Dreamers Class of 2015 - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Talensnana · RV-Dreams Family Member

RE: Dreamers Class of 2015

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Talensnana: You are full-timers since you are living the RV. Many rent out their house and go on the road, some have multiple rentals and some have family living in the old house, but are still full-timers, since they are living in the RV.

Change your signature, get rid of the "Soon to be".

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Indeed you are full-timers now Patti and Ed (just mooch-docking in your own driveway sometimes).

It seems there are three ingredients necessary for complete freedom - buy the rig, sell or rent the S&B, and retire or move the work to the road. Everyone seems to get two of the three out of way and then have to wait for the final one. We have a slight variation on the retirement as we are waiting for our youngest to "retire" from high school on June 2. But when Bill retires March 20 we will have all the main ingredients completed.

For those lucky enough to have their rig before the house is sold, and to be retired already, and able to go whenever they want - I agree with Bill that those folks are already fulltime!!!

Jodee

fun2travel · RV-Dreams Family Member

We accepted an offer on our house. WooHoo! Three showings, 2 offers. If it goes through I guess we will become fulltimers sooner rather than later.

DebbieM · RV-Dreams Family Member

Congrats! What are your next plans?

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Leslie, that is great news!! Hope your escrow is smooth and easy and all your remaining "to do's" are completed early too!! Sooner is so much better than later - congrats

pkhalin · RV-Dreams Family Member

I dunno! With all this action, roads are gettin' a might crowded. lol

Congrats, all!

Millie · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'll be heading out into the unknown, late this year.

(My departure 'could' be delayed a few months.)
I've made a lot of friends here in Toronto, so it won't be easy to leave.
But, I 'must'.
I am most comfortable living in the forest. - 'Not' in a cement jungle.
Yes, I'll be living and traveling in an RV for an indefinite amount of time.

I rent, so there's not a lot to pack. - My personal items, and my sewing machine.

Gary and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi all........Well the realtor was out last Thurs. She said she'll have no problem selling the house. Yeah! She wants to show the place asap, so this weekend we've been taking personal stuff off the walls, cleaning and told all the kids all our belongings need to go! I called the dealership to see if my chosen "baby" is still available and............sold.. I could cry. Well actually I did. I've been on the internet all weekend in the evening and I'm telling you I cannot find a rig I would settle for! The one we wanted was perfect. So disappointed. I feel like our home is going to sell and we'll be stuck living in a motel until we find a rig. The only other dealership that has the rig we want is the biggest shysters in the area. Disappointment #1. What a way to start our journey. Still hoping to get on the road before fall.

pkhalin · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gary and Linda,

Keep the faith and hang in there. Just keep thinkin' 'Good Karma, Good Karma!' This too, shall pass and you gotta think things will work out for the best.

Good luck you guys!

DebbieM · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gary & Linda,

Have you tried RV-Trader? It'll search the whole US. We bought ours this way. Truck (new) on ebay, could also try auto trader.

Jim and Barb · RV-Dreams Family Member

Don't settle for anything less than what you have your sights set on. Keep on searching something will pop up.

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Gary and Linda,

Whether you have the rig or not, getting the house sold quickly is a wonderful feeling! After 18 months of "knowing" what rig we were going to get, we found a different model from a different manufacturer, fell in love with it, and now it's ours. Like Debbie said, RVTrader gives you a national search, and usually decent photos

Just don't force yourself into anything.

You could also start a Wanted thread under the Classifieds on this forum and give your specific "looking for" - maybe someone will have or know of one getting ready to go on the market, and everybody wins

Good luck!!

Jodee

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sadly I just sent Howard notice that we have to cancel our reservations for the Spring Rally

I feel like I'm bailing on my graduating class and that is the worst part!! Nothing serious, just circumstances that happen to change even the best of plans.

We are already planning to be at the next one no matter where or when it is, and excited that we'll be in our rig then rather than a cabin.

I know everyone will have a great time and I can't wait to see pics and hear all the fun stories. Hope the weather is perfect!

Jodee

MikenRobin · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sorry to hear of the change of plans, We hope everything is OK.

We were looking forward to meeting you both, You will have a year head start on us so we look forward to meeting on the road.

Mike

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Mike! I know you and Robin will have a great time.

See you on the road next year!!

Jodee

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jodee - I'm really sorry to hear of your plans as well. I just hope everything is all right and it's just one of those snags. Take it from an expert who has come to learn that most plans are made in bubbles. We've had to cancel 2 rallies and we're stuck at the last rally location going on a month now, still waiting for a pin box.

