Retirement plans.

[Mick]

+1 I want to be able to sleep over in Walmart parking lots from sea to shining sea...

Am I the only one here, who has heard the rumor about Walmart and Sam's Club, possibly adding a dump station in their back parking area's for overnighter's?

You will find this helpful

RV Parky | RV Parks & Campgrounds Directory, Reviews, Photos

It has replaced our 2 vol set of Allstate rv and campground books.

We still carry state gasiteers for national forest adventures.

 

[McNasty]

Before retirement you want to clear unexpected expenses. Going to need a roof or house upgrades do them sooner then later. We kept our small lake house got it in shape and use it as a base. We rent a beach front condo south of Daytona Apr, May, Oct & Nov. June, July & Aug we rent a cabin outside of Red Lodge Montana.
We go to base for the holidays. The condo and cabin the owners have the worries, insurance & upkeep. Imo a trailer and 3/4 ton truck requires a lot of upkeep.

 

[simon1]

Buying a bigger truck than my usual half ton is a deal breaker for me too. For 6-7 thousand you can surely find a nice used single axle camper.

Yup, I don't want to get anything that my Silverado won't tow. It has the towing button on the end of the gearshift that's supposed to make the transmission adapt to a trailer, but I've never used it. I haven't towed anything in years. I think my truck is rated to about 6,000 pounds or so in towing capacity, so it should tow a 2,000 pound trailer just fine.

I used to tow trailers quite a bit, but the last time I brought the work truck from the ranch next to us over so a friend could do some welding on a pipe fence I tried backing the trailer the welder was on and it was...humorous to say the least.

 

[bberg100]

I can't recall the last time we rented a room. The trailer is the way to go for us. In a couple weeks we are staying in a State Park for $24 a night, with hookups. A full week is about one night in a room. Commercial campgrounds are in the 30-50 a night range, unless a hot tourist spot. The big savings for us is not eating out three times a day, instead we take our food and it costs no more than staying at home.
A couple other advantages - dry camping away from everything/everyone is a great break, and taking the dogs is s non-issue.
Do buy more truck than you think you need, you want the truck commanding the trailer, not the other way around. We had a 7k trailer and a 1/2 ton rated at 9k. It was spooky at times. Now my truck is rated 12k and the tail no longer wags the dog.

 

[Bhugo]

I can't recall the last time we rented a room. The trailer is the way to go for us. In a couple weeks we are staying in a State Park for $24 a night, with hookups. A full week is about one night in a room. Commercial campgrounds are in the 30-50 a night range, unless a hot tourist spot. The big savings for us is not eating out three times a day, instead we take our food and it costs no more than staying at home.
A couple other advantages - dry camping away from everything/everyone is a great break, and taking the dogs is s non-issue.
Do buy more truck than you think you need, you want the truck commanding the trailer, not the other way around. We had a 7k trailer and a 1/2 ton rated at 9k. It was spooky at times. Now my truck is rated 12k and the tail no longer wags the dog.

Good advice!

 

[OkieStubble]

You will find this helpful

RV Parky | RV Parks & Campgrounds Directory, Reviews, Photos

It has replaced our 2 vol set of Allstate rv and campground books.

We still carry state gasiteers for national forest adventures.

That's a really great link, Thanks Mick!

 

[John Rose]

I have thought about that Mick, my wife told me to go fly a kite.

That's actually good advice.

Me at a kite festival in 2015.

 

[Mick]

I was poking around and saw that an RV place about 30 miles from here has a 2012 Mountain View 140. From what little I could find out I "think" it's a 15 foot. I may run by there next week and take a look. They have it for $6,500 but NADA lists it as being worth $6,200.

2012 Mountain View 140

Too far away for you to look at it

Travel trailer RV camper JAYCO REDUCED

.

 

[Doc4]

But then you get back to the cooking outside...and no air conditioning or heat, and not much room. And I want a generator, stove, sink, toilet, etc.

I'm getting soft.

My parents have car-camped all their lives.

It takes a bit more effort of setting up and taking down camp each time you change location, but it gets you out "in nature" a fair bit more. And once the car is packed, travel is a LOT easier what with not having to tow a trailer or drive a big RV.

Okay, that's extreme but ... there are lots of places a mid-sized SUV can get in and out of with ease that a big vehicle and/or trailer is going to be an absolute headache if not impossible.

Maybe not the lifestyle for you (or. more likely, the Missus) but ... something to ponder.

