Full Time Motorhoming Experiences
Messages posted to discussion group:| Subject | Date |
| ted | 2009-09-24 00:00:00.0 |
| Lake Tahoe Motorhome Camping is Booming | 2009-08-13 00:00:00.0 |
| FMCA | 2008-12-20 08:12:00.0 |
Subject: RE: Full Time Motorhoming Experiences
From: ted
Date: 24-Sep-09
Jury-Rigged WiFi Antanna System My old motorhome had a crank-up device for raising and lowering the tv antenna. I never watch regular television so I threw away my tv antenna and attached Mary's and my WiFi antennas. The manufacturer says they can pull in a WiFi signal up to a mile. Over the three years that I've had mine, I've found about one-half mile to be more realistic. Two antennas are necessary because Mary's computer uses Vista while mine uses XP and they are not inter-changable in their use.
I find it much more to convenient to do my Internet work in the motorhome rather than going into a library or the family lodge at a Thousand Trails RV Resort, etc...so these antennas are handy in that respect. However, because our new motorhome has a central air conditioning system (meaning duct work between the ceiling and the roof), it has no crank-up antenna system. It uses a small 360 degree radar-looking-like dome to which our WiFi antennas could not be connected. So what to do about that situation?
I came up with the idea of using a telescoping painter's rod. The antennas are attached to the top and the rod collapses for storage when underway. It attaches to the motorhome with a spring clip and a bungee cord around the mirror arm. In theory, it should work. While not as convenient as a crank-up device on the roof, this unit can be put up or down in less than five minutes. The antenna cords will be fed into the motorhome through the driver's window screen area.
Mary and I have discussed getting a Verizon Air Card (for $60 a month) but haven't done so as of yet because Mary already pays in excess of $60 a month for her home tv, phone and Internet service. In addition the Verizon Air Card has a 5 GB monthly limit and we are both on the Internet a lot and unsure if we could stay within that limit. Finally...there are times when we get so far out that the is no cellphone service available and hence the Verizon Air Card would be useless. Two days ago I ordered, and expect to receive tomorrow, a cell phone amplifier system that will greatly increase our cell phone signal range.
Subject: RE: Full Time Motorhoming Experiences
From: Lake Tahoe Motorhome Camping is Booming
Date: 13-Aug-09
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE At first glance, you wouldn't think the economy had even ruffled the serene waters of Lake Tahoe. On a recent weekday even an oddly overcast August day when hail pelted the lake hordes of families flitted in and out of the shops at Heavenly Mountain Resort. A crowd of tourists exited the Tahoe Queen cruise boat, fanning out onto the marina.
But despite appearances, Tahoe hasn't been immune to the tourism industry's turbulence, which has bumped U.S. travel spending down 12 percent through June this year, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
At Tahoe, tourists are coming, but staying for shorter trips. With an eye on every dollar, they're choosing fewer pricey entertainments and less expensive meals. While hotel bookings are down, campgrounds are teeming.
Tourism officials and local business owners say the recession has left a decided crimp in this summer's revenue. The hotel occupancy rate in South Lake Tahoe was 47.1 percent in June, down nearly 13 percent from June 2008, according to the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.
Even the Reno-Tahoe International Airport is seeing a decrease in visitors. Through June this year, the airport's passenger count was down 19.4 percent from 2008.
Lake Tahoe is simply reflecting the economy's struggles.
"People are waiting to see whether or not they have a job, then deciding whether or not to travel," said Tahoe tourism consultant Carl Ribaudo.
He and other tourism officials have also noticed a hike in "drive market" travelers those who are vacationing at destinations within driving distance of home.
Take Bryan Backstrom of Riverside, who said his family typically takes summer vacations to Mexico or elsewhere. This year, it's Tahoe.
"We're trying to be thrifty on expenditures, so we vacationed a little bit closer to home this year," said Backstrom, patiently waiting for his wife to finish shopping at the Heavenly Mountain Resort's shopping village.
