Monthly Archives: November 2023

Problems with Retiring Young

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It may always sound like a good thing to retire young however my wife and I have run into issues that we did not necessarily expect to have when we first embarked on this.

My wife and I before we retired were both workaholics in our careers and because for this we were given the opportunity to retire at a young age (early 40’s). We spent many months planning this move in our life but we now have discovered that there are somethings you just cannot prepare for in retirement and some of them never would have occurred to us to be issues.
 
First I need to explain to you a little about the life style my wife and I decided to undertake in retirement. Neither one of us could decide exactly where we wanted to spend our retirement years so we decided that we would sell everything we had and travel the country in a motorhome. This allowed us the freedom we wanted to see things visit all the places we have always wanted to and possibly find that perfect little community we were looking for.

Now let’s look at some of the unforeseen situations that have been caused by retiring young.

Boredom:

Believe it or not this is the number one issue my wife and I have found ourselves experiencing and causes the most issues. We thought at first that there are so many things to do and see but there still is only so much you can do. We are only a couple years into this new life or ours and we already find ourselves at times bored. Since we were both Workaholics we were not mentally prepares to slow down so much and really have nothing forcing you to even get out of bed on a daily basis. We think to ourselves we have another 30 to 40 years of this life styles so there is plenty of time to do things and there is always a tomorrow. We feel if we were later in life then we might feel different because of the limited number of years remaining that we could possibly get around easily and see things.

To help with this issue in our life right now we have considered doing more work kamping at the places we travel. If you are interested, click work kamping to learn more. This at least gives us something to do a couple days a week and something to look forward to at times. If we get tired of that we may be forces to go get part time jobs at the different locations just to help pass the time at least a couple days a week.

Friends

This issue has just started to creep into our lives and we are not too excited about it. Since our new lifestyle has been to travel the country in a motorhome this is more of a lifestyle by the older generation of people and thus couples that are much older than Mary and I. First let me say everyone we have met has been wonderful to us and has made us feel right at home and only a couple have ever been resentful to us because we did not have to work till we were 60 to enjoy this life style.
 
Most of our new friends due to this lifestyle are in their 60’s and 70’s and thus we have started to experience the issue of losing some good friends due to health and age. We have actually started to think that baring anything drastic happening to us we will most likely loose every one of our friends because of the age differences. As you can see this would not have been an issue if we would have retired later in life.

Even if you choose a different lifestyle than my wife and I did you will most likely still find that many of your new friends will be older. Most people your own age will still be working their own carriers as they are not retired yet.

Not all things are negative about retiring young though there are still some excellent benefits to it.

1)You are more physically able to do a lot of things still in life that you always wanted to. We chose to take up Scuba Diving and we have enjoyed diving at all the different places we have traveled to.

2)One of the biggest pluses to me has been I can spend the winters down south as I hope to never have to shovel another snowflake as long as I live.

3)We have actually been able to get healthier. Not only do we have a lot more time to take care of ourselves properly with both eating right and exercising but we also do not have all the stress that is caused by having careers.

4)We also get to travel more in fact as I write this article we are enjoying the country of Aruba where there is plenty of sun and scuba diving to enjoy.

In closing I still am very glad my wife and I decided to retire young. There are by far many more positive things that we have experienced than negative. However, realize that the grass is not always greener on the other side of things as every path you take in life will have its ups and downs and you just need to be prepared for whatever life brings your way in every decision you chose to make.

How to Perform a Pre Delivery Inspection on your RV

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After purchasing two different RV’s in the past couple years one being a 5th wheel and one being a Class a Motorhome I can tell you the most important thing you do before you sign the bottom line is your Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI). This is where you spend time with your dealer going over every inch of the rig looking for issues to have fixed before you take it off the lot. I can tell you this our first one we didn’t do this properly and ended up spending most of the first few months going back and forth to the dealer getting things fixed under warrantee. The second one we spent a few hours inspecting everything and got them fixed before we left the lot thus allowing us to enjoy the RV more.

Below is a list of things you should look for during this inspection with the dealership. You also will need to bring a few tools with you to do this properly. Don’t expect the dealership to have any of the tools you will want to bring. The Dealer though should provide you with full propane tanks full water tanks and fully charged batteries.

Tools you should bring:

Ladder
Flashlight
Screw Driver with three Bits. Flat / Phillips / Square
Notebook and Pen
Digital Camera or Video Camera

Things to Inspect:

1) Start with the top of the roof and crawl across it on your hands and knees. Inspect each seem completely and look for caulking either missing or coming off. Also look for any bubbles in the roofing material itself. Make sure to check everything including around vents and air conditioners.
 
2)Check around all windows for proper fit and for proper sealing. Make sure they open and close properly.

