FOR SALE

FOR SALE

2001 KENWORTH T2000  $28,000

2009 SMART PASSION COUPE  $6,500

$33,000 PACKAGE DEAL

Make:  KENWORTH

Model: T2000

Year: 2001

Miles: 620,000

ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, and REAR AXLE

• Cummins N14 460 hp
• Eaton Fuller Autoshift 10 gear transmission
• 3.55 rear tandem axles
• Locking differential
• Three-stage Jake brake
• Engine block heater

BODY

• 222 inch Wheelbase
• Power windows
• Daylight driving lights
• 22.5 inch Aluminum wheels
• Michelin steers with 3/9/2010 manufacture date
• Bridgestone drives with 4/8/2011 manufacture date
• Dual 120 gallon fuel tanks

CABIN

• Bunk beds
• Air ride leather seats
• Bedside cabinet with 3 drawers
• Wardrobe
• Overhead storage space

EXTRA’s

• Trailer Saver 32,000 lb Hitch
• Diamond plate custom Smart Car bed and side-load ramps
• Heated mirrors
• Air conditioning - front cab and rear bunk area
• Power steering
• Tilt steering wheel
• Cruise control
• Sony AM/FM Radio plus CD Player & iPod connection with removable faceplate
• Registered in Ohio as RV

Make:  Smart

Model: Passion Coupe

Year: 2009

Miles: 80,000

Our Full-Timing Adventure is Over

Time to catch everyone up on our latest adventures.  After working in Ohio for a couple of weeks Nan and I headed down to Florida for my Mom’s big 90th birthday party.  Between family members and friends there were about 80 people attending.  My brother Don and his wife Sue arrived a few days before the party so we all went to a wildlife preserve near Brooksville, FL.  The guy running the park used to run the local zoo, but he decided to spread his wings and open this park.

On Sunday, June 24, 2012 we all got together for the big party.  Unfortunately Tropical Storm Debbie decided to show up.  We planned an indoor party so as long as we stayed indoors nobody got wet.  We all had a good time and plenty of food.  The storm hung around for a few days and Nan and I were wading in ankle-deep water to the door of the RV.  We were luckier than some since they got flooded out.

After spending a week in Brooksville Nan and I started heading for Ohio.  After about 300 miles our AC gave out on the truck.  I’ve never seen our cat pant before.  We spent one night in Mt Airy, NC and listened to our weather radio saying “If you live in a mobile home seek shelter in a low-lying ditch” - so that was exciting.  Except for some strong winds that storm missed us.

The next day we continued on to Ohio in about 90 degree weather.  Just south of Canton I decided to top off the tanks and put some fuel stabilizer in since I knew I would not be using much fuel in the next couple of months.  Nan said she need to use the bathroom so I told her to go in and pay first.  I thought she would use the bathroom in the station so I filled up and started to pull away from the pump.  I looked in the side-view mirror and notice the step was down to enter the RV.  Nan was inside the RV sitting on the toilet.  She said she heard me start the engine and grabbed on to the sink so she wouldn’t fall off.  As I pulled away the pee was sloshing back and forth in the bowl.  Luckily I only moved about 10 feet before I saw the step was down and quickly stopped.  It turns out after driving several hours in 90 degree heat we have a failure to communicate.

While all this traveling was going on this summer Nan and I were negotiating to buy a house.  We found one in Roaming Shores, Ohio in Ashtabula County at the NE corner of the State.  It’s a village with a population of about 1,500 on a 550 acre private lake that’s about 3 miles long an 1/2 mile wide.  Title is to transfer on August 1.  Since it’s a lakefront home that means I’m going to keep working part-time for a few years.  I wanted to keep our RV and truck and use that to travel to jobs, but because of HOA restrictions we can’t keep the rig in our driveway.  Since there’s no inside storage facilities that are high enough to fit us, I decided to put the rig up for sale and buy a smaller motorhome.  When I called my insurance agent to tell her that after 3 years of a full-time RV lifestyle Nan finally won, she said “Well, you put up a good fight.  Your comrades would be proud”.

When I read my entries in this blog we had a lot of adventures.  It will be roughly 3 years to the day that we started traveling.  Although we will still have an RV it won’t be full-time living, and we will now be traveling in a normal RV.  So I will never hear the question again “Don’t you think that truck is a little overkill?”

