Community Forums

exploring · 07-22-2013, 12:16 PM

Hi all!

We've been lurking for a bit and have decided to step out. The community seems really nice, incredibly informative and pretty much exactly what we were hoping to find.

I'm Eric (43) a retired Coast Guard Chief, 20 years of service, retired honorably. I'm an explorer at heart and have visited 6 of the 7 continents. (Yes, I've been to Antarctica twice. I'm missing Africa) I believe that the memories we create along life's path cannot have a value placed on them.

My much better half is my wife, Brittany (26) she loves exploring too, and she's quite fond of Theodore Roosevelt, Mozart, Pablo Neruda, and reading the NY Times. She really loves to help people and give them things. She's the sweetest gal you'd ever want to meet.

Currently living in Austin, TX we've dreamt about the full time RV lifestyle for quite sometime. We've heard about many of the "red flags" to be concerned about. And through it all, we feel like we're ready to start getting serious. (We've been contemplating it non-stop for over 2 years now.)

We work online for a living and we've been blessed to have a great reputation and a steady stream of clients. Because of this, Internet connectivity has been a significant concern regarding this decision to full-time.

We use a lot of data and stream quite a bit of video in our daily work. So a fast and steady Internet connection for us is a must have. Anyhow, enough of the tech stuff.

We've been looking at used Diesel Pushers, specifically Newmar, Tiffin, Monaco, and Winnebago. We've set our budget (both for the rig, and for the annual) through much research. Our lease is up in February 2014 and we're hoping to transition into our very first rig and join y'all on this great adventure.

Our hope is to get a Class A Diesel Pusher and tour the country. 250 +/- miles at a time. We are debt free and honest people. We love our great country and are ready for an adventure of a lifetime. So many people on these boards have stated, "I just wish I had started sooner." We're listening.

We hope to actively become involved in the RV community and maybe even teach classes on the use of social networking sites (like Facebook and Twitter) for free to Seniors who RV at the parks we stay at with no strings attached. We are blessed to have sufficient income from our clients. But both Brittany and I love to help people and we have a special heart for seniors.

So that is us in a nutshell. We both have access to this account so feel free to respond to both or either. We'd love to learn from you and though we're both a little nervous about this leap of faith, many of you (unbeknownst to you) have encouraged us already through these forums to chase our dreams.

Hope to meet a few of you here on the boards to start our journey and eventually out on the road!

MSHappyCampers · 07-22-2013, 12:42 PM

Hi folks! Welcome to IRV2! It's great to have you join us!

Sounds like you've got it all figured out! What a wonderful place to be in life, ready to accept the challenges and rewards of full-timing! Sure hope it works out great for you! Enjoy the forum!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

**CLIFFTALL** · 07-22-2013, 12:45 PM

Welcome to IRV2. Glad you joined. Enjoy.
Cliff

RedWing Nut · 07-22-2013, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exploring

We'd love to learn from you and though we're both a little nervous about this leap of faith, many of you (unbeknownst to you) have encouraged us already through these forums to chase our dreams.

Hey, don't try to put the blame on me!

Welcome to the forum. It sounds like you'll be able to give as much as you'll get.

historyljc · 07-22-2013, 12:58 PM

Welcome, have a great time.

exploring · 07-22-2013, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

Sounds like you've got it all figured out! What a wonderful place to be in life, ready to accept the challenges and rewards of full-timing! Sure hope it works out great for you! Enjoy the forum!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Really appreciate the welcome! We definitely don't feel like we have it all figured out, but we feel inspired and encouraged.

Since I see you are a member of the Monaco owners group, we have to say that we're a little jealous. They look like really nice rigs!

E&B

exploring · 07-22-2013, 01:06 PM

Well we definitely hope to give as much as we get here. Though we don't have much to offer in the way of RV advice or thoughts. But we sure are happy to share any knowledge about Social Media and Social Networking if members have questions.

Thanks Steve and Mary for the welcome!

Paulandvicki · 07-22-2013, 01:07 PM

Welcome aboard !
With the attitude you display you'll do just fine.

exploring · 07-22-2013, 01:09 PM

Thank you Jim and BJ! We really love the Tiffins we've seen. They tend to be my favorite though Brittany leans toward the Newmar. We're in the exploratory stages of our journey. Seems like we spend all of our free time doing research and more research.

Any insight into Tiffins would be appreciated!

E&B

exploring · 07-22-2013, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paulandvicki

Welcome aboard !
With the attitude you display you'll do just fine.

Paul, Vicki (and Maggie) thank you. "Welcome aboard" is definitely something a retired sailor likes to hear!

As a Tiffin owner any insight from your perspective is always appreciated!

E&B

Paulandvicki · 07-22-2013, 02:08 PM

We have had three class A's over the past four years. Our first was a 37' Georgetown that I would never recommend to anyone. The quality of workmanship was horrible. We then traded it for 40' Damon Diesel pusher which was a real step up but was just uncomfortable with the size.
We now have a Tiffin FRED ( front engine diesel ) and we love it.
The quality of materials and workmanship is far ahead of anything we had in the past. I have a friend that has a Newmar and one that has a Monaco and they to are happy with the quality. If you find the layout you guys like in one of those three brands at a price in your budget you won't be disappointed.
ENJOY!

exploring · 07-22-2013, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paulandvicki

We now have a Tiffin FRED ( front engine diesel ) and we love it.

Paul and Vicki, thank you for the insight and really glad you love your new rig.

Quick question for you. In the research that we've done, we've heard that FRED's are not usually preferred because of the motor being up front when driving.. we read something about "teeth rattling"... and the generator being in the back while sleeping.

Any truths to these concerns in your opinion and experience?

E&B