Northside RVs

Jill's Journal: A delayed anniversary babysitting gift from my sister and brother-in-law netted us a few glorious child-free hours on Friday afternoon to spend as we pleased. We turned it into a great fact-finding mission at Northside RVs in Lexington, which claims to be Kentucky’s largest RV dealer. The number one thing we learned? There’s so much to learn and so many options!

We’ve looked at literally hundreds of blueprints online and in catalogues, but it was so incredibly helpful to actually see some in person. The manager of the place seemed to be a straight-shooter, always a welcome thing in a salesman, and spent nearly two hours with us. He took us into about 10 different models, a nice mix of motorhomes and fifth wheels, so we could really get a feel for our different options. We have so much to think about.

At dinner afterward, Rob put it eloquently and perfectly: “A motorhome is the sexy option, but a fifth wheel is the smart option.” And that’s what we’re thinking. As much as we’d love a Class A motorhome with the accompanying bells and whistles, we can get the same square footage in a fifth wheel for a fraction of the price. And these next two years on the road aren’t about living in luxury and comfort. They’re about enjoying life with just the basics and being comfortable enough. A fifth wheel fits the bill just fine (and a fancy fifth wheel gives us a bill of about one-third the price tag of a basic motorhome!).

Purge....

So it has begun. I knew where I was going with the purge, but I don't think anyone believed it. When Jill heard I was talking about 86ing my poker books, I think it was finally understood. We are going to have to get rid of A LOT of stuff. I'm all about storing stuff, but it has to be important stuff. Anything I haven't looked at or used in the last 18 months probably needs to go. Most of the other stuff probably needs to be used.

Just looking around the office I can see tons of paper that has to be used - DVDs to make electronic, pictures to store (those aren't going to go away), all the electronics that we don't need. The furniture that quite frankly is gonna go away and I guess some is staying, we are coming back to a house at some point after all, right?

Jill started purging herself today, and I think it was a big step. I know she likes to get rid of things, but she got rid of some stuff that was very personal and things that she had projects in mind for. I'm not sure I'm ready to take that big a step this quick, but I'm gonna work on it.

Live from Kentucky…

Jill's Journal: Rob gave me sh*# today about two things. Well, probably about more than that, but just two come to mind regarding the RV trip! One was about not yet reading the “right” RV books, so I’ll delve into those soon. And the other was about not yet combining my “blog” with his, so…without further ado, I’m going to “back-post” my little journal/blog right here. I’ll notate my entries in some way. Here goes…I'm going live!

Toy Hauler?

So, now - maybe a toy hauler? With the garage area we could tun it into whatever we wanted. The triple-bunk thing probably wouldn't be hard to do - it would be 'empty' space to use as a playroom, and we could use the tailgate as a kind of porch.

In fact - putting a deck on that ramp, putting supports on the outside wouldn't be that tough. We could leave it closed when the weather was bad and open it up during the day when its good. I could see putting some simple kind of aluminum railing in place that automatically opened. Damn, new ideas.

We'd still need to go with a tow vehicle, though they do make motohomes with that type of floorplan. That kind of open floorplan might be just the kind of playroom we need.

More Research.

I kept thinking about the right post to get back into this blog and figured - what does it matter - just blog... so here it is:

I started giving a little thought to a travel trailer over the weekend. I could probably find a nice 40' and either tow it with the Dodge or pickup a new/2008ish 450 or something. There are benefits to it mostly in sleeping arrangements (best I've seen yet is a separate room and bathroom for the kids up front, and all the other amenities we'd been looking for). However I'm still not sure its the best arrangement. Point is that we aren't planning on driving more than living, unlike some people, and sitting in the car/truck during travel just might not be that bad. I'll have to do research - I love research... :)

The thing that brought this about is that the one motorhome that looks genuinely perfect will not tow what I need it to tow. I'm not sure if that's because they only want to rate it at 5,000 pounds but it can handle more, or if that's really all it can do physically. Again, more research to see. I think looking at other bunk models will help, but I haven't seen a bunk model that truly has the family in mind. Most of them look like they are built for occasional sleepovers, not full-timers with kids. More Research.

So far I'm still on the fence about new/used. There are just so many things that come into play here. I really need to go look at a dealer inventory to get an idea about what 'used' really means and what types of things they might have. I guess a wandering of ebay probably would help too. Used Pros: Price, possibly a layout/towing that I can't find in a new model, probably can still get a warranty if its new enough - largely price. Used Cons: used - meaning mechanical expenses, but if I save enough up front and put that in an account, that might not be too bad. Non-Manufacturer warranty - but still, that should be able to be gotten around. Feel - I'm not sure about driving someone else's rig, but if I find the right one, maybe... Financing - we'd have to play by the rules to finance an older rig.

OK - well, nice to be back in the saddle blogging, and I'll just have to do it more often. I'd been hoping to get Jill doing the blog by now, but - well, we'll just have to wait for that.

Back to the Drawing Board

Jill's Journal: After researching what seems to be hundreds of floor plans to find the one that would fit our needs best, Rob thought he’d found our future RV. Until tonight. We want to pull a trailer behind the RV to carry our minivan, but we just learned the model we had our eye on doesn’t have the towing capacity we need. So, it’s back to the drawing board.

Rob had another thought as well. Perhaps a travel trailer might also suit us well. It still gives us 40 feet of living space and the spare vehicle we need, as we’d have to tow it with a truck. That truck could then be unhitched and the trailer left in a park…that way Rob could still work uninterrupted while I’m off exploring with the girls. There’s just no way around it – we need some kind of vehicle and some living space. So maybe this is an option. We shall see.

We really believe we’d prefer a conventional RV instead of a travel trailer, but the latter is far more economical and may be the smarter way to go. Again, we shall see.

We’re also constantly on the lookout for great ideas to help us through that year or two and we found one recently! Space Bags, the kind where you suck the air out of the storage bag with a vacuum. We bought some a week or so ago to see how they might work and it appears they’ll suit our purposes quite nicely. We’re planning to live in quite the minimalistic manner, but with three little kids and two adults, we’re going to need at least a few pieces of clothing! Our big concern is winter clothes vs. summer clothes. We plan to follow the seasons for the majority of the time, but how nice will it be to be able shrink our jackets and blankets when we’re in a hot climate?

Catastrophic Failure

AAARGGHHHHHHHHHOOOOoohhhhhhhhhhahaaaaahhhhhhh...sob.sob....whimper.

I lost everything. E-mail, graphics, Google-frickin-earth. Anything and everything I did for the last year or so. My laptop had a complete and utter drive failure and it just 'went away'... So, now I'm rebuilding - with an eye toward keeping everything backed-up in duplicate.

Work stuff I can recover or remake. Most of it is posted to the website, so that shouldn't be a problem. E-mail - much of it is unimportant (although it has created my first hole is past email since 1996), however work stuff I was able to pinpoint and have Gregg send. Overall, not too bad.

The biggest problem is that I lost ALL my google earth stuff. All that work, all that research - and I have no idea what I put there or how I found it. I'm getting glimmers here and there, and I think I can replace some of it - but there are a TON of hours wasted. Oh well - moving forward...

I have to plan on how to do backups (online?) and have the ability to pull a machine back together on the road (have a second one setup to accept the backup? backup hard drive? how much equipment do I need to carry to be absolutely certain I have no downtime?) Now, there is another step - what about the servers? I need to make sure that access is 100%, that Gregg has everything, absolutely everything to back me up. I need to be sure things are running very well and that my disappearance on a weekend is not going to kill the job. Iglou will be a big help with things - I can trust them, and everyone else should be just fine - but I've got to keep an eye on things and make sure I have everything perfectly dialed in... Make a list - More Research ;)

On the Same Page…

Jill's Journal: Rob and I have shared many long conversations this week – some stretching into the wee hours of the night – about our RV future. We’ve learned so much together and are quickly formulating a game plan for the multiple layers this entails. But the most exciting thing is surely this: we are completely, totally, 100% on the same page in every aspect imaginable. I’m pretty certain that’s the only way we could even consider undertaking this major life change with little kids in tow.

Here’s another exciting thing…we’re coming to realize a year might not be enough. I had been balking at much longer because I didn’t want to hold the girls out of the social interaction regular school provides any longer than a year. But it has dawned on me that they have the rest of their lives to be in “normal” social situations. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will also give them a wealth of first-hand knowledge. And that’s why I’ve stopped balking.

This week Rob and I have both acknowledged that a two-year road trip is a little more realistic to be able to do the traveling and spend the time in each place that we hope. Two years! That’s 2010 to 2012. WOW!

I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes as a teenager:

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
– Saint Augustine, 354-430 A.D.

Schooling on the Road

Jill's Journal: Since home schooling was never something I envisioned in our future, it is with a bit of trepidation that I approach it. A conversation with a pediatrician this week gave me some enlightenment. Much to my surprise, he said Kentucky does not regulate home schooling in any way. I had learned previously that I just need to submit some paperwork to the school district when we decide to do this, but I expected there to be a curriculum to follow, something in black and white to get me started and hold me accountable. He said it’s totally up to us as to what kind of approach we want to take. A Christian or secular route? A general overview or study focused more on one aspect? Yikes. I want the best, most well-rounded education for my young children. This is going to take some research to find what suits us most effectively. The doctor said he’s come across quite a few home schooling groups over the years and I guess one of the first steps is finding them. Thank goodness for the internet.

Too many days...

Its really been too many days since I last blogged. Between work and family time, its hard to find time to do things like this, but I'm trying harder than I did with my poker blog. That one I always waited until the very end of the day, and by that point I was too 'done' to bother. Might be why I haven't blogged there since October.

I have been doing things to move forward. I read a great basic book from Wal-mart ($10) that had so much information in it - from this guy that used to be a sales manager. The RV Book told me that I know enough to start looking around and asking questions. I think I've got a good solution for the van (unless we were to buy a rig like Gone Richter). Towing on that trailer will work well for what we are trying to do. I think I'll be able to make some kind of bike rack with 2 inch square steel, mounting them like they are in the garage. That should give me a good contact, along with the ability to lock them down and still store other things on that trailer. I still have to measure and draw it up - and figure out the bike trailer, but my thought there is to store it on the other side - toward the RV. We'll see - drawings to come.

I've also been looking over the little catalog from Camping World - what a boon! I've now got a way to look at W/D, solar recharge and know to look into a tracking satellite for web. I'm ready to start buying bowls and collanders, and I've found myself thinking in entirely new ways about products I buy, money I spend, and business I keep or let go. EVERYTHING is about this trip now, and I only wish it could start sooner. it might be time to restructure a few priorities to try to get there.

--R.

RV FAQ

Jill's Journal: At this point, we’ve shared our RV plans with just a very few people. They all seem to have the same questions. So, without further ado, here is a list of common RV FAQ, complete with answers!

What about Rob’s job?

That one is easy – Rob already telecommutes, so as long as he has a computer and an internet connection, he can literally work from anywhere. We’re envisioning doing most of our driving on the weekends and setting up base camp for a week at a time, giving him an uninterrupted work week. I’ll spend lots of time exploring kid-friendly activities with the girls to give him plenty of peace and quiet for work.

What about school?

I’ll home school the girls. Erika will be in first grade, Madelyn will be in second-year preschool, and Victoria will still be too young for anything at all official. My girls love to learn and we already do little educational sessions here at home for fun. I don’t think this will be a difficult transition for them. We do worry a little bit about a lack of social interaction for them, but it’s only for a year. They have each other and we have lots of friends we plan to visit who have kids their ages. And surely we’ll find other kids to play with at campgrounds and various places. I also have no qualms about hunting down parks and all sorts of fun places in new cities where kids come in spades. In addition, we have many kid-friendly activities already on our developing itinerary (i.e. Crayola Factory, Sesame Place, etc.).

Are you crazy, doing this with little kids?

Maybe! It’s something we’ve always wanted to do and for a long time we entertained the notion of doing it sometime in the future. But when? The kids likely won’t enjoy it when they become teenagers and we don’t want to wait until they’re all out of the house because we’ll be too dang old! We’ve decided there’s no time like the present. They’re young, enjoy adventure and travel, and still like our company right now! What a wonderful life experience and incredible education for them. Plus, we want them to always follow their dreams. This is a pretty good example for them.

Do you realize how tiny an RV is? Especially for five people?

Oh yes, we know. But we’re already in a very small home and Rob also works from home, so we’re all used to spending lots of time together in a small space. Lots of larger families in history lived in a smaller space with a lot more people. It’s only a hardship if you believe it is.

Won’t you get sick of being on the road?

That’s always a possiblity. But we don’t think so. Rob and I have always loved road trips. Loved them with a passion. We really can’t think of any better way to travel right now than in an RV. To be able to move our home and necessary belongings pretty effortlessly, to see the country but still sleep in our own bed every night appeals to us tremendously.

When your trip is over, will you still live in Lexington?

Honestly, we don’t know, but that’s part of the reason for our trip. We had been planning on buying a new, bigger house in 2010 and really had no intention of living anywhere but Kentucky for the rest of our lives. However, lots of things have made us rethink that stance lately. We really do love it here, but since we got out of breeding Thoroughbreds (a whole ‘nother story but primarily because our focus is 100% on our children right now), it’s not as crucial that we live in Thoroughbred “Mecca.”

Moving is something we’ve been thinking about for a while – are we 100% certain we want our children to call this area of the country home forever? We’ve been here for 12 years and it’s a lovely place to raise a family, but is it a perfect fit for us? We’re open to other areas too.

This RV trip is partly to let us “live” temporarily in a few of the places on our list that we’ve been considering and let us “scratch the itch,” so to speak. We hope it will tell us if Kentucky is going to be our “forever home” or if that might be somewhere else. High on our list is the Central Coast of California, a place we fell in love with on a recent trip and, as an added bonus, a place where Kristi and Adam will be moving after school. The four of us have had many conversations about the “compound” we want to build together! Another place that really appeals to us is Montana. Or we may find somewhere else…or we may recommit entirely to Kentucky. We shall see, but we don’t see any point in buying a new house until we know exactly where we’re going to live for the rest of our lives. Enter the RV plan. Perfect timing.

Why?

Think of the adventure! This will be something to remember for a lifetime. We only live once and we’ve always believe in making the most of it.

Parent Considerations

Jill's Journal: By this point, some of our closest friends know of our RV plans. Some undoubtedly think we’re crazy and some think we’re cool, but we’re not ready to spill the beans to the world just yet, or more accurately, to our parents. Here we are, in our mid-30s, adults in every sense of the word, and we’re afraid to tell our parents! We don’t know how they’ll react, but we suspect they’re going to meet the news with skepticism and concern. Our suspicion is that Rob’s Mom will most likely worry about how it affects her, as she moved here to Kentucky nearly nine years ago to be near us, and my Mom and Dad will most likely worry about how it will affect the well-being of their grandkids.

Regardless, this is a little more complex than a move to a new state and we don’t think either of the parental units are going to be pleased with us. Maybe they’ll surprise us. We hope they do.

Either way, it’s a conversation we’re not looking forward to having. We’ve thought long and hard about the best time to tell them and we’ve sort of given ourselves a deadline of Christmas. The trip is still a year and a half away at this point – no sense in telling them too soon and letting them stew over it for an extra year. Christmastime is plenty of time in advance and will give them six months to adjust to the news. I’d really like to just wait and spring it on them about a week before we leave so we don’t have to hear about it any longer than we have to!! Too bad that’s probably not the best course of action.