I hope to meet you down the road! Good luck!

fun2travel · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sorry Jodee. I know roadblocks and challenges are part of the journey no matter where your path takes you. I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason. Hang in there and see you on the road soon.

fun2travel · RV-Dreams Family Member

Oh and by the way, we started loading "Howie". (Home on wheels).

Putting it on a temporary lot Sunday and closing on our house next Monday.
Whew, this is a lot of work!!

pkhalin · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Jodee,

As the enthusiastic 'founders' for the class of 2015, I don't think you could be considered bailing on anyone. You've been so supportive of everyone here. As has been pointed out, things often don't go the way you want them to. "Best laid plans" and all that. Hopefully, nothing too bad.

Although we weren't planning on hitting this rally, when we do hit the road, would very much like to attend some to see what all the fuss is about. They sound like a lot of fun, not to mention educational.

Wouldn't mind running into you guys somewhere along the way, as well.

Good luck and happy trails.

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks everybody! It's a big scheduling glitch so nothing serious or bad. Except for missing the rally

We're still on track to graduate on June 4 and love seeing how others' plans are coming together. Soon we'll all be out there!!!

Jodee

pkhalin · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, once you get your toe in, let us know how the water is.

cheryls-other-half · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Jodee wrote:
We are under contract! We accepted an offer on our house after it was on the market for a week - so excited!!! 30 day escrow then apartment living for six months. We plan to buy a rig after the first of the year, then Bill retires the end of March. It's coming together at last

Really glad we spent the last six months purging all our stuff. So much less work for the next four weeks!

Jodee

WOW,, ALMOST TIME (now march 18th!)) congrats!

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Mitch. Yes! His last day is Friday!!!!

We head to NM for family reunion next week with several stops along the way getting there and a couple of long driving days on the way back. We are so excited for our first big trip, sort of a real trial run before we launch for good in June

It's all coming together.

Jodee

fun2travel · RV-Dreams Family Member

My first night as a fulltimer. We are parked out in front of our house, sleeping in our new bed. In our fiver. Closing on the 23rd. It's finally here. Almost seems surreal.

Good luck everyone else!

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Happy Graduation Leslie!!

Another classmate has made the big move to fulltime - congratulations!! If you haven't already joined our class on RVillage.com, be sure to do that so we all have the best opportunity to meet up out on the road

A toast of the champagne for Monday's closing.

Jodee

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

I hope lots of you are able to attend the Spring Rally at the end of the month! Be sure to check in here and let us know how it was

When I saw the pot luck sign-up I was bummed all over again

We had a very exciting first big adventure, sort of a trial run before we launch in June. There are a couple blog posts about all the fun we had with the GPS and fighting the wind - check them out if you get a minute.

Hope all are still on track with your graduation dates. Please stay in touch.

Jodee

Wyatt262 · RV-Dreams Community Member

We finally made the plunge. We purchased our 2013 Forest River Berkshire and pick it up in a few weeks. Looking forward to getting this new adventure started!

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Congrats Todd and Lisa! That is a beautiful rig and I know you can't wait to get inside and make it yours

Jodee

fun2travel · RV-Dreams Family Member

Way to go Todd and Lisa! Time will fly now

French Bikers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hello class 0f 2015, unfortunetely we won't graduate this year for several reasons but our project is still alive and should occured in 2016. Therefore I will have to joined the 2016 class. Like I said many times we have been planning the FT life style for many years and we have done our homeworks but we wont rush to hit the road. We are in a negociation process to purchase our MH which is a 2013 Thor Tuscany XTE 40 EX. House is more than ready to sell and should be on the market around february 2016. In the mean time we are still purging our stuff. The trailer manufacturer already have my plans for the motorcycles trailer.

We would have like to be part of class 2015 but it will be in 2016. We are taking this opportunity to wish good luck to everyone that will make their dreams come true this year and hope to see some of you on the road.

Drive safe, have fun and keep the dream alive.

Jean & Jocelyne

-- Edited by French Bikers on Monday 20th of April 2015 08:32:51 PM

HighwayRanger · RV-Dreams Family Member

It looks like we're BAAAAAAACK! If all goes well, we will order a new RV in July, and should be moved into it around November of this year. We will spend Thanksgiving with relatives in Nevada, Christmas back in San Diego, then we'll head east for the rest of winter. Don't know where, but it will be somewhere! Can't wait, as we've been planning this for the better part of a decade.

So, we'll sneak into the back of the 2015 class (just where I belong!)

