bicyclists and cars and trucks from early morning until after 11 each day. Whew, it was a nice visit, the ocean was a lot of fun, but like I said, TOO HECTIC! Lake wood is in the middle with Ocean Lakes on the south end and Pirates Landing on the north end. We were there during the really strong full moon, so the ocean got HIGH each evening. Sites are packed in pretty close and are all sand and scrub grass. Get ready to clean the sand afterward.

 

Next stop was Tybee Island near Savannah, Ga. We stayed at River's End RV Resort. MUCH less hectic than Myrtle Beach. Somewhat larger sites with crushed stone. Had a neighbor try to pull into his site, cut way too short and gouged his cabinet door pretty bad on the end of my tow bar (mine stays on the front of the Jeep for short stays). Did not do any damage to my tow bar or Jeep. He should have swung much wider with his 40 footer. This was a nice relaxing stop. We spent most of one day visiting a former co-worker of my DW. Really enjoyable visit in Bluffton, SC. The only problem with Tybee Island that we saw was the need to drive the coach directly through downtown Savannah. That can be nerve racking during the day with traffic and pedestrians on Bay Street.

[ChetParks]

We finally did it. We cleaned out the storage locker (no more rent!!) and are taking the old family photos to our son in Rochester, NY. Then we are off toward Albuquerque Balloon Festival in OCT. Looking forward to the winter at SKP Saguaro CO-OP in Benson.

[Medico]

Small world. We lived in Rochester since 1998, until we sold the house last year and started our FT adventure. We are now residents of Florida, using Wilderness RV Resort Estates as our home base in Silver Springs. Congrats on your latest step toward this lifestyle!

 

It sure feels good when those last strings are severed. I am constantly finding things I could use that we got rid of, but you know, these items are not that important. I often tell my neighbor, and our new best friends, that his coach is like a hardware store. If I need something, he has it somewhere on his lot, LOL. He is very willing to load the item and help with it's use.

[roadhousecharley]

We're in one of our regular stops in Robbins, TN, the BIL's "farm". We'll be here most of September, then head towards Citrus Park in Bonita Springs, FL where we have our spot for the winter.

 

I've found I need a garage/shop and stuff is coming back into my life. This winter we'll tow a 24' enclosed trailer to FL with the Jeep and a motorcycle inside. When we get there I'll convert it to a light shop for hobbies, "crafts" and support for the holster business. If the place in FL works out as I hope, it'll become a regular winter base for us and I'll leave the trailer and motorcycle there.

 

My Bride is preparing to work part time in FL as a Nurse Practitioner. She still wants to work for a few years. The shop will keep me off the streets and out of trouble while she's working. LOL!

 

Still want to visit the North and West but haven't figured out how to get that into a plan. We have multiple constraints keeping us in the Southeast for the next year and a half or so.

 

We're FT for 14 months actually in the rig and still happy not to own dirt. Been a little different than I expected though. We aren't as active and doing as many things as I expected. Still all good though and glad we're doing it.

[Medico]

I've seen several people using either enclosed trailers or in some cases a shed to accomplish exactly what you are doing. Good luck with your "hobbies".

 

We have been working hard on our lot since arriving back a month ago. It's time for a few days off before our next project. We want to build an area for an outdoor kitchen. I expect this project will take a little longer to design and build.

 

Safe travels to everyone, both in our class, and all RVers.

 

Edit: Try this link to our lot pictures.

[roadhousecharley]

The link took me to a page asking for a One Link login. Don't have that but an outdoor kitchen sounds really nice. How much of the year do you plan to spend there? Sounds like you've found your place.

 

I too have seen a lot of sheds in parks when people return to the same lot. I think that's a better way to go but I'm not ready to commit to that. I already had the trailer with "stuff" stored in it on the BIL's "farm" here in TN. Any other solution to getting the bike to FL involved a major purchase and I want to stay as mobile/flexible as I can for now. Unfortunately the trailer is 4' over the length limit for on-lot storage at Citrus Park. It'll have to go in a storage lot on-site.

