So my husband and I have finished our travels and have planted ourselves in northeast Florida.  We will be looking for work and moving into a condo this week and then putting our RV in storage.  I was wondering what we should do to the RV before storing it. 

I just saw a ****roach in the RV this morning.  Is there something I should do to get rid of them?  Things have been a bit chaotic lately and the place is a mess so I'm sure that doesn't help matters.

I find it amuzing that activeboard edited c0ckroach.

-Colleen

pierreandcolleen wrote:

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I find it amuzing that activeboard edited c0ckroach.

-Colleen

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I don't know much about this topic but we store our RV most of the time right now, so I can help with a couple of things. First, set off a couple of Combat bombs to take care of the roaches.

Protect your tires from the sun with covers.

Make sure your exterior vents have a screen on them to keep wasps, etc. out.

I'm sure the veterans here can add a bunch more to this list.

-Connie





-- Edited by RodnReal on Monday 28th of September 2009 04:52:06 AM

-- Edited by RodnReal on Monday 28th of September 2009 04:53:28 AM

I would suggest calling the Orkin Man ASAP. ****roaches eat combat bombs for breakfast in Florida, Texas, Louisiana and anywhere near to the Gulf Coast. If you don't get ahead of the game then they will win and go forth and multiply...

Clean out the refrigerator and freezer then keep the doors open to prevent mold from growing inside.  Remove any food containers from your cabinets.

Go over the roof of your RV and patch any suspicious areas to prevent leaks.  Also inspect around the window frames and the slide seals.

If you have a battery disconnect make sure it's off.   If you can, top off the water in the batteries and charge them every few weeks.

By the way, in Florida they're called "palmetto bugs", not c0ckroaches!  :)  This is the preferred Chamber of Commerce name!!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. 

I think Palmetto bugs sound better than c0ckroaches :)

-Colleen

That's the idea!  We don't want to scare away anyone thinking about spending some time in paradise (Florida)!  :)

Welcome to Florida!  You are arriving at a good time of year weather wise........but also welcome to "bug" central........we grow then BIG here in Florida.

You wont' have to worry about freezing weather in Florida but wait until next summer.

Dampness is a huge issue, or I should say humidity is more like it.  I use damprid in our 5th wheel and change out the containers monthly.

You can also put some mothballs in your closets and other cabinets for the critters.

I would recommend taking as many valuables as possible out of the RV if you are storing it.  With the economy like it is RV's in storage are prime targets for DVR's, TV's you name it they will steal it to pawn.

Best of luck and I will miss following your blog "Are We There yet".
Susan

Thanks Susan!

I haven't updated the blog in awhile because it has been a little stressful lately (coach, dinette, side of beds stacked halfway to the ceiling with our STUFF from back home).  That same STUFF we have had no use for in the past 15 months so I'm not sure why we need it now. 

I still plan on updating the blog from time to time - and we still plan on RVing once in awhile.  Our goal is to take a couple months in the summer and travel back home to Vermont (partly to avoid the heat, but also to see family).  Of course I haven't figured out what I will do for W-O-R-K (the other 4 letter word) yet.  Potential employers don't always like it when you tell them you plan on skipping town for part of the year:)  I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work, but I think I will have a hard time giving up the freedom that I have gotten used to in the past 15 months of fulltiming.  For now I'm going to be promoting my husband's health and wellness coaching practice and his newsletter (www.PhysicianHealthCoach.com) while looking for work.  Maybe I'll go into pest control - always a demand for it here in the beautiful Sunshine State :)

Colleen

Colleen,

I'm afraid that you have not encountered one of the most serious "bugs" yet. It's called the "full-timing bug" and I've know people who just can't get rid of it. It has been known to stay alive for years, and may very well never die.

I know the "money thing" is important, but this "bug" is powerful and will constantly be trying to find a way to pull you back into the lifestyle.

Best of luck in whatever you do, but watch out for the "bug".

Jim

Jim,
You make a very good point!  We have enjoyed our travels, but its not the end of it.  The RV looks pretty sad sitting in the storage facility next to the other forgotten-about campers.  We are planning to take small trips here and there and then make our way up to New England in the summers.  I think fulltiming is a great lifestyle.  However I would get a bigger RV next time. 28.5 ft with only 1 slide starts to feel a little small after awhile (especially with all of our junk in it :). 

I do have to laugh.  We just moved into a condo here in FL and it has less cupboard space in the kitchen than our RV. 

Happy travels!
Colleen

If I weren't a caregiver for my mom, I wouldn't have a cardboard box against the cold. And one day she's gonna die, making me look for the cardboard box. It wasn't always this way. Once upon a time, I thought *everyone* got three vacations a year. Dad took us to so many places, I swear he knew every Stucky's manager between Evansville and Key West, personally. I visited 46 states and Puerto Rico twice before I was 15. From 10 days old until 15, my life was on the road. To this day, burning diesel comforts me. I'm not kidding. I've fought and scratched, working crazy hours and at crazy wages hoping to one day earn my next vacation. It's literally been 30 years. Sure, I've changed towns to work a couple of times, but I've never had a vacation on the road since I was 15. Three years later Dad died and it changed everything. I've never left the house with the single intent of exploration and fun, to come back a week later. But that used to be my life. Just 200 feet from here is a beautiful Airstream. The couple, like so many, worked like *demons* amassing the wealth it requires to have such nice things. They deserve to be out on the road, sipping iced tea against the setting sun overlooking the Red River Valley. Back where my dad was happiest. But she's had a stroke. Perfectly healthy people...but in moments, it all changed. Don't misunderstand: I'm not throwing stones, not talking from envy. These just this well-defined path through which these things work, and either way you could lose. 1. Keep it. Pay each month for the storage and any loan it might have. You really need to give it solid care; 70% of us don't, and wind up needing the ICE removed from the pipes for thousands of dollars. If you don't acutally use it, it'll be a drag. It'll be the reason you can't take a plane flight to be with family when someone gets sick. It can catch fire when you merely *think* the insurance has been paid. We did this. 2. Sell it. Use the money to start a soap farm; start collecting international hats. Whatever. Later, it might be hard putting several thousands of dollars together for another. We did this, too. The point is not to confound you with horrors, but to ensure you make an intentional choice: Maybe the road's not for you/you-two. Maybe you still want to talk about it. But decide soon; in storage, it can sap you of real joy, if you're not so hungry for the road. OR, it can sap your joy, 'cause you sold it, and want it back. Just be careful, ok? I can't express to you just how much I miss the road. I actually re-visit The Church of the Transfiguration in Jackson Hole, in dreams. And can't tell you how sorry I feel for my neighbor with the classiest of RV's of my generation who invested all the time and tears, but can't go anymore. I don't want you to feel this pain, either. Don't let it linger; decide and be happy.