RE: How do I overcome the nighttime crazies?
What's the worst that can happen if you go for it? You change your mind? You find you really love it? It's just not the big deal you are making it. If you delay doing things because of some imagined fear, you will always be sitting in the rocker wishing you had. Life is too short to drink bad wine..... just do it :)
RE: Black water OVERFLOW...OH NO!
uhhhggg... okay, I guess I'll tell him...so much for "I can do it my self!" He'll probably never let me live this down! Tee he he..oh well, live and learn. Thanks for all your help folks! :)
Just bide your time..... his day will also come :B :B :B
But yes, I would tell him.
RE: If Snowbirds are travelers........
who head south for the winter, what are travelers who head north for the summer called :h?
Smart. :B You only have to be in the summer heat/humidity once. :B
RE: Question for RV'ers
When we camped in a Pop-Up, we were either outdoors or touring the area. Then we moved up to tongue pulled trailers. We still spent a great deal of time outdoors camping, but also did more touring of areas, finding that we were evolving into more of a RV lifestyle rather than just camping. After we purchased our motorhomes we found we do occasionally go 'camping' (we still love the outdoors), but do far more RVing/Touring areas. Sometimes the outdoors sun is problematic for me, so we avoid it in many instances.
We are fulltimers, but I don't believe your scenario applies only to fulltimers although they are more prone to be what you are witnessing. Even before we went fulltime, we were using our RV as our traveling motel of sorts to tour different areas.
I believe the location has an impact also. Sometimes in a National Park, we just enjoy sitting indoors visiting with each other. Other times we spend a great deal of time hiking, geocaching or just applying some major lawn chair time.
RE: CG's Santa Fe and Durango
Check these out, both are nice campgrounds. United in Durango and SanteFe Skies in New Mexico
The last time we stayed at United, it was a very tight fit. Can you say whether you had any problems with your size? We liked the park (except for the aphids in the Cottonwoods :B and the mess they made on your vehicles.
RE: NEVER pour old milk into your blackwater tank!
Man, that IS a bad odor!
I found a baby bottle when we were moving that was placed in a fireplace wood bin by my toddler.....well over a year ago! Why, oh why did I have to open it? Ewww! :B
Some folks are just into pain :B
RE: Problem with Antt
Terro is good, especially for the Pharoah ants (those tiny sugar ants). We also spray Bengal every six months around the slides, engine compartment, generator area, power cord area and roof vents. We also take all drawers out and spray behind any cabinet work and under the shower.
So far, doing this every six months or so, eliminates spiders, ants and other crawly things.
RE: Bad WalMart Campers
Why are the RVs pictured at Wally almost always class A`s?
Perhaps the folks should spend a hundred grand less and have some funds to stay in a CG.
We have a Class A AND, the funds to stay anyplace we want. We only just started stopping at Walmart because it torques so many anti-Walmart people :B We don't do it for frugality, rather for easy access/egress, no low hanging tree limbs, unlevel sites or low voltage issues. It also helps not to drop $30-40 bucks for 6 hours sleep. If we were doing it to save money, we wouldn't have spent the extra money for a 7K generator, Solar Panels, holding tanks etc.
RE: Bad WalMart Campers
GUNS, DOGS, KIDS, SLIDES, wal mart parking,........
NOW WE ARE GETTING THERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nope! We're still missing one poster who can always liven up this topic :B THEN WE'LL BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RE: 1st Walmart stay, had a bad experience!
There's plenty of room for YOU at WalMart - you, the truck reefers, the drifters, the homeless, Broken Down Campers, and the few who used it as the offer was intended.
:E And I thought it was just those Big Fancy Diesel Motorhomes. From all prior posts on this type subject I have been disallusioned :B
RE: What Are You Doing in My Campsite? - Long Post
Doesn't seem that they hurt anything other than your own sense of ownership for the rented lot you were using. Not everyone you meet in a campground will have a personality you like. Lighten up and enjoy life a bit more is my advice. As long as you don't have to keep up the lawn what do you care WHO walks on your grass.
I believe it is called personal air space. When renting any rv site, one should expect a reasonable amount of privacy. Someone who is so lacking in common sense by cutting through a persons rented site is invading that reasonable amount of expected privacy. We personally do not like people cutting through our site because they are either NOSY or just plain STUPID... and that trait does not appeal to us.
RE: MSN says RV vacations thrifty
When owning a stick/brick you also have to consider the interest you pay over 30-40 years. A $200,000 house can end up costing you over $400,000 not to mention all the fees, taxes, maintenance and landscaping/yard work etc. Factor in any appreciation and you will probably find that it is not as attractive as many believe and owning an RV is a very small cost compared to that stick/brick. An RV depreciates, but is usable for other things than just living in. Factor in weekend trips, vacations or fulltiming and try to put a value on that versus living in a stick/brick and the entertainment that you enjoy. Probably if one took as many flights/hotels/cruises etc., as they do in their RV it would all equalize and the RV form of travel would be pretty cost effective. On the other hand, nothing is free. It would be foolish to imagine one can RV without costs and that cost to most of us is moot. It's something we do.