3)Make sure all storage compartment doors open and close smoothly and that all keys work.

4)In the docking station make sure all hose connections are tight and that they don’t leak. Make sure you understand how each valve works and when to open and close each one.

5)If equipped with propane tanks make sure you understand how to turn them on and off. Also how to remove the tank if possible to have it filled. Open the valve and smell around for gas checking for leaks.

6)Find the battery compartment. Check how to use the by-pass switch if need be. Also look and see if they are maintenance free and if not ask how to do the maintenance on them.

7)Open the awning if equipped. Check for smooth operation and if there are any holes or tears in it. Make sure all seams are tight. Make sure all mounting hardware is tight and not missing any.

8)Make sure all slides open and close smoothly and completely. Also make sure you understand how to use them and if you can open them manually if the motor fails. Make sure there are no caps with closed that will allow water in when driving down the road.

Time to move inside the rig.

1)First check all cabinet doors for proper opening and closing. Make sure the doors are tight and that inside there are no loose shelves. Pull out each drawer and check its operation also. Also check each closet door the same way.

2)Next look at all molding throughout the rig. Get down on your hands and knees and follow it completely around.

3)Operate each light switch and check that all lights do come on and off properly. Check your 12-volt system at this time since most lights in a RV run off the batteries and not shore power.

4)Make sure each and every blind open and closes properly on each window. If it has Day/Night shades make sure they operate properly all the way up and down.

5)Make sure there are no holes in any of the furniture and that they don’t appear to be worn if this is a brand new unit. Check construction of each piece for sturdiness.

6)Check the operation of each water faucet and look for leaks around the base or under the counters.

7)Open and close each window and make sure they are smooth in operation.

8)Remove each and every vent cover. Look inside for sawdust and other construction debris. It is common to have sawdust in these from the manufacturer. Make the dealer vacuum them out for you if you see the sawdust.

You should now be about 1 to 2 hours into the inspection. Now you need to test each and every piece of equipment for operation. Ask your dealer if they have somewhere on location that you can just spend the night so you can run each piece of equipment. If they don’t or refuse to let you stay the night, then tell them that it will be at least another hour of inspection time before you are done. Below is a list of things you should test completely your dealer will show you how to operate each device.

1)Shore Power. Test each outlet
2) Converts and Inverters
3) City Water system
4) Sewage tanks both Grey and Black
5) Water Pump
6) Water heater both on AC and LP
7) Furnace or Heat Pump on Air Conditioner
8) All safety devices such as Smoke Detectors LP Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors. The dealer should have something that can test and set off each of these devices.
9)Refrigerator. Make sure it cools on both AC and LP and that it switches automatically between them if need be.
10) Propane stove. Make sure all burners ignite
11) Microwave
12) Clothes Washer and Dryer if installed
13) All TV’s and the antenna booster switch

Keep in mind none of this list is inclusive. You may have more or less equipment on your particular rig so the list may need to be modified. The purpose of the Camera or Video is so that you can actually document how to use everything as the dealer goes over it with you. No matter how good of a memory you have you will forget something that could be important.

Have the dealer repair all items on your list? Only after everything is repaired are you ready to sign for your new RV. Now the enjoyment of owning a new RV will begin with you and your family.

There Is a Lot That Goes into Camping

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What could be more relaxing than spending a night under the starts with a camp fire blazing next to you? Camping is a wonderful way to experience the outdoors. You will have a greater appreciation for nature and the smell of fresh air will awaken you to new experiences! It is a great family activity that all can enjoy. It takes you to places that you wouldn’t necessarily have explored otherwise.

This type of adventure is a great way to escape the rat race that we are so often caught up in. It allows you to relax and spend time in a contemplative manner. It brings great pleasure to life because it refreshes your soul and revitalizes the body. Before you attempt to go do this make sure you know what the basics are first.

Make sure that you have the right equipment. Choosing the right tent is actually more important that what you may think because it depends on your needs and where you intend on going to. The weather may be unpredictable and you won’t be able to control it so make sure you chose a robust and hard-wearing tent.
 
Where wildlife is abundant make sure that you do not underestimate it. Food is the main source of attraction for unwanted visitors so make sure that all left-over food is disposed of. Wildlife can become very dangerous and should not be underestimated.
 
Your clothing that you pack should include essential items such as a rain coat. Sturdy boots are also recommended especially when you want to hike. Warm clothes are also highly recommended as the weather is a lot cooler when in a tent as opposed to being in a warm home.

When your trip comes to an end make sure that you tidy up around your camp site. Don’t leave any debris and food lying around. Take all your trash away with you. Ensure everything is packed up with nothing left behind that wildlife could get tangled up in.