I got to stay quite awhile at the SKP park in Wauchula, FL but the time came when they suddenly started to fill up for their January Capers and I got pushed out of my spot and into the overnight area. First in, first out is the rule which is fair. I couldn’t leave their lovely wifi though until a new aircard for Verizon wireless was sent from an Ebay auction I had won.  So, I went into the overnight area which is actually still pretty decent with 20 amp electric and water, no sewer. It is also up near the clubhouse rather than shoved in the back. I was actually sorry to leave Wauchula SKP park but it really was time to move on anyway.

I stayed another week then moved on to Southern Charm RV Resort in Zephyrhills, FL which also has wonderful wifi throughout the park and is part of Enjoy America, a discount camping club associated with RPI. Going to Zephyrhills and Southern Charm was rather a shock for me. Zephyrhills is a mecca for RVers it seems, particularly snowbirds. Never in my life have I seen so many RV parks together one right after the other. Chancey Road seems to be at the heart of it. Southern Charm was not only very nice about giving me the 50% Enjoy America Discount, they were also very flexible and they have the most active senior residents I have ever seen. Every morning no matter how cold, they fill 2 of the 4 volleyball courts with some real skilled players of all ages and both sexes. It makes one giddy to see all the bicycles parked by the courts and watch the “older children” play. Everyone rides a bike at the park. Many have golf carts but still keep a bike around as well. It made me feel so much better to see most of the bikes have either the extra large seat for those of us who have lived long enough to have earned it and need it, or they have bucket seats for those that need the support. Whatever it takes, only the ride matters. I also saw the residents playing some pretty active shuffleboard and horseshoes.

I liked their pool and hot tub. Had it not been so darn cold the week I was there, I would have been in them constantly. I had to check with the office to make sure I really was in Florida that week and had not made a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Geez! I think that was payback for sending my northern family snotty postcards showing the freezing snow where they are and the lovely sunny beaches where I am. Oh well.

The library at the park clubhouse was nice. Not only do they have books, they also have a video rental collection that is so large that they cannot put them all on display at the same time. The cost is only 25 cents per video per night and they have some great videos on VHS primarily. I got to see videos of Branson, MO and the Grand Canyon where I will be heading this year and helps in planning those trips.

While walking around taking pictures of the fulltime resident lifestyle and gathering info for the day when I settle down a bit (only a bit), I got to tour a park model trailer which is very nice and just like a regular home but smaller. I got to check out prices a bit which are pretty reasonable actually compared to houses today with the added benefit of a real old-fashioned community where everyone knows everyone, checks on each other, and plays with each other. The clubhouse is the center of most activity. I also got to ask some questions. I was worried about property taxes but apparently it is insurance that is the real hardship to watch out for. I know insuring my trailer as a fulltimer on the road is very expensive, much more than I expected. Apparently it is every bit as expensive and maybe more off the road so that should be checked before buying into anything. The property taxes are nothing in comparison. It is also good to note that staying somewhere permanently is not just a matter of parking your trailer. It will need a cap or second roof over it and all slideouts to protect the trailer roof s as well as a skirt around the bottom of it to keep out varmints and cold drafts. Most people also add a covered carport at the least or an addon fully enclosed room the length of the trailer. Sometimes it is hard walled and other times it is screened in. A shed is also a nice addition. I am told that often the lot is leased rather than owned and if improvements are allowed, you may sell those improvements to the new leaseholder when you move. I am not sure all parks work this way but one I was told of you buy into the park as a lessee for a few thousand dollars then you only have to pay the yearly dues which are several hundred dollars. There is no monthly rent for residents.

The main reason I went to Zephyrhills was to get in on the Camping World sale and get together nearby. They were offering lots of free seminars and food. Unfortunately, that did not pan out. The sale was abysmal with very little on sale and then only large expensive items. I did get some important info from the seminars but they were much too loosley structured. They were more of a questions and answers session. A real class with a set guideline, more content, and then questions and answers would have been better. I didn’t even get the free food because I went on the wrong day for that. Geez. Very disapppointing. At least my new aircard arrived while I was in Zephyrhills so I could move on.

For more pics, click here.

