We saw a Bighorn....ours

I already posted some photos that the salesman at Great Lakes RV Center sent to us and we planned on going to see our new home this last weekend to sign the papers and actually make it OURS. Well the finance guy decided that the papers needed to be signed before the weekend so he could get them to the bank ASAP. So he send them to us FedEx overnight last Monday, we signed them and sent them back so our trip to Elkhart would only be to see the Bighorn. That's fine with us. We got a call from our son in laws mother and she wanted to know if there would be room for her in our car to go with us for a visit. We, of course, planned on staying at our daughters house over the weekend in Osceola, IN just down the road. We said Yes, come on along. We left Friday evening with a threat of snow as we got closer to the IN border and sure enough the snow began. It wasn't as bad as when we came home from our Christmas celebration at the beginning of January but it did slow us down a little. We made it there safely and had a good visit that evening in anticipation of seeing the rig the next day. Over the night the snow continued to fall and ended up accumulating about 6 inches or so. We had planned on meeting Mike at the dealership at 9:30 but we got a call and he said it took longer for him to get there so we moved it back to 10:30. We piled into the car and headed over. Mike was waiting for us and said that he had to have the service guys bring the rig back in from the storage lot so we could view our home in relative comfort. It was cold outside. He took us back to the service area and there it was. In all it's glory.

It is ours...We own it now. No turning back from this adventure.

 

 

I walked around the rig as if I had to be sure it was real. It is real and it is REAL BIG. Mike opened the door and we climbed in and took our first look at where we will be living soon. (Still pinching myself) After going inside I was so happy we kept the light fixture as it was and for the décor we decided on. It feels and looks so rich. Just like a home.

 



Remington décor

 

 No TV since it will be stored outside

 

 Love the light fixture over the island

 

 We had the washer/dryer installed....hmmmm

 

 There it is....Glenda is very happy

 

 This couch is actually very comfortable

 

You can see I like it.

 

 

We spent a good long time in the rig just looking at everything, opening and closing doors, drawers and the slides just got a feel for it all. We noticed that we could still access the bathroom and bedroom with the slide closed in the front. Good to know for those overnights where you may not open the slides. The MCD shades are even impressive. Mike also told us that there are only 2 Bighorns in the country that have disc brakes installed.  That is an upgrade that is found on the Landmark model for Heartland but they just happened to be offering it when we ordered the Bighorn and then found out that it slowed the line down so they stopped after 2 units were built - ours and someone else's. So we are glad we ordered when we did. After enjoying our new home we had to leave and let Mike get back home and we could enjoy our time at our daughters.

 

We found out the truck is scheduled to be built on February 10th and should be delivered a 1-2 weeks later. This waiting is beginning to get to me. We seem so close yet so far  away. Glenda's last day at work in on Friday. I know that once that happens the real work begins as we get the house ready for sale in the spring. Fortunately we aren't hoarders and have downsized from our home a few years ago after the kids all moved out and on their own. Still there is a lot to do....but we are up for the task and it will help the time pass too. I'm beginning to ramble so I will just say we had a great time at our daughters house even though all the grandkids weren't there.(That's another story) We had more snow over the weekend but once we got on the road and headed west and south the temperatures improved and there wasn't as much snow so we made good time. You might have noticed I moved the countdown clock up one more month to Sept 1. We figured if we are going to go to the RV Dreams Fall Rally we could just save the vacation time and apply it to the retirement date and end this work thing a month earlier. So that's what we're doing. We keep working the plan and I know retirement is just around the corner and it won't be long. Thanks 



Family Christmas, Snow and Cold

We finally were able to get the family together for our Christmas 2013. Chris came to our home and rode over to Indiana with us on Jan. 4th and Heather, Paul and Aiden drove over from Streamwood, IL. We all met at our daughter's house in Osceola, IN. The only one that didn't make it from the family was Todd's son Mason. We certainly missed him. We knew there was a chance of snow since Sommer and Todd live in a lake effect area of NW Indiana. More on that later.

We got to Sommer's house and Glenda started to get the food ready that we had brought. She made some Italian Beef the night before so all we had to do was heat it back up. Sommer had made some cheesy potatoes and Heather brought a cheese and veggie tray. We munched on the veggies and enjoyed catching up with each other. Aiden had a bit of a cold but he was smiling and playing without much problem. He has a new skill....He is beginning to crawl.

