searching for a home

[carolb]

OMG, just wrote a lengthy "introduction," hit "preview," and it disappeared! Good grief! Here I go again, but I'm making this brief!
I'm RETIRED! Just received my first SS check, and I'm on the road, writing this from my sister's horse farm in Central IL. I've lived all over--NY, CA, IL, AZ--and now I'm back in my small home town in central NY. Discussing "what do I do now" with my bro and sis, I've decided that my future is on the road. Never been happier than when I'm on the road--whether it was with my parents in their RV or in my small car with my two dogs, as I'm doing now. Now I need to find an RV--looking at class b. My sis is a master at the internet and has found sites for buying one, and then she found this site, so here I am. I'm hoping to have one (a "rig"?) by the end of summer, so that's the first part of this intro--any suggestions????

As for me, I returned to my small hometown eight years ago, semi-retired, earning a meager income by substitute teaching while awaiting SS. I've done everything from teaching at a community college to delivering pizzas. My education is in psych and sociology, but I was never one who was interested in a "career." I tried marriage, loved being a "housewife" even though I never had children, but I've been single for the past 18 years. I now live my life as a "housewife" but just doing everything for me and my two mixed-breed dogs (med/sm in size). I was never one to take a "vacation" to hotels, but rather to visit fam/friends and just hang out, helping them with projects or cleaning house for them while they're at work.

Hope that I can get some good info from any of you??? and will be glad to eventually share anything with the site as to my travels. I'm also very interested in expanding my travels beyond visiting fam/friends in order to see other parts of the country--meeting some of you????? I'll keep you posted on my progress, and again, suggestions/hints are welcome!.....THANKS! Carol B

[Bethers]

Welcome Carol B! Glad to have you with us. And it sounds like you have a very workable plan. My only suggestion is to not limit yourself to Class B's. Sounds like you know you don't want to go big (I'm with you on that) but I'd also look at the small C's - just walk around in both, get a good feel for them. I could live in either, but so far haven't found many B's with a fridge I can live with full time. The one in my C is wonderful - and I need the space because I often get into areas for longer periods of time, out in the boonies - and want to know I don't need to leave to find a store. But that's just me! And if I had the smaller fridge, would find a way to make it work.

Read and comment anywhere - and take a look at the get together room - maybe you can make one ??

[Dawn309]

Hi and welcome Carol. We love new people. You have found a great group of ladies. There are GTg's Get to Gethers in all parts of the country. You can check them out in the GTG section. We are having one in Florida in January and would love to meet you if you can make that one. We are from all walks of life, doing what we love to do.

Please feel free to jump in on any conversation. You will find we are all opinionated, but we don't take offense at a different point of view. We learn from each other.

[mitch5252]

..

A big, ol' Forum Welcome to you, Carol! We're glad you found us and look forward to getting to know you better. Sorry I can't help you make a decision - I have a tiny travel trailer used only occasionally. But there are lots of intelligent women around here who will pose questions you need to ask yourself and help you think about what's best for you.

[Sandersmr]

Welcome!

I'm with Mitch in that I tow a small trailer and only part-time. I'm not old enough to retire yet... ok, ok, I'm old enough just not rich enough. So I go out when I can. But I love to travel via most modes of transportation and even flying is getting better with the body scanners.

[ellenw]

Welcome Carol! I second Beth about walking through them. I had my eye on a Four Winds Class C, the 23U (24'10"), whose floor plan I liked a lot, but when I walked through it last Sunday at a dealer's, I discovered I can't reach the freezer above the fridge! (I'm about 4'11".) Just the way the innards were placed below the fridge instead of above the freezer, made the whole thing too high.

Definitely consider joining a GTG (Get Together). I see it as a way to map out a route when you don't know where to start on your list PLUS you'll meet all kinds of new women friends. Win-Win!

