What's your background?

[stedeley]

here goes for an oldy.
Retired military with most of my service in special ops. Wife Marge and I have been married for 46 years and are now just getting started with the RVing life style with hopes that our health stays good. Bob, me, is 71 1/2.

After retiring from the military, 27 years ago, got in the realestate business and ended up with the 2d largest firm in the state and am now trying to divest myself of all the commercial property that I have accumulated.

Doing most of my research on this site which is great.

[Moby Bill]

This is obviously a popular thread. What do ya'll think of the administrator changing the name of "New Member Profile" to "Memeber Profile" and letting it grow there? Seems to fit.

Ford F-250 PSD pulling a Mobile Scout 30RK

[MattHelm21]

Hi,

I'm Matt and my wife's name is Cyndie. We've both lived in the Northern New Jersey area all of our lives. We began camping in a big way not quite two years ago when we could no longer stand to take vacations without our two cats. When Cyndie found out we could stay on race track property(Dover Downs) and not commute from hotels as much as 40 miles away, that clinched it.

I work for the Data Networking Services department of a wireline and wireless communications hardware reseller as a Senior Engineer. Specifically, my expertise is in router, switch, firewall, and VPN/remote access platforms manufactured by Cisco, Nortel Networks, and Checkpoint/Nokia where I hold several certifications and am nearing completion of Cisco's CCIE. I had no RV experience prior to July of 2000.

Cyndie is comptroller for one family owned Chevrolet dealership and manages many functions of their second one. As a NASCAR fan, she puts me to shame. Usually, if it can further our enjoyment of NASCAR, I can get it for the trailer(got my eye on one of those duramax's). Her RV experience was the same is mine in July of 2000.

Our camping so far consists of one or two(usually one) 9 day trips a year and some long weekend trips so we don't get to venture two far from home. We enjoy Nascar and since acquiring the trailer, have camped at each Dover race and added a Pocono race(I'm hoping Daytona is in our future). We will be trackside at Pocono in July this year for the first time.

When not on the road, our trailer can be found in Driftstone Campground in Pennsylvania where we use it as a weekend getaway second home. Unfortunately, we lost one of our cats to old age after she went with us on our second trip however our second 9 year old cat is loving the RV lifestyle and can't wait to jump into the trailer after a long day on the road.

MattHelm21
Matt & Cyndie Nichols
'00 Chevy K3500 Crew cab, DRW, Vortec 7400, auto, 4.56,Rancho 9k & 9.7K, Reese 20K
'00 Newmar American Star, 36DBSA FW, Onan 7K(propane conversion)

[Jerry]

I'm Jerry and the better half is Alma. I retired after a long career with Mack Trucks, Inc. as a Regional Service Manager responsible for the western half of the US including Alaska & Hawaii. Alma retired from an office managers position with a cell phone and car stereo chain in Dallas. We have been avid RV'ers since 1968. Since retiring in 1998, we have traveled most of the states and Canadian provinces. We are active in the Escapees and a Good Sam chapter. We have several more years of travel plans made and get a serious case of 'hitch itch' if we are off the road for more than a few weeks. Our current rig is indicated below and we thoroughly enjoy it!
Jerry

International 4700LP Custom Trailer Toter
pulling a 38' King of the Road fifth wheel
"Running the roads seeing God's Great Creation"

[Paul_NJ]

Hello All,

My name is Paul (43) and I live in northwestern New Jersey with my High School sweetheart and wife of twenty three years Sherry (42) and our three children Megan (13), Thomas (9) and Ryan (1). I also can not forget our Golden Retriever "Copper". We started camping over twenty years ago. First with a tent then went to a TT and we are now on our third Fiver. Even doing tent camping again with the Cub Scouts being I'm a Den Leader for my son's Pack.

I started off careers as a diesel mechanic for sixteen years working my way up to Service Manager for a Navistar Dealer and left that to become a professional landlord, but after doing the landlord thing for eight years we have sold all the multi-unit buildings and I presently buy, rehab and sell single family homes.

