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Old 11-30-2009, 05:50 PM   #1
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Question for the LADIES.

Hello ladies,
Since I am still going through the "what to store/bring/sell/give away" process, I am now onto my crafts. What I plan to bring is my cross-stitch that I have been working on for 3 years + another kit to do. Now...what about seaglass? I have 40 lbs of glass that I picked up last year in the Bahamas, and I was hoping to make more jewellery out of it - but consider the weight factor! I make simple necklaces that I quite often sell, but again - 40 lbs!!

Whatcha think?

Thanks,
Alice
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Old 11-30-2009, 06:38 PM   #2
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Alice,

The best thing I can recommend is "Weigh It, Weigh It, Weigh It"

First weights should be of the truck (loaded like it was ready to roll, including passengers) load your Sunny like you normally load it, weigh it. Then weigh the truck & trailer together. These, weights will tell you how much, IF ANY extra stuff you can load into the truck or trailer. What I resorted to since my T-2499 had such a heavy tongue weightand a tongue flexing issue, when we got the T-320SR, once we had it weighed, anything that I added was weighed on my digital scale and I wrote the item & weight on sticky notes that I kept in that particular storage space/area. Yeah, it takes a bit of time, but weight can SNEAK up on ya real quick and towing over loaded IS NOT what you want to do.

The guys should be along shortly with better info, I'm sure.

Kitty

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Old 11-30-2009, 06:56 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kanyonkitty

PS: You know the guys WILL read this post

Ya Think??......
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Old 12-01-2009, 05:33 AM   #4
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I have two children. When they were young, one 'wanted' things, the other 'needed' things.

Our measure is between what we want and what we need.

So often we take things that go unused for our entire trip. In general we try not to include items we 'might use'. For example, we had dinner with a couple the other night, they have a toy hauler and carry a motorcycle. They each had 8 to 10 pairs of shoes plus two pairs of biker boots. Two pairs of boots are not needed. I know it's a small thing compared to the bike, but its a philiosophy.

I always amazed when we're with many RVers how they can pull out a spare tarp, a few tent poles. I'm equally amazed when I see trailers, two or three times are size storing food in coolers outside, coolers as big as our refrige.

My 6 year old niece has a gymnastics teacher who regularly tells her young students to make good choices, a brilliant thought.

Sea glass can be a good choice, you may just tave to give up 40 pounds of things you really don't need.

I admit to collecting agates on Oregon beaches, a lot more than 40 pounds. Choices, choices.....

Now some unused things are necessary and we are glad they go unused like our vehicle jack.

One lesson we've learned is how little we need to live happily.
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Old 12-01-2009, 06:20 AM   #5
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I would consider not only the weight but the storage space and the value of the sea glass as a hobby. We are going to fulltime within a couple years so I think about this issue too. What to do on those rainy days, or even on a day when I've just had enough of hiking, biking and reading. You have alot of carrying capacity with the 264SR, so it's just a matter of space and what you like to do in your spare time. 40 pounds does sound like alot. Maybe filter through it all and pick 20 pounds of seaglass and leave the rest. Jewelry making is a pretty compact hobby as hobbies go. It's not like you're bringing a sewing machine (which I'm bringing ) or a set of skis. Steve insists he needs 2 bicycles!
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Old 12-01-2009, 04:55 PM   #6
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Ditto to all your replies. I think I have decided to leave it here, and re-evaluate everything after we come back next Spring. We are kinda doing that with a lot of things we think we 'might' need. (eg: an extra cooler, just in case we might need it, lol!).

We have already simplified our lives pretty much, having lived on a boat for many years. AND I still have to put everything away before we move, right?

Thanks ladies & germs...
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Old 12-01-2009, 05:40 PM   #7
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Alice, are you and Ron preparing to go fulltime, then? If you'd said that elsewhere I missed it, but then I've been pretty spotty in participating here until recently.
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Old 12-01-2009, 06:19 PM   #8
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Hi Stan,
Yes, Ron & I are new full-timers. We will move out of our house in January, and head South (Fla.). BTW, I posted a little note when I heard about your accident. That is why I am trying to learn all I/we can. It is just that I am the computer nut, and Ron is not.

