Just gettin on the road

[pmerrich]

I will start fulltiming in about 4 to 6 weeks after the sale of my home. I will have a 2005 Winnebage Adventurer. I will be traveling with the wife and a yellow lab. I looking forward to getting out of the crazy life of New Jersey. I've been here all my life (56 years) and it's time to move on. I've motor homed before back in the early 90's when the children were small. Sold the rig when they got in high school. It was to busy with all of their activities. Now that they are out and married and I took an early retirement. I willing to experience all this great country has to offer. So any pointers for the newcomer will be much appreciated, especially on good inexpensive campgrounds.

Phil Errich

 

[Ron]

Phil E.

Welcome to the RV Forum Framily.  Thanks for joining us.  Congratulations on the new motorhome.  We wish you many happy travels in it.  Please join in any of the ongioing discussions or start new discussions  relating to the RVing lifestyle.  We hope you will have an opportunity to join us at one of our RV Forum rallies.  ANy chance you will be traveling out west?  Several of the framily winter in Az and we have the annual Quartzsite rally in January a couple miles South of Quartzsite on the desert.

By now you have probably realized that we loose a few things when we retire like:

No more paid vaction time
No more paid sick leave
No more weekends to look forward to
No more paid hoildays
and the real biggy is one tends to loose all track of what day it is and sometimes what time it is. ;D ;D ;D

We hope to be able to meet you somewhere.

 

[DonJordan]

I will start fulltiming in about 4 to 6 weeks after the sale of my home. I will have a 2005 Winnebage Adventurer. I will be traveling with the wife and a yellow lab. I looking forward to getting out of the crazy life of New Jersey. I've been here all my life (56 years) and it's time to move on. I've motor homed before back in the early 90's when the children were small. Sold the rig when they got in high school. It was to busy with all of their activities. Now that they are out and married and I took an early retirement. I willing to experience all this great country has to offer. So any pointers for the newcomer will be much appreciated, especially on good inexpensive campgrounds.

Phil Errich

Welcome to the RV Forum.  We're happy to see you here and hope that you find this to be an indispensable source of information and enjoyment with the great bunch we have here.

What are your plans for traveling this great country?  I highly recommend that you get "out west" to see some of the grandest scenery that you can imagine.  You will find that most camp grounds run in the $15-30 range/per night but there are plenty of less costly places.  Federal and state parks are generally less costly.  I don't have the information about free camping but others here do and should be popping in on this thread.

 

[Jim Dick]

Hi Phil,

Welcome to the forum. Yes, it's time to get out of NJ and see the rest of this great country. We lived most of our lives in CT and now are residents of FL. We are full timers and try to travel as much as we can. We are currently in Moab, UT with the forum framily and I have to admit it is the most beautiful state I have seen!!! Hope you can join us sometime at one of our rallies here or elsewhere in the U.S.

 

[pmerrich]

Thanks for all those king words. Looks like I'll be heading out of NJ in early July. Not sure on whether to go South, West or North. I know it's hot in the South, cooler in the North and not too sure about the West. My wife from a previous marriage has children in Green Bay, Pampa Texas and Las Vegas NV. So I'm still deciding on which direction to head. I have in my mind this concept that now I can go anywhere anytime. So if it's hot in the South I should go North (vice-versa). Also in the WInter do fulltimers buy sites in warm weather climates or just rent for the season and anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Jim Dick]

Thanks for all those king words. Looks like I'll be heading out of NJ in early July. Not sure on whether to go South, West or North. I know it's hot in the South, cooler in the North and not too sure about the West. My wife from a previous marriage has children in Green Bay, Pampa Texas and Las Vegas NV. So I'm still deciding on which direction to head. I have in my mind this concept that now I can go anywhere anytime. So if it's hot in the South I should go North (vice-versa). Also in the WInter do fulltimers buy sites in warm weather climates or just rent for the season and anyone have any suggestions?

It will definitely be hot in the southwest during the summer. Arizona will be over 100 many times. Las Vegas will also be hot. The Northwest should be cooler and enjoyable. We usually spend alternate winters in Arizona and travel to Las Vegas while out there to see what has changed. Unfortunately, due to other committments, we didn't make Vegas this time.

