Ready to Roll

Let's see. How many times can Paul and Mary check into the same KOA in a week?

That's an easy one. Three!

We rolled out this morning hoping we wouldn't have to return, but knowing there was a pretty good chance we would. Our agenda for today was two-fold: fix the TV mess and get a hitch so we could giddyup. Turns out the hitch was the least of our worries. Once we had a chance to consult with experts and really look the situation over, the solution was a breeze. We flipped our existing hitch receiver over and it worked like a charm. The TV situation, however, was another story.

The three TVs we have on board just weren't working like they should. We were willing to chalk a little bit up to operator error. But, as prior Winnie owners, we are very familiar with how the system should work. So, the dealer assigned a certified tech to check everything out. And, check he did! We were very impressed. He went straight to work and stepped through the problems as we showed him what was going on. He knew exactly how things were supposed to work and methodically worked through the entire audio-visual system on our coach. He inspired tremendous confidence as it was very obvious he knew what he was doing. Three hours later he had the problems diagnosed. The good folks in Forest City had miswired two TV cable connections and failed to make the third. Two hours later he had everything repaired and put back together. But, there for awhile our new rolling home was in a state of shambles. There were cables everywhere! With the job complete, our confident tech stepped us through a very thorough orientation of our entertainment system. Then he asked what else he could do for us. All we could say was "Thank You." Yes, we were very happy campers.

In fact, we cannot say enough good things about our dealer. This relationship that was initiated with an email has been anything but cold. Everyone - and we mean everyone - we've dealt with has been professional, courteous and knowledgeable. They "got it" that we are fulltimers, and did their very best to keep our inconvenience to a minimum. Except for the part where we wrote a great big check, the entire experience has been very pleasant. Here on our blog we tell it like it is. And, we enthusiastically recommend McGeorge Rolling Hills RV Center in Ashland, VA to anyone searching for a new or used rig. If you come here, ask for Taz. And, tell him Paul and Mary sent you. We drove nearly 400 miles out of our way, and he - and everyone at McGeorge - definitely made it worth our while.

With our TV worries behind us and our bikes and tow bar on board we were ready to roll. Because it was too late in the day to really get anywhere, we opted to return to the KOA for a restful night and get ready to roll first thing tomorrow. On the way back to "kamp" we made our first major investment in diesel fuel. Paul pulled the big moose into the truck lanes like a pro. Those diesel truck pumps fill fast!

So, here we sit, in the same site we left this morning. We can't wait to hook the squirrel up to this big moose and get out on the open road at last. We have a reservation in a week, and that park is 1,000 miles from here. It's definitely time to get going.

We'll keep you posted.

It's All A Blur

Wow! It's Saturday already.

How did that happen?

What an amazing week this has been. Last Saturday we started our detour east out of Asheville. We overnighted in Durham, NC and met Jim and Dee for breakfast. We drove through Richmond and had a window explode. (Although now we're thinking we might have been shot with a bb!) We rode out the remnants of Hurricane Ida. And, now we're making our second trip in a week to the Americamps-becoming-a-KOA campground, We left here just yesterday in a 32-foot gasser, and came back tonight in a 40-foot diesel pusher. Somewhere in the midst of all that we checked out a coach, fell in love, made a deal and moved all of our stuff from one to the other.

And, now, it's Saturday!

Yes, it's all a blur.

We woke up early this morning knowing we had another full day of work ahead of us. The dealership started hopping around 8 am, and so did we. We had estimated we were about two-thirds of the way done with our move. We were wrong!

With our two mooses parked door to door in the lot, Paul started bringing over the rest of the load - one bin at a time. And, they just kept coming! Gotta tell ya, folks, we had a lot of stuff stored in that lil' moose. And as spacious as Big Bull is, his interior storage is different. There's no u-shaped dinette to store stuff under, no under bed storage and the Rest Easy sofa in here has ottomans underneath, leaving no room for storage. Right now, we are mighty glad we didn't get a washer/dryer. Frankly, we need the space. Thankfully, the basement is cavernous. By the end of the day the lil' moose was empty and everything but the bike rack and tow bar were on board.

Unfortunately, there was no hitch in our plans to giddyup today. Sparing you the details, our current drop hitch and bike hitch won't work for Big Bull. The dealer didn't have the parts we needed, so our plan was to visit a local hitch shop. But, as we were disappointed to find, the shop that was once open on Saturdays has cut back its weekend hours to zero. So, taking care of our hitch needs will have to wait until Monday.

No problem, of course, because our TV situation is, well, scary. We watched our new in-motion satellite lock onto a bird with ease. But, we couldn't make it happen on any of our three TVs. (So, then what good is it, really?) So, we called in a tech who did his best, but - at the end of the day - needs to talk to the good folks in Forest City. And, like the hitch people, they won't be in until Monday either.

So, with two unresolved but not serious issues, we decided we were done hanging in an RV dealer parking lot. So, we headed back to our former campground to put Big Bull through his paces for a couple of nights with full hookups and 50 amp service. Minutes later we arrived. Tonight we are cozy and comfortable and happily camping beyond the shadow of our former rig.

Happy Blurry Saturday!

Apollo 13

Don't ask us why, but we're thinking of this movie tonight. It's one of our favorites. Plus, we're really tired and really delirious.

You know the scene in Apollo 13 when Lovell, Haise and Swigert are preparing to jettison the Lunar Excursion Module? There their dependable LEM sits cold, dark and lonely. Then, they shoot it off into space. They're grateful for the time they spent in the LEM. They lost the moon, but the LEM saved their butts while they figured out how to get home.

Well, we're feeling a little like that today. Our 'lil moose is parked right next to our new big moose. The big moose is lighted, warm and cozy. (And, did we mention BIG?) The 'lil moose is dark, cold and nearly empty. It feels like it's our LEM. We didn't make it to the Smokies, but that little moose kept us safe, warm and toasty until something bigger came along.

Today was moving and sign our lives away day. And everything went splendidly. Remnants of Hurricane Ida were still around, so the good folks at McGeorge set our old and new rigs up door to door inside detail bays and out of the weather. Tonight both mooses are door to door in the parking lot. We're about two-thirds through with the move. We have a couple of little items to have taken care of tomorrow as we finish the move. Then, we're taking this big moose on the road.

We are exhausted and thrilled. This is one beautiful coach that, frankly, feels like an apartment. We can't wait to get settled in. And, we know it'll take awhile.

It's almost tomorrow, so I'll close. Plus, we've yet to figure out our new Sleep Number bed. So, that could take awhile.

Cheers to all from Big Bull. Here's to many safe, happy, fun and trouble free miles for us, our friends, and that cute little LEM parked next door.

Training Wheels

Once again, it's Christmas Eve at our house. If all goes as scheduled, we'll take delivery of our new moose tomorrow. After three days sitting around in flooding rains, all the creatures in this house are stirring! We are definitely ready to get moving.

Tonight also just happens to be the 200th night we'll spend in Bullwinkle. (Yes, we've kept track!) So, with nothing else to do, we're finding ourselves reflecting over our time with this nifty little moose.

The night before we picked him up, we were like two six-year-olds on Christmas Eve. We couldn't sleep. We were excited and scared. Most of all, we didn't know what we were doing. And, we knew it. After all, the sum total of our RVing experience was a 10-day trip to the Grand Canyon in a rented Class C just eight weeks earlier. What we did know was we were hooked. And, this shiny new Class A gasser was just what we needed to scratch our itch and learn as we go.

And, my how much we've learned! Sure, we did a ton of research before we hit the road. But, nothing compared to the education that started with the first turn of the key of our own motorhome. Our Shakedown Cruise, and every outing that followed, provided us with valuable lessons that prepared us well for what was to come: our fulltiming journey. Those relaxing weekends away in the moose inspired us to accelerate our timeline. When we bought the moose we thought it would be a couple of years before we started fulltiming. But, Bullwinkle made it so fun and easy that we decided to make our great RV escape in just 12 months.

Yes, this little moose turned out to be the perfect set of training wheels!

At a time when everything was up in the air for us, Bullwinkle became a haven. He welcomed us warmly after hectic workweeks, marathons of selling our stuff on craigslist, and everything it took to get the house ready to sell. As he transported us out of the Bay Area, he graciously transitioned from our home away from home to our home. To start this nomadic chapter in our lives in a very familiar environment was a blessing. And we knew it.

It's been four months since our great escape. And, this little gasser has carried us safely from coast to coast. He cruised down two-lane roads and climbed mountains. With him we've visited family and old friends and greeted many new ones. We have asked him to do more than any gasser should, and he's never complained. Sure, there's been a leak or two, and that mysterious exploding window. But, he never left us stranded. He always delivered us safely to our next destination. And, for that we are most grateful.

Tomorrow our moose will prepare for new duty. We'll relieve him of his cargo load and put him in the hands of skilled professionals who will repair the window, spiff him up and help him find another family of RVing newbies without a clue. He will show them, as he did us, how easy and fun it is to get away for a long weekend or vacation along the coast. Lucky for him, he has a new coast to explore.

We've told ourselves we won't cry when we part ways. After all, we know he is really just a big fiberglass box on wheels. But, we probably will. Because for 200 nights this little moose has been a part of our family. Thanks to him, we now have all the confidence we need to move on down the road in a big diesel pusher.

