RE: Park Models vs RV
We've stayed in a number of places with many Park Models, especially here in Arizona in the winter.
We've rented Park Models for short periods to accommodate family members who visit us in the winter, and spent many a pleasant evening visiting friends who stay in Park Models.
IMO, you get more bang for your buck with a Park Model because they don't have the extra stuff for over the road traveling. Plus they tend to be wider than RV's, and have home style appliances, etc. Around here, many people augment the basic Park Model with outdoor decks, covered parking areas, "Arizona Rooms" (added on additional space). etc.
Here are some Park Models for sale at one Arizona RV park: No pets allowed section Pets welcome section. The prices for these units seem to range from $20,000 to $59,000. Of course, you must take an annual lease on the lot that your Park Model sits on.
RE: LEVELING JACK QUESTION
Just clarifying what others have said, the constructionn and function of the rear end are such that BOTH rears must be on the ground to prevent rolling. One won't stop it. I've intentionally pushed mine (and others) off the swingdown jacks to demonstrate this to disbelievers. I've seen some roll off unintentionally, as well. Starts a bit of chatter in a campground.
My rears are currently off the ground for storage, but on a safe spot on my property with fore and aft clearance.Some RVs have the "parking brake" on the drive shaft. With this configuration, the rear differential will allow the two rear wheels to rotate in opposite directions even though the parking brake is set. This means that if one wheel is off the ground, the wheel on the ground can rotate as the one in the air goes the other way.
My RV has air brakes. The "parking brake" secures both rear wheels independently of each other. This means that if one wheel is off the ground, the other is still locked. It's best to really know how YOUR RV works.
RE: LEVELING JACK QUESTION
In the last 2 campgrounds we've stayed at, when I leveled our motorhome the rear wheels were off the ground. Will this damage the leveling jacks? If so, what else can be done.
ThanksWhen I have to lift the rears off the ground, I chock the fronts to make sure that the RV won't be able to get away. (Not that this has ever occured)
Rears up to get level happens about one time out of ten I'd guess.
RE: Finding a Doctor on the Road
When we begin to full-time we are planning on changing our residency to SD and thinking about switching health insurance providers mainly due to cost (We will be 55 and 44). Our question is do you have problems finding a doctor to take care of you on a short term basis (if our current doctors are not covered under the new insurance company)? Example would be finding a doctor for our annual checkups, mammograms, etc… We could be on the west coast for entire year and then the east coast the following year, which could result in a differnt doctors. Also how do you get prescription medication renewed?
Thanks, SandyIn any case, and especially since you are going to be getting your annual checkups on alternate coasts, be sure to carry a complete copy of your medical records with you so that your doctors can understand your background, medications, and previous test results.
If necessary, we go to the walk-in clinics, or in some cases use BC/BS online to find a participating specialist.
We get our doctors to write prescriptions for 90 days supply with 3 renewals. Then we order from a mail order Rx service all year where ever we might be. You have to be careful about trying to renew a prescription at a walk in pharmacy - you can lose your renewals in states like New York.
RE: husky 120lb air compressor????
The length and diameter of the hose will affect the rate at which the compressed air flows through the hose, but not the ultimate pressure at the end.
In other words, you might be able to fill a little faster with a shorter hose, but considering the volume of air in a large tire, the cubic feet per minute rating of the compressor and the size of the storage tank are more likely to be the limiting factors in how long it takes to fill the tire. The key is the cut-out and cut-in pressure settings on the compressor.
if the cut-out pressure is 120 psi and the cut-in pressure is 90 psi (ala jerseyjim) you will have a harder time filling your tires to 100 psi. In that case, you will have to bleed down your pressure until the compressor kicks in, then keep filling the tire while the compressor is running until you get to 100 psi.
RE: Full Timer Financing
The ONLY things that should be considered when applying for a loan is your credit score (FICO), collateral, and repayment ability. Whatever else you own or do not own should not even be a consideration unless they want to know past history of financing a home, car, etc. but all this info would be on the credit report...
Give your local credit unions a try as they loads of money to lend...you might be surprised!Banks, Credit Unions, etc. generally follow the 5 C's5 C's of credit
Definition
The five key elements a borrower should have to obtain credit: character (integrity), capacity (sufficient cash flow to service the obligation), capital (net worth), collateral (assets to secure the debt), and conditions (of the borrower and the overall economy).In today's financial situation, the effect of the conditions may override all other considerations.
Your best bet is dealing with a lender that you have a long and excellent track record with.
Wow...how about that...just what I said aboveIMO, the key differences are that you said that "Whatever else you own or do not own should not even be a consideration" when in most cases, your personal balance sheet "capital (net worth)" can have a major difference in how much you can borrow and what terms you can get. It's what triggers the old saying that if you don't need to borrow, you can borrow as much as you want. You also left out the effect that current economic conditions can have on a loan decision.
RE: EVDO router
How does the Cradle Point MBR1000 handle the periodic updates of preferred cell towers that is done by the VZAcess Manager software from Verizon?
RE: Grocery coupons
We've found that we can usually buy the Sunday paper at the Dollar Store for $1. After my wife looks through the coupons to see if they are ones we want to use, we sometimes buy a second paper or even more. The value of the coupons is far more than the cost of the paper(s).
RE: Economy Downturn
Being a BIG believer in Murphy I believe that as soon as you have everything planned for and covered the one thing you forgot to plan for will occur. That is Murphy's Law.
Poopsie - since 5 years living expenses pretty well covers the assets should I keep it all in "liquid accounts" or put 75% in equities :HIf course, I don't know your situation, but in general:
1. If you have a secure income flow (such as social security) you don't need as much "safe savings" so you can factor that in. In other words, if you can live on your social security, you can put all your money in the market - and now would be a good time.
2. On this forum it's common to read how people seem to get along on different amounts of money - some need $5,000 a month, others only need $1,000. If you take a look at your own spending, you may find that you can reduce the outgo. We try to spend a lot less in the winter than we spend in the summer. Cut back on travel, stay at monthly rates, etc.
3. If you can't cut the outgo, then your alternative is to generate some income - workamping, part-time employment, etc.
RE: OK now for a real Fued!!
Try to inspect and drive 2 or 3 coaches similar to each possibility somewhere near you. That will give you a baseline of comparison between the two options and a baseline of comparison between the two candidate coaches and others of the same make/model/vintage.
Then go and inspect and drive each coach before making a decision.
This scheme is designed to avoid buyer's remorse.
I expect that the time and money spent doing the homework will be a small amount compared to the investment you are going to make at the end of the day.
RE: Economy Downturn
If one sets themselves up ahead of time to address the above, then they have met their obligations and should feel free to fulltime in a recreational vehicle setting right up to the end.
I can't tell you how much we appreciate your deciding that we should feel free to fulltime because we have plans in place. :p
BarbPlanning
The important things are simple.
The simple things are very hard.
No plan survives the first contact intact.
Prefect plans aren't.Since no one knows what the future will bring, no one can form a plan to address their future.
Instead, you can prepare for alternatives you think might happen by taking steps such as:
Pay attention to the needs of your life partners, spouse, siblings, children, etc.
Get regular medical checkups and care and follow your doctor's advice.
If you can't pay cash for it, do not buy it. If you can't support it, do not buy it.
Nurture your personal relationships with your family and friends.
Keep mentally alert, work crossword puzzles, etc. Keep up with the news. Read books. Keep trying new activities and experiences.
Insure yourself against possible events (liability, long term care, medical, dental, vehicles, etc.)
Keep a minimum of 5 years normal living expenses in conservative liquid interest bearing accounts (like T-bill ladders).
For the long term, keep at least 75% of your investments in equities.
RE: Full Timer Financing
The ONLY things that should be considered when applying for a loan is your credit score (FICO), collateral, and repayment ability. Whatever else you own or do not own should not even be a consideration unless they want to know past history of financing a home, car, etc. but all this info would be on the credit report...