+1 I want to be able to sleep over in Walmart parking lots from sea to shining sea...

It took me a while to realise you weren't being sarcastic.

I guess it's a YMMV thing but ... I'd much much rather be out in nature somewhere rather than a parking lot.

 

[Mick]

I've seen a few signs from my RV that many will never see.

 

[simon1]

Too far away for you to look at it

Travel trailer RV camper JAYCO REDUCED

.

Hmmm...hit that link and the site said flagged for removal. And yup, Charlottesville is way out of my way. I'm just looking now and trying to get a handle on how things work. I've noticed that the smaller trailers don't usually have a generator, so I was thinking about maybe a Yamaha 2000, or parallel two of them if one won't run the AC on whatever I may get. I'm probably not going to do anything until I get retirement income going and get more familiar with what's what.

My parents have car-camped all their lives.

It takes a bit more effort of setting up and taking down camp each time you change location, but it gets you out "in nature" a fair bit more. And once the car is packed, travel is a LOT easier what with not having to tow a trailer or drive a big RV.

Okay, that's extreme but ... there are lots of places a mid-sized SUV can get in and out of with ease that a big vehicle and/or trailer is going to be an absolute headache if not impossible.

Maybe not the lifestyle for you (or. more likely, the Missus) but ... something to ponder.



It took me a while to realise you weren't being sarcastic.

I guess it's a YMMV thing but ... I'd much much rather be out in nature somewhere rather than a parking lot.

Car camping is all I've ever done, Doc. Dad had an aluminum shell camper that was about 6 inches higher than the cab that just had a bed, ice box that you put a block of ice in the top of, and a bit of storage space. When deer hunting we'd crack a window and light a couple of matches to warm the inside up a bit before we got from under the covers. Last few years it's been tent only, with maybe an EZ Up to cover the fire.

I hear ya about getting into places. A friend of Dad's had an over-the-cab camper and while it had more room, one time we followed him into a camping site during deer season and the low tree limbs raked the heck outa the top of his camper. Ours did just fine.

Any you are absolutely right about the missus...ain't no way she's going to stay in a tent or shell camper. She wants air conditioning and heat...and somewhere to cook that's not outside. Me, I like cooking outside but it can be a pain if a severe storm comes up. Even with sidewalls an EZ Up is not the greatest thing to cook under in blowing rain.

 

[simon1]

Oh, @Doc4 is that a good old Coleman stove at the right side of the table? I still have Dad's gas one that the date code on it puts it in the early '60s, and the old Thermos lantern.

And...is that a Dutch oven cooking table with the legs folded on the other end of the picnic table? I was going to pull out my DO table this afternoon and do some sauerkraut and sausage but we got a deluge today. That would not have played well with the fire.

I have some pics. of tent camping with my youngest son when he was about 5. We pitched camp next to a stream a little bit down from a beaver pond in N.E. Okla., but they are not digital and I'd have to dig them up and scan them.

 

[OkieStubble]

My parents have car-camped all their lives.

It takes a bit more effort of setting up and taking down camp each time you change location, but it gets you out "in nature" a fair bit more. And once the car is packed, travel is a LOT easier what with not having to tow a trailer or drive a big RV.

Okay, that's extreme but ... there are lots of places a mid-sized SUV can get in and out of with ease that a big vehicle and/or trailer is going to be an absolute headache if not impossible.

Maybe not the lifestyle for you (or. more likely, the Missus) but ... something to ponder.



It took me a while to realise you weren't being sarcastic.

I guess it's a YMMV thing but ... I'd much much rather be out in nature somewhere rather than a parking lot.

Don't get me wrong, Those pics you showed are absolutely beautiful and the way to get out and do nature. And I do plan on doing some camping just like that.

But I can just take my Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk with a pop up, roof top tent and get back in those places when the focus is doing it just like that.

My thinking on the Walmart parking lot's, is more like say, we load up the RV hook the jeep up to the back and head to the Grand Canyon for a week or two. We can just sleep free on our way there, in a Walmart. Once we arrive in Arizona, I can find a close RV park as a base camp destination, and then unhook the jeep and make day trips into the canyon. Or even unhook the jeep and camp from the jeep for a couple of days until we are ready to get back to the RV.

