Hello from NM

[Carla618]

That’s what’s most important to me; the sun!

It was a list like this that was very helpful for me:
https://www.traveltrivia.com/sunniest-cities-us/XqgZkXU1XQAGkh8N

Wonder where that photo for Yuma, AZ was taken. It looks so green!

 

[Zurdo]

I just stayed at a campsite in NM and online reservations were required for camping. I also think those reservations fees are alot. So disappointing when you are already paying for a camping pass/camping fees.View attachment 31063

Indeed, those $4 charges really accumulate over time. I wouldn’t be as opposed to paying them if I knew the money went to maintaining and improving the parks. Unfortunately, that money goes to the for-profit reserveamerica.com.
I wish they would at least offer a way to reserve in person at a park to give an option to avoid the reservation fee. I’ve likely paid around $500 in reservation fees since I started in April of last year (including fees through Sept 2022).

 

[Zurdo]

Wonder where that photo for Yuma, AZ was taken. It looks so green!

It was likely somewhere right on the Colorado River.
Not everywhere here is sand and cacti! Coming from very green Michigan, I was amazed at how many places I have found that look like “home”. They are primarily at higher elevation though. Flagstaff, Sedona, Santa Fe, Taos areas, and many more, are absolutely beautiful and green!

 

[Zurdo]

Thank you. I don't know where I will live. I know I want to visit the southwest and Mexico, but for extended stays... I don't know. Arkansas is close and I want to be able to see my kids and grandchildren as often as I can. My dad retired first to Cape Cod for eleven years then to Florida. I wish my kids had known him, so I want to be somewhat close. Then there is the desert thing I love forests, bluffs, streams, wildlife. Maybe I will love the desert, too. We'll see!

You point out the biggest downside. Although I don’t have children, being so far away from family and friends has been difficult. I haven’t spent Thanksgiving nor Christmas with my people in a few years.

 

[Zurdo]

It was likely somewhere right on the Colorado River.
Not everywhere here is sand and cacti! Coming from very green Michigan, I was amazed at how many places I have found that look like “home”. They are primarily at higher elevation though. Flagstaff, Soanoma, Santa Fe, Taos areas, and many more, are absolutely beautiful and green!

From my lawn chair, just now, in the “high desert”. I have a big horned owl that roosts in those trees right above me every evening!

 

[GntlStone]

re -- new travelers selling newer rigs
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Agreed.
The algos suggested a 'Nomadic Sarah', her first video showing her purchase of a new Airstream Caravel single axle.
Sticker is us$83,000 (eighty-three thousand clams) [immediately gets woozy from 'sticker-shock'].
Within three hundred miles, the safety-chain ring on the frame snapped, requiring a day delay for an emergency visit to a welder-fabricator.
"But, the factory said to send them the bill, so it'll be taken care of."
End quote.
.
Innocent Sarah tows her two-ton Airstream with some sub-miniature station-wagon with a GCWR of a pound-and-a-half.
Check in next week for more hilarity!
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My experience aside -- factory RecreateVehicle Quality Control consists of purchasers living in the repair-shop waiting-room -- I think the vast majority of YouTube viewers are deluded by the idealized vision instead of the hands-on reality.
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Every day, the algos suggest 'I Am Quitting Van-Life'... or the stage preceeding the quit, 'Dealing With Loneliness OTR' and 'More Repairs To This Worthless Pile Of #@#@@#'.
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I think a few dreamy-eyed YouTube viewers acquire a new rig in the hopes of impressing other YouTube viewers.
I see this on the BillionBuxBus forums, commenters boasting of their decal schemes and exclusive 'up-grades' to their EntertainmentCenter© in the form of a bigger wine-chiller and electronic fire-place with remote-control.
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And the 'impressing people I do not know and probably despise' nincompoopery extends to other arenas.
About 2005 or so, we got the bright idea to make next year's family calendar with portraits of us at various Harley Davidson dealers around the western US.
At the H-D dealer in Santa Barbara, California, one dapper gent -- nice civilized dentist or accountant haircut -- was inquiring about scheduling his shiny new H-D for a replacement battery in the optional thermometer dip-stick.
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What happened to us?
What happened to initiative and curiosity?
What happened to dismantling stuff, fussing with the innerds, then assembling it with a minimum of surplus parts?
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Eugene, Oregon.
A few times a year, I walk through the local branch outlet of CoPart, the massive auction for insurance vehicles after a wreck or burn or theft-recovery.
A popular scene are relatively-newish factory RecreateVehicles with a missing center, a result of the fridge going hay-wire... getting really hot instead of really chill.
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The straights know of this problem, but still plunk down their money for another of the same.
The straights know about the Exhaust Fluid injection failures, often just minutes after leaving the dealer with their new BillionBuxBus, and yet, they continue to tolerate such nincompoopery.
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The mind boggles.

All of the above is why I bought a lightweight vintage camper in mostly good condition to repair and upgrade myself. I want to know the wiring is good, framing and walls are good, convert to electric as much as possible, etc. For well under 10k total.

Its 40+ years old and with some tlc it'll be good for 40 more.

