Roadrunner Reflections: Fulltiming 2 Years

It has gone by very quickly but at the same time it feels like we have been doing this for 20 years.  We still look forward to seeing more and meeting more people and trying new things.  We get to go places that are fantastic and sleep in our own beds every night.  So far full-timing has been one of the best choices we have ever made.

Our second year began the end of May 2010 and ended the first part of June 2011.
In May 2010 we were at Haas Lake RV Park in Novi, Michigan.

Later, we spent time in Ontario, Canada

And in July were near the Niagara Falls

In late summer we were on the white beaches of Florida

And Virginia Beach,

And in the snow of Virginia Beach (in December!)

And then we saw canyons of Big Bend in March

And the streets of Old Tombstone in April

And here we are in Spokane, WA.

We are still loving the life style and are learning lots.

• Recently we have learned how much we like the beauty and countryside of Utah and Montana.  Both are completely diffent but we love it.   
• Another thing I have learned recently is how to drive through mountains with using the foot brakes.  By downshifting and using the the 'jake brake', I am able to save the brakes going through 6% down grades.

Over the last year, we recognize that the RV spot where we stay is not as important as we thought it was going to be.  For example, we stayed in Tucson at the Davis-Monthan AFB where the campsites are pretty close together.  But we spend most of our time inside.  The only thing that ruins it for me are noisy neighbors or yapping dogs.  So far, we have had very little of either.

We like the way the inside of our motorhome is set up and it is not a big deal if we are in a crowded campsite or in a 'basic' campground.  I would rate the Santa Fe Rodeo grounds and the Kirtland AFB FamCamp as 'basic' yet we had a great time in both places.

When we dreamed about our future days of full-timing, we thought we would overnight more at WalMart and truckstops ~ but we usually pull into a decent RV camp instead.  Something about 50 amp hookup for heat and air conditioning.  We also thought we would do more dry camping (boondocking) with no hookups, but we haven't.  We didn't do any of that in Year 2.  We don't mind being without for a few days, but it is not something we are driven to do.

We have found our niche in volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and NOMADS.
- Habitat for Humanity at each city (affiliate) varies.  Each is run by there own board of directors and volunteer help.  Our favorites so far

• South Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Virginia Area)
• Tucson, Arizona
• Santa Fe, NM
• Our next gig is a Habitat (Care-A-Vanner) stay in Brookings, SD (Aug 2011)

- NOMADS has regular projects and 'Disaster Relief' projects.  Over the last year we enjoyed the work in Mississippi at a Disaster Relief project.  We had a month of mostly putting up sheet rock and painting a house with some odd jobs thrown in like repairing laminate flooring, putting up plywood on a porch ceiling and some painting.

The financials are working out.  I keep all our receipts and log it all onto a spreadsheet.  My goal is to post a monthly status of where we are.  I am way behind on that, but I have high hopes I can finish it up in the next few weeks? for Year 2. 

It is basically costing us about $4,000/month to do this RV thing.  That is a little more than what we take in from retirement.  But I have recently gotten more hours to work online and that is making up the shortfall.  

Our approach is to keep our savings at a certain level and not let it dip below that.  We have been successful so far.  And we have kept our 401Ks at a distance and never touch it.  When I turn 59 1/2 I'll have to withdraw some, but we have time to figure that out.  If we continue to be frugal, we can do this for quite a while.

The Roadrunner (motorhome) costs more than we figured it would.   Medical bills are expensive too. 

- The major RV expenses so far have been upgrades and remodeling.  The biggest repair has been a new toilet last year and a solenoid replacement for the air bags recently.  (both over $1,000)
- Other regular maintenance costs include things like diesel fuel filter replacements ($164); repairing windshield chips (free or <$30); replacing a clear tank water pump ($110).  

- The next biggest repair will be installing a new residential refrigerator.  About the time we decided to do that, I got more hours of online work.  We now have been able to save up enough money for the estimated $6850 it will take to replace our refrigerator.

- After that, our next biggest expense probably will be new tires (at ~$600 each), but we have about a year to save for that.
- Diesel fuel is way up again, but before we started full-timing we planned on the worst -- like $5.00/gal. As one full-timer said, "I worked for 40 years, I can find a way to pay for the fuel…".

- We have not had any major medical bills this year but we need to do something about dental.  Last month I heard that Progresso, Mexico is still a good alternative (e.g. safe) but we will not be there any time soon.

- After being in the hospital last year and getting some tests and physicals done, I took out a medical supplement insurance plan for hundreds ($764/yr) to save thousands $ if we need it.  

So here we are in the NorthWest.  We still love seeing the country.  We spent New Years Eve listening to a blue grass family group in Georgia, spent a great and warm winter/spring in Arizona and are loving the scenic Rockies, stark canyonlands of Utah and the beautiful mountains and mountain ranges of Montana.  Now we are going to explore Eastern Washington State where my mom grew up and where my folks got married in 1942.  Then on to the ocean cliffs of Oregon before we head east back through South Dakota.

I have learned I love the history of our country in the 1800's.  I have learned the impact the Catholic Church and the Railroad have had on the development and growth of our country.  You throw in a gold rush or two and a lot of folks moved west and settled this wonderful country.  And I find it interesting how they 'made do' back in those days.

I have learned to appreciate Pam more.  She is more than a great companion and friend and wife.  She likes this stuff as much as I do. She understands more of the mechanical/technical aspects of the motorhome than I do so that is a big plus.  She is also a great cook and likes to do that.  And she drives the motorhome.  

And we have gotten to see Adam and Kelly.  We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with them so that was good.  We miss them, but they are doing good and each have come through a tough times grieving the loss of Meghan last year. 

And in the last year, we continue to meet wonderful people who are doing the same thing we are ~ living in an RV.  We get to see so much and meet many great folks.  And we get to catch up with old friends and see them again after many many years.  (Like yesterday we met up with Dick and Julie whom we first met in 1983 when we all lived in Hawaii.) We could not do that if we weren't full timing.

So in year two ~ I'd say it is a little different than year one, and we are still loving it.  We feel blessed to be able to do this.  It is different than year one because we feel a lot more comfortable and the learning curve is not so steep.  We can always learn more but we are not as leery of 'what might go wrong' and how we would deal with it.

So there is my recap of Year 2 on the Road.  We are looking forward to Year 3.  Hope you are having a wonderful summer and Happy Father's Day.

Thanks for your interest and comments on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  We enjoy and appreciate them.
Until next time...

When the Tornado Siren Goes Off

First, welcome to new Followers:

B.W. and Carol

Dawn and Denise

Merikay

Thanks so much for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

We didn't realize that Michigan gets tornados.  While we were in Tennessee over Memorial Day Weekend our campground neighbors called to tell us there had been high winds and the electricity had gone out for about 14 hours.  That same storm was in fact a tornado that touched down in a town not far from here.

In the last couple of weeks, we heard the siren go off in the campground and didn't really know what to do.   One neighbor who is a seasonal resident here, said not to worry, just button down everything and put up the awnings.

Another neighbor said when things get really windy (up to 50 mph and beyond), they go to the laundry room/ bathroom which is one of the few cinderblock buildings in the campground.

Wednesday night it looked dark and foreboding and the weatherman was calling for bad weather.  We kept the TV on the local weather channel and watched the radar as the storm moved along south of us by about 10 miles.  I looked at about 10:00 PM and our neighbors had vacated their RV again.  I double checked what county we were in and then watched the news and felt comfortable? staying put.

But it made us talk and consider what we should be doing in situations like this.  We need a plan.

Yesterday, I came across the best plan I have seen on a fellow RVers blog.  Odel and Laurie give  excellent, step by step instructions in the Semi-True Tales of Our Life on the Road.

We have taken many of their suggestions including getting an NOAA Weather Radio.   I did some research on the internet and decided on an Eton FR360.  I wanted one that had a hand crank, could also work on batteries and one that could also be solar charged.

This little guy has a lot of other features including:  USB cell phone charger, flashlight, flashing beacon, alarm clock aux input and input headphone jack.

It took a bit of doing, but we found it at Bass Pro Shops.  There is one about 30 minutes from here and we decided to see if they had one in stock.  Sure enough they did and $49.95 later, it was ours.  Now, in addition to this and following Odel and Laurie's guidelines, we have greater confidence that we can get the word and be safer in times of bad weather.

Yesterday was also pancake day at our house.

