What's your background?

[jiml]

We are Jim and Karla. Been married for a waaaaay long time - now, now, I DO remember the date in 1965. Have two "kids" - daughters, both married and now have 3 grandchilln. I've worked for several Federal agencies since the world was flat - as in 37 years. I plan to retire in - lets see - 17 days (but whose counting of course!!!) Karla is a Radiologic Technologist and currently works for an Orthopedic Surgeon. She's gotta work 'til the stock market recovers???? Just kidding!! (in case she reads this)

I've been camping since I was a kid, Karla had never camped until we met. She thought it was kinda crazy but gamely went along until she found out it was more fun than she thought. Like most others on the board, we tent camped, a little backpacking, had a couple of truck campers, a very small fiver for the past 5 years, bought a small but larger new fiver last December.

Over the years we have enjoyed big game hunting, canoeing, hiking, bicycling, and quite a bit of sailing. We have a 22 foot sailboat that we dock on a Colorado lake (except this year the docks aren't floating due to the drought!!)

"The Plan" for the future is to do quite a bit of traveling with the fiver, although full-timing is not a goal for us. Our shortlist includes the major Canadian parks, the maritime provinces, the eastern seaboard, and Florida. Never been to any of those places yet. We'll likely sell the sailboat in the next year or so since we no longer are interested in racing and get a bit bored just tooling around in the puddles we call lakes here in Colorado. (OOPS, that's bound to get a rise out of somebody!) We enjoy being on the water though and will likely go back to a paddle boat of some sort. Thinking of a Folbot right now.

Oh, and the "family" now includes Seka, a 9 week old Cockapoo who seems to be totally controlling our lives at the moment.

Gooday

Jim

2002 GMC 2500HD, Duramax/Allison
2001 Nash 23-5A

[baroness94]

Well, this could become a long story.
We are originally from Wisconsin, but re-located to Mississippi 4 months ago. I have been a camper all my life (mostly with the boy scouts as my dad was a leader). There was a hiatus for a few years until I married and talked my husband into camping. We have been camping together the past 22 years and are on our 5th trailer.
We have 3 children - daughters ages 13 & 21, son age 13. They have all camped since they were infants.
I am/was a radiologic technologist at a large medical center in Wisconsin. I worked part time and was also a clinical instructor and involved in several committees within the department.
My husband is/was a toolmaker at a large company in a suburb of Milwaukee, where he had been employed for 35 years.
After 9/11, business as a toolmaker dropped off due to the cancellation of several airline contracts.
We had discussed the possiblity of owning our own campground for the past several years. In January of this year, an opportunity arose that we could not pass up. We both left our jobs and relocated. Our 2 youngest children joined us when school let out in June and are now attending school in MS.
This was not a decision entered into lightly as we knew the campground had been neglected in recent years and would need a lot of work (it is operational while we are "fixing it up"). Also, our youngest are in the 8th grade this year and we would not have made this move if they were to be starting high school this year.
So, for the past 3 1/2 months, we have been working harder at being campground/business owners than we ever did at our "regular" jobs, but we are getting more satisfaction from it. We do not intend to stop camping as we are in the process of looking for workampers to stay here.
For now, though, our 27' TT is being used as a "guest house" for any visiting relatives (our oldest daughter left today).
That is our background/current history to date.

baroness94

www.frog-hollow.com

[mraynie]

We are Mary and JIm. We live outside Chicago. We were high school sweethearts and have been married 14 years. We have a 10yo son and a 6yo daughter. Both of us spent our youths camping in various forms. Jim is a tech for Toyota and I am a SAHM. We still do some tent camping because of Scouts but I'd rather be in our TT (especially during cold webelos fall campouts). We've had our 2 kids camping since they were infants. The best times are when the kids are in bed and we're sitting out by the fire. I should add that we enjoy collecting antique gas engines and attending and showing at antique engine shows and thresherman's reunions.

[BlueBoy]

I'm Brian. I'm instructional web developer/systems analyst at The University of Texas. Jane works for as an underwriter for a large insurance company in San Antonio. We live in (wait for it...!) Comfort, TX--about 40 miles from San Antonio in the Texas Hill Country. Our first, and present, RV is a popup. We're looking at hardside TTs as we speak.