 

[Carla618]

From my lawn chair, just now, in the “high desert”. I have a big horned owl that roosts in those trees right above me every evening!

Tomorrow's high is expected to be 71 here in central Illinois. Today was in the 60's. But as you know, it's just a tease in March in the Midwest.

 

[Zurdo]

Tomorrow's high is expected to be 71 here in central Illinois. Today was in the 60's. But as you know, it's just a tease in March in the Midwest.

That was one of my worst memories of Michigan. By the end of February, I’d be so sick of cold and snow. By mid March, yes, she would tease you with warm weather and just when you think you’re in the clear, a massive snow storm!!! On the bad years, that snow came in April.
I actually got snowed on in the Mountains above Santa Fe in early May 2018!

 

[Morgana]

Winter's a pain (and I've been avoiding it for years), but I will say that there's nothing quite so hallucinatorily beautiful as spring after a long winter. (I miss it, but since the only way you can get the full experience is to live through the winter first, I'll pass for now.)

 

[Carla618]

Winter's a pain (and I've been avoiding it for years), but I will say that there's nothing quite so hallucinatorily beautiful as spring after a long winter. (I miss it, but since the only way you can get the full experience is to live through the winter first, I'll pass for now.)

I was thinking the same thing yesterday.

 

[Zurdo]

Winter's a pain (and I've been avoiding it for years), but I will say that there's nothing quite so hallucinatorily beautiful as spring after a long winter. (I miss it, but since the only way you can get the full experience is to live through the winter first, I'll pass for now.)

My favorite Michigan month is, hands down, October. Cool air, amazing colors, and apple cider!

 

[Geneeus]

TorC has 290 sunny days per year and on many winter days it warms up fairly nice. The avg. highs are 59 degs. in January so it's not too bad. I stayed around TorC a few years back with the NM annual camping pass. There were a few nights that got down to 17 or so. As long as you're prepared for the cold nights, it's not a bad place to spend the winter. Much better than the northern plains,etc.

Hi, What/where is TorC

 

[Walt]

Hi, What/where is TorC

Truth or Consequences, NM
Southern New Mexico on I-25.

 

[bpdchief]

"Every now and then I look up 'best climate in the U.S.' type searches. Eleven of 20 listed at U.S. News are in California, so I eliminated those... and a few others."

They are sticks and bricks oriented. In a van one would need a reliable heat source and/or cold weather sleeping gear in those cities.

Interestingly, I was sleeping in a plain 15 passenger van in at a state park in the Greenville/Spartanburg area back around Fall of 1974 and it got cold.

1989 my dog Shaggy and I spent 20 days in a tent at Croft State Park Spartanburg.. Shaggy kept me warm at night and protected the camp while I worked at Phillips Fibers.

 

[Carla618]

1989 my dog Shaggy and I spent 20 days in a tent at Croft State Park Spartanburg.. Shaggy kept me warm at night and protected the camp while I worked at Phillips Fibers.

What did you think of the Spartanburg area?

 

[Geneeus]

Truth or Consequences, NM
Southern New Mexico on I-25.

Thank you Walt. I appreciate the help.

 

[Zurdo]

Thank you Walt. I appreciate the help.

Elephant Bute is just North of TorC and, apparently, used to be the place to go for a water recreation vacation in NM. Unfortunately, there isn’t much water left because of drought so there seem to be an abundance of places to stay from private campgrounds, a nice state park and a piece of BLM land. I spent a month in the area last fall and it was quite and pleasant (beautiful).

 

[tx2sturgis]

When in that part of central NM be sure to say hello to Ted Turner!

https://tedturnerreserves.com/
BTW...depending on where you stay in these resorts, the room rates for one night can range from a few hundred dollars to over $18,000...for one night.

Let that sink in!

A wee bit over my budget.

 

[Zurdo]

When in that part of central NM be sure to say hello to Ted Turner!

https://tedturnerreserves.com/
BTW...depending on where you stay in these resorts, the room rates for one night can range from a few hundred dollars to over $18,000...for one night.

Let that sink in!

A wee bit over my budget.

When I was staying in Sugarite Canyon just outside of Raton I had saw somewhere that his ranch backed up to the town. I looked it up and it had a Raton address so I thought I may drive up there just to check it out. When I google mapped it though, the lodge was like 50 miles away! The size of the ranch is amazing. I did end up driving it on my way from Raton to Cimeron Canyon and is definitely vast and beautiful land. Didn’t end up stopping!
If you haven’t seen this, it was a great interview of Turner. They talk a lot about his various “ranches”.

 

[Zurdo]

Hey Brian cheers and I am a part timer snow bird up in Norte NM under the Colorado border. Yes cold now, (been hibernating and thawing) but if ya need a place bordering BLM especially to leave the heat as at elev 8,200, I welcome compatible rv'ers to give them an option especially during these times where, many of us were thrown under the buss with covids ''essential business'' only. Were in a similar boat just that I saw this shtf when we got some land 20+ yrs ago and am into growing food, diy and having nature as my neighbor.

You sound like you’re living the life I’m hoping to find some day!