#18 We're Here!

We left this morning from Page Place RV Park  headed to Daddy Joe's Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Tabor City, NC.  Our friends, Ron and Barbara, traveled in their MH behind us to pick up any parts that might have fallen off.  :+)  

We're participating in the Coastal TarHeels March Rally.  Ron and Barbara are members and suggested that we might like to join the group.  We think it's a great opportunity to meet other RVer's and gather lots of information.  We have parked the MH and have full hookups.  We're parked in "quads", 4 motorhomes together in a square.




 Tonight is the "early bird arrivals"... hot dogs with all the trimmings.

# 17 A Goal Accomplished

When we decided to work towards the goal of becoming full-time RVer's, one of Ron's requests was to be as legal as possible with his driver's license requirements for a motorhome.  Our MH weighs over 26,000 pounds which NC requires that the operator have a Class B driver's license.  Today, Ron achieved his goal.  He passed the written exam yesterday and today he passed the driving part of the exam. He is relieved it's over and feels so much more relaxed now while driving the MH.   The examiner also told us that I could take and pass the written part of the Class B test and they would issue me a learner's permit...to learn and practice driving the MH under Ron's supervision.  We'll see........

 Now that Ron is legal to drive this MH, we feel more like traveling.  We are members of FMCA and hope to join their local Chapter "Coastal Tarheels" camping group.  They have rallies the first weekend of each month. We decided to participate in the one scheduled for next weekend with some friends here from Page Place RV Park and Cape Carteret.  We are very excited and anxious to experience our first camping rally. 

#16 Our First Trip

We've been here at Page Place RV Park since December 1, 2012.  We have not moved the motorhome since we landed.  Well, we have finally taken our first trip.......to the gas station.

Our diesel fuel gauge was reading one fourth full and the aqua-hot system will not run when it gets to that level.  We enjoy the aqua-hot heat system for continuous hot water as well, therefore we needed to fill up the gas tank.

Next week will also be our three month anniversary as full-time RVer's.  We have stayed busy even though we have stayed in place.  I have always heard newly retired people say "How did we have time to get anything done when we were working?" and now I understand what they were talking about.  Ron has worked almost everyday on cleaning, waxing and polishing something.  The first items he cleaned, waxed and polished were the fifth wheel and truck.  They are now at Dwight Dickens Auto Sales in Fuquay-Varina, on consignment.

Once they were complete, he began to clean, wax and polish the MH.  He has finished it for the most part, but there are a few things left on the MH that he still would like to clean, wax and polish.

We really like living in the motorhome.  I find cleaning the interior quick, cooking meals has been an easy adjustment and having the washer/dryer combo in the MH has made laundry time rather simple.  Little Boy really likes lounging on the dash and looking out the large windshield. I also placed a bird feeder out the back bedroom window, he loves watching the birds.  I take him out for walks on his leash and he is so funny to watch as he rolls in the grass.  Now that the truck and fifth wheel are off-site, Ron is beginning to slow down his daily pace and enjoy his retirement.  I walk every morning with a friend from the park and Ron and I also enjoy riding our bicycles to the Croatan National Forest Campground.  The Cedar Point Tideland Trail is one of our favorites places to ride too.

Ron will need to get his Class B driver's license since this MH is so heavy. He hopes to do that soon. He plans to do a routine maintenance service on the aqua-hot system.  We also have a small boat that we haven't sold.  We have several items we would like to purchase for the MH as well as some interior updating (flat screen TVs need to be added as well as the satellite system figured out).  We feel all these goals will be easier to achieve if we are in a familiar place for a period of time...in other words we are just not ready to give up our wonderful lot here at Page Place RV Park.  We have decided to stay here another year and take trips out with the MH while we continue to adjust to our new lifestyle, learn the motorhome's operating systems and get our needed items to make full-time living on the road more enjoyable.  We are ready to begin our travels but rather than rush a good process, we'll take our time and enjoy living here too.