Dolphin Tour

We are on our way down to Florida for a big party for my Mom.  She turns 90 this month.  Right now we are by Jekyll Island, Georgia.  Today we went on a Dolphin Tour boat.  We got lucky and saw a couple of dolphins getting lucky.  If we come back next year there should be a baby dolphin swimming with this pair.  I also put in a picture of a sailboat sitting in the mud.  The dock owner said that a guy bought that boat a month ago for $1.00 on Craigslist.  The boat was leaking some, sunk a little, and got stuck under the dock.  The boat owner is now claiming that the dock owner should have taken more care of his boat.  When he made that claim the dock owner had to get a lawyer and decided to remove the boat from his dock - so now it sits in the mud.

An update on the house.  We have a signed contract, home inspection, and loan approval.  Title is suppose to transfer on August 1.  We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Looking for a house

I haven't posted anything for some time, so I thought I would give an update.  Not much has happened until today.  The big event was that Nan and I fed some carp - but more on that later.  After we left Hickory, NC I had a 2-week job in SW Indiana.  Then we went to Tenn for the East Coast HDT rally.  It was good seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  We then headed north to Ohio.  We stayed in Jefferson, OH for 3 weeks.  It's close to Roaming Shores, OH where we are looking for a house.  We haven't purchased anything yet, but there is one house we like.  Unfortunately for us the seller has not been financially devestated like so many other sellers in this market.   We'll see if we can come to an agreement on the price.

On Memorial Day we left the Jefferson campground and went to Andover, OH - about 45 minutes away.  The campground is right by Pymatuning Lake.  They have a spillway for the lake were people feed the carp.  They say that the carp are so thick that the ducks walk on the backs of the carp rather than swim in the water.  We bought 3 bags of carp food and let it fly.  Those of you with refined taste may not be as excited viewing the video as Nan and I were.

Hunger Games Movie Site

I'm working in North Carolina for a couple of weeks. Last Friday the movie Hunger Games opened up. It turns out a lot of the movie was shot in the Hickory, NC area. Nan and I drove out today to check out the site even though we haven't seen the movie. The property is an old cotton mill known as the Henry River Mill Village. It's currently owned by an 83 year old gentleman that has it up for sale for $1.4 million. That sounds like a good deal since a Prevost motorhome goes for $1.7 million.

In Ohio Again

I had a 2-week job in the Cleveland area, so we are spending some time living with Nan's mom. The job was from 2/27 to 3/8. Aftr the job we spent some more time in Chesterland, and we plan on leaving this Wednesday, 3/21 for North Carolina. Nan and I looked at a house in Roaming Shores, Ohio. Tomorrow we look at 2 more. The search is on.

Today we spent the day at Nan's brother's house. He lives in the country, so he invited his friend Vince and 2 sons out for some shooting. We did some trap shooting with our shotguns, pistol shooting, and rifle shooting. The big excitement was shooting Mark's AR 50 - a 50 caliper rifle. In the picture you see the bullet next to a 22 bullet. Each bullet costs $3.00 (for the cheap ones).

Olustee Battle

I’m working in northern Florida for a couple of weeks. I had Friday through Monday off this weekend for President’s Day. Jan and Paul stayed in our campground for the long weekend on their way to middle Florida. They are the couple we met at the axle repair place in Whitehorse, Yukon, on the way to Alaska.

Jan and Paul has been having trouble with a mouse or meece in their RV. They have a dog and 2 pussy cats, but apparently the hunting instinct has been bred out of them. Paul said he saw the mouse running across the mantle by the TV in the family room. The 2 pussies saw the mouse and ran into the other room. The dog never noticed any of this. Paul set several traps, but the mouse kept eating the bait and not setting off the trap. Finally it ate so much food over several days that the extra weight caused it to set off the trap. One more problem solved.

We celebrated Roxy’s 9th birthday with them. In the video you can see the 3 of them singing to her. I had to keep the camera steady so I was unable to participate. We also went to the Olustee Civil War battle reenactment. According to the lady that owns the campground, this battle is a big deal since it is the only one that the South won in Florida during the Civil War. Friday the 4 of us went downtown where they closed off the streets so vendors could set up their booths. Paul and I shared a fried Twinkie. Saturday we went to the Battlefield at the Olustee State Park. While walking around we saw a medical tent where they showed how to amputate an arm, or pluck out an eyeball. The little kids loved the demonstration. We also saw an authentic plastic cooler with old fashioned Bud Light in it. Some people take this stuff very seriously. We then went to the battlefield where they reenacted the battle.

