Monday, January 21, 2013

Grand Rapids RV show and Anniversary

Well, everyone we had a great weekend in Grand Rapids, MI at the RVshow. My head is still spinning from looking at so many 5th wheels. I can see that it is going to cost us some bucks to get the rig that would provide the most features for full time living. The Sanibel 3500 was one of my favorites but I have a feeling that it might be out of our price range. We still like the Montana 3750FL but the storage space is a little lacking. This is going to be a tough decision someday to make. I guess we will just have to keep looking...which is not a bad thing. Glad we still have a couple of years to look and think about what we need. We also were able to attend two of Howard and Linda Payne's (RV-Dreams ) seminars on Saturday afternoon. They are a wealth of information. We will definitely need to attend one of their rallies before we go full time. In celebration of our 41st anniversary we had dinner at the local Olive Garden and then a nice relaxing evening watching TV. Saturday was a nice day weather wise but it really turned cold over night with a few snow flurries. It was only 10 degrees Sunday morning when we got up and left after breakfast. We had some snow flurries continue until we got into Indiana near Michigan City. We made a short side trip into Holland MI to go by the condo that we rented about 3 years ago with the kid and grandkids. The wind was howling at Holland State Park Beach so we stayed in the car and watch other crazy people walk around near the pier. The roads were still fine and we had no problem getting around. We stopped in Portage, IN and ate lunch at a Longhorn Steakhouse. It was a good meal but the service was a little slow. Once we got home we unpacked and I watched the Ravens and Patriots game. What a surprise with a Ravens win. Well today is our official anniversary day and Glenda is making Chili for supper.(I love you Glenda) As you can tell we are simple people. That will go well with our new lifestyle when we get there. Making preparations for that day and it won't be long. Until next time...
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11 comments:

  1. Joe and GayJanuary 30, 2013 at 9:39 PM

    I saw your blog on it's about time...we just finished our first year in our MH....we travel with 4 rescue pups we call our canine dependents. We bought a used 2008 Itasca Latitude last January with only 10,000 miles on it...traded a cougar toy-hauler and a 2003 Silverado. You might want to consider a used RV. They are everywhere and a much better price. Ones we have looked at are like new. You can always re-do and update. We have changed countertops and sinks and replaced the booths with table and chairs. Just a thought.....looking is cheap! Keep the faith....you will be in the road before you know it!

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    1. IL CamperJanuary 30, 2013 at 10:03 PM

      Hi Gay and Joe, Glad you happened to see my blog. I appreciate you stopping by. As you can see I don't get too much activity but I don't post alot right now since we aren't getting out "camping" here in Illinois. One thing I have noticed when we are "camping" and when reading blogs is that many folks have pets. Nice to see you are involved in rescuing animals. I have enough trouble taking care of myself let alone one or more animals. I admire you for that. Haven't decided on new or used yet so we will certainly keep that in mind. Thank you for the encouragement too.

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  2. IL CamperJanuary 30, 2013 at 10:01 PM

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  3. our awesome travelsJanuary 31, 2013 at 6:40 AM

    Once you are on the road it is truly wonderful lifestyle. Came across your link at Its about time, Just thought I would drop by and say hi.
    Research, Rv shows, and talking to people will help you make an informed decision. We have been fulltime for 7 years now and love our motorhome. We move year round to membership parks at least every two weeks, and the Motorhome is perfect for this. Quick, easy set up, all the conveniences while on the road, and a good view of the sights too. We tow a small car for sightseeing and errands that gets great gas mileage.
    With a good used rv a few years old all the bugs should be fixed too. And you will save a lot of money.

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    1. IL CamperJanuary 31, 2013 at 7:04 AM

      George and Suzie, Glad you saw my link and decided to stop by. We had thought that new would be a good way to go since we would be starting a "new" life when we go full time but have been getting a few folks like yourself talking about a used rig. We will definitely give that some thought and start looking at both new and used. We have been attending RV shows and I visit many blogs to get a better idea of what others have to full time in and to see what is out there and what would have the things that we need and want. Congratulations making to full time and we look forward to "our time". Curt

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    2. our awesome travelsJanuary 31, 2013 at 7:41 AM

      Most everyone we know who purchased a new rig have a warranty yes, but getting all the little things fixed can be a real pain, frustrating. Plus a new RV does depreciate a lot just like a new car. But keep doing the research and you will make the decision thats right for you.

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    3. IL CamperJanuary 31, 2013 at 9:10 AM

      Thanks George and Suzie, I have noticed when reading other blogs that folk do have problems getting things fixed in new rigs. Seems they sit at dealers lots for a few days while repairs are done. I have also looked at "RV for Less". They are somewhat luxury models but many are older models and seem to have pretty good prices compared to what they would cost new. We will definitely keep looking. Hoping to make it to the Chicago RV show in a couple of weeks to do more research. :-)
      Thanks again Curt

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  4. Rick and Kathy RousseauJanuary 31, 2013 at 8:18 AM

    That is strange that other people could see your link on our blog but I couldn't. I'm glad you got back to me so I'll fix it up.

    I would truly like to be a full timer but because of Kathy's health issues we hold an apartment in Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada. We would be called Part-timers but probably spend more time in our trailer than the apartment.

    Buying a new rig for a new life style is a nice thought and it comes with a warranty but it also comes with a higher price tag and all the bugs that have to be worked out. Buying a gently used unit can save big money and have many of the bugs worked out.

    You can search online until the cows come home all the different types of RVs but you can't be certain until you actually go in them. You will never find a perfect RV but learn to work with what you have. If you still want a new rig watch online and most dealers want to move the present year's models so they can bring in next year's models in the month of June that's how Kathy and I did it. Getting the RV before retirement will also give you time to workout the bugs and do modifications before you hit the road.

    Another thing is most bloggers have gotten rid of the word verification because sometimes they are almost impossible to decipher. Feel free to document your progress to Fulltiming many people have done just that. Keep up the dream and there is always a good chance that we'll meet somewhere down the road. Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    1. IL CamperJanuary 31, 2013 at 9:18 AM

      Rick and Kathy, Thanks for visiting my blog. As I said I enjoy reading other folks experiences whether part time or full time. I agree just looking online is not enough. We need to actually see in person and when we do get ready to buy that is the plan to purchase when the new models are coming out and the dealers are trying to move inventory or something used. We do plan to purchase a few months prior to retirement so we can get the bugs out and be ready to go after the last day of WORK. I did update my information on my Google account so maybe that is what you were referring to earlier. I didn't have much on there. Thanks for stopping by and for your comments. Look forward to the possiblity of meeting someday. I will continue to follow your posts. Everything helps. Curt

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  5. Paul and Marti DahlJanuary 31, 2013 at 11:29 AM

    Thanks for visiting our blog and leaving a comment! We always like to hear from our readers. :c)

    We attended two of Howard and Linda's rallies before we hit the road and what we learned there was priceless. Plus they are lots of fun. You'll make lifetime friends there and become part of the RV Dreams family.

    Best of luck as you work towards hitting the road FT, it is worth it!

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    1. IL CamperJanuary 31, 2013 at 11:39 AM

      Paul and Marti, I am learning so much from visiting blogs like yours. Thank you for sharing your RV life with everyone. We really enjoyed seeing Howard and Linda in Grand Rapids and it really did motivate us to go to a RV-Dreams rally someday before we "hit the road". :-) Still so much to do and think about before then. I will continue to visit and will add your blog to my "Blogs I follow" list. Thank you for the encouragement. RV'ers are some of the nicest folks I have met even if it is online. Working toward the dream. Curt

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