auction over/fun begins

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butterfly

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<font face="Tahoma">Auction results for household &amp; garage stuff was a resounding success... over 200 people took a number for bidding purposes.&nbsp;</font><div><font face="Tahoma">&nbsp;The house sold for less than half it's worth but we were thrilled to have a buyer....exactly ONE person bid on the house. Yikes!</font><div><font face="Tahoma"><br></font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">I have a huge pile of keeper stuff that must be reduced to a tenth of its size before the fulltiming fun begins. &nbsp;Gotta hold that happy thought to get me through these last tough decisions. &nbsp;Not sentimental tough...but which-items-are-we-going-to-need-most? kind of tough.</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma"><br></font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">Having the auction was worth the effort but exhausting! &nbsp;</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">And I've never been so weary of total strangers asking :&nbsp;</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Where are you going?</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When are you leaving?</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Isn't it sad to see your stuff sell?</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">Firm decisions for first 2 questions have been pushed aside amid more immediate decisions regarding the auction. &nbsp; The brain can only process so much at a time!&nbsp;</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">&nbsp;As for sad, NO, not at all! &nbsp;</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">One lady argued w/ me! &nbsp;"yes, you're sad." she said w/ sympathy in her voice. &nbsp;</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma">I'm beyond excited for the adventure to begin...just not rested enough yet to do hand-springs!</font></div><div><font face="Tahoma"><br></font></div></div>
 
<p style="margin: 0px;">Nothing good ever comes easy.&nbsp; Your new life is going to be great!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Rae</p>
 
Just that you got a buyer at all ---<br><br>
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<font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yes, congratulations.. .. .Makes those of us who aren't quite there, all the more ready to take the leap.</span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Katie</span></font></div>
 
I appreciate the congrats/ good wishes/encouragment! &nbsp;<div>&nbsp;The mid 90 temps have put a damper on my enthusiasm for thinning out clothing / food items and loading the Caboose. &nbsp;<div>We can stay cool in the house but have been trying to spend most of our time in the shady outdoors/caboose....love sleeping out there! but rough when it doesn't cool off til 10pm</div><div>The Caboose has A/C but it's not directly plugged into electric...a hoochi-jigger is needed between caboose cord &amp; the extension cord to the house...RV dealership said we'd fry the cord trying to use A/C. w/ this set-up.</div><div><br></div><div>Impressed w/ the little Caboose fridge! &nbsp;But what an adjustment in space! &nbsp;Everything needs to fit in there just so to make efficient use of the space available.</div><div><br></div><div>I've lined the outside wall/ceiling area of the over-the-counter cupboard w/ reflectix which greatly reduced heat build up in that area. &nbsp;Did same w/ storage space located between fridge &amp; outside wall.</div><div>Have been cooking on the Coleman camp stove set up on the house porch....did a bit of laundry in the bathtub! &nbsp;Hung on line in basement to drip dry. &nbsp; Getting my brain into camp-mode. &nbsp;woo-hoo!</div><div>When it's too late to turn back, one simply must look fwd w/ anticipation &amp; excitment! &nbsp;</div><div>Cooler temps arrive in a couple days...will re-think our clothing/food needs and do serious Caboose packing then. &nbsp;I kept my portable sewing machine and some fabric. &nbsp;it's a toss-up if there will be space for any of that...sigh.<br><div><div><br></div></div></div></div>
 
Hi Butterfly, I am so excited for you guys!! What a wonderful time right in the middle of the transition. I'm sure one of your very first stops will be to see your son, but when you get done there you are welcome to come and camp with me in the Sierras. The weather is perfect and it is a stunningly beautiful area. No problem finding free dispersed camping. It might&nbsp; be helpful to spend some time with an experienced vandweller?<br><br>Do you have solar installed yet? If not we can order it and I'll help you get it installed. If that doesn't work, for sure I will see you this fall or at the RTR at the latest, right!? <br><br>That offer goes to everyone on the forum as well!! Bob<br>
 
HI Bob.&nbsp; I would love to come and camp with you in the Sierras.&nbsp; Please let me know where you are and Tony and I will start heading that way.&nbsp; Hugs Tony and Cheri<br><br>
 
That's the most wonderful news I've heard in a long time!! You will love the place I am at. It's gorgeous and I have a decent connection with my Verion mifi. We are about 5 miles from the little town of Shaver Lake, CA, so it's easy to go and get a people-fix. Homer and I will will love to see Tony again also. You are feeding him well, right? I wouldn't want him to try and eat Homer!<br><br>It's pretty hard to describe exactly how to get to my camp, so let me know when you think you will get here and I will meet you in town. <br><br>Plus, I need to warn you that the road into camp is a little scary. One way in is easy but it is very narrow and you might scratch your paint job on the Manzanita, and the other won't scratch the paint, but you have to go up a scary curve. It isn't hard, your van can make it no problem, but you will be scared at first. Also, things not secured can go flying off your shelves. If you prefer, I will drive it up the curve or on the narrow entrance. Once you get here, you will be glad you did!!! Bob<br><br>Hope to see you soon<br><br><br>
 
gramahugababy! &nbsp;Hello! &nbsp;Good to see you here on the forum!<div><br></div><div>Bob, Spending time w/ an experienced vandweller would be Very Helpful and Much Appreciated!</div><div>We have added a second house battery but have not done the solar installation yet. &nbsp;Waiting til we go west for the better prices and experienced vandweller help&nbsp;<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>Definatly planning to attend the Quartzsite RTR.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp; Closing on the property is aprox June 19, the day the Sierra RTR begins. &nbsp;Don't know if other loose ends might keep us in OH longer. &nbsp;Sure be glad to escape this hot muggy weather...</div><div>The campsite you describe to gramahugababy is where the RTR will be, right? &nbsp;You plan to be there after the RTR is over?</div><div>The Caboose extends aprox 6" wider than the Chevy Express on both sides...so it'd be the scary way up for us...ummm could you elaborate on the narrow entrance? &nbsp;and you said UP a curve...how steep is the UP part? &nbsp;firm roadbed or loose gravel?</div><div>major potholes?</div><div>I can psyche myself up for scary if I know what to expect. &nbsp;I'm new to towing a Caboose as well as mtn driving. &nbsp;Poor Bill, &nbsp;I already feel sorry for him having to ride shot-gun. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>
 
Butterfly, no, the place I am at now is too hard for big RVs to get in, so I have another place for the RTR. It's big, open and easy to get in. But, it doesn't have cell, internet and is 15 miles from the nearest town. So I will only stay there for the RTR, then come back here afterwards. <br><br>I'm afraid I spoke prematurely. I got my cargo trailer in no problem, and hadn't realized yours was a full-size trailer. It would be very difficult or impossible to get your trailer in here. There are places nearby where you could camp and then come and visit us here, which I think would work well. One other person besides Cheri has talked about joining me here, so the more the better!<br><br>Steve is still with me, but he is going back to WA after the RTR. But I expect him to rejoin me in the fall (Sept or Oct) in Pahrump or Qrtzste, depending on the weather. You (and anyone else) are welcome to join us.<br><br>If you don't come here, do you have plans yet for the summer and fall? <br><br>Did you license and title the trailer in Ohio? If not you might want to license and title them in SD or NV and change your state of residence. Since your son is in MT, you may want to be MT residents. Bob<br>
 
Congrats on your auction, butterfly!!!<br><br>Yay!!!<br>
 
Hi Bob, And I posted w/o measuring!...the Express is 6' wide, the Caboose is 8' wide so extends twice as far on either side of van as I'd estimated. &nbsp;Length is 21' including the tongue. &nbsp;Camping nearby &amp; driving in would work for us... we plan to put solar on van roof like resue. &nbsp;Subject to change of course, depending on your valued experienced opinion.<div><br><div>As soon as we tie up loose ends in OH, we will be working our way to son's in Cheyenne WY, (not MT) for brief visit. &nbsp;Bill wanted to see some redwoods at some point. &nbsp;Other than that, we have no plan for summer/fall except to meet up w/ you.</div><div><br></div><div>Yes, trailer is licensed in OH for now. &nbsp;OH van tags are good til Sept. &nbsp;I'm leaning twd NV for state residency. &nbsp;I can't see us back-tracking to SD in Sept &amp; then return southwest for Quartzsite...&amp; don't want to take time to do the SD residency on the way out.</div></div>
 
Thanks Angeli...being on the downhill slope age-wise, our only option was to jump in w/ both feet if we were going to do this fulltiming thing. &nbsp;Don't have years to spend planning.<div>I found Bob's forum around Feb 2011...Convienced &nbsp;Hubby to attend the RTR &nbsp;Jan 2012 ...in March Bill (he's &nbsp;71) said "lets sell out and hit the road."....so our actual Planning began in mid- March.</div><div>Sometimes ya just gotta throw caution to the wind...irresponsible? &nbsp;maybe. &nbsp;Better than sittin in the rocker? &nbsp;YEP!!</div>
 
I couldn't remember if your son was in Wyoming or not, somehow I got Billings in my mind. From Cheyenne you could take 80 across and then 101 up to see Redwood NP. There is a bunch to see up in Northern California and Oregon. After that you could come here. I'm very close to Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia&nbsp; National Parks, so there is a lot to see in the area. While you are here we can put your solar on. In October, when the desert cools off, I will head over to Pahrump. When it gets too cold I'll head toward Quartzsite. You, and everyone else, is welcome to caravan with me or come and go as you please. I promise you will all love the Sierras, they are beautiful and have great weather all summer. Generally the weather is great through Sept and Oct, but a storm can blow through at any time. <br><br>I love being a NV resident, but there are two things you should consider: (A) your auto insurance may go up, I suggest you check with your agent first (B) they may now be requiring proof of residency. They didn't when I became a resident, but they may be now, I'm not sure.&nbsp; Do you have someone to take care of your mail? If not I highly recommend my mail forwarder. Her physical home address will become your physical home address, and she will give you a P.O. Box in Pahrump for your mail. She charges $100 a year for outstanding service:<br>jbmailroom.com <br>Bob<br>
 
Yay Butterfly! I'm right behind ya! I am a pack rat from you know where, it's gonna take me forever to go thru all my junk!
 
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