Fort De Soto County Park

Although the campground in Bowling Green, FL is a nice place, there isn't much for Roxy to do here. We take her for walks around the campground, but there's no place to swim or run. She gets so bored that we thought about changing her name to cigarette because we have to take her for a drag rather than a walk. I decided to drive 1 1/2 hours yesterday to go to Fort De Soto County Park that has a dog beach by Tampa Bay. She couldn't believe it when I put on her "fun" collar that we use for swimming or hunting. After swimming in the bay she puked up some salt water. She's never been happier. Today she's sleeping it off.

Sebring, FL

We are still in Bowling Green, FL. Last night Nan and I played poker at a nearby Thousand Trails campground. We both got bumped out of the first tournament, but the second one Nan got first place for $35, I got second place for $20, and I got high hand for $13. Our investment for the 2 tournaments was $24, so you can do the math.

Today Nan wanted to go shopping in Sebring, FL. While there we stopped at the Sebring International Raceway. There were a lot of non race cars going around the track. I asked some guy what was going on. He said during the workers' lunch break you can pay $30 and take your car around the track about 3 times. You follow a pace car so you can't go that fast. The track is 3.7 miles long. If I ever get something faster than a Smart Car that may be something to do someday.

Boston

I have a 2-week job in the Boston area, so I flew north to the frigid tundra while Nan waits for me in Florida. Today is Saturday so I took a trolley tour around Boston. The tour was $42 which was worth it, but the nearby parking garage was $35. That seemed a little steep. The tour guide had an interesting story about Paul Revere and his midnight ride in 1775. Apparently Paul picked up 2 other men on the way. One guy fell off his horse and broke his leg. Paul got captured by the British. The other man, Samuel Prescott, finished the ride and warned the people that the British were coming. Then in 1861 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow decided to write a poem about the midnight ride. Unfortunately for Samuel, not much rhymes with Prescott. But there are a lot of words that rhyme with Revere. As a result, Paul Revere got all the credit. In Boston they also have a statue of Christopher Columbus who was a slave trader that decided to call Native Americans indians only because he was lost. But that's a whole other story.

Tampa RV Show

We stayed with my mom until 1/1/2012, then headed to Clermont, FL to one of our favorite Thousand Trails campgrounds. We can stay for free but had to pay $30 for our 10-night stay to get upgraded to 50 amp electric service. That was no problem since they have 2 Texas Hold-em tournemants each night that only cost $6.00. The first night I got first place each game and won enough to pay for our electric. Nan and I played each night and won much more than we lost.

We left Clermont on 1/11 and went to Tampa for the big RV show. We stayed in a space at the fairgrounds that had electric, but no water or sewer. We came with 90 gallons of fresh water in our tank. I wasn't sure how hard it would be to live for 5 days with only 90 gallons for showers, toilet, kitchen, etc. But we leave tomorrow and have plenty of water left. Since Nan did such a good job conserving water I'm going to let her take a shower tomorrow morning.

Nan and I have talked about getting a motorhome in a few years after getting a house. It would be easier for me to go on jobs by myself in a motorhome rather than our current rig. We saw some nice ones that should be in our price range once they are a few years old and being sold as used. We also looked at the Prevost motorhomes that usually go for $1.7 million to $2.4 million. If I ever become a lobbyist I may be able to afford one of these, but for now I'll stick with something less expensive.

Brooksville for Christmas

Nan and I left Cleveland to spend Christmas with my mother in Brooksville, FL. We spent a couple of days in Mt Airy, NC, then went to Silver Springs, FL for 2 days. We wanted to try kayaking since we had never done this and they rent them at the campground. It was around noon and they told us we could have the kayak until 5:00. They said you go up stream until you see a fork in the river. Then go right at the fork, and in about 2 hours you will reach Silver Springs. We went upstream until we had enough, and floated downsteam back to the campground, and got back by 1:30. I didn't take my camera since there was a good chance we would flip the kayak. Although it was fun, I'm considering inventing a kayak that has a transom on the back so people can use an outboard motor to get to where they want to go in a reasonable amount of time.

We are in Brooksville now visiting my mother. The campground is a little tight for a rig our size, but we were able to squeeze in. There were leaves all over our site when we arrived. Yesterday a guy came to the site next to us with a leaf blower. Nan went out to talk to him thinking he worked for the campground. Actually he was just a friend of the guy that had the site next to us. He was going to do him a favor by blowing the leaves off his lot. Nan talked to him for a while, and next thing you know he's blowing the leaves off our lot, and he left the leaves on his friend's lot. Even at 54 Nan's still got it.

