Monday, December 17, 2012

Moving Day!

I was planning to wait until Jan. 1st to move all of my blogs from blogger over to my Weebly site. Meanwhile, I have been frozen from blogging. By my own brain. Having to do things twice, or copy/paste, or decide which site to post what every time I wanted to blog. For the last 4 years, 2 months, and 1 day my brain just stops - or freezes when it is overwhelmed. And apparently all of this change has overwhelmed it because I have been unable to blog after the first few times caused a chaotic response (the "warning sign")... (Yes, I know, "but you seem so normal!" lol!)

So I decided that December 17th is as good a day as any to just do it. From now on, ALL of my blogging will be done at my new site. I will not be using blogger at all, and will be moving the existing posts from here to Weebly.

I seriously need to be blogging. For a couple of months now I approach both sites with fear and trepidation, literally, and simply can't think of what to post when I log in to either site (even though my mind is full of posts until I sit at the computer!).

Thanks for your patience. Once the logjam is gone from between my ears, the river should start flowing again! :)

Saturday, October 20, 2012

WHO KNEW?!?!? :)

(Just a reminder that this blog will be moving to its new home at the end of this year.)

Who knew that someone could to this sort of thing?? Not that I would want to, but just knowing that it is possible...although I suppose of one is able to build a house-on-wheels from the ground up - like a tiny house (such as the one pictured here, an idea that I have loved for years, and would do in a heartbeat if I didn't have to climb a ladder to go to bed - lol!) - then one can do major modifications to a metal version!

With living in a motorhome will come some repair and replace challenges along the way, that is certain. I am thankful to be married to a man who can fix anything, one way or another. He is brilliant at that sort of thing, and I'm sure this gift from God will save us some big bucks along the way. I also realize that there are some components and systems that he won't want to - or shouldn't - mess with, and will need to be handled by a professional, of course...but if they can do something this major, there's no reason we couldn't, if the need arose!

Disclaimer: I have NO plans to start tearing apart our future motorhome! And theirs is much different than ours would be. Just thought it was interesting, is all :).

Friday, October 19, 2012

Life...Simplified...

Giving up our home and living in a motorhome is going to simplify our lives. Ridding ourselves of 95% of our belongings is simplifying our lives. Streamlining everything from finances to subscriptions to online activity will simplify our lives. And so will the major undertaking and move that I'm already working on. And it should be complete by the end of the year.

Rather than have my activity spread out all over the internet, I have gotten a single account at Weebly. As our physical life is changing, so will my virtual life. And since the next chapter of our lives is all about VitaInVia, that is the umbrella under which everything else will reside.

I have started vlogging, and my vlogs will be posted there; my blogs will live and grow there; the information that I gather in order to share will be kept there; my photos and slideshows will be viewable there.

Yes, I already have a domain and a domain host, with tools that are easy to use. But again, I'm simplifying. I want someone else to do the legwork, so that I can drag and drop and point and click and publish. I don't want to have to read a manual to learn any complicated sites. I want easy - I want simple.

Weebly doesn't have an import tool for blogger posts, but this blog is young enough that I can copy/paste from here to there, and plan to have it done by the end of the year.

Ahhh, simplicity...

Monday, October 8, 2012

FINALLY! Momentum Returns!

Well, several things have given me renewed hope. I mean, face it, when nothing seems to be happening for months at a time, it is discouraging. On and off I've felt disheartened, but have also had periods of hope and excitement.

I've known for a while that I need to put up a web page about our plans and some information about our house as well. And finally, today I put everything else aside and did it!

What do I plan to do with the page (such as it is - nothing fancy, just information and a couple of links, including links to photos, for the moment) now? Well, I guess once it's completely done I will post it here, and to other places I post online - RV-related forums, for example. I can print up some cards with the URL to hand out or even mail, and can include the URL when replying to ads. I WILL fancy it up a bit, add a background, fonts, some design elements...now that the information is up there the rest will be more fun!

If you want to see what I've got so far, the URL is http://vitainvia.owly.net/.

Something else that has me excited is that someone wrote to me about posting on a barter site. I didn't even realize that there were barter sites out there! So now that I have a place for people to get information, I will start doing that. And also RV classified ad sites, and places like Oodle - not sure I want to do Craigslist, I've not had good experiences with posting there, the jerks seem to come out of the woodwork.

I've spoken with a realtor and also a title company, and it shouldn't be a very difficult thing to sign this house over to another owner...and of course transferring the title on an RV isn't difficult or expensive either. I'm sure things will come up that we'll have to deal with along the way - but at least I feel like we're moving forward toward our goal again, and the discouragement has once again ebbed.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Better Luck Next Time! :)

The barter didn't pan out, and I'm ok with that :). I am super-anxious to be out on the road but the Lord apparently doesn't have us ready yet, but He'll get us there in His timing - which is the only timing that matters to us!

Meanwhile, we continue to pare down. We have gone through boxes - DOZENS of boxes - of stuff that has been packed and never unpacked for the last 2 moves! We now have all of the cardboard boxes unpacked and have a bunch of empty totes as well.

Something that worked out really well for us - and is but a small evidence of God's big plan - is that a woman at our church wanted to fulfill her dream of having a second-hand store. And God was paving the way, opening doors, leading her directly into His plan/her dream (which, when we seek God's will He fills our hearts with His desires - and then gives us the desires of our hearts!) at the same time He's been working with us...long story short, she has helped us to clear out our home and we've helped her fill her store! Yes, God IS that good!

So we're not letting the grass grow under our feet. Pete starts receiving SS in January but will continue to work at his current job part time until the time comes. My seasonal job will end in the next few weeks, and I'm seriously praying about seeking my first out-of-the-house job since 1997, just for the winter. (I had my own business plus my seasonal at-home job for most of those years.) So please pray with me if you are so inclined...

We were driving downstate last week and stopped in Birch Run for gas. There, across the street from the gas station, was the expo center - and on the sign out front was flashing an RV show THAT VERY DAY! So we did what we needed to do downstate and then hustled back up to the show. It was wonderful! They had lots of Class C's and Class A's, but not only new ones they had quite a few used ones as well! AND we talked to lots of people and discussed my bartering idea - lots of interest in the idea, in general, enough that I have some new ideas:

It may not happen until my job is done for this year, but I plan to make a website with a few photos of my house, and some details, along with a description of what I'm looking for. Then I can make up some cards - like business cards - to hand out during such discussions, and also make some post cards to mail out to used RV brokers and in answer to ads, etc. AND, if nothing happens by spring, and as I'm led, I could even put a sign right in front of the house with my URL right on it!

Then again...we may just seek a buyer in the spring, if we're still here (probably will be, although I don't know God's plan yet! but most RV's I'm guessing will be winterized and/or stored, and not ready to be bartered/sold in the wintertime), using traditional means. Besides God...who knows?

Thanks, once again, for listening :).

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Step TWO!!

Just got off the phone with the guy who has the 96 Vectra for sale. On to the next step: he and his wife want to see the house, they have some houses that they've fixed up for rentals apparently. We talked about general condition of this house and his motorhome, he said the Vectra will need some tires but that everything mechanical is in good shape. We need to see if it will suit us...he needs to see if this house will suit him...we'll try to get together in the next few days so that we can each examine the others' units.

If we're unable to barter our house for a motorhome before spring we'll list it to sell...but you never know, God has a way of working things out for the benefit of everyone within His will! So we'll just keep doing our part putting the word out there.

Have I mentioned why we're not simply listing our house to sell, then purchasing a motorhome as our first choice? It is because houses take FOREVER to sell around here. There are houses still for sale that were for sale when we were looking in this area in 2005 and 2006! To barter makes so much more sense!

We will definitely NOT be just taking the first motorhome that comes along - unless it is right for us. We aren't desperate. We have time, if we want to take it. As I've mentioned ad nauseum, we need to have spaces for critter cages, first and foremost, and I like to cook so I need an adequate kitchen. Since it will be spending so much time here in northern Michigan, it has to be able to withstand the cold. I realize that 4-season MHs are few and far between, but we need to be able to take measures so our tanks and lines don't freeze, and that we can heat it adequately through the winter. There are other considerations as well, but these are foremost in my mind at the moment.

So. On to step 2 of our first bartering contact: the evaluations. I hope that you will join me in praying that God will speak clearly to us when we run across the right MH for us, and that He'll keep nudging us back onto the right path as we're walking in His will where this is concerned!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Stuck My Toe In The Water!

I actually answered an ad for someone who has a 1996 Winnebago Vectra that they want to sell or trade. The price for the unit is about what fixer-uppers are selling for in our very economically depressed neighborhood. While I hate thinking of my house as a fixer-upper, it DOES need new flooring and carpets, and a ceiling patch in the garage, so I suppose it would qualify? We're working on all of the above though, and if no trade materializes in the next few months we'll list it for sale in the spring...

I would think this would be a good time to seek out a motorhome barter, if people don't want to winterize and store it over the winter...but what do I know? :).

Anyway, big step to leave that voice mail message, not planning on anything coming of it (s/he wants to trade for 5th wheels or dirt bikes or something...but having a house in this area...I don't know, if it was me that would sound mighty attractive!) but I won't be planning on anything happening until it does!

Meanwhile, we continue to purge and organize and purge some more! It helps that a friend is in the process of opening a 2nd hand store, we are more than happy to help her out with donations of merchandise and she is more than happy to have it :).

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Where The Heck Have I Been?!?!?

The first rule of blogging is, well, to BLOG. You lose readers when you don't. And I haven't. For almost 2 months. (I'd have thought it was just a month but the numbers don't lie!)

During this time I've been sick for over a week, I've spent a couple of weeks downstate when my sister had to have an unexpected, serious surgery, we've been working on things around the house to get it ready for barter (preferably) or sale (if we must), and just been busy!

What we've accomplished so far is cleaning the carpets (which we'll need to do again, why do old stains seem to reappear from nowhere after a couple of humid days?!?); we've had the deck power washed, then stained it. Hubby as done a lot of yard work. We've gone through accumulated stuff in the garage, my former shop, our bedroom, and the kitchen, and cleared out much of it. A full vanload and a truckload of stuff has been hauled away with LOTS more ready to go.

So we've hardly been sitting around waiting for things to happen :). Still a lot to do obviously, unless we want to promote the house as a "fixer-upper" - the roof over my old shop sprung a leak, it's a good roof, but apparently the garage shingles were laid by amateurs who made a couple of mistakes in placement, so we have to fix that as well as replace the drywall ceiling in that spot; replace the flooring in the utility room, bathroom, and kitchen (all very small, shouldn't take much); replace the toilet, probably the original, just wearing out like the floors. And the big thing - GET RID OF THE FLEAS!

This has been an awful year for fleas. I work for a pest control company - so I know. Whenever we have a really hot summer, there are lots and lots of fleas. This year we were hit hard! To make things worse, our minpin had a mild reaction to the flea stuff we use. Didn't bother him last year, didn't have a problem earlier this year, but last week he showed some neuro signs after it was applied (of course late at night when the vet's closed - thankfully by morning he was ok)...so no more stuff on him! But we'll have the house treated, continue treating the other dog and the cat, and make do with weekly flea baths for poor Pharaoh.

During this time, with so many other things going on, it has seemed pointless to go looking at motorhomes - online or in person - so I've just concentrated on getting ready. I will still keep putting feelers out there, maybe there is someone who has a motorhome they don't want to store yet again this winter, and will be ready to trade even before everything is done in the house, best case! We're working on being ready for God's timing, whenever it happens...or whenever He shows us how to MAKE it happen :).

Monday, June 18, 2012

You Think You Can Afford To Do This? SERIOUSLY???

In answer to the question: YES!

There are a lot of skeptics out there, people who have either never considered, or have assumed they just couldn't, make it out on the road. And there are those who are full-timing who aren't sure we'll be able to make on our planned budget.

The first group, I feel I will just have to do it and not concern myself with the naysayers; if you are afraid to take the risk for something you want to do, doesn't mean that I am afraid to take the risk for something I want to do.

The second group, I listen and absorb what they say. I run the numbers in my head and compare it to what they share. I look at how they do things, and compare it to how we plan to do things and weigh the differences in terms of budget. I have great respect for their words and questions, and take what they say to heart.

This post is a follow-up to my last post on budgeting, as some have questioned our budget; their replies will be addressed here.

Either way, though, we will do it. We have run the numbers, and we know it will be tight but not impossible; we will be equipped for what we have been called to do. We have seen others who have done it successfully for years on less than we will have. There is only so much planning one can do, and we have done that (and are continuing to do it); God will see to the rest.

Circumstances change. They can change whether we're in our sticks and bricks or whether we're on wheels. By God's grace we handle them now, and by God's grace we'll handle them then. (Jer.17:7-8)

We have always lived on a limited budget. We live very frugally and live on much less than most people; we qualify for lots of handouts (though we rarely need them and do fine without), such is our income. We will continue to live on a limited budget vita in via. And then, if anything, there will be MORE opportunities for us. Without getting into our very personal financial details (although I will moreso once we're actually "out there"), here is a comparison of our expense now and our expenses later.

First, we live by cash. (Romans 13:8) We don't have credit cards or a mortgage. When we buy something we pay for it. Big purchases we pay for ahead of time by saving up for them, not after-the-fact with interest (higher cost). Were this not the case, we wouldn't even consider this!

Second, we tithe on our income. We hold to the OT 10% law as a minimum. God meets our every need, above and beyond what we return to Him (which is His in the first place!). This is a spiritual concept; it isn't about "I scratch your back and you scratch mine." It is a fact of giving joyfully to the Lord out of gratitude, for the work of His church, and seeing the evidence of His promises in action. (2Cor.9:7) If this is a foreign concept to you, or you don't understand the importance of tithing and faith in our budget, then none of this will probably make any sense to you anyway :).

Third: Our expenses will be more comparable to what they are now. Our property taxes will translate into campground costs. (More on this next paragraph.) Our natural gas and electric bill will translate into propane and gasoline. Our food bill will remain the same, at the worst; at best it will be smaller, as we will be living - and eating - on the same schedule; even one less full meal per day will make a difference in our food costs! We will not have our $100/mo. DirecTv, and our cell phone bells and whistles will be no more; basic cellular service will cost less. The cost for our internet will be comparable (in price, at least!) to what we pay now for cable internet.

Camping site costs - We will take advantage of every possible situation but for the most part, at least for the first couple of years, we will be staying locally, and we do have access to a lot with electric and water. When we travel we will use various cost-cutting means from boondocking and dry camping, to visiting family and friends, sleeping in free lots by night, and parking/walking in areas of interest by day. There are myriad websites and blogs that detail how to do this.

Health insurance is a big question, as it takes up such a large portion of most people's incomes. Between the VA system (Pete is a veteran and his health needs are met through the VA) and Christian-based healthcare ministries (such as this one) it is much more affordable than what most people pay. Our local medical system has a sliding fee scale for those of us with lower incomes, and I use that for nearly all of my health needs. (LOVE my doctor there too!) Other insurance - full coverage of course - on our rig we are hoping will be comparable to our homeowners' now, but if it isn't, we will adjust our budget accordingly.

We won't be going out there without an emergency fund in place, although I trust our Father more than money - which loses value - as He has never failed to meet a need and promises that He never will.

Our income: Pete will be receiving his social security which, since he will retire at 62, will be less than if he waits another 4 years, and will be equivalent to about 80% of his current income. As long as my current seasonal employer keeps hiring me each year, I will continue to have that income; we can allot it so that it is spread out throughout the year. I will simply have to assure that I am always where I can have a strong and reliable internet and cell phone signal so that I can continue to be a reliable employee, and we will plan our travels around those connections so I can work. If the company were to change and/or I were to lose my job, I would seek out similar employment.

