Wednesday, April 30, 2014

SOME CLASS A MOTORHOME THOUGHTS TONIGHT

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Our Monday evening sunshine & milder temps didn’t last & today we were plunged back into overcast windy skies & colder temperatures.  More as an excuse to get out of the house than really needing anything in Goderich little Bugsy Buns & I headed out in the Jeep. Zehr's Supermarket has the kind of Natural peanut butter I like so it was the supermarket we headed for. From there it was over to the Sub shop for a 6" Tuna Sub. Pheebs fav. Next was a run through McDonald's drive-thru for a coffee & carrot muffin followed by a gas stop across the road where the gas attendant always gives Pheebs a doggy treat. With coffee, muffin, & doggy treat in hand we headed for home. And that pretty much wrapped up another rather uneventful day.

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OUR FIRST OFFICIAL 2014 PICTURE FROM THE SUB SHOP…”I’M HOPING YOU ARE IN A VERY SHARING MOOD TODAY DAD”

I’m sure there are folks out here who have wondered about the costs of traveling about in an RV. There are no doubt many variables & different scenarios but George & Suzie over at OUR AWESOME TRAVELS have kept records over the years & last winter’s expenses are on their latest blog post. They have saved themselves a hefty chunk of change since first starting out & I’m sure George would be happy to answer any questions people may have regarding their travels & membership parks, etc.

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WE SURE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS BIGGER & MUCH CHEERFULLY BRIGHTER CLASS A MOTORHOME

We plan on returning to Sedona Arizona this coming winter to continue our exploring around that whole area. So many hiking & Jeeping trails & the scenery is second to none. Gay & Joe from GOOD-TIMES-ROLLIN are there right now & have themselves some great photos showing them Jeeping along some of those unique organ altering boulder studded roads & trails that have a rather bizarre way of jarring & re-arranging one’s aging bones.  Of course we are looking forward to that road surgery & with a bigger rig & bigger holding tanks next winter we will be able to stay longer in what we feel will be a better state of comfort this time. Seems as we age ‘comfort’ has a tendency to take on an ever growing higher priority status. At least that’s the way I see & feel it……………………

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We heard from the Triple E Commander’s owner Don today. He is currently in Halifax on business but has the next two weeks off starting Monday. We are hopeful we can wrap this deal up & bring the big E home to Bayfield early next week. Been nearly 2 weeks since we first saw it & last night I had to go over the photos I took at that time to remind myself of what it was we we had actually bought. There is no big rush for us to have it but you know what it is like when you buy something like that. You want it home in your own driveway just as soon as possible if not before.

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We owned our first Motorhome, a 33’ Damon Challenger for 6 years years & it took us back & forth to the American South-West as far as California 6 times.  Those years were spent living in our rig for 5 & 6 months of the year with 3 lovable dogs.  When we weren’t ranch sitting near McNeil Arizona we spent our time boondocking.  When we bought the house in Congress we reasoned we would be spending more time at the house & not as much time on the road traveling.  I must admit we were both becoming a little tired of traveling & spending all our time in the rig.  We were both needing some diversity, something new & different to do.  Change is always welcome.  The house thankfully gave us that.  We also reasoned we would not need a bigger RV anymore & downsizing to a smaller Class C was the way to go.  Well, not all decisions are right decisions & we did slip up on that one.  Not once, but twice.  After realizing our Sunseeker was tooooo small we figured a bigger Class C would solve that problem.  Nope, wrong again.  Ron from FOUR SEASONS PERFORMANCE had suggested well over a year ago the best way for us to go was to downsize to a smaller Class A instead of a Class C.  Reasons were obvious, more living space & more storage space etc.  We should have taken his advice but we were focused on Class C’s at the time.  Let me hasten to add, there is nothing at all wrong with Class C’s & they have many pluses.  All’s I’m saying is that just as a Travel Trailer & Fifth Wheel were not right for us, a Class C didn’t suit our needs in the end either.  After a few boondocking ventures this past winter the writing was on the wall.  If we hoped to continue our RVing boondocking ways & travel at a comfort level we have aged into we were going to have to go once again to an RV that best suited us.  And that was a Class A Motorhome again.