Personally, I think this part is both exhilarating and mind-numbing. Buying the RV is not the end of the buying process. If this is your first unit, you will have to completely outfit it just like a new house. The good news is, your purse will be less heavy and it will be easier to sit on your wallet. Unfortunately, that is also the bad news. I’m sure it is much easier if you are trading up from another RV though there will still be some expense involved.

You can easily tell at places like Camping World who has purchased a new RV. Watch for the person who actually needs a cart to shop and has that cart filled. I was one of those people. It’s an awful lot of fun until you get to the cash register. Don’t forget about looking for some of the household goods at department stores and thrift shops. I found a pants hanger at a regular store that cost half as much as the same hanger at the RV store.

For my rig, besides the usual household items, I also added a water pressure regulator, new water and sewer hoses (best to start fresh) , replacement for a broken water tank drain valve, new hot water tank rod (just to start fresh), twin magnetc rods that let me hitch up my trailer alone, tire chalks to prevent rolling, tire covers to prevent sun damage, new propane tank hoses with easy hand on/off connectors (wrenches are a pain), sheets to fit my short queen bed, straps to hold down my video equipment while moving, towing mirrors, foam daisies to put between my pots and pans to prevent scratches, a small folding table for the living room, RV toilet paper and toilet chemicals, a toothbrush rack, and clear travel-secure holders for soap and a razor in the shower. If I had not just bought the necessaries and had gone for the “gee that would be nice” stuff too, I would have needed two shopping carts!

The biggies for me were an electric front jack and a satellite TV dish. Since I use an equalizing hitch to tow, it can be a real pain jacking up the trailer into a “V” to connect and disconnect and then jacking down. An electric jack with night lights makes this very easy at any time and it is incredibly easy to install (particularly if you can snag your brother into doing it for you ). The satellite dish for TV anywhere is really nice to have when cable TV is not available. It runs off the same satellite receiver you use at home. Installing it was not at all simple so I recommend leaving it to professionals or snag that knowledgeable brother again. My brother also recommends buying that silly little hanging orange sign to remind you that the satellite dish is still up before you hit the road. That could be a nasty surprise. There are omnidirectional satellite dishes that look like round blobs on the roof. Those are really nice since they don’t have to be cranked up and aligned but they cost around $1200.

If you have never believed in Murphy’s Law before, you will after picking up your first RV from the dealer! No matter how well you try to plan, ol’ Murphy and his band of gremlins will sneak in there. Before I go on, let me state that I did have my truck transmission serviced as a preventative measure and the water pump was replaced before picking up my trailer. I tried to keep Murphy at bay. The truck had also been used to tow a boat numerous times without issues.

The easiest part of picking up my new used trailer was signing away my life on the financing papers. I don’t like financing things and signing anything legal has never thrilled me. They made it as painless as possible.

On to the appliance inspections. They all worked as they should. I did notice the second battery I had negotiated for had not been added so I had to stick to my guns on that point which meant waiting for it to be installed.

Then came the equalizer hitch installation which meant more waiting. It really does make a huge difference in towing so it was worth waiting for.

Hitch the trailer to the truck next and test the lights and brakes. Lights were fine but the darn brakes would not work with the brake box that came with my used truck. The box was deader than a skunk trying to cross a highway in Texas. Here we go again. They had to install a new brake box while we waited once again.

Box installed but lights and brake box now flaky. Break out the test equipment again. Oh goody. The connector on the back of the truck was causing it. It worked fine with a boat but add in the brakes and you find the terminals are actually a bit worn. They gave me a new connector to install later and we managed to get the connector working for now.

Quick test drive to set the brake box levels and we finally got out of there many hours later with a lighter wallet and my stress level and blood pressure at an all-time high.

Yes, it is official. I have purchased my own RV, a 26 foot Kit Companion dual-axle trailer with a slideout in the living room for the over-stuffed couch-bed, queen bed in the back with an outside door back there and a wood pocket door, large bathroom to one side in the middle with a large vanity and a shower with a glass folding door, forced air and heat with thermostat, small medium oak kitchen but with house sized sinks, microwave oven, etc., two over-stuffed chairs with a fold up table with extra table leaves, pre-wired for cable TV and phone throughout, an outside door up front. Behind one of the chairs is a bookcase for my library. There are lots of windows with aluminum blinds and skylights in both the living room and shower. Yes, I said the shower. :giggle:

I chose a 26 foot trailer for several reasons. As a full-timer, I don’t want my entire home in the repair shop for the inevitable engine trouble, etc. that comes with motor vehicles such as trucks or motorhomes. A fifth wheeler would provide the maximum space and is certainly the next step but they all require a bigger truck than I currently have. I went for 26 feet because it gives me plenty of room for one person or two significant others (there goes that spooning thing again!) and this size will help me ease into towing and turning long vehicles.