"We're definitely a value proposition for travel," said Carol Chaplin, director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority on the south shore.
In 2006, overnight visitors spent an average of $108 per day on the south shore, compared with $233 per day in Napa, according to the respective tourism bureaus.
That may help explain why Tahoe's hotel occupancy rates are down less drastically than more expensive vacation destinations.
Another sign of the times: more last-minute hotel bookings.
At the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel and Ski Resort, between 50 and 75 hotel rooms occupied on a Saturday night are booked that same day.
"It's highly unusual that we get that many room bookings that same day," said spokesman Bill Cottrill. He said visitors usually reserve hotel rooms more than three weeks in advance.
Unlike past summers, vacationers are coming up for shorter visits, usually opting to stay just one or two weekend nights, said Chaplin.
"The weekends are always busy, but the weeks have been much slower," said cafe employee Gosia Pogoda, who has spent several years working in the south shore marina area.
Fancy restaurants and pricey recreation seem to be hit the hardest.
Nepheles Restaurant, a small fine-dining institution in South Lake Tahoe, has had a rough summer.
"We'll have a great weekend, but then things will slow right back down," said owner Tim Halloran, who opened Nepheles 32 years ago. "We're seeing a less 'spendy' crowd," he said, noting that revenue is down 25 percent from last year.
Over at Tahoe Sport Fishing, employee Nathan Owen said the company's revenue is down about 25 percent this summer.
"There's just not as many people here, so businesses are getting shut down," he said. "The Fourth of July fireworks were even cut short this year."
To cope, businesses have been slashing prices, advertising deals and reinventing their products.
To enliven its cruises, the Tahoe Queen hired local actors to portray historical figures such as writer Mark Twain and Julia Bulette, a Virginia City prostitute.
Tom Turner, owner of three restaurants around the lake, said he's lowered prices by about 10 percent at Riva in South Lake Tahoe and Gar Woods on the north shore.
"People are ordering less expensive items, and we're not selling as much wine by the bottle," he said.
Even some wedding chapels report a slowdown. Chapel of the Bells, the oldest wedding chapel in Tahoe, has seen business decline 15 percent to 20 percent in the past two years, said its owner, the Rev. Robert McIntyre. McIntyre is offering several budget-friendly enticements, including a $25 "recession special" wedding photo session.
Not everyone's suffering. The recession has proved a boon to at least one Tahoe sector: campgrounds and RV parks.
Families have been saving money by camping instead of renting hotel rooms and keeping busy with free activities such as hiking, biking and river rafting, said Steve Teshara, who heads both the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association and the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce in Tahoe City.
At Zephyr Cove RV Park on the lake's Nevada side, every weekend's been full, with bookings up 20 percent from last year, said spokesman Austin Sass.
At South Lake Tahoe's KOA campground, weekend reservations have been maxed out since July 4.
"Business has been good," said manager Shawn Poulen.
Subject: Full Time Motorhoming Experiences
From: FMCA
Date: 20-Dec-08
By Todd Moning FMCA.com Editor
The senior living center in Burlington, Vt., was comfortable enough for Gail Hunter and her husband, Corliss ("Cor").
We were there for one year and then we escaped, said Gail, 79. We decided we were not ready for that.
The apartment in downtown Burlington, next to the waterfront, was nice, too, said Cor, 88. We sat there for three years and said, What are we going to do now?
Living in an apartment or a senior living facility wasnt their style. Neither was spending their golden years in the care of their grown children.
This is a couple who lived on a sailboat for four years, traveling the intracoastal waterways between Florida and Vermont to enjoy seasonal living. This is a couple who spent a year sailing from Floridas west coast to New England, and chronicled the voyage for a daily newspaper.
The Hunters craved at least one more grand adventure. One last hurrah.
Were usually good for four-year stints, Gail said. Then its on to another lifestyle.
What would it be this time?
One thing was certain: They wanted to live in a place where it was warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
But how could they satisfy the dual desire for independence and two-season living? And do it on fixed incomes? Their best bet, they decided, was to buy a motorhome.