We usually have that on Saturdays.  Later, after dinner last night, we enjoyed a campfire outside.  A lot was going on to see because it was a beautiful evening.
The campfire

the neighbors and their grandkids

and just an overall wonderful evening.
I thought I snapped a picture of the folks in the boat fishing but I guess I didn't.  Then there were the folks walking along the shore from the swimming area that came by our campsite.  We had more than the usual going on.

Later we saw some of the College World Series and that was it for us on a nice Saturday.  Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Biggest Expense Items in Year 1-

I want to document some of the things that cost a lot of money so I can compare them to spending in year 2 and see if my new estimates are reasonable.  Since we did not retire in an independently wealthy status, this analysis gives us more piece of mind as we try to anticipate what may be some larger expenses in year two.

It is a bit long, but here it is month by month beginning in May, the month we moved out of our house and into the Roadrunner:

May 2009: (before we actually started full-timing but in preparation for it)
- $1197 (Blue Ox base plate tow package  and rear hitch for the Honda)
- $377 (one time cost of Autonet Mobile Internet router)
- $1500 (seven year warranty for new Honda)
- $103.42 (folding BBQ grill for Roadrunner)

June 2009:
- $176.00 (Folding ladder, camping tables)

July 2009:
- $94.79 (household items for Adam's new place after he moved to Michigan)
- $258.47 (RV maintenance including windshield wipers, a/c and electrical troubleshooting)

August 2009:
- $129.39 (RV maintenance; DVD and keyless door repair)
- $117.98 (check out air bag inflate issue at Freightliner repair shop)
- $280.87 (Canon camera replacement)
- $119.50 (Ferry ride and tickets to Mackinaw Island)
- $229.06 (Electrical issue with kitchen plug repaired)

September 2009:
- $478 (registration for car and RV in South Dakota)

October 2009:
- $735 (Pressure Pro Tire Pressure Monitoring System)
- $276 (RV maintenance incl. generator maintenance, chassis lube, air cleaner)

November 2009:
- $397.50 (Generator lube and maintenance)
- $103.64 (Fuel pump repair)
- $108.24 (Air Compressor)
- $128.28 (hard drive crash repair and data recovery)
- $100.00 (teeth cleaned in Mexico)
- $149.80 (prescriptions filled in Mexico) [better prices at WalMart]
- $371.08 (RV maintenance)

December 2009:
- $157.87 (RV Freightliner yearly maintenance at Bay Diesel)
- $350.00 (couch removed and custom credenza for the Roadrunner)
- $518.94 (recliner for the Roadrunner)
- $1009.03 (Red Bay factory work incl. bodywork, awning repair, keyless door entry, towable tail lights repair)
- 134.44 (light socket replacement in Honda brake light)

January 2010:
- $119.88 (external hard drive)
- $87.72 (wood, hinges and supplies for custom computer table for Roadrunner)
- $763.15 (RV upgrades: SeeLevel Gauge, BR ceiling fan, kitchen counter light)

February 2010:
- $118.90 (External hard drive for Apple)
- $90.83 (small upright vacuum for Roadrunner)

March 2010:
- $455.80 (H&R Block income tax prep)
- $300.00 (Pam medical in Galveston)
- $1050.90 (Airline tickets Adam & Meghan's wedding)
- $122.34 (car rental and airport parking)
- $1065.00 (Blue Ox Patriot braking system; bought it in Jan, finally shipped in March)

April 2010:
- $679.55 (new tires for Honda)
- $134.61 (4" drop down hitch for towing car)
- $89.95 (Honda wheel alignment and cable feed through firewall for Blue Ox Patriot aux braking system)

May 2010:
- $212.41 (Pathfinder maintenance)


This may not be all of the medical bills yet, but I have listed the doctor's visits and ones I have seen so far.  There are more and I will update my notes when I get them.

Not sure I have any monumental conclusions to offer, but I wanted to highlight some things that are going to be useful both to us and maybe some of you that are thinking about the cost of full-timing for the first year.

I have previously posted our expenses vs budget items for Year 1; this is a look at some of the unanticipated costs.  Hopefully you find it interesting and / or useful!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Keep those comments and Followers coming!!

Beautiful Monday

First, Welcome to new 'Followers' to the Roadrunner Chronicles:

N&J

Jessica

and our new friends

John and Judy 

who sold their house a few days ago and will be full-timing in the not-to-distant future. Congrats!