Roy

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Looks like a tag-team here!

Jean and Jocelyne I hope you'll stay in touch with us as you started here and are part of our original crew! Glad you're still on track and making things happen at the pace that is best for you. We love our Thor Tuscany XTE although we have the smaller 34ST. If you get a chance to review the manual first I strongly recommend it. Thor doesn't make the manual for just one rig so sometimes it's hard to figure out what applies to you. If you review it first, you can ask better questions during your orientation

Oh Yay Roy!! Glad your changes moved you back on track for 2015 - so exciting

We will be in Borrego Springs around Christmas, not far from San Diego. Would be great if we could meet up on the road.

We take the rig in on May 1 for a few fixes from our shake-down run and have six weeks to finalize prescriptions, mail and a few other pieces of starting a new lifestyle. We are so excited

))))

Jodee

HighwayRanger · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Jodee wrote:

Oh Yay Roy!! Glad your changes moved you back on track for 2015 - so exciting We will be in Borrego Springs around Christmas, not far from San Diego. Would be great if we could meet up on the road.

Jodee

I suspect we'll be heading east on I-8 from SD and will pass right through the Borrego Springs vicinity. If you think about it, send us a PM when you get settled into your campsite and we'll try to swing through!

Roy

French Bikers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Jodee wrote:
Looks like a tag-team here!

Jean and Jocelyne I hope you'll stay in touch with us as you started here and are part of our original crew! Glad you're still on track and making things happen at the pace that is best for you. We love our Thor Tuscany XTE although we have the smaller 34ST. If you get a chance to review the manual first I strongly recommend it. Thor doesn't make the manual for just one rig so sometimes it's hard to figure out what applies to you. If you review it first, you can ask better questions during your orientation

Oh Yay Roy!! Glad your changes moved you back on track for 2015 - so exciting We will be in Borrego Springs around Christmas, not far from San Diego. Would be great if we could meet up on the road.

We take the rig in on May 1 for a few fixes from our shake-down run and have six weeks to finalize prescriptions, mail and a few other pieces of starting a new lifestyle. We are so excited ))))

Jodee

Thanks Jodee, like I said we've start planning FT lifestyle several years ago and we just want to start the right way without having debts or money thaughts, beside all the things that needed to be taken care of. It is only a few months away.
Jean

-- Edited by French Bikers on Thursday 23rd of April 2015 04:00:42 PM

French Bikers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Even if I'm no longer part of 2015 class I thaught I should share this news. Yesterday we have closed the deal and bought our MH, it's a 2013 Thor Tuscany 40 EX. I would have like to attach a picture with this message unfortunetely I don't have a clue how to do it.

Like I said the dream is still alive but will be realised in 2016 instead of 2015, in the mean time we are working toward the FT mode.

Good luck everyone.

Jean

-- Edited by French Bikers on Sunday 3rd of May 2015 09:34:59 PM

Adam and Karen · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hello, everyone. It's been awhile since I've posted anything on here, but honestly, things have been moving kind of slow. Until last night, that is. Our realtor called, informing us he had a new offer on our house. After quick consideration last night, I called our realtor this morning and accepted the offer. Our closing date is not until mid/late September, gving us time to work out the final details. But at last, we know with some degree of certainity when our new adventure will begin...The Blind, "The Blonde, and The Big Black Dog" will hit the road the second half of September. Hope to see you guys on the road.

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Great news Adam and Karen!!

Wondered what was going on with you two. Thought perhaps you were on the writer's circuit

So exciting to have a launch date - the summer will fly by!!

Jodee

Wyatt262 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Congrats! We hope every thing goes well for you. See ya on the road.

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey classmates!!

We are down to the wire with one week left before our scheduled launch date! Preparing to move into the rig on Sunday although there is still some warranty work to be completed on it. I suppose it could delay our leaving, but we're optimistic all will be complete.

Fortunately we have a friend with hookups where we can hang out for a couple days and set up the motorhome the way we want. Sounds like fun to me

)))

So what's going on with all of you?

Who's on the road and where have you been? Who's almost ready to launch this summer? Inquiring minds want to know!!

