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!!
Bought and paid for our Rv for full timing, have had 2 breakdowns during our shake down trips so far and we still want to do this...we bought a 2007 Allegro Bay Fred and have like many of you learned the break down frustrations, somehow camping in a Freight-liner repair facility is not exactly relaxing.
Also have found that the Extended warranty can require a lot of frustrations as well, this along with the fact that our house has not yet sold (retired April 1st and hoped to be on the road by May 30th) no longer looks like a reality, really hate to have the RV in Storage but the HOA makes this happen.
Hope to meet and exchange my lack of knowledge with many of you.
I spent many years camping in everything from under the stars to pop-ups to permanent travel trailer sites, not including my annual Deer Hunting excursions. However full time RV is going to be yet another new chapter.
Hang it there! Like anything else, there'll be some bumps in the road when you first start. Can relate to your frustrations on selling the house. It took ours forever to sell.
Welcome to the friendliest forum on the Internet. Ask all those questions that you'll have. Lots of great folks here ready to help if they can.
Good Luck
Jim
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Jim and Linda Full-timers from 2001 to 2013 http://parttimewithjandl.blogspot.com/ 2006 Dodge 2500 Diesel pulling a Heartland 26LRSS TT May your days be warm, and your skies be blue. May your roads be smooth, and your views ever-new.
Thanks everyone
We have a 2007 Allegro Bay (Fred) and a 08 wrangler toad.
We presently have our home on the market and once it sells plan to full time for a least a couple of years.
After a trip back east to visit family we plan to follow the weather and our fancy, We would most likely return to Nevada once a year or so to keep up on Drs appointments and vehicle registration, however plan to talk to a bunch of you who have changed you state of residence.
I do know that RVer's are the best bunch of folks who you will meet.
Hope to see many of you on the road
Welcome tmtube. Sorry to hear about your frustrations with your RV. I have spent the last 4 years repairing and upgrading my RV. I am hoping this year to take it to the Florida Keys soon for a real road test.
Just have to mention this funny story..... When I purchased my RV (it is 10 years old now), I drove it from Las Vegas, Nevada (where my mother lived before she passed) to Ohio. While driving, I watched the vent cover for the exhaust fan cover the stove fly off.... I have had a roof vent cover fly off also.... not so funny when it happens.
Bought and paid for our Rv for full timing, have had 2 breakdowns during our shake down trips so far and we still want to do this...
Also have found that the Extended warranty can require a lot of frustrations as well...
Hi,
Even with a brand new coach it seems a lot of things go wrong the first several months of truly using in it. In the one hand that makes sense I guess, but it is frustrating after you do your check outs, research etc. As far as the extended warranty I absolutely love when the extended warranty company and the manufacturer start arguing about who does the repair ...that was sarcasm :) Especially if you are trying to use mobile technicians and they allow different ones.
Anyways you are definitely not alone and I will say things settle in after the initial rash of things breaking. Only been doing this 6 months but what I have found is it's not if it will break but when...and in order to keep my sanity I look at the circumstances under which it breaks to decide whether to be happy or upset about it lol. For instance our slide out gear box recently broke...but it was a good thing because it was in the in position so we could continue to travel and we were in a good place to get the parts. My husband did the repair himself. Another good thing.
Seriously not trying to be Polly positive here but if it could be a lot worse your in pretty good shape :)
Lee & Trace, thanks for the encouragement, I think it is just that we all have that desire for a perfect journey, and then you have the break down, (kind of know that they are inevitable) but then you end up with customer service that feels like anything except customer service.
Having now vented my frustration I must say we are looking forward to our full timers RV adventures just as quickly as the house sells.
And hopefully some short journeys in the meantime
After 9 years of fulltiming, I can tell you that there is ALWAYS something that breaks down. You get really good at figuring out what is a 'stop & fix' now, what is a "we can get by and fix later", and "we can work around this". And once done, you then become the expert to all of your friends and can lend a hand when that problem arises for others.
And if you are working on something in a park, there will always be people who will ask "do you need any help" - except if they see you working on replacing the dump valves for the black/grey tanks - - then they walk to the other side of the road and just wave!
Barb
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Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Newbie...just joined today and have been reading a lot of good posts from what seems to be a great group of people. Picking up my 2015 Forest River Lexington 300SS first of June, need any suggestions in the basic do's and dont's that you can give. Boondocking, solar panels, towables...OH MY! Not sure if I want to or can tow a small car? Which tow package to use? I really need my internet connection....can I really trust campground wifi? HD TV connection expensive? Do I need extra hoses, tools, electrical, etc. RV membership? I have been reading coastal campgrounds are more expensive but really want to be by the ocean, but can view it, don't necessarily need to sleep by it. Then finding a site that is safe and reasonable. Just a little overwhelmed....please help!
Wishing you the best with the repairs, and that is coming from a couple that finally left Laughlin NV after an unexpected engine replacement on our truck. we were stuck for a month in a place we never planned to be, but in the end timing worked out and we got back on the road to where we needed to be without cancelling an art show. This life teaches you how to laugh at the unexpected, which is needed to maintain sanity, and best of all how to laugh and roll with the punches.
As many have said, repairs are a part of your life when you live this lifestyle. Recently, Steve spent 6 hours on the phone with several different techs who helped him troubleshoot a problem we had. Once the problem was isolated it took him 15 minutes to make the repair. It sure helps if you're handy! Good luck!
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Joan & Steve '14 Entegra Anthem '08 HD Streetglide, 2014 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited 4x4
Not even on the road yet, so a lot of it will be new to us also from a hands on perspective. Through this forum, our confidence builds each day that we will be able to handle most repairs on our own or have the resources to manage what we can't. Having done plumbing and electrical and some automotive while still in a S&B I have learned that "It aint that hard". Now having said all that, I have never done a supposedly simple thing like putting new brake pads on any car I have ever owned... go figure. Spark plugs, oil changes, even an intake manifold and carbuerator (remember those?) but brake pads? Must be a mental block or I need somebody to walk me thru with hands on OJT. But that is me, show me once and I'll know and do it forever.
Good luck with your adventure, we are rooting for you!
Oceangirl, introduce yourself in your own thread and ask away... You can search and find tons of answers in this Forum and lots of helpful people. I can only answer one of your questions - WiFi in campgrounds can be iffy, best resource I have found for connectivity issues is Technomadia. Their blog and books are amazing. Don't worry, many, many people here with much knowledge about everything you mentioned..
Like anything else, there'll be some bumps in the road when you first start. Can relate to your frustrations on selling the house. It took ours forever to sell. 