There isn't much that Pete can't do. He's worked maintenance in various capacities, done electrical work, repaired various equipment, landscaping, etc. in his years of employment. (He was a cop in the USAF and worked security as a civilian as well.) He will be able to handle many of the maintenance and repairs on our rig, which will cut down on expenses, and also we are both looking forward to the potential prospect of workamping. We've even been studying up on gate guarding and think that actually sounds like it could be right up our alley for at least part of the year, as a potential job! And there are other things, but you get the idea...

Even with all of this, there is always the chance (a pretty good one actually!) that God has a different plan for us, once we get out there, and all of our budgeting and planning will change! It wouldn't be the first time :).

What it comes down to is this: We are led to do this. If you aren't walking with Christ, it won't make sense to you anyway...we don't know the future but God does, and He is leading us into it confidently. Our Good Shepherd doesn't lead his flock over the edge of a cliff, but to green pastures. And that's where we are going.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Budget

I've already talked about our future setup for full-timing, we will either purchase one after we sell our home, or we will barter our home for a rig of equal value. That is undoubtedly the biggest expense we will face in starting out. Whatever we have from selling our belongings will be our "road egg".

We will be living on my husband's social security checks, he will be able to take an early retirement the end of this year. Where we stay will depend on what we have left over. One of our first expenditures that we will save for will be a solar power system, unless we are comfortable enough with the size of our road egg to set it up at the start - or unless we are blessed with a rig already outfitted with solar! (The Father knows our needs!) This, along with some other things, will open up a lot of options as far as boondocking and free camping.

Right now I work as an answering service for a small pest control company. I don't currently live in the area where the business is located (although I did when I started, back in 2001), and as long as I have a strong and reliable internet connection, a good cell signal, and a reasonably noise-free environment there is no reason I couldn't continue to do what I do. The customers certainly don't know where I am (the assumption is that I sit in an office, I do nothing to dispel that even when I'm propped up in bed in my jammies with my laptop on my lap!), and even the owners wouldn't know that anything had changed from the way things are right now, unless I told them...which I will, of course. If this job were to go away for some reason, I would find another one like it. Anyway, the job is seasonal (April-Oct) but I can spread out the income to last all year, and that will supplement our income.

Hubby is strong, friendly, and experienced in many areas. People like him right off the bat. And he is willing and even eager to do some workamping in exchange for a site (or whatever). I would also be happy to do that Nov-March. For many years I ran a small but very successful niche business; on a much smaller scale, I could also resurrect that, should my physical state (arthritis in my spine, cognitive after-effects from a stroke several years ago) allow it.

And with all of this, we will also continue to tithe from our earnings, and save for our future. I know it sounds ridiculously optimistic - but that's exactly how we live now. When we sit down and list our income and expenses it doesn't seem to work - but it does, it always has, and I'm sure it always will. It is how we live, serving God, living sacrificially for the Kingdom, and honoring Him with our tithes and offerings (not only $)...and He meets our every need just as He promised!

On a day to day basis, when we get "out there" we will have to figure out a few things...

Like groceries! Right now I shop the sales/stock up and keep our grocery budget average to $275/mo. for Pete and I, and our 3YO grandson who is here much of the time, plus my mom who is in a nearby nursing home but here for meals sometimes, food for our monthly church potlock, etc. (We are low carbers, so mainly eat vegetables, meat, and dairy.) My concern is how we'll be able to keep the food budget down so low on the road, with the tiny freezer and limited fridge space. Probably 5% or less of our food is processed (comes in boxes or cans for storage). I don't even know how to shop without stocking up and having a ready store of food on hand, so that will be an adjustment. (I detail my shopping expenses at another of my blogs, Cheap'n'Easy Low Carb.)

We will have pet expenses of course. At the minimum yearly exams and vaccines (or titers) and heartworm for the dogs and the cat. Food. Fresh water that I will purchase so they have consistency. However my personal philosophy of pet ownership precludes huge vet bills for illness or emergency. This isn't the place to discuss that, but my pets aren't a huge drain on our finances.

Probably the biggest thing that will help us is our lack of debt. We have always paid cash for everything, have no mortgage, car loan, or credit cards. And of course we will continue to do so. Rather than keep cash in the RV, one of our options will be to keep it on a refillable debit card. But that's only one option...anyway, remaining debt free will be the only reason we are able to do this on such a small budget.

Lastly, I want to mention that the trigger for this post is a Facebook group that just started yesterday and I joined, RVing On A Budget. So far the discussions are interesting and very informative, and there have been a lot of helpful links and suggestions shared as well. This promises to be a GREAT group, and I'm looking forward to learning and contributing a lot!

There is a lot of planning involved in this. But there is also a lot of freedom. We are never free of expenses but as Christians we are always free of worry about how they will be met.

(To read more about how God meets the needs of His children, here is a wonderful Biblical article the topic.)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Looking at RVs

Well we went to our first RV dealer to look at units on Sunday after church. We were looking at used RVs of course, and looked at travel trailers, a 5th wheel, and several motor homes.

The one thing that stands out in my mind about the experience is that 2 of the units had such a strong mold smell that we could barely get in the door; in fact we turned around and left before we did get fully inside.

This lot is a consignment lot, they also do service there, so it makes sense that they'd have a few duds.

The main reason we stopped there was so that I could once again get a mental image of space. We really are leaning more and more toward a Class A, probably an older-but-in-decent-shape model; we don't expect perfection in an older model but some of them are really well cared for, and it shows!

Something that I figured out was that it doesn't always matter how pretty they are; an RV can clean up pretty nice but still not be in great shape. Checking out every nook and cranny will be essential if we end up buying a used RV.

Anyway, we could manage without a slide in our first rig, but after being in a bunch of them we realized we don't really want to. I can imagine that, in rainy or cold weather when we are both indoors for a while, it would get old if we can't pass each other when walking through!

Something else we decided is that we could build a 2-tiered platform of sorts over the couch for our bird cages. One, we're not couch sitters; we both like chairs, and most Class A's have 3, including the driver and passenger chairs that turn around to be part of the living area. Plus we'll have the dinette. Two, the number of bird cages will decrease with time. In fact, 3 of our current flock are older, and we don't anticipate they will be around for a lot more years; while that is sad on a personal level, it is something to bear in mind when planning for cage space in an RV. We anticipate that, before too long, we will be down to 3 parrots, which is a much more manageable number in a small space than 7 is.

Of course, a bunk house or toy hauler would be the best way to go. But maybe not the only way.

As a side note/followup: We are still talking about a trade, as mentioned in this post. In fact we both feel that this is something we need to put out feelers about, maybe even put up a post on Craig's list expressing interest. We are definitely going to have someone come in and give us an appraisal on our house, probably yet this month, as a first step.

If you have thoughts on the subject, I'd love to hear them!

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Leading of the Lord

As I've mentioned, I've been praying about this whole life-on-the-road thing. A lot. And as I pray I get more and more excited to see it actually happen. Even if we are able to move into our future rig and stay in the area until Pete retires. But that would require selling our house in this slow market...and it needs a few things done to it before we can list it, like replace some flooring, repair a ceiling where there had been a leak, have the carpets cleaned, and do some painting. We are planning to do all of this before fall, while I'm working my seasonal job and we have the extra income...
We live in a mobile home, on a permanent foundation, on a private lot. It is in good shape (other than the few things I mentioned above), is cozy and warm and I really do love it. It isn't a typical "trailer". Even so, with this economy, homes in our town take a while to sell, and values have gone down in line with the economy. It is beautiful here, and if you mention it to anyone in Michigan 9 times out of 10 they will start relaying tales of childhood vacations here, and even express a wish that they could live here full-time. On the largest inland lake in the state (my house is up on a hill, about 1/4 mile from the lake; we have a sliver of a lake view from our mailbox - lol!), Houghton Lake is a wonderful place!
Anyway, a few days ago God very clearly put the words into my heart, something I would have never EVER thought of on my own: There is someone out there who has been on the road and is ready and wanting or needing to settle into a permanent home. We are ready to leave our permanent home, and get on the road. It is time to start looking into a trade of sorts. As things progress I will keep you posted. I don't know where or how they will find us or we will find them but I DO know that God's timing will be perfect! We will continue to make our changes so that this home will bless another couple or family, and will be looking for whomever will be living here next, and for their rig, where we will be living next!
If you are a brother or sister in Christ, I covet your prayers for us :). This seems to be a wonderful option, though, don't you think so? :)

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Thing About Motor Homes

I just keep thinking that, as much as a 5th wheel toy hauler such as I just posted (which is as near to perfection as I've ever found at this point!) would be totally perfect for us, a motor home is so much more practical. Yes, I know I've posted about this before...I just keep going around and around in my head about it all though!

If we get a Class C with an overhead bunk in front, I've got a ready-made "shelf", complete with windows, for bird cages. They feel really tight, though, unless they have a slide...and for the amount of space, it seems that Class A's of similar age and mileage may be the better value. The thing with Class A's, however, unless they are a bunk model which are rare, is that there is no space for cages! The only options would be to alter something else. We could keep the dinette area folded down, as if for a bed, cover it all with something to protect it, and put cages there. Or the same for a couch, especially a jack-knife type. Building a simple platform over the upholstery so it is stable wouldn't be much trouble at all.

From a financial point of view, these would make the most sense, since we already have a car to use as a toad. We could spend more on the rig itself, and buy newer/better...

This one, for example, would work well since there are already 3 seats (Pete and I would only use 2, after all), we wouldn't need the couch and could either remove it or build something over it for cages. There is a little counter space too...although not too crazy about the side-by-side fridge but not a deal breaker. And we'd still have the dinette for the bed, or extra surface area to use when I'm cooking and baking...

This coach, on the other hand, has a little more counter space, and I'd probably want to keep the sofa and use the dinette area for my parrots. Folded down, it would have plenty of space for cages, as I could stack the smaller bird cages...

Here, I'd use the open jack knife sofa I'd think...and I like the kitchen real well in this model...

I probably won't stop changing my mind about all this until we have the $ in our hand, find the rolling home we want, and pay for it! So be prepared for more posts like this one :).

THIS One Ticks All The Boxes!

http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2008-Keystone-Sydney-31KWF-99313590

Hopefully the listing isn't gone by the time you read this.

IF I could get used to the idea of moving - traveling - with my birds in a 5th wheel, AND if I thought we'd be able to afford both a 5th wheel AND a new truck, THIS is what I would buy!

Already has bunks (ie, shelves) for bird cages in the garage, plus a window for light for them.

Has the side ramp which is ideal to convert to a small patio; the outside action happens on the passenger side of these when parked, not in the rear. I would also have a pull-down screen installed so that it would be open during the day when we're parked, for fresh air and natural light for my parrots to enjoy. It would be easy to take one (or more) of them outside (caged of course) with me as well!

Inside the "people part" of the unit is still everything I would want for our own living space. The kitchen is perfectly adequate, it still has a full bedroom (many of these have a double bed walled in on 2 sides), and it even has a small outside spot for cooking on hot days when we don't want to heat up the rig! And the heated enclosed underbelly is ideal since we will be spending at least part of the winters here in Michigan.

Yes, IF all of the issues (price/truck/birds remaining in the vehicle when it's moving) were resolvable, this would be the perfect fit for us, and I could definitely see us living here full-time!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Dreaming vs DREAMING!

I have been dreaming about full-timing for a long time now. But now I'm DREAMING about it! All of the dreams I have while sleeping - all of the ones I remember anyway - take place in an RV, a campground, an RV park, or someplace similar.

Someone asked in the Fulltime RVing Facebook group which RV magazines people read. My first thought was, "When would I find time to read a magazine???" :) Thing is, I'm never up-to-date reading all of the blogs and websites and forum posts to which I subscribe, or watching the videos (online or recorded on my DVR), let alone have time for magazines. Makes me wonder, though, what I might be missing?

I already wrote that I'm immersed. Maybe that's why, in my dreams while I sleep, I'm already living the fulltime lifestyle!

Meanwhile, what have I done to get ready for this venture so far this week? My goal is, of course, to do one thing every day, and accomplish one thing every week in preparation. (To "do" one thing is a little thing, ie throw come across something that won't be going, and put it in the "garage sale" pile. To "accomplish" one thing is more major, such as actually sell something, or go through a closet or cupboard and pull out 90% of what's in there that won't be going, or whatever.) It is time to start some posting of these tasks I think, if I'm going to share the whole Planning for Our Future experience.

So as we pray about this, and as God's leading is so clear that He is filling our hearts and minds with it, I will continue to ask God to make clear His timing. If this is going to happen sooner rather than later, then show me the way, and make it possible. If He will open the doors next year (as I sense in my spirit), then God grant me patience and the will to do the things I need to be doing now!

In the meantime though, heavenly Father, thank you for the DREAMS!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Funny How Our Entire Life Perspective Has Changed...

I have written before about how I am so immersed in everything-RVing; I read dozens of blogs every day, belong to multiple Facebook groups, follow podcasters, watch dozens of YouTube videos, and visit a ton of RV dealer sites on a regular basis. All of these things only serve to make me want it to happen NOW! Of course, that is impossible, but it all is good impetus, that's for sure!

Everything I do throughout the day, it seems, is done with my "RV mindset". When I am cleaning and notice something on a shelf or in a drawer that I haven't used in months (or years!), I just throw it out. When I look in my closet, I mentally shrink it down to RV-size and see only the clothes I wear most often in that mental image. As I'm washing dishes I wonder why I have to many place settings? and every time I open the post'n'pans cupboard, I realize I only use a very few of them regularly and wonder why I have so many? It's like I'm downgrading already, in my mind, so when the time comes I will just have to DO what I've already THOUGHT.

Then again, sometimes I wonder, "Why wait?" Why, indeed...

And speaking of FB groups: I think I will be limiting my subscriptions to a lot of them. Has anyone else noticed that it's the same people in every one of them, repeating (pasting?) the same things to them all? And my particular pet peeve, using one group to advertise about another...not once in a while, but over and over again. So before I get really irritated at the waste of my time - which is precious BTW - I'll just pick my 3 favorites and leave the rest.

And speaking of blogs: I LOVE these blogs! I can't wait to go to bed every night just so I can read them on my Droid! Thing is, most of the time I fall asleep, having had a very busy day, before I am able to catch up on that day's new posts! Right now I'm almost 3 weeks behind on my reading :(.

It's just time. Or lack thereof. So I'm thinking that rather than ponder all of the stuff I won't be taking with me, I will start getting rid of it now. Stuff takes ownership of a person (hence my fascination with the Tiny House movement for the last few years!), and that which owns us takes up our TIME! I'm ready. I'm beyond ready. Let's GO already! :)

Thursday, May 10, 2012

A Change of Plans

As I may (or may not) have mentioned, Pete works full-time, and my job is seasonal (April-Oct). During the lean winter months we cut our spending down to bare bones, turn off our satellite TV, don't do any traveling or eating out, and just basically pare down our expenses to the minimum.

When I am also working, we usually do a little more of the things we enjoy, as well as accomplishing something for either ourselves or the house or whatever with the extra income. And this year we were planning to accomplish some savings for our future house-on-wheels. But we've changed our plans.

Instead, we are going to put some money into fixing up the house in preparation for listing it in the spring.

