Friday, February 08, 2013

LIKE A COUPLE KIDS IN A CANDY STORE:))

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(This is Thursday’s Post)

It was Kelly’s determination, perseverance, her financial smarts & a little bit of luck that put that 2013 Chevy Sunseeker in our driveway Wednesday night.

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OUTDOOR SHOWER & UPGRADED ONAN 4000 GENERATOR

We both felt this particular rig (same one we first saw in Quartzsite) with all it’s options & upgrades, low mileage (3,300 miles) one owner, chassis warranties, & 6.0 Chevy engine was just too good a deal to pass up for us.  We already knew from internet research, that this same unit, even without all the upgrades, is worth far more money in Canada.  We know we will get dinged a pretty hefty 13% sales tax when we reach the border in a couple months, but we allowed for that. 

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NICE TO HAVE A WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

Didn’t find out until Tuesday afternoon that everything was in place & the deal was done.  I tried my best to keep a lid on this whole thing until we actually had the rig home & in our driveway.  You can well understand the huge strain I was under.  As you know, I am not a fellow who is very good at keeping a lid on anything!!  Not even my peanut butter jar……………………….

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LOTS OF STORAGE FOR A CLASS C

RVS 4 LESS’ service facility is in Parker Arizona.  Their prime winter Arizona location sales lot is in Quartzsite, north of I-10 on the southwest corner of the traffic light.   Sold units in Quartzsite are taken to Parker & processed there & that is how we ended up having to pick up the Sunseeker in Parker Arizona Wednesday.

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PROPANE TANK & GLAD TO SEE THE SEWER PIPES ARE ENCLOSED

We ran into a few ups & downs Wednesday but we persevered until all the paperwork was finally done, etc.  We rode out the downs with patience & rode all the way home on the ups.  Things are done very differently here in the southwest than they are in Canada so we had to be very understanding of the procedures & how things are handled.

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TRYING OUT VARIOUS COUCH CONFIGURATIONS

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Finally got the Jeep hitched on the rig & rolled out of Parker Arizona around 3 p.m. heading for Blyth California.  It was immediately apparent to me we had made the right decision with this 23’ Sunseeker.  I was just amazed at how well it towed the Jeep.  That had been a concern of mine.  Just like the Damon, if it were not for the back-up camera, we would never have known the Jeep was hooked on behind us.  The Chevy engine was just as peppy with the Jeep on as off.  There was no lag, no pushing, no bounding, jerking or swaying.  What a complete joy it was to drive this totally smooth & perfect combination of vehicles.  It was as if the two vehicles were as one.  And, the Sunseeker itself is just a dream machine on the road all on it’s own.  Wow:))

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ESPECIALLY LIKE THE PUSH BUTTON FURNACE CONTROLS ON RIGHT & NOTICE THE ‘ARCTIC’ SWITCH TO KEEP TANKS FROM FREEZING

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REAL OAK WOOD, REAL LEATHER SEATS, & ‘WOW’….A REAL SUBWOOFER FOUND UNDER THE COUCH:))

Rolling south through the California countryside we were like a couple little school kids pressing this button & that.  A Will Ackerman CD showed us what a great sound system we now had.  Kelly fiddled with the upgraded rear view camera, I had the power windows going up & down like a yo-yo.  Cooling & heating knobs were turned, & I liked the cruise control right in the steering wheel.   We were feeling pretty excited about it all. How smooth & easy it was to drive.  And a much quieter ride for us too.  Reminded me of the Town & Country mobility vans I drove a few years ago.

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GOTTA LOVE THIS HIGH POWER AWNING, NO MORE BANGING MY FACE INTO THE AWNING ARMS:))

Took us an hour & a half following the Colorado River to reach Blyth where we were to meet someone in the Century 21 Realty building.  This is where the final paperwork is done & it is done in California to avoid the Arizona taxes.  It’s just the way Arizona dealers do business in these parts.  Luckily, that only took about 20 minutes & we were FINALLY on the road headed home which was still over a 2 hour drive to the east. 

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IT WAS UNDER THIS PLYWOOD WE FOUND THE STEREO’S BIG SUBWOOFER

Climbed aboard I-10 about 4:45 & crossed the Colorado River into Arizona.  Stopped right away at a Flying J for gas, a Wendy’s fish burger & coffee.  Normally, I only drink one coffee a day now but today I had 3 just to keep my head in the game.  The second was at a McDonald’s in Parker earlier.

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<<< WE WILL TRY CLEARING THE CONDENSATION IN THE BACK-UP CAM WITH A HAIR DRYER

What a great feeling it was with the sun slowly setting behind us as we cruised right along down I-10.  .  We blew by Quartzsite where this whole adventure had began just a short week & a half ago.  Ten miles later we rolled off I-10 & made the turn onto highway 60 for Congress.  Kelly had the manual out & pretty much figured out all the super techno radio/stereo sound system Mossmagatorisms.  She plugged in my iPod & found my Playlists.  As the setting sun cast long shadows ahead of us across the desert floor, it also painted the mountain tops in an orange & amber hue.  It was then I heard a warm welcoming unmistakable sound coming from the half dozen or more speakers in the rig.  Yep you guessed it………….’The Sons Of The Pioneers’.  To the superbly melodious harmonies of, Along The Santa Trail, Empty Saddles In The Old Corral, Ghost Riders In The  Sky, & my personal favorite by the boys, Oh Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie, we merrily made our very tired way along an old desert trail to Congress Arizona, arriving home around 7 p.m. 

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PHEEBS MAKES FRIENDS WHEREVER SHE GOES

We sure had one happy little doggy to greet us & she wasted no time in getting our new travel digs all checked out.  She was as excited about it all as much as we were.  I was tooooo tired to write a post Wednesday night so just included pics & called it a day.  And, what a day it was too………………

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Now, I will quickly bring today up to date & try my best to keep it short.  And also try to keep a myself down to a dull roar over this great little RV we just brought home.

