LIVING LIFE ON THE ROAD and
HOW IT CAME TO BE
And The Rest of the Story
The plan started
to take shape in 2010. With retirement on the horizon, Janice and I decided to
buy a truck capable of towing a 5th wheel trailer and went on a hunt
for a used rig that we could test for a couple of years, to try and decide if
this was a possible retirement option, not full timing, just traveling some
during retirement. So we traded my 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 (gas) for a 2008 Dodge
Ram 2500 (diesel) and purchased a 2006 Keystone Sydney Outback. With this rig
in tow, we started weekending and short vacationing and trying to learned the
ropes. We have always been campers, truck camper; pop up, tent, etc. But this
was different. It allowed for other activities, such as Janice’s sewing and my
fly tying, and generally living normally in a much smaller foot print.
In the November
of 2011, we had booked a site on Mustang Island (way south Texas) for a 9 day stay;
the day of departure did not go as planned. My Dad’s medical situation turned
for the worse, and we pulled the trailer west to Arizona, in route, he passed
away. We headed for Ajo to be with my Mom and family, in southern Arizona. We
landed in a RV Park, Ajo Heights RV. The owners of the park (Larry and Carroll)
welcomed us with open arms. Now the reason for this part of the story is this.
This park is a Snow Bird park and opened only during the winter months. And the
snowbirds were just starting to roll in. This was our first real exposure to
the snowbird life style. Although my folks were what I call Sunbirds, after
retiring, they would spend 5 months a year in the high country of Arizona in a
trailer. My Dad was an avid fly fisherman and golfer, and my Mom sewed. I guess
when we visited; we just didn’t see the lifestyle similarities at the time. When the snowbirds started coming
in, it was like a family coming back together after a 6 month separation. Many
of these people have been coming here for several years and knew one another
and were very close. They knew the other RVer’s pets name and what kind of
treats they liked, things I don’t know about my closest friends, (ok I know
their pet’s names but not what kind of treats they like). Like any close
community, when something came up-satellite signal problems for example, out
came the meters, the knowledge, and the man power, and the problem was solved
as a community. Very cool, was my thought at the time. We were excepted as newbie’s
and made to feel welcome and comfortable with this group.
In April of
2012, we returned to Ajo for a Memorial Golf Tournament for my Dad and again
stayed at Ajo Heights RV Park for a 9 day vacation. This was the second trip
out for our 2012 Montana High Country 343RL and first long trip for the New
2013 Chevy Silverado 3500HD with 6.6 L Duramax (See truck and trailer info
below) that we had purchased over the winter. And again, some of the people
that we had met in November had not yet pulled out for the summer. We were
again welcomed back with open arms. These Fulltime and Longtime RVer types are
a great group of people.
Spring of 2012,
found us taking a 9 day vacation to Fun Valley RV in southern Colorado. We
stayed in an area of the park called “Wild Rose”. After setting up and doing
some walking around and a little fishing, I met our neighbors, a couple from
Texas, Carroll and Janice. Carroll and Janice were work campers (Carroll played
in the band which performed 3 nights a week at the park). This couple (long
timers) had returned to this park for 43 years. Wow. But they were not alone,
there were several more, that were close friends and had been returning for
years, Wymin, who was RVing alone, Sleepy (the 90+ year old, unofficial Major
of “Wild Rose”) and numerous others. Just as in Ajo, we were welcomed in to
their group. Night time campfires, golf at a local course, Janice and Janice
discussed sewing, quilting and such. This vacation and these people had a major
effect on our plans.
After returning
to Roswell, New Mexico, where we have called home for 21+ years, we set down
and had a very interesting conversation. Both of us realized that they almost
had to use a crow bar to get us out of the RV Park in Colorado, and neither of
us wanted to return home. But work and duties called and we were back in the
grind. A few years ago we had built our retirement home in Roswell, with the
full intention of living out our days there. During our conversation, which
took place on the front porch, we realized that 1. We could not keep up the
maintenance on our 5 acre place and RV long time, we would have to pay someone to
maintain it, and that wasn’t in our retirement budget, easy solution, buy
something with less maintenance in the area, then number 2 came out for
discussion. 2. We really had no reason (or desire) to stay in the Roswell area,
it is a nice community, but the summers are hot-106+ and the winters cold-0*.
Our families are scattered across the country, from the Northwest, to Minnesota,
to Arizona, to Nevada, to Utah, to Texas, to Virginia Beach. We have 2 children;
one lives in Roswell, a VP of a regional bank and was contemplating leaving the
area for a career move. The other is a Chief in the Navy, and currently
stationed at Norfolk, Va. Nothing keeping us rooted here.