Pete will become eligible for an early retirement when he turns 62 in December. As of now, I plan to keep working even after we move. With technology as it is, location isn't the issue as long as I have a fairly quiet environment with minimal interruptions, and an excellent reliable internet connection during business hours - and I can make that happen no matter whether I'm living in a house or a smaller dwelling on wheels. We will most likely stay in this area most of the time for a while anyway, as I am my mother's guardian and she resides in this town, and we help my daughter with her son as much as we can, and I'm not so sure I can tear myself away from my church family yet. But at least we will be freer to take more trips more often when we want to.

Anyway, this house - actually a mobile home in a nice neighborhood, permanently attached to a foundation, on a private lot - is in pretty good shape but if I want to get a decent price for it I want it to be in GREAT shape. So with my income this year we will do some painting, replace some carpet and flooring, do a few small repairs, get new curtains (I think my parrots would have preferred lace over the windows, and have been working at making that happen! For this reason I never buy expensive window treatments.), divest ourselves of as many of our belongings as possible, and so forth.

We live in a darling neighborhood on a hill that, from the road at least, has a nice little view of Houghton Lake. We're really close to lots of attractions and parks, and this area has year-round appeal as well as being gorgeous all year. We don't have a mortgage or credit card debt, so whatever we receive for our home is what we will have to spend to get started on our new life.

And there's the rub. The housing market is terribly slow, as everyone knows. In our area sometimes houses take years to sell. And we don't have good comparables in our neighborhood, since the last 2 sales - one directly across the street and one next door - both sold for less than half what I paid for this house in 2006! Granted, they were both "fixer-uppers" but still...I know I will have to take a loss when I sell. The question will be how much of a loss I will have to take.

This is why I want to make our house as attractive as possible before listing it. By putting some work (and money) into it now, I will hopefully come out better afterward, and THAT is when we will need the cash, when we make our big move into our new lifestyle.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

A Nice Older MH, and Pets

Isn't this one a beauty? Only thing: we'd have to tear out either the couch or the dinette and stack cages there. Stacked isn't ideal. And they build the furniture around "stuff" - storage, wiring, whatever - so removing it completely isn't always possible, or is difficult. Hubby asked me one day, "Have you ever thought of how easy this would all be if we didn't have all these pets?" While I can't imagine giving up a single one of my beloved critters, yeah, now I am thinking of it. Not an option. Maybe by the time we get our next coach, the animal population will have dwindled a bit, naturally, though...once I get past the grief with each one, I think things may be easier. WOW, and lookie HERE! The couch would have to go... Really, we'll have to have a bunkhouse or a toy hauler, and a Class A or Class C. But I like looking at them all.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

It seems that class A bunkhouse MHs are few and far between...but when I saw this one I thought how well it would work for us! While I'm still pretty enamored with toy haulers, I could definitely imagine us in something like this. Bunks would of course hold bird cages. I even like the colors in this one, and it is absolutely my favorite outside decoration/paint job/whatever you call it that I've seen out of hundreds of videos and pics and up close and personal units. If not a toy hauler, then this layout would probably the best in a MH.

Anyway, here is the video:

(I like TT's and 5th wheels also, and some are very livable for us all...but I just can't get beyond the idea of having to move all my critters into small travel cages and up into my tow vehicle every time we move. That would SO limit us in our stops along the way also, you just can't leave caged up parrots and dogs and cat in a truck while you go off sight-seeing on foot. Plus I want to have access to all of my pets while on the road...and not have to store all the small travel cages while camped...just makes better sense to have a MH with bunks or with a garage.)

Monday, April 30, 2012

Mitch The RV Guy

I watch a lot of YouTube videos about RVs, MHs, travel trailers, 5th wheels...I watch 'em ALL. I've seen hundreds. And I see a lot of salesmen (and a gal or 2) doing the demos. But Mitch The RV Guy is my favorite. They all give information, some inject humor, some show a little personality, some make me roll my eyes...but good old Mitch TRVG does it all! I've learned from him a lot of things to check for when buying a used RV, I've seen his wife and his dog at home (yeah, I'm sure that was an OOPS! in THAT video, at about 0:57 - lol!), I've wondered if his smile at the very end is really sincere (I believe that it is, and if it isn't I don't want my illusions shattered)...but I can't stay away from him! His are the first videos I look at every day when I check for new uploads, and there's just something about the way he is so thorough when showing the RVs he sells, and so personable, and so happy with what he does and his product, it's contagious.

He's a good kid, I think, and I also truly believe that he really DOES have the customers' best interest at heart. He is good at what he does, not so polished that he doesn't inspire trust, not always grammatically correct or even politically correct, but I don't care. I want to see him succeed and find myself cheering for him, hoping that his videos are seen by those who are ready to buy what he's selling. And now that I've gotten a glimpse of his wife (in that OOPS segment) I just think she's so cute too, what a nice little couple, I want them to be successful and happy.

Darn it, he really makes me want to buy an RV from him! We won't be going to California for our RV when the time comes, but someday maybe we'll make it to California so I can shake his hand and wish him well!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

If My House Sold Today...

...I'd drive about 4 miles and buy THIS. Then I'd find a truck to haul it. Then we'd hit the road - at least on my husband's days off work... Ideally I would LOVE to have a toy hauler. LOVE IT! But a bunkhouse would be a good 2nd choice! Too bad it isn't at KMart. Then I could put it in layaway! :) (Of course, my house isn't even close to being on the market yet...but still...)

If I Had the $ In The Bank...

THIS would be in my driveway within days! It is perfect in every way for what we'll be looking for. I guess I would also need a truck :). (I will try to find this model on a non-ebay site so I can post a less temporary link.)

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Now HERE is Something I Like!

While I'm not sold on a TT anymore (though that could change again!) I DO like this toy hauler with the side ramp. Given that I want to use that ramp as a patio, it would make so much more sense to have it on the "yard" side of the trailer, rather than sticking out the back, don't you think so?

Other than that, though, the garage section wouldn't suit my birds since there are no windows. And the rest of it is adequate, if not great. But I DO love the side ramp, so wanted to mention it :).

Friday, April 6, 2012

Has Anyone Heard of...

...this ministry?



Neither had I. A friend of my husband's told him about it. The website is very basic, but I will do some looking into it.

If you know of any other similar ministries, could you please let me know?

We are going out into the world to spread the gospel message but we will also be craving fellowship with other believers. We love to meet all kinds of people of course, we love to have fun and spend time laughing and enjoying the company of anyone we meet (my husband has never met a stranger!), but there are times when we all need the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the most difficult things will be leaving our church, as we value our family and worship times there so much.

How do you Christian full-timers meet that need? I know there are churches and other believers everywhere, but there is nothing like the closeness of a church family to refresh and renew and support each other, is there? I haven't yet seen this addressed on the blogs I follow, but would love to see how others deal with this.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Oooh...Nice Travel Trailer!

(Click on title to see page to which I'm referring.)

I can see us in this one! It's kinda bigger that what I think we want, but I can see how we'd manage in it just fine! That big blank wall in the living room is where we'd hang the TV, and the 3 pet crates (2 small dog, 1 cat) could go under it, with a custom cover/shelf for DVD player, VCR, videos/DVDs, whatever. Then where that little barrel chair and cabinet are would be a dandy spot for bird cages, if we could configure them well. Another option for cages would be putting the kitchen table down to the bed position, removing all the cushions, and using that as a big stand for cages. It isn't ideal to keep them so close to - or IN - the kitchen, but with great care it could work...

We're not so much thinking about travel trailers as we are back to Class C MH's. But I guess we'll probably change our minds a hundred times before we buy our first one - which won't be the last one! - and it will come down to what is available, what we can afford, and what will work out for us at that time. We may not have as many birds by then (3 of our flock are in their upper years and one, though middle-aged, isn't very hardy) so may not need as much space for cages. Financial circumstances may change, as Pete has some "irons in the fire" at the moment. We may have different needs to accommodate health-related equipment.

So everything can be different "then" - whenever that is - than it is now. But this is a pretty nifty travel trailer, anyway :).

Sooner Rather Than Later? P.S.

