Signing Off

[JDT]

After 8 faithful years, 65K or so miles and lots of fun and memories we are saying goodbye to the Winslow tomorrow. We've been in the process of downsizing just a little as our travels, especially the long extended ones, have slowed quite a bit. Both of our traveling friends have experienced health issues with one totally selling out and the other not doing much because of Parkinson's. We pulled the Winslow almost to Mexico, the east coast, most of the western states, Minnesota a gazillion times (where the wife grew up) and eastern Canada. It didn't fail us once.

We have been shopping for something lighter and a little shorter since January. Lots of them out there but unfortunately not much in our price range that could touch the quality Peterson built into theirs. We finally gave up trying to match the Winslow and started looking at floor plans and owner reviews. At one point we even considered going to Kay's RV in New Mexico (former big time Excel dealer) to maybe purchase an Arctic Fox but AF won't do a residential fridge or an auto leveling system, two things that are an absolute must for us.

After looking at a bunch the one that got the wife's attention was a Jayco Pinnacle 32RLTS so you know how that works. It is one of the few in that category that have a 2 year warranty and most of the owner reviews were decent. It is about 16" shorter than the Winslow but 8" wider so it feels like a wash. It's also 2000 pounds lighter, which is probably not a good thing but will be a better match for the truck. We will sign the papers tomorrow and are trading the Winslow. We feel we got a fair price trading and I don't have to mess with the scammers and tire kickers trying to sell it myself. This is probably our last rv purchase so feels kind of sad instead of exciting.

I know this forum has slowed a bunch but I still check it almost every day. I will still do that and if I have anything to add I will. In the meantime, take care and stay safe. We just had an outbreak at an assisted living center in our town just when we thought we could start venturing out.

[96Bounder1st]

Good luck and congratulations on the new RV purchase.

Hard to say goodbye to a trusted friend, but every segment of our life has an expiration. You are moving to shorter travels from the sounds of it.

Travel safe and be safe.

Terry & Pat

[rockintom]

Jim,
Congrats on your new rig. We hope you have a great time in it. You have been such a regular around here. We've spent some fun time around here helping one another out too. Please do stay in touch on this forum and let us know how you are doing with the new rig. Donna and I have been off the road for 2.5 years and I miss it dearly, but her health just couldn't do it anymore. We are just glad and appreciate the almost 13 years we had. During this pandemic, I've been going through our pictures and categorizing them. Feel blessed to see and done what we did! Best of Luck to you guys.

[JDT]

Thanks, Tom. Not as much traveling but hopefully just as much fun.

[drfife]

All good things come to an end. Now for the next chapter. Enjoy your new Jayco. Safe travels.

[CARLnJANIS]

Hi Jim,

We all have to downsize eventually. I would just like to get some use out of our fiver before we have to hang up the trailer keys. Always something stopping us. Just Thursday, I found out I tore my right rotator cuff. Surgery in the future. Well at least that will be the last one, I had the left one repaired in 2015. Will try to time it so I can recover between trips.

Just because you own a different make and model doesn't change anything. Once an EXCEL owner, always an EXCEL owner. I still see Brian posting with his ExcelRVGuy sign-on.

[Donnyhosh]

Congrats on your new Jayco! I always enjoy reading on the excel site. People have always shared information about their excel if i had any issues with mine. (Rockingtom especially) May you stay safe and enjoy your Jayco as much as your excel!!0

[JDT]

Thanks, Carl. I appreciate your comments along with the others. Carl and I have a common interest: Boston Terriors. We have both lost our long time buddies in the past couple of years. Our last one left us just last month. We have considered getting a new puppy but for right now just can't do it. Our last 2 traveled all over the US and part of Canada with us. They were truly seasoned campers. We miss them dearly.

To be honest I do have a lot of heartburn over making the change. The build quality of everything we looked at, including the Pinnacle, is just not comparable to the Excel's. I wish they were still around and had some lighter weight models to offer.

[rarebear.nm]

We have an Excel 30RSO we love. However in cases we find it limiting in terms of being too long with the tow, 50ft overall. SO bought a second much shorter Minnie Winnie 22R to compliment the Excel.