Two if by land
In February 2008, the elderly couple left everything and everyone behind to strike out by land full-time in a 36-foot 2004 National RV Dolphin LX.
And so far, so good, even though Gail is experiencing post-polio syndrome, having contracted the disease in 1955. Her back and legs are weak, but she has no trouble driving the motorhome and can even ride a bicycle.
They carry a walker on their bike rack and an electric mobility cart in a bay of the motorhome.
We go as far as were comfortable and enjoy every minute of it, Gail said. I particularly love the camping and navigation. My husband just loves the life of ease, as captain of his ship with nothing more pressing than dumping and checking the oil.
Gail and Cor have been married for 11 years. From their first marriages combined, they have seven children, 21 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Motorhoming is how we can visit them without imposing on their hospitality and being awakened at 3 a.m. by the great-grandchildren, Gail said. Also, we dont do well at packing, so this way we just bring it all.
Cor shares Gails enthusiasm for the full-timing lifestyle. Its a change of venue all the time, he said. You have a different atmosphere today than you had yesterday as long as youre on the road. You always see something new. You dont sit there and stagnate.
Shopping for a motorhome
Before buying the Dolphin, We surfed the Web to learn about full-timing, the costs, the joys, Gail said. And then we were sold.
Cor and Gail have lunch on the Burlington Fishing Pier. They have been on or around water for much of their lives. Next, they combed individual manufacturers Web sites, comparing the features and pros and cons of motor coaches.
At Petes RV Center in South Burlington, Vt., they loved the extra-wide living space on a brand-new three-slideout model & until they heard the price. So, they turned their attention to previously owned motorhomes.
Cor wanted a Class A he liked the big window and full view of the road before you, Gail said. I kind of liked the Class C with its nice big motor out in front to protect me.
They rented a Class C for a weekend and eventually settled on the Dolphin, which they dubbed Moby Who? One drawback to the coach: The previous owners were smokers, and evidence lingered. In the long run, the great layout far outweighed the odiferous problem, Gail said.
They set sail that month for Florida, unknowingly into a gathering storm &
Anchors aweigh
They departed in the middle of a snow storm. Our coach had been winterized, so we didnt even know what we had until we got down to Georgia and all the water tanks thawed and we began living in it, Cor said.
Their nautical experience eased the transition to motorhoming. They had lived on boats similar in size to their Dolphin LX, so adjusting to a smaller living space was nothing new.
The electrical and the water systems are pretty much like a boats, so that wasnt too bad, Cor said. But we had to learn about leveling because you never have to level a boat.
Gradually, they learned the little things that motorhomers must internalize, such as closing bay doors and remembering to put the antenna down.
The disarray inside the motorhome after their first days drive taught them the importance of securing loose items. Now we tie all the drawers and cabinets, Cor said, and we've learned to take stuff off the dinette. Boy, we're we green!
Economic woes
Gail and Cor faced other challenges as they transitioned to full-timing.
When they bought Moby Who?, gas hovered around $2 and National RV was a respected company.
National RV promptly went bankrupt, and by springtime Gail and Cor were paying $4.49 for gas in Connecticut. It cost about $300 to fill up the Dolphins tank.
Their retirement nest egg had started to erode. A package of their beloved Oreo cookies had even doubled in price. To top things off, their refrigerator didnt work for several months while they waited for a back-ordered cooling unit to arrive. Fortunately, the fix was covered under a four-year extended warranty they had purchased.
Were on a very limited budget, Gail said. Were both retired, on fixed incomes social security and Cors pension. So money is a real problem and were trying to do this on the best budget that we can.
Through the adversity, Gails optimism shone through. Thank God for our McDonald's senior coffee, the National Handicap Access Pass and a positive attitude, she said.
Part of her upbeat attitude stems from the philosophy of her mother, who was widowed during Gails teen-age years.