A concern that was mentioned in an online discussion was how much of a financial cushion does one need in order to start the full-time lifestyle?

This is something that I would think would apply to "sticks and bricks" (although we live in a mobile home with neither - lol) living as well. There are always unforeseen expenses in life, no matter where or how we live.

We live without a financial cushion. And every single need that we have had has been provided for. EVERY need. When we walk with Jesus every day, when we recognize that nothing we have is truly ours, but rather provided for our use in serving Him, and when we acknowledge that He is the source of all we need, He never fails to meet those needs. I cannot imagine that He would stop keeping His promise to take care of His children just because we would be living on the road rather than on a lot.

His love and care for us is endless, and as we live for Him, He provides for us. I can count on that as surely as I can count the fingers on my hands :).

God never fails.

Sooner Rather Than Later?

I've been considering whether we should wait until 2016 to take this plunge. And I've started to pray earnestly about it. If you don't mind, I want to think "out loud" here for a few minutes...

Neither Pete nor I are in perfect health. I've had a stroke and have cardiovascular disease; I also have arthritis in my spine and elsewhere that make things painful and difficult at times. I've had some other serious health issues over the last few years but these have been mostly resolved through surgery. Pete, however, has some more serious things going on, things that will likely affect his quality of life and his physical abilities to do the things that he enjoys at the least, or will shorten his time on earth at the most.

I have had this on my mind, and have started praying about it recently - very recently - as well as look for God to send confirmation that this would be within His will and plan for our lives. And here is what I've seen/read in the last 24 hours:

A post in an RVing Facebook group urging people not to wait until retirement; she makes some excellent points: "...don't look at life on the road as an extended vacation where you have to have all of the money ahead of time. Look at life on the road as...well...life. Many people have a wide variety of jobs while full-timing which they use to pay monthly expenses. If you wait until the time is absolutely perfect, it might not ever happen."

In that same thread, another woman tells of a life-threatening medical emergency that she survived, and how ever since then she and her husband "decided to never pass by anything we wanted to see or do."

Then this morning I was just browsing the web and "happened" to land on a website that advertised a new magazine that is just out - Faith and Travel. Normally I wouldn't have followed certain links that eventually led me to that site, but today I did.

So today I discussed this with my husband. Oh, we've talked before about "hoping" things would work out so that we could do this earlier rather than waiting until "the time is right"...but today we talked about making it happen, praying about it, asking God to prepare us for this sort of lifestyle and ministry opportunities, assurance that it is indeed His plan for us (although He's already answering that one!)...and showing us how to get from where we are now to where He wants us to be.

We are still in the planning stage, but are now moving into the preparing stage, discussing and deciding what exactly we need to be doing. Selling/giving away most of our belongings, preparing the house for (a) renter/s, training our dogs to be good quiet pets who don't bark at every tiny noise and who will walk calmly on leashes, etc. I'm sure the list will grow a lot longer before it gets shorter!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Blog Roll Up!

I am sure it's not complete, as I am finding new blogs nearly every day to follow (and I'm almost never caught up on my reading!) but I have imported the RV/Camping blogs from my google reader so that you can maybe find some blogs that you haven't yet found! That is exactly how I found most of the blogs that I currently enjoy - through the blog rolls of other bloggers - THANK YOU!

I hope that you enjoy what you find, and if you have any favorite blogs that I don't have listed - or you have one - please let me know so I can add it ok?

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The RV Show

I know it has been 5 days since we went to the RV show in Flint, MI but it has been an incredibly busy 5 days! We are in the midst of a heat wave in the middle of March, and I work (WAH) for a pest control service. I answer the phones and schedule the technicians during their busiest season, April-October, but this year I have been called into service in March because they are so busy! Plus I have my 3YO grandson here much of the time, as my daughter works 2 jobs...plus I've been sick! So blogging has been low on my list of priorities :).

First of all I want to say that this was really an excellent RV show! I went for the RVs, not for the campground booths, although they were all very nice too. But since we don't have an RV yet, that was really secondary.

Second, I was quite surprised at some of my husband's insights, and even - dare I say it? - a little show of enthusiasm! It's not that he isn't enthusiastic, but he's such a realist (he keeps my feet on the ground) that he doesn't get excited about things until they actually start happening. So to see him show enthusiasm at what we saw, considering this won't be happening for a few years yet, really thrilled me!

I had planned to write about the models we saw and which we liked best, but instead I really want to write about features. We did see many of the models I'd already seen online, and it was great seeing them in person, gave me a much better idea of sizes and textures (some of those shiny silvery sinks are really just PLASTIC! they don't tell you THAT on the videos!) and also of how much stuff we'll have to get rid of - I figure about 98%. That won't be a hardship on me, except for the actual work, because I hate "stuff"!

I'm dying to write about the most surprising thing though: Pete really caught on to the toy haulers - and so did I! That was such a surprise to me! But we both loved the big "room", and spent more time talking about them and imagining what we'd do with them than we did any other type. We really think we'd have more options in a toy hauler. Pete suggested putting the bird cages along one side, and putting our musical stuff (keyboards, QChord, whatever) along the other. And I really love the idea of a big screen across the back during the day - I love our sunroom in our house too - and a DECK! While we didn't see any at the show, I'd seen a video with a deck like these and thought it was nice, but actually being IN the garage sections of these trailers and seeing it all in my minds' eye...well it really got me thinking that I WANT ONE! So that was a big surprise, and probably the best thing to come out of the show!

Other things we saw that we liked in various models were the outside kitchen (not with a stovetop, but the ones with the gas grills)...the bathroom with an outside entrance...the bunk rooms. There was one with a bunk room that had 3 bunks - 2 on one side, 1 on the other with storage beneath it - and a couch across the back, with another flat-screen TV facing it. I could see that being usable space, with the birds on the uppermost bunks, the dog crates below, storage for all of the pet paraphernalia, and for those occasions when our grandson might come with us, his own little spot for watching TV or videos or whatever. A model that might have all of the above may be a close 2nd favorite.

Size-wise, we felt cramped in anything less than 28 feet; 34 feet and up seemed like overkill and almost overwhelming to tow. Even when we were imagining being stuck inside during 3 days of rain - lol. So we got a good idea of the sizes that we liked best, although of course the layout did play a part in that as well. But 28-32'-ish felt good to us, imagining bird cages and dogs and whatnot taking up space too.

So I feel this was a great show, it answered just about every one of my questions, even ones I didn't know I had. I don't feel an urgent need to attend every show around, now, because I've got my answers, but it is a fun way to spend a day. AND I learned that what I thought I liked best wasn't necessarily THE best - and most of all that my Petey, when the time comes, will be every bit as into this lifestyle as me!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Not Considering a 5th Wheel...but...

...this video has me wondering if we could make it work. We're not considering a toy hauler either, but...

There are some things I like about this - namely the garage and the patio areas. With the screen closed over the big door, I can see that as a lovely room for my birds, and with the sound hookups back there, it would also work for keyboards. There is adequate room inside, but that whole outside setup is pretty great, as long as we're in warmer weather.

But in the end, it's probably not realistic. First, we're not going to always be in warmer weather - I'm still a winter-lover at heart, it is my very favorite season and I don't plan to give it up completely. Second, when we're moving, we're going to need a place to carry the birds (in smaller cages - their living cages will be bolted down, but removable for cleaning inside) in our vehicle, in addition to 2 dogs and a cat. And there simply isn't enough space in a pickup, even one with a full back seat. We are going to have to use a full-size van to haul a travel trailer (preferable), or drive a class C with a toad...

Anyway, here's the video that got me to thinking about it all:

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Video: Another TT That I Like!