I would love to say I bartered as well as my Grandma does every time she goes to Mexico and leaves them in tears while she comes home with bags and bags of great goodies. I would love to say I bought one of the models I had actually researched thoroughly. Ding ding. Nope. In the end, it came down to timing and stumbling on a trailer that just seemed to fit me like a glove.

I went over to an RV show in Eugene, OR. The Northwest seems to be a great place to catch RV shows several times a year, particularly the I5 corridor through Oregon and Washington. Lots of factories, RV dealers, and RV shows can be found throughout the corridor. Eugene, Salem, Portland, Tacoma, Puyallup, and Seattle are notable spots to look.

Did I buy a shiny new trailer at the RV show? No. I talked to several of the dealers at the show and got their lot addresses to go lot hopping after the show. The timeframe I had set for myself to get a trailer was growing shorter so I was doubling up my efforts. The minute I walked into this trailer I knew it was the one. It had almost everything on my list and some items not on my list. It was used but was still less than 10 years old and in near perfect shape as if it had never left the lot. Everything worked fine. It had extra detailing like gold filigree on glass cabinet doors, lovely solid wood color, brass trim all around, skylights, etc. Normally I would hate green in a trailer as I am a blue or red person but this green didn’t make me want to puke immediately. Closer inspection showed it is seafoam green carpeting and upholstery, the color of the ocean which I dearly love.

I probably paid a little bit too much for it but it is worth it to me and I still got it for less than half what I would have paid new, especially in such excellent condition. Financing was a breeze and payments very, very low. It can easily be paid off faster. I just wish the finance company would join the new century and allow online payment. Online payment systems make it much easier for RVers. They did at least provide a coupon book rather than trying to mail me wherever I am from month to month.

So there ya go. Dreams can come true…

I stumbled on an article in either Trailer Life Magazine or the Good Sam Club’s Highways magazine that said I might be able to get a tour of an RV factory. What great magazines! I have toured the Hughes bread bakery, Kellogg’s cereal factory, and even the Hershey’s chocolate factory before, but the idea of being able to tour an RV factory had never occured to me. I ran to the phone book and tentatively called a nearby factory fully expecting to be laughed at. On the contrary, they hold regular tours one day a week and were happy to put me down for one.

On tour day, I arrived well ahead of time which gave me time to read all their brochures. It turned out I was the only one there that day but they were still more than happy to take me on my own private tour. Ear plugs, eye protection, and a hard hat were required which they provided. The tour was excellent and I must say it really does help to have some clue as to what is inside the walls, under the floors, and above the ceiling in an RV. Plumbing is a bit different in an RV than in a house, lots of access panels are certainly important, the air and heating hoses are much smaller than a house, etc. I got to see how the cabinets and full room boxes are mounted. I saw a water heater installed which is something I could likely do myself. I got to see models I had not seen elsewhere with different layouts or woods or colors. You also get to see the quality of their work and how they store components which may go into your future RV. I highly recommend a factory tour even if you purchase an RV from another manufacturer.

Learn this word! It is a most beautiful word. It makes the difference between living in an RV and living in a Home! No kidding. I went to the big RV show recently. On the outside of all the trailers and coaches we looked at, they didn’t look like they add much room. But on the inside, they are amazing. They create full sized living rooms, bedrooms, breakfast nooks, and spacious kitchens. It smacks you right in the face as you enter an RV equipped with at least one of these. I saw some with 3-4 slideouts! WOW! I highly recommend keeping this feature in mind when looking to purchase a new RV for full-time RVing or even for part-timing with kids.

I also liked the new bunk bed styles. If I were still a kid, I would love them and as a parent I am pleased to see the emergency escape doors built into them. For those that don’t need 2 bunks, the bottom one could easily be converted to storage with a handy external access door already there. Perhaps a closet, a place to put the folding bikes, an out of the way play/TV/gaming area? My imagination is running wild!