Thanks to all for joining us on our adventures!  Looking forward to your comments and hearing from you!

Yesterday started off with a beautiful sunrise.  I was up early (4:30 ish) after our first comfortable night back in the Roadrunner.  I guess while we were gone, there has been some nasty weather here in the campground.  But yesterday was a beautiful morning to get some coffee and hang out by the lake before everyone got up.

Shortly after breakfast I headed out for a brisk 45 minute walk around the campground.  We have some good walking roads around the area and very little traffic.

After that, I concentrated on some computer work.  I am finishing up expenses for the month of May and taking a look at the how we did on the budget for our first full year of full-timing.  I will be publishing that soon and redoing the budget.  It needs some tweaking to be a little more realistic.

Yesterday I was reading one of the blogs I follow, and saw that John and Sandy did a better job of setting up there budget and it needs no adjustments.  Check it out:  Mothership RV - Our Travel Adventures  In fact they came in at a whooping $743 under budget last month.

In addition to reading my favorite blogs, I made a few calls to see about next year's TV service and internet service.  We cancelled a portion of our Direct TV movie options and saved ourselves $36/month.  Then I called Autonet Mobile and asked if we save money by paying our $29/month all at once.  Nope on that, but good to know there is no price change this year.  I also asked them about a booster antenna and will likely get one in the next few weeks.  My bandwidth is fine now but can anyone have too much bandwidth?

After lunch we went to a followup appointment with my cardiologist.  I had a very good report on the angiogram from 3 weeks ago.  She had one more EKG done and it looks like the other two I have recently done ~ abnormal EKG.  But the angiogram is more conclusive and she was not concerned.

My goal is to get with the exercise and aerobic activities so I can lower the bad and increase the good cholesterol in a couple of months.  I have heard that before, so it is time to get with it.  That way I can stay off more meds.

One of the neat things since our stay here at Haas Lake has been Pam's flower box garden.  She wanted to grow some basil and yesterday it was ready to harvest.

She cut some, washed it and put it in a blender with some olive oil so we could have pesto pasta.  It smelled great and tasted even better!

I think a baseball game was on last night but don't remember it.  I dozed off before I got up and went to bed.

That was our beautiful Monday.

Glad you joined us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Only 90 more to go...who will be the next one to 'Follow'?  Let's keep it going...and thanks!

Roadrunner Reflections - First Year Do Overs

First - let me say 'Thank You' and Welcome to our newest Follower:

Melanie Ditmars

Glad you're following and we appreciate you signing up!

Over the past year of the Roadrunner era, we have learned a lot.  And we keep learning.  I am not one to wring my hands and live in the past about what 'woulda, shoulda, coulda' happened.  We try to conduct our due diligence, think about it, talk about it and then 'pull the trigger' ~ do it!  As with most things in life sometimes it doesn't quite work out the way you thought it would...

Roadrunner Resets:  Do Overs....If I had it to do over I'd:

1. Get an Apple computer and shelve my Dell PC.  Apple is more convenient, less hassle.  I use the computer every day.  With my PC I had to worry about a lot of anit-virus stuff and the darn thing crashed at a couple of inconvenient times.  So far the MacBook has been great.

2. Get a laptop that is not so big.  My Dell PC has a 17" screen and takes up a lot of room.  A 14" screen is fine.  I thought I wanted a big, powerful laptop but the smaller computer works fine and is similar in size to the size I starred into at work for years.  I like the smaller one.  (Can you say iPad?)

3.  Keep my toolbelt.  Can't believe I got rid of that because I thought we wouldn't have enough room.  I threw away. Wow - that was one I wish I'd kept!  It takes a couple of years to break one in right but what are you going to do? Get another one and keep it!

4.  Keep our plastic folding saw horses.  We gave those away also, but we could have room for them and they would be handy to have.  With our NOMADS work, we have used a lot of Joe's tools and sawhorses.  He tows his truck behind his motor home and we aren't going to be doing that.  Those plastic saw horses would have come in handy more time than I can count.

5.  Spend a little more time and due diligence setting up our budget.  I totally missed the food cost with zero money set aside for eating out.  We are about $370 a month (on average) OVER on food.  Eating out is a big chunk of our expenditures.  We are about $400 OVER on RV Maintenance per month.  On a conservative note, we are about $500 UNDER on diesel fuel.  Totals:  $4300/month which about $1000 over budget.