This LaCrosse travel trailer has a LOT of features that I like! The layout is great, with the "bird room" at the opposite end as the bedroom, yet not totally closed off from the main living area. As I've mentioned previously I'd rather have a couple of chairs than a sofa in the living area, but that's not a deal breaker. And I could live with the U-shaped dinette, the free-standing table means it could be moved for easier access, or to set up a keyboard to make some music. And I LOVE the 12 cubic foot fridge/freezer! That means shopping more like I do now, which is better for the budget. I don't really know how important this is in practice but it has a fully enclosed underbelly as well, which seems nice to me even if I don't know why :). The outside kitchen is a bonus but would be lovely to keep from heating up the trailer when cooking on hot days.

Yup, this one may very well be a favorite of mine so far!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A Travel Trailer That I Like

Clicking on the title will take you to the video.

I like most things about this layout, do love the bathroom with the outside entrance so when we're spending time outdoors (something I anticipate we'll do as much as possible!) we won't have to traipse through to use the "facilities", dragging sand and dirt with us. I like the kitchen area a lot, with the exception of the booth for eating of course; more counter space than many others, not as much cupboard space as some. As with all of these, though, I'd adapt in the kitchen if the unit were otherwise suitable for us and our pets. In the living area I'd rather have a couple of chairs than a couch, but that might be easily modified.

I also like that it is laid out with 2 separate sleeping areas. In the "kids' area" I could use the upper bunk on the passenger side (which has a window) for bird cages. Since there is minimal storage in the "master bedroom" area, I could use that storage space in the back for our out-of-season clothing or whatever, and have even more storage on the driver's side after removing the davenport. Back up front, he didn't mention if there was storage under the queen bed - that would be a drawback if there isn't. Ideally I'd rather have the birds where the queen bed is, and the "master bedroom" in the back with that big slideout...but this could work for us.

Anyway, just another video of a travel trailer that might suit our needs, at least as what I anticipate they will be in a few years.

Monday, March 12, 2012

A Camper & RV Show!

It's a couple of hours away from us, but this weekend is another Camper & RV show that I think we can go to! My husband only has 1 night (he works midnight-8 a.m...or 9:00, or 10:00...) off out of the next 10, but he said we can go. (Click on the title above to go to the information page for this show.)

This has been a rough weekend for us, our 14YO dog is failing fast. I am frankly surprised she is still with us...she has an appointment with the vet at 3:00, and I know in my heart that she won't be coming home. This, plus some other things that are going on, and I am really ready for a "date" like this with my husband...what a perfect date this will be for us!

And I will be excited to come home and share with you what we saw as well, though we're not ready to buy anything until next year - depending on God's plan and how He provides - it is so much fun to look and talk about right now :). Besides, a big purchase like this one requires lots of research, right? ;)

Our first RV won't be new anyway, according to what I'm thinking now at least. I would like us to buy a used one to try out for a couple of years before The Big Day, so that we have a better idea of the features, layout, etc. that are most important to us in actual living; only then will I feel comfortable with the big purchase of a brand-new model for full-timing.

Anyway - really looking forward to a much-needed fun day with my husband later this week!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Some RVs I Like

I really love the Class C motor homes. Don't know why, but I am drawn to them whenever I watch videos or look at websites. I just keep thinking a travel trailer would be more practical...but I can't help loving the Class C's!

This is one that would be great for us, with a couple of exceptions, all in the kitchen: I want chairs instead of a booth, an oven, and a pull-out spice rack. I mentioned all of these in a previous blog post, so I will say no more about them now. But by pulling out those bunks, I'd easily have space for a few bird cages, elevated on stands or chains, with dog/cat crates beneath. Perfect space for those, with the windows, and close to the living area.



We - ALL of us - could be pretty comfortable in this one.

(Reminder that we're not looking at prices, brands, etc in these early days - just looking at features right now.)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Eating On The Road

I am passionate about cooking, and am learning to enjoy baking as well. As I read this post, How To Plan Meals For a Camping or TV Trip, I started thinking more about what day-to-day life will be like without my fully stocked kitchen, full of gadgets and cupboards packed with ingredients and counter space for creating and kneading and mixing.

First I want to mention that this is speculation, given that we aren't actually living Vita In Via (life on the road) yet. Camping is easy, for a limited time we can manage just fine. Full-timing will be different, I'm sure, even though we haven't done it yet I can still somewhat imagine how different it will be. And I won't know for sure until we're actually doing it. All I can do it try to plan the best way I can, and then be flexible when the time comes.

Second, we have lived a low carb lifestyle for 8 years. Our pantry won't be full of pasta dinner kits, no pot pies in the freezer...we don't eat packaged food very much (exception being the occasional frozen pizza - a weakness of ours!), and I cook from scratch. However, this is also a good thing, not only for our health, but also because there are a whole lot of foods that we don't have to make space to carry: canned soups, breakfast cereals, frozen dinners, loaves of bread, crackers, cookies, cake mixes, etc. And because we eat mainly fresh, a lot of our food doesn't have to be stored at all! Farmer's markets, roadside stands, produce markets, butcher shops all carry the fresh meats and produce that we live on, and buying just a few days' worth at a time means no long-term storage space for the majority or our groceries! These will take up fridge space along with our eggs, butter, cream, and cheeses.

Baking supplies will be the main storage issue, I believe. And baking is a bit more interesting when it's low carb. I don't just have a bag of flour and a bag of sugar and a few spices in my cupboard. I need a combination of flours (almond, coconut, gluten, fibers, protein isolates, etc.) to achieve good results. I anticipate that these will take up a good portion of our cupboard space, along with other baking ingredients (baking powder/soda, sweeteners, extracts, etc.) and spices.

Counter space is at a premium in these travel trailers. I can certainly use the kitchen table as a workspace, which will help somewhat. And I will have to be training myself to clean up as I go, as well, since I won't have 5' of spare counter space and a huge kitchen sink to stow my dishes until I'm done. That is something I can start working on now, developing this habit.

Cupboard space is also limited, so I don't know that I'll have every different type and size of bowl or utensil or baking pan available to me; where would I keep them all? Now, I can use a dozen different items in just creating a single meal. In a TT I'm wondering how much space I'll have for these?

And this brings me to another feature that I see as almost a necessity: a pull-out pantry (or 2!). I can't imagine, when I'm in the midst of a project, having to drag out everything from a shelf and find a place to set it, so that I can get to something I need way in the back! Ugh!

One good thing: GRILLING! Grilled meats and vegetables, and even baked goods such as flat breads, will be done outside. My husband is an expert on the grill, and the ability to grill many of our meals will definitely be a godsend!

For budgeting purposes, I will have to shop differently as well. I stock up on meats and frozen vegetables now, filling my freezer so that I can "shop" daily from my stock for that day's meals. The more often I go shopping, the more I spend. Typically if I go to the store just for 3 items that I need, I come out with about 20 items. And my grocery budget goes to the dogs. Since I won't be shopping the same way, this is a problem I will have to work on!

If you are interested, I have found a couple of video resources for cooking in an RV:

The RV Cooking Show is put out by Evanne; she and her hubby also blog about full-timing for younger RVers.

George Murphy is the RV Chef. I haven't watched many of his videos yet but like what I've seen!

There are also numerous single videos that some RVers post, as well as numerous blog posts. I'm making my way through them as I have the time, trying to learn all I can from those who already have the experience I lack.

Food is my passion. Shopping, creating, cooking, feeding people - I love it all! And definitely this is something that I will need to accommodate when we purchase our RV home when the time comes. So it's something that I'm already thinking about (one of the many things!) and planning for.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1Cor.10:31

Saturday, March 3, 2012

A Couple of Things: Solar, and Husband

You know, I realized I say "I" when talking about our future plans, even though the plans are for both my husband and I. The reason for this is that he doesn't really get excited or too involved in early planning stages of most things. Not that he isn't looking forward to it, but for right now he still goes to work at midnight, comes home by mid-morning, sleeps, and does it over and over again. Meanwhile, I've always been the investigator, the researcher, and the planner. He will always talk about it with me and let me dream/plan out loud even though he's not a dreamer (he's the opposite in fact!), and when there are things to be done - physical things - he is right there and ready to jump in and get 'er done. But in early stages of any project, that's my thing :).