Sherry is a Domestic Engineer/Bookkeeper and leads a very busy life taking care of our house and three children as well as our business books! The youngest being twenty months. The littlest one has been to nineteen states so far so he has not stopped us from enjoying the RV lifestyle.

Our other hobbies are collecting antique and classic cars. We have a great deal of fun with that! From driving in parades in our 1930 Model A Ford to going to National Shows with our Muscle cars.

Being we are self-employed we leave ample time to get away and enjoy traveling and seeing this wonderful country we are blessed to live in. Someday we look forward to full timing but we have to wait till the youngest heads off to college unless we can come up with a better plan.

We love this web site and hope to see you someday on the road! Look for our Leprechaun and irv2 bumper sticker on the back of our Fiver!

Paul & Sherry, Megan, Thomas, Ryan
99.5 F350 PSD CC 4x4 Duallie
00 Newmar American Star 36DBSA 5th Wheel Bunkhouse

[This message was edited by Paul_NJ on January 14, 2002 at 01:09 AM.]

[Lockman]

My name is Mike, my wife is Judy, we will be married 40yrs. this coming May 4th. We have two daughters and five granddaughters (surrounded by women all my life!)I will be 62 this Friday 1/17, wife just turned 60. We met when she was twelve and I was 14, lived across the street from each other.

I have done many things in my working life, from being a radio disc jockey in the 60's/70's, owned taxicabs, but most recent years spent in hardware sales, security related items. In 1992, I bought an exisiting Locksmith store in downtown Seattle.
I employ 6 people and have three service trucks as well as a retail store there. We keep busy doing commercial work in the downtown area almost exclusively. Life has been good to us, especially in the later years. I keep threatining to retire, but I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I now say I am done when I turn 65? who knows!

We have had four motor homes in the past 20 years, 3 "a's and 1 'C'. So far, have only week-ended and vacationed in them. Full-timing would not be our cup of tea, but it does sound intriguing?

Mike Tagart
34' 1999 Georgie Boy Landau, 12' slide, V10
1988 Chev S-10 Blazer 4wd. (setting up as toad)

[Mo Rambler]

Hi, we're Larry & Ann. Both very much boomers, both just turned the double nickels. We celebrated our 30th anniversary last year.
I work in engineering for an automotive parts manufacturer. For 15 years, attended NASCAR WC races as my job. Yep, somebody HAD to do it, until 4 years ago when the the marketing department changed their vision. Now just go around checking new cars and trucks for parts needs. Also involved in testing programs (i.e. parts on taxis in Las Vegas). Must go there every 8 weeks to make sure they're still running.
Ann is a Mammography Tech working at a local hospital. We both will have 30 years in next month. She is planning on retiring in May. I gotta keep working to make sure we have insurance.
We have one son, who was married in September.
Having lived in SW Missouri all our lives, (except for the 3 years I spent in the Army)we have many places within 100 miles to venture to and enjoy. We like hiking, biking, golf, and fishing. Infamous Branson is 30 minutes from home, and we go there often. We've made 14 trips to southern Colorado in the last 5 years.
We started camping in a "clam shell" type popup. Used that for a few years, then got out of camping for awhile. Then started again 5 years ago, and have had a TT, 5er, and new mh in that time frame.
In 2000, we spent 78 nights in the mh. Last year was only 56, but we plan to do better this year!
Oh and before I forget, we travel with Lucy the Wonderdog, a blond cocker spaniel, that is kind of like the Amex card, we can't leave home without her

99 HR Vacationer-Toads:Honda CRV/Suzuki Samurai
Wanderers RV Club,Elk Herd RV Club,Ozark Mountain Boomers

[Michael Richardson]

Hello, We are Michael and Patricia..

I currently work for the government as a program manager, my wife is currently a housewife.