But we are real novices when it comes to RVing. We know to keep our weight down, and believe me, we are doing just that! We are towing our 264SR with a 2002 Chev Silverado, which is also new to us. Talk about jumping into the frying pan, eh? (yup, I am Cdn.)

Neither of us have pensions, so the way we afford to do it is by working 6-7 months of the year, and goofing off the rest of the time. So far it has been working great. In May 2010, we have a workamper job right here at home, so that will be nice. It will only last May 15-Oct. 15, so we will leave earlier next year, sometime in November.

I certainly appreciate all you have explained about your accident, so that us newbies can learn from it. I sincerely hope you get back on your feet and back on the road again real soon!

BIG hugs,
Alice
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Old 12-02-2009, 05:31 AM   #9
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Alice,

I did not realize that you were becoming fulltimers before receivng pensions. We did that as well. I would say RVing is a relatively inexpensive way to live. Actually you may be intersted in looking at the Escapees site. It was started by two people who also hit the road before reaching anywhere near retirement age.

In this case the wife was the main driver in wanting to hit the road. WHile her husband was working, before hitting the road, she would wrap his lunch sandwiches in road maps - subtle hint.

The founders have written numerous books about their experience. Their site is Escapees.com.
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Old 12-02-2009, 07:58 AM   #10
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Escapees also offers a lot of practical benefits, such as a way to establish your legal domicile if you are a full timer.

However, do not overlook Gypsy Journal. I can't say enough good about them, because they are among the few real contrarians in the RV world.
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Old 12-02-2009, 08:30 AM   #11
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Gypsy Journal

Thanks for the tip Stan. Another site to peruse.

http://www.gypsyjournal.net/


My wife's sisters are found of saying to Ginny "I never thought you'd grow up to be a gypsy."

Though it has some negative conotations, it also suggests a spirit and freedom that many never experience.

As to the domocile aspects of Escapees, If Texas ever withdraws from the United States, which they have the legal right given when they joined the Union, it's a nice back pocket option.

For full timers it's nice to have domocile rights, allowing voting and the purchase of Texas Blue Cross.

Again thanks for the tip,
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Old 12-03-2009, 06:03 PM   #12
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NORM - YUP, Ron & I are pretty crazy people. We always managed to do what we want, money or otherwise. We always figured we weren't going to be rich, so we might as well be warm (head down South!). We make do with what we have. When we lived on the boat, we always figured that we were in the same spot, on the same beach, etc. as the rich people with their huge gas-guzzling yachts!

I am somewhat familiar with Escapees, it is just that I see no reason for us to join this year, and will probably wait til next year. Any advice?

STAN -- I will certainly check out the Gypsy Journal, thanks for suggestion. Right now, I am reading everything I can without trying to get frazzled. I sure wish there was a "Meet & Greet" going on so we could meet everybody and reassure ourselves about different items.

BUT, thank goodness for this group & this forum. All of you are keeping me/us on the straight & narrow, lol.
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Old 12-04-2009, 05:35 AM   #13
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Escapees

It depends on your goals whether you should join Escapeess.

Escapees have a number of Coop Parks. They are inexpensive. For example, the Resort in FL cost about $7000 to become a member. For $7000 you get to have a site in a really nice park. On top of that you pay $80 a month in fees. When you're not htere they rent it to other Escapees with about half of the collected fees going against you monthly fees.

Here's the key part, when you don't want the site any more, they give you your $7000 back.

The coop parks are located across the country, mostly in warm climates. One of our favorites is near Yosimite another in Arizona.

More important for Americans is that they have an assisted living center that is rather inexpensive where you stay in your RV. The only one of its kind.

The down side of the Coops is that there is a waiting list. We have been on one for five years, waiting to get to the top. Of course we're in no rush, but we'd like to get to the top before we die. We wish we had joined earllier.

Escapees as an organization continually for RV rights. If you ever get to Livingston Texas stop in to their home campground and ask for a tour.

Hope this helps
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Old 12-04-2009, 03:29 PM   #14
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Norm & Ginny's last post got me thinking about something else related to fulltiming--planning to exit from that lifestyle.