I doubt anyone could recover their costs of going to pro ball games, the movies, casinos, cruises etc. It's just the entertainment form that we choose.
RE: Full Timing in a Park RV?
The campground I just left from will not let any RV in there that is NOT equipped with Gray AND black tanks! They do inspect them on the way in too. I doubt too many RV parks will pay that much attention, but if one does it then I'd bet others do so also... Just FYI...
I believe there are also quite a few parks who do not allow park models in. We have been in two just recently. I do believe some of the new models have 'token' holding tanks. Probably done to get around the "no holding tanks rules" at the parks.
RE: Why Didn't You....Part II....
Hey, Happy Trails, we're in Cascade Meadows (M107) right now till Mon. 8/11. Give a shout out if you're around this week. Maybe we could swap stories about CG in NW OR (we head to Silverton next week, but would love to hear about Mt. Hood).
This statement says a lot about fulltiming. How many times in your stick/brick life do you meet new friends with the same things in common and meet up with them at various places in the U.S., to swap stories about the adventures you've been on.
The questions you asked are probably legitimate in your mind because you don't have the passion to rid yourself of what society has programmed you to do. Fulltiming is more than just living in a RV fulltime. It's a state of mind. If you gravitate to noisy parks, crowded cities and fret about the costs, this probably is not a lifestyle that would suit you long-term. If instead, you have a passion to be free to seek out new experiences, see new places and meet new people, you're probably well on your way.
Cost is something that you will encounter in any lifestyle you choose. While fulltimers can live for far less than those in a stick/brick, we haven't figured out a way to do it free. We are all concerned about the rise in fuel prices and everything else, but we choose NOT to quit living because of it. We adjust. And that is part of what fulltiming is about.
Have you tried Geocashing? Hiked a mountain? Sat by a lake/river/stream and enjoyed the quiet or at night, sat out and enjoyed the stars? Have you traveled to a state 2000 miles away just to see a National Park or meet up with friends?
If you don't have the passion and dream to rid yourself of a stagnant lifestyle, with all of it's entrapments, then I would offer that you really take a second look at this lifestyle. Whatever you choose, I wish you well.
RE: Fulltime in a class A motorhome
Oh.... one other huge factor for us.... if we stop for a few hours sleep in a rest area, Walmart etc., we don't worry about someone driving our pick-up off while we are back in a trailer sleeping :E
RE: Fulltime in a class A motorhome
I (DW) do not like those big, loud diesel pick-up's or trying to find a place to park them in a crowded parking area. DH was concerned that as we age a 5th wheel would be more effort that we would want. Now, for both of us, the ease of traveling, i.e. restroom breaks, getting up to get snacks etc. While I don't like to move around in the MH while traveling, it does allow me the option.. We like to do jeep roads so we tow a jeep. Big plus is I can drive the MH and wouldn't care to drive a truck/5th wheel. Other than that just plain personal choice. Both have their plusses and minuses.
RE: Why didn't you.....
I think this is the perfect place to discuss this! Why would you want to discuss with people that never have tried to live this lifestyle for advice? Did you just jump into it, without doing any research? Bet you listened hard to what people had challenges with and what has worked and what didn't....and why.
Actually, we did go right into fulltiming without the benefit of any forums. That was 13 years ago. It was our dream, not others. We used a lot of common sense, made mistakes and learned a great deal over the years. We didn't feel dependent on others to tell us what rig to FT in, where to go, whether to have diesel or gas, how much it would cost, how to keep a budget or what to use in our holding tanks. We did talk with FTers we met while camping and travelling and gleaned some information from them, but for the most part, we figured it out ourselves because it was a very strong dream of ours.
The FT Forum is a great place now to get much of that info. I have to agree with WTCCS tho. Many people fail at this lifestyle because they are expecting their lives to change dramatically. If they were bored or boring in their Stick/brick life, it can be almost assured they will be bored or boring in their FT life and then blame it on FTing.
If you go into this lifestyle looking for all the reasons to fail..... you will. I am continually amazed at the number of those who tried it, it didn't work for whatever reason, and they quit, but still hang out on the FT Forums. There must still be a little of the dream left in them.
RE: How Should You Act during a Rally???
We have encountered rude complaining people in a rally.:E People that want to take over the rally, people that complain about everything!:R people that don't bring food or help at the pot lucks but eat as much as everyone. Or "Know it all's" They been everywhere, done everything and know this campground better than anyone!
Most all of the rally's we have been, have had very very nice people. :)
Hey, we've been to those same type rallies. Do you think we attended the same ones? :B
It mainly happened in a brand-specific club and they gave the term "old poops" a new name. I've always said they are obviously very unhappy people, who probably have been unhappy, greedy and self-centered all their lives.
