Mel
New member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2006
- Posts
- 3
Hello fellow RV'ers!? Thirty-something couple here with 1995 Fleetwood Jamboree Rallye Chevy HD 31 ft. motorhome.? Bought it a couple of months ago upgrading from a 1986 Viking Pop-up.? Boy what a difference!? I had all but sworn off camping due to pop-up fatigue!? We took 4 close by trips and just got back yesterday from our first long haul...Cleveland, Ohio to mid-Georgia and back in 5 days.? The trip couldn't have gone any better and we are most pleased with our motorhome, its performance and the lack of any major incidents.
This long distance trip was also fun practice since we hope to be full-timing within the next 7 to 10 years.? Got a tiny taste of life on the road.? On the way down we stayed at a Good Sam park in TN and a Walmart in KY on the way back.? We were a little nervous about staying at a Walmart but it went ok.? We didn't stop until after midnight and was gone by 8am.? Some kids drag racing in the parking lot till 1am but otherwise, it wasn't a bad experience.? While in GA, we stayed out back of my mom's house.? They had other relatives occupying their spare bedroom so it was nice to have out own place to crash.? It was also nice to be able to take lots of stuff back home with us!? Between the craft show we went to and my mom piling us up with fresh produce and southern food we had more room than we ever did traveling in our Ford Explorer or flying!
We're hoping to buy some land in GA for our home base when we go full-time.? I'm from there and my husband is from OH, so we wanted our home base to be in one or the other.? GA is less expensive and warmer so it won!? We are planning on building a garage/apartment for the home base and the building codes are less restrictive in non-snow areas.
So yet another story of progression.? We went from tent camping (very brief) to a pop-up to a motorhome.? We were concerned that maybe there should have been a step in between the pop-up and the 31 ft. motorhome but there's no turning back now.? Bought the motorhome from it's second owner.? An older gentleman who had hoped to be doing some long distance traveling with his wife at retirement.? However, she developed a brain infection and will spend the rest of her days in a nursing home.? He goes to visit her at every meal.? Funny we had just heard a sermon a month earlier about "nursing home love" and how the kids today have a fast food mentality when it comes to love.? So that struck a chord.? And the fellow had a bit of advice when we said we weren't sure if now was a good time to buy it (and I know he was trying to sell it but I could tell he was sincere), and that was do what you dream of doing while you can because you don't know when an illness or death could squash your dreams.? I left in tears and knew in my heart this was the motorhome for us.? Within 3 weeks, it was ours.? When we picked it up we spent awhile with the owner going over everything he knew about it.? We took pictures with him and hugged him good-bye.? I could tell it was hard on him but he was happy that we'd be making good memories in it.? On our last short distance trip, we ran into his neighbor who recognized the motorhome.? What a small world!? We were 2 hours away in a very secluded campground and there was the previous owner's neighbor!
We've had no regrets from the purchase and look forward to many trips in our motorhome.? If it were up to me, we would go full-time tomorrow but my husband has a 10 year old daughter he sees every other weekend thus the waiting 8 more years.? We plan to travel the country the first year and find jobs at or around campgrounds in GA & FL after that.
I've found a lot of great information on this site and look forward to years of learning and preparing for our future full-timing!? We can't wait to live the dream!
This long distance trip was also fun practice since we hope to be full-timing within the next 7 to 10 years.? Got a tiny taste of life on the road.? On the way down we stayed at a Good Sam park in TN and a Walmart in KY on the way back.? We were a little nervous about staying at a Walmart but it went ok.? We didn't stop until after midnight and was gone by 8am.? Some kids drag racing in the parking lot till 1am but otherwise, it wasn't a bad experience.? While in GA, we stayed out back of my mom's house.? They had other relatives occupying their spare bedroom so it was nice to have out own place to crash.? It was also nice to be able to take lots of stuff back home with us!? Between the craft show we went to and my mom piling us up with fresh produce and southern food we had more room than we ever did traveling in our Ford Explorer or flying!
We're hoping to buy some land in GA for our home base when we go full-time.? I'm from there and my husband is from OH, so we wanted our home base to be in one or the other.? GA is less expensive and warmer so it won!? We are planning on building a garage/apartment for the home base and the building codes are less restrictive in non-snow areas.
So yet another story of progression.? We went from tent camping (very brief) to a pop-up to a motorhome.? We were concerned that maybe there should have been a step in between the pop-up and the 31 ft. motorhome but there's no turning back now.? Bought the motorhome from it's second owner.? An older gentleman who had hoped to be doing some long distance traveling with his wife at retirement.? However, she developed a brain infection and will spend the rest of her days in a nursing home.? He goes to visit her at every meal.? Funny we had just heard a sermon a month earlier about "nursing home love" and how the kids today have a fast food mentality when it comes to love.? So that struck a chord.? And the fellow had a bit of advice when we said we weren't sure if now was a good time to buy it (and I know he was trying to sell it but I could tell he was sincere), and that was do what you dream of doing while you can because you don't know when an illness or death could squash your dreams.? I left in tears and knew in my heart this was the motorhome for us.? Within 3 weeks, it was ours.? When we picked it up we spent awhile with the owner going over everything he knew about it.? We took pictures with him and hugged him good-bye.? I could tell it was hard on him but he was happy that we'd be making good memories in it.? On our last short distance trip, we ran into his neighbor who recognized the motorhome.? What a small world!? We were 2 hours away in a very secluded campground and there was the previous owner's neighbor!
We've had no regrets from the purchase and look forward to many trips in our motorhome.? If it were up to me, we would go full-time tomorrow but my husband has a 10 year old daughter he sees every other weekend thus the waiting 8 more years.? We plan to travel the country the first year and find jobs at or around campgrounds in GA & FL after that.
I've found a lot of great information on this site and look forward to years of learning and preparing for our future full-timing!? We can't wait to live the dream!
