restorodder
Pinckney Michigan
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Joined: 01/07/2009
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While stuck in a snow bank,on new years eve,2008,I had chest pains in just a few minutes. While waiting for help.I decided I was nuts for spending winters in Michigan. New years day I was on the internet researching class A motor homes. On Jan 3rd looked at our first new class A. We liked what we saw,but did not want to buy the first one we looked at. A few days later we bought our 2008 Newmar Canyon Star. About three weeks later we headed to Texas Hill country. During our second winter as snow birds,we discovered Florida. During our Third winter,we bought a manufactured home in Punta Gorda FL. Now we may sell the Mich home,and live in the motor Home during the summer months,back in northern Mich.
2008 Newmar Canyon Star - 2007 Dodge Dakota Toad - Ready Brute tow bar & brake system - one cat - Sassy 14
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deaop01
Mansfield, Ohio
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Joined: 10/22/2006
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Raised in farm country in PA. My father worked in a machine shop. Hunted,fished and was a good trapper. He taught me a lot about hard work and nature.
At 12 years old my brother and I would go fishing every day we could all day. We cooked what we caught. I guess the wonder of what was out there came natural.
I worked for my uncle on his farm at age 13-17 in the summer. Did odd jobs and trapped to get money. I bought my own shotgun ( Win model 12 ) at 15. At 17 I bought my first car. I guess I learned to live off the land.
With a tent and blankets we spent many night out under the stars. I started working in a large shop at 18. My first friend was a scoutmaster and he asked me to help him on his campouts. That was the begining of a way of life.
Got married at 22. DW and I had 2 kids in 5 years. I was a scoutmaster by then. We done a lot of weekend camping in tents. Life was good. We then got a deal on a tent camper and that was better than a tent.
In 71 They closed my plant down. I was a tradesman by then. I had work in TN for a while then In. I used the camper to live in. Floated from job to job and in 76 landed a job at GM in Ohio.
We bought a Class C 26' in 78 and sold it in 85 as I was working too much to use it. I missed the outdoor travels. I still hunted and fished some but I was working too much.
I retired in 2006. The fall before We bought a 2002 Bounder. We have since put 28,000 miles on it. Have wintered in FL and TX and some time in AZ. We will travel as long as we can in the Bounder. I hope it lasts longer than we do.
Good travels to all
Betty and Ron
2002 Bounder 31W
8.1 with 5 speed Allison
2 slides
2005 Colorado toad
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SRT
Head of the Lakes, MN
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Joined: 02/18/2001
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Started tent camping with the Boy Scouts in north central Montana. After the family moved to Minnesota in 1953 didn't camp for a few years. After getting Married in 1961 (50th anniversary last Sept.) we did some tent camping until 1973. That year we bought my brother's 8 sleeper Starcraft popup. We took off for Yellowstone and Glacier NP's. Darn, it got cold without a heater. Replaced the water tank, installed a heater and replaced all the canvas. Then added a 12v converter, 12v deep cycle battery, and some 12v lighting.
In 1979 we bought a new 1978 Starcraft. Added a 2nd 20# propane bottle. Found a 12v/propane refrigerator that fit into the same space as the cooler. Installed a 12v fan to move the air past the back of the fridge. Installed a "splitter" so the camper battery would get charged while we traveled between stops. Did trips to Washington DC, Canada, Florida, Oregon and Washington.
1991 was the year our summer trip to Oregon was rain soaked for 1.5 weeks. Got tired of putting up/taking down wet canvas without soaking the bedding. A camping friend was selling his HR 27' Class C with tag axle and asked us if we were interested. Over the next 8+ years we put over 35,000 miles on this RV. In 1999, at an HR International Rally we bought a MY2000 32' Class A Vacationer (no slides). We still have this RV and have put over 78,000 miles on it. We even full timed for almost 2 years until the DW decided she wanted to be near the grand kids (there are now 5). So we go camping with our HRRVC friends and at the RV pad we had built at the kids lake cabin (45 miles north of the stick & bricks). Our long trips have been somewhat curtailed due to high gas prices and medical problems.
We still have fun camping and will continue to do it until it becomes a problem. We have many fond memories of camping over the years.
SRT
2000 32' HR Vacationer with Banks
1998 Subaru Outback Ltd. 5 spd
Brake Buddy & Blue Ox Aventa II tow bar
FMCA #266040 HRRVC #84109
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ScottOKW2K
SouthEast USA
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Joined: 10/27/2010
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-Gramps- wrote:What made you decide to get an RV....A motorhome?
We all have a story to tell.
This is mine.
My story is different - I don't even have an RV yet and probably will not for another five or ten years. As far as camping I haven't done that since I was a teenager in the early 70's. So why would someone like me even thinking about this? To me it centers around our vacation style and the type of vacations we have enjoyed in the past.