 

Our original FT plan is in a bit of a bind due to over constraint. Family, career, medical and warm weather desires are not all pulling in the same direction. LOL! This winter may bring some big decisions for us. We are gravitating to a snowbird itinerary, travelling around in the summer and staying put in FL for the winter. Gotta find the right place in FL though and I'm kinda picky. I have high hopes for Citrus Park. Could end up in a park model of some type with an attached garage/shop.

[Medico]

^{I attempted to edit the link. Give it a try.}

[skp51443]

The link works now, had to allow java scripts to run from about three sites to get the photos to come up though.

 

We'd love an outdoor kitchen, we have some cooking stuff out back but no sink. Our Foreman grill lives out there since we love grilled fish but not the smell. Crockpot is out there a lot too, got a corned beef brisket sitting out today, needs about 10 hours which is really overpowering if done inside. Our "Old Smokey" smoker and big BBQ grill are out there too.

[roadhousecharley]

Link works for me now. Thanks!

 

Really nice place. Our spot for the winter will be much more pedestrian. LOL!

[Medico]

I'm glad I finally figured out how to link my OneDrive page.

 

We wanted to put together a place where we can live our lives outside as much as possible while keeping the bugs at bay. Since this is our lot we decided to make it as comfortable as possible. We love to have community gatherings at our various neighbors places. Now we will also have a place to entertain. The plan is that the back of the shed will have an added shed style roof, that can be closed down during really bad weather. The kitchen will go there. The table will be moved toward the rear where the small gas grill is presently located. The round table went so much better with the round patio than a regular rectangular table would have, and best of all, everything was at clearance prices. If you wish to buy patio stuff, this is the time of year to do so in Florida. It is getting hard to find many things.

 

Our neighbor has an oven, which is used often during our community B-B-Ques. He also loves the Nu-Wave cook surface. The outdoor kitchen may have to wait until next year for completion, although we might start it this year. The plan is to have a nice stainless counter surface with kitchen sink, small freezer/fridge and grill in the kitchen. There is already water, sewer line, electric and cable in the shed and out behind the shed. This will allow adding these things without a lot of extra work. The previous owner really did a good job on planning for future additions.

 

We have been working for a month since we got back and need some time off before starting another big project. It seems though the small projects or "puttering around" jobs seem to keep coming as well. Boy does time sure fly when you're having fun, LOL. We would like to get the majority of projects completed before our friends all return.

 

Once everyone returns, usually at the end of Oct. or Nov., we have 4 or 5 couples get together a couple times a week. Between the grill and the dish to pass that everyone brings, it's hard to keep to a diet. It becomes a real "rough life" at that time.

[roadhousecharley]

That "rough life" sounds great Medico! Glad it's working out for you.

 

I also like the idea of living outside as much as possible. I have all the materials to make screen walls for our awning. That'll be my next big project. Priority now is getting the big trailer sorted and tasks for family here in TN. The first pass on the trailer was way overloaded. It's not going to be much of a shop but will at least be a garage for the bike and an enclosed place to work. The family tasks are piling up faster than I can complete them and all my small tasks are on the back burner until we go south in a couple weeks.

 

If we ever figure out a permanent spot I'd like an outdoor kitchen too. I miss having a standard size oven and refrigerator. We also have to pass on good deals, including free, meat because we don't have freezer space for it. The outdoor kitchen would fix that in addition to being a good living area.

 

We'll visit that more this winter but really not ready to settle down that far yet. It's all about trade offs... Still closing in an a sustainable budget. We are 1 major repair (engine rebuild, trans, etc.) away from having to consider replacing this old coach. With a permanent spot I'd have to consider a park model. What are your (or anyone else's) thoughts on that?