Not all fulltimers buy a site but many do. We own a lot at The Great Outdoors in Titusville, FL. With only a screen room and a shed, we can leave anytime and not worry about it. When we are gone for the winter we will rent the site. That helps pay for the upkeep and some of the costs of the trip. We chose Florida because it is closer to both kids who are on the East Coast, one in CT and the other in VA. We also like it there and enjoy alternating between the Southeast and Southwest for the winters.

The advantage of owning a lot is we can sit and relax if it becomes too expensive to travel in any particular year. With the fuel costs rising and the economy slowing down we may decide to spend a couple of years there. At least we will be able to save money and still enjoy the lifestyle.

 

[Smoky]

Phil:

Looks you guys and us are on the same track.  Just sold property and also my house.  Property settles May 17, house June 1.  2005 Newmar KS3910 goes on assembly line next week and delivers around May 25.

Like you folks, we are headed out first week of July.  Our rough route, subject to change will be Rocky Gap Western MD, then through Eastern PA to KOA Buckeye Lake Ohio.  Then visiting a friend near Columbus.  Then up to Nappanee Indiana to visit the Newmar factory and visit Ahmish country.  Then wind our way back down to Branson MO because we hear it is the "new" Nashville.  Then back northwest again to work our way to Mt Rushmore in SD.  Then on to Lewistown MT to visit framily member Ron and have our satellite Internet gear installed.  Then for the rest of July and August to our domicile concrete pad near Kalispell MT. 

Later in September we plan to hit the balloon rally in Coer deLane Idaho (sp?) and then revisit a very dear friend in McCall Idaho.  From there we plan to depart to Oregon, and then down the California coast to San Diego.  Then over to Pegleg monument and eventually winter in Quartzite AR in time for the January rally.

If you like I can send you a Delorme map route. Since we leave about the same time, maybe we will have a chance to hook up somewhere along the way.

Wish you the very best as we share with you guys a new and exciting life style.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Definitely stay out of the South from June-September and for most of it May & October as well.  It will be darned HOT plus the Southeast  and south Texas are very humid as well.  Starting out in July, I would stay north and hed for the Northwest, which is very pleasant in the summer.

We also have a home base in Florida but ours is a modest home with room to park the motorhome along side and even room to have the occasional RV visitor when we are there.  You can get a bungalow for under $50,000 in many places and taxes, insurance, etc. are low in the rural south.  I suggest that you do not jump into any purchases (RV site or a home)  until you have traveled a couple years and established your new life style. You will surely find that your preference for location -and style - has changed a lot from anytrhing you can currently imagine. I would also stay out of RV resort ownership until you have more experience.  Whatever once in a lifetime deal someone offers you on a membership campground, be assured that there will be more such offers in the future. Lots of time to take that step, IF it turns out to be what you like.

 

[Smoky]

Good advice Gary.  Initially I was hot for a motorhome lot or at least an escapee lease.  But after more thought we decided to stay loose other than the concrete pad in MT which we worked out with my wife's sister.

 

[pmerrich]

This is of great help. I would love the Delorme map. This would help me get started. I really appreciate all the help as my vision of the dream starts to open up. I will be cautious on buing anything. I was never one for jumping into things. I thought about this move for the past two years. Thanks.

 

[Smoky]

I will try to get that map emailed to you this evening.  I will use Snagit to do a snapshot or two.  Unless you also have Delorme in which case I could send you the route file.

 

[pmerrich]

Thanks Smoky. I use Co Pilot. I just got it so I'm just started learning it. The user manual is 86 pages. But I'm not intimidated by it as I was a software developer for over 30 years.

 

[Smoky]

OK I have the Snagit snapshot.? I will get it out today.? ?WOOT!? Melvin Mora homers in the first.? Orioles going for their 4th series sweep of the season.? It has been many many years ago since us Os fans have worried about getting sweeps instead of wins.? ?;D

Perfect day today.? Admiral gone for the day, Os playing right now and Wizards against the Heat in the playoffs in two hours.? Now where did I put my single malt?

 

[pmerrich]

Us Yankee fans aren't bragging too much this year. We use to feast on the O's, guaranteed 15 wins. Not so this year. The best team money could buy is NOT! Thanks for all the help so far.