RV-Dreams Journal

Moved In, Squeezed In, But It's All Good

So, we had our first night living in the motorhome with full hook-ups and everything put away. I think we're going to be okay. The tiny bathroom and shower are a challenge that we'll have to get used to, but this is doable.

Everything definitely has to go back in its place after use, and there are things that have to be moved out of the way to get to other items and spaces, and then the original item has to be put back. There will be a learning curve, but our penchant for organization and our aversion to clutter will serve us well.

So, here are some photos of our rig now that we've moved in. Notice the new, high-neck faucet Steve installed the other day. Can't believe the prior owners didn't do that - it makes a huge difference.

 

 

Linda couldn't part with our countertop ice maker, so it sits on the counter when it's making ice, and then it goes to the corner with the Instant Pot when not in use.

 

 

Both of them will probably ride in the Jeep when traveling.

The microwave/convection metal, so it has become the holder for many of Linda's new magnetic spice holders.

 

 

She also hung a couple of magnetic bars for more spices and a few knives.

 

 

 

I'm just hoping all that stays in place when we move down the road. Guess we'll find out.

She replaced her Keurig with a Keurig K-Mini. There isn't an outlet on that side of the galley, so she improvised. It's not "code" but don't tell anybody.

She got a small rack for the empty space beside the door.

 

 

Our calendar and key rack is on the end of the kitchen cabinets. Command hooks are getting lots of use.

 

 

She improvised a Keurig K-cup display on the top shelf of her liquor cabinet.

 

 

If you recall, the water heater is under the sink taking up valuable real estate, but she has worked around that with an office organizer for her aluminum foil, wax paper, etc. And the various ziploc baggies fit in there as well.

 

 

By the way, the can of Raid isn't for bugs; its hornet & wasp spray to be used in self-defense if necessary.

She's got various containers to make the pantry work. I don't know where anything is yet, but I'll get there.

 

 

And her removal of the the piece of wood separating the upper and lower pantry cabinets, increased the usefulness of one drawer.

 

 

We got a small garbage can that works in the kitchen, and the dinette is currently serving as our office. By the end of May, we should have the dinette replaced with recliners/theater seating.

 

 

 

Notice she was able to hang her Cardinal painting. Without a frame, it's narrow enough that the slide misses it when it comes in.

 

 

And on the other side, she was able to hang the colored pencil drawing her Mom made using one of my photos.

 

 

Office supplies are in the cabinet where a satellite DVR would go.

 

 

It will be interesting going without satellite TV, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'm also looking forward to getting rid of that hefty monthly payment and our love/hate relationship with DirecTV. With our data package, we should be able to stream a few of our favorite shows and sports events, but we will eliminate the tendency to watch mindlessly.

The motorhome is equipped with a Sirius XM satellite radio, so we did sign up for their Mostly Music Package.

The opposite cabinet has our new Canon PIXMA 6120 which fits in nicely. We'll put the big printer in storage as soon as the Rally is over.

 

 

The center cabinet has a couple games, photo equipment, binoculars, and a few of our bird and wildlife guides.

 

 

Moving on to the bathroom, we took the suggestion of a couple of folks and got a collapsible laundry hamper that just stays in the shower. It's one of those things that we move back and forth when necessary.

 

 

There is a rod in the shower that we use to dry towels, but it is removable and we have to take it out to shower. If I were two inches taller, I wouldn't be able to stand under the shower head, and if I were any wider, I wouldn't fit in the shower at all. So there's an incentive to keep the weight under control. 

The shower is one of the biggest adjustments for me, but I'll get used to it. However, I will likely be visiting the campground showers more often.

Now, I do like the shower head, and I prefer the SHUB retractable door over a shower curtain.

    

 

It saves on already limited space, and it has an integrated wiper blade in the housing that squeegees it every time the door is released back into the open position. They say to wipe it down with a non-abrasive cleaner once every two months.

Now, the cabinet in the bathroom has maybe a third of the storage space as the fifth wheel. But Linda has managed to stuff it with her necessities, and she hung another basket below the cabinet to contain more items. I will refrain from a comment on the proportion of her stuff to mine.  :)

 

 

Linda removed a hand towel holder that was on the left of the mirror and re-mounted it in the unused curved space on the right of the mirror.

 

 

It's actually more convenient there and it freed up some space for another basket in the space where it used to be.

She managed to squeeze a trash can, toilet paper holder, bowl brush, and wet wipes in the area around the toilet.

 

 

Now, the toilet sits up on a ledge. And though this is a bit personal, when we sit on the toilet, our feet barely touch the floor. While the rest of the motorhome is built for short people, the toilet is better for someone with longer legs. I apologize for being overly descriptive, but while the elevated toilet is easier to sit on and get off of, doing our business comfortably requires either a stool for our feet or tucking our feet back and resting them on the ledge. Again, I'm sorry.

In the bedroom, Linda got a duvet set on Amazon, and she eliminated the 43 decorative pillows we had in the fifth wheel.

 

 

Whereas, making and unmaking the bed in the Cambridge was a whole production, and I couldn't "unmake" the bed properly, she is less obsessive now. I help her make the bed each morning and it takes us about 30 seconds.

She hung some photos on either side of the bed over the nightstands and she put up our hand-painted souvenir from Africa. With the reading lights directed, it looks like a proper art display.

 

 

Linda also bought this 24-pocket shoe organizer through Amazon.

 

 

She cut it in half and hung one section on the wall below the bedroom TV.

 

 

Then, she cut the other half into pairs of pockets and hung them on the foot of the bed.

 

 

With the duvet on, you don't even know they are there.

 

 

She's made our new home into a livable, workable space.

And I'll leave you with one more thing. 

This artwork was also in our fifth wheel. We took it out of the frame, and she mounted it on the empty wall at the foot of the bed on my side.

 

 

It has been with us since the day we began. It says:

 

Love Birds

Two Souls. Two Hearts. Made as One by God.

Friends. Lovers. Soul Mates.

Intertwined together for the Journey

Joined in Spirit. Growing in Depth.

Honored by Heaven.

In one another ... Finding delight.

With one another ... Seeking the highest good.

For one another ... Laying down their lives.

Pure in Devotion. Unmoved in Loyalty.

Bound by Trust. Led by Hope.

Committed to Truth. Wrapped in Grace.

Forever in Love.

 

It will be good to wake up to those sentiments each morning.  :) 

---

 

 

What A Week! Busy, Busy, Busy

The days have sorta run together this past week.

We just continued our transition from the fifth wheel to the motorhome, and mixed in some social time along the way. Each day, we had a break away from all the walking back and forth and runs to the storage unit. That helped split up the constant moving of stuff and decision-making.

 

Monday

On Monday, I hung Linda's Swiffer and a couple other items from the ceiling in the trunk.

 

 

The trunk has gotten pretty full, but it's mostly lighter weight items that may be a little bulky.

Linda displayed her handyman ingenuity in a couple of modifications.

She removed a shelf in one of the lower kitchen cabinets (far left) ....

 

 

so that she could get her wine bottles in and turn it into her tiny liquor cabinet.

 

 

And she removed a wood piece between the upper and lower pantry cabinets to create space to place her taller bottles in one of the pull-out drawers.

 

 

 

Now that top drawer in the lower pantry cabinet will hold her cooking oil and other taller bottles.

 

 

Those little modifications made a big difference and made her quite happy.

The rest of the day, we continued to transfer some stuff and eliminate other stuff. 

There's no place for our 17-foot ladder, and this rig doesn't have an attached ladder, so Linda ordered one of those telescoping ladders. This type of ladder wouldn't be my first choice, but it is light and compact and will suffice for our occasional needs. 

 

 

I re-organized the trunk about four times, and then Linda handed me a couple small bins of cleaning supplies that wouldn't fit inside the coach. I found a place for them so they would be easy to get to.

We made good progress, and then got cleaned up for dinner.

We met Gary & Leesa and David & Dana (Rally alumni from several years back) at The Grill Room at the Mountain Falls Golf Club. It's a place you can get pretty good food consistently, and there is a great view of the mountains.

After dinner, we went bowling.

 

 

We were having a great time, but they closed at 9:00. So we went home and crashed.

 

Tuesday

This morning, we continued our transfer chore.

Then, in the afternoon, Deb and her daughter, Katie, came by for lunch. We ordered from the grill here at Nevada Treasure and ate out by the pool.

 

 

We met Deb at the Columbus RV Show in 2017, and she was out here with Katie on a photo shoot. Katie is a professional photographer (Kathryn Hyslop Photography) back in Pittsburg. They were visiting Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon, and Valley of Fire State Park, so Deb contacted us about getting together.

They graciously came to us after their morning visit to Death Valley. We had a nice lunch and chat and we answered a few questions about full-timing. Deb and here husband are anxious to get started.

 

 

That was a nice break this afternoon.

While Linda was showing Deb and Katie our two RVs, I took some photos of hummingbirds.

 

 

They are everywhere in this park.

After saying goodbye to Deb and Katie, we continued our transition.

Eventually, we messed with the bed. The prior owners had a two-inch foam topper that we took off. We wanted to try the Ideal Rest air-adjustable bed without it for a couple of nights.

The instructions are fairly straight-forward, but the bed didn't seem to cooperate.

Later, Bill & Kelly came by. Bill (RV Solar Solutions) is going to install our new solar system after the Rally, so we went over what we wanted and what would fit. Our space is certainly limited, but we can get three solar panels on the roof, and we have space for four batteries. We're getting four Lifeline 6-volt AGM batteries with total capacity of 440 amp hours, and the three panels should give us between 510 and 540 watts depending on which panels are available. So, we'll have less battery capacity but more solar than we had before.

We're also going with a 2000-watt Xantrex inverter/charger, a step down from out 3000-watt inverter, but a big step up from the limited 1,000-watt inverter that came with the Aspect. Of course, our power requirements will be less in this rig.

In the evening, we officially moved into the motorhome. I took my first shower in the Class C, and that wasn't a pleasant experience. It's a good thing I'm not any bigger than I am. It wasn't horrible, and I'll get used to it, but it's a far cry from what now seems like a luxury shower in the fifth wheel.

We called it an early night.

After waking up in a trench, we determined that the air controls on the bed were switched, and Linda's efforts to soften her side, put me in a hole. We're going to try the bed another night to see if we want to put the topper back on, but I've already decided that it won't be around long.

 

Wednesday

This morning, Linda and Leesa went into Vegas to get their nails done and have lunch while Gary and I played golf. It was a beautiful day.

The gals had fun and Gary and I enjoyed playing with a couple from Alaska. I had a pretty good round, but Gary showed off with a one-over 73. He's good .... and humble, and I really like playing with him.

Unfortunately, the pace of play was extremely slow and it took us nearly five and a half hours.

When I got back, many of the space savers that Linda ordered arrived, so she felt like she could make some progress on items she had been waiting to stow. Most of the day was gone, but we scrambled to do a little bit before walking over to have dinner with some of the couples already here for the Rally.

Linda, of Steve & Linda, made chili and cornbread and I devoured a couple bowls as we chatted with our hosts, and Jim & Glenda and Bill & Kelly.  

We relaxed for a while, but then departed to get a little more work in before bedtime.

Before calling it a night, we re-adjusted the bed to see if that would help tonight. It helped a little. 

 

Thursday

We had most everything transferred by now, but Linda's knees were killing her from going up and down two sets of steps for the last few days. She stayed in the motorhome, while I boxed up the last remaining items in the fifth wheel for her to go through.

I emptied the HUGE cabinet over the fifth wheel sink, and delivered an almost full storage bin to Linda. She found paring that down to be one of the overwhelming tasks for the day. She put a lot in the trash and some in a Goodwill bag, and the rest she was going to try to find a spot.

She also went through the box of stuff that I removed from the dining table chairs. Yep, even the chairs in the fifth wheel had storage and that's where we kept things like batteries, fuses, extension cords, and other "just in case" items.

I made sure every cabinet and drawer in the fifth wheel were emptied, and I made another run to Goodwill and the storage unit. With everything out of the Cambridge, we breathed a sigh of relief and it finally seemed the monumental task was almost complete.

Linda had purchased a replacement faucet for the kitchen sink, and Steve agreed to install it for her. So, he got that done and it made a huge difference.

With that going on, we got a call from Vernon Lambright of Lambright Comfort Chairs. We contacted him about replacing the dinette in the Aspect, and we've been working on a plan. But he really, really wants us to go back to Indiana so they can install it. Finally, he made us an offer we couldn't refuse, so it looks like we're going to make a long, fast roadtrip at the end of May before we make the trek back to begin our travels in the northwest this summer.

It really messes with our travel plans, but we're excited for the new theater seating with lots of bells and whistles, and it's really hard to say no to Vernon. He's one of the nicest people we've ever met, and he's taken really good care of us.

Plus, he honors a little coupon we offer to our readers when they buy direct from him (you have to print it out). Click on the one below to get a larger version.

 

 

We're looking forward to getting the new furniture and sharing the details down the road.

I took the truck to the storage unit and removed our Sea Eagle Foldcat and all its accessories. We think we're going to give it to Linda's sister so they can use it on their small lake.

Yikes, the storage unit is full. I should have taken a picture of that.

I also donated our bikes and bike rack to the local bike shop so he could clean them up a little and give them to someone that needs them more than we do. We certainly liked having our bikes when we were in the right places to use them, but for the little use we were getting out of them, they were becoming more of a pain than they were worth. There will be times we will miss them, but at this moment, I'm pretty relieved to not have to deal with them.

I went to the office to let them know we were ready to put the fifth wheel in storage and move the motorhome into the fifth wheel's spot. But the person that handles the storage area was out sick, and we'd have to wait until the next day.

In the evening, we walked over to Kelly & Bill's site where Bill made us cocktails and Kelly fed us a delicious pot roast she made in her Instant Pot. We had a very nice time getting to know them better as the skies darkened and it got cold outside.

With an early morning road-trip planned, we headed back to the motorhome before it got too late.

 

Friday

Okay, so, in the midst of all the chaos, I've been searching for a 4WD Jeep Liberty to tow behind the Winnebago. The Liberty model years 2002 - 2007 made towing four wheels down very easy, and we really like the body style and the short wheelbase. And they are capable off-road vehicles as well.

We considered other options as well, but I kept coming back to the Liberty. We had a 2003 (tree fell on it), a 2005 (230,000 miles), and our current 2WD model.

I found a 2003 Jeep Liberty Limited in southern California that looked great, has 4WD, AND is already set up for towing. It includes a Blue Ox baseplate, and a Roadmaster InvisiBrake Supplemental Braking System, both of which are installed and ready to go.

After texting and talking to the seller a couple of times, I was convinced it was a great deal and worth the four-hour drive to check it out. So, we got up at 5:00 a.m. and were on the road by 5:45 and headed to Norco, CA off of I-15 east of Los Angeles.

While Linda drove, I researched insurance options and made phone calls about getting it registered in Florida under our new mail forwarding address.

Here's what the county clerk told me. As a full-time RVer, we have to register the RV in Florida before we can get a Florida driver's license. We can register the motorhome by mail, but it will take us a month and a half to get the title, so we can't do it until all the paperwork from our recent purchase is complete.

So, my thought was we would register the Jeep instead 'cause I could get the title right away, and then we could get our Florida driver's licenses (we have to do that in person, so it would require a flight). But, no. They said we can't register another vehicle other than the RV before we get driver's licenses. Sheesh.

If we bought the Jeep today, we'd have to register it in Kentucky. That actually makes it easier, but it would require us to have to change it to Florida later. But it takes 6 - 8 weeks to get the Kentucky title. Anyway, I called Kentucky and they told me what I needed to register it by mail.

I also researched what was required on the California side to make sure we did that part correctly. That side was surprisingly easy.

As we got closer to Los Angeles the psycho southern Cal drivers showed up weaving in and out of traffic and missing our bumper by inches a few times. Linda was in too much shock to lean on the horn, not that it would have done any good, but it would have made me feel better.

Finally, we arrived. Craig is a mechanic that builds Jeeps as a hobby. He purchased the used Liberty a few years ago and replaced the shocks, struts, and several other parts. He had it set up to tow behind his Seneca Super C motorhome. But he prefers to have his Wrangler with him when he goes out, so the Jeep has been used very little and he has had it covered.

It's exactly the same color as the 2005.

 

 

We drove it around, and it drove better than the one we have. It's in fantastic shape for a 2003, and the price was definitely right. He had three other calls on it while we were there.

So, we bought it. We completed the paperwork, found a notary which was needed for the Kentucky forms, and we drove dueling Jeeps back to Pahrump. We got back just before 5:00.

But we couldn't rest, as we had to move the fifth wheel into storage. So, I disconnected utilities while Linda brought in the slides, and we put the truck and trailer in storage. The resort employee, Eddy, was with us to inspect the condition of our rig, and make sure we didn't damage any others. I removed the tire pressure monitoring sensors to put on the motorhome and toad. And we left our baby to wait for its new owners.

It took just a few minutes to move the Aspect into our site. Linda hit the automatic leveling, and it did its thing.

It had been hooked up to electric across the road, but now I was hooking up the water and sewer for the first time. That went well. 

Set up was extremely easy.

Our gray tank sensor was showing full, so I took the opportunity to dump the gray tank using the funky pump system. It took a little while, but that worked just fine.

The rest of the evening, I moved items from the 2005 2WD Jeep to the 2003 4WD Jeep.

We walked up to the grill to introduce ourselves to some new arrivals, but we didn't stay long.

We were going to bed early tonight, but first I listed our other Jeep on Craigslist for the Las Vegas area. I'll list it on other sites shortly. I'm pretty sure I can sell it in a month.

Whew, that was a long, long day. 

 

And it's been a long week. In the next post, I'll have photos of how the interior of the motorhome looks now. Linda has already made it look "homey".   :)

---

 

 

Transition Break For An Uplifting Video

For our recent Reunion Rally, Lee Perkins (Open Road Video) had folks send him photos of their life on the road, and he put this video together to Andy Grammer's "Good To Be Alive". The lyrics fit perfectly.

This, my friends, is why us full-time RVers do what we do.  :)

 

 

 Thanks Lee!!

---

 

 

A Bit Overwhelmed & Emotional

Friday

Today, we didn't get a lot accomplished. We took it easy in the morning, and then headed to Las Vegas. Our truck was ready to be picked up at Diesel Specialists.

On the way out of town we stopped at the RV Superstore to ask some questions about tow bars, baseplates, and towed car braking systems. What do the various options cost, and what is the cost and timing of installation? Once we got to the service manager and he warmed up to us, he confirmed some of the research I've been doing. There are solutions for every budget, but it looks like top-notch equipment and installation will run about $2,500 - $3,000.

I've been looking at the Roadmaster, Blue Ox, and Demco/SMI systems, and like everything else in the RV world, there are lots of opinions. More research to come.

Moving on to Vegas.

A few months ago, I lost the fuel level reading when I switched from our large diesel tank to the small one. I just lived with it, knowing how far I can go on the small tank and keeping mileage records diligently. But, with us selling the truck, I wanted to get it fixed and have the oil changed and get a general overall inspection.

The fuel sending unit in the tank had broken off and the replacement was almost $600 plus a couple hours of labor. I had feared that was the problem after doing some online research. But at least the truck will be in good shape when Doug & Kristi arrive next month.

While we were in Las Vegas, we went to Staples to pick up a new all-in-one printer. Our current model won't fit in any of the cabinets, so we have to downsize, which looks to be a recurring theme as we transition to the motorhome.

Linda also wanted to go to IKEA to get some ideas. We had never been to an IKEA, so it was quite the experience. Standing inside the door looking at a map of how to get through it and the various shortcuts to get from department to department, a fellow name John appeared out of nowhere and explained how it all worked. I have to say we were impressed by that type of customer service.

We were there over an hour as Linda got ideas. She picked up a couple of magnetic bars to hang in the kitchen, but we didn't see much else that would be suited to our new RV.

Before heading back to Pahrump, we stopped and looked at a 2005 Jeep Liberty with 4WD to replace our current one. Unfortunately, though it drove great and seemed to be in good shape mechanically and on the interior, the sun-baked hood and roof looked awful. It hadn't been through detailing yet, but the best they would do without painting it would be to cover it up.

We ran the numbers anyway, but we were $2,000 apart on making a deal including getting it painted.

Back in Pahrump, it was too late to delve into getting too ambitious.

 

Saturday

We woke up at 5:00 a.m. Yes, even Linda. Too many things going through her mind as she tries to visualize where the "necessities" are going to go in the Winnebago.

Today, we continued the massive effort to divide our belongings up into piles - "going in the motorhome", "going into storage to take to Florida", "going to Goodwill", and "going in the trash". Fortunately, we have several items that we can donate to the new buyers as they are rig-specific or we won't need in the motorhome.

The RV park allowed us to park in the empty site across the road for the day.

Our biggest accomplishment for today was getting our clothes pared down and moved. The wardrobe in the Aspect has good storage for hanging clothes, but the drawers are lacking. So, we had to transition some "drawer clothes" to hangers.

 

 

And then I went to Walmart to get a bunch of storage bins.

We continued to further cut down the clothes so we could get what we needed in the cabinets over the bed. 

 

 

It does help keep similar clothes together, and we kept the bins small enough that we can pretty easily pull one down, get what we want, snap the lid back on and put it up. It's not the most convenient thing in the world, but it'll work.

Linda works on an area, and then gets distracted. The bathroom and kitchen, especially the kitchen, are going to be tough. She has been putting off moving kitchen stuff and food. 

The decision-making makes this mentally challenging, and the fact that we've been spoiled with space for so many years increases the decision-making. Questions as simple as "Where do we put a trash can and a laundry basket for dirty clothes?" require some contemplation and creativity. 

A trip to the storage unit and Goodwill helped make space in the fifth wheel to get around, but it's still a wreck.

After a good day of work, we called it an early night. I think Linda was in bed at 8:30.

It took me a little longer to get to bed, as I filed our taxes. Thank goodness I had prepared them last month and just needed to do a quick review and submit the returns electronically.

 

Sunday

We were wide awake at 4:00 a.m. this morning. Sheesh.

The folks in the site behind us left early, so I moved the Aspect to that site as we had planned. However, the sites are separated by landscaping so carrying stuff through there wouldn't be easy. I went back to the office and we switched our transition spot to the site across the road where we parked yesterday. That will make things much easier.

I started the day by dragging stuff out of the "basement" of the fifth wheel and out of our large, outdoor storage compartment in the front.

 

 

 

And I unloaded the items we will need from the truck's storage compartments.

Linda continued to start projects, get distracted, and move on to other projects.

She helped me with the outside stuff, and we managed to get everything we needed into the "trunk" of the motorhome and the couple of other outside storage compartments. And we actually have room to spare. I'm just going to put up some hooks in the ceiling to get lightweight items like brooms and rig-cleaning brushes out of the way.

Our rally supplies take up so much space, it made our basement look worse than it was. I'm quite pleased that we didn't have to fill the "trunk" to the top, and the weight shouldn't be too bad.

It's really organized, although I threw my golf clubs and a couple of other things in before I took this photo, so it doesn't look as organized as it is.

 

 

Linda put hooks up above the opening as it was a perfect place to hang our fly-fishing rods. And she put a hook up on the other door for our firewood carrier and our collapsible trash can.

 

 

I've got my grill, air compressor, and tools situated so they are convenient. We knocked the tools down from a hundred pound Craftsman tool box to about twenty pounds in a small tool bag.

I'll take more photos later when I hang some items and re-organize one more time.

We were even able to get all our backpacks in there - we have six (two backpacking backpacks for overnighters, two Camelback backpacks for longer day hikes, a lighter weight backpack for shorter day hikes, and a backpack filled with fishing gear). Five of those six had been stored in our bedroom cabinets, so at least we don't have to find a space inside for them. And I'm really looking forward to getting to use all of them more in the coming months and years.

I made more trips to the storage unit and Goodwill, and Linda started getting some kitchen items moved. One dilemma is, apparently, there is no cabinet down low where she can stand up a bottle of wine.  :)

We try to store the heavier items down low, but there is no good liquor cabinet. She'll figure it out.

We worked our tails off again today, and we made good progress, although it doesn't look like it when you step inside the fifth wheel. We've got bins strewn about, but at least most of the cabinets and closets are empty.

Linda made a slow-cooker soup in her Instant Pot while we worked, and after we ate dinner and she was cleaning up, she got emotional. Tears started flowing, and I'm sure it won't be the last time .... for either of us.

 

We've lived in this RV for thirteen years, six years longer than any other place we've ever lived since we've been married. We've spent the best years of our lives in this rig, and we've really made it our home. Giving it up will be one of the hardest things we've ever done, much harder than selling any of the houses we owned. Certainly, we haven't made this decision without a lot of thought, and we've made the decision for a variety of reasons which will expand our horizons, and we have to keep that in mind.

This transition is very similar to our transition from a dream house in Louisville into the fifth wheel way back in 2005. There are difficulties and emotions and second thoughts, although I didn't cry over any house like I'm crying right now as I write this, and will cry again when the new owners pull away.

But this too shall pass, and we are happy it's going to members of our RV-Dreams Family who we will keep in touch with and help along the way. It will be worth it to see them happily enjoying what we have enjoyed thus far, and we are looking forward to creating more wonderful years of memories in the new motorhome. It's hard to fathom we will love the motorhome as much as our Cambridge, but that doesn't mean we can't have comparable and possibly even better experiences traveling and exploring our natural world.

---

 

 

Photo Tour of 2015 Winnebago Aspect 27K

So here goes. Our photo tour of our new-to-us 2015 Winnebago Aspect 27K (29 feet, 5 inches long and 10 feet, 4 inches tall).

Exterior views in its temporary site here at Nevada Treasure RV Resort.

 

 

 

 

Exterior compartments on the driver's side.

 

 

From front to back, between the axles, we have the Onan 4000-watt generator.

 

 

Then the propane tank (18 gallons - equal to our two 40lb cylinders on the fifth wheel).

 

 

Next, in a small compartment that, inexplicably, can only be accessed with a key, is our sewer outlet and a portion of the black tank with TrueLevel exterior sensors.

 

 

In the close-up in the photo below, you can see where the hose from the gray tank comes in through the wall and joins the three-inch PVC pipe.

 

 

In the large compartment behind the rear axle is the gray tank with the TrueLevel sensors.

 

 

And, from this angle, you can see the gray tank is drained using a macerator pump which sends the gray water up and around the black tank where it connects to the sewer outlet pipe.

 

 

It's a strange way of setting up the tanks to avoid having two separate sewer outlets.

The next small compartment is for the 30-amp electrical connection and cord, and the last one is where the sewer hose is currently stored.

 

 

On the other side of the rig, the passenger side, we have the furnace exhaust, the Atwood water heater access panel, the refrigerator access panel, a couple of 120-volt outlets, a 12-volt outlet, a cable connection, and three compartments between the axles.

 

 

From front to back, the first compartment has some decent storage, but it is also has breakers and the access to the 1000-watt inverter (on the left behind the black metal panel. The breaker box and fuse box is at the bottom of the kitchen counter inside.

 

 

Next is the battery compartment with two house batteries on a slide tray.

 

 

And then we have access to the hydraulic system for the jacks.

 

 

Behind the rear axle is a nice storage compartment under the bedroom slide (contains the wardrobe/closet) and side access to the large "trunk".

 

 

Storage compartment.

 

In the back, we have the large trunk area which is a huge reason we went with this model.

 

 

  

View from the side access.

 

 

Another trunk view.

 

 

The hose in the upper left corner is for the gravity fill for the fresh water tank. The outdoor shower is on the left and next to it is the city water connection and the switch for "normal" water usage or "power fill" for the fresh water tank.

Tucked in the corner next to the shower and water hook-up are a switch to turn the water pump on/off (it can be turned on/off inside as well), the button to start the macerator to drain the gray tank, a couple of 120-volt outlets, a connection for a portable satellite dish, and a cable connection.

 

 

Oh, and there is the optional exterior entertainment system mounted in the passenger side corner of the trunk.

 

  

And I just realized I didn't take a full shot of the rear of the coach, so I'll have to do that to show the trunk closed and the camera at the top center. Note, there is no ladder on this rig, so we'll have to decide on what we want to do to access the roof.

On the roof is a King Jack TV antenna for over-the-air broadcasts, a King Dome in-motion satellite dish (don't know if it works), and the usual vents. There is room for 2 - 4 solar panels. I have to get my ladder out and get up there to get some photos.

Before we go inside, here is a picture of the very nice side mirrors which also have cameras. Whenever a turn signal is on, the view on the screen in the cab switches to that side mirror.

 

 

Inside, we start in the front.

Of course, I had to take a picture of the federal compliance labels on the driver's door which shows our Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, our Gross Axle Weight Ratings, the original tire sizes, rim sizes, and recommended tire inflation pressures. It's accompanied by the other required weight label that shows our Occupant & Cargo Carrying Capacity.

 

 

Here's a view of the cab and storage area over the cab.

 

 

While driving, we were impressed with the cup holders and various little storage nooks in the console.

One of the great things is that the cab chairs swivel to provide extra seating when parked.

 

 

View with center cabinets open, and you can see the sunroof in the ceiling.

 

 

The black panels on either side of the glass door cabinets are speakers.

The cabinet with the black glass on the right contains a CD/DVD player and the video selection system.

 

 

The opposite cabinet has satellite connections where a satellite receiver/DVR would go.

 

 

The sunroof is manual and can be opened to different levels.

 

 

You can let the sun shine in without shade or you can use either of the two types of shades.

 

 

I like the sunroof although it does take up space that could be used for a solar panel.

Here are a couple of views with the dinette slide in.

 

 

 

Here's the dinette with the storage above.

 

 

The dinette converts into a bed and there is a lot of storage under the bench seats. However, we will be removing the dinette and putting in reclining theater seating from our friends at Lambright Comfort Chairs. Though we could use the storage space, comfort takes precedence over the storage and extra bed. So, imagine something like the seating below in place of the dinette. That's what our friends Bob & Karen did in their same model Aspect.

 

 

With the dinette slide out, there is a lot of room in the living area/kitchen.

 

 

And there is pretty good counter space, except you can't store anything like a Keurig or Instant Pot on the counter in front of the TV. So, we are considering moving the TV to above the door. We'll see.

 

 

The TV does swing out, so you can watch it from the cab seats.

 

 

 

On the end of the cabinet in the photo above, there are various light switches as you come in the door, and in the lower left corner is the control panel for the leveling system and controls for the awning. It was far too windy today to put the awning out.

 

 

Below those is the battery disconnect switch.

 

  

Okay, back to the kitchen, Linda's biggest concern.

Here's the kitchen with the sink covers and the range cover off. The counter space doesn't look quite so good now.  :)

 

 

Here's a look at the cabinet and drawer storage in the kitchen.

 

 

 

A big problem is that the water heater is under the sink taking up significant room. The in-house water filtration is also under the sink.

Their is no gas oven, but there is a huge Whirlpool microwave/convection oven.

 

 

Next to the stove is the pantry - paltry by Linda's standards (and in comparison to the fifth wheel), but not too bad.

 

 

And next to the pantry is the RV propane/electric refrigerator (Norcold).

 

 

An option in these Aspect models is to forgo the pantry and get a bigger, four-dour refrigerator. It's a tough choice, but one we didn't have to make, and Linda prefers having the pantry.

We will definitely miss the refrigerator and pantry in the fifth wheel.

Next to the microwave/convection are our slideout controls, inverter control panel, and the OnePlace Systems Center. The OnePlace is where we turn the generator on and off and check the meter of hours run. It's also where we turn the water pump on and off, and the water heater on and off. It also shows our tank levels according to the TrueLevel sensors,

 

 

The slideouts are Lippert In-Wall Schwintek Slide-Outs. Fortunately for us, there are few reports of problems with this system on small slideouts. Unfortunately, for those with much larger slideouts, this system has a bad reputation.

In this rig, they seem to be working just fine other than being a little noisy when going in and out, but there is no weight in them yet. What causes me some concern is that the prior owner highlighted the information in the owners manual about manual operation. I hope that's an issue that has been corrected, assuming there was a problem.

The King Jack rooftop TV antenna control is on the ceiling above the microwave.

 

 

This antenna is becoming standard in many RVs. It's not the most durable over-the-air antenna, but it is quite easy to use as blue lights light up as you turn it telling you when you have the best signal.

The small bathroom is across the aisle from the pantry and refrigerator.

 

 

There is a tiny bit of storage under the sink and a decent wall cabinet.

 

 

I figure I may get a half of a shelf.  :)

The shower is, of course small, but at least it is somewhat in a corner making it a little larger than other Class Cs of this size.

 

 

They call the "door" a "retractable, self-cleaning shower door".  It's pretty flimsy, but saves on space and weight.

 

 

Now, I'm only 5'8" and I barely fit in the shower. This unit is definitely more suitable for us short people. Tall folks would have trouble in the cab and pretty much everywhere else.

I will say that the lighting in the bathroom is very good.

Moving to the bedroom. Linda hasn't put her special touches on the decorating yet, but here is the queen-size bed.

 

 

You can walk around on both sides, but it is tight on the right side. Still, it's not in a corner.

The prior owners opted for the optional Nouveau™ by Ideal Rest® mattress upgrade. The comfort level is digitally controlled on each side much like a Sleep Number.

 

 

Personally, I'd rather it had a regular mattress, but we'll give it a try.

Storage above the bed and nightstand drawers on the sides.

 

 

In the slideout is the nice sized wardrobe/closet with a couple of drawers.

 

 

 

 

Some clothes are going to Goodwill, but I think we can make this work.

There is a Fantastic Fan, an emergency exit window, and a small TV.

 

 

All of the windows in the coach have MCD roller shades - solar and blackout.

 

 

Though we won't use it, there is a pleated door to allow some privacy.

 

 

 

In the photo above you can see the air conditioner. It's a Coleman-Mach 15,000 BTU with a heat pump. And the Coleman-Mach RV Comfort thermostat controls it and the Suburban 30,000 BTU furnace.

 

 

Well, that's about it. The coach is in great shape, and considering the full body paint and other upgrades and options the prior owner purchased, I think we did pretty good.

Let us know if you have any questions or want photos of items or areas I didn't include. 

Now to load it up.  :)

---

 

 

Back In Pahrump - The Transition Begins

We were up early and ready to complete our trip back to Pahrump. It took a couple of hours, but it eventually cooled down enough to at least cover up in a sheet.

I took a quick walk around the Burro Creek Campground and wished we could stay longer. When I returned to the campsite, Linda was outside and simply said "I'm ready". 

Okay, so in the fifth wheel, Linda has a routine when we leave a campground. It requires moving several items, turning furniture so the slides can come in, and a few other steps. She has it down, and it only takes her about twenty minutes. But with the Class C, no furniture has to be moved, and she just will have to make sure there is nothing obstructing the slideouts. Of course, we have nothing in the rig yet, so this morning it took about five minutes to get ready to leave.

With the slides in, we pushed the button for the leveling jacks and got a "travel mode" light which indicates they are properly retracted. But there is a big, bold warning in the manual that says it's still the owner's responsibility to do a visual check, which we did.

I gave Linda the option, and she chose to drive. Since we didn't have a coffee maker, the first order of business was to find her some coffee. She pulled over at the first gas station/convenience store and handled it perfectly.

Later, I used the cardboard sleeve on her coffee cup to squelch some of the rattles. Some strategically placed cardboard on the screen door and on a couple of cabinet latches helped tremendously. We'll get the noises figured out. I've decided that the people in charge of building roads should ride on them in a motorhome so they can see what a terrible job they've done. Bless the smooth roads.  :)

I called Diesel Specialists in Vegas to see if our truck was ready, so we could pick it up on our way through. Unfortunately, the part they were waiting for didn't come in until late yesterday, so the truck wouldn't be ready until late this afternoon. 

So, we just headed on back to Pahrump.

We stopped for fuel at a gas station I never would have attempted in the fifth wheel. While we were there, a Class A motorhome pulled in towing a three-axle cargo trailer. All of us at the gas station watched in amazement as the driver tried to make a sharp turn around the pumps and nearly hit a truck. Seeing he wasn't going to be able to make the turn, he backed up and eventually determined he wasn't going to be able to get gas there. It took some maneuvering, but he finally got out of the gas station and headed down the road to find another one.

We were feeling quite smug in our smaller motorhome. Linda got us out of there easily and we completed our trip arriving at Nevada Treasure RV Resort in the late morning. We pulled into the check-in lane and walked to the office not knowing exactly what we were going to say. Fortunately, Bill, the manager was there and we talked through our situation with him.

He gave us lots of options. On Sunday, a spot will open up behind our fifth wheel to help us make the transition easy. In the meantime, we paid for a second site for the motorhome about eight sites away on the same row. Fortunately, we could use Passport America for two nights.

After we complete our transfer of stuff (pared down significantly), we'll put the truck and fifth wheel in their storage area ($50/month) until our buyers, Doug & Kristi, arrive in mid-May. And we'll put the motorhome in our current site. When Doung & Kristi arrive, we'll put the truck and fifth wheel on a site and have it ready for them. We'll then spend a couple of days going through everything with them to get them as comfortable as possible.

We backed into the site and then met the neighbors who are here for the Spring Rally. 

Back at the fifth wheel, we just got something to eat and relaxed for a couple of hours.

Here's the plan as Linda sees it .... and, therefore, as I see it, too.  :)

We'll get a storage unit here in Pahrump. We will put everything we use for rallies in the storage unit, and she will pack up bins of other stuff we want to keep and they will go in storage as well. Her vision is that we will come back here in the Fall, get a small cargo trailer and make a cross-country trip. We'll drop off rally stuff in Tennessee and then continue on to Florida to store the rest of our few bins at our rental house.

Moving forward, while we will do Boondocking Rallies and Reunion Rallies in the areas we travel - they don't require as much and we can have what little we need shipped in. However, we will hold only one more Educational Rally in the west in 2019, and then all future Educational Rallies will be at River Plantation RV Resort in Sevierville, Tennessee. 

After we drop off our items in Florida and get our wills and living wills redone there, we'll head back west over the winter.

We went to Walmart to pick up some storage bins, and then the process began. Linda was a bit overwhelmed when she started emptying cabinets.

 

 

We have different approaches in our minds. I want to take everything we absolutely have to have in the new RV and put it in. We can then see where we are and fill in and figure it out from there. Linda wants to keep everything we need in the fifth wheel until the last minute and pack up the things she knows she wants to store or donate and move those items out first. Then we can move the necessities on Sunday when the motorhome will be in a closer site.

I went to the motorhome site and cleaned out the "trunk". The prior owner left several things in there, and the RV dealership assumed it was ours and didn't clean it out.

Then, I thought it would be a great time to completely photograph the Winnebago Aspect before we put anything in it. So, here is a separate entry with a comprehensive photo tour for those interested.

Later, Leesa came over to help Linda pack up the stuff we won't need.

By the end of the night, Linda had made great progress, and we had moved a few items into the Aspect. We were exhausted and the "house" is a wreck.

Tomorrow, we have to go back to north Las Vegas and pick up our truck as we got the call late this afternoon that it is ready. I'm not sure how, but we'll get everything accomplished before the Rally starts on the 23rd.  :)

---

 

 

Returning To Pahrump In Our New Motorhome (First Night In A Campground)

We got an Uber this morning, Wednesday, for the short ride from our hotel to La Mesa RV in Tucson.

We walked out to the delivery area with a nice young fellow, Jose, and he proceeded to go through his checklist of everything to show us on our new-to-us 2015 Winnebago Aspect 27K motorhome.

 

 

We were pretty confident in everything, but asked for a demonstration of the automatic levelers since we've never had those. One push of a button. Well, that was easy enough.

Although while the leveling is going on, there is a long, high-pitched, extremely annoying alarm. The owner's manual calls it a "chime" and the HWH leveling system manual calls it a "buzzer". It's more like the sound of a smoke detector going off and it's ear-piercing. Upon further review, this alarm sounds if the engine is running and the jacks are down or not in the "stored up" position - it's a safety feature so you don't drive with the jacks not completely stored. We're not supposed to get the alarm if the ignition is in the "Accessory" position.

The automatic levelers with automatic controls were one of the many options selected by the prior owner:

• Full Body Paint (Windveil)
• Hydraulic Leveling Jacks (725 Series)
• Stylized Aluminum Wheels
• Infotainment System with Rand McNally RV GPS
• Cameras in Side View Mirrors
• Skylight with Sliding Shade, Screen, and Vent
• Interior Upgrade Package (Including MCD solar and blackout roller shades)
• Dual Pane Windows
• Cold Water Filtration System
• Stainless Steel Microwave/Convection Oven
• Queen Ideal Rest® Nouveau digital control
  mattress w/remotes

For those interested, here is a link to the 2015 Winnebago Aspect brochure that shows the three different floorplans (most of the photos are of the 30J), the interior decor, the exterior choices, and the standard and optional equipment.

After our final walk-through, we had a few things we wanted looked at, and the service guys had a few more things they wanted to take care of. Included in that, I wanted to be sure the tires were inflated to proper pressures. By the way, one of the first things we did yesterday was inspect the tires. They are all 2017 Michelins, so we're pretty happy we won't need to replace tires for a while.

We had hoped to be on the road by 10:00 a.m., but that didn't happen. We took part in their free lunch again at 11:00.

Finally, the motorhome was ready and we loaded up a little after noon. I asked for a list of everything the dealership did to the RV since they got it from the prior owner, but they said those were internal documents and wouldn't provide them. That still bugs me. They said they did a full inspection and service including changing the oil and some repairs, but I have nothing to prove what they did or to show when the last time certain maintenance items were performed. As a former attorney, relying on a dealership's word is not the way I like to do things (unless, of course, I was the dealership's attorney).

With the late start, we knew we weren't going to do the 500 miles back to Pahrump, so we would need to spend the night somewhere.

I started out driving as Linda was still on probation from yesterday's mishap. :)

First, we went to the nearest Walmart to pick up some sheets and pillows and toilet paper. We wouldn't take the fifth wheel into a Walmart parking lot without researching it thoroughly first, but with this smaller RV, we knew we'd be fine.

And after that, we pulled into the parking lot of a nearby post office, something we would never have done in the fifth wheel. We had to mail off some notarized documents relating to our change of domicile. More information on that in a separate post. 

We finally headed out of Tucson a little after 1:00.

 

 

Then we stopped at a Pilot Travel Center in Eloy, AZ to fuel up (La Mesa gave us half a tank) and to get weighed. It's certainly a lot easier to get the Class C into the pumps. This rig holds 55 gallons of gas, so we should be able to travel about 500 miles on a tank.

Now, it's been awhile since we've weighed at a commercial CAT scale. So I went inside and asked. I told them I wanted to get my private motorhome weighed and they told me to go ahead and pull onto the scales and then hit the button to call in and they would "weigh us out". I placed the front axle on the first of the segmented scales and the rear axle on the second. If we had been towing, the towed vehicle would go on the third segment.

We will tow a Jeep, just not the one we have now. When we bought our current Jeep last year, it had a lift kit and aggressive off-road tires, so it never dawned on us to that it might not be 4WD (it's not), and we never thought we would need to be concerned about that for a few more years. But since the Jeep needs to be 4WD in order to tow it four wheels down, now we have to trade in this Jeep Liberty for something else - most likely another used Jeep Liberty - that is 4WD.

And I have to get more educated on tow bars, baseplates, and auxiliary braking systems. I've already started that process. One of the rationalizations we've used in making this transition from the fifth wheel to the motorhome is that we will be better, more rounded educators when we have experience with a motorhome.  

So, our Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is 14,500 pounds. Our front axle weight rating (GAWR) is 5,000 pounds and the rear axle weight rating (GAWR) is 9,600 pounds and our Occupant & Cargo Carrying Capacity (OCCC) is 2,799 pounds. With motorhomes, it's OCCC rather than just CCC because we have to account for the weight of passengers in the rig while moving.

The dealership filled our tank with water, so we thought we'd go ahead and get weighed with it - a little over 330 pounds. The weights came back at 4,100 on the front axle and 8,440 on the rear axle for a total of 12,540 or about 2,000 pounds under our GVWR.  If we take out the water and our luggage, we should have around 2,400 pounds we can add, and I think we can accomplish that - there just isn't room for much.  :)

Of course, we will be installing a new solar system as soon as possible, so we have to account for that.

Yes, we will be undertaking a major downsizing as our fifth wheel has an amazing amount of storage space. If not for the rally stuff we carry, we'd have lots of unused space, but we still have lots of "nice to have" items that we'll have to eliminate. The kitchen and pantry will be Linda's biggest challenge.

Back on the road, temperatures were in the upper 90s and at one point our Infotainment center showed 100 degrees as we approached the Phoenix area. We opted to avoid Phoenix and take the long way around. Other than the rattles that we'll have to address, the driving was easy. We could definitely feel it when a semi would get about half way around us while passing. And the wind picked up as well, and it was certainly noticeable.

Linda paired our phones with the Bluetooth in the Infotainment center, and called her Mom. She was also reading through manuals as we traveled.

Once we were around Phoenix, I stopped for a driver change just past Wickenburg on U.S. Hwy 93. Linda took over while I figured out where we were going to camp for the night.

 

 

 

It was still in the 90s, and Linda wanted hook-ups, but I wanted something in a little more natural setting for our first night in the Aspect. I found a Passport America park in Wikieup with hook-ups, but Linda finally relented to my whining, and we chose the Burro Creek BLM campground just south of there. Our first night in our new rig would be boondocking which made me happy.

It was a beautiful drive in an area where the Sonoran Desert converged with the Mojave Desert. Saguaros from the Sonoran and Joshua Trees from the Mojave mixed together in the landscape.

Linda had to climb some pretty steep grades, and the Ford Triton V10 engine struggled a bit. It's clear that we'll probably have to drive separately when going through the mountains as I don't think it will handle towing a loaded down Jeep on steeper grades very well.

We reached the campground turn-off, and drove a mile and a quarter back to Burro Creek Campground. Because this trip was unexpected and we never returned to our rig, I didn't have my good camera and had to rely on my cell phone for pictures.

 

 

The sun was setting but it was still 87 degrees. With the wind blowing and the cooler overnight temps, I thought we'd be fine sleeping without air conditioning.

Linda drove around the gravel campground loop and we then selected Site 1. She backed in easily while I did the spotting for her. We definitely have to pay attention to the lower clearance in places like this.

We hit the button to level and that took just a short time.

Then she put out the two slideouts, opened all the windows and our manual sunroof and turned on the Fantastic Fan in the bedroom.

 

 

 

 

Then she put sheets on the bed while I paid our $14 fee and walked the campground loop. Surprisingly, there is a bathhouse with flush toilets here. There is also a dump station and a place to take on water.

We turned on the generator just long enough to run the microwave to heat up a couple of frozen burritos we got at a gas station. We didn't have eating utensils or anything else, so it would have to do.

There was no cell service and we didn't even try the over-the-air (OTA) TV signal. We went to bed early to read, but it was still pretty hot. Linda didn't want to leave the sunroof open because she was afraid a bird would fly in, so I lowered it enough to reduce that possibility. 

It wasn't perfect, but for our first night, it was quiet and in the type of place we like. I just didn't want to be in a gravel parking lot next to a busy road for our first night even if it did mean no air conditioning.

So, in our "Buying An RV" seminar, we talk about every decision regarding the purchase of an RV having trade-offs. And we are certainly getting a first-hand look at many of those. We drove 287 miles today without feeling like it was way too much, and we really like being nimble and not having to worry about getting in and out of places (that will change a bit when we start towing). And setting up was a breeze. On the other hand, the comfort while parked isn't nearly at the level of our fifth wheel, and figuring out what to bring and where to put it will be quite the challenge.

However, we feel like perhaps we've gotten too comfortable in our fifth wheel and that this change will allow (or force) us to get back into nature more like we did when we started full-timing. We're planning to forgo the satellite TV this summer as well. There are many levels to this decision to downsize, and we'll report on the results as we go.

Linda had no travel anxiety and is very comfortable driving, so put that in the "pros" column. Sharing the driving duties is nice as is riding together, although that never was as big a deal for us since our travel days tended to be short.

So far, so good. We'll make it back to Nevada Treasure tomorrow, and then we'll figure out how we're going to make the transition. Stay tuned.

---

 

 

How It All Came About So Quickly

As mentioned in a prior post, we were in Louisville for annual physicals and we once again stayed at the house of our friends Dale & Sandy. And since it was cold and snowy, I went into RV search mode when not in a doctor or dentist office. I looked for very specific models in the 2013 - 2017 model year range. And what I found was the Winnebago Aspects and Itasca Cambrias in the 27K models don't last long when a nice used one comes available.

We liked the 27K models over the 30J models because 1) they are a little shorter (also less chance of dragging the rear end), 2) they have a bit more cargo carrying capacity, and 3) because they are smaller, they aren't as easy to overload.

I found one had just been posted online on RVTrader.com and there were no photos yet. I moved quickly, found a price, talked to a salesperson, she sent several photos, ....

 

 

 

and I offered $9,000 below the asking price. It was already a pretty good price, in my opinion, and we settled at halfway in between at $63,500. Of course, it was subject to our in-person inspection .... at LaMesa RV in Tucson. 

So, on Monday, after getting about three hours of sleep (due to excitement), we took our scheduled flight from Louisville back to Las Vegas. Our truck wasn't ready yet, and I couldn't find a cheap, last-minute flight to Tucson. We considered getting an Uber to Pahrump to get our Jeep, but to save time, we rented a car at the airport and started driving south - a six hour drive.

It was on that drive, that we solidified the deal to sell our truck and fifth wheel - the timing couldn't have been better.

So, we had a few inquiries on our fifth wheel and truck in the few days after listing it. Some folks wanted more interior pictures, and while we had quite a few, I wanted to take more recent ones and get them posted later this week. However, that's not happening now.

After answering a few questions in back-and-forth emails, on Sunday we received an offer from a couple in Iowa that has been following us. They felt they knew our rig well enough to make an offer without seeing it.

They weren't in any hurry, but I informed them we may be ready sooner rather than later. So, as Linda drove us out of Las Vegas, I called them to discuss their offer, the logistics, and the timing of delivery. As we drove through the beautiful scenery around Hoover Dam, we finalized a deal.

We'll hang around Pahrump for a couple extra weeks after our Spring Rally, and they are going to come to us to close on the sale and pick up the truck and fifth wheel next month. Wow. We enjoyed talking to them and are so happy for them .... and for us. Of course, we're considering it a "pending sale" until it's actually done, but we're pretty confident.

After driving a few hours, we were exhausted and got a hotel in Wickenburg, AZ about an hour north of Phoenix.

 

Today, Tuesday, we were on the road before 8:00 a.m. And we arrived at LaMesa a little before 11:00. In the span of 24 hours, we went from temperatures in the 30s and snow to a high of 96 degrees today in Tucson. And because we didn't go back to our fifth wheel in Pahrump, we had no shorts or summer clothes.

We were just in time to take part in their free lunch at LaMesa, and then we met with our salesperson, Marti. She took us on a golf cart to the rig, and we gave it a cursory review checking out the exterior and making sure there were no odors or glaring problems inside. Everything looked great.

Time for a test drive. It has 26,600 miles which means it was being used consistently by the prior owner.

The first thing we noticed was the noise on the rough road by the dealership. Towing a trailer, you never here all the noises inside the coach as you're going down the road. On a smoother road, the rattles weren't so bad but with any stretch that was a bit rough, it was quite annoying. At any rate, Linda will identify the noises and figure out how to muffle them.

It was strange to drive something that long, but being used to making very wide turns, I found myself making wider turns than necessary - a good thing. It was quite comfortable and easy to drive. After a short time on the interstate, we exited and Linda took over. She was also quite comfortable driving it, and she took us back to the dealership.

She confidently backed it into a spot, and I didn't insist on getting out and guiding her. Oops. She backed into an electrical pedestal. It resulted in a few scrapes  and chips on the paint ....

 

 

and the loss of any further bargaining power I may have had. :)

That was the worst feeling, but we were already certain we were going to close the deal, so we got our first ding out of the way really fast. In fact, that may have been a record.

There is a back-up camera which changes to side cameras when you turn on a turn signal, but the glare on the screen made it pretty useless. Of course, in hindsight, perhaps we should have paid more attention to it ... or I should have gotten out like we always do with the fifth wheel and always instruct others to do. So I take part of the blame for this deflating incident.

After getting over our little accident, we plugged in the motorhome (30 amps only), and tried all the appliances. I had a long list of inspection items and we tested just about everything. Then we turned on the 4000-watt generator and it worked well. We were quite pleased with our review.

Oh, and the Michelin tires, LT225/75R16, are all late 2017, so that's fantastic. We tell folks buying used RVs to include the cost of new tires in their budgets, but it looks like we'll be able to avoid that expense.

The Occupant & Cargo Carrying Capacity (OCCC) is 2800 pounds which isn't too bad. We're planning to weigh it on the way back to Nevada.

The wastewater holding tanks are a bit weird. The black tank is in front of the rear axle and drains normally out the 3-inch sewer outlet. But the gray tank is behind the rear axle, and it has a macerator pump that pumps the gray water out of the tank and around the black tank where a pipe connects to the main sewer outlet pipe. If the macerator pump goes out, there is no way to dump the gray tank by gravity without making a modification.

After playing around with the motorhome and checking the roof, a couple guys came to get it. They were going to spend the rest of the afternoon detailing the unit and going over it one last time. Then, we'll have a two-hour walk-through in the morning starting at 8:00 a.m. And then we'll head back to Pahrump.

Finally, we signed all the paperwork. I wired in a downpayment, and then we signed some loan documents. We're financing so that we can take delivery quickly, and then we knew we would pay it off when our truck and fifth wheel sell. Little did we know that was going to happen so fast. We may have to make one payment before paying it off.

Now, we've been telling folks that only a couple of lenders will finance full-timers - Essex Credit and Alliant Credit Union. And full-timers with really good credit will pay about one percentage point higher in interest than non-full-timers.

The finance guy, Matthew, indicated that Alliant is much easier to deal with than Essex. Even so, Alliant required us to put one year of insurance premium on deposit with them because we are full-timers. It's a safety net for the lender. That amount sits in an escrow account, and they give it back (with interest) when the loan is paid off. I wasn't happy about that as we had to pay the insurance company and then write a check to Alliant for the same amount. But I'll get over it.

Our insurance is with Progressive through Miller Insurance Agency and the annual premium is $1,337. Our claim from last year didn't help, but at least it's less than the total of our truck and fifth wheel premiums.

And thus the deal was done. We'll take delivery in the morning. A few days ago, we had absolutely no idea we would actually by a motorhome this fast.

With that, we found a hotel near the airport, returned our rental car, and will see if we can get some sleep.

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We Don't Mess Around

Today we closed on the purchase of a 2015 Winnebago Aspect 27K.

 

  

We're in Tucson where we inspected it today, and we get delivery tomorrow.

And on the way to Tucson, we concluded an agreement on the sale of our fifth wheel and truck.

It's been a whirlwind the last couple of days, and we're pretty pumped up.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments and words of encouragement. Details on how all this came about coming soon.  :)

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Big Changes Are Coming Sooner Than Expected

So, Linda & I have been kicking around a lot of scenarios about our future, and we've recently made some big decisions. Though we still don't know how long we will remain full-time RVers, we have started the process of making changes in the way we will live and travel.

Not too long ago, we were discussing the possibilities of downsizing to a Class C motorhome in the years to come. It was a conversation that I didn't see coming.

For so long, our plans were indefinite as to when or if we would stop RVing. And even if we stopped RVing, we said that we would just park our fifth wheel in a residential-type RV park somewhere and live out our years in it. Or, perhaps we would get a park model somewhere. The gist was that we didn't need a "sticks & bricks" house, and could be perfectly happy living a simple life among other RVers.

Of course, that view was also based on not ever having enough funds to purchase a "sticks and bricks" house again, and we certainly don't want a mortgage. Being completely debt free is something we don't want to give up as it has enhanced the freedom of our RVing lifestyle so much, and we don't ever want to be in that "borrower is slave to the lender" situation again.

However, our thought process changed last year. With the death of my mother in 2014 and the death of my father in 2016, we found ourselves in a situation we hadn't envisioned. Years ago, we transferred their house into my name as part of an estate planning/Medicaid planning process. It would have passed to me in their wills anyway, but we never expected to actually end up with the house.

All along we assumed we would have to sell that house to pay for their long-term care. Assisted living and nursing home care is quite expensive and we expected those costs to eat up the proceeds from the house fairly quickly. But my mother passed away from returning cancer before she ever went into a senior care facility. And, with the assistance of a Veterans Benefit known as "Aid & Attendance" we were able to keep my father at home and pay for home care until he passed away.

Back in 2014, I wrote a long, detailed post called "Exploring Veterans Pension Benefits" that includes my research and some sample calculations. The "Aid & Attendance" benefit is only used by about 10% of veterans that are eligible. The numbers in that post may be out of date now, but the principles and programs are still in place. The big takeaway is that while the "Aid & Attendance" benefit has income and asset limitations, income can be reduced by "future, recurring" expenses such as insurance premiums, Assisted Living costs, or Nursing Home costs, and assets can be reduced by the use of trusts and other legal avenues to reduce assets so that the veteran (and spouse) can qualify.

So, again unexpectedly, we didn't end up having to sell the house to pay for their care. The sale of the house would result in funds to add to our own assets. But rather than invest those funds in our investment portfolio or IRAs, we decided to purchase a house in The Villages, a retirement community (more like Disneyland for active adults) in central Florida.

Linda wanted to do this 1) because she wanted to keep those funds out of the volatile securities markets, and 2) because it would give her a greater peace knowing that we had a place to go in case any number of unforeseen events might occur. I agreed to this plan 1) because it's what she wanted, 2) because I liked the thought of being able to rent out the house to generate income while we continued to travel (not to mention the hope of the property appreciating over time), and 3) if our full-time RVing comes to an end, I could be satisfied at The Villages with all the golf and other athletic activities to keep me happy and healthy for many years.

Now, though we were and are in agreement that we made a good decision with the house purchase, we aren't completely on the same page about how all this will play out. I am nowhere near ready to live in a "sticks and bricks", and I'd be fine continuing to travel the country for many years. Linda could go live in The Villages today, but she also wants to continue to travel while we have our health.

At one point last year, she said she could give it 10 more years (which was most likely a way to placate me), and that 22 years of full-timing would certainly be enough. But then a beam in the frame of our fifth wheel broke last summer, and her 10-year timeframe began to shrink. And we both started talking about moving to a smaller RV. Though we absolutely love our rig and have made modifications to make it almost perfect for us, for the first time, we thought "Perhaps this is a sign to embark on a new chapter".

We were also concerned that the insurance company would "total" our rig, and we would be forced into a decision. When that didn't happen, and the repair was done beautifully, we let go of the Class C motorhome plan in the short term, but still considered it as an option in the coming years. In fact, we started looking at all the different floorplans at the RV shows where we were speaking.

While the rig was being repaired last summer, we bought that house in The Villages (the smallest of houses and without having to have a mortgage) and spent some time there. We both feel at home there, and I was exhilarated by playing golf and other sports, but I'm still not ready to make it permanent. Plus, having a tenant and seeing rent come in helps my desire to stay on the road and keeps Linda from pushing our timeframe up too much. Here is our website with details about the house - The Villages Patio Villa.

Okay, so we have agreed we'll be on the road as full-timers for at least a few more years, but we also agreed that we will downsize in the coming years and do a few laps around the country and visit Alaska and Canada in something smaller. We may travel a bit faster, boondock a bit more, and actually get out into nature more than we have the last couple of years. And we both think such a change would be invigorating and exciting.

Well, as this year has gone on, we've been hearing that our summer destination, Washington, isn't great for big rigs and we've been considering an Alaska trip in 2019. We started thinking maybe we should push up our plan to downsize. So, pretty much out of the blue, we made the decision to look more seriously at the possibilities.

One problem with the plan has been we haven't been able to find a Class C that is small enough for what we want that has enough storage space for a full-timer. A few years ago, at one of our Boondocking Rallies in Florida, someone had an Itasca Cambria that had wonderful space and storage, and we remembered that. Well, at this year's Reunion Rally, Bob & Karen pulled in with a Winnebago Aspect, which is basically the same as an Itasca Cambria.

They let us take a tour, and Linda & I both determined the 27K model of either the Cambria or Aspect would work beautifully. It's short enough at under 30 feet, we like the Class B+ look rather than the full bunk over the cab, it has two slideouts for extra space, it has a corner shower for more room in it, the bed is not in a corner, and there is great storage in the rear "trunk" area. It does have a dual pane window option as well.

So, we are now, suddenly, in the market for a used Itasca Cambria 27K or a Winnebago Aspect 27K. We will look at model years from 2014 to 2017, and we hope to have something purchased by the end of the year.

But, that also means we need to sell our beloved fifth wheel. I'm not sure how all the logistics are going to work out, but we have just listed our 2006 Keystone Cambridge on RVTrader.com. We've also included our truck if anyone is interested in the combination. Certainly, if anyone in our RV-Dreams family is interested, we'll be willing to negotiate a bit and they will get a fantastic rig.

Because of all the improvements, modifications, and extras, there won't be a book value on the fifth wheel (or the truck) and lenders won't be able to provide traditional RV financing because of that. So, we'll be hoping for someone that wants to do a cash purchase, or has a home equity line of credit, or some other type of funding.

Again, we don't know how this will all work out, and if it doesn't seem to be going the way we want, we'll just re-group and figure out something else.

The other reason we are considering doing all this now is because our friends, that receive our mail and allow us to use their address as our own, are building a new house and will be moving. And, our mail surrogate, Stephanie, has been undergoing cancer treatment, so we want to relieve her of the burden. It's a good time to change domicile and set up a new mailing address and register the "new" motorhome in our new domicile state, Florida. That way, we won't have to change addresses twice and we won't have to register the motorhome in Kentucky and then again in Florida. 

Of course, the change in domicile means that we'll need to re-visit our health insurance options and pretty much everything else related to a change of address and/or residence state.

So, it looks like we've got a few (or even several) more years of RVing in us, but we're ready to do it differently. It should be an interesting year as we look to begin a new chapter.  :)

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