Well now that we are down to the last week before Full Timing it is time for me to expresses my thanks and appreciation for all the input I have received from this forum. The only thing I wished we had been able to do was to have one trip under our belt in our new to us motorhome before we hit the road... but alas... the stars were not aligned...
So now it is on to the next chapter in our lives where I hope to be able to contribute to this forum in a way to help other wannabes like I was...
Ckerr said
01:11 PM Feb 22, 2011
Happy Trails! Hope we see you on the road soon!
D and M said
01:17 PM Feb 22, 2011
Congratulations and good luck. We all look forward to your progress reports.
heyduke said
09:46 PM Feb 22, 2011
got the baseplate installed on the CRV today... tomorrow the recall repairs on the fridge are to happen as well as sevicing the generator...
janni said
07:21 AM Feb 23, 2011
Isn't it a GREAT feeling? Congratulations!
Gypsy Turtle 2 said
08:11 AM Feb 23, 2011
Congratulations many times over! Although it probably felt like it would never arrive, it finally did!
Enjoy the journey.
Dreamers said
09:27 AM Feb 23, 2011
Congratulations! I can relate to waiting. We're right behind you leaving on the 21st. However, the days now are 48 hours long each. Maybe we'll see you out there somewhere.
Judy
tlmr0dg said
09:46 AM Feb 23, 2011
Congratulations to you both Heyduke and Dreamers! You are an inspiration to those of us waiting for our adventures to begin. Good luck!
Laura Raber
janieD said
10:00 AM Feb 23, 2011
Congratulations! I remember what a good but slightly terrifying feeling it was to finally push off on the adventure. Happy Trails!!
jb said
12:38 PM Feb 23, 2011
Whohoo!! Congratulations. I like the diving in rather than wading in approach anyway. Have fun!
heyduke said
08:59 PM Feb 23, 2011
thanks for all the support and we are going to need it all...
DorisandDave said
10:09 AM Feb 24, 2011
Heyduke and dreamers....
How wonderful...i hate these last weeks of waiting to go......we are right behind dreamers leaving on Mar 25th!!
Hope to see you both on the road!
Doris
BruceandTrisha said
11:03 AM Feb 24, 2011
You are going to be doing the Happy Dance! Free at last! It's an incredible feeling, isn't it? Dreams do come true!
Froggi said
11:50 AM Feb 24, 2011
WHOO-HOO!!!!
azrving said
01:30 PM Feb 24, 2011
Congrats! Wish I was ready to go!
Jake62 said
06:02 PM Feb 24, 2011
HeyDuke,
Enjoyed reviewing your blog. I may have missed it, but why did you purchase a Tiffin and why did you go with Gas vs. Diesel. We've been impressed with the Tiffin product, although we haven't owned one in the past. I wish we were in the '11 class; however, we have another 3-4 years. Congrats again ...
RVRon said
06:38 PM Feb 24, 2011
HeyDuke, we are GREEN with envy that you are so close to full timing! We have about a year to go and SO much to do! Hope we see you guys at a rally or down the road somewhere.
505ers said
10:10 PM Feb 24, 2011
CONGRATULATIONS!!! It's scary isn't it? We are close behind. Leaving for the rally on April 6th. We too have not made a trial run, so from Albuquerque to Tenneesse will be our maiden trip. Will you be at the rally? We can swap stories.
enolacamper said
09:48 AM Feb 25, 2011
Congrats. wishing you all the best! If you get into the Pa. area email and say HI!
phyllen said
10:47 AM Feb 25, 2011
And off they go! It's a great life.
bonnie and clyde said
07:25 PM Feb 25, 2011
Best Wishes--keep the dream in front of you and enjoy-
karen and al said
08:41 PM Feb 25, 2011
We are also behind you, leaving March 27. Also, like you, you have not been able to have a trip in the new rig...heck, we've been lucky with the lousy weather we've had this winter to even have it opened to pack up! I'm praying it won't be still buried in a snow bank then!! Makes me ever so grateful that this should be my last winter in this weather .
Karen and Al
djpotts55 said
09:43 PM Feb 25, 2011
Heyduke, dreamers, and Karen and Al;
Congratulations and happy travels.
We have been living full-time in our coach for about 9 months now, but will not hit the road as traveling fulltimers until June 2011. Still got some real estate to take care of and then DW will be quitting her job.
I hope to see all of you on the road sometime soon.
Drive safely and enjoy the scenery!
Travelin Duo said
11:23 PM Feb 25, 2011
Best of luck to you, and many happy fun travels. We remember how excited we were on that first day driving down the highway towards the warmth of Florida from NH in December knowing we did not have to be back home in 2 weeks as before...YIPPEE !!! We wish you safe journies and that freeeeeee feeling also!!!!
cherylbrv said
02:06 PM Apr 6, 2011
I wish you congratulations and happy trails as well, even though I'm a newbie at this forum and haven't had a chance to catch up on all your postings yet. I'm at the middle stages now; completed all the research (we know the truck & 5th wheel models we want and the state to register in) and now am just waiting until all the repairs are done on the house so I can put it up for sale (needed in order to buy the RV); also downsizing possessions.
As exciting (and I imagine scary) as this experience is, do you ever find yourself getting cold feet and questioning your decision? My husband and I have been talking about doing this when we retire for the past 25 years, but now that the time is just about at hand and the excitement of the research is over and we're down to the nitty gritty of actually taking action, I start to question if this is the right choice. Of course, I come back to this forum (and a few other resources) and it reminds me that yes, this is what we both want to do.
Travel Bug said
05:01 AM Oct 11, 2011
Hi,
We noticed you didn't get a chance to take your rig out for a trial run before you took off on the road. We are about to do the same thing. Any advice for us? We've never driven a 5er before. Our first destination is ten hours away. We plan to spend the night somewhere about halfway to our destination. When we stop for one night, is it usual to put out the slides or try to sleep on the bed without opening the slides?
We are really green!
Thank you for any help, suggestions, advice, etc., you can give.
http://travelbug-susan.blogspot.com/
Terry and Jo said
10:13 PM Oct 11, 2011
Travel Bug wrote:
Hi,
We noticed you didn't get a chance to take your rig out for a trial run before you took off on the road. We are about to do the same thing. Any advice for us? We've never driven a 5er before. Our first destination is ten hours away. We plan to spend the night somewhere about halfway to our destination. When we stop for one night, is it usual to put out the slides or try to sleep on the bed without opening the slides?
We are really green!
Thank you for any help, suggestions, advice, etc., you can give.
http://travelbug-susan.blogspot.com/
Susan,
If you have some friends or acquaintenances at work or church or other places you socialize or work that have a fifth wheel, see if they can get with you to help with hook-ups and towing tips.
Whether that is an option or not, see if there is a large empty parking lot of a church or shopping center where you can practice driving the rig. Get something like traffic cones to place in the empty parking lot and practice driving around them in different configurations and setting some up to simulate an RV site to back into. Practice backing straight in first and then try backing in from both driver side and passenger side directions.
If necessary, buy some walkie-talkies that both of you can use to communicate with each other while backing. When backing, the driver will find it easier to place his/her hand at the bottom of the steering wheel for backing up. When you do it that way, whichever way your hand moves will be the direction that the rear of the trailer will turn.
If no friends can help, check with people in a local RV park and see if anyone can give you tips and assistance.
Do not be overwhelmed with pulling a fifthwheel, but remember to allow plenty of room when making turns at intersections. When turning left, don't be afraid to move slightly into an outside lane to prevent the trailer rear end from impacting a car at the intersection. When turning right, stay as far left in your lane approaching the intersection and swing as wide as you need. If you aren't turning onto a 2 lane road, you may need to go forward slightly more before turning right into the lane.
Good luck with it all and have confidence. Once you have gained experience, always remember to respect the vehicle you are driving and stay slightly "afraid" of the thing, If you become too overconfident, that is when you will have accidents.
Terry
GENECOP said
12:47 PM Oct 12, 2011
Travel Bug wrote:
Hi,
We noticed you didn't get a chance to take your rig out for a trial run before you took off on the road. We are about to do the same thing. Any advice for us? We've never driven a 5er before. Our first destination is ten hours away. We plan to spend the night somewhere about halfway to our destination. When we stop for one night, is it usual to put out the slides or try to sleep on the bed without opening the slides?
We are really green!
Thank you for any help, suggestions, advice, etc., you can give.
http://travelbug-susan.blogspot.com/
Susan pull into as soon as you can a Wallmart Super Center, they usually have Giant parking lots that you can practice in. Like Terry said walkie talkies are a good thing to have. Most important for me is to always remain calm no matter what happens, don't rush through a bad position because you are blocking an intersection or people are waiting.,TAKE YOUR TIME.....get out and look around so you can begin to learn the parameters of your rig in relation to your perspective from inside?. And very important also is to Have Fun....G
The Hensons said
07:11 PM Oct 13, 2011
Great advice Gene!
Welcome to the life, heyduke!
Waggin Tails said
09:33 PM Oct 13, 2011
Susan,
Inexperience lasts about 5 minutes. If you are nervous about pulling a big rig. Follow the advice others have given. Big parking lots are very forgiving.
Travel safe.
heyduke said
05:42 AM Oct 14, 2011
well Susan I am a big believer of just jumping in with both feet...
advice - it really is easier than you think... you are real real big so don't worry too much as others tend to get out of your way ;) ... trust your mirrors and cameras .... always, always, always have your partner get out to assist in anything you feel concerned about (tight turns, backing up, getting into a gas station) ... only refuel in the truckers lanes at truck stops till you are more comfortable with tighter turns and places ...
email me if you need to chat or need more tips heyduke50 @ inorbit.com
heyduke said
05:43 AM Oct 14, 2011
oh and by all means put the slides out and sleep comfortably
Jim Dean said
04:58 PM Oct 19, 2011
One of the best places to practice maneuvering a rig is in the parking lot of a football field for a high school or college. In the middle of the week there is usually no traffic that you need to worry about.
RVPAINTER said
07:31 PM Oct 19, 2011
CONGRATS!!!! VERY EXCITING. WE WON'T BE TOO FAR BEHIND YOU EITHER. OUR NEXUS 31 FOOT PHANTOM CLASS C WILL BE READY FOR PICKUP EARLY TO MID MARCH 2012. DEPENDNG ON THE SNOW PREDICTIONS FOR INDIANA AND SOUTHWARD, WE WILL PICK IT UP AS SOON AS THE WEATHER SEEMS REASONABLE FOR A 4-5 DAY TRAVEL BACK TO SANTA FE NM. WE'LL STAY HERE AT A LOCAL KOA AND PRACTICE OUR NEWLY LEARNED SKILLS OF OPERATING THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF OUR RV. AFTER WHICH WE WILL HEAD OUT FOR NEW ENGLAND FOR A MEMORIAL DAY FAMILY FUNCTION AND THEN ON UP THE COAST OF NH AND ME. THEN ???????
So now it is on to the next chapter in our lives where I hope to be able to contribute to this forum in a way to help other wannabes like I was...
Congratulations to you both Heyduke and Dreamers! You are an inspiration to those of us waiting for our adventures to begin. Good luck!
Laura Raber
How wonderful...i hate these last weeks of waiting to go......we are right behind dreamers leaving on Mar 25th!!
Hope to see you both on the road!
Doris
It's scary isn't it? We are close behind. Leaving for the rally on April 6th. We too have not made a trial run, so from Albuquerque to Tenneesse will be our maiden trip.
Will you be at the rally? We can swap stories.
Congrats. wishing you all the best! If you get into the Pa. area email and say HI!
Karen and Al
Congratulations and happy travels.
We have been living full-time in our coach for about 9 months now, but will not hit the road as traveling fulltimers until June 2011. Still got some real estate to take care of and then DW will be quitting her job.
I hope to see all of you on the road sometime soon.
Drive safely and enjoy the scenery!
We wish you safe journies and that freeeeeee feeling also!!!!
As exciting (and I imagine scary) as this experience is, do you ever find yourself getting cold feet and questioning your decision? My husband and I have been talking about doing this when we retire for the past 25 years, but now that the time is just about at hand and the excitement of the research is over and we're down to the nitty gritty of actually taking action, I start to question if this is the right choice. Of course, I come back to this forum (and a few other resources) and it reminds me that yes, this is what we both want to do.
Hi,
We noticed you didn't get a chance to take your rig out for a trial run before you took off on the road. We are about to do the same thing. Any advice for us? We've never driven a 5er before. Our first destination is ten hours away. We plan to spend the night somewhere about halfway to our destination. When we stop for one night, is it usual to put out the slides or try to sleep on the bed without opening the slides?
We are really green!
Thank you for any help, suggestions, advice, etc., you can give.
http://travelbug-susan.blogspot.com/
Susan,
If you have some friends or acquaintenances at work or church or other places you socialize or work that have a fifth wheel, see if they can get with you to help with hook-ups and towing tips.
Whether that is an option or not, see if there is a large empty parking lot of a church or shopping center where you can practice driving the rig. Get something like traffic cones to place in the empty parking lot and practice driving around them in different configurations and setting some up to simulate an RV site to back into. Practice backing straight in first and then try backing in from both driver side and passenger side directions.
If necessary, buy some walkie-talkies that both of you can use to communicate with each other while backing. When backing, the driver will find it easier to place his/her hand at the bottom of the steering wheel for backing up. When you do it that way, whichever way your hand moves will be the direction that the rear of the trailer will turn.
If no friends can help, check with people in a local RV park and see if anyone can give you tips and assistance.
Do not be overwhelmed with pulling a fifthwheel, but remember to allow plenty of room when making turns at intersections. When turning left, don't be afraid to move slightly into an outside lane to prevent the trailer rear end from impacting a car at the intersection. When turning right, stay as far left in your lane approaching the intersection and swing as wide as you need. If you aren't turning onto a 2 lane road, you may need to go forward slightly more before turning right into the lane.
Good luck with it all and have confidence. Once you have gained experience, always remember to respect the vehicle you are driving and stay slightly "afraid" of the thing, If you become too overconfident, that is when you will have accidents.
Terry
Welcome to the life, heyduke!
Susan,
Inexperience lasts about 5 minutes. If you are nervous about pulling a big rig. Follow the advice others have given. Big parking lots are very forgiving.
Travel safe.
advice - it really is easier than you think... you are real real big so don't worry too much as others tend to get out of your way ;) ... trust your mirrors and cameras .... always, always, always have your partner get out to assist in anything you feel concerned about (tight turns, backing up, getting into a gas station) ... only refuel in the truckers lanes at truck stops till you are more comfortable with tighter turns and places ...
email me if you need to chat or need more tips heyduke50 @ inorbit.com
OUR BEST TO YOU FOLKS ON YOUR JOURNIES.