Newcomer Questions

[Rob Robinson]

Ryan I agree with you except for the washer/dryer. We have never had to wait
at a laundromat. In fact we use campground facilities and there has never in
our three years of full-timing been a problem in that regard. The first
thing I did was throw that Splendid out the front door. I now use the
available space for storage and a large laundry hamper. The hamper, like my
tanks, let's us go a long time between 'wash Mondays' and when we chose to
do a wash it is done much faster in a campground laundromat. Having said
this you could put an apartment style washer/dryer in but I believe the
dryer would be slower than taking it to a regular laundry.

On 20/05/07, Ryan Wright wrote:
>
> Allen,
>
> I haven't had my bird a month yet and have never full timed in an RV,
> so take everything I say with a huge grain of salt. That said:
>
> I bought a PT-40 and I'm very glad I did. I wouldn't want anything
> smaller, to be honest, not for the weekend warrior type camping I plan
> to do and certainly not for full timing. I'm the type who likes to be
> prepared and independent. I don't like looking for a laundromat and
> then waiting around several hours to wash my clothes. I like having
> huge storage tanks so I can fill up once and not deal with it for the
> next thousand miles. I shop at Costco so I always have thirty extra
> rolls of toilet paper handy and eight huge, juicy steaks in my
> freezer.
>
> If we didn't have kids at home, my wife and I could full time in this
> RV (as soon as I add that washer/dryer). No problem. Anything smaller,
> no way. This one's big enough for two people and their stuff and all
> of the amenities and it has amazing fuel, water, & holding capacities,
> not to mention more storage than I know what to do with. Now, I know
> many people full time in smaller vehicles and use laundromats and so
> on but I'm not one of them. I like my privacy, my independence, and
> the feeling of security I get from being fully stocked up and able to
> last for long(er) periods of time without help from the world. (It's
> part convenience, part paranoia.)
>
> Certainly there are downsides to the larger vehicle (more expensive to
> buy and operate, can't get in to some parks, slightly more difficult
> to maneuver, etc) but for me, the pluses far, far outweigh the
> minuses.
>
> BTW, I talked to a guy down the street who has been full timing in a
> PT-40 for several years and he loves it. After having mine, even for
> such a short time, I can fully see why. This size vehicle is very
> livable with few, if any, sacrifices necessary.
>
> -Ryan
> '86 PT-40 8V92
> Tri-Cities, WA
>
> On 5/16/07, skip_slade <skip@... <skip%40ajarvis.net>> wrote:
> >
> > Hello to All,
> >
> > My wife and I are now in our early sixties and are seriously
> > contemplating full-timing for a few years. We anticipate spending
> > much of the winter well south of the Mason-Dixon and summers in the
> > northeast. We'd probably put approximately two to three thousand
> > miles a year on any rig purchased.
> >
> > I have long admired the BlueBird approach to RVing; however, I must
> > admit that my knowledge in this area is shallow at best. My wife and
> > I would greatly appreciate any comments from current full-timers
> > regarding years and models to look for as well as features that are
> > considered truly indispensable. When considering any used unit, are
> > there problem areas that consistently appear and for which we
> > definitely should be on the lookout?
> >
> > Also, we are determined to avoid purchasing more vehicle than is
> > necessary. Generally speaking, what minimum size seems to function
> > properly for most full-timers and provide the best compromise between
> > convenience and maneuverability? Anyone wishing to offer rough
> > estimates on annual utility costs are encouraged to do so.
> >
> > Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time and make the
> > effort.
> >
> > Allen Jarvis
> > Merchantville, N.J.
>
>



--
Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
94 WLWB


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