Our first 'extended' date was backpacking in Big Bend National Park. She packed with me for 21 miles to the South Rim of the Chisos Mountains and back in one day. Right then I knew, "This gal's for me!"

We've been married 13 years. Our 10-year-old daughter has been camping with us since she was 2.

Right now I've got a new Ford diesel on order--something that can pull whatever we pick out for our next stage in RVing. I'm set to retire at 57 in December 2003--and I've got LOTS of traveling to do.

On Order: 2003 F-350 Crew Cab, 4x4, long bed 6.0L diesel/5R110W tranny--oughta pull anything! Looking to trade up from a popup to a TT.

[ugcamper]

We are Joyce and John. We live in downstate Illinois. Just about right smack dab in the middle of the state. I am a HVAC-R tech for one of the local hospitals and Joyce is retired due to health reasons. We have been married for 15+ years now and just started camping together in the last 3 years. Both of us have camped with previous marriges. All the kids are gone (YIPPEE) so it is just her and I. We love the peace of just getting away and meeting new people.

[C Schomer]

I'm Craig and my super wife is Kris. Kris is a microbiologist and I'm a hvac & r tech. We both work at a BIG pill factory, which is where we met. The only time we disagree, is when I can't get her to go on another RV trip! I'd go every free weekend. I figure I got all winter to fix the house stuff. Craig

97 Ram 2500, 2WD, Cummins TD, 5sp., 25' Sunnybrook 24CKFS 5th wheel.

[diesel Dave]

I retired 6/28/91 ( 3 days after I turned 40) as a GM mechanic ( I have no children and I own a lot of income generating real estate) to pursue my own hobbie/ buisness restoring/ performance modifying Corvettes.
My wife kelli is a ComTech with SBC. She trouble shoots highspeed data comtele lines, fiber optic rings from the central office.
Like I said no kids so I have all the time in the world.

Aerbus/w Cummins diesel(bombed), '87 GN,'79T/A convertible,'78-'87-'91 Corvettes, 20th Anniverary Mustang GT350. Vulcan 1500A & Magna 750. 2050 Bayliner Capri Cutty 5.7L All toys and NO kids.

[Ghost]

Just kidding

I am retired from the submarine force followed by 6 years at Intel Corporation from which I escaped in January.

Spent 4 months on the road during the ensuing time decompressing, February in Key West snapped me back to life.

My finace Tracy remains in the high tech field but has great flexiblity with telecommuting and travel which lends itself to a decent amount of time on the road.

We live in NE Connecticut's "Quiet Corner".

I'm snooping around for some new type of work - preferably out of the house on the computer and we are in the process of moving into a house a couple of towns further into the woods.

That's it!

Have fun & we'll see you on the road!

Ghost
'02 Adventurer 32V Ford
Various Toads
Connecticut Woods
<a HREF="http://www.fmca.com/_borders/goosegg.JPG"</a>



FMCA 300790, Good Sam, PCA-CVR

[Hitchhiker]

Sylvia and I are both retired now at 59 and 58 years of age respectively. Sylvia retired from teaching and myself from the retail business. Sylvia taught at the South Daytona, FL Elementary School and retired in 1997 after teaching since 1967 and I retired as the Operations Manager of the Sears store in Daytona Beach, Florida after 33 years.

Upon retirement, we relocated to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and built a new home here on 37 acres we purchased in the mid 80's.

We first started RVing in 1973 when I used my cousin's Sportscoach Motorhome on a two week vacation. We loved it and got our first rig the following year, a used Coachmen 19' travel trailer towed with our Chevy Impala. We raised three children around RVing taking them on numerous trips throughout the eastern US and midwest on our vacations.

We now are blessed with two beautiful grandkids.

We made our life long dream trip in 2001 by traveling 17,300 miles from here to Alaska and back via the rally in Perry, GA, down to Tampa and then through the southern states to San Diego and northward to Fairbanks. The return leg was through the northern states and into the Midwest.

This summer we took a two month trip out west after leaving the National Rally in Nashville. On this trip we clocked almost 8,000 miles and went as far west as Idaho. There's some beautiful country out there.

We love RVing and are planning to attend the National Rally in Texas next summer. Hope to see you on the road some time.

