First Impressions

What a week....Tuesday I sold my car back to the Toyota dealership where I bought it. Wednesday I picked up the check, converted it to a cashiers check at their bank and deposited that in my bank. Thursday I loaded up what I thought I might need for 3-5 days in the motorhome and after stopping at the bank to pick up the cashiers check for the RV, BoBo and I headed out. While we did hit some bad weather, overall it was a good trip and I drove straight through, just under 600 miles.

Friday morning I headed to the local Hertz where I would plead my case for them to take me to the dealer's, 15 miles away (but more like 30-40 minutes depending on traffic) when their limit as 15 minutes. Luck was with me...the manager was in, had an extra driver and agreed to transport me.

Fast forward to Friday night where I am camping (sans Internet access) for the night. I have water & electric, brought enough food (although I've had three offers of a trip to the grocery store if needed as well as the loan of a car), get antenna reception of several stations and am quite comfortable.

Everyone here has been wonderful, making a stressful situation fairly painless. I videotaped my walk through, both inside and out. The motorhome is so much more than I anticipated....it is in great shape (not that there aren't some minor issues, after all, it is used) and has obviously been well cared for.

It has a Fan-tastic fan over the driver cab...something that everyone raves about (automatically controlled fan with rain cover). The bathroom exhaust fan and the bedroom vent both have rain covers as well. The thermostatically controlled ducted heat & air conditioning is a really nice add. The generator has a brand new carburetor, added this morning. The old one was gummed and and rather than hand over a rig with a poorly running generator, they repaired it.

The Pergo flooring is gorgeous and will be easier to clean now that I have BoBo in the house. Area rugs & runners will take the brunt of the foot wear. Many things have changed in the years between our old Allegro and this RV....all of them make things much easier for me as a non-mechanical solo RVer.

The mattress will eventually be replaced, it's an old inner-spring model, with a solid foam one which will be more comfortable as well as lighter. If I can't sleep on it tonight, there is the brand new jack-knife sofa bed to sleep on (already took an hour nap this afternoon on it).

During my first walk-through I really started to wonder where I was going to put everything I initially planned to bring. After sitting in it for several hours, I started to remember all those little hidden spots that can be utilized. Also, using organizer boxes and totes (underneath) help as well. Yes, I will be bringing less than originally planned...remember, I was looking at a 30' Class A. It also means more to sell or store.

The biggest change will be office stuff...no longer can I consider keeping my color laser printer. It will be sold along with several other office items. By the time I have a place for another color laser, they'll be even cheaper. The little color inkjet that is also a copier/scanner will work just fine. Takes up very little room, lightweight and multi-purpose.

There is a little pull-out bed over the driver's cab (under the entertainment center) where I plan to store the mattress (for resale) and use the area for storage as well. Might see if my DVDs will fit in there. If not, since it is long, then it might store my Swiffer, broom, etc. as well as other miscellaneous stuff. Either way that makes more sense that leaving the mattress in it.

There are also two large storage cabinets on either side of the 19" TV. One already holds the the antenna/cable switch box as well as a VCR (got to replace that with a DVD player since I no longer have any VHS tapes). Not sure if mine with fit but since it was a cheapie, it can be replaced easily (players are cheap).

The one thing that is really noticeable...I am short...TOO short. LOL! I can barely reach the overhead light switches and can't reach the bedroom fan or TV antenna without standing on the bed/sofa. I can't reach the Fan-tastic fan at all - will need a step stool for that. Fortunately I have my nice folding two-step stool that I hope will work.

So, my work is cut out for me. I need to get home and get a lot done in a few days so I can attend the Escapade in Goshen, IN with most of my new home set up. I want to get the RV weighed while I am there and this will be my shake-down cruise. While I will have water & electric, it will still be the first time out with my stuff loaded. I'll better be able to see what is working and what isn't, then come home and make any changes as needed.

It will be September by the time I get this posted, hard to believe that fall is approaching. I guess we're all ready though after the high temperatures many of us have experienced this summer.

More to follow as I move stuff into The Lily Pad....getting even more excited now!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna