For all you snowbirds out there....

DW and I have yet to pull the trigger on an RV. I am all in since we retired a few years ago. My bride not so much.
I have agreed to her wishes for now....renting a beautiful home in Florida for the month of march. We will likely be gone from our home in north Michigan for 6-7 weeks including travel time and visiting family on the way. My questions are.....

Batteries for my toys. I normally bring them in the basement and rotate a trickle charger for our 5+ months of winter. I have multiple chargers. Should I place one on each while I'm gone or charge them all up and wait until I get home. I plan on setting thermostat at 55 while we are gone. We are on a well and have a boiler with baseboard heat. I will shut off the water pump.

I have a buddy to plow my driveway.

We are fairly remote but have neighbors that can and will keep an eye out. Crime is not an issue up here yet!

Mail and newspaper will be stopped. We are pay online for bills.

This is our first time away for any length of time. Those that have been there, what am I missing?

Thanks in advance. I follow this forum daily hoping my bride will come around. I have absorbed so much from you all. I am ready now, but....

Peace, Jeff

I had the same issue as you except I already had the RV. My problem was getting my better half away from the grandchildren. The first year was a month. Once there, she commented that the following years we should stay longer. Now we go all winter.

I empty the fridge and prop the doors open. You'll be gone for 7 weeks but I would still do it.
I also have a light in the living room set on a timer. On at 5 PM and of at 11 PM.
I did a little bit of piping. I keep my pump on but only the boiler sees the pressure. The rest of the house, the water is off.
I put a tablespoon of vegetable oil in all the traps and about 1/4 cup in the toilets to keep the water from evaporating.
Notify the PD that you'll be on vacation with the dates. Also provide them with a list of registrations of cars which could be in your driveway. Also tell them about the light on a timer.

Good luck.

Those that have been there, what am I missing?

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After many years of no problems leaving the house we found out last year that the interior water was NOT separate from the outside water for landscaping.  I assume you're in Michigan and I've never dealt with outside water there in the winter but last year we had a valve spring a spray leak under the laundry room sink.  It was discovered about a month later when a friend saw water coming out of our family room wall.  By then we had been gone several months and the entire one-story house had water on the floor.  Not deep but enough to cause mold and a major mess that took several months to demolish and reconstruct.  Since then we have rerouted our water lines so we can turn off the inside water during the summer heat but still have the outside water on for irrigation so our landscaping doesn't die.  I suppose you might turn off all water during the winter, but do make sure you can turn off the inside water.  Our insurance adjuster said under-sink water valves are one of the most frequent failures.  Would you believe we replaced every single one of those old valves with ball valves when we reconstructed?

We also have most bills paid automatically but were surprised one year when our neighbor told us the property tax bill had arrived.  Oops! That one was not on automatic payment (still isn't) and we had forgotten about it.  Starting now, keep a list of all your bills and when they come due because there always will be one or two that cannot be paid automatically.

ArdraF

Rene, sound advice. I have added to my list.

Judys mom is the last of our elders left. We've had a tough year! We will not leave for an extended period as long as she is with us. Priorities.

That said...when the time comes I'd hate to leave DW after 39 years.  She's a good woman. All I'm asking is 3 years to see this great land from the ground then decide where we want to buy our winter home.
I was a sales guy my whole professional life, seen the entire country from 30k feet. Hope I never have to fly again.

Our summers are great where we are. That will not change.

Seeking advice. 8)

Believe me Jeff, the US looks a heck of a lot better on the ground.

ArdraF

Thanks for responding.
I have no need for water whilst I'm gone but your concerns are noted. If you have any wifey advice....fire away!

Mr. Seiler.
8)

Ladies.
How do I get momma on board?
I should have come to you first.  :-\

Alpena Jeff said:

Ladies.
How do I get momma on board?
I should have come to you first.  :-\

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Tell me which part of the country you live in and I will come up with a suggestion on where to take wifey for a week end get away in a rental motorhome. She will either see the light or hate it. Either way you will know how to proceed.

SeilerBird said:

Tell me which part of the country you live in and I will come up with a suggestion on where to take wifey for a week end get away in a rental motorhome. She will either see the light or hate it. Either way you will know how to proceed.

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We retired to the north of Michigan.
Have a great place on a large all sports lake. This place will stay in our family long after we are gone!
Winters are cold and we have decided to bug out.
She prefers Florida.
I prefer west.
We are blessed with good health in our mid 60s and trying to figure out our next move.
I am willing to to throw up to $150 on a used pusher for 3 years to travel in. I would do this every winter if momma was on board. If not, we then sell and purchase a home somewhere south or west for winters.
No need to rent. I know what I want. I have shopped many over the years.
My brother recently divorced just bought a new Discovery LXE 40D. I've spent time in his coach. Nice but I'm tuned into the Tiffin bus or Country Coach Allure.
Need more info?
Thanks, Jeff

Alpena Jeff said:

Ladies.
How do I get momma on board?
I should have come to you first.  :-\

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Ladies. I will start a new thread on this.
Please help.
Thanks, Jeff

When we were still working I took the DW to Aruba in February.... Started with a week then two... She loved the warmer weather so when we retired I showed her that we could winter in AZ for 4 to 5 months for what two weeks in Aruba costed.  Couldn't talk her into full timing so this is better then sitting in the cold.  Since then we've stay at the same 55 and older resort for the past several years.  We are gaining new friends there and we look forward to reconnecting every winter. 