Somewhere one winter we met a couple who'd been on the road for about ten years, and had everything invested in the MH in which they were living. One partner's health was going bad, to where they were going to need assisted living in a year or two, but there was no money to make the change. They had sunk all their money in the MH, which had depreciated to the point where it was not worth enough to get them back to living in a permanent location.

The wisest FT'ers I know of kept their house (which was long ago paid up). They go on the road for eleven months, come home to take care of repairs and host the family thanksgiving, then depart again. Luckily there is a large family, and someone who can check on the house while they are farthest away on their ambit.
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Old 12-04-2009, 03:51 PM   #15
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Assisted Living

We did keep our house because in order to sell it I would have had to get a divorce. It is an expensive luxury but a dicorce would be more expensive. Last year we were gone 10 months and home 2 months.

The house is paid for but still costs us us about $10,000 a year not to mention that we're not earning anything on the value of the house, actually the house has lost value the last two years. It amounts to a pretty expensive two months last year though I must admit that we're normally home 5 months of the year.

Now if the Escapees would only open a COOP park in NH.

The Escapee assisted living place is interesting, particularly for full timers. For example, get a knee replaced and you have a good place to recoup. Maybe you have a partner with that needs continual help, the assisted living facility provides free time for the healthy partner. For a single partner I think it's $800 a month for one person, another $600 for a second person, includes 3 meals a day, laundry twice a week, rig cleaning, site fees and daily care by a professional staff and volunteers.

At the same time you're among Rvers like yourself. The price is so low because Escapees donate to it, Escapees also volunteer to work there. It's an amazing example of the power of community.

As to the house, we have a neighbor who watches our house. If the temperature drops below a preset level a red light comes on signifying a problem. We have a contract with the gas company and they come and service the furnace. (We keep our heat on low all winter, primarily to allow relatives to occasionally use it.)

As to the end game of life, i hope we both die in our sleep parked over looking some magnificant vista.

Of course when we get into an Escapee Coop we'll have a permanent place, actually low cost place, to go until we die, that is as long as we can take care of ourselves.
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Old 12-04-2009, 05:04 PM   #16
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Norm - my Dad (he's 83) says he wants to "wake up dead one day", and that is how HE wants to go! Me, on the other hand - am nOT going! I am going to fight it to the end.

The reason we don't have a house right now is because our daughter bought us out, and rather than get into mortgages, upkeep, rental (or not), etc, etc. - we have chosen to leave our money where it is for the time being (in investments). I think it is unwise to sink all your money into anything at all, don't keep all your eggs in one basket as they say.

Norm - I hilighted your route down South (thanks again), but I get lost along the way, lol! When we are nearing NY city, it seems a bit congested. How is the traffic along there since the map seems to show we go through/nearby Yonkers?
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Old 12-05-2009, 04:42 AM   #17
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I'll provide super detail for the way around NY for you. I'll send it by your private email.

I think selling your home and wisely investing your money is an excellent way to go.
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Old 12-05-2009, 08:50 AM   #18
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Thanks Norm!

Yup, for us it is working out great. Since we "left home" at 51&52, we knew we would never have a pension (Ron always had his own business, and we were too busy feeding kids). So...we live off our investments (some months we eat, some we don't, lol!) until we both turn 65, when our Old Age kicks in.

It still beats having to work for a living...
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Old 12-05-2009, 09:11 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron & Alice
It still beats having to work for a living...
Alice, once you have broken the yoke of 9 to 5 employment, and learned to measure your happiness in some way besides "job security," you learn that your job was never all that secure, and that it was really a form of slavery.

I quit the corporate rat race at the age of forty. There have been some weird years, but now at age 62 I am in decent financial shape, debt-free, and working a job that I am proud to have, yet which provides me a lot of freedom.

I think people are locked into "real" jobs by insecurity...

Stan
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Old 12-06-2009, 09:02 AM   #20
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Stan - I agree wholeheartedly.
That is why Ron & I quit the working world in our 50s. We realize we do have to work for a couple of months a year in order to afford our "real" life, but that is the price we have to pay. But this time around, we make sure we enjoy these jobs, because the money is just a means to an end, not a career goal.

BTW, how is YOUR "real life" goin?
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