Walmart allowing overnighter's, is just a free spot to sleep; and get from destination to destination. Another example of the RV coming in handy, is I want to spend about a month in the Tennessee hills and exploring all their trails and back country camp grounds. There are so many in Tennessee and so much beautiful landscape, it would be impossible to cover them all in one single trip, if we did it in just the jeep. However, If we took the RV and parked it in a RV park which is centralized to multiple trail destinations?

We could unhook the jeep from the base camp RV, go explore and camp a specific trail for a few days or a week? Come back to base camp, spend a few nights and regroup and resupply? Then head back out in the jeep to another trail in another direction. This way, when I finally leave and head back home, We know, we have seen all of Tennessee.

Then plan to do it all over again in another state of our choosing.

 

[Doc4]

is that a good old Coleman stove at the right side of the table?

Dunno. I just found a good representative photo on google image search.

My thinking on the Walmart parking lot's ... is just a free spot to sleep; and get from destination to destination.

Fair 'nuff. You have a plan and a purpose, and need to get from A to B as fast as possible, so I can see your point.

 

[OkieStubble]

Fair 'nuff. You have a plan and a purpose, and need to get from A to B as fast as possible, so I can see your point.

Yeah, just point A to point B. maybe do a little panhandling while we're there to help fund our trip?

 

[simon1]

Yeah, just point A to point B. maybe do a little panhandling while we're there to help fund our trip?

You should be very familiar with panhandlers, Rob.

We could unhook the jeep from the base camp RV, go explore and camp a specific trail for a few days or a week? Come back to base camp, spend a few nights and regroup and resupply? Then head back out in the jeep to another trail in another direction. This way, when I finally leave and head back home, We know, we have seen all of Tennessee.

Then plan to do it all over again in another state of our choosing.

Looks like your plan is about like mine...park the big 'un then take the small one on excursions. And...leaving stuff locked in the big 'un while you're away is a lot better than having to break camp or leaving your belongings in a tent while you're away.

My good, locking, waterproof bed cover on my truck has plenty enough space to to carry tent camping supplies in. No worries about driving through storms and such. I took some electric saws and clippers over the San Bois mountains awhile back during a nasty rainstorm and everything was completely dry when I got where I was going.

And yes, Rob...I have some free time on my hands tonight to be playing on the net as SWMBO is up in Pocola, OK for work. A nice respite. I hope she doesn't see this post.

 

[simon1]

Oh, and speaking of getting "closer to nature"...I just caught this little masked bandit trying to raid the trash can.

Wouldn't you know my .22 revolver would be locked up in the safe when I need it. Click on the pic. to get a closer view of the little monster. I do like playing with my new camera though.

 

[OkieStubble]

Oh, and speaking of getting "closer to nature"...I just caught this little masked bandit trying to raid the trash can.

Wouldn't you know my .22 revolver would be locked up in the safe when I need it. Click on the pic. to get a closer view of the little monster. I do like playing with my new camera though.

View attachment 896861

That camera takes pretty good pics. Nice lookin' Chevy too.

 

[simon1]

That camera takes pretty good pics. Nice lookin' Chevy too.

Thanks, buddy. The camera is pretty decent...I think. It's a Nikon D3400 but I haven't bought anymore lenses for it yet...another rabbit hole.

SWMBO bought me the Silverado for Christmas awhile back, I got to pick it out but it's a short wheelbase and is rough riding. Dad's old '90 F150 with the 8 foot bed is smoother, but it needs some work to fix a leaky oil gasket and the fuel pump to the rear fuel tank...it has dual tanks. I'll take it into the shop in a couple of months or so.

And yup, the camera is nice if I get a good zoom lens for it before I do retirement travels, and learn how to use it properly. I'm thinking on stopping at Robber's Cave on the way up to Okieland in a few days, but for climbing over the rocks and walking up the hills there I think I'll take my little Canon A95 that I can put in its case and strap to my belt instead of trying to carry the Nikon with a bigger, non-retractable, lens.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[BradWorld]

The wife and I have about five years until we sell everything we own, and just go... and never come back. Already liquidating material possessions. Bought a 28' travel trailer in 2013, and we are practicing a lot. Heading out for 4 weeks this Saturday. Going from NJ down to FL and back. Stopping lots on the way there and back. We pull it will a RAM 1500. 10k tow capacity, 7600 lb trailer fully loaded. 5600 lb dry. So I'm good there. For now. Only hard part now is deciding to go with a 5th wheel and a bigger diesel pickup, or a diesel pusher.