Jodee

gilljr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Jodee, we are still in Marion, N.C., we got to meet Howard & pam & Rojo last week when we stopped at reunion. We are taking a small trip in July to Pa. & Mass..Then, we are leaving in Sept. to travel across upper Midwest on our way to Pahrump for winter. Good luck, enjoy & we hope to meet you on the road.

manycats · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just a quick update on our 2015 plans: Mini house and office/shed fully insulated and electrified. Phone and internet in so I'll be able to work as soon as we move. Last winter in Cherokee was pretty cold so my DH wants to spend winters in the mini house rather than the RV. He's there by himself doing the construction work and will add a bathroom and a bedroom - he doesn't want to brave the cold in the 5th wheel and we can't travel South since I still have to work. We're basically just moving from one state to another but the fiver is available for short trips until we're really full-timers again. We're hoping to have it all done by the end of June and I'm still throwing out and giving away everything that won't fit. The local charities are getting a lot of stuff!

HighwayRanger · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jodee, Not sure where we left off last time, but we're in the process of negotiating the order of our new coach. If we can iron out all the details, we'll plunk down the order deposit in mid-July, and hope to take delivery in early November. We still would like to meet you around New Years in Borrego Springs, if all goes well.

Fingers crossed after a decade of planning, that it is finally going to happen!

Roy

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks everybody! Isn't it amazing how different all of our stories are, and yet we share this amazing dream and a wonderful community even before we get started?!

Oh how fun to get to meet them <jealous face>! Pahrump is a great winter spot

I suspect our exit plan a few years from now will include a mini house. I just can't imagine ever having a big place full of stuff again!

We're in the rig fulltime in two days and I have ANOTHER bag of stuff to donate!

We still plan to be in Borrego Springs on New Years, Roy, so hope we get to see that new coach. How sweet to order it the way you want it

))))))

Jodee

There's more of you out there - what's up???

pkhalin · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Jodee,

Still on track to take off the 2nd of August. Going to stay (relatively) local for a month and a half to take care of last minute things and then working our way slowly south and will be in Havasu for the winter. 61 days to retirement. Great anticipation!

Looking forward to happy trails.

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We weren't sure our youngest was going to actually graduate but he pulled it out - whew! So that hurdle is out of the way, and Bill's health is back on track, so that hurdle is cleared. Now if we can just get the warranty work completed (parts not here) we can actually get on the road! Obviously we're not making our intended launch date of June 3!

Not knowing when we can leave makes reservations impossible which is becoming a big challenge now that summer is here.

Moved in to the rig two days ago and with few exceptions everything fits - unbelievable! We're parked at a friend's storage lot with full hookups and although the surroundings are less than ideal, it is completely quiet, safe and free! So nice to have generous friends

!

So we're making the best of the delay. We've waited a couple years, we can wait a few more days!

Jodee

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Jodee wrote:
We weren't sure our youngest was going to actually graduate but he pulled it out - whew! So that hurdle is out of the way, and Bill's health is back on track, so that hurdle is cleared. Now if we can just get the warranty work completed (parts not here) we can actually get on the road! Obviously we're not making our intended launch date of June 3!

Not knowing when we can leave makes reservations impossible which is becoming a big challenge now that summer is here.

Moved in to the rig two days ago and with few exceptions everything fits - unbelievable! We're parked at a friend's storage lot with full hookups and although the surroundings are less than ideal, it is completely quiet, safe and free! So nice to have generous friends !

So we're making the best of the delay. We've waited a couple years, we can wait a few more days!

Jodee

Congrats you two!!!!!!!!!!!!

French Bikers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hello Jodee happy to see that Bill's health is back on track. You know I've been planning to become a FT for so many years and did all my research and homework that now I'm facing the real thing it is not something on a piece of paper or reading on the net. By chance I did my homework because there is so much to do in the real life, so many things to think about and I'm the type of "Mr. Perfect" meaning try not to forget anything. Like I said we have to wait until october 2016 to hit the road but it is no big thing.

I'm keeping track of class 2015 because I thaught back then that it would happend for us and I really enjoyed reading all graduates comments since you have started this post. I'm still in the selling mode and it is going very well, even this morning I sold for a couple of hundred $$$ motorcycle parts.

At first I thaught we would attend the next fall rally but we will probably if not for sure the rally in may 2016. I'm kind of anxious to meet Howard and Linda, in fact couple years ago I've sent a private message to Howard and he took the time to answer me back within a few days and answered my questions and gave me very good advise.

I wish that you will finally go through all the "Take Off" procedures and enjoy yourselves.

We won't graduate in 2015 but our hearths are still with this class.

Jean

DebbieM · RV-Dreams Family Member

Darn those RV repairs always seem to drag out! But you are actually THERE! Now you'll have to change your bi-line to Full Timers!

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for that reminder Debbie! That is a really big milestone to change that

)))))

Thanks folks, we're so, so happy to be moved in to our new home!

Jodee