Hats off to the original Bullwinkle!

Waitin' on a Winnie

Country artist Brad Paisley has a song we really like, and it's been going through our heads today. Of course, today the words have changed. We're not waitin' on a woman. No, we're waitin' on our Winnie.

We're not complainin'. We're just waitin'.

After all, we want those good Winnie folks to take their time to get everything done just right before we point that big moose toward Kansas City for the holidays. We've got a couple of weeks. We'll wait.

Besides, it's rainin'.

Virginia and the Carolinas are getting drenched with remnants of Hurricane Ida. It has rained non-stop for the last 24 hours, and it's not supposed to stop until Friday. Maybe.

Our earliest possible delivery time was this afternoon, or tomorrow. But, the satellite system has yet to arrive from wherever those things come from. So, delivery has been pushed back to Friday...the 13th. Our lucky day!

We're not superstitious about those kind of things, mind you. We approach those special Fridays expecting good things to happen, and they usually do. Heck, we took possession of one of our stick homes on a Friday the 13th. It'll all be just fine. Here's hoping the sun will shine!

We made the most of another day in waiting. We took a break from the pitter patter on our fiberglass roof and wandered over to the Bass Pro Shop across the way. We neither hunt nor fish. And, the "camping" we do is nothing like what they stock supplies for at Bass Pro. So, why go? Because it's waaaaaay bigger than our box on wheels! We used the space to take a good long stroll. The place is already decked out for the holidays, so that cheered our spirits. (I know our Christmas is definitely coming early!) After we cluelessly gazed at the gear, boats and camo of all shapes and sizes we took some interest in the clothing department and home furnishings. For two folks who don't meet the Bass Pro target demographic, we walked away with a couple of purchases: Comfy thermal shirts for us both and a moose night light for Big Bull. Definitely time and money well spent.

The rest of our afternoon was spent lounging, napping and reading. We kept telling ourselves we're saving our strength for the big move! Late in the day Paul was inspired to do some laundry, and headed out in the pouring rain to get it done. He deserves a gold medal! Thanks, dear!

The pitter patter continues. So, we're just planning to put some red beans and rice on the stove, cozy up with the cats, turn up the furnace, and relax for the evening while we wait.

Gotta save up our strength for the big move!

Decent Hair Day

As we wait for our new coach to be prepped for delivery, (You can see pics here.) we are catching up on all that stuff you have to do that's just part of living. Today was all about hair.

Folks who have been fulltiming for awhile have this hair thing all figured out. But, I remind you, we're newbies. I'm sharing our early experiences in hopes of helping a fellow newbie or future fulltimer or two, and eliciting some helpful advice from those who have gone before us.

Paul's hair needs are pretty simple. It's short. From time to time it needs to be shorter. He's not picky about his hair. Mostly he's happy he has a head full and none of it is gray. Back in Oakland he had been seeing the same barber for years. All Paul had to do was walk in and take a seat. Fifteen minutes and 20 bucks later he'd walk out with a cut that worked.

And, me? Well, that's a different story. I had the same stylist for the last 10 years. She was very talented and I trusted her completely. She and I loved to change things up from time to time, so my hair morphed in length, shape and color many times over the decade. I booked each appointment weeks in advance, allowing a couple of hours and withdrawing a C-note from our bank account each time.

As everybody knows, hair grows. So, by the time we got to Kansas City we were both in pretty desperate need. Weeks before our arrival, I was growing anxious. I called my sister-in-law who lives there, asked for her stylist's number (After all, her hair always looks good!) and booked an appointment for day two after our arrival. Paul headed to a Super Cuts. The results for both of us turned out great.

I knew my first on-the-road hair experience was cheating, kind of. Booking a cut and color in my old home town with a family member's stylist is far from what was to come. We are, after all, wandering the continent. Finding a family member's stylist every eight weeks is not on the itinerary. My decision in Kansas City to return to something that resembles my natural hair color bought me a bit more time. But, I knew I would eventually find myself alone on the road at the point where every day was a bad hair day.

It's been 10 weeks since our Kansas City coiffure. So, once again we were overdue. The question, for me anyway, was "What to do?" As we wandered out of the local Walmart, we spotted a Great Clips down the way. We made a mental note. It might be worth a shot.

With nothing but time to kill today, we decided it was time for a shearing. We made our way to the Great Clips and walked inside. We checked into the sparse but clean and bright salon and our greeter escorted Paul to her chair. I took a seat by the magazines and waited my turn. Paul began the now familiar task of advising a stranger of the particulars of his head of hair. He imparted the wisdom of his old barber with confidence. The stylist understood and went to work.