Richard

<font color=red>Click Here For The 2004 National Rally Sign Up Page</font color>

2002 HitchHiker Discovery towed with a 2002 Ford Powerstroke Diesel F350 Lariat 4X4 CC 6 speed Dually.

[RnKMom]

Wow, glad this thread was resurrected after a year!

I'm from Hong Kong, been here for 16 years, (anyone else currently in or was from another part of the globe?) and married for 15. We bought our first RV only two years ago -- a pop-up which we traded in for a trailer four months ago and which we LOVE! We quickly became hooked on RVing and really like this forum.

Next?

Patricia
1 dh & 2 dds
The best things in life... aren't things.

[C Driver]

Ed and Andrea here : Ed from Cleveland, OH, Andrea from Skowhegan, Maine.
Moved to Florida in '72, kind of makes us 'semi-natives'
Ed worked as Chief Engineer for cable company and then owned and operated a computer and Internet business until '01 - sold to one of the 'big boys'
Andrea worked as manager for country club restaurant, left to take care of her mother.
First camping experience was at World's Fair in Canada in the '60's in a popup with 2 small boys - rained most of the time and learned that you cannot touch canvas when it's wet.


Florida Boomers Member


I have gone to look for myself ... If I should return before I get back, please keep me here

Ed
Andrea
Teddy (black Shih Tzu)
Nickie (Apple head Chihuahua)
36' Carriage w/ backup camera (11,800#'s loaded)
F350 PSD Dually with Hypertech chip, Prodigy, and other toys (6840#'s loaded)



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[douber1]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jimbo8264:
We be next

Jim here. I have worked for a major toy company, owned computer sales and service company and now I work for the Federal Government. I've got 23 years military and 18 years federal service. Sally (better half) is an office manager/Bookkeeper for a local plumbing and heating company.

We started camping 10 years ago when I came home with a 1976 Lindy class C. Sold that and got a 1986 Georgie Boy 28' class A. Two years ago we acquired a 1996 Residency 35' class A.

I've got 690 days to retirement (Dec 2003) then we hit the road. We have already started to sell off "junk"� and getting ready for full timing. Our motto is "If it won't fit in the RV we don't need it"�.

Jim & Sally
95 Redsidency by Thor
Good Sam Life Member
FMCA F289973<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
hi jim&sally
30 days till dec
hang in there
dan

[Jerry_Peg]

I was a Journeyman Electrician for many many years. Then we (Peggy & Jerry) ran a computer business for about 13 years. At one time we had 21 full time employees between the electrical contracting business and the computer business. We phased the electrical contracting out to be full time computer business folks. Then when the "big" computer store opened and we could purchase from them cheaper than our supplies we closed the doors and came to Texas for the holidays and didn't return for 3 months. We like it here in Texas so we decided to make it our home.

Peggy went to work as an Administrative Assistant for Nortel until the economy got bad and they had to lay her off.

Jerry worked as a computer tech for a small company and the economy got him also.

Jerry and Peggy are both retired now.

Jerry & Peggy Weygandt
1999 Dutch Star 3858 DSDPMH
Spartan Chassis Cummins 300 HP
2002 Chevy Trailblazer LT
Blue Ox tow bar

[tinkercb]

Hi everyone. I'm newly retired,1st of June 03, I worked for 25 years as a computer repairman for big Blue and got downsized, spent several years scraping by working for a copier repair place, making mines and artillary shells at an ordanance plant, commercal fishing, superviser on a river boat, and as a machine maintenance and repair person in a couple of factories. My wife finally decided I could retire, (really she decided she coul tolerate me at home all the time. Due to health problems she has not been able to work for about 15 years. We have had our house for sale for a year now and hope that the last offer we accepted will follow thru. W As soon as it sells we are going to hit the road. We will be fulltime as we don't want to have to worry about renting the house or maintaining an apartment while we go. We are nearly rid of 42 years accumulation of junk,(valuable stuff) everything that can possibly be collected. We ar keeping our hobbie stuff, like my wife's surger, sewing machine and embrodery machine, and I am keeping my fishing stuff, tools and wood carving equipment. But that is the stuff which willkeep us from each others throats on those cold rainy day when we don't want to sit outside. We plan on just going where the wind blows us at first then will decide where we want to spend time. We figure we wont live high on the hog but we never have so we will have fun. Will update this later on. tinker

tinkercb