Our little saga begins in the summer of 1996, I had a conference in Las Vegas and rather than fly we decided to purchase camping gear and take two weeks of annual leave and see the country.

And see the country we did, we both realized
how much we loved to travel and loved the outdoors.

We are now in our third fifth wheel and third truck and we feel we have keepers now. We truly enjoy living full time in a recreation vehicle, we like the freedom and we like the lifestyle.

We had a hard decision when we purchased the 40'
fifth wheel..the size...the weight.....But it turns out it was a good decision, we are a litttle more careful now where we go . But the additional room and comfort are well worth the extra size and cost.

2000 NEWMAR LONDON AIRE 40'
1997 MACK CH613 CONDO SLEEPER
400 HP 1460 FT LBS TORQUE
Southeast Asia School of Warfare Class of 68/69............. FULLTIMERS AGAIN..............
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[R. O. Walton, Jr.]

We do nothing - but we do it well. I'm retired as a university CFO and Marty retired from the local health department.

I started camping in a TT at age 6 then went to tents. We have been married 39 years, have 2 sons (oldest on active duty for the current militay operation, the other a Phd in SC.)and 4 grandchildren. We camped across the country in a tent when the boys were 7 & 8 and did a lot of local tent camping. When I retired in July 1999 we purchased a Lance 1010 and a GMC 2500 pickup. Since then we have been from Key West to the Artic Ocean as well as Newfoundland. We leave for Copper Canyon in two weeks

nogo

[Frank & Kay]

We are Frank and Kay, we are both still working fulltime, for another 17 and a half months before retirement. We have been married for over 41 years, raised 4 children, 3 sons, 1 daughter, and we have 7 grandchildren. Frank is on a 4th career, retiring from a major pharmaceutical company as a distribution center manager, then on to owning a car wash, then becoming an owner/distributor for the local newspaper, and now as accounts payable clerk/weigh master for the county trash incinerator. Kay is on her second career, first as a homemaker/mother, and now as administrative assistant for an academic department (again a mother to 130 students) at the local University.
We started camping when our children were young, first in a tent, then in a pop-up. When the kids were big enough that their shoes covered the floor at night, and they'd lost their interest in seeing things and only wanted to hit the campground pool, we sold our pop-up and had a pool installed. Now, 30 years later, as empty nesters, and in preparation for our retirement, we bought a new TT two years ago. We love to travel in our little house on wheels, and we really want to see as much as we can of our beloved country and neighboring countries. And guess what? Our children are once again wanting to "see" things and are joining us on some of our trips. We get to spend quality time with our grown children and grandchildren. So far we have towed as far south as NC, Elizabethtown area, and as far northeast as ME, Freeport area. We have visited Cape Ann in MA and Rehobeth Beach in DE, and spent a long fall weekend in colorful VT. We haven't been disappointed yet.
As retirement comes closer and we start to list the places we'd like to see, we realize we are going to have to make lists so we see everything we want. Traveling with our "home" with us is so enjoyable, we have yet to hit the time when we are anxious to get back home.
Hope to see some of you out there.
Frank and Kay from CNY

[96PSD]

Hi there this is John and my wife Sharon,

After reading all these stories I wonder what we are not busy doing.... I'm 30 and she's 32 we've been married for 5 years. We each have been tent camping for a while before we met and finally just stepped up to the plate and bought a fiver this past summer after renting a class C and trailers before.

I'm a Theatre Technical Director at a private boarding/day highschool here in central NJ. I design and build all the scenery and lighting and sound for the shows all year long here and arrange AV and set-ups for special events and conferences on the campus. Been working in the field since I was 15. Love going to work everyday doing something different.

Sharon started out as a highschool bio. teacher and then changed jobs about 5/6 years ago and began to work for Educational Testing Services.

We both met on the stage as she acted in a show that I designed. From there on it was a love story script.

