The history behind the purchase....

Once upon a time, not that long ago ( 4 years ) we were happily camping in a tent, wondering why anyone would ever want to give up these incredible, private campsites for those relegated to motorhomes.....

Norm starting a fire so we can make dinner. 

Mount Desert, Maine camped almost in the water on the Sound.

After a year or so,and a leaky tent that nearly cost us our marriage,  we decided to " upgrade " and have more room.
When you have a huge tent, you can always put your stuff in the middle and avoid the puddles around the perimeter. We got this 10x20 foot tent and thought we were sleeping in "The Ritz"!

Now this is more like it!

In 2006 we purchased a home in The Villages, Florida and moved there full time in November of 2010.  The idea of camping on the ground, with snakes, spiders and alligators was not appealing, but we managed to do it a couple of times.  The weather tended to dissuade us as well.  It was either too hot or too cold for comfort, and ohhh those daily afternoon rains!   We found that camping was pretty nearly a thing of the past.  We were saddened, but heh- life changes.

Then one day a neighbor said he was selling his RV!  Norm and I looked at each other.  A seed was planted.
RV?  Us? But we HATE those things!  We always laughed and wondered how anyone could call that "camping"?
Would we really want one of those 'rolling condominiums?"  We rented a little 22 footer in New Zealand for 6 weeks, so we knew what it was like.  Nice way to see an outrageously beautiful country.

I voted for a pop-up. Norm would have no part of it.  We looked at small ones; bed too cramped.  We spent every waking ( non-golfing ) minute for 3-4 months researching and looking at all kinds of RV's.  One thing we were CERTAIN of.  WE DID NOT WANT ONE OF THOSE 'BUS' THINGS.  YUCK!!!

Well, never say never!

SPECS:
Length 32'10" 
Exterior Height1 12'9" 
Exterior Width2 8'5.5" 
Exterior Storage3 (cu. ft.) 107 
Awning Length 17' 
Interior Height 7' 
Interior Width 8'0.5" 
Freshwater Capacity w/Heater4 (gal.) 85 
Holding Tank Capacity - Black/Gray4 (gal.) 43/48 
LP Capacity5 (gal.) 23 
Fuel Capacity (gal.) 80 
GVWR (lbs.) 22,000(A) 
GAWR - Front (lbs.) 8,000(A) 
GAWR - Rear (lbs.) 15,000(A) Wheelbase 220" 

Small, by most standards, but has all the requirements to have FUN!  Small enough for many wooded areas

We LOVE this queen size Sleep Number bed!

Now this is not too bad.  This could be a tent site!

The RV Life......

Life, in my opinion, has gotten out of control.  People want more things, bigger things, fancier things than they had the year, or month, before. Too many clothes, too many shoes, more jewelry than we need. It is amazing what few "things" are really necessary.  A roof over our head, a few utensils to cook with, an assortment of clothes. Good food, and of course, you must have a lot of beer and wine.  The last two summers were spent in Canada and we had very little television.  We missed most of the Presidential Debates, and still, a President was elected.  However, a computer has GOT to be mandatory for modern day survival, in my book.

We love the RV life, and frankly, we don't miss the "things" we have back at home. We especially don't miss the upkeep of a large house and yard.  I could leave it all in a heartbeat. Norm needs more space.  I have everything I need right here. When I realize I forgot something, I learn to live without it very quickly, and Norm, bless him, is very low maintenance.

.  

The nightmare of the laundromat!  Some RV's have
built in washer/dryer but it was hard to justify buying a much
bigger RV for the convenience of laundry.

The life aboard an RV is not completely carefree, you know.  There are everyday ( or every few days ) chores that need to be done.  For example; vacuuming. ( about 200 sq feet vs. 5000 ), washing the 10 sq feet of floor, or the minuscule bathroom. The working around the cramped bathroom is the challenge, not how many baths you have. Our little home takes minutes, not days to clean!

 Laundry is laundry, however. Our RV does not have a washer/dryer, so the most unpleasant task is the laundromat. And the cost!  Yikes!

The bathroom is pretty compact.

 There is one man-job that is usually relegated to the male population of RV'ers.  Dumping the septic tanks. It's a dirty job, but the guys always seem to take charge of that department.  I am not complaining, trust me.  I am just a little curious why that attitude does not carry over to toilet cleaning at home.

Norm doing the chore of emptying the tanks.

I still want to hover over my husband while he does this very unsanitary job to make sure the millions of
potentially life-threatening microbes do not somehow contaminate other surfaces.  " Yes, dear, I do realize you have disposable gloves on". "Yes, dear, I do see that you are using the backside of your knuckles to close that door". Still......I have witnessed him handling raw meat. One can't be too careful.  I know I am not alone.  We ladies talk.

I love crock-pot cooking!