6.  I would have signed up for the local county school system bus driver training course.  Our neighbor Debbie has worked there for years and she suggested (on the day we pulled the Roadrunner up in front of our house to load the last of our belongings into it) that idea.  It would have been nice to have thought about doing that about a year before we started full-timing.  Another option would have been to set aside about $700 and take an RV driving course.

7.  Once we bought the MacBook, I should have signed up for the training.  For $100 I could have gone in and taken a lot of classes and gotten some 1 on 1 help.  Instead I have to settle for the free ones.  You can't beat the Apple Store Genius Bar!

8.  Kept more appliances.  Yes!  We got rid of our electric skillet, big (12 cup) coffee pot, blender, and vacuum cleaner.  Now we have new ones and we have found places to put them all!  But who knew?  When you look at your 2200 sq ft sticks and bricks house and then walk through a 400 sq foot RV, you know most things are not going to fit.  As far as all that 'stuff' we got rid of--we not missing anything :)

That's all I can think of ~ I am sure there will be more.  We are excited about this lifestyle and this time of year.  It is summer in Michigan.  Yesterday Pam put away the ceramic heater and pulled out the fan!

And it was a beautiful day.  I polished 1/2 of the Roadrunner,

watched a neighbor and his grandson catch a fish in the lake,

mowed the lawn (which I love),

we had Rod over for flank steak on the grill

followed by time around the campfire as we watched more neighbors go by for an evening cruise on their pontoon boat.

It was a fun  81 degree day!

Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles!  And thanks too for all those wonderful comments!  Keep them coming!

Departure Checklist - they are very important!

We have friends who just bought a new motor home and had trouble with the air bags filling as they got ready to leave their campsite.

Has that ever happened to you?  Pretty scary moment!  What did YOU do?
  
All kinds of thoughts go through your mind (at least it did when this happened to us) including the worst:
     - we have a dud! I knew it!  This coach is a LEMON!;
     - those guys SHOULD HAVE TOLD US what to do before we left the dealer...;
     - what did I do wrong?!!,
     - NOW WHAT?!!-- (as they say in the Air Force:  "I am out of air speed and ideas..." ; it is Sunday and no one is out there to help...
     - we're STUCK and I am going to be here for a FEW? days; I am going to miss work, miss my___?...
     - this is going to COST us a bunch of $$$, I wonder if insurance will cover it?
     - there MUST be someone I can call...;
     - I wish we had a good INTERNET connection here!
     - it sure is LONELY at the moment....

In hindsight some of these things NOW, they can help you next time:
     - Call the factory service center or help desk.  (unless it is after hours, the weekend, long holiday break, etc)
     - Go through your factory books and reference manuals so you know where the 1-800 number is
     - Compile (or find a list) of 1-800 numbers and remember where you put them
     - Here's a link on Tiffin RV Network you may find useful:  (Click Here)  If so, print it out  (Note: this list was compiled a while ago so confirm the numbers listed are accurate.)
     - Search blogs and keep a mental note of who are experts and the technical type.  Write down their cell phone if available.  Most RVers are more than willing to help others in need....
     - Have a couple of FRIENDS numbers handy so you can call them.

BTW - We have a Tiffin 40' Class A Allegro Bus motor home

Here is our DEPARTURE checklist:
- Turn off water heater
- Turn refrigerator to LP position if it doesn't switch automatically
- Secure all sliding doors (between bathroom, bedroom etc)
- Remove everything from counter tops
- Ensure all drawers, cupboards and cabinet doors are closed
- Roll up mats, rugs etc and store
- Move driver and passenger seats forward
- Ensure local TV antenna is collapsed and folded down on top roof outside of coach
- Store all outside hookups (water hose, electrical cord, sewer hose)
- Turn ignition key to ACC position (or as we prefer--START engine)
- Look at gauges to make sure air pressure gets up to correct inflation (depends on your coach but that may be anywhere from 110 psi to 125 psi)
- Close all slides.  Watch from the outside (unless you are a solo) to make sure all close completely.  If necessary, do it again.
- Start motor home (if you haven't already) and press "STORE" button once on HWH panel
- Check outside to see that all jacks are fully retracted