 

It was so much fun to watch him. Once the food was ready everyone got their fill. Of course after the food it was time for present opening. Everyone took their turn going from youngest to oldest. Guess who went last.  :-) Everyone took a turn showing what they got.

Ryleigh got some stuffed animals

Brooklyne got a One Direction blanket

Jasmyne got a case for her laptop

Chris got some tools

Paul got a set of wine balls

Todd got wine balls and a Lowe's gift card

Sommer got some new boots

Heather got a Bears T shirt

 

Caden got a new video game

Aiden started to play with his toys

 

The kids all went in together and got us some KOA gift certificates so this summer and on our way down south next winter we will have some paid for campgrounds. We typically don't use KOA's for camping due to the cost and the sardine style campsites however we really do appreciate the kids thinking of us and this will allow us to get some free camping as we travel.

 

After the presents were opened and we cleaned up the living room a little the guys watched a couple of NFL playoff football games and our daughters went out to make a couple of exchanges. Once everyone was back we had some leftovers and snacks. As the night progressed the kids wanted to play some card games that Ryleigh had gotten as gifts. So they sat in a circle and played Old Maid, Crazy 8's and Go Fish.

 

We stayed up late playing cards, watching movies, surfing the internet and enjoying our family time.

It had started to snow a little during the evening and when we woke up this is what we saw out the window.

A look from the back deck

A look from the front door

 

During the night it had snowed about 4-6 inches. Todd, Paul and I get our coats and boots on and drove to the nearby Martin's grocery store with a Starbuck's inside. We got everyone either a coffee, a Latte or a non coffee drink(for the kids). We also got some donuts as a special treat. We continued to keep an eye on the weather and all we could see was more snow. So mid morning Heather, Paul and Aiden decided it was time to get on the road. Glenda, Chris and I started to get our things together too. But before I would let anyone go I had to get a good photo of the whole family(minus Mason...sorry Mason). I know with Chris moving to Mesa, AZ and us beginning the process to sell the house and move into the 5th wheel this spring it will be hard to get the family together again for a while. So here they are. Click on any of the pictures to enlarge.

 

Caden, Todd, Jasmyne, Brooklyne, Ryleigh, Sommer, ME, Glenda, Paul, Aiden, Heather and Chris

After the photo op we said our good byes with some hugs, kisses and a few tears. Once we got on the road we could tell the weather was deteriorating and the wind was beginning to pick up. It wasn't too bad at first but as we went farther west and then south it was pretty much getting to whiteout conditions at times.

There's an Interstate somewhere out there.

 

It took us over 5 1/2 hours to travel the usual 3 hour distance. We texted Heather and they made it home safely. Temperatures really began to drop and by that evening wind chills were well below zero. Not fit for anyone to be on the road. Yesterday due to the sub zero wind chill(-33F) and snow many companies and schools were closed including my company and Glenda's school. They had also called a state of emergency(over 12 inches of additional snow) in Indiana so Sommer and Todd and the family had the day off too. It was a great snow day. Still I'm really looking forward to next winter in a warm climate. It was the best Christmas we've had in the last 3 years. Nothing like having your family all together to make things right. I was back to work today and I just keep thinking about our future as we work toward retirement and it won't be long. Thanks for reading.

 

Happy New Year 2014

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2014

 

 

This is our year coming up and we are very happy to welcome 2014. Glenda will be retiring on January 31st and start the process of getting the house ready to sell in April. My turn comes in October and then we hit the road. Just to give you some idea as to how happy we are. I got a call from Great Lakes RV last Friday and Mike our salesman told me that our Bighorn had been built and was at the dealership.

 

SURPRISE!!!!!!!

 

I was in shock. We were expecting a call to let us know when the build date would be NOT that the rig had already been built. So at first I wasn't too happy. We have a plan and we need to stick to the plan. That meant that the rig was not supposed to come in until early February. That way we could extend the financing out to April/May and use the equity in the house to just pay it off without making a payment. Well I fretted over the weekend and I called Mike back on Monday to see what we could do about the timeline. He had spoken to his boss and they were willing to hold the unit and we are to go over at the end of January and sign the papers and give them the rest of the down payment. Now I'm very happy.

 

Then Mike tells me that the washer/dryer did not get installed because we both missed it on the build sheet under the list of options. We wanted the washer/dryer installed at the factory since it was about $400 less to do it that way. Well, I put up a little stink(not happy) and Mike said that the dealership would have to wave(eat) the $400. I agreed. Fortunately the dealership actually installs more washer/dryers than the factory does. Only about 10% of units off the assembly line have washer/dryers installed. That means the dealership installs most after they are built. I felt a little better. Ok...Everyone was calmer now. We are very happy again. Mike said let me send you some pictures. He emailed five photos and a panoramic view of the kitchen living room. Here is our future home. We are truly excited now.

 

 Click on photos to make them larger

 Panoramic view

 

Kitchen/ living room

 

Back to front

 

Bedroom

 



TV/dresser/storage

 

2014 Bighorn 3585rl

 

So far everything is working out as planned even with the early arrival of our home. We will be at our daughter's home in Osceola, IN right down the road from the dealership for our family Christmas celebration but unfortunately we won't have the opportunity to see it in person. We will be back at the end of the month and the photos will have to do for now. And that's ok. That gives the dealership time to get everything installed, prepped and ready for us in the spring. Another nice thing is the dealership will store our rig until we can pick it up at the end of March as we begin the transfer process from one home to another. Yes this will be a happy new year. As the song goes... Our future's so bright we got to wear shades. Thank you to the followers that have been reading and commenting. You're encouragement and well wishes have been a great help as we continue on the path of our RV Dream. Working toward retirement and it won't be long.

 

 







Wishing you a Merry Christmas

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Looking forward to seeing family and enjoying the love, laughter and warm smiles.

If you are traveling, please be safe.(Of course you are, that's what full-timers do)

 

 

Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.



Anticipation

I looked up the definition of the word "Anticipation" in preparing to write this post and found the exact words that describe my feelings right now. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary gives this definition.

an·tic·i·pa·tion
 noun                                                

: a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen

: the act of preparing for something

 

In my last post I stated that we had ordered our 5th wheel, the Heartland Bighorn 3585rl. Well now we traveled to Clinton, IL and placed our order for a 2014 Ford F-350 Super Cab Diesel Dually. I wrote a post back in October that outlined some of what we wanted in a tow vehicle and our ability to get a discounted X plan purchase. I was able to actually go on the X plan site and build exactly the vehicle I wanted. I took the build sheet to the dealer, the order was written and a deposit made. As I was building the truck I wasn't sure if I should order it with the 5th wheel hitch(Reese 25K) and the prep package with the hidden rails under the truck bed. I decided to get some quotes from after market dealers that sell and install 5th wheel hitches. Interestingly the quotes I got for the hitch and installation were the same for lesser weight hitches than what Ford was offering with the truck. So I added the hitch to the package. I also decided to get the 200 amp heavy duty alternator. In researching why I might want to do get the larger alternator I found out an automotive charging system is made up of three major components: the battery, the voltage regulator and an alternator. The alternator works with the battery to generate power for the electrical components of a vehicle, like the interior and exterior lights, and the instrument panel. An alternator gets its name from the term alternating current (AC).

 

After reading about alternators I decided to get the heavy duty alternator. It seemed to me that a large diesel engine would be better equipped if it had a greater ability to generate power to the battery and electrical components.

 

As I was building my truck another option available was a soft Tonneau cover that rolls up. I have a tri fold cover on my truck now and I know how well it protects the interior of the bed and the contents. The build site didn't actually tell me what brand the cover would be so I again did some research and came across the Truxedo brand soft cover. The cover I saw on the build site looked a lot like the Truxedo so I asked our salesperson, Stephani, if she had any information on the covers Ford uses. She was able to locate an after market options book that Ford dealers use and sure enough they sell Truxedo. She assured me that the Truxedo would be the brand so I ordered that with the truck too.

 

OK, I got off subject a little but I hope that by describing some of the details you can get some sense of our feelings ( I know those that are already full-timers do) now that we have the exact 5th wheel and truck that we think will work for us. We've ordered them both and now we have to WAIT. The truck and 5th wheel should arrive about the same time in mid February. The plan is to take delivery of the truck right away but will probably have the dealer store the 5th wheel a few weeks until the weather moderates some. So ANTICIPATION is now the word. That's right, we are in the  act of preparing for something and have a great excitement about something that is going to happen. Will the holidays keep our minds occupied long enough to get us through this time? We hope so. I guess we'll find out. Of course we keep working toward retirement and it won't be long. Thanks for reading.

 

P.S. - Glenda has only 5 more work weeks until she can say she is retired. January 31, 2014 She gets off 2 weeks for Christmas and New Years. (I think she'll make it.)