Also wanted to mention something I've neglected writing about so far: I'm also researching solar power for our eventual rig. That's been important to me almost since the beginning of our discussions. I am not an environmentalist, haven't gone "green" - unless it involves the green in my wallet :). But I don't want to be dependent on electric hookups, or a noisy generator. So from the early stages of choosing our travel trailer or motorhome, that will be foremost in my mind.

I don't know ANYTHING about solar except what I've read and seen in videos online. I don't understand electricity or anything else but my husband does, and also how solar power works, so that's one of the things that he will be involved with, when the time comes.

Speaking of "when the time comes"...we don't currently have an RV. We have used a travel trailer, but don't own one. And we won't be buying one this year. We don't pay interest to others; we save for what we want rather than use credit and end up paying way more in the end...this year we will have saved enough for a (used, newer) full-sized van, and will have in mind when we buy it that it will, if all goes as planned, next year be pulling a smaller travel trailer, in which we will be spending as much time as possible. It will be our "practice trailer"; we don't plan to buy our full-time RV until we sell our home...and we don't plan to sell our home until the real estate market improves. (The possibility exists to rent it, if things come together before that, and use the "practice trailer" for a while longer - something we will have in mind when we buy it.)

The last couple of days have been really busy, so I haven't had a lot of time to spend online, researching and dreaming. But I want to start sharing some of my favorite floor plans and photos here as well, as I run across them. So lots more to come! :)

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Fun Part - Looking at #RVs

I spend a lot of time looking at RVs these days. At this point I'm not looking at prices or locations, just looking at floor plans and features. We're pretty sure we're not going to get a 5th wheel, the main reason being when we're traveling we will need to move parrot cages, dogs, and cat to our vehicle. A pickup truck cab just isn't big enough for that. And a truck camper, well...way too small - although they're MUCH nicer than they used to be! A class A motor home is overkill, and we don't want something huge, just big enough; I haven't seen a smaller class A that I love yet. Class B's have an unacceptable space-to-price ratio; heck, they just don't have enough space for our needs.

So I'm mostly looking at class C's and travel trailers.

Besides our own wish list of features, I am also considering our pets. I'm guessing by the time we go, we will be down to 3-4 parrots (several of our current 7 are elderly), 2 small dogs (one of our 3 is elderly), and the cat. In a motor coach, an ideal spot for bird cages would be in a bunk over the cab so there would also have to be a separate bedroom for us to sleep. If a travel trailer, a 2-bunk area would be a great spot to keep our cages - birds on top, dogs and cat on the bottom. (A toy hauler isn't out of the question to modify for cages/supplies either!) These are my considerations for our pets.

The class C's are nice because they aren't too big, and we all (people & critters) will be able to travel in comfort. That's the biggest advantage. But we'd need a toad; Pete and I are both big day trip people, and we would have to be able to get around wherever we are, and we wouldn't want to pack everything up every day that we want to go somewhere. I've seen some good workable class C floor plans that would accommodate our needs.

The travel trailers are nice for the reason I just mentioned: we need another vehicle to go places. That vehicle would most likely be a van, so that it can carry the travel cages when we're on the move. Which means 2 sets of cages for the birds; we could move the dogs' and cat's back and forth. But just one more thing to do when we move. OTOH, every time I see one with the bunks I realize how perfect that area would be for pets. And I also prefer the feel of a travel trailer inside.

As far as hauling a car with a motor home vs. hauling a travel trailer with a van, I don't know which would be more economical and which would be easier/more stable on the road. Those are things I still need to learn.

As far as features: I love to cook and bake, so while I understand a full-size kitchen is out of the question, I do want to have at least a little bit of counter space and a "real" oven. I also don't like the booth-type kitchen tables, whether they are U-shaped or not. I'd prefer a couple of swivel chairs with the kitchen table between. (I'm guessing we could modify?) I also don't care about having a couch, but would prefer chairs - preferably recliners. In a travel trailer, we could maybe have both, but if I have to choose, I'll take chairs over a couch. A decent-sized shower is another must-have feature; when I'm showering I want to be able to move, not bump into the walls or stick to the shower curtain every time I raise my arms. And we will need space for keyboards. I plan to only have 1 by that time, and Pete will probably have 1, plus he has a QChord...so we need a place to store these, and to play music. We have a music room in our home but our living room will have to double as a music room when we're on the road.

Internet is an absolute must. Whether we have a satellite or an unlimited air card or whatever...we have to have reliable internet. Satellite TV is optional, as there is plenty of content on the 'net to watch on our television, connected to a computer or cell phone. But technology will continue to evolve in the next few years, so this isn't something I will worry too much about right now.

As for the size, at the only camper show we've attended so far we decided that something in the 28-32' range would suit us well. It would depend more on how the space is laid out than on how much actual space there is. A 32' travel trailer feels really big; a 28' class C feels kind of tight. Slides make a BIG difference also - a travel trailer with slides can feel really spacious and homey!

Gas vs. deisel (class C)? No clue, haven't looked into it that much.

This describes the very early stages of what we like now. That may change in the next few years, with more experience on the road and with possibly different circumstances, but we have to start somewhere! :)

In The Beginning...

...Husband Pete & I had always talked about traveling, and how we really wanted to spend much more time doing it. The thought of Full-Timing in an RV never occurred to us. And when it did, it seemed to be something that would be WAY out of our reach, financially as well as physically - our parrot cages do take up a huge amount of living space, after all.

Meanwhile, I've long had a fascination with the tiny home movement, living off the grid, self-sufficiency, and similar ideas. We'd planned to move to Marquette, MI when Pete retires in 2016, and I'd been using the internet to look into potentially putting these ideas into practice at that time.

Then one day it struck us: Why can't we travel AND live self-sufficiently after retirement? Hmmm...why not indeed? So I started researching - something I can do endlessly about any topic! - and I found out that not only was our idea entirely possible, but it is VERY doable! In fact it is as inexpensive, if not moreso, to "travelive" than either of us had thought!

This discussion started months ago - sometime last year - and since that time it has evolved from a dream into a plan. Now comes the start of working toward that goal: deciding which type of RV will be best suited to our purpose...reducing the sheer quantity of our belongings...figuring out how to manage this with our pets...and so much more, that will be discussed in these posts.

Right now, the goal is to be on the road soon after Pete's retirement. But that can change, as our circumstances may change to enable us to move forward sooner. I have a few possibilities rolling around in my head that may allow this to happen, but for now, we're planning on retiring into the lifestyle.

There are lots of blogs out there about RVing, RV Living, Traveliving, whatever, and I am subscribed to them all - or at least the ones I know about - which I will put into a blog roll here. (Please let me know if I missed any, so I can review it!) I also spend my evenings watching endless videos about the subject, as well as about various kinds of RVs; I'm everso thankful that so many dealers and individuals are using YouTube to show the details of their inventory! This really is helpful to me in learning which features we will need, and which we can do without, as well as for general knowledge purposes.

Spiritual application:
Anytime we are considering a change or undertaking, prayer to seek and confirm God's will is essential. Many people are familiar with, and claim, Ps. 37:4 (He will give you the desires of your heart), but there is much more to it than this. The first part of this verse (delight yourself in the Lord) is just as important as the second. Perhaps moreso.
Truly delighting ourselves in the Lord is more than just being tickled pink that he'll grant our desires. No, when we turn our lives and our spirits over to Christ, and when His very Spirit abides in us, our own desires change. (A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you...Without Me ye can do nothing. Ezekiel 36:26; John 15:5.) We choose to seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and THEN these things will be added unto us (Mt. 6:33).
It is when our will aligns with God's will, and our desires align with God's desires, that God grants us these desires of our hearts. For we're not seeking our own will, but God's. For where our treasure is, our hearts will also be (Mt.6:21). For it is God who works in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil.2:13).

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. Ps. 40:8