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Lol!!! One can understand why he didn’t drive it very far. Something else people don’t think about is many motor homes are wider than the older ones at I believe 108” which even though not enforced used to be illegal to operate on most roads in many states. I wonder if the insurance companies ever caught on to why they have so many more accidents and if they are still paying out claims?
 
I observe so many humans that have very tight bubbles of awareness, both physical and psychological... but we'll stick with the physical.. ;) they have no idea where the corners of their vehicles are, especially SUV drivers... and in Maine.. there are few roads that have what people call "a shoulder", so they drive in terror and crowd the middle... and then there are bigger vehicles ...

Having done thousands of miles on a motorcycle, ...well lets' just say some people have a real connection to things and others do not.. on the MC part of that joy of riding is that full body connection with the beast beneath... so translating this to operating a MH, I think I am a bit better prepared than most to be a better drive as well as a more aware driver...

I think so many "issues" people have with traveling are due to improper preparations and lack of awareness.. I see the challenge as reducing potential and preparing for the eventual..... ( note - video topic)
 
I've owned a variety of rigs over the decades and finally settled on a pickup pulling a small camper trailer. 

I mean, we all have priorities and preferences....and I enjoyed my old Winnebago Class A motorhome for about 17 years but enough is enough...for me a pickup pulling a trailer is the way to go...everywhere!

PS...cant watch your videos...too long.

:-/
 
..Well yah gotta give me some time... you had 17 years.. I think I deserve a few myself... ;)  I went bare bones touring on a Motorcycle and I ain't exactly a spring chicken.. ;)

The videos are what they ... .. they won;t be everyone's cup o joe...
 
with a towable you don't have to pack up every time you goes somewhere, in other words you don't need to break camp every time. like if you need to go to the store or go look at the sights. so packing up to move once in a great while is nothing. I have been in one spot since the beginning of June I would hate to break camp every time I wanted to go somewhere. not to mention trying to explore backcountry roads in a RV. highdesertranger
 
On that note, self leveling devices make a huge difference on a motor home set up time but can be problematic and do require maintenance or you will end up with one stuck and unable to move or drag one off. I just used some wooden ramps but that was before all the new store bought ones came out, and with air bag suspension you can adjust somewhat.
 
highdesertranger said:
with a towable you don't have to pack up every time you goes somewhere,  in other words you don't need to break camp every time.  like if you need to go to the store or go look at the sights.  so packing up to move once in a great while is nothing.  I have been in one spot since the beginning of June I would hate to break camp every time I wanted to go somewhere.  not to mention trying to explore backcountry roads in a RV.    highdesertranger

Neither will I .. a small displacement MC will be hung off the back.... composting toilet... grey and black tanks combine to lengthen stay potential. Proper planning should mean only a need to explore and run to town for milk and cookies!  

keep poking.. !! :D
 
bullfrog said:
On that note, self leveling devices make a huge difference on a motor home set up time but can be problematic and do require maintenance or you will end up with one stuck and unable to move or drag one off. I just used some wooden ramps but that was before all the new store bought ones came out, and with air bag suspension you can adjust somewhat.

*if* the model I end up with has auto leveling, I will deal with that potential at that point, but it won;t be a make/break option... if it has it, fine.. make sure it worlds liek all the other systems.. :)       and likewise if it does not I will source some of those comma shaped levelers..
 
Let us say that... the mobile community is diverse... I think I will have to make that video after all...

Coming at a community from the outside is always interesting...
 
JJsimonds said:
..Well yah gotta give me some time... you had 17 years..

Actually I've been cheap RVing in one form or another for more than 25 years...tent camping for...damn I've lost count....55 years maybe? None of that was 'full time' RVing tho....I had a career in transportation for about 40 years, give or take a few years. So, living on the road is also not new to me.

Motorcycling? yep, for about 50 years or so...but this is starting to sound like a resume...so..enuff of that.

We all come to the table with different life experiences and backgrounds...I'm at that stage where I can coach and teach and share some stories....as many others here can do also. I enjoy helping people in the ways that I can...and of course some topics on the forum are outside my personal experience or knowledge, so I dont touch those very often. But general interest threads such as this one, yeah we all get to post a little here and there.

Anyway, good luck with your journey.
 
I managed to cough up a new video... got talking about "cutting it as a full time RVer"

otherwise.. touched base with the family of the rig I want to look at locally.. hopefully they get their act together so I can look at that rig... I guy two towns over just dropped the price of his rig down.... one owner, great shape new tires etc etc.. not exactly what I want, but looking better... and I now have two people interested in looking at the house... tick tick.. winter is coming

 
Great vid, man! I’m on the other side of the real estate equation right now, and the prices are out of this world and the supply is low, at least where I am looking. I hope you benefit from that on the selling side where you are, and I hope you get a great price on the home.
 
MG1912 said:
Great vid, man!  I’m on the other side of the real estate equation right now, and the prices are out of this world and the supply is low, at least where I am looking.  I hope you benefit from that on the selling side where you are, and I hope you get a great price on the home.

....when i am ready it'll be in 6 to 8 weeks, at least, and the market may/will have cooled off a bit ..... it is killing me watching models go by that would be ideal, but I have to let go of that... lol ... I put in a bid on a  camera gimble on fleabay for the mini vid cam I have so I can move around a bit in the future... when i go to look at a prospects I will bring the cam along... I am also shopping for a GoPro style cam.. but being the cheap arse I am I'll go for a used something that was the top of the heap 2 years ago...

oh and.. thanks for the compliment on the vid.. they are fun to record and also to edit... but it can suck up silly amounts of time, luckily I have a past of presentations, so if and when it fits, ripping off a monologue makes editing a lot simpler.. ../.....   I made a new intro video today ( I should have been working on the house) .. kept it to 15 seconds.... but .. it was a 3 hour project... lol... the original intro I just slapped together... but I wanted to slick it up a bit... so I messed with it.. anywho.. that'll tag the next video..
 
Nice property friend I love the trees. Summers in the Maine woods must be beautiful. But even my winters in PA are too much for me. I have said it before but the only time I want to see snow and ice is in my rearview mirror. I have not achieved all my goals on time I’m still in my home area although I’ve been living in the van full-time since June 1. But the plan is for a winter in Florida. Not returning to PA to the ice and snow are melted and the thermometer is above 70 .

That’s a nice puppy too. I had a purebred Shepherd girl that weighed 110 pounds she thought she was a lapdog. I named her kitty. You should’ve seen the people looking when I said here kitty kitty. I hope you can cut it.
 
nature lover said:
Nice property friend I love the trees.....................I want to see snow and ice is in my rearview mirror.

That’s a nice puppy too. I had a purebred Shepherd ................................ I hope you can cut it.

She is long haired shep crossed with chow, so she has a triple coat and only weighs about 90#'s.... I adopted her at 5, 5 years ago... she is my second shepardish adoptee and also the second problem child.. she has issues with all other dogs... absolutely is smitten by all people.... but flips a switch when she sees another dog... .. the poor thing has anxiety issues... but I've been able to help her be less stressed out... ;)

....ahh the temptation for click bait  titles... :D
 
Another week....   A chat with the realtor about offering the house to his staff as buyer agents to their clients...  got the Sawzall back from the neighbor... sold  more gear ...  a pile of misc stands went ( yea!) as well as a few mics and a 50 audio snake... and put out a video on how this is shaking things up, and how I hope to get shook up, and how we ought to shake it up even more.. :D

 
... a bit from my website Blog...
*********

In preparation for the exodus I have freed up a couple of totes, into which will go, things I do not need now, but are put aside for moving into the rig.... like the hatchet.

Another task is to divide all my clothes into going and not going and then discard the not -going... mostly to get tossed as thread bare oldies, and then then sentimental T shirts that may become wall art....

I also am slowly preparing to shift gears in term of getting in the mode of daily recording what I am doing, or not doing... ( oh the sun has come out, finally burning off the fog, so the outside is calling.) The video cam I have is dated.... like very dated, however it does a half decent job when I use it well, but in order to make usable video I can't just carry it around. I need a gimbal. I have been evaluating them for about the last 9 months as part of my previous job at the Public Access station. I also am a huge fan of buying yesterday's "best product" at a substantial savings. I am quite sure that a brand new $600 gimbal would be better than the $189 used one on it's way to me from California via an eBay purchase.

The model I chose, I did so because of the mounting ability, ease of use and the affordable cost. ( there goes some of the funds from selling sound gear)
https://www.zhiyun-tech.com/crane2/en

There is just no way to make videos on your own without one. I can;t just plop my ample self into a chair every time I record something and the gimbal will allow me to create video at anytime, doing anything.

Part of the challenge in this entire project is doing with less and doing without, but the right tools have the power to over rule these guardrails. There will be items that will break the budget barrier, like a decent air pump for the tires, that doesn't take to hours to go from 65 to 70 psi.

So it is with the gimbal. There is no way to make good digestible video without this tool. I am also looking at drones, but even used, they are more than I want to spend on one at this time. I *could* get along fine without one, but there will be constant pressure to use one as I venture out across the continent.
 
I agree that quality tools are expensive. I have a Via air compressor that has allowed me to control pressure in my tires (very important on a SRW truck carrying a 4,000+ lbs. payload). Chain slings and quality tows are expensive, etc.

Thanks for uploading another video! Can't wait to see more.
 
MG1912 said:
I agree that quality tools are expensive.  I have a Via air compressor that has allowed me to control pressure in my tires (very important on a SRW truck carrying a 4,000+ lbs. payload).  Chain slings and quality tows are expensive, etc.

Thanks for uploading another video!  Can't wait to see more.

Thank you...  I have a few video ideas stacked up. but suggestions and questions are always welcome...

I have  Word Doc with lists... A list of accessories I must have, a second list of wants... another list of tools/emergency stuff to have at hand that includes the tire plug kit, soldering kit, basic tools... on the Motorcycle my toolkit looked like the pic below... being able to actually bring real tools will be a treat.

Toolkit.JPG
 

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what's that on the far right of the tool roll? it looks like a chew toy. LOL. highdesertranger
 
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