[oregonrambler1]

welcome to the forum, there's a lot of great info here and many wonderful women who love to talk about rigs, recipes, campgrounds, travel ..just about everything! We have a shorter (30') Cls A with two slides and I love this rig. It is the shortest we've ever owned (other than a 28' trailer way back). I'd love to fulltime and travel but my SO (significant other) likes to maintain a stick & brick so we compromise and live in Oregon during late spring, summer and fall, then we travel during the winter, mostly following the sun heading south. We also enjoy camping weekends in our state during the summer. We're long time members of RVing Women and belong to the Oregon Chapter which has monthly rallies from March to October. If you plan to travel alot you might want to check out the website since RVing Women is a nation wide organization with many chapters, rallies and events. http://www.rvingwomen.org If there are any questions I can answer for you just give me a jingle.

[carolb]

TRULY AMAZING! Never expected such great and welcoming responses SO SOON! Okay, I feel like part of the "family" already, and will see if I can find a local chapter in central NY so I can meet some of you. Yes, good advice to not limit myself to a class B (which I've never been in!) until I've walked through and around several types/styles. ...Hmmm, I'd been somewhat planning to get to FL in January--my sis will be down there. Tentatively, that's my plan for my first solo RV trip. But If I get one by the end of summer, I'm not waiting!!!! Thanks sooo much to all who responded! Blessings to all of you! AND I'm NOT hitting the "preview" choice this time!

[avalen]

Welcome, lucky you to be looking for your rv now, I've got less than two years to go but I'll be looking for a class c. I've already
decided that. I have a fifth wheel but at 29 ft its just too big for me to consider hauling around the country. I'll be happier in
a 24 foot class c. Go to some dealers and walk through a few and see what feels good and what you can live with and what
you can't. I've discovered with my fifthwheel that when the slide is in I can't access the microwave or the tv in the livingroom.
So that will be something I'll check out when I start shopping for my class c. I already know that I DO want a slide cause it feels
so much bigger when its open. Just some ideas for ya there to consider.

[mitch5252]

Okay, I feel like part of the "family" already, and will see if I can find a local chapter in central NY so I can meet some of you.

Carol, rvingwomen.org is NOT this group here. We here are womenrv.com. I believe rvingwomen.org is a group that charges an annual fee to belong. This group does not. I really don't know how many women here (womenrv.com) also belong there (rvingwomen.org), so I don't know how many of US you'd meet at a "local chapter"

Just wanted to clear that up. But no matter what, we're still the BEST!!!

[WickedLady]

Welcome to this forum, Carol B. Hope to meet you on the road someday.

[BirdbyBird]

welcome to the forum....and actually owning an RV is not a requirement to attending any of the gtg's. We are sneaky like that...you come visit and sit around a campfire and the next thing you know (weeks, months or even a couple years later...) if you haven't found one on your own you may find a couple of us walking through units with you and then helping you spend your money for the accessories...

[oregonrambler1]

Carol, Mitch is correct, RVing Women and womenrv.com are two separate venues catering to women who like to camp and rv. She is also correct in that womenrv is free and RVing Women does have annual dues but both are admirable for the support, encouragement, and comraderie afforded us. Another difference I find is that womenrv events are less structured, someone going camping can post their whereabouts here on the forum so others can plan to meet. RVing Women's events are pre-planned, some by chapter, some by national (ie: the Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico). Most events have deadline sign-ups and activity agendas. Personally I think it is wonderful that we have two diverse organizations with the same goal.

[Getupngo]

Welcome, Carol. I've read some good advice here about really looking around to find what you want. I bought an older Class C with no room slides and found I REALLY wanted more wardrobe space. So when I bought my Class A, that was my primary concern ... everything else just fell into place.

I would also suggest taking an experienced RV'er with you, if you can. He or she will know what to look for and what things to ask about. I bumbled along and made my mistakes.

[lak99]

Hi Carol,

Very happy that you found us. I am new to this group too.
Like you I was married (for 10 years) single for 18 years, married again
for another 10 years and now widowed for 12 years. No children (by choice).
I am hoping to start camping again with my two kitties.

I am a semi retired computer programmer in the Medical Clinical Trial area.
I will probably have to take on contract jobs to make ends meet. But for now
I am just trying to get back to camping with the goal for being a full-timer.

I hope you enjoy these ladies as much as I have since joining about 2 1/2 weeks
ago.