Community Forums

obiwan · 12-15-2006, 08:27 PM

I'm Keith, wife is Kelly, married 11 years, 3 kids 2 girls and a boy. I spent 18 as a police officer, got tired of low pay and bad attitudes all the time. Was hired away by an internet start up company some 9 years ago, about 3 months ago that start up was purchased by Viacom.

We tent camped a bit when we were first married but after the kids came along, it was hotels only while vacationing. We just purchased a new to us 37' 2000 Discovery that we have every intention of being in at least 2 weekends a month.

Have a 4 week vacation planned this summer that includes a week in Yellowstone.

jmo · 12-17-2006, 06:13 AM

I am retired but Ed is not so we camp as we can. Took early retirement from IBM in 90's, Ed still with IBM and adjunct professor on the side. We moved from FL to NC in 1998. Love it. 2 dogs and 1 cat travel with us. Kids mostly grown...one going in military soon...good to see so many that have served on here

FL, SC, NC, VA for now furthest we have been camping. Come retirement...traveling west!

jmo

Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376 · 12-17-2006, 08:16 AM

I'm Rick and have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I've owned or been partners in Contract MFG operations for the last 32 years and suffered the ups and downs associated with it. Recently, 1 1/2 years ago, I retired from Corporate life age 50 and decided to start a new career in network marketing. My wife Julia had 12 years of successful business experiance working from home, so it seemed like the perfect thing to do before we got to old to do it. We currently travel in our MH and teach people how to become financially independent with Neways International. Our websites are www.livesafeandhealthy.net and www.livesafeandhealthy.com. We now live life without limits with a business with out walls. The only thing I wonder about today is why I didn't do this 15 years ago but it's never to late.

**Petro** · 12-17-2006, 11:22 AM

My wife Bev & I have been married almost 49 years. We purchased our own fuel business in 1958. It was a Sinclair service station in central Wis. In 1965 we purchased a Sinclair bulk route, delivering fuel to farmers and home heating customers. We were forced to change brands several times because our suppliers left the Wis. market. ARCO, Texaco, Conoco, & Amoco.

We sold the bulk business in 1999 and concentrated totally on our truck stop which we operate near Weyauwega, WI. My wife operated a restaurant adjacent to our truck stop from 1972 to her retirement in 1999 when we sold the restaurant.

We never had time to camp in our early years as we worked 7 days a week with an occasional day off. In 1992 we purchased our first motor home a 1987 Pace Arrow. We later moved up to a 1990 Southwind, 1997 Adventure, & in 2005 we purchased our present 2003 Chieftain.

Our daughter is now becoming more involved in our business and I am able to travel more and we plan on camping as much as we can. Our highlight of camping was attending the 2006 IRV2 Rally at Sevierville. We had so much fun the we signed up for Branson in 07. We want to renew the friendships from 06, ( Hitchhiker, Driver, Warpath, Ed Gray, Oemtech just to name a few) and make new ones in 07. If you have not signed up yet for Branson, We have a thought for you;

Get'er done

Don & Bev

MonacoMama · 12-17-2006, 08:56 PM

WOW...I almost feel too intimidated to post after reading the previous posts-but my DH warned you that you made the mistake when you said 'post often' ...so I am proving him right -
I work in the "dreaded" retail automobile industry and have done so in some capacity or another since mid 1983. I have luckily been at low pressure dealers since 1992...what is even more surprising to many of you that those years have been at GM dealerships! My DH of 28 years and I love RVing..and I think we have always traveled with dogs because of me - luckily they have always been small (this time in life we have 2 minpins - small enuf that they can count as one - BUT bark enuf for 4!)

Wallaby Dan · 12-18-2006, 11:19 AM

Hi there, Like some of the others have said a little timid so here goes.
I was a Heavy Equipment Serviceman, Thats lnog version for a Mechanic.I woukd travel around the different construction sites and quarrys repairing heavy...equipment.
Deb worked for her father till the business closed.We are both retreads in that we were married before and both of us were in the Military,Her,Navy and yours truly the United States Coast Guard. We were married in March of 93 and we have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. I was raised in Maryland and Deb was raised in Maine. We had camped in all kinds of campers over the years and we are currently looking for our 'new to us wreck'. We belong to FMCA and Good Sam AND IRV2!!.Also we belong to the Tucson Drifters chapter and This our tenth year Fulltimers.
So,There you have it,Oh,Deb Is...in her fourtys and Me,54 and still fallig apart!!
Happy Holidays And a Great Nrw Year to all of ya. Dan and Deb Martin F239548

E Z Livin · 12-19-2006, 07:10 AM

Janice and I have been married 15 years. We did a lot of motorcycle riding until I came down a step ladder to fast. After two years of not being able to go back to riding, I decided to take up something we can do.
Bought a 25 ft tag-a-long and loved it. Found out real soon that a slide and more room would be even better. Traded for a Couger fiver and then we really were up scale.
Went to a RV show to just look and bought the Dammon Challenger we now have. We also bought membership in Briarcliffe RV resort at Myrtle Beach 2 1/2 years ago. We feel like we have a little place at the beach since it is only 80 miles and can scoot down any weekend.
I retired from ESAB after 38 years of Customer Service Manager, Marketing, Production Control and so on. We make welding equipment. Two years later they made me an offer I could not resist. I have been back at work as a consulant for over two years. I call it double dipping since I still get retirement.
Wife is a CPA and wanted to work until she is 65. Well, the RV now has her wanting to work until she is 62. This is a good thing since I would like to take long trips out West instead of our break your neck 10 day ones.
Jackson is our Shih-Tzu that can push either of our buttons (mostly pushes mine) and get anything he wants. He loves to camp and meet all the other pooches. Has full toy box in the RV, same as in the house.
I find that I am already planning our next trip before we get home and Janice is now doing the same thing. If we ever down size, I told her we would sell the house, travel until we got tired for two months or two years and then buy a smaller place. This is my approach to full timing to see if we both would like it or not.

Can't think of a better investment I have ever made that gives us so much enjoyment. Of course, it helps that my partner loves travel and is so easy going. We have never had a problem living in close quarters.

bowats · 12-22-2006, 08:23 AM

Moved around in construction as a young man (sure could have used my MH back them), had to get a steady job when I started a family. Been in manufacturing for the last twenty years for the same Company. Heck, I've had the same boss for the last ten years (talk to him once a week if that)truly been blessed. Wifey is the proverbial housewife and a expert in her field. Two yorkies and three cats round out the "family". We are looking forward to fulltiming in a few years "good lord willing". RV'ing is one of the best kept secrets as those who don't will never know the simple pleasures and good friends they are missing.

ChiefJohn · 12-22-2006, 10:30 AM

We'll add our two-cents worth.
John, retired Air Force in 1994 with 28+ years and worked civil service for the requisite 10 years/age 55 and retired in April 2005. Marilyn took early retirement/buyout from civil service in 2003.
We're both "re-treads" and were married in 1986. Empty nesters, we travel with our two little girls, Sophie and Misha, Bichons. Started with a DP (Discovery) and weren't comfortable---looked at 5th wheels and after much research, decided on an Excel by Peterson Industries. We use a 2001 Mack Class 7 for our TV and run around vehicle while on the road.

Len P · 12-24-2006, 10:20 AM

Was raised in the Lumber Camps as a boy in Northern British Columbia and the Yukon. My Father was a Heavy Duty Mechanic at the time then changed to a Millwright once the trade started. I joined the Canadian Army when I turned 18 and became very proficient in the operation of various Heavy Equipment as well as Tractor Trailers and Buses. I have finally retired from the Forces with a couple of pensions and am now working seasonal as an Equipment Operator while my retired School Teacher wife has become the primary care giver for her widowed Father in Manitoba. We started Full timing in 2001 until this last June when we moved in with her Father. We plan on heading out Fulltiming again after our current commitment. We use a 2001 GMC Sierra to pull a 2001 Titanium 32EX around when we can. We spent a few years in the Canadian Rockies as Hosts in a campground that's at 6200Ft., as well as a couple of winters in east Texas.

woodworker414 · 02-04-2007, 04:04 PM

Hi everyone, my name is Bill, I have been married to the main stay in my life for almost 42yrs.her name is Carolyn. We have a large TC with side door entry, we just love it, we had a32 5ver, then a MH, then a TC, went for a few years without anything, then decided to get back into RVing, bought a 9'-6" TC with a wet bath, the DW mention that she wish that we had a dry bath, thats all I needed, I found one on the internet in TN. The best part we were going to meet her brother and his wife in TN in two weeks, and the TC was located only 80miles from the cg were we to meet. So I made the phone calls to check on the TC, decide to leave one day early, to go look see, yep we traded the TC's, when we walk in the new to us TC, we could tell it was taking on water, the DW, stuck her nose in every cabinet no odor, but the countertop had water standing on it. We decided that with the rain and wind that was going on then probably blew in the window that was left open. I told DW that I was sure I could find the leak, I did, I fixed it, we now have a dry TC.
I have been involved with camping almost my whole life, the same for DW, really on and off our whole life. 3 great kids all grown and gone, 4 grandkids, 3 of of them live across the street. I'm 62, retired from the local electric utility, as a maintenance carpenter, I have been a carpenter my whole working life, the DW was a homemaker the whole time, but she had a fulltime job raising the kids and keeping the home fire going, she did a good job. I have been retired for 7 1/2yrs now, life is good. We use a TC because the DW does all the driving, I have Macular Degeneration, she is more comfortable driving a smaller unit.
Be safe, and enjoy this country, see ya out there.

Dave&Jeannie · 02-04-2007, 04:42 PM

Hello, I've married to dw for 19 years. a few years ago we got bsing to a friend asbout camping, dad had a camoer that he haden'd uded in about 20 years so a asked him if i could buy it. been there since.

glfprncs · 02-05-2007, 12:28 PM

Greetings everyone! I am an 8th grade literature teacher, however this is my 3rd career (first was a ski instructor/freelance writer, 2nd was a construction superintendant for a general contractor who builds water and wastewater treatment plants). My husband of 1 1/2 years is a golf caddie. Because of my husband's job, and that fact that his primary place of employement (Augusta National Golf Club) closes from May until October, he travels to Colorado to caddie in the summers. Well, we got the brilliant idea that since I teach and have summers off, I could go to Colorado with DH and caddie as well. The problem was that finding a rental for only 2-3 months that would allow us to bring our beloved multi-cultural canine Americans Louie and TC was difficult. My husband's solution..."Let's buy an RV honey!"

I was skeptical, I was scared, I worried about our RV being a huge money pit. We purchased our RV this past May, and we've really enjoyed it. Yes, there've been some setbacks, but we're learning as we go. I don't know how much longer we'll be able to do it, as the places we're staying at in Colorado are getting quite pricey (last summer, our site 'rent' was only $600/month, this year it's $1100), and increasing exhorbitantly. Eventually, it may be cheaper for us to stay home and not work at all during the summer. We'll see...

sueglassart · 02-05-2007, 04:25 PM

I was a military wife for 20 years. I guess I just got use to traveling and can't seem to stop. My husband is USN retired. I was also a Machinist Mate in the Navy for 6 years and I used my GI bill to go to college. I am now a Quality Process Engineer at a wonderful machining company in the MN northwoods. We put about 8,000 miles a year on our RV.