Thanksgiving, Aiden and Early Order

We're back home from our Thanksgiving trip to our daughter's house in Osceola, IN. We left Wednesday afternoon after picking up our turkey at Longhorn Smokehouse. Longhorn is a BBQ restaurant that also does catering so every year they take orders for cooking and smoking turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They not only cook and smoke the turkey but will also de-bone the turkey. The price is a little high but the convenience is well worth it. Once the turkey is cooked they place all the meat in a nice aluminum roaster pan for easy heating the next day.

We thought we might run into some winter weather over by our daughters house since they predicted some lake effect snow however the Interstate and Toll Road was clear and it was a pretty uneventful trip. There was some snow but only in town on the city streets. Once we got there we got unloaded and hung out talking until after midnight.

Thanksgiving Day
We got up around 8:30am and I decided we needed to make some pancakes. For some reason I was hungry for pancakes. We got out the griddle and everyone enjoyed the feast with some orange juice, milk and of course real maple syrup. Once breakfast was over we got started on the Thanksgiving meal preparations. The guys also had to watch the football games that were on too.

Heather, Paul and Aiden were supposed to come from Chicago but Aiden had croop(a cold) and they didn't think it was wise to get him out. So we certainly missed them but planned to go by and visit them on our way home on Saturday.

The dinner was  great with our turkey, mashed potatoes, noodles, corn, Jell-O and pumpkin pie for dessert. Everyone was stuffed to the gills. After some naps and more football we snacked off and on the rest of the evening.

Friday
We slept late and Sommer had to go into work for a while so after we all got ready(more on that later, think early order) we decided to go get lunch at Chick-Fil-A. Of course it was very busy but we found a seat and enjoyed our meal.

Todd decided to go look for a new computer so Glenda and I took the kids except for Caden and Jasmyne to the mall to watch the crazy people. After we fought through the traffic we took a walk through the mall and were not disappointed at the sight.

We took the kids to the local frozen yogurt shop and enjoyed an afternoon snack then headed home to relax. Sommer was home from work so we played some card games and a dice game called CLR(Center, Left, Right). It's a fast moving game and you never know how it well end. We again stayed up way too late watching a movie.

Saturday
We had to get up a little earlier since we were going to be leaving today. We wanted to get on the road by 11am so we could spend some time with Heather, Paul and Aiden. We had breakfast,( early order), got packed up, said our goodbyes with kisses and hugs. Then off Glenda and I went to see Aiden.

We got to Chicago(actually Streamwood) around 1:30 and called Heather to see if they wanted us to stop and get some lunch to bring with us. We decided on Portillo's and went through the drive through lane. I got the Italian Beef with Mozzarella and sweet peppers, Paul wanted two hotdogs, Glenda got a fish sandwich and Heather got a chopped salad.

When we got there Aiden was napping so we were able to have our lunch before he got up. Once we woke up he had a bottle and then we watched him play. He is such a happy little boy.

Fortunately he was feeling better. We can't believe he will be 9 months old next week. He has changed so much just sine we saw him a month ago. He's beginning to stand a little and rolls all over the place. We had a great time playing.

Paul is a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan so of course Aiden will be too. So Paul gave him a funny hat to wear but just as I took the picture he got it turned around sideways. We all got a good laugh watching him try to get the hat off. Finally he did. Aiden was getting hungry again so Heather fed him some veggies.

She likes to give him a spoon to play with as she feeds him. I think he will get the hang of feeding himself soon.

We had a great visit but it was getting dark and we needed to get home to get things ready for a small After Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday with my brother, his ex wife, their two boys(Logan and Parker) and my Dad. We said our goodbyes with the usually kisses and hugs. The trip home was uneventful.

Early Order
Your probably wondering about the title and the Early Order. Well on Friday while we were in Osceola at our daughters I thought I would give the salesman a Great Lakes RV in Elkhart a call to see if he was working. Glenda had not actually seen the Bighorn 3585rl that we wanted to purchase. She had only seen photos and online video so I called and Mike was at work and he said to stop on by so we did. We were able to look at a Big Country by Heartland that had a similar décor and floorplan as the 3585rl. Glenda really liked the layout and the upgrades. We looked a Landmark also but it is another step above what we can afford. It was great to look since the Bighorn will have a a few of the same features as the Landmark.

