Re: Preparing to launch...a question for the pros
My brain *must* be damaged, because I spent 10 minutes responding to what all of you had written and hit "reply", only to be unable to find my post here. Argh. Well, here I go again...
Wow. I'm only slightly surprised by everyone's willingness to jump to my aid. THANK YOU everyone for your time and for sharing your thoughts. In our travels humping it in a tent across the country (when time permitted) - we'd always found that campers were a friendly crowd. Over the last near 14 years I've read about full-timing and full-timers, again as time permitted, and the central theme written has always been that full-timers are a loving tribe of people. You've all proven that up nicely by not only efforting to help us in our prep phase, but by welcoming me to the forum so warmly. As I sit to write I've that warm and fuzzy feeling I hope will only grow as we continue to meet and make friends with those among the full-timing tribe.
Thanks, Hertig for taking time to write at such length about your experience(s). I imagined the slider to be a hassle, but what can I say? While I'm maure minded compared to most my age, I'm not immune from the female instinct to gravitate toward the beauty of an object. While driving a shortbed is probably slightly easier to navigate than a longbed, the real reason everyone wants a shortbed is for its aestetic. I suppose it could be said that the $55,000 we're forced to pay for the only Ford F350 we even somewhat liked nauseates me. I guess I wanted this outrageous expense and beast of a car to at least be sporty and attractive. And I agree, Fords are the single ugliest trucks on the road. But then I shouldn't weigh in on that discussion, I'm not a big fan of trucks. I'm glad to read that you haven't any bad experience with a slider. I'll have to chew on the hassle factor, because my husband is an ER nurse, and he's transitioning into a travel nurse position which will have us traveling to whatever destination we like every 13 weeks. We plan to remain in this lifestyle hereafter, so the hassle of a thing needs to be weighed. I'll chew on it. And it seems Hertig you agree with our salesman that the only responsible thing to do is buy the longbed.
Now as to trucks - I'm totalling surprised to read that a couple of you have such disdain for Ford. I thought I'd put that lone decision to bed. I wasn't even considering any other truck at this stage. I felt solid on that decision, which took me weeks to arrive at. We actually started out looking at the Dodge trucks - this only because I think they have a sportier appearance (see a theme here?) :laugh: Now as luck would have it, they don't stock dually's at any Dodge dealerships out here, so we couldn't even look at them. We went over to Ford and they had a right many dually's on the lot for us to get a handle on. The reasons we went with Ford were these...
-My Uncle Larry (A Fire Chief and certified redneck) has owned nothing but trucks in his life. He's owned Dodge, Chevy and several different Fords. He told me that the Ford is easily superior to the rest. He added that the Ford is a much quieter ride from the inside. I'll have to admit, though - with Larry this could be a Texas cultural thing with Ford.
-My internet research seemed to show that the Fords routinely outrank both Dodge and Chevy in terms of towing and overall satisfaction. And I could be mistaken, but what I found online is that Fords have the highest tow-ability. Am I wrong?
-My first car was a Dodge Neon. Now hear me people when I say that this was a brand new car, and from the second month it became nothing short of a living nightmare. I kid you not, no one has a more ghastly car history than I did in my three years with that Dodge. None. To read it talked of you'd think I was fibbing. It was that bad. So yeah...Dodge hasn't won any awards with me. Ick. I wouldn't have even given the Dodge truck the first glance were I not to have thought them the sportier look. I like a car with bite to it. I like her to look mean (grrr). :evil: :laugh: And the Fords look every shade of ugly.
Thanks Grandview, Nash, Texas, 730 and DL for trying to help a gal out. I welcome any additional feedback from any among the full-timing community. I'll read every one many times over, you can be sure.
I hope to read from any who've lived in any of the three Montanas I've listed. The idea of losing our entire 14-year savings on what is to be our full-time *home*, only to have her fail us or become a source of continual problems keeps me awake at night of late. Also has me cursing like a sailor. :evil: I'm sure ya'll can remember how dreadful your very first purchase was. So many options, features - and you don't know what any of the features even are at this stage. It's overwhelming, and has kept me frozen in this decision-making phase for weeks now. We simply cannot afford to lose everything we've saved because either our truck or our RV proves to be the lemon that Dodge was.
Snowbird and Shadow...you are too kind. Thank you for the warm welcome. Imagine me seated here with this hugely dorky grin on my face. That about sums it up. :laugh: And Snowbird? You've no cause for envy. Our ability to full-time at this age is the result of three things: 1) we elected not to have children, 2) when all of our friends were out spending money, buying fabulous toys and homes, we were renting on campus and going without, and 3) my husband will continue to be an ER nurse, and his profession affords us an opprotunity to bridge him over to travel nursing, which pays laughably well. Without any one of the above, we'd be saddled here. It has served both of us just real well that neither of us is slave to consumerism, and we could not care less about the Joneses.
So the last 14 years certainly held little to be envied in our cosm. But soon? Ahhh yes, soon...it'll be a whole new world for us.
I count the days.
And Shadow - I know, I was shocked to be informed that they could not order a 2007 for me at Ford. I went in the first week of January, and due to their changes in design, they had already cut off the 2007's and when ordering, you must order an '08. I was surprised, too. I was O.K. with it only because the new deisgn includes a navigation system in the dash, and believe me when I say if ever there was a dame who needed a nav. system ->>here I am.
So I've bored everyone enough. Did I forget to say THANK YOU ALL? :laugh: Keep 'em coming folks, and I'll read/listen/weigh every word - because on something like this...it really takes one who's lived it to speak on it.
Michelle