Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.


We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!

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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> Introduce Yourself! -> Introduction
Post Info TOPIC: Introduction
LadyO


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Hi everyone, 

I am so excited to be introducing myself to all of you. My name is Tracy and my husband is Frank. We have been married 34 years and have 2 daughters. The youngest will be leaving for college in a couple of months. 

Off and on for th elast couple of years I have been thinking about retirement possibilities. RVing fulltime, has become the number one thought. Over the last few months I have been researching the idea and have been pleasantly surprised by the number of people living this lifestyle and all of the information available. 

My husband hasn't warmed up to the idea as much,  but I keep talking to him about the idea, showing him pictures of rigs and asking him to read interesting blogs. I think there is a possibility over time to get him there. 

I plan on dragging him to some RV shows as they hit our area (West Palm Beach Fl). I also would love to go to a rally. This summer's in Hershey Pa. isn't possible; but maybe next summer's will be. 

We are working people and far from wealthy. I was very pleased to see there are a lot of ways to "make a living" on the road. 

I am hoping by next summer to be in the position to rent a camper and give the idea a whirl to see if we would like this lifestyle. My husband's idea of camping is the Hilton. 

Thank you for letting me "hitch" a ride on your adventure. I look forward to learning from your experiences. 

Tracysmile



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Tracy
NorCal Dan


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Welcome Tracy. We're a friendly bunch here so don't hesitate to ask questions. Before we went full-time we bought a used class C to tool around in taking progressively longer trips. We found that we hated having to return to our S&B. So we sold the class C and bought our full-time rig and never looked back...

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Melstar


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Welcome Tracy! 16 months ago I was in the same place as you are......reading and researching what I had been exposed to.....RV living.....we had owned campers when our children were young from tents to pretty long travel trailers....but got out of that 27 years ago and never looked back...until ...last year. I found this website and the dream was born. We are doing what Dan said he did for a while. We have purchased a 5th Wheel and a truck to pull it and we are taking weekend trips..and longer extended trips. We both own our own businesses so we are flexible on time. We just returned from a month in Florida with our 5er and I found out a few things....mainly, that I did not get a feeling of being cramped in a small space. We will continue to do this for a while...as we love our home....but we LOVE RVing too!

FYI, I was the one who was resisstant to the idea when hubby first presented it to me. Then I started reading and researching and fell in love with the lifestyle idea and impressed with the people who wrote about it!

When we get to the point like Dan did....we will be better prepared to strike out on the fulltime life!

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Melanie White

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RVRon


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Welcome to the forum Tracy!  We're in the process of purging all of our stuff in anticipation of going fulltime RV sometime in 2012. Last month we were fortunate enough to be able to attend our first RV-Dreams.com rally in TN.  We had a blast, learned a lot and met some awesome people that we hope to see again when we get out on the road.

Since you're in FL I'd suggest you make it a point to attend the Tampa RV show in January.  It's the biggest RV show in the Southeast and one of the biggest nationwide.  Even if you're not in the market for a new RV you'll get some great ideas on what you like and don't like.  Give it at least 2 days - there's literally 100's of RVs to look at and a whole bunch of vendors to talk to.

Good luck!

 



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LadyO


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As luck would have it. Our daughter will be attending college in Tampa. So, a visit to the RV show could give us an excuse to go check on, uh, I mean visit our daughter. 

There is also a show in March in West Palm Beach (FL) that we will plan on attending. 

Thank you all for your warm welcome. I have completly become addicted to the RV dreams website and have read  every page. I have also read some other RV'ers websites. If any of you have any sites you recommend I visit send the address. 

I am very interested in someone who has RV'd through Alaska. 

Tracy



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Tracy
Luvglass


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We spent the whole summer up there in 2008. You can read about it if you start about June of that year on our blog listed below. We enjoyed it so much that we are going to go again next year. It is an amazing place.

Good luck,

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rvingft


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Welcome to this forum Tracy & Frank. Back in 2000, when I lived in Davie, FL, the first RV event I attended was a biggie. The January RV Supershow in Tampa was an amazing experience! There, I met Jaimie Hall (now Hall-Bruzenak) who has since become my favorite RV author and mentor (http://www.rvlifestyleexperts.com) and others in the RV lifestyle.

We also took RV driving classes at one of the biggest RV dealers on the east coast - Lazy Days just east of Tampa. Bernie is STILL teaching RV driving classes there today!

It took 4 more years after the show of planning and searching but we bought our 1st RV in 2004 - a very well used fifth-wheel matched to an F350 dually. We live in that rig while were still working as truck drivers. When we transferred to a different company or decided to run out of a different terminal, we simply hitched up the RV and moved to a new town. When we finally ended up in Arizona, parked for a couple years, we sold that rig.

But RVing was in our blood, and a year later we purchased our current rig. We've remodeled it as time & $ allows and now use it for weekends. Our goal is to return to RVingFT and will change rigs again when the time is right for us.

My suggestion is keep connected - to the RV blogs, read, research and attend local RV events. Like other posts above, make a commitment to attend the January RV Super Show next year. And visit the vendor booths - you'll see many of the reps are RVingFT themselves! They'll have a LOT of wisdom to share.

We also joined Escapees that year - 4 years before we owned an RV ourselves. It was a thrill for us to finally pull into Livingston and get our "SKP hug" from the camphosts - I started crying realizing MY RV dream had become a reality. Now, I promote escapees.com to EVERY RV-wannabe we meet.

As the Law Of Attraction says - you bring about what you think about - and if you focus on the RVing lifestyle, it WILL happen for you. I suggest you start your own blog NOW so you can document the journey, which really is starting NOW, not when you buy your first RV. I wish had done that. My handwritten journal is filled with the questions and emotional challenges I had at the time. Now, I realize most everyone goes through many of the same issues I did and there are thousands of RVers who have traveled the road that lays before before you - and they are willing to guide and support you along the way.

Enjoy the journey - it's just as important as the destination. Looking forward to hearing your posts.



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LadyO


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Thank you for your words of advise and encouragement. I am continuing to research and read everyone's blogs and travelogues. I am hoping to make the January RV show in Tampa. Generally there is one in March in our neck of the woods that I plan to attend. 

I will be looking to all of you experienced folks for guidance and education as I continue down this pathway. Hope to meet many of you at the RV shows. I will be the one picking everyones brains. biggrin

Tracy



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Tracy
heyduke


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Best of luck to you in your endeavors... we have just completed our first 100 days on the road and posted our thoughts about it... might be a good read for you. Pay particular attention to number 19 on the list... Copy this link to the blog http://zeetraveler.blogspot.com/2011/06/first-hundred-days.html


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bjoyce


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Friends are doing the Alaska trip right now. Here are some blogs:
http://rvdrivingschool.blogspot.com/
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/thesairs/1/tpod.html
http://coolrvers.blogspot.com/
http://shadonrv.blogspot.com/
http://www.tiltonstravels.blogspot.com/

There are many other blogs and journals from earlier years, including ours from 2006.

Good luck.

Edit: Made the links clickable.



-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 12th of June 2011 09:24:39 AM



-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 19th of June 2011 01:24:44 PM

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LadyO


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Thank you for sites. I will be sure to check them out over the summer. 

Tracy



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Tracy
LadyO


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I am really looking forward to reading about your first 100 days. Will be on the top my my reading list. Be safe this summer.

Tracy



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Tracy
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