We have an early Christmas at Thanksgiving every other year with the kids and grandkids.... I'll plan a route that gets us south quick and then head west.  I'll try to find different place to stop and see both going and returning.  During the time home we'll make short trips to see different areas or visit distance family and friends.  Some friends are ones we have met staying at the resort.

Been suggesting that we leave earlier and maybe fly back for Christmas...that idea is gaining some ground...I hate airports but it's a tradeoff!

Good Luck!

Wi1dBi11


Another tip since you're only going to be gone a short time.  If you don't want to empty out your Fridge/freeze  Freeze a dixie cup almost full of water.  Put a quarter on top of the ice and put it in the freezer.  Check it upon your return. If the quarter is still on top,  the freeze was running the entire time.  If the coin is at the bottom of the cup, the power was off long enough that the freeze thawed and the ice melted and allowed the coin to sink so the food is bad... Don't remember how far the coin could sink for different frozen items.  We used this system for years now, even though we try to empty the freezer before we leave.

How do I get momma on board?

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First and most important, make sure she loves the floor plan and can picture herself living in it for extended periods.  I've observed over many years that men tend to find the RV they like and then don't understand why their ladies don't enjoy going off in it.  Floor plan, floor plan, floor plan.  Then there are colors.  Some RVs are way too dark (manufacturers tend to believe dark means elegant which is bull) and make me feel claustrophobic.  If it's light and airy with large windows that have plenty of air flow it will look and feel larger.  Slideouts extend the living space significantly.  We had several with no slideouts and wouldn't want to go back to their cramped feeling.  Go to lots of RV shows and spend time in various units.  Sit in them and visualize how you would use it, where you would put all your "stuff" such as clothing, dishes, cooking utensils, tools, hobby items, how you would be fixing meals (gotta have a large counter for food preparation if she loves to cook and appropriate storage), etc.  In other words, find something SHE loves!

ArdraF

ArdraF said:

First and most important, make sure she loves the floor plan and can picture herself living in it for extended periods.  I've observed over many years that men tend to find the RV they like and then don't understand why their ladies don't enjoy going off in it.  Floor plan, floor plan, floor plan.  Then there are colors.  Some RVs are way too dark (manufacturers tend to believe dark means elegant which is bull) and make me feel claustrophobic.  If it's light and airy with large windows that have plenty of air flow it will look and feel larger.  Slideouts extend the living space significantly.  We had several with no slideouts and wouldn't want to go back to their cramped feeling.  Go to lots of RV shows and spend time in various units.  Sit in them and visualize how you would use it, where you would put all your "stuff" such as clothing, dishes, cooking utensils, tools, hobby items, how you would be fixing meals (gotta have a large counter for food preparation if she loves to cook and appropriate storage), etc.  In other words, find something SHE loves!


ArdraF

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ArdraF, thank you for your time.
We have both shopped hard. We know what we want. It comes down to my dream vs hers. We are equal partners of 39 years trying to figure this out. I know we need to figure this out on our own. Just hoping for a miracle! Can't remember if I mentioned...she wants to buy a place in Florida, I want a coach.
Getting late.

Alpena Jeff said:

ArdraF, thank you for your time.
Just hoping for a miracle! Can't remember if I mentioned...she wants to buy a place in Florida, I want a coach.
Getting late.

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I was born in Florida. Grew up in Florida. My wife was born in Buffalo, NY but grew up in Florida. We left in 1975 and traveled the world with the USAF for 36 years (24 years AD and 12 years in civil service). There is no way we will go back to Florida.
We fulltimed for 6 years after I retired from the AF-my wife's idea but I also enjoyed it. She loved the compactness of the RV, we had a 36' 5th wheel with 3 slides. She used to brag she could clean it in less than 10 minutes.
I have learned after 43 years of marriage that if my wife says she does not want to do something I better listen. I am not talking about something little like what restaurant to have dinner at or where to spend a weekend. I am talking big purchases or actions. I have learned that life is a lot more pleasant if I am the one pissed off. She can handle me in that state a lot easier than I can handle her in it.
I don't particularly like where we live now but not much I can do about. We live here because we take care of the grandkids most days. Traveling with government for all those years, our children missed out on having a relationship with their grandparents. We did not want us or our grandkids put in that situation.
If you keep pestering your wife about RVing until she acquiesces and she ends up hating it, life could get quite difficult for you. It's a crap shoot. Do you really want to roll the dice?

Alpena Jeff said:

...she wants to buy a in Florida, I want a coach.

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Go ahead and buy the house in Florida, then buy the coach to escape the summers.  We moved to FL in 1995 at early retirement, sailed a boat to the Bahamas and FL Keys every year.  Wife got tired of that and we bought a coach in 2009 and traveled the USA. After seeing 48 states and 9 Canadian provinces we down sized to a small RV to spend short times on the road.  We love it.

We have our summers under control here in north Michigan. Our homestead on the lake is more than we ever dreamed of. It is the winters we are looking to escape.
Thanks for your thoughts.

Gator, that is exactly the risk I have mentioned in the 2 threads I have going. I am willing to give up my dream if I fail to get DW 100% on board. Just not worth it.

I am waiting for you to call Jeff.

What does she like?  Maybe talk her into a trip with a rental.....

Is she a wine drinker? - Try a trip that takes you near wineries for wine tastings or tours.

Does she quilt? - There are some huge shows that may be of interest to her.

Same for sewing or other crafts. 

What about a balloon festival?

RVing at a campground right on the ocean?

What about following a favourite sports team?

I do hope you find something that sparks her interest and gives her the bug!!