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A BLACK CAP CHICKADEE SQUEAKS BETWEEN THE BARS OF OUR SQUIRREL PROOF BIRD FEEDER FOR SOME DRY SEEDS

A year ago right about now we were in the process of taking possession of our 2011 Winnebago Class C & I’m sure I blogged about all the reasons we liked the Class C concept at that time.  And they were all good reasons but that was a year ago & priorities, whims, fantasies, & good old fashioned hard based logic have a habit of changing sometimes.  Who knows maybe a year from now I will be sitting here typing away all the reasons we decided to trade our (yet to arrive) Triple E Motorhome in on a sailboat or something.  Or maybe we will be selling everything we own to board a tramp steamer & sail off to Australia with the idea of hitchhiking across the outback.  Um, I don’t think that last one is going to happen but priorities is priorities & we are all prone to bouts of fantasy based realities from time to time.   

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Here’s what we missed about our first Class A Motorhome & here’s what we are looking forward to by returning to a Class A once again.  Definitely like the driver’s seat visibility advantage of sitting higher than surrounding traffic.  Driver’s height is a big plus when traffic thickens up around big cities.  And breathtaking scenic views coming through that big front windshield are like no other vehicle.  I feel much safer riding on larger 22.5 inch tires as well.  Class A’s are intimidating in size but they are not hard to drive, they only look like they are.  Don’t let the size scare you.  Like anything, with practice it doesn’t take most anyone long to feel comfortable driving it.  And Class A Motorhomes with all their bigger windows & windshield are much brighter inside.  You can get more of nature inside the coach by simply having bigger & brighter windows to look out of & let that nature flow in.  We hadn’t realized that until we had our 2 Class C’s.  We felt enclosed in them because they were darker & smaller.  Although both our C’s had adequate storage with very large rear bins we really missed the full basement a Class A has to offer.  One does not have to fill all those bins just because they have them & that was something that took us about 3 years to realize.  Even if one travels with bins half empty it’s nice knowing you have the space just in case something has to be loaded up.  A full basement also means the coaches main floor is much higher off the ground giving folks inside a better insulation factor from the cold ground below.  Or any Critters below too.  Of course the spacious corner shower & the fact I will not need to climb a ladder into bed were also both contributing factors in our decision as well.  And then there are the larger tanks.  A bigger fresh water tank will enable us to stay out boondocking longer. A big plus. Both gray & black tanks are larger also contributing to longer stays in the desert. And a bigger hot water tank means no startling cold water shower surprises. Not as many gas stops with a 75 gallon gas tank either.  Bonus because I absolutely hate gas pumps!!  I have heard it said Class C’s & Class A gas Motorhomes whether Chevy or Ford engines get about the same gas mileage.  Kind of hard to figure but that is what we have been told my knowledgeable people. 

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One thing Class B’s, C’s & A’s have in common is something both Kelly & I really love.  No matter how cold or hot the temperature is outside when we stop for the night or mid day traveling breaks the temperature inside the rig is always perfectly where we want it.  Without ever going outside in the rain, wind, or snow we can simply climb out of our seats & go back to sit in a favorite recliner, couch, or at the dining room table.  Use the washroom, fix a snack, watch some TV, do some internet surfing, whatever.  No need to to go outside & be assaulted by the harsh elements.  Motor Coaches also provide the easy convenience of a washroom just a few steps away at all times and we aging Seniors know how important that can be.  Remember me mentioning priorities:))  Anyway those are just a few of the reasons we decided to go back to a Class A Motorhome.  Yes, there are cons as well & in a future post I will list some of them because it is only fair to have a look at both sides of any coin.  There is no such thing as a perfect RV.   When choosing a rig it’s a matter of tipping the scales to the pros side & that all depends on the individual needs & wants of the buyer.  If we all thought alike the whole darn bunch of us Planet humanoids would still be huddled around smouldering fires in dark, damp, mouldy caves somewhere wearing little more than the furry hides of about 6 dozen skinny Kangaroo Rats…………………………………..