Well nothing
except for a few close friends, a couple who were like family and some of which
proceeded us, in leaving Roswell. Our house and stacks of possessions that had really
gotten high. So we started working a plan. We set a retirement date, about 3.5
years out. What was the plan? Well
after several more conversations, we decided to go full time, sell the house,
and do seasonal travel to different areas of the country, we are not into
constant traveling, just stay here and there for a few months at a time, travel
between season. Visit kin folk during our travels and explore the areas we are
in. We are realist and know that sooner or later we would leave the road,
hopefully by choice, not due to health. The plan was to find the place that we
would like to retire to, get another S&B (Stick and Brick House, Townhouse,
Condo, something smaller with less upkeep), and possibly travel from there,
good lord willing and our heath holds out. Finding this perfect retirement area
might take 2 years or 10 years, but we decided to go all in search for our
Utopia.
--- -I, as
usual started working the plan, as if it needed to be completed yesterday. Yep,
I am a bit anal about projects. I started by getting rid of my big toys,
motorcycle, Corvette, a lot of firearms (not all of them). Along with these
moves, we started planning a garage sale or two, making arrangements to move
one of our storage units to another property, to store possession that we
wanted to keep. During our travels in the HC, we made the decision the some
modifications would need to be made to the 5ver, additional shelves were
installed, upgraded lighting to LED, throughout the coach. We also decided to
remove the couch and replace it with a sewing cabinet/craft area. Janice is
great at sewing and crafts and these have become a major part of her life, so
this modification was essential to her (although at the time she didn’t really
think so). To make life a little easier, convert the oven and stove to
electronic igniter. Build a plate and bowl holder for cabinets. Hang some
pictures, just some simple things that make the 5ver home.
During this time
frame of planning, we started researching everything. Where to domicile, which
state to call home, a lot of financial decisions to be made here. What vehicle
insurance, health insurance, RV insurance to use and how does your state of
domicile effect these? What mail forwarding service to utilize. What cell phone
service to use? What satellite system to sign up with. When to list the house
for sale (our last house sold the same day it was listed), when to do all the
touch ups to get the house as fresh as possible for sale? When to move storage
unit? What type of clothes and shoes to take when you are limited on space?
Which possessions to keep and what to take and what to sale. It is a little
overwhelming to say the least, but we had time and we had a plan, and like most
plans it remained fluid.
As I have said,
things remain fluid. Since I have started this journal, a number of
developments have occurred, our daughter, who lives in Roswell, has changed
jobs, gotten married to a young man with a 5 year old son and is now expecting
a baby, another grandson. During the same time frame our son and daughter in
law, are expecting their second little one, another grandson. If you are
keeping count, that’s 4 grandsons. WOW, grand pa is going to be busy buying
fishing equipment in the near future. Another good reason to travel the
country, we can just go from grand kids to grand kids. J
As time has
progressed, we are slowly moving forward, 1st garage sale was held
and much of the “stuff” in the shed to be moved, was sold. Deck was repaired
and prepped for final paint. Next yard sale is in the planning stages. Work on
the house progress toward getting it on the market. Janice and I continue to go
to work and keep our noses to the grind stone. But we have a plan. And we
continue to move in that direction.
Colorado Trip 2014
Well, how quickly things change, during our June 2014 trip
to Fun Valley Colorado, we had a great time, however we encountered a lot of
wind for about 6 days. During these windy days we spent a lot of time in the
rig, we decide to make a list of all the things we wanted in an RV. When we got
home, we started looking for a rig that fit all the items on the list. Some of
the items were more important than others.
What we found was a 40 foot Montana Mountaineer Bunkhouse. This floor
plan trades off a little living room space, for a bunkhouse room that will make
a great sewing room for Janice. It also has an outdoor kitchen, that I like. It
also has two bathrooms.
With five slides, there is room to grow. We went ahead and added theater seating and had the microwave oven trade out for a 30" convection/microwave oven combo. Added back splash to kitchen and baths.
We will keep doing the modification to make it livable. May of 2016 seems to be just around the corner.November 2014: Well big news, Bridget and her husband, Jack and the two grand kids have moved to Plano, Texas. So there goes the kid and grand kids ties to Roswell.
December 2014 Update:
Well a lot has happened since the last update. We held garage sale #2 and moved a lot of items, including clothes, jackets, extra kitchen ware, saddles and hunting gear. It was a big sale. The big new is the house went on the market on December 8, now we wait. Tomorrow is Saturday and we have a friend bringing a buddy by to take a look at the red heelers. So we shall see how it goes. The trailer is as ready as its going to get until will live in it awhile. Truck is ready. We are ready.
December 2014 Update to Update:
A friend of mine, stopped by to show the house the his wife, they bought it. and they want the dogs to. How cool is that. We now have a month to get out, but we will get it done, time to move fast.
January 28, 2015 closed on house today, we started full time in the fifth wheel on the 25th.
February 19, 2015: Made a trip to Dallas this week, had a great visit with the kids and grandkids, went to the Dallas RV Supershow, and just generally had a great time.
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