My mother had no qualms about spending money on travel. She always said it was the one thing the government can't take from me. I guess she figured travel was the best way to cope with me. And did we travel! Maybe thats why I have gypsy feet.
Divergent careers
Cor spent most of his business life in Boston, Mass., serving as a commercial manager for New England Tel. He retired in 1974 after 30 years with the company. Hes afraid theyre going to put out a contract on him, for collecting a pension for more years than he worked there, Gail quipped.
He served in the Navy from 1941 to 1945 and then completed his business studies at Northeastern University.
Gail, who majored in history of art at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, taught art in a boys country day school in Connecticut. That was her first career.
In 1971 she and a partner invented an herb-garden-by-number kit and formed a company called Off the Beaten Path. We did very well. We were selling even internationally. But back then, nobody understood what herbs were, so finally we gave up because it was a losing battle.
In the late 70s she and one of her two sons, Charlie Shafer, formed the Architrave Company, which built energy-efficient homes in Fairfield, Conn. After the stock market crashed in October 1987, the company went out of business.
In 1989 I ran to Venice, Florida, she said. She worked at an art gallery and at a travel agency she loved the free air travel perks there. She also taught art, mostly painting, and the Microsoft Windows operating system to senior citizens.
Cor doesn't claim to be on par with Gail as an artist, but he enjoys painting images of lighthouses on stools and picnic baskets. He's sold a few. Teaching art to older retirees was probably my favorite. Getting them to express themselves, getting them to loosen up, to understand that it doesnt matter what it looks like, just get it down on paper, was very rewarding."
In Gails younger days, golf was one of her favorite hobbies. She took up the sport in the late 1950s, about a year after contracting polio.
I was thinking I was doing great therapy, but it turns out that now, my back muscles are totally shot. They figured out that any muscles Ive overused, theyre gone. Of course they didnt know that at that time.
She served as president of the Connecticut and New England Womens Golf associations. "I was playing four and five times a week and now Im paying for it. But I had fun while I did it.
How they met
Gail, who has two sons and a daughter from her first marriage, is originally from Connecticut. Cor is from Massachusetts. He has twin sons and twin daughters from his first marriage.
Gail, here entering New York Harbor in front of the Twin Towers of the Trade Center, met Cor in Venice, Fla. A mutual acquaintance introduced them, but their love of boating knotted the relationship. The Hunters met while living in Venice, Fla. I used to have a houseboat down there, Gail said. Were both boaters, so we kind of got together that way.
Cor owned a condominium in Venice, and Gail was renting one. Instead of condo living, they opted to buy a 40-foot Irwin cutter sailboat. They named it Andiamo, Italian for lets go.
At that time, Cor was working for the Venice Gondolier newspaper. The editor knew we were going to take this cruise from Venice up to New England, and asked if wed be interested in documenting it, Gail said. We said sure.
Gails weekly articles appeared in the newspaper, accompanied by an online travelogue that included photos and video.
They spent a year at sea on board Andiamo and had a wonderful time. I have about three quarters of a book written about the experience, Gail said.
After the New England trip, the Hunters downsized to a 36-foot Albin trawler. For several years, we lived on it in summer in Vermont and then took it back down to Florida for winter, Gail said.
Cor at the helm of a boat was once a common sight. Now he's more comfortable piloting a National RV Dolphin motorhome. "It has an 8.1-lliter Chevy Vortec engine, handles well, and has plenty of power," he said. By 2003 they were growing weary of traveling back and forth by sea. And Vermont, where each of them had lived at one time or another, beckoned.
Wed see pictures in the winter of the fireplaces and the snow and thought, we have to get back there, Gail said. "So we made one last cruise north, sold the boat up there, and then went into a senior living community.
Staying in touch
When Gail and Cor started selling off their furniture and belongings to prepare for motorhoming, it raised a few eyebrows.
They worried about their families reactions to their new lifestyle. But when family members saw the motorhome, they couldnt believe their eyes, Gail said.
