Author: Rae

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Managing Mail When On the Road

I went to pick up my repaired glasses this afternoon (YAAAAAY!!!) and realised that there’s a UPS store in the same building. So, I killed the proverbial two birds and took care of my mail needs for the next year! Wow, this is really starting to feel official!

Before I researched the issue, I figured that mail was going to be a hassle when on the road. I couldn’t just get a box at the post office because the government requires a street address for things like tax documents and license renewals. Same thing for package deliveries, a PO box isn’t good enough. So, the obvious choice at the time was to ask someone I know if I could use their address and to forward my mail to me. I really didn’t like the idea of imposing on someone like that, plus it took away some of my independence and autonomy.

After doing research, I discovered that the UPS store offers a fantastic service: you can rent a mailbox for a length of time, but also have a civic number (ie. the store address with a unit number being your box number). Moreover, they can hold packages and you can contact the store periodically and they will take whatever is in your box, package it up, and send it off to you wherever you are. According to the brochure, the cost for this service for a ‘small’ box for 12 months is only 130$, plus tax, plus shipping fees. My 130$ bought me the service from today until November 30, 2009! I meant for the service to start on September 1st, but didn’t realise that it starts from the moment you pay. So the clerk confessed that most of his boxes are empty and it doesn’t matter if mine isn’t available for rent for two months before I start to get mail in it. Then, my 130$ gives me 15 mos of service instead of 12. A bargain.

I don’t get that much mail and plan to tell my various ‘official’ mailers, like the government and utilities, that I’d prefer e-correspondence, so I doubt I’ll actually have much mail for the UPS store to worry about, but, at least, I have a safe place to send my mail to, a street address, and my independence.

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Research, Research, and More Research

Now that I’ve pretty much settled all the questions pertaining to the actual RVing buying process–inspection, finances, registration, taxes, and insurance, I’m delving into these fascinating topics:

  • Roadside assistance;
  • Memberships (to RVing groups for various discounts);
  • Internet and cell phone (a nightmare in Canada, a country that is at least a decade behind the times in this area);
  • Electrical upgrades (ie. Solar Panels and inverters 101, so I don’t have to rely on hookups);
  • Backup cameras;
  • GPS systems.

And that’s on top of trