Starting our Wisconsin Adventure

So yesterday we started our Wisconsin adventure.  We drove from Prairie du Chien to Hancock KOA over state highways.

The scenery was beautiful, and most of the towns we went through were clean and fresh looking.  The roads were bumpy, and curvy, and a few were narrow too.  Plus the wind was blowing again.  So, our 3 hours of driving was quite an adventure.  No major mishaps....although Chuck almost ran over a car that he didn't see enter a traffic circle from his left.  The brakes work!

Today we are settling into our home for the month.


It's cool and breezy this morning, and we've had a few rain sprinkles.  I did manage coffee on the "veranda" and am now sitting in the camper, windows open, watching them mow the grass in the campground.  There are 74 campsites and only about 5 are occupied today, but they tell me the people roll in on the weekend.  There is a lovely swimming pool I hope to spend a bit of time in.   But I am waiting until it warms up past 70 degrees outside.  Everything here at the campground is beautifully flat, which makes walking easy for my stiff ankles and knees.  Jake and I took a good long walk yesterday and I think I will try to make it a daily occurrence.

I balanced the checkbook for the first time since about May 25 yesterday.  The good news is we still have money in the bank.  Bad news is we're going to have to be pretty frugal for the next 2 weeks until the paychecks arrive.  But...we went to 5 places in 15 days, celebrated our anniversary, fixed a few RV - related things and had to buy a few things to get us on the road.  So, I expect that with a little pre-planning, we should easily be able to fit within our budget for the future.  Staying in one place for a month will help.  No fuel for the RV needed, and you get a good price break as well, so we can stay in a place with level pads, amenities like swimming pools, and full hookups for the same per night cost of an electric only state park.

After we got here yesterday, we were starving, so we went to a local bar and grill less than a mile from here.   The Good Ol' Boys Bar and Grill didn't disappoint.  I had a prime rib sandwich and fries and Chuck got a 4-pc broasted chicken dinner.  We met a few locals and chatted with the bartender/cook.  We were invited back for their Thursday night bingo and their Friday night fish fry.

Then we took a drive up the road a bit to Plainfield to the nearest grocery store to get a few ingredients for dinner and to stock up on beer and whiskey.  Their prices weren't that bad for a small town grocery.  Except for the whiskey.  The bottle that cost $18 in Arkansas and $22 in Iowa was $28 here.  I may have to learn to like beer more.

Came home to the camper and started looking to see what we can do close to home this week.  We found out that there is a celebration next weekend in Coloma (10 miles from here) called the Coloma Chicken Chew.  Apparently, it is not to be missed.  They have fireworks on Saturday, a parade on Sunday, and a big chicken dinner somewhere in the middle of softball tournaments, pickle ball tournaments, horseshoe tournaments and a bunch of other activities.  So we know where we'll be going next weekend.  There is also a "Dairy Breakfast" in Hancock on Sunday with pancakes, maple syrup, honey, ham, hash browns, cheese, milk, coffee, cranberry juice, ice cream and strawberries for $6 a person.  We may have to make that, even though we can't eat everything on the list.

We are also a short distance from a few lakes with parks and beaches.  So, we have a few places to explore close by this week.  Next week, we'll look farther afield.  I'm compiling a list of places my ancestors lived in the area and will probably make a trip or two down to Green Lake County next week.

Today Was A Travel Day - Carroll, Iowa to Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin - A Broken Refrigerator/Freezer?

Today was a travel day. We packed up at Swan Lake State Park, Carroll, Iowa Swan Lake State Park in Carroll, Iowa and headed toward the KOA in Hancock, Wisconsin.  We are currently boondocking in the Walmart parking lot in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.

Once in Hancock we will be visiting The House on the Rock, The Dells, Oconto, Wisconsin to visit family friends and Martha will be doing some genealogy research in the area.

We are looking forward to our first full months stay. We have been doing two nights here, four nights there, etc. It will be nice to have a home base and be able to move around and do things but be able to come "home" at night. After all, home is where we park it.

As the heading says, we might have a broken freezer. It will not cool down past 29* (which I believe to be a "default" readout).  This condition occurred while defrosting the refrigerator. Instead of reading the manual as I should have, I reasoned that if I shut off the refrigerator to thaw it and then turn it back on that all would be good. I later found out (after reading the manual) that there is a heating element that actually does the defrosting. In any case I cannot regain a normal reading either in the freezer or the refrigerator. The latter does drop down to 39* so all is not lost, the beer is still cold.

Martha was snapping away as we meandered through the Iowa corn and soybean fields. So here are some of her photos.

     Bison at Swan Lake State Park

Iowa Corn and Soybeans as far as you can see

Manchester, Iowa

Exiting Stuff - More Corn

 More to follow. We will be at our destination of Hancock, Wisconsin in the afternoon sometime. 275 miles for the day.

Oh, and a update on our refrigerator and freezer. We defrosted thoroughly upon arriving in Prairie Du Chien. Temps are falling inside the fridge and freezer, The morning will tell the tale.


Keep on, keepin on.

Dreaming of Iowa - More Repairs To Do

G'morning all,

Dreams

We've been in Iowa for a few days now and it the same as it always was. The people are nice to a fault, they are polite even in traffic and they'll absolutely bend over backwards to help you.  If the winters weren't so cold I caught myself thinking that I wouldn't have minded staying here so many years ago. About that time I woke up......

Wow was that a good dream or a bad one?   Kidding aside, I like Iowa but only in the summer.

Air Conditioning Shroud Replacement

Our replacement air conditioning shroud arrived at my sister-in-laws yesterday so I will be replacing it before we leave Swan Lake. It isn't a big or hard job, just a pain where I sit.

TV Antenna Repairs

When we pulled into Swan Lake I noticed that my antenna would not deploy. I went up on the roof to see what was going on and it seems that the same telephone line that messed up our air conditioning shroud also tore up our antenna. It is a Braude branded antenna and from what I have been able to discern they are out of business. I am likely going to have to jury rig a repair or bite the bullet and buy a new antenna assembly. I guess I will find out soon.

Relaxing? 

No, so far our trip hasn't proven relaxing. We wanted to insure that we saw all of our family before we started touring in earnest. We've been lucky enough to see my brother and his wife, Martha's two sisters and their families and my two sons in St. Louis and their families. This all came with a trade off of moving every two days or so.  We did manage to shed the weight of some heirloom dishes in the process.

Moving comes with packing and unpacking items (mostly kitchen stuff) each time we move. We are starting to perfect that bit, though we are looking forward to our next move which will take us to Wisconsin and a month in one place.

That's all for now, more later.  Keep on, keepin' on.

Playing Tourist in My Old Home Town

Today, Chuck got a massage.  Which meant I had a couple of hours to myself to wander around Jefferson, Iowa.  We were there visiting my sister, but it was our home town for about 5 years back in the 90's.  I spent about 30 minutes driving around, and then (once the rain stopped) got out of my car and went walking around the square.  The town is interesting.  It's very much the same as it was 20 years ago.  Even some of the businesses have the same names and the same owners.  But it seems more modern and progressive than it did back then.  They are restoring the downtown area and there are a lot of neat additions. After Chuck's massage with Heidi at Body Masters (she is a good therapist, by the way) we had lunch at the Peony Chinese Restaurant, that has been there since at least 1998.  Still great Chinese food.  After that, we headed south to visit my other sister in Ankeny.  I realized that I remembered the drive down to the Des Moines area more than I remembered living in the town of Jefferson.  We spent a lot of days off driving that road to visit relatives or do shopping.


I took a bunch of amazing photos today of the town square, the courthouse, the new Thomas Jefferson Gardens, and Sally's Alley....an alley through downtown with amazing bird photos...I even paid $3 to go up to the top of the Mahaney Bell Tower and get amazing photos of the area all around Jefferson.  They even have businesses painting on their roofs so that it can be seen from the top of the tower.  Sadly, I managed to delete them before I got them saved in dropbox...so here's all I have to show you:  The "Freedom Rock" at the trailhead in Jefferson.

11 Things I Have Learned by Living in Campgrounds

1.  People with digital antenna TV miss at least 50% of the programming because it cuts in and out.
2.  The more you like the program, the more it will cut in and out.
3.  Campground designers never tried to drive a 40 foot RV around a small space.  Either that or they were all sadists.
4.  Just because it says free wifi, doesn't mean you'll actually get access to the internet.
5.  30 Amp service is typical in state parks and other public campgrounds.  This means you can't run the pancake griddle and the exhaust fan at the same time.
6.  Campfires are more fun to watch than TV, anyway.
7.  Showering at night seems to work better, since we smell like campfire smoke.
8.  We can go 2 days without emptying the gray water tanks, if we don't take real showers (i.e. turn the water off after getting wet and only turn it back on to rinse.)
9.  Take your time setting up and getting ready to leave.  A minor mistake can make a major problem.
10.  It's always good to check and see what day it is when you get up in the morning.  In only 12 days, I'm already finding myself off by a few days...
11.  Use the amenities...hike the trails, swim in the pool, put your feet in the lake...that's why you're here...to experience where you are!

Martha

A message to my friends

Hi.  This is Martha.

I haven't written a blog post yet, but I'm actually an author on this blog, so I can...and I get to write post number 100!  I'll be poking my nose in once in a while to say hey and give some of my perspective.

This post is for my friends, especially Lynn and Marie, who I gave this blog to so they could follow our progress...

Despite what my dear husband has posted, we have done a few things besides fix the RV.  We had a lovely visit with my brother-in-law and his wife...went wine tasting in Herrmann, Mo.  We took a short trip to St. Louis to have dinner with my husband's sons and two of the three grandkids.  The oldest granddaughter had her wisdom teeth pulled, so she and her mom stayed home.

We had planned to just kick back and relax this weekend, but between Chuck's repairs and the mid-90's temperatures, we ended up not doing much outdoors.  We did drive into town to get parts and a few groceries.  We managed to get one good picture!

I also my desk sorted out and organized, so I might be able to find something in it now.

I can't believe it's only been 2 weeks since I did my last massage.  For the first time in 11 years, I'm letting my fingernails grow.  It feels strange, to be honest.  We didn't have room to bring a massage table, so I'm not even working on Chuck now.  I had to book him a massage with someone else.  THAT feels weird!

We're going to Iowa tomorrow, to see family.  We booked a campground in Iowa again in August because we've decided to go to the Iowa State Fair!  So we're going to do a little back and forth as we go along.

After Iowa, we'll be in Wisconsin, and we'll be staying in one place and just sightseeing by car.  I'm definitely looking forward to having a home base for a little while.  Packing it all up and moving is fun, but it gets tiring to do it every few days.

Thousand Hills State Park - Near Kirksville, Missouri - Telephone Lines And Quirky Repairs

After leaving Lost Valley Lake RV Resort we headed toward Carroll and Jefferson Iowa.  We drove half way yesterday (June 10th) to Thousand Hills State Park near Kirksville, Mo.

When we arrived we tried to locate our campsite which was in "Camping Loop #1."  I motored past that turn and I decided to turn around by going into camping loop 2 and coming back out.  Upon entering the Camping Loop 2  I must have hit an overhead telephone line with my satellite dome (we heard nothing). This in turn must have whipped the line up and down and on one of the down cycles the telephone line got under my rear air conditioner shroud and ripped it from the coach and smashing it into 10 pieces.

This was an "aw sh_t!" moment for sure. Now I have no cover on the A/C, it's Saturday afternoon, no RV dealers in Kirksville or the surrounding areas.  Having no option I decided to preform surgery on the shroud by drilling 300 holes and installing 150 wire ties around all of the cracked and dislocated pieces. In the photo below you can see some of the wire ties. After stitching the shroud back together I applied "100 mph tape" inside and out over the cracked and stitched shroud.  I then added four more fasteners to the shroud when I put it back on the air conditioning unit. I'm hoping this will get us to my wife's sister place in Jefferson, Iowa (180 miles from here).

In the mean time I relied on Amazon to have the correct shroud and of course they did. It is being shipped to my wife's sister's address in Jefferson, Iowa on two day "Prime" delivery.

I worried and vexed when we loaded the "Beast" as to whether I was carrying too many tools. The answer to that concern is no, I had what I needed to make a quirky repair. And that is a good thing in my book.

This park is really a nice one.  But as is the practice of most state parks, there is no sewer or water and the electric service is only 30 Amps. There are hose bibs available to fill your water tanks but they are far and few between.  The park features numerous trails, a marina with boat and pontoon rentals and Native American petroglyph's to see.

 If you have a boat you can ski and tube here and the lake is stocked with small-mouth bass. Since I have handicap status our site cost us $25.25 nightly. The shower house is very nice and very clean too. 

That's all for tonight, I will post again when we get to Iowa and our next RV park. Keep on, keepin on.

Charlie,

Grey Water Valve Seal Problems Again - Maintenance List Whittled down

Grey Water Valve Repair

Didn't you read about that back in April?  Yes you did.  And yes, I replaced the whole valve assembly but it was leaking past the gate valve again. So, being in the location we are the park has it's own RVIA certified RV maintenance staff.  $60 an hour plus parts and tax for any item you need fixed. I had them do the work and my out of pocket was $35. Pretty great deal.

Yesterday I spent about five hours doing various repairs to the "Beast." I was/am still tired and beat up from those endeavors. So, I figured that it would take a half hour to an hour to replace or repair this valve and made the decision to call Lost Valley Lake's maintenance staff to do this repair because I hate working on those valves anyway.

They showed up early this morning to do the repair. On inspection one of the seals had been slightly crimped when I installed it. They replaced it and it seems to be holding now. Time will tell. For $30 plus tax it was an easy decision.

Headlamp Replacement

When we pulled into our spot here at Lost Valley Lake, Martha saw that our left headlamp was burned out. I got replacements yesterday in Owensville. Since the backside of the lamps were so accessible I figured that it would be a matter of loosening the old bulb from the assembly and putting the new bulb back in. Sounds easy peasy right? I decided based on this to replace both bulbs.

The passenger side bulb was a piece of cake. However, the driver side bulb is in front of literally 24 different wiring harnesses which are all very stiff and wire tied together. When I twisted the bulb from its mount and then went to ease out the old bulb on it's harness the ground wire on the bulb harness broke off down inside the harness fastener.  Damn!

So, this necessitated removal of the headlight assembly in it's entirety to do an effective repair. This is when I discovered the joys of getting fiberglass fibers embedded in my arm and hand. I must have had fifty of those little bastards stuck in me all of which needed tweezers to remove them.

Once the assembly was out of the housing I soldered on a new wire (longer) wire to the inside of the harness plug and reversed the process, putting the assembly back into the "Beast." Everything lighting wise is now working.

Battery Maintenance

Before we left Bennett Springs State Park I checked and topped off my batteries with distilled water. It had been more than six months since I had done this because the RV was in storage. I was worried that I hadn't been diligent enough and the electrolyte levels would be too low. I was pleased when I found the levels above the battery plates, so all I did was top them off. I will endeavor to do better in the future.

TV Relocation Project

Early on when we first bought this coach we decided that we wanted better seating and a better position for the TV for viewing. We both hate the overhead TV and eventually will remove it and have a replacement cabinet made to rid us of the head banger cabinet.

To this end we relocated our TV from our Stix n Brix home to the RV on the Kitchen slide. It is mounted temporarily on a cheap stationary mount to protect it. I still need to run the power for it.

Once the wiring is completed we will be ordering a "TV Lift." The lift raises and lowers the TV to conceal it when not in use.  It will lower the TV to the position you see above and will raise it to window height. The idea is to have the TV where we want it and be able to conceal it when not in use so that the window behind it is usable when we are not watching TV.

 In addition we will be ordering a TV cabinet to fit in between the kitchen cabinets and the little wing table you see on the left. After installing the cabinet I will wire in a blue ray player. This will allow us more storage and will eliminate the need for the overhead TV. Eventually we will take the overhead TV out and have a cabinet made to match the existing overhead cabinets.

This configuration is and was operational for casting video to it from our phones using an MS Display Adapter and using Netflix downloadable movies and TV series. However we still had to break our necks to see the old overhead TV for local channels.

When we got to Lost Valley Lake I decided to start the installation of power and TV coaxial cable for this TV and its ultimate end use.  The first hurdle was to get coax to the TV's position.

At the curbside rear of our coach we have a basement bay that was set up to be a external TV bay. Power and coaxial connections are already there. I simply used the coaxial connection to attach my coax and routed it forward to the kitchen slide. Power will be ran to that position next.

Just a heads up, we have moved to Thousand Hills S.P. in Kirksville, Mo. for the next two days. From here we go to Jefferson, Iowa and Spring Lake County Park.

Checked Fluid Levels On Our Generator

I am guilty of neglecting our generator. So, I checked it and all fluids were as they were supposed to be.

That's all for this installment of our blog.

Keep on, keepin on.

Lost Valley Lake RV Resort - Owensville, Mo.

Hello all,

Martha and I are now at Lost Valley RV Resort. My brother invited us to stay here as they are members. The park offers a lot of amenities such as two aquatic centers, hot tubs, boat rental, a spa and horseback riding.  It is a nice concept but the infrastructure is need of updating and the park roads are horrible.  My 40' rig hasn't been level since we got here because of the slope of the RV pad.  I have six blocks under the drivers side front jack and still cannot take the coach high enough to get it quite level. On the plus side we have FHU's with 50 amps. 

Nice and level eh? The vacant lot is the one they tried to put us in.  The one we're actually in isn't much better.

It is really great to spend time with my brother. It has been far too long since we've been able to sit down and just talk. I am loving it.

Yesterday we took Ken and Ann on a wine tour in Herman, Missouri. We had a good time. 

Endless Summer Winery - Herman, Missouri

The Lakes here are really pretty. With all the rain we've had this spring everything is so green that the lakes really stand out.

We will be heading to the Jefferson, Iowa area on the 10th to deliver some family heirlooms that we have been carrying with us since departure. I think we are going to stay in a county park called Spring Lake County Park, Jefferson, Iowa assuming there is availability. It is a first come, first serve park. 

More later.

Bennett Springs State Park, Missouri - Here Until Tomorrow

Good morning all,

We moved from Downstream Casino RV Park to Bennett Springs State Park yesterday. We took the long way and turned a two our drive into a four hour drive. Our motor coach was acting a little strange yesterday on the road. All of my tires are fully aired to 110#'s each yet handling was a bit wonky.  In fairness the roads were narrow and full of dips and lots of tight turns. We think it is a load distribution problem so when we got to Bennett Springs the first thing we did was empty the basement completely and then we distributed the weight more evenly. We will need to be weighed to see how we did.  This is something that I have been wanting to do for quite sometime anyway.

This campground was fully packed yesterday. This morning we awoke to a nearly empty campground. What's puzzling is that the travel trailer next to us had nine, yes, nine kids with them all of which were hooping and hollering loudly last night and we heard zero noise or slamming around. Kudos to them. 

It rained for quite a while early this morning so I am guessing that most of the campers here wanted to get home and get things dried out. I am also thinking that the couple with nine kids wanted them to stay clean and free of mud. The park is really quiet now which is beautiful. We now have managed to see the worst in 

There are some kids playing at the playground. I am guessing Mom n Dad aren't watching this little one.

Today the plan is to go down to the trout hatchery, take a short hike and continue our quest to rest and get over the last two weeks of packing and getting ready for full time living.  We aren't exactly in a hurry to do anything right now.

We went for a drive today and to the source of the Niangua River which is Bennett Springs. This is truly a beautiful place to be. The spring has a daily output of over 100 million gallons of cold water a day. That's a lot of water.

Bennett Springs - The source of the Niangua River

The trout hatchery pump house

Full Time At Last - We're Just Two Hours From NW Arkansas but We're Finally Full timing.

Yesterday we shed ourselves of our stix and brix. We've finally gone full time, that's right, we are living in our RV now.

It took a lot of time, soul searching and perseverance to get here but none the less, we've arrived.  The coach is running well. All systems seem to be functioning properly and we're glad of that.  So, what does it feel like to be shed of  lease, water, sewer, gas, electric, cable and big cable business internet bills? It feels pretty damn good actually.  We have a proposed budget for our travels and I think with Martha retiring we are still going to be in good shape.

We spent our time during the Garage Sale camping in our coach at night.  We it had at Rocky Branch Corp of Engineers Campground.  I highly recommend STAYING AWAY from this park. It has only 15 amp electric available. PERIOD.  Additionally, there is only one dumpster and one shower house in the park and it's a mile from the campground. It also ill kept. It is evident that the parks administration hasn't done a damn thing to maintain ANYTHING in this park. There are a lot of dead pine trees in the park presumably from the pine beetle blight a couple of years back. These trees are rotten and many of them were directly adjacent to our coach.  We had two significant thunderstorms during our stay and I was worried that one or more of these trees would fall on us.

We were in site 43 which was a real challenge to get a forty foot coach into.

Our move from Rocky Branch yesterday signified the start of "full time" status for us. Let the adventure begin.

We are now near Joplin, Missouri at the Downstream Casino which is owned and operated by the Quapaw Indians.  The casino is very nice and well ventilated so the gaming floor isn't fogged up by cigarette smoke. The RV park is a giant concrete slab with power pedestals and water spigots. No sewer at the site but there is a dump station in the park. Notice in the picture below there is a third chair. The chair nearest the door is for our 14 year old Dachshund, Jake. He isn't happy until his feet are off the ground so he can survey his kingdom. 

Yesterday was our 26th wedding anniversary so we celebrated by splurging and eating at the casinos "Red Oak Steak House." Wow, was it outstanding. It was one of those meals that one will inevitably end up comparing all of your other steak house experiences against. It was just outstanding.

After dinner we headed back to our house on wheels and had an extended happy hour. Life is good.

If you already know you like RV life and have the urge to "someday" go full time, just do it!  It was a long time coming for us but we're here and we're loving it.

Keep on, keepin on.

Moving Day - Selecting Items For The Coach And Purging The Rest

Well today was it. Moving Day!  We moved all of the items that made our "take" list into the RV. We also found a lot of items that were on that list that we found unnecessary. This was a big day for us.  We started about 10 am and didn't finish until around 8pm.

We will be in the house for two more nights and then we move the RV to Beaver Lake and Rocky Branch C.O.E. Campground. We will stay there until the 31st and then we will head out full time.

Exciting times for us.

We ended up with an amazing amount of stuff the will be in the garage sale. I am not holding my breath on selling everything and have resigned to taking a large portion of it to Good Will but I might be surprised.

So, where will we go when we get on the road?  First trip will be to the Downstream Casino in Joplin, Missouri for our anniversary for a couple of days. From there we will head to Lost Valley Resort in Owensville, Mo. to camp with my brother and my sister-in-law. Camping with my brother has a been a long time coming. I am looking forward to it. It will also be their 32nd wedding anniversary.

After Owensville we will be heading to Des Moines, Ia. to drop off some some family heirlooms. Then on to Oconto, Wisconsin to visit family friends.  After that, we head to Chicago and start our trek across the nation on Route 66.

So, moving day just about killed me. I am sitting watching the Voice finale and having a Honey Brandy. I'm bushed.

Stay tuned. 

The Last Week In Sticks and Bricks - The Final Preparations For Full Timing.

This is it. This is the week we move into the RV as our permanent residence. Our Estate Sale is this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Our life has been condensed into three boxes of memorabilia and we are about to start packing the RV for departure.

I was doubtful that we would ever arrive at this point but, here it is staring at us and daring us to have a missed step in the process.  It has been long, anxious and nerve racking to get to this point yet here we are.

Tomorrow is loading day. We will pack the final items into the RV and be ready to move into it on the 24th. Our utilities all end that day and we will be moving the RV to Rocky Branch Campground on Beaver Lake near Rogers, Arkansas until the end of the month.

The plan is to commute back and forth from there to the house so we can clean and attend to the Estate Sale. Wish us luck, we hope not to have too much left at the end of this process and whatever is left will be given away or taken to the dump. The clock is ticking and the work load is picking up.Wish us luck.

I will likely not post until after we are finally moved. After we have settled in I will continue posting to this blog but the emphasis will switch to us getting used to full time living in a motor home.I will still be posting frequently but the subject matter will include our daily living, helpful RV'ing hacks and tips and hopefully some videos and of course lots of photos.

Stay tuned.

Boys Weekend Out

During the time I have spent in NW Arkansas I sort of accidentally bumped into a guy named Doc Lewellen.  He talked with me for a while and told me about the website called Adventure Rider.

Fast forward 12 years and I am now spending my second to last weekend in Arkansas at a dirt bike rally that the riders of NW Arkansas have put on for almost 15 years now. It's called S.L.A.P. which stand for Squeal Like A Pig.  I have attended the 8 of these rallies with with the friends I have made in those 12 years.  It is bittersweet for me.

To make this even harder, yesterday, I did something I swore I wouldn't ever do. I consigned my last motorcycle to be sold. My body is so broken, beat up and tired that each time I throw a leg over a bike I wonder if this will be my last ride.

Getting old it seems, is every bit as hard as my Dad told me it is. He said (paraphrased) "You end up giving up some of the things you love doing in return for doing the other things you love a little longer."

So, I've just returned from the Rally and I can tell you that I have never experienced worse stormy weather. Friday evening we had lighting for nearly two hours prior to torrential rainfall and quarter size hailed and one wind blast that ripped everyone's pop shelters from the ground and tossed them everywhere.  The blast was so strong that my own 31,000# RV felt as if it was going to blow over.

Day two of the rally wasn't any better it rained for at least 6 hours. At 4:30 am were awakened by the staff of Byrds Adventure Center telling us to break camp immediately and get to high ground. The it took us just 20 minutes to get the RV ready to move, and pack up two pickup trucks with motorcycles and camping gear. I still had to drive the RV through 4' of water from the flooding Mullberry River.

I can tell you it was quite harrowing.

So, now our time in Arkansas comes to an end. We begin packing the RV Today. 

The Process Of Selection, Financing And Purchase - How To Lose Your Mind In Increments - We Are Nearly There

How Do You Start the Process Of Purchasing an RV For Full Timing?

Below you will find the process we used to discover what kind of RV fits best. This method may not be the best method for everyone but it did work for us. I tend to have wanted every RV I walked into. But, my wife and best friend Martha would always say "I will know the right one when I've found it." So, this is a mix of our shopping styles.

Evaluate and examine

• When you start the process, take the time to reflect about what your daily experience living in an RV might look like. Do you fancy yourself living in what is essentially a "tiny home" on a daily basis? Examine your likely preconceived idea of believing you will be spending most of your time outdoors, because you won't. There is inclement weather, excessive mosquitoes, too hot or too cold to be outside along with a host of other reasons. Ask if you will be comfortable staying inside for a day or maybe two.
• Take the above information and figure out what amenities you might want in your daily life while you are indoors.  Do you need single beds,  queen bed or perhaps a king bed? A big kitchen or a small one? Recliners or standard RV furniture? dinette or table? Overhead TV or one built into the main living area? How about permanently installed satellite TV? Do you want a Split bathroom (toilet in it's own room) or one large bathroom with the stool in it, How about storage? How much will you need? Take all of these things into consideration and list them on paper for later reference. Right all of this down, you and your partner should both do this.

Know what RVing costs really are

• Look at your current non-RV budget. Be sure to include, food, utilities and entertainment. Compare current costs with projected RV'ing costs. To figure our the costs of renting space to park your RV you will have to average those costs. Make sure you includes space rental, food, entertainment and fuel costs for towing or operation of a Class B, Class C or Class A vehicle. 
• Class B's get an average 18-21 mpg, Class C's get about 12-14 mpg and Class A's about 6.5-8.2 mpg.   
• For space rental a good average nightly cost would be between $15-$25 a night in a Corps of Engineers or National Park to an average of $25-$35 a day in State Parks and finally an average of $35 to upwards of $90 in private or luxury RV Parks.
• Make sure to project your space rental in the upper ranges of costs to project an average
• When we making our projected budget we took an average of $28 dollars a day space rental. Then projected those average costs to a monthly total (you will get better rates if you stay for a week or montly) Take all of these projected costs and compare those to your current monthly expenses in your conventional housing. Don't forget you will need to insure the RV and have a road hazard policy in place. This will get you on the road to choosing your RV budget. Be honest about the costs 

Figure out the "must haves" "the nice to haves" and the "dang I want that in my RV"

• Now that you have your projected monthly costs it's time to go back to your list of essential items that you want in your RV. To that end have your partner look at your list and you theirs. Find commonality in the lists. Find things that each of you consider to be a luxury and possibly frivolous and make note of them.
• Take the two lists and make a single list of "must haves, "wants." and "It would be nice to have" items. Figure out which of these things should be on the final list and write them all down
• Based on the information in this list coupled with your projected budget figure out what type of RV you should be looking for. Remember to factor in a properly equipped tow vehicle if you think you will be purchasing a Fifth Wheel Trailer or a Pull Behind Travel Trailer.
• If you will be purchasing a Class A or Class C RV. You will need to "flat tow" or "dolly tow" a vehicle behind the RV. Be sure to think about the cost of the flat two equipment (about $2000) or a tow dolly at about the same cost.
• Another option is a Class B Motor Van. These are your home and your exploration vehicle rolled into one. They present problems and considerations of their own. If you purchase one consider that they cost as much as an entry level Class A or really nice Class C however, you have to use your home to explore the area. Meaning you will need to break camp each time you intend to go somewhere. This process may or may not fit your needs. Additionally they almost always have what is referred to as a "wet bathroom." This means your vanity, toilet and shower are all in one room. 

Starting the search for "the one"

• Now that you have taken the time and figured out your projected budget and the type of RV that you think you want it's time to go to the next step. Remember, these choices are subject to change as you go. Also, expect that as you look for an RV your ideas will undoubtedly morph. Nothing is poured in concrete at this point but you are much closer than you were.
• Now the fun begins. The next step is to get out there and look at RV's. Use your time wisely as you can look at many of them at one time at a fall or winter RV show. These are more than worth traveling to. If you can see several shows prior to your decision you will be the wiser for it.
• So, what will an RV show do for you?  You will be able to see the latest and greatest innovations in RV Camping and be able to view the most expensive and least expensive units all in one place.  Beware, this process may cause you desired amenities list. 
• Don't forget to try on an RV. Do things like sit on the toilet, get in the shower, both of you lay down on the bed together, try the dining booth or table. Sit in the drivers and passengers position. Open cabinets and storage areas including the storage beneath. In short interact with that particular RV.  Make sure to take a note book to jot down likes, dislikes, models, manufacturers, and dealers information along with and prices. We took photos with our phones of innovations we really liked.

What next?

• After an RV show you need to explore the stock of as many dealerships around the region as you can and don't rush things. This time shop for used but look at new while you are there. . Make sure not to overlook consigned units. Doing your due diligence is what this is all about. Comparison shopping new vs used will give you an idea of the costs associated with used RV's vs new Rv's. Do your homework about depreciation of a new RV. Typically the depreciation will be around 35% the second it leaves the lot. Do you want to loose 35% of value the first day? Or, would you rather buy used and let someone pay that depreciation?

Don't forget online resources

• Look at online resources like RV Trader, RVT, PPL Motorhomes, Ebay Recreational Vehicles, Craigslist Recreational Vehicles for your city, and of course regionally available dealers. If the price looks too low its likely a scam so if your decision is to buy used, always check NADA for the book value of the RV you are looking at. Make sure you know its true value before you look at them but do look at them as owners can be a great resource for used RV's. Beware of scams.

Other considerations.

• Other considerations you should make are has the engine been serviced recently,? ask for maintenance records, check the tires for the date of manufacturing. When checking tires you will find a molded oval area that contains a date code. It Looks like this. Why is it important? Tires are expensive. Most RV's sit a lot without use. If the RV you are trying to purchase is older with low mileage this is because it sat in one place for a while. Get dirty and crawl under to find the date oval of it's not on the outside of the tires. Knowing the age of the tires is essential to your safety. RV tires tend to "age out" before they wear out. If well cared for the tires should last five years to seven years and then regardless of condition they should be changed out. You can use this information while haggling. If you are looking at a Class C or Class A you will have six to eight tires that will eventually need replacing.  Each tire costs about $300 on average. Take this into consideration when buying and use it to your advantage with haggling price.

The time to buy is close at hand

• By now you've seen the best, the worst, the new and the old. What should you do now? My advice is give it a few days and then talk over your original shopping list of things you wanted in an RV. Discuss which RV's fit that list best. Also, consider that if you buy used will you be able to repair defective items or will you need a shop to do it. This may help you decide whether it's best to buy a used or new unit. The new unit will have a warranty but know that even with a warranty you will ultimately have something break that you will have to fix yourself before you can get back to the dealer.
• Now that you have narrowed the list of qualifying RV's it's time to shop again. Yes, I said shop again.  However now you hopefully have narrowed down to two or three manufacturers or two or three specific RV's.
• Why do this again? Because now you're educated. You know the average asking prices, you know the true value of those RV's. Guess what? It's almost time to haggle.

Time to decide whether you need to finance and get financing lined up prior to shopping for your RV

• Yep, you are close now. You know about what you want to spend so it's time to line up financing if you need it. Check with your bank, the nearby credit union, USAA (if you're a vet), You may also choose to borrow from your 401K. Which ever option is going to give you the lowest interest rate, it's time to get your credit checked and your RV money lined up prior to the final stage.

Lets get ready to "Ruuuuumble" Time to haggle.

• Haggling prices on an RV is not as daunting as it sounds. Dealers have about a 25%-$35% mark up on new units. If you know the specific manufacturer and model you want it's easy to play one dealer against the other. Do not fall for the "its the only one I have and when it's gone, it's gone" trick. There are other dealers out there that have that exact unit. Just walk away and call the other dealer. On the flip side, if you are sure the other dealer can beat the price but you would like to purchase from the dealer nearer to you, then definitely tell the sales person that. They will either match the price or let you walk. Don't fret over walking away.

What if I found "the one" from a private owner? How do I haggle for a used RV?

• If  you think you've found "the one" currently owned by private owner or perhaps you are buying a used consignment unit at the delear, you will need to know the actual value of the RV using the RV NADA priceline guide. 
• When buying used and if you are an RV Neophyte the it would be most prudent to find an RVIA certified inspector to look at the used unit you're trying to purchase. He/she will give you a very comprehensive written list of all systems from top to bottom, inside and out. This service can cost between $300 to $500 dollars depending on the area of the country you live in. You won't need this service until you have arrived at a sale price with the owner. 
• Make your deal offer to $100 cash to hold the unit until an RVIA Certified inspector can be contacted and contracted to do the inspection. Make sure you have a receipt that states that the deal is null and void if the inspection reveals problems you can't live with.
• Make sure that you have the inspector do an oil analysis on any unit that has a motor. Diesel and gas engine repairs are not cheap. The oil analysis will reveal many things about the current condition of an engine. To understand what oil analysis will tell you read this. 
• The inspection is good money spent even if you have to walk away. If the inspector flags the unit as pile of crap on wheels you just potentially saved mega bucks in repairs on a lemon. It also gives you some leverage with haggling. If the owner wanted $35,000 and the inspection showed about $2,000 in repairs then you may be able to do all $2000 worth yourself if you are handy. 

Line up insurance 

• RV insurance is another necessary piece of the puzzle. Make sure to make comparisons with Good Sam, Escapee's, Family Motor Coach Association and your private carrier. 
• We have been with State Farm for a long time and this turned out to be my cheapest option. Make sure to discuss all of the options available to you like road hazzard, comprehensive, liability, glass and content inside the RV.
• If you expect to have a lien on your RV you will not be able to secure the loan without proof insurance. Due diligence is required here. Consider all options and choose the insurance carrier of your choice.
• Be prepared to supply the RV's V.I.N. for the insurance company so that your insurance is in force the moment you step behind the wheel or pull it off the lot. 

That's a lot of information right?  I hope all of this will help you choose the perfect RV and enjoy being on the road. Remember patience is key. I would have bought at least five of the RV's we looked at right then and there. However, my wise wife kept telling me "lets take this one step at a time" It turned out to be great advice.

We are at our journeys end in regard to RV purchasing - We are ready to hit the road

Our search is over and we are nearly full time!  We have our beautiful Newmar Northern Star. Repairs, maintenance and road and camping testing are complete. "The" Estate Sale will be Memorial Weekend on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We have our photos scanned and in the cloud, important documents scanned and placed into boxes for storage. Everything we don't want or need is now in the garage awaiting the sale.

We have chosen our new permanent address and mail forwarding set up. I have donated dozens of items to Good Will and have taken about a thousand pounds of paper and cardboard to be recycled What we don't sell will be donated to Good Will and other organizations around the area.

If you have followed us through out this process, then you know that we had a lot of decisions to make regarding what we wanted in a coach. You also know the process took a long time. We are pleased with our decisions and wanted to share this experience with all of you. I hope you find it useful.  Please drop to the bottom of any of my pages and leave a comment so we know what you think about our blog an this post in particular. Happy Camping!

     

New Orleans - Jazz Fest - Coops Place - KOA River Ridge (New Orleans area)

Well we survived the weekend. Barely. We left here at 6:30 am on Thursday the fourth of May and arrived the same evening at 6pm. It was a long day on the road.

The "Beast" performed flawlessly. We averaged 7.2 mpg going down to New Orleans fighting 35 mph winds and gusts up to 40 mph.  I was very happy with the suspension sway bar repairs. The driving was interesting at times but mostly I  had to fight the periodic high wind gusts with the main wind staying sustained.

When we arrived at KOA New Orleans West, the slide-out rooms all deployed as expected.  We had a total of Seven people in the coach for the trip down and back. Once we got there two of the seven stayed off site in a hotel. We slept in our bedroom, we had a couple on hide a bed and one on the floor.

Despite my best friend Jim having to stay on the floor, everyone said they had two comfortable nights of sleeping.

A bit about the KOA New Orleans West.  he campground is nice with concrete slabs, picnic tables, and FHU's. It is very quiet, safe and gated. There is a dumpster but no trash pick up.  Our cost per night was $70.00 per night. All sites are back in sites. There is ample room between you and your neighbors. Quiet comes earlier here but true quiet time isn't until 10pm.  Check out time is 11am.

Jazz Fest was amazing. Great music and good food and drink (albeit very expensive). I paid $8 for a beer on the festival.

This is the first year that the Cuban government allowed some of their islands bands to participate at Jazz Fest. They were remarkable musicians. One of the two that I saw was a Cuban Street Band. All of their instruments were handmade. Tambourines, drums were fashioned from scrap wood and cow skin drum heads. The band featured a guy playing a treble horn fashioned from an old oil can. Somehow they made it all work. They simply rocked the house down when they played. It was a very enticing and interactive beat and many were dancing. It was just hard to keep yourself still. You had to dance.

The other band was Pop band and they were also very good. The Latin beat is intoxicating.

It was Martha's Birthday on 5/5/17 (Cinco De Mayo).  I made steak, baked potatos and salad for dinner. The bandanna that Martha is wearing was a gift from our friends Chris and Marti Wentzler. Martha was cutting up and you can probably tell, we all had a wee bit too much to drink.

We went to Jazz Fest on Friday but Saturday we explored New Orleans downtown. We first had breakfast at the French Market cafe and then explored the market itself.  After a long morning we decided to hit BB Kings Bar for a drink and some blues. We were all sort of tired from the day before but we rallied and managed to have fun despite the tiredness. 

I have had a lot of friends in my lifetime. All of them had special talents. However, these are the people I would honker down with after the the Apocalypse. After all, they would instinctively know just exactly where to find the booze and where to store it for future use.  

After BB Kings we headed for Jackson Square to stroll around and see the various artists and their art.  I wasn't feeling too good so I sat inside the square itself and just rested and watched people.

Regrettably I didn't take any photos of our favorite restaurant Coops Place on Decator Street in the French quarter. This remarkable restaurant has been rated 5 stars by Zagat but you won't believe it when you walk through the door. The building looks as if it was built in the 1600's and much of it is in very poor condition. However the food, the food is absolutely to die for. You cannot make a bad pick here. Our table had their fried chicken, blackened red fish, shrimp creole, gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice. All of those dishes were simply amazing. I had the red fish and I have no reservations saying it was the best I've eaten and I have blackened red fish ever chance I get. 

Coops Menu, I doubt you would be disappointed with any dish shown. A few important things you should know about Coops. They do not take reservations as it is first come, first served. The gate keeper draws a line on the sidewalk and if you step over it while waiting he will make an example of you by threatening to put you at the end of the very long waiting line. Once inside you will be greated by the rudest of waiters. They use the "F" word like a group of Marines in a strip bar. They give you your menus and tell you to choose in three minutes. If he comes back and your are not ready he will ride your butt for it. He calls people morons, laughs at your clothes, makes fun of where you live and then takes your order. If he knows what you want isn't any good he will tell you what you need to order and won't write down what you asked for to begin with. It is very much a scripted act however, by the time he has your order everyone at your table will be laughing about how the whole thing goes down. 

Sadly we had to pack up Saturday night prior to an early departure from NOLA on Sunday morning.  We made a whirlwind tour for Jazz Fest and the city but we won't soon forget our experiences or out gut aches from laughing so much. 

I am hoping that this will not be this groups last road trip. I am going to try and organize a New Orleans Road Trip in 2019.  

Next Trip is New Orleans for Jazz Fest 2017

Morning everyone,

We are off to Jazz Fest 2017 on Thursday morning of this week. Going with close friends and we will be all going in our coach without a toad. It'll be interesting how all of this shakes out. Two of our friends will be staying off site at a hotel, Two on our fold out bed and one on the floor.

We are sharing the expenses of camping between five of us and fuel between the seven of us. It should be a real cluster _ _ _k.

The coach interior is finished until we return. I will be taking out the sleeper couch at that time. Once out, we will be placing our Euro Recliners in that space.  Why? We've decided to place our TV that is currently residing in the stix n brix house into the kitchen slide once the Euro Recliners are relocated.

This will entail routing power and coaxial cable into that slide. I have power in the basement of the coach just under the slide and I have a coaxial cable port on the passenger side of the coach just in front of the rear wheel. I will just route the coax forward in the basement ceiling to the slide.

I will have to drill at least one hole to bring the coax and power wiring into the living space but overall it should be straight forward. My only concern is that if I want to utilize our surround sound system I will have to extend the wiring from its current location above the drivers position, down through the "A" pillar on the drivers side and through the basement to the kitchen slide. The old Sony switch box will remain in place and I will eventually get a Blu Ray player and new reciever to go in the cabinet we will put in the kitchen slide.

After all of this is done we will be removing the head knocker TV cabinet at the front of the coach and having a cabinet maker fabricate a low profile replacement that can be utilized as a cabinet.

Ambitious at best, but, I think it will make the coach more usable for us.

Once we've returned from Jazz Fest I will be posting photos of the Fest, New Orleans and our campground.  Have a great week.