I will post an update on the blog when the truck and fifth wheel are sold..or we take our first "real camping trip" out..which ever happens first.

# 15 It Must Be In The Air...

RV repairs must be in the air for the end of 2012.

I read several full-time RVer blogs and some of them are dealing with RV repairs now.  We are also dealing with our own RV repair too.

Ron had to use a hack saw to cut through a rusty screw.

Ron knew we had a small leak with the black tank valve and thought it needed replacing.  It's an RV repair often met with procrastination and with good reason.  He decided that today might be a good day to tackle this job.  I offered assistance as the "helper" with handing him tools and moral support.

Ron ended up switching to the tighter fitting latex gloves.

It turns out that valve wasn't broken after all.  Instead, that whole pipe fitting has a small crack and it will need to be replaced.  Ron was able to replace the black tank valve with the new valve, re tighten the screws (which was the most difficult part of this job due to the difficulty of reaching the screws in such a tight place) and he says we'll be able to get by until the new part comes in next week.  He ordered the new pipe this morning.

Obviously....Little Boy has made himself at home.

The dash is nice and warm and he gets to view all the activity in the park.

# 14 Merry Christmas

We have been very busy this month getting the motorhome set up for full-time living.  Once we moved all of our things that were stored in the fifth wheel, to the motorhome,  I realized I needed to have yet another yard sale.  We have also cleaned the interior and exterior of the fifth wheel and are in the process of getting the awning replaced at the local RV repair facility.  We hope to have it up for sale by the middle of January.  Next on the list for clean-up is our Dodge dually truck.

We really like our RV lot here.  We feel it's very spacious and it's across from the pool too.  We've been in this RV park since 2007.

I saved many of my Christmas tree ornaments given to me by students.  When I took them out to display on our small table- top tree, I was struck by how many were angel-themed. I normally wouldn't have thought anything of that except the tragic events of the past week brought that observation to mind.

 We really enjoy living in the motorhome.  Right now, we cannot think of anything we would change about it.  The only issue that has me puzzled now, how best to store all of my spice containers. I've seen the carousel type storage bins but I haven't made up my mind on that yet.

 Little Boy has adapted well, I think.  He enjoys the large windshield at all times..day and night.  He plays with his toys and had created a "play running lap" from the washing machine to the driver's seat, wrinkling and sliding on the rugs as he scampers.  He still enjoys walks on his leash but gets scared when a stranger comes up so we don't walk far from our lot.

We want to wish our blog followers, family and friends a very

 Merry Christmas
and a
Happy New Year.

# 13 Page Place RV Park, Cedar Point, NC

We arrived last night at Page Place RV Park around 6:30.  Ronnie didn't want to come in at night but it couldn't be avoided.  He did a great job parking the rig although we had to stay in our fifth wheel since we couldn't plug in the MH.  Today, we began the process of unpacking the fifth wheel with the items from our stix and brix and placing them in the MH.  We also enjoyed sharing our "new home" with our friends here in the park.  Tomorrow, we will work to pull out the fifth wheel and put the MH in it's place.  We'll be selling the fifth wheel and Ronnie's truck as soon as we can get them cleaned up.  We will not be traveling for a while since we are on a leased lot until the end of March 2013.  We do hope to make some smaller trips out but for now our goal is to get the MH set up inside the way we want and enjoy living in it.

# 12 Cane Creek Campground

We got up this morning planning to return to Cedar Point, NC.  However, Ronnie discovered that the Jeep's front passenger side tire was flat.  This is such a nice place and since we had no pressing time frame to return back to Page Place RV Park, we decided to stay an extra night.  This would allow us to get the tire leak plugged and I could wash a few loads of clothes.  It was such a nice day, I even got in some walking exercise.

There are some nice walking paths and I even saw some horses.

Little Boy is beginning to enjoy the big windshield.  We catch him looking out the windows a lot now.