Back in Ohio

Nan and I are back in the Cleveland area until Dec 15. We are seeing doctors/dentists and friends. Today Nan and I went to see the eye doctor in Berea where I grew up. The first house I bought was in Berea. I paid $31,000 in 1985 and sold it for $52,000 in 1989 after a lot of work. It is now for sale for $28,900. There's something going on with the house since it is to be sold "as is" and the buyer is responsible for outstanding tax liens. I attached pictures and videos of Nan and my first love shack.

I have a truck mechanic I use close to Berea. I dropped my truck off for service when I got to the area, and picked it up today after looking at the house. I had the usual oil change/lube service, plus a new transmission cooler, AC recharge, and exhaust section, plus a couple of little things. All that for only $2,000. This guy only charges $75/hour compared to $130 at a truck dealer.

I have a 2 week job starting the Monday after Thanksgiving. Then we head to Florida for Christmas.

HDT Rally

We are in Kansas for 4 weeks. I got 2 jobs of 2-weeks each. I bid on these jobs because they are close to the HDT Rally that we wanted to attend. HDT means heavy duty truck. Many people tow their trailers with semis, or HDT's. We arrived in Halstead, KS on 10/9. Unfortunately it was raining, and the sites are mostly grass/mud. They tried to put us in one section that was pretty sloppy. I had to 4-wheel out of there before we got stuck. We found another section that had some gravel, but by then the rig was muddy from our 4-wheeling. Nan told me she had enough of this life and wanted to buy a house so I agreed we could start looking. A few days later after the sun came out, she met all the friendly people in Kansas, and we hadn't been taken away by a tornado, she asked me if I would ever come back here? I said "I don't know how to answer that". She said "I like it here. I could see coming back". I think I dodged a bullet.

They have the national HDT rally in Kansas each year because it is central U.S. We had people from Alaska, Washington, Texas, N. Dakota, Michigan, and several other states. About 40 trucks showed up this year. There were about 5 Smart Cars, and about 4 jeeps that people put on their trucks.

During the week of the rally I had to work Tuesday through Thursday. They had some seminars during the week. Unfortunately I had to miss some because of work. Luckily I was available for the cooking seminar - always a favorite. The rally ended on Saturday, 10/22, so we are now back in Halstead, KS for 2 more weeks.

I'm driving Nan to Wichita next Saturday so she can fly to Cleveland for a few days. Then she flys to Houston from Cleveland for a quilting show. She'll fly back to Cleveland and I'll meet her there to spend Thanksgiving. I'll drive the rig to Cleveland by myself. I may have to swing by a few casinos on the way.

Branson, MO

Nan and I are heading to Kansas from Little Rock, Arkansas, so we stopped in Branson, MO for 3 nights. Last night we saw Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede show. It’s similar to the Midevil Times show, except it is North against the South instead of knights fighting. When I made the reservation they asked if I wanted to sit with the North or South. Of course I said the North since (contrary to what they teach in the Southern schools) we won the war. GET OVER IT. They had several contests such as barrel racing with horses. The North was winning, so they had pig races with North and South colors on pigs. They put the North colors on the slow pigs so the South could win one. Then they brought some people out from the audience for stick horse races. They picked real beef eaters to represent the North, and flew in some Nigerian marathon runners to represent the South. By the end of this fiasco the South ended up winning the whole thing.

Tonight we saw the Andy Williams/Ann Margret show. Andy Williams was sick tonight so the Lennon Sisters flew in to cover for him. They were very entertaining. Ann Margret was also good (for being 70 years old). Half way during her show they showed her movie clips while she was back-stage for a costume change, and to suck on some oxygen. One thing about these Branson shows. You can see a two act show and still be back home in time to meet your 9:00 bedtime.

Little Rock, Arkansas

We spent some time in Florida where I had a 3-week job. It gave Nan and I a chance to visit my mother over the weekends. I have a couple of jobs in Kansas, so we are now working our way there.

We stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas for 3 nights. We are staying at a Corps of Engineers (COE) campground. COE is a federal agency that is in charge of lakes and rivers. Most COE campgrounds are too small for us, but this one has large sites. The back of our RV faces the Arkansas River, so it's a nice view. Friends we met in Alaska are also here, so we celebrated by going out to PF Changs restaurant. Yesterday we went to the Clinton Presidential Library. There we learned how he passed NAFTA while in office. NAFTA offers free trade to countries like China, thus increasing the workforce in the U.S. since we will be exporting our goods over there. It's a Win Win for everyone.

St Augustine

We spent the last month in Virginia. After spending all that time in Appalachia it was time to get some culture. So we spent the first night at the South of the Border campground in S. Carolina. Pedro says - You're always a weiner at South of the Border. We had Mexican that night but Nan didn't like it because they didn't give you a bottemless basket of chips.

The next day we arrived in St. Augustine, FL. We took a trolley tour today and then went to the beach. They had rip-tide warnings, so of course there were plenty of surfers out there. Nan then wanted her picture taken standing by the sculpture of David. What a smile she had on her face.

Richmond, VA

While in Gloucester, VA my brother and his wife came to visit for a couple of days. If crabs are around we generally try to get some. There was a guy that sold live crab nearby. We have a steamer so we thought about steaming our own. Then we found a grocery store that sells steamed crab for the same price so we went that route. We stayed at a Thousand Trails in Gloucester and it was very nice and right on a river.

We left Gloucester and drove a couple of hours because I had a job west of Richmond VA for two weeks. Since the campground was $41 per night we decided to stay the month and get a monthly rate of about $700. The two weeks I was working Nan rented a car and went visit family in D.C. and Cleveland. While she was gone she missed the 5.8 earthquake we had. The epicenter was only 30 miles from where I was working. We were working on the second floor of a bank and it started shaking. I knocked a couple of old ladies down and lead everyone to safety. The next week we had Hurricane Irene. Nan returned on Friday so she could be here on Saturday for the hurricane. She was so mad she missed the earthquake that she didn’t want to miss anymore excitement. We had steady rain for all of Saturday and lost power for about 1 hour. We were about 100 miles from the coast so not a big deal. The hurricane might have done some damage to the Gloucester Thousand Trails though. I’m sure we will find out through the grapevine.

Two things I miss from living in a house is my big screen TV with surround sound, and my Weber grill. We have surround sound in the RV but it’s kind of cheesy. I did just get a portable Weber grill though. We had it shipped to Nan’s Mom’s house and Nan brought it back with her. It hooks up to one of our RV propane tanks. I had grilled chicken and grilled asparagus for lunch. I feel civilized again.

Crabbing

I got up at 3:00 this morning to go crabbing. A guy at the campground told me when he did this he would come home with a 5 gallon bucket almost full of crabs. I crabbed until 11:00 and got 4 crabs. I set them free and stopped at Wendy's for a burger on the way home. Nan had considered going with me but luckily she changed her mind. I think it had something to do with the 3:00 wakey wakey time. There was another guy there crabbing. He told me he got about 20 of them. They are suppose to be at least 5 inches wide. After I talked to him the marine officer stopped by to check things out. I saw the guy throwing back little crabs when the officer wasn't looking.

Jamestown, VA

Nan and I left New Jersey and went to a campground in Gloucester, VA for 3 weeks. It not far from Williamsburg. It’s been really hot here - usually in the 90s. We are by a river so Roxy has a chance to go swimming. Unfortunately the river is like bath water so Roxy ends up panting even while swimming. We’ve used the AC more in a week than we’ve used it in the prior 2 years of living in the RV.

Nan and I went to visit Jamestown, VA. Below is a comparison of Jamestown and the Pilgrims so there’s no confusion as to who arrived first.

Jamestown was a settlement located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony. Founded as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607,[1] it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States of America, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke. It was founded by the London Company (later to become the Virginia Company), headquartered in England. Jamestown was the capital of the colony for 83 years (from 1616 until 1699).

The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, (which would become the capital of Plymouth Colony), in 1620.[1] There were 102 passengers and a crew of 25–30. The vessel left England on September 6, 1620, and after a grueling 66-day journey marked by disease, which claimed two lives, the ship dropped anchor inside the hook tip of Cape Cod (Provincetown Harbor) on November 11. The Mayflower was originally destined for the mouth of the Hudson River, near present-day New York City, at the northern edge of England's Virginia colony, which itself was established with the 1607 Jamestown Settlement.

The London Company sent people to Jamestown because they thought there was gold there. They didn’t find gold, but they did find that it was a good place to grow tobacco. The rest is history.