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First order of business this morning was a big clean-up of the rig.  Living in a dusty desert makes for driving a dusty vehicle.  Kelly worked on the interior while I washed it, cleaned glass, sparkled up some wheels & shone up some fenders.  Whenever getting a new or used vehicle, I always enjoy that cleaning it up & decking it out part.  And no, we will not be removing any furniture, or painting & wallpapering any walls.  This little Sunseeker is fine just the way it is:))

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Tweaked the sound system & cranked the tunes while we happily scrambled around inside first trying this & then trying that in an effort to familiarize ourselves with various couch configurations.  It can be made into a bed but we didn’t care for that.  We removed the small kitchen table & continued our look around.  Upgraded pillow top mattress on the bed is very comfortable.  Washroom….very small.  Not hard to get in or out of the bunk over top the cab, & it’s very spacious.

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CAREFUL AL….THERE MAY BE A LOAD LIMIT ON THAT BED

Only problem we have found so far is condensation in the back-up camera.  We’ll try a hair dryer & see if that clears it up.  We have a water filtration system now as well.  And, a black tank flush connection too.  This little rig even has heated tanks underneath.  Two coach batteries under the steps & gotta love that power awning.  I like the push button furnace controls.  And, one thing I immediately liked when I stepped into this rig for the first time was the darker wood finish, & the fact that all the wood is solid oak.  No fiberboard panels in the cupboard doors.  Real wood:)) 

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We do have some folks interested in the Damon but they live in Mesa.  We’ve been in touch so we’ll see if they take a drive up in the next few days.  A few other interests as well, so we’ll see.  We are both sooooo looking forward to putting all this buying & selling stuff behind us.  It’s been a very stressful couple weeks in the old Recreational Vehicle department for sure.

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ANY ROOM UP HERE FOR ME IN THE TOP BUNK DAD? 

GROANER’S CORNER:((   A couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the wife sarcastically asked, "Relatives of your's?"
"Yep," the husband replied, "In-laws."

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

26 comments:

  1. Hot dog! Nice rig - congrats and well done.

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  2. Oh yeah...you're gonna like that one for sure!

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  3. Your exuberance is the best part of all. That enthusiam for the fun stuff rubs off on everybody else. The little boy inside who almosts bursts trying to keep a secret! You may not change the rig, but I will be amazed if red, orange, or yellow doesn't show up somewhere. It is a beautiful thing. So happy for all of you!

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  4. Pheebs is in love with her new rig! Just look at that face - she says it all! Nice little rig at that. I like the open overhead bed area. That's the bedroom in my C.
    Congrats!!

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  5. FANTASTIC - you are gonna have so much fun with your new home on wheels! Love it!

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  6. Congratulations on your new RV, it is really nice and looks very comfortable. So happy for you!

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  7. You'll love driving that rig for sure and it's small enough to take just about anywhere. Pheebs sure looks happy with it. Do you have any solar panels on this rig?

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  8. nice pictures of the inside of your new rig!! such excitement at the Bayfield Bunch today!! congrats!

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  9. Since you own a home in Arizona, and Kellyis American(I thought) why don't you register it in Arizona? The sales tax amd registration have to be less than 13% don't they?

    Seems like it's going to spend half they year there.

    I'm sure you. know all the ins and outs, or at least your smart wife does?

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  10. You did a good job on keeping the lid on your plans, so I guess you can't be called Mr. Blabberfingers now. That Sunseeker looks like it's going to be great for you, Kelly & Pheebs.

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  11. Very nice coach. I wish you guys the best.
    NH Jim

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  12. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

    Ya, I had a hard time keeping the secret myself.....:-)

    I can feel the excitement clear over here in North Ranch!!

    Enjoy my friends,,,,,,Looks like this one was built just for you guys!!

    I sure like it!!!!

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  13. Congratulations Al, Kelly and Pheebs, I bet you will love that rig!

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  14. Looks like a great rig just right. We had a 23 foor class C, before we went full time and really enjoyed it.

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  15. We had a car come unhooked from our motorhome several years ago. The only way we figured it out was the ding, ding, ding. Finally we moved the angle of the camera around and discovered it. That was bad as we were going uphill on a freeway and the car was angled in the lane.

    Congrats on the nice rig!

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  16. Like little kids in the candy store....a fitting description of the two of you. Finally you mentioned that you still had the Damon. At first I thought the dealer had gotten around to it.
    You will find the sun any day in your SUNSEEKER.

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  17. Love the Sunseeker, it is perfect for the three of you.We really like the wood, and skip has told me three times it has an oven (makes it perfect in his world). We are so happy you were able to make a deal.

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  18. Woooooo Hooooo! Beautiful rolling home on wheels! We love it! Thanks for the link to the dealer! We will have to check him out! We are also wanting to downsize from the MotherShip since we no longer plan to workamp! Lots of smiles here for your wonderful luck! Geri & Chuck

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  19. Congratulations! That's a beautiful home-on-wheels! It's perfect for you. I wish you many happy miles in it. Sue

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  20. I'm so happy that it all worked out for you and Kelly and that the Sunseeker is yours. I wish you both many happy years enjoying your "adventures" in your sweet little rig!

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  21. Congratulations. We're in Winterhaven, CA near Yuma. Are you near?

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  22. Congratulations! I'd say Pheebs little face pretty much says it all for the bunch of you in that last shot! So happy for you to get what you want for the remaining travels of the Bayfield Bunch! Have fun with it cuz you guys deserve it! It looks awesome!

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  23. Congrats on the new rig. That is a lot of storage for a 23' Class C

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