***NOTE***  This is where we had trouble one time and the airbags did fill correctly.  Make sure you allow enough time [as in, DO IT SLOWLY for the airbags to go through their sequence and properly inflate ***NOTE***


(This is where we ran into trouble and our coach was still low to the ground after we completed the sequence.  Our problem was that we went through the sequence too quickly.  Another remedy may be to ***start the whole sequence over***)

Checklist - continued:
- you should be able to see the airbags
- Remove slats from under the jacks and stow
- Confirm the HWH system is operating correctly and continuing to blink (it may take a full 5 minutes and then will go to the STORE mode)
- Check underneath the motor home for any under neat the coach or laying on the ground
- Confirm all bay doors are completely closed and locked
- Pull out of campsite
- Line up toad
- Hook up tow bar and lights
- Set up toad for towing
- Check brake lights
- Set up auxiliary braking system (we have Blue Ox Patriot system)
- Confirm Tire Pressure Monitoring System is working (we have Pressure Pro)
- Confirm directions for the travel day
- Say a prayer (... no kidding, every day we ask for God's protection and safety)

Be alert, go slowly, relax, ENJOY YOURSELF and have the time of your life - WE ARE!!

So do YOU have a checklist?  If not, why not?  
What did I miss?

We find that we need it all the time so we don't get over confident or careless.   After all, we have been at this as full-timers almost 11 months now :)....

Thats our post for the day on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Hope it helps! Thanks for viewing and Following!

RV Computer Desk Table, Golf, GoodByes

I love it when a plan comes together! It just did with our new computer table.

Yesterday we picked it up from Mr. Bob and brought it back to the Roadrunner.

After months of planning and preparation, it fits perfectly and works great. Bob did a terrific job. When we first approached him, I was not exactly sure what I wanted but we were able to talk and figure it out and it is great!

Early yesterday morning, we drove from Twentynine Palms to Redlands in time to make it to Trinity Evangelical Free

Church with Soo, Hillary, Katieanne and Ryan.

Then we went over to Bob & Soo's to change, grab a sandwich, see the computer table

and load up our clubs to go play golf. The last coat was drying in the sun.

Next, we went over to Moreno Valley Ranch Golf Club. It was a beautiful day at the course and we all had fun.

We each even hit a couple of good shots!

You have heard of synchronized swimming? This is synchronized tee shots.

Sort of. :)

We spent the whole afternoon on the golf course while Soo, Hillary, and Katieanne went to a wedding shower.

We played golf until almost dark, then met Soo, Katieanne, and Hillary at Jose's for dinner.

Then we went back to their place for a bit and loaded up the computer table.

We said our good byes and made the 90 minute trip back to Twentynine Palms. They have been really great over the last couple of weeks and have made us feel especially welcome. It has been neat to see them and their kids and everything!

Bob was only in the coach a couple of times and was able to make a great match on staining it. The maple plywood was coated with cherry stain and it is a very close match to the cherry wood on the inside of the Roadrunner.

Both sides of the computer table drop down for easy storage.

Or I can put one side down, one side up and use it for a computer table.

It fits well into the corner office area.

And Pam can have her kitchen dining table back.

It looks a little empty at the moment but that can change quickly.

Our we can have a second dining table and / or a game table.

I like the height and the shelf for the printer,

and drawer.

It is not real big and massive like some two drawer filing cabinets I have seen. It already has a lot of utility and flexibility.

So there it is -- our latest furniture acquisition. And we are very very pleased! Thank you Mr. Bob!

Our week is off to a great start and I hope yours is too! Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

More Work on the Roadrunner

We waited most of the morning for a Tiffin Service Bay to open up in the Mechanics area. Nothing was happening so finally about 11:00 AM I went over and talked to them. If they were not going to get to me today, I wanted to get some work done over at Bay Diesel.

As it turned out, that is what we did. A little after 12:00 PM I drove over to Bay Diesel.
The previous owner did a good job of changing the oil and filters but I don't think any warranty maintenance had been done. We got all that caught up with a 30,000 mile warranty list of items. It included M3 chassis maintenance, service transmission and fluids & filters replacement. I also had them flush and fill the antifreeze coolant.

While that was being done, Pam and drove back to the Tiffin factory and looked at three new rigs that rolled off the line.

The first one was an 38' Allegro with bunk beds. It looked like a nice family motorhome.Next, we went through an Allegro Bus.
It was a 43' model with a rear bathroom and a front galley. Definitely nice and a top of the line luxury model.

