My wife and I went to an RV show to kill some time ... our new 41 foot 2016 Durango Gold arrives the end of March ... go figure. We're retired and international travel became too oriented toward "risk management" with commercial transportation constantly targeted (and Americans in particular) by various wackos ... so we decided that seeing our own beautiful country would be just as exciting and much safer. We're not selling our home (yet) in San Antonio, TX ... but we did sell the boat and airplane which have been converted into a 5th wheel and tow truck (Ford F-350 4x4 with 6.7 diesel). I may get a bumper sticker for the RV that says "I used to be an airplane". I'm approaching 70 so flying was eventually going to stop anyway, why not now? Pilots find out they are too old to fly in several different ways and this one was preferred over all the others . Airplanes and boats are both money pits. The only thing that keeps them flying and floating is MONEY. So those expensive hobbies went away which matches up much better with our retiree income. I have always been a very curious guy ... whatever I got into, I need to know all about it. Now I have a whole new world that I know nothing about and I have been hard at it learning about RVing, towing, etc. What i have learned is that i have a lot to learn. Thank goodness for the internet. We intend to take delivery of our new "rig" and then go on a short one week shake down trip to nearby Castroville, TX (they have a very nice RV resort with attached golf course). This will help us to learn what should and shouldn't be doing and will be (hopefully) a relatively painless experience. After we figure out a few things, and we're confident that we a able to do this safely and well, we will hit the road. Looking forward to this new adventure and to meeting new friends and seeing new places.
PrairieRV said
06:08 PM Feb 6, 2016
I'll say "Welcome" to you, even though I'm fairly new here, also.
My dad was in the general aviation business all my life, and I don't think it would have been possible without making it a business. H also traded it for RVing, though the longest trips my folks took were only 1 month.
I look forward to learning about your experiences.
Patti
RonC said
10:03 PM Feb 6, 2016
Thx Patti .... Flying is a small fraternity, but for me, it is time to move on. I'll be "flying" my new BIG F-350 ... (What a monster to park). I just go to the far end of the parking lot an take up My required two spots, without bothering anybody else.😎
-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 18th of February 2017 10:19:08 AM
John U said
03:44 AM Feb 7, 2016
RonC,
Welcome to the forum from a fellow Texan! Have a good friend who moved from DFW to San Antonio and when visiting him in my RV stay at the Alsatain RV Resort in Castroville. My wife loved the spa. I love the 100' concrete pads! LOL! One of my fav RV Resorts. Very similar somewhat stories as I still fly and usu keep my RV in my hangar. Your thoughts parallel mine as International Travel has become dangerous IMHO. Typing this from China. Leaving for Tibet tomorrow morning. But IMHO is becoming too dangerous anymore! Bought my first motor home in 1970 when I returned from the scenic government tour of SE Asia. Viet Nam for you youngsters out there. LOL! I travel apx 8-9 months a year for the last 26 years since I retired most of it in our motor home. New to the forum myself. You are correct that flying is a small fraternity.
My first decade or so of Rving was just one or two weekend trips a month from Friday night to Sunday night mostly boondocking but I was hooked. Esp love the High Chihuahuan Desert in West and SW Texas. Very beautiful and serene! You are correct about the money pits! LOL! hmmm....maybe not LOL!
John
Terry and Jo said
08:36 AM Feb 7, 2016
Well, welcome to both Ron and John.
The RV Dreams forum, as well as the rest of Howard and Linda's website is a good place to get knowledge. While it is geared toward those that are full-timing, it is still an educational adventure for those part-timers as well. If you have questions, feel free to ask, because the only "dumb" questions are those that don't get asked and someone then makes and expensive or time consuming mistake.
There are a lot of folks here with knowledge of just about every type of RV, plus most all of their appliances and systems.
Good to have all of you joining the RV Dreams "family."
