-Gramps-
Portsmouth VA
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Joined: 03/09/2005
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What made you decide to get an RV....A motorhome?
We all have a story to tell.
This is mine.
How Did it Start? Part One.
How Did it Start? Part Two
* This post was
edited 01/31/12 07:43am by -Gramps- *
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08 Holiday Rambler Vacationer 38PLT Workhorse UFO GAS Pusher Chassis
06 Saturn Vue toad, SMI Breaking sys,Blue Ox tow bar.
My FMCA Blog
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skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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My health became a little iffy for our PLANNED retirement dream of full time sailing so we just transferred from boating to RVing. We had already BEEN RVing for most of our adult life so it wasn't really that much of a change.
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
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daveshan
Durango Colrado
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Joined: 04/02/2009
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I was on a Jeep trip camping (in the back of my truck under a shell) with friends who were in their Lance 845. One 30ยบ morning they invited my freezing self into their camper for coffee and that was it. An 845 was on my truck soon thereafter.
Fast forward a bit and DW decides she wants to go along with 2-3 of our dogs, this starts plans for a class A "someday." A bit of a health scare a couple of years ago moved "someday" to ASAP and here we are.
'99 Alpine 36SDS/8.3 ISC 330 Cummins
Or
'05 Lance 845
'06 Super duty SC/SB 6.0
Upgrades include: StabilLoads, Air Bags & Timbrens,Swaybars
Usually towing an '01 Wrangler, lifted/locked on 35"s or a mildly built '98 Cherokee on 33"s (only one locker)
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jassrnj
Bath, PA
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Joined: 09/26/2011
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We have been traveling for about 35 years in TTs. I got tired of setting up or taking down all the stuff in bad weather (rain). We rented a Class C and loved the fact that we were in the RV not in front of it. I would never go back unless I was full time and only moving it twice a year.
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pusherpilot
Wherever we are.
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Joined: 03/13/2006
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It became apparent that we would not be able to sustin a satisfactory lifestyle in Calif in retirement. We were already experienced campers and had a small 5er. We decided that a MH would be the best way to go so we bought a 2000 Safari Zanzibar, sold the house and hit the road. After a year of seeking we found a place to build a cabin near Branson, Mo. I'm truly glad we did it when we did because the economy has tanked and we would not be able to live in Calif and still be RVers. There have been snags in the plans but we're still standing.
Ron
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bsimonds
Winnsboro, TX, USA
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Joined: 05/27/2004
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One weekend we had sports car races in the same town as the high school basketball playoffs. After listening to kids screaming up and down the motel halls all night and chaperones hollering at them to shut up and go to bed with no luck, we decided we could tow the race car trailer behind a motor home and get a good nights sleep in the paddock. Although the racing days are long gone, we haven't slept in a motel since.
Bill Simonds
'99 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom
330HP "Yellow" motor
'94 K5 Blazer 4X4 toad
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1995brave
San Antonio, TX
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Joined: 01/24/2006
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We got tired of trying to find hotel rooms down at the coast for fishing, especially in the summer.
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robsouth
Covington, GA
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Joined: 06/20/2004
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Wife said "Get us a camper" so I did. 'Nuf 'Sed.
"Sometimes I just sit and think. Sometimes I just sit." "Great minds like a think."
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bullydogs1
OBX, NC
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Joined: 06/26/2006
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Look at the handle...look at the cargo..wife said she had enough with airports, and wants bullies with us....Case closed...
Stuart and Stella Denning
2009 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 41SKQ
The 3 Bulldogs (Summer, Sully, and Sierra)
2007 Saturn Vue (TOAD)
I tawt I taw a puddy tat
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sowego
northwest panhandle of Nebraska
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Joined: 03/14/2006
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Yes we all do have a story to tell...ours is probably not unlike many others'. And WOW Gramps what a story you have...!!!!!
In DH's "past life" he had rented motorhomes on occasion to travel with family and friends. He has "itchy" feet/an adventurous spirit from 40 years of world travel with the Navy and other jobs. So, after we got together we started looking at motorhome to keep his feet from itching too much! With a dog and two cats a motorhome is the best option if you wish to travel longterm/long distance.
That was 10 years ago...its been a great adventure and sometimes amazing educational experience. We've had the air dryer fall off; a real dual blow-out; a road gator collision that took off a leveling jack; lived in it fulltime beside the barn in -20 below zero and discovered these refrigerators don't function below zero; had a wheel come off our toad; had a u-haul trailer come off its hitch in front of us; driven in ground blizzards with winds hitting 80mph; had a rear tail light melt when the exhaust pipe rusted through and vented hot air upwards rendering the coach undrivable because of the signals it sent to the transmission; and have had many smaller issues with plumbing (leaky toilet and frozen ice maker valve). And that's just some of it. We've done alot of repairs...replace the rusted tail pipe laying in a mud puddle, spent the night in a few places we didn't care to, and so much more...learning a lot from all of it.
Over all we've been very lucky and have never been hurt, the coach damaged severely or been in a situation that we could not handle. We figure that's pretty good...after 68,000 miles our 10 year old Phaeton shows its age, has battle scares from running over a picnic table in the dark (actually were directed wrongly by the campground owner and one reason we always park before dark) and almost ran into a deep hole at another very dark campground (second reason we park before dark) and someday will have a new paintjob and entire interior redo. This is our 1st last and only motorhome and we are pleased to say it's all been worth it.
Owning and driving a motorhome makes you a better driver, you learn very quickly to slow down and enjoy yourself, always pull off the road when weather conditions become risky, always park before dark even if you aren't tired, be prepared for anything, and so much more it would take pages and pages to describe it all.
Phae has been our home off and on for 10 years, then full time for 2 full years. All of our pets lived and died in our coach. Sadly none of them lived to see our new barnhome built. From now on we will be sticking closer to home to help my 82 year old parents run the ranch/farm that's been in my family since 1887. We are not off the road though and do venture out locally and make at least one long trip a year to see family. I think the convenience to see family and stay in our own home while doing so is quite possibly the best thing about owning a motorhome...no more rotten motel beds and our own food in the frig!
* This post was
edited 01/24/12 04:58pm by sowego *
2002 Tiffin Phaeton
2005 Malibu Maxx toad
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