However, there is no comparison between build qualities between them. We have looked at replacing the 22R with a Coach House 272XL Class B+. It has an incredible build quality with a matching price tag. The 272XL has two slides and 26.5ft overall length.

[CARLnJANIS]

Originally Posted by JDT

To be honest I do have a lot of heartburn over making the change. The build quality of everything we looked at, including the Pinnacle, is just not comparable to the Excel's. I wish they were still around and had some lighter weight models to offer.

I have kept our EXCEL in enclosed storage and after seven years the trailer has aged better than we have. It still looks like new inside and out. We have only used ours for a fraction of what we originally planned. Won't make it to Colorado, AGAIN, this year but hope to take it out somewhere in the Fall depending on COVID-19.

Janis and I have been watching the North Texas Boston Terrier Rescue website, but like you, we just can't do it right now either. Do keep in touch and we will see who flinches first and gets a new Boston. Maybe we will beat you and flinch first.

[JDT]

Carl, my wife watches the Boston rescue site in Oklahoma but she said she is quitting until our travels are maybe over.

We averaged 3 to 4 months a year in ours over the past 8 years, with each year a little less. It also lived inside when not on the road and still looked new. I decided to trade it in vs selling it as I absolutely hate selling anything. Between the tire kickers, hagglers and worst of all the scammers my experience selling just about anything is not good.

The dealer in Arkansas we had been in contact with since February told us several times to sell it ourselves and was reluctant to give us a trade price. He was our salesman and also the owner. We already had a cash price on the Pinnacle so last week I told him to give us an out the door price with trading. I was surprised at his offer which was given sight unseen. Much better than I thought but still probably 3 to 5K below what we may have gotten on a sale ourselves. The operative word is may. The wife absolutely refused to try and sell it ourselves so I told him I would take it. When we took it over last Wednesday I could tell he was pretty impressed. He said let's go do the paperwork and when he showed it to me the trade allowance was $1500 more than he originally said. He said the condition did that. So I guess it does pay to take good care of things.

[CARLnJANIS]

I agree wholeheartedly. Sometimes the difference in value between wholesale and trade-in value is not worth the hassle of selling something yourself. In fact, before I trade in a car, I go to Carmax and get an offer-to-buy from them before I approach the new car dealer. The trade-in offer from the new car dealer is usually a couple of thousand under the Carmax offer. When they low-ball the trade-in value, I produce the Carmax offer and they always have matched the Carmax offer. We keep our cars in good shape and the Carmax trade-in value is always at the top of the Kelley Blue Book value.

Are ya'll on the road now? I'm ready to go now but Janis wants to wait and see if there will be a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus. Maybe we will meet on the road someday and visit face to face. At this point, I would take a mask to mask visit.

[JDT]

We are not on the road right now. We are in between the new and the old. We took the Winslow to the dealer last week and won't get the Pinnacle until this Friday. We did go to a local lake a couple of weeks ago. Paid for 4 nights but left a day early because of incoming storms. Turned out to be a wise decision.

We only have one trip planned, pre-paid, and that is a month in Estes Park, Co beginning the day after Labor Day. It is up in the air right now, of course. We are members of Treasure Lake resort in Branson and it is open. We can go anytime and that may be where we take the Pinnacle for it's first trip. It will be easy to just sit and stay to ourselves, no shows, no Silver Dollar City or shopping in the cards.

We are having a Splendide washer/dryer installed along with changing out the ac/heat pumps. Our rv garage has a 13' 6" high door and the Pinnacle's listed height is exactly that. The current units are 13" high and the low profiles ones being installed are 8". The 5 inches should give me plenty of clearance. Also wrestling with what to do about our satellite. We had a Trav'ler on the roof of the Winslow but really not wanting to do that again. Too many tree issues.

Maybe we will meet sometime. It would be a pleasure.

[CARLnJANIS]

That is a tall fiver. Ours is 12.5 feet and I have the RV GPS set to 13 feet.

Maybe we can meet in Branson some day. I have a sister in Cameron, MO wanting me to visit. Could swing by.

Take care and enjoy your new Jayco and Ford F-350.