Next, we went through a Zephyr. It was nice also but not that much nicer than the Allegro Bus.
And it costs a couple $100K more...?

The Tiffin Company corporate offices are across the street from the assembly plant so we went over just to see it.
The ladies in front were very nice. Bob Tiffin and his sons were out. He invites anyone to stop by and also gives out his cell phone number. His reputation for customer service is unmatched in the industry.

We drove around the little town of Red Bay and went back to Bay Diesel. We waited in their nice customer lounge and watched some golf.

We returned to the Allegro Campground and parked it for the night. After dinner we arranged for two guys to take out one sofa and then move the one from the DS to the PS. We may be able to get a Lazy Boy over the weekend. We will have to see.
Right now it is really cold--outside it says 29 degrees. Brrr! But inside the Roadrunner it is great. These motorhomes are built well and the heater is running well.

Hope this finds you well and warm too! That wraps up another day for us and the Roadrunner Chronicles. Thanks for stopping by!

Thanksgiving Reflections 2009

Thanksgiving may be my favorite Holiday of the whole year. It signals the beginning of the Christmas Season ... and people generally seem to be in a happy mood.

Thanksgiving started early in our American history in the early 1600s. 1607? 1620? It was given its own specific holiday in 1789. I am glad we have the holiday -- it causes me to reflect and meditate.

I should be thankful more often and not just this time of the year. It is contagious. Just as being critical, grumpy, always dissatisfied is contagious, so is having a thankful, grateful heart and expressing it.

With our world of information overload and to other situations around the world and in our close proximity, it doesn't take long to see how blessed we really are. A lot of folks out there have it tough.

For those of us that grew up in middle suburbia, it is sometimes hard to comprehend. To those of us that had parents that modeled good values and good life choices, it is heartbreaking to see others that don't have that...

So I love this time of year. I am thankful for many things, but here are a few:

* God's Grace and Mercy to me

* My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

* Pam, a wife who has no equal

* Adam and Kelly, two amazing kids

* Family and extended family

* My own heritage

* Health

* Being able enjoy this RV lifestyle

* Friends who don't think like I do, nor hold the same views

* Those who take the time to engage with us on the blog and in person

No matter what your position and state in life, I hope this day finds you content and at peace with things in your world. And I hope you have a good Thanksgiving Day!

Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Full-timing in Fort Worth...

One great aspects of being full-time RVers is having the opportunity to be with friends and family. This one of the many things about this lifestyle we are very thankful for. We don't take this for granted and are so grateful things worked out so we be out here.

Pam and I spent 17 years on the East Coast and a large part of my family is west of the Mississippi. We have taken a few trips over the years to see family but never got see to our family as often we would like. Now - we look forward to setting up trips and expect our visits to increase. Right now we get to spend a few days near Brad and Sue for the second time in six months.

Yesterday before we went over to Brad and Sue's, we hit the gym. We used the Fitness Center at Naval Air Station, Carswell Joint Reserve Base. It is about 20 minutes from the campground.

We had a good workout and then ran a couple of errands before we met Mark and Dortha for lunch.

We got to meet them for the first time in June when we were here and continue to follow them on their blog. We had a ton of questions about their summer trip to the Midwest and Northwest. Recently they also took a trip to Red Bay (Tiffin Factory).

They have a beautiful 2009 Phaeton and invited us over to take a look. It is a beautiful motor home! They have a lot of different options and have had some custom work done in Red Bay.

Dortha picked up a little laptop table that looks nice and is very functional. It is near an ottoman/storage bin they had made at Red Bay. Both fit very well and look great.

We talked for a time and we had a thousand questions about things. They were glad to answer them all and our time passed too quickly. We look forward to seeing them again!

Next, we picked up some Thanksgiving food

before we went over to Brad and Sue's for the rest of the day.

Jo and Andy dropped by for a few minutes. Sue and Jo have been friends for a long long time. Sue continues to make very good progress. I am amazed at how this whole knee replacement process has gone...

Later, Pam fixed Sloppy Joe's and we watched TV before we back to the Benbrook Lake, COE Recreation Park and our campsite. We stayed up a bit, but went to bed pretty early (9:30 PM).

That wraps up another day in the life of the full-timing Warners! Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles today!