Of course, they had pictured no slides and everything and suddenly, they got in there and we put out the slides and their eyes widened. I have a 12-cubic-foot refrigerator, and we have a glassed-in shower with a seat in it, and suddenly now theyre all thinking its great and I think theyre all wanting one.
Gail maintains a Web log, www.gypsyfeet.net, of their travels, making it easy for family and friends to stay in touch.
Im hoping that were putting them at ease that theyre not having to look after us and make sure Mom and Dad are comfortable and happy. They can relax, not worry anymore.
Gail has a laptop computer and uses a Verizon AirCard for Internet access. This has been totally successful, she said. I can even get online in places where the cell phone isnt working. Its expensive but its totally worth it.
Camping and travel
Gail has noticed one glaring difference between the boating and RV lifestyles. In boating, you go into a marina and youre all talking and having fun immediately, whereas in a motorhome, it isnt quite that congenial that quickly.
The Hunters like to camp at national and state parks, but one of their favorite campsites is Frisco Woods. Its a private campground on Pamlico Sound within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We backed right up to Pamlico Sound, which we had traveled in the boat, so that was very exciting, Gail said.
In October they were camped in Santa Fe, N.M. I had come here years ago sketching with a friend of mine from Venice, Gail said. Its just so beautiful & all the architecture and everything, so Im eager to get out and do some painting.
They intended to rent a car for a few weeks so they can really do up the sights Gail said. I do want to get up to Durango [Colo.] to see my grandson who is at college there, but to get the motorhome up those mountain roads is a bit much.
The Hunters have been looking for a suitable vehicle to tow behind their motorhome, and were eyeing a Mini Cooper in the campsite next to them. Towing a car is almost a must, said Cor. We have a Chrysler Pacifica, but cant tow it because its four-wheel drive and its a lease.
Their base for winter will be Camp Venice, on the Myakka River in Florida.
A tasty quest
The Hunters have been motorhoming for less than a year, but they already know their favorite destinations.
From a campground, theyll often venture out, Cor on his bike and Gail on her electric Go-Go cart, to find a location nearby. Or, theyll search for one online and then set out in the motorhome.
Were always trying to find the perfect cinnamon doughnut, Gail said.
This quest started at Price Chopper in South Burlington, Vt., where they used to meet a friend for breakfast on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Its a supermarket that has a coffee bar, Gail said. They had the best cinnamon doughnuts. They were crispy and fried and very good. Weve never found one as good.
Then one day, the service manager at Petes RV, where they bought their motorhome, brought them a cinnamon doughnut from Jana's Cupboard in Jeffersonville, Vt. It was very good, too, and we just couldnt find one to match either of those, Gail said.
Until they reached the Outer Banks.
Theres a town there in the north end called Duck, N.C., Gail said. Cor picked up a tourist book and there was a little article about Duck Donuts. So off they went.
The women who owns the shop knew we were writing it up on the Internet, Gail said. She kind of disappeared for awhile and then out she came with a hot, fresh cinnamon doughnut. It was delicious and we said, yup, this did it. They make all their doughnuts to order, and theyre fried.
Up to that point, Duck Donuts, Janas Cupboard and Price Choppers had pleased Gails and Cor s palettes the most. Since then, they have added Kips Donuts in Santa Fe to that distinguished list.
We may end up buying a Fry Daddy and making our own, using the Fanny Farmer Original 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cook Book," Gail said. Both Cor and I inherited one; thanks to our mothers.
Positive outlook
Despite RV industry setbacks and fuel price increases, Cor still advocates full-timing.
We think its great and were always amazed at the number of people of all ages & the second we say were full-timers they all heave a great sigh and say, Oh, thats my dream. If you can afford it and you dont mind being a nomad, and if you can put up with the minor or major things that you might encounter when traveling around, I say go for it.
Gail knows their meandering will have to stop sometime. Probably, it will be somewhere between Florida and Vermont. Well go as long as we can, and when it becomes too difficult, hopefully we will have found the place where we want to remove the wheels and sit back to enjoy the sunset.