[Medico]

I guess I'm just gambling on not having a major breakdown like that. Since my coach is a 2006 with just over 50K miles I guess I'll keep gambling. The cost of an Extended Warranty was over $3400 for 2 years, and that was the cheapest estimate with a questionable dealer. I just could not justify that expense. So far the expenses that would have been covered have been less than $500 so I'm money ahead for now. I believe it's very important to keep up on maintenance. For example I only had about 5000 miles on the engine oil, but it had been over a year so I had it replaced. Doing good maintenance, although expensive, is far cheaper than a engine rebuild or replacement.

 

The outdoor kitchen will be our next big project, but both my body and the bank account need to recuperate for a while. My next small project is replacing all the screens in our coach with "no see-em" screens. The screening material was less than $40 for 4 feet by 25 feet of screen. My neighbor has all the spline and tools we will need.

 

Good luck with the awning screens. Screens really do help. We would not be able to stay outside as much as we do without the screens.

[roadhousecharley]

My rig is a '92 so insurance is not an option. I do most of my own maintenance but I did chicken out and have the refrigerator replaced (won't do that again), had the front end professionally checked and aligned, and had a stuck fuel injector replaced (can do that job now if it happens again). I replaced a bout1/3 of the floor, a lot of the plumbing, the stand alone ice maker, replaced basement door gas struts and reinforced the mounts, stuff like that... I too change the oil every year with about 5K miles. 10 GALLONS of oil. LOL! Change the fuel filters twice a year. I have problems with crud in my fuel tank. Motor and trans are supposed to last 1M miles. Got about 146K so I SHOULD be good... Everything's just old... The up side is I don't have a lot in it. Way less than the 1st year's depreciation on a new coach so by that math I'm good no matter what.

 

The no see um screens are probably a good move. I considered it for the screen walls but thought I could mess up cheap screen for my first attempt and upgrade if needed during rework. Will definitely upgrade the coach screens if I do. Even during the winter the bugs drove us to bug spray or inside in the evening.

 

I'll be interested to hear how the outdoor kitchen unfolds.

 

Meanwhile on my end the trailer is getting close!

[Medico]

As time goes on I will post changes to the lot on my OneDrive site. I would assume the link I posted will continue to work. After some time to relax a little, I will probably tackle the shed roof next. This is the first step on the kitchen. It will attach to the back of the shed via large hinges to allow it to swing down against the shed.

 

If you ever get through Ocala/Silver Springs area stop in to say hi.

[Medico]

So has anyone else arrived at their winter destinations yet? We have spent the last 2 months working hard on our lot. We have MUCH more to do, but all in good time. It was too hot to work more than a few hours each day, and that's if we got up early. We are finally enjoying some spectacular weather in central Florida. Nights in the mid 50's and days in the mid 70's to low 80's. The humidity has even dropped some. Oh what a relief it is!

 

If my wife would pick the right 6 numbers, I have a growing list of little things that need repairing on the coach. My Honey Do list is starting to get bigger. I would take the coach to Junction City and have CC do the work. Plus I would have all the 2005 vintage electronics replaced with new technology. Does anyone know what the correct 6 numbers will be in the next Mega drawing??? There will be a finders fee if you have the winning numbers for me, LOL!

[roadhousecharley]

We got to "Winter Home" here at Citrus Park in Bonita Springs, FL the first week of October. Been hot to be working outside until yesterday. We're a bit further south so 90s in the day and 60s at night for the next little while for us. Still gonna try to stay in the shade.

 

This is our first extended stay and I've been doing a much more extensive set up than the normal put the awnings, chairs and Fluffy out. The trailer is in a nearby, on site storage lot so there's effectively 2 sites to deal with.

 

If My Bride gets those numbers right the list will go away. I'll get a new coach and somebody to do all the work I don't want to. LOL!

[pintada]

CLASS OF 2013 MAP

I will no longer be maintaining the class map on Google. Rarely does anyone ask to have their location posted. Some seem to be using RVillage for that purpose. If anyone wants to take it over let me know via PM.

[Medico]

Thanks for your work in the past. I suppose the Class Map was an idea that just did not catch on. From another forum it sounds as though RVillage is not being heavily used either.