Several years ago we took a trip out west - Carlsbad, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and Disneyland. We realized that there is a lot of this country that we would like to see but that we would only truly be able to enjoy it the way we would like is to be able to spend a decent amount of time at the places we want to visit - a week or two minimum at each point. We've done a number of trips to our favorite vacation destination - WDW - and have found that the longer stays are the ones we enjoy the most.
We've also visited the Fort wilderness campground at Disney and have enjoyed how friendly the campers/rvers are. I've noticed the same on this board and the other board I have found. There have been a (very) few that have made me shake my head but the vast majority are pleasant, helpful, and kind. I really enjoy this.
At this point I do know that my wife and I will want a Class A. I could say this is because that I do not own a truck for towing so this would have to be an expense in addition to the motorhome purchase but in reality the nicer Class A felt like "home" and the fifth wheel and others did not. You have to keep in mind the main rule of the boards - keep the wife happy 
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Bill S.
Indian River, Delaware
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Joined: 03/06/2001
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I did the Boy Scouts thing as a kid, and while in the military, did some 'roughing it' camping; e.g. sleeping bag under the stars. Fast forward 25 years, to 1987. Married, kids in high-school, business established. Got to thinking back to the good ole days, so I came home from work one Friday, and said to my wife, let's go to the Stoltzfus camping center over in West Chester, and look at campers. 
She said "we don't go camping" !! To which I replied, well if we had a camper we would.
Literally, the next day, we went to the camping center, and bought a 27' class C, and that's how it all started. We have continously had one or another RV ever since.
Bill, (aka Capt.Bill)
Indian River, De
2002 Horizon 36LD, Cat 330
Practicing retirement! 
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-Gramps-
Portsmouth VA
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Joined: 03/09/2005
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I really appreciate all the responses to this thread. All of you remind me of just how special the rv/coach life really is.
___________________________________________
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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mustang652
Body's in Vegas, Heart & Soul's In Texas
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I had left a career in the Air Force because I had become a single parent and camping was one of two inexpensive ways I could entertain myself and my early grade school age son in a generally wholesome atmosphere over a weekend. I actually got started back into camping through a singles square dance club that met just outside of Dallas, TX back in the late 70s and early 80s. It was one of the few singles clubs that welcomed childred to attend all club events. Other than the twice a month dances, one of the events the club did quite often was camping as a group at a couple of local lakes during the spring through early fall. We even had a caller and square danced barefoot in the dirt at the camp grounds. We started off with a couple of sleeping bags, an old army cot a Coleman stove and latern and the cast iron skillets I got from my Mother as a major supplement to my meager cooking ware. I slept in the back of my pickup truck on a foam pad that one of the club members gave me and my son slept on the cot I picket up at a garage sale. Most of the time I took the food that we planned to eat over that weekend to save expenses. About the third or fourth year into this dancing and camping group, my son decided to take square dance lessons. He introduced me to the one lady who was willing to volunteer to be a partner to a nine year old. Well, the short of the story is I ended up marring the lady and as it turned out, she loved camping as well. He got teased for years for "picking out his own Mother". Next step was a van with gear thrown in the back for outings, then after three years of marriage and a return to active duty here in Nrvada, we bought our first "real" RV. We bought a new Toyato Dolphin and kept it for 18 years. As time has gone by and the nest became empty, we needed something to carry our furry kids in with reasonable comfort so we've since upgraded and are now on or forth RV and we still love the camping.
Stan, Shirley & 2 Schnauzers
RVs: 2011 Vista 26P & '65 Mustang
Tsgt, USAF, Retired
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-Gramps-
Portsmouth VA
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Joined: 03/09/2005
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My wife asked me to read all of your stories to her. I fired up my tablet and did just that. She enjoyed them very much as did I.
Here is the rest of our story.
How did it start part two.
* This post was
edited 01/30/12 09:22pm by -Gramps- *
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Nui
Vancouver
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Joined: 08/15/2011
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A blow torch to start a campfire!!! That is sheer GENIUS!!!
Why didn't I think of that! 
Nui <---- starting to get phobic about green wood
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1995brave
San Antonio, TX
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Joined: 01/24/2006
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Nui wrote:A blow torch to start a campfire!!! That is sheer GENIUS!!!
Why didn't I think of that!
Reminds me. Daughter was trying to start the BBQ to make up some steaks for us. She says, Dad this charcoal won't light, i'm hungry and i want the steak, so i go into the workshop and grab my propane torch. Daughter looks at me funny and wants to know what i'm doing with the torch, i said i'm going to start the BBQ. Lit the torch and put it down by the coals, we were having steaks about 15 minutes later. That little torch will get the charcoal red hot real quick.
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