If you don't find us at work, we are busy being youth group leaders at our church. During the summer we take our kids to a Christian music festival called Creation in Mt. Union, PA and then I take a run to the Appalachia's for a week of mission work repairing homes and enjoying new found fellowship.

We have no children of our own yet and enjoy our time when we can escape our home. We can make this all possible because as part of my 24/7 on call emergency maint. and security comes a home so that I am kept close by in such an event. Love my life. My hope is some day to hear the word "renovation" for my theatre and that will give me a 1/2 year of laxed shows and events to take in the USA for the East Coast to the West Coast.

96' F350 XLT PSD Crew Cab, 4x4, auto E4OD, 4.10 rear,LWB,SRW,Idle Controller,Viper Remote start/alarm,3" Stan Headers DP,Bully airhorns, Lund modified Fastback, Overhead lightbar, Rancho RS9000 shocks,Wood trim kit, graphics, '95 29RKUG HitchHiker II
<a href=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=348402&a=2580887>Relax in comfort</a>

[This message was edited by 96PSD on January 22, 2002 at 09:16 PM.]

[FogNobber]

Dave & Anne Barnes in Ithaca, NY. First to explain the name "FogNobber". Since the late 80's a group of us have been camping on some privately owned land on a mountaintop which is the "nob" of a hill. It is frequently foggy there especially early in the morning or when it rains, thus the the name of the camp "FogNob" was created around the campfire one night.

Dave is a Sr. Deputy Chief of Police having worked for the Ithaca Police for 33 years and was fortunate enough to have attended the FBI's National Academy in 1986. My goal is to retire in 2 more years (at age 55) and to become at least a snowbird during the winter.

Anne is a Sr. typist currently working as the secretary for the Principal of the Ithaca High School. She's been married to her first husband (me, gets mad when I say that) for 25 years and we're the parents of two sons ages 20 & 22.

We started camping in the 80's with a pop-up, then moved up to a 30' bunkhouse 5th wheel and in '98 upgraded to our current setup. Can't wait to get back on the road in May

[ISLAPP]

My name is Mike and my wife's name is Debbie.
I'm 52 yrs young and my wife is 45. I have three "grown" children and my wife has one "grown" child( that is if they ever really GROW up)!! I work in the credit dept for our local newspaper and my wife works in the office of a retirement center. We really really want to retire in about ten yrs and do lots of traveling, IF I can ever get my "stuff" together and have the money that will be needed then. I just think there is so much to see and we havent even begun to scratch the surface. We went the usual route of tent,pop up, travel trailer, and now the fiver. I really want a larger fiver, like around 32-34' with a nice open bathroom floor plan. Our Jayco has a 5'3" ceiling bedroom and the bathroom(which is nice size) is located at the rear of the fiver. Even though I am not big, I just feel the bedroom is too cramped.
We have a "large" cockapoo dog named Buffy that loves to travel.
Hope to see some of you this summer.
Mike

'01 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel 2WD Long Bed 4.10 axle. '00 Jayco 277rbs Fiver.

[Frankie]

Okay,You asked.
My name is Frankie 37,My girlfriend and best friend is Karen 36.We met on a blind date about two years ago.She is divorced with two boys.I have never managed to walk down the aisle.I had been out of a long term relationship almost a year and was fixed up by my sisters friend,who was convinced we were made for eachother.When I saw my blind date walk through the door,I started breathing again.At dinner we were making small talk and the subject of camping came up and the rest is history.We became involved ,went to a show looking for a popup,ended up with a 28"TT.We both had popups,slide-ins and tents throughout the years.Camping was the common bond and neither of us have ever enjoyed it as much as we do now together.I own a small Plastering co. and she runs the financial dept. in a conferance center.
Along with her sons,Marko and Brody and my dog,Angel,We have been out almost every weekend this past summer and a lot this winter.We travel mostly in NH.ME,Ma.Even managed a mini rally with some Nor'Easters and had a blast.

Frankie
99 Dodge Ram 4x4
01 Keystone Springdale 260tbl 26'