We went inside and talked a little more about the options we would like and got an updated price sheet. We found out that the dealer show was going on soon and there would be some changes to the options and most likely a price increase but we were looking at ordering our Bighorn in February next year. We had to leave since everyone at home was getting hungry and wanted to go to Chick-Fil-A. We left and did our planned activities of lunch and the mall. After we got home we talked about the Bighorn and what Mike had said. We also talked about the price and the discount he was quoting us. So I texted Mike Friday evening and asked if he was going to be working Saturday and if he would be willing to consider taking an additional 2% off the quote he gave us. If he was willing we would meet him at 9 am on  Saturday morning and place the order.

Well I got a text back about 5 mins later and he said he could do that and would be happy to meet the next morning. SOOOOOOO, we placed the order and worked it out so we would not have to make any payment until April next year. The plan is to pay off the 5th wheel in April but by applying for a loan we can extend out the payment situation so we will end up not making a payment and give us time to get the house ready and on the market in the spring.

 

 

If you are interesting in some photos of what the exterior and interior will be like you can find it HERE. These photos are with the buckskin interior but we ordered the Remington which is a darker color leather sofa  and recliners. Everything else in the photos is about what we will be getting.

 

The exterior has the new Bighorn Ram head on the front, we got the MCD roller shades, frameless windows, Yeti package and Glenda wanted the stackable washer/dryer so it would be factory installed. There is no second awning on the slide like in the photo link. We also got the 6 point leveling system and I got the upgraded 8,000 lb. axles with a new option(DISC BRAKES). I also got the G rated tires. Yes we spent a little more than we were planning on but we figured this is going to be our home and we should get the options we really think we will want and need instead of aftermarket. Maybe it's wrong but we feel pretty good about our decision. That's the early order. We weren't planning on doing this but we also thought why make an additional trip back when we could work this out now. We are now committed to this adventure. Next week we plan to order the truck. We thought we would be getting the truck first so now with this move we really need to get that truck ordered so we have everything in place when the Bighorn comes in. Very nervous but very excited too. After the holidays we begin the house prep, Glenda retires at the end of January and the work begins in earnest. Still feels like a dream but getting more real everyday. We keep working toward retirement and it won't be long. Seriously. Thanks for reading.

Camper Sold

As you know I have been trying to sell our travel trailer. I first placed an ad on our company classifieds page and didn't get much interest. Of course the exposure was very limited. So I then placed an ad on Craigslist in our local area. I got a few inquires and even had someone come look at the trailer and then bring his wife to look but never heard back. I was pretty discouraged. I actually got more bot emails that said things like "I read your ad and I know this sounds strange but you sound like someone I would like to get to know. If you are real send me an email and we can get together". Pretty disgusting. So last week I was about to take the ad off Craigslist and then I got an email that asked if I still had the camper and their phone number was in the message. I decided I would just call them instead of emailing back and forth. Kind of "get the bad news right away" type of thing. I called and to my surprise Jim and Marilyn wanted to see the camper that afternoon. We set a time and I gave them directions to the storage facility. We met and started the walk through so they could check things out. They were pleasantly surprised at the condition of our camper. It appears they had been looking at some used trailers and were not impressed. As we talked I found out that Jim and I both had Harley Davidson motorcycles off and on for years. Jim and Marilyn have grandchildren like we do. They are retired and are looking to get back into camping like they had a few years ago. They don't have a Super Duty truck so our smaller trailer would work great for them and they would be able to tow it with their truck. Anyway, they looked at each other and said the magic words. WE'LL TAKE IT. I couldn't believe my ears. Jim then said if you will deliver it to my house I will give you what you are asking, no negotiations. I said, What's your address? We exchanged information and I told them it would take a couple of days to get the title since I still owed some money on the camper at our company credit union. So over the next few days I was able to get the loan paid off and secure the title. I called Jim and Marilyn and asked if I could deliver the camper today and they agreed. Glenda decided to take some time off work to go with me so around 2 pm we hitched up the camper and drove down to Decatur, IL. I pulled up in front of their house and noticed a long side driveway next to the house. Jim came out and asked if I would back in around the curved driveway to the back yard and park it in front of the detached garage. Well I summoned my backing skills and made it with only a couple of corrections in direction. I unhitched and went over as much of the workings of the camper with Jim while Marilyn and Glenda went inside to stay warm. After about 30-40 minutes Jim felt comfortable with the camper workings and we went inside to sign the title over and get our check. After talking a little longer we headed home and celebrated with dinner at McDonald's. It is such a relief to have the camper sold and to know that a couple of very nice folks will enjoy the camper as much as we have. Now we get ready to order the truck and then after the first of the year comes the 5th wheel. It still feels so far away but it's beginning to feel more real. We keep working toward retirement and it won't be long.