A woman who was nearly old enough to be my mother fetched me and put me in her chair. She asked me what I wanted. All I could say was "Shorter." What I really wanted was my old familiar stylist to come out from the back, offer me some tea and work her magic. But, that was not to be. I sat calmly and let the lady work. As she kept clipping, I noticed a sign on the window that said "Relax, you're at Great Clips!"

Yeah, right.

Paul finished up in the chair across the room and his clip did, indeed, look great. A few minutes later the clipping stopped in my chair, too. It was short, still damp, unstyled and - most importantly - still in desperate need of color. We paid up and made a beeline for Walmart.

In the hair color aisle at Wally World I was in virgin territory. Which brand? What color? Unable to choose I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to channel my familiar stylist. By the time Paul met up with me I had narrowed the choices to two. I asked for his help and he affirmed my final choice.

Back home I faced the biggest question. How do I go about the business of coloring my hair here? The answer came quickly: Not here. Though I'd never done it myself, I know it's a messy process not suited for a motorhome bathroom. So, I loaded up my stuff and my magical box of color and headed for the campground showers. Certain I was violating some campground policy against using hair dye in the showers, I started mixing and combing the goop into my hair. Again, I did my best to copy what I had seen my stylist do so many times. Thankfully, I only ran into one other camper, and she seemed more interested in telling me about her day than what I was doing. Minutes later the goop was out of my hair and the shower was cleaner than when I had arrived. No harm done. And, you know what? The gray was gone!

With our hair affair done for the day, we sat back and sized things up.

Two hair cuts with tip and one do-it-yourself color: $42.

Having a decent hair day and saving big bucks: Priceless.

Replacement

We found our replacement window today. It is attached to a brand, spankin' new 40-foot diesel pusher.

Yes, it's true. As several of our faithful readers suspected, our detour to Ashland, VA was all part of our Bullwinkle Expansion Plan. Yep, it was time to find a bigger moose. The exploding window a mere 15 miles from our trade-in destination provided added excitement.

Though we made a pledge early on to delay any big decisions - like a motorhome purchase - until we'd been fulltiming for at least six months, we decided since we were the ones making the rules we could also break them. So, it's only been four months. What's 60 days between a couple of fulltimers, anyway?

Since the first day we started poking our heads into diesel pushers and dreaming of fulltiming in them one model stood out: The 40TD. Itasca calls it an Ellipse. And we drooled all over it from day one. Winnebago calls it a Tour. In fact, we were looking at a 40TD Ellipse the day the sleazy sales guy introduced us to the 32H, the layout of our beloved moose. With each of the 200 or so nights we've spent in our first motorhome, the idea of someday owning a 40TD has been firmly planted in our collective consciousness.

When Winnebago announced its 2010 lineup, one thing was missing: The 40TD. If we were ever to grab the brass ring with the floor plan of our dreams it would have to be a 2009. So, we started searching.

In Asheville, after our visit to the Winnie dealer there, we were reminded of our love of the 40TD. So, we started searching online. Thursday morning we found the 40TD of our dreams. It was sitting in Ashland, VA, just 382 miles away. After a marathon of emails and phone calls, the deal was essentially done by late Friday. All we had left to do was drive to Virginia.

After we arrived in Ashland yesterday, we drove over to the dealership. Behind the locked gate, there sat our dream machine. Only now can we admit that in that moment we fell in love. We had found our Big Moose. This morning we made our way back to the dealership. We met all of the people we had only corresponded with by email and phone. Then, we got the tour of our Tour.

It is beautiful.

Eight feet longer than our current moose, and with two - count 'em two - Big Ass Slides, our Tour is spacious. Really spacious. Lots of space. Gobs of storage. Massive amounts of CCC. It has a lovely table and chairs, fireplace and a sleep number bed. Yep, it looks a lot like that place we once called home.

Then, we drove it.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! With that engine 40 feet behind us we hardly heard a thing. The air suspension gave us a ride that was oh, so smooth. And the 60-degree cut in its steering allows this thing to turn on a dime.

Yep. It's awesome.

Really. It's awesome.

Then, we got down to business. If you ever want to negotiate a deal on an RV, call Paul. You definitely want him on your side. He's good.

Before we knew it we were signing papers and had big smiles on our faces. We're picking it up Wednesday or Thursday.

We promise to document our find on Bullwinkle's Travels. Pictures, and all. But, for now, we're so tired we've barely been able to feed ourselves. So, we're going to call it a very productive day.

And, just in case you're wondering, this rig will be Bullwinkle II. But, I have a feeling we might just refer to him as Big Bull.

He's the fulltiming rig of our dreams.