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MAMA GOOSE IS SITTING ON 4 EGGS

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs.

"I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE...
I PRAY FOR A NEW IPAD...
I PRAY FOR A NEW PAIR OF NIKES..."

His older brother leaned over and nudged the younger brother and said, "Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn't deaf." To which the little brother replied, "No, but Gramma is!"

13 comments:

  1. that was a lot of 'splainin' you did..and as you know it took us a while things right! I am sure this new class A will be just what the Bayfield Bunch needs!!

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  2. Good points about the Class A. Will you be able to take this A to the same places you parked your C last winter boondocking? It sounds like it doesn't matter what you drive C or A and when you tow a trailer ... all the mpg is about the same if it is a gas engine.

    Class A's and boondocking with a small 4x4 toad ? Make me think more. :)

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  3. Yep a Class A is my way to go, when this one dies, I will get another. We both love the high seats and giant windshield. We have the same shower and it is nice to be able to clean up after a hiking day.
    Long ago, my Sister in Law asked why I bought that RV and my wife said he bought it for the toilet. It has 110 gal fresh water, 80 gal black and 60 gal grey and 6 gal hot water that heats when driving, or electric or gas. When traveling we would take one shower at mid point and then let water get hot again and I would shower. No propane used. I think you will like that feature on yours also.

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  4. Appreciated your thoughts on motorhomes. I'm anxious to read about your travels in your new rig. My only question would be if the gas engine on a rig that big will provide enough power to get you over the passes in good shape, especially when towing. We get about 8.5 MPG with our class C and got about the same with our old class A. I sure like the room and comfort in the class A. We're thinking of going back to a class A.

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  5. I enjoyed your explanation of the good points of a Class A. I wish I had at least considered something other than a 5th wheel when I started RV'ing, although at the time they were way more expensive than the 5Ver.

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  6. We have had the class B, C and Class A and love the class A for all the same reasons as you. They all got about the same gas milage too. 7.5 for the class A, 8 for the class C and 9 for the class B That is milage based on an American gallon. Mind you our class B was a 1988 ford one ton chassis with the ford big block 460 V8.

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  7. Yep, I bet you are going to be very happy with your new motorhome! We too like the aspect of arriving somewhere and having the inside of the coach warm--we spent a lot of time shivering while our fifth wheel warmed up on some of those really cold traveling days. And you are correct Al, at our ages, comfort is important! We will see how "comfortable" this truck camper is we just purchased--but it has it's purpose.

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  8. Thanks for the shout-out Al. It is so funny because yesterday when we were returning from Vultee Arch on the Devil's Bridge 4X4 trail, Joe and I were trying to describe the "feeling" of the ride without being technical. You nailed it Al....

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  9. Yep, I think you are going to love that big and spacious class A. Can't wait for your first trip and your evaluation of it.

    Are you still planning to head out earlier this year? I know I am. Dolly and Fergie may not start with me, but join me later in the journey.

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  10. When I get my long dreamed of and prayed for Class A, I think one of the things I look forward to doing is climbing in it on a gorgeous afternoon, when we are home and its parked in the side yard, and taking a long, relaxing nap to the tune of rain pitter patter or birds chirping. ahhhhhhh..... I can picture it now. :-)

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  11. We've been toying with the idea of getting a class A and Jim is always looking at used Foretravels, although we've managed fine for over 5 years living in our 30' Lazy Daze class C. I must say the huge windows are what attracted us to Lazy Daze in the first place, and they make our little house seem so much bigger, even though we have no slides. What we would really like is the increased storage in and A. Maybe one day.

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  12. Since our Hiker is now 7 years old, it might be time to think about something new..However, MacGyver has worked on the Hiker so much it IS like new! I just know you and Kelly will love that great spacious view, and not worrying about a ladder to get into bed!

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  13. We really like our Class A Tiffin Diesel Pusher. Until this last hitch with John's needing the pacemaker, he has insisted on driving all the time. Finally, I am allowed to drive so that he does not get tired. (there is a blessing to everything!) I am as sure as you are that you are going to be so happy with your new to you class A.

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