Give your local credit unions a try as they loads of money to lend...you might be surprised!Banks, Credit Unions, etc. generally follow the 5 C's5 C's of credit
Definition
The five key elements a borrower should have to obtain credit: character (integrity), capacity (sufficient cash flow to service the obligation), capital (net worth), collateral (assets to secure the debt), and conditions (of the borrower and the overall economy).In today's financial situation, the effect of the conditions may override all other considerations.
Your best bet is dealing with a lender that you have a long and excellent track record with.
RE: pet peave
and the cashier should get corrected on the spot.
I disagree. No employee should be reprimanded in front of another employee or customer, ever! yes, I agree talking to the manager is the best approach and yes, I agree the employee should be talked to by the manager. but not in front of other people.Are you saying that as a business manager, you would be more concerned with the care and feeding of your employees than you would care about your customers???
Would you feel the same way about a nurse making a mistake with a patient - let the mistake be made and don't say anything until later???
In the past I've worked in customer service at a grocery store, a department store, a gas station, etc., and even if the customer was clearly wrong, the manager would placate the customer and place all the blame on the staff in the interests of keeping customers coming back.
RE: pet peave
Let her know how you feel and don't return.Better yet, ask for the manager and express your concerns about the impolite manners of the cashier.
If the place is well run, you should get a profound apology and perhaps a complementary chit for your next visit, and the cashier should get corrected on the spot.
If the management responds, I'd be willing to return to the restaurant. If they don't, I wouldn't come back, and I'd tell everyone I meet about the lousy service.
RE: diesel oil change and filters
jurzbill....I attached the list of filters from the Chassis store that I use on a 15000 mile oil and filter change. The list includes the filters my ISL and Onan QD use:
Engine
oil filter
air filter
Unless you've been driving off road in the desert, you shouldn't have to change the air filter every year - more like 5 years.
air dryer filter (brakes)
My chassis manual says to change the air dryer filter every 50,000 miles.
fuel filter - primary
fuel filter - secondary
power steering filter
Generator
oil filter
air filter
fuel filter
My Onan owner's manual says to change the the air and fuel filter every 500 hours which may or may not be within one year.
Total filter price from Chassis Filters is $270.00.
My annual cost for parts, including oil, is usually around $125, but I don't use 7.5 gallons.
Rotella Oil at Walmart (7.5 gallons) $65.00
Not everyone would change all of these, but most of the manuals recommend you do, particularly if you exceeded the time frame vs mileage.
If you do it yourself, you'll have at least $335.00 in parts. Obviously, you can elect not to change some of the filters and service the generator at another time.
Hopefully this gives you an idea of the costs.
I believe in doing my own servicing as long as I'm physically able to do so. It's not a hard job, but it will take you most of the day from start to finish to do all of the filters and fluid changes along with greasing the chassis.
RE: My Hard Drive Failure...Thanks Time Machine!
Is time machine just an Apple thing? Can it be used on a PC? My old desk top crashed and there are things in there I'd like to retrieve. Thanks.Time Machine is included in the standard Mac software. You do have to purchase or arrange for some sort of external storage to hold the backups.
RE: Economy Downturn
Otherwise, you run the danger of peramanently being in the emotional/physical/economic downward spiral that homeless folks find themselves in after a few years - except living in an RV instead of a cardboard box.HUH??? you equate living in an RV to living in a cardboard box?????
I know what living in an RV is like, and overall, it certainly beats living in our last stick home (approx 4,000 sq.ft. on approx an acre with pool, landscaping, etc. in a golf community).
As a former EMT and soup kitchen worker, I also have a very clear understanding of what life is like for the folks living in a cardboard box. For the most part, those poor folks are victims of the "mainstreaming" of people with serious mental problems instead of treating them, people with serious addiction problems, and people who have been damaged in other ways. Very few are just "down on their luck".
RE: Health Insurance
You could consider living full time in your home state with occasional forays into neighboring states.
If your home state is Texas, you can easily have a great year spending a month at a time in 12 different areas.
If your home state is Rhode Island, you could bounce around Taxachusetts and Connecticut and stay in a lot of nice places, and still be only a days drive from returning to RI.
You might also contact other states where you would be satisfied to spend most of your time (Florida, California, etc.) and check into their high risk medical insurance programs.
For example: http://www.txhealthpool.com/
