Single-61-is this for me?

[cinharover]

This weekend I'm renting a 20 ft Class C to take on a weekend trip to Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral, FL. My 3 cats are going with me. I'm thinking of retiring this year and trying to decide if this might be what I would like to do full time after I retire. I have a condo in Orlando (which I could rent). I am thinking of visiting relatives in TX and AZ on my way out to CA (Mendocino) to see if I might like to settle down there. I have no idea what to expect, but my biggest concerns are: 1) will my cats adapt? 2) will I feel safe? 3) will I be able to handle all the heavy lifting on my own (I'm pretty handy and self-sufficient)? and 4) will this be lonely? This is a first step in what I hope will become an eventual journey, so I'm going to enjoy reading what everyone else has written.

But would appreciate any info on cats!

Thanks.

Cindy

[mitch5252]

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Welcome to the Forum, Cindy! We're glad to have you with us. There is so much information and experience here, you'll get yourself some great advice. Good idea to rent an RV before putting big bucks into a purchase. And 61 is NOT too old to start your journey! (I was skim-reading and thought you said you were 6' 1" tall - I said to myself, now that's a tall drink of water!!)

There are ladies here who travel with cats (and other critters, too). I'm sure they'll chime in with their cat experiences...

We'll look forward to following along with you on your journey. See you on the road.

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[SoCalGalcas]

I forgot to mention the fact I traveled with a dog and cat. Both adapted quite successfully. If you do want the cats to go out, get a harness and leash for them. lyn

[BirdbyBird]

Welcome......if you check out some of the old threads I think there are some that discuss travel with kitties. Several have experiences. The more you get out and about, the more you will know the reality of traveling. There are some many choices. Fancy parking options to simple States Parks and COE options. You will figure out what fits your needs and wants best.....

[Pamela]

Hi Cindy. Welcome to a very friendly and helpful bunch of ladies. I'm fairly new to the site myself and bought my first RV (Class B 22') 2 yrs. ago. I upgraded 2 months ago to a Class C 24' Chinook Destiny (one of these days I'll stop working long enough to post a pic of me and the rig). I am 64 and looking at retiring in February, the magic 65, and still trying to decide just what I want to do. I also have 3 cats but they won't all be traveling with me as I don't think they would adapt very well. I have been on multiple forum sites and there are many who travel with cats. I've gotten some really good info especially on cages you can purchase to put outside so they can get out some (they still need to be supervised though). It's exciting and scary at the same time.

Wishing you well!
Pamela

[cpatinjones]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

[retiredhappy]

I started with my first RV when I was 65. Started with a small 19' Falcon camper; traded up to a 31' Class C and towed a car. Went fulltime for three years and workamped to support my wanderlust. Rented my house. Got tired of fulltiming so sold my house (waaaay too much yard); bought a mobile home in a senior community; sold my 30' RV and bought a 20' Roadtrek and am now happy as a clam doing shorter (?) trips. Just got back from AZ visiting one of the forum ladies (Beth). As for being lonely; walk your kitty around a campground and talk to everyone. The ladies on this forum are scattered all over the country (I'm in Kerrville TX) so you have someone to "visit" almost anywhere you go and we have GTG's (get togethers) from one coast to another - some big - some small. As for being safe; use your "gut instinct" to let you know if you're uncomfortable. the nice thing about a motorhome is that you can just get in the driver's seat even in your pj's and drive off. If you hve questions just jump on the forum - we all have opinions/answers and are always ready to share.

PS. Kerrville is at exit 505 off I-10 headed west so is you want a one night GTG as you pass through, PM me and I'll give you my phone number.

[mitch5252]

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Karen, I didn't know your full RVing history. VERY interesting.

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[Rufflesgurl]

Welcome to the forum Cindy from the central coast of CA. Enjoy your travels.

Linda

[avalen]

welcome

[nella74nasus]

Cindy, I'm in Southern Orygun. Let me know when you're headed to Mendocino, maybe I'll be able to drive down and meet you. I'm 61 and retired. On my own.

[Lopo]

Cindy, I'm on the west coast of Florida and about to take off on my first trip this weekend - to my daughter's in San Diego. I bought an older (well, OLD ) Class C and had a local mobile RV guy rebuild the cabover and put in some new stuff for me, took it to my mechanic who said it was in great shape but wanted to put all new brakes on it, and I don't argue about brakes! And of course I had to do the fun decorating stuff like make all new curtains, do a little painting, etc. (I'll post pics soon.)I have the same concerns that you do, but I'm hopeful, and if the trip goes well and I can actually manage to do this, then I'll head north from San Diego to see the Northwest. I joined the forum last summer but the RV work wasn't done in time for a trip so I'm determined to do it this summer. So I just jumped back on the forum to see where everyone is and make sure there's someone out there who will have my back - and now they'll have two newbies! Knowing you all are out there helps a lot!

[carolb]

Welcome Cindy!! Yew'll be fine & can't be lonely if yew stick close to this forem (sorry, "yew" key not working)! I was new to this site, only 3-4 months, when I took off for a 3 1/2 mo road trip (NY, FL, AZ, CA & back to NY)--NEVER LONELY & always felt safe since these ladies were watching owt for me AND even WELCOMING me into their homes when I went threwgh their areas!!!! GREAT LADIES, everyone of them!!!! Keep posting & yew'll find the same, I hope!!! If yo're in NY, let me know!!!

[cinharover]

Thanks to all of you that have given me such a warm welcome!

My introductory RV experience was positive in that the cats seemed to take to it pretty well--I think the Feliway spray helped--and I was able to hook up all the right hoses to the right places without mishap. I think I can do this. The cats meowed almost all the way over (they were in separate crates), but only meowed a few miles on the way back. My shy little girl cat really warmed up to the whole thing after I got set up. They were all over the bed with me at night, checking out everything in the cover of dark, so it would be better sleeping if I had a bedroom with a door. I'd like to think I could leash train them, but I think that could take awhile. But I should have the time, right?

The Majestic 23A rental (longer than what I thought I was getting) drove very easily and seemed quite comfortable, but I realized immediately that it wasn't enough room for me, and that the Class C cabover bunk really is a lot of wasted space for me. I misjudged the difficulty of a corner bed and didn't like my feet being right next to the countertop and sink (but the cats thought it was cool). That bathroom was way too small. Functional, but too small.

I didn't use the stove burners nor turn on the generator since I had shore power, nor did I turn on the hot water or use the shower, since there were shower facilities nearby. I can certainly see that a checklist for setting up and tearing down would be a very good idea. Unhooking the water line before dumping the gray/black water wasn't such a good idea, since of course I had to rehook it up to clean the sewer hose afterward (these rental units leave a lot to be desired--cleanliness-wise). But a good lesson learned. I can certainly recommend Jetty Park too, which was clean, friendly, not too expensive ($47 for full hookup), and right next to the beach and the cruise ships leaving port.

So I will have my eye out on a Class A, which I'm sure will be a different driving experience. I'm thinking Thor ACE 29.1 or even a Safari Trek, because I do like having the availability of another bed--just not one that takes up space, just in case I'd want to take my mom or sister along some time. I've thought of getting an Outlaw and buying a smartcar to put in the garage, but for now, maybe just the Class A with a toad.

Susan and Karen...thanks for the offers! Who knows, I might take you up on that. One of my questions (as I go through the forums) is to see what it takes to safely hook up the electric to someone's house without burning it down.

Now I just need to get the nerve to retire.

Thanks all!

Cindy