Terry
RonC said
08:56 AM Feb 7, 2016
Awesome to have such a warm welcome. To John ... the Alsatian RV Resort is the "Castroville" location I mentioned. I think the 100 foot pull thru will serve me best due to my low experience level. Looking forward to learning from the collective wisdom that you all have and pretty jazzed about this next step in our lives. We don't expect to be full timers, but never say never. For now we intend to hit the road every other month or so for a big trip as we work on our bucket list. I can't let my golf game get too rusty.
jayc said
08:41 PM Feb 7, 2016
Hello Ron and thanks for your service. As Terry said, there is a lot of information here. Don't hesitate to ask questions.
jrzygrl64 said
12:18 PM Feb 8, 2016
Welcome! Bill and I are on our way to San Antonio as I type!
RonC said
06:49 PM Mar 31, 2016
Jrzygrl64 ... you'll love San Antonio ... and thanks for "service" recognition. Does the 64 in your handle have anything to do with the year you graduated from high school? I ask because that was my graduation year.
This website has been SO helpful in getting us started in th RV lifestyle, and everyone has been so welcoming, it assures us that we've made a good decision to travel and socialize with fellow RVers. Pretty exciting stuff for an old guy!
Camper Chronicles said
08:52 AM Apr 6, 2016
RonC wrote:
I have always been a very curious guy ... whatever I got into, I need to know all about it. Now I have a whole new world that I know nothing about and I have been hard at it learning about RVing, towing, etc.
HI Ron,
Your post made me laugh :) I am also a very curious person and this is a fantastic lifestyle for that. There is always something new to learn or a new place to explore and it's a great fit for those of us who are endlessly curious. Welcome aboard and parking these beasts is a little like landing a plane so I love the analogy!
BiggarView said
07:33 PM Apr 6, 2016
Lee and Trace wrote:
RonC wrote:
I have always been a very curious guy ... whatever I got into, I need to know all about it. Now I have a whole new world that I know nothing about and I have been hard at it learning about RVing, towing, etc.
HI Ron,
Your post made me laugh :) I am also a very curious person and this is a fantastic lifestyle for that. There is always something new to learn or a new place to explore and it's a great fit for those of us who are endlessly curious. Welcome aboard and parking these beasts is a little like landing a plane so I love the analogy!
Having flown, I'd have to say landing is a fair bit trickier than parking an RV, of any type. However having said that, with practice both become more or less routine... just don't ever take for granted that it will go off without a hitch and abort an unfavorable situation rather than press a bad one.
Ron, you will learn to love researching. By way of example I know way more now than I ever knew about solar power.
jrzygrl64 said
10:01 PM Apr 6, 2016
Hello again! Just saw you asked me a question!
The 64 refers to the year I was born - didn't graduate high school until 1983.
RonC said
06:16 PM Apr 28, 2016
Oops! My bad, 1964 was the year I graduated from high school, so I'm a good bit older than you ... now that I think about it, I'm older than a LOT of people 😎
Terry and Jo said
08:33 PM Apr 28, 2016
RonC wrote:
Oops! My bad, 1964 was the year I graduated from high school, so I'm a good bit older than you ... now that I think about it, I'm older than a LOT of people 😎
Same with me. Born in 1946 and graduated high school in 1964. But, I don't consider myself old. At the last church we attended, which was in Colorado Springs, the elders asked me to organize a "Seniors" program. I told them that I had no idea what seniors wanted to do. So, I started asking some of the longer time members about what previous programs had included. I also told them that I didn't feel like a senior and had no idea what to organize. They asked my age, and when I answered, two of the ladies told me that I was just a "senior in training."
My wife and I went to an RV show to kill some time ... our new 41 foot 2016 Durango Gold arrives the end of March ... go figure. We're retired and international travel became too oriented toward "risk management" with commercial transportation constantly targeted (and Americans in particular) by various wackos ... so we decided that seeing our own beautiful country would be just as exciting and much safer. We're not selling our home (yet) in San Antonio, TX ... but we did sell the boat and airplane which have been converted into a 5th wheel and tow truck (Ford F-350 4x4 with 6.7 diesel). I may get a bumper sticker for the RV that says "I used to be an airplane". I'm approaching 70 so flying was eventually going to stop anyway, why not now? Pilots find out they are too old to fly in several different ways and this one was preferred over all the others
. Airplanes and boats are both money pits. The only thing that keeps them flying and floating is MONEY. So those expensive hobbies went away which matches up much better with our retiree income. I have always been a very curious guy ... whatever I got into, I need to know all about it. Now I have a whole new world that I know nothing about and I have been hard at it learning about RVing, towing, etc. What i have learned is that i have a lot to learn. Thank goodness for the internet. We intend to take delivery of our new "rig" and then go on a short one week shake down trip to nearby Castroville, TX (they have a very nice RV resort with attached golf course). This will help us to learn what should and shouldn't be doing and will be (hopefully) a relatively painless experience. After we figure out a few things, and we're confident that we a able to do this safely and well, we will hit the road. Looking forward to this new adventure and to meeting new friends and seeing new places.
My dad was in the general aviation business all my life, and I don't think it would have been possible without making it a business. H also traded it for RVing, though the longest trips my folks took were only 1 month.
I look forward to learning about your experiences.
Patti
Thx Patti .... Flying is a small fraternity, but for me, it is time to move on. I'll be "flying" my new BIG F-350 ... (What a monster to park). I just go to the far end of the parking lot an take up My required two spots, without bothering anybody else.😎
-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 18th of February 2017 10:19:08 AM
RonC,
Welcome to the forum from a fellow Texan! Have a good friend who moved from DFW to San Antonio and when visiting him in my RV stay at the Alsatain RV Resort in Castroville. My wife loved the spa. I love the 100' concrete pads! LOL! One of my fav RV Resorts. Very similar somewhat stories as I still fly and usu keep my RV in my hangar. Your thoughts parallel mine as International Travel has become dangerous IMHO. Typing this from China. Leaving for Tibet tomorrow morning. But IMHO is becoming too dangerous anymore! Bought my first motor home in 1970 when I returned from the scenic government tour of SE Asia. Viet Nam for you youngsters out there. LOL! I travel apx 8-9 months a year for the last 26 years since I retired most of it in our motor home. New to the forum myself. You are correct that flying is a small fraternity.
My first decade or so of Rving was just one or two weekend trips a month from Friday night to Sunday night mostly boondocking but I was hooked. Esp love the High Chihuahuan Desert in West and SW Texas. Very beautiful and serene! You are correct about the money pits! LOL! hmmm....maybe not LOL!
John
Well, welcome to both Ron and John.
The RV Dreams forum, as well as the rest of Howard and Linda's website is a good place to get knowledge. While it is geared toward those that are full-timing, it is still an educational adventure for those part-timers as well. If you have questions, feel free to ask, because the only "dumb" questions are those that don't get asked and someone then makes and expensive or time consuming mistake.
There are a lot of folks here with knowledge of just about every type of RV, plus most all of their appliances and systems.
Good to have all of you joining the RV Dreams "family."
Terry
Hello Ron and thanks for your service. As Terry said, there is a lot of information here. Don't hesitate to ask questions.
This website has been SO helpful in getting us started in th RV lifestyle, and everyone has been so welcoming, it assures us that we've made a good decision to travel and socialize with fellow RVers. Pretty exciting stuff for an old guy!
HI Ron,
Your post made me laugh :) I am also a very curious person and this is a fantastic lifestyle for that. There is always something new to learn or a new place to explore and it's a great fit for those of us who are endlessly curious. Welcome aboard and parking these beasts is a little like landing a plane so I love the analogy!
Having flown, I'd have to say landing is a fair bit trickier than parking an RV, of any type.
However having said that, with practice both become more or less routine... just don't ever take for granted that it will go off without a hitch and abort an unfavorable situation rather than press a bad one.
Ron, you will learn to love researching. By way of example I know way more now than I ever knew about solar power.
The 64 refers to the year I was born - didn't graduate high school until 1983.
Oops! My bad, 1964 was the year I graduated from high school, so I'm a good bit older than you ... now that I think about it, I'm older than a LOT of people 😎
Same with me. Born in 1946 and graduated high school in 1964. But, I don't consider myself old. At the last church we attended, which was in Colorado Springs, the elders asked me to organize a "Seniors" program. I told them that I had no idea what seniors wanted to do. So, I started asking some of the longer time members about what previous programs had included. I also told them that I didn't feel like a senior and had no idea what to organize. They asked my age, and when I answered, two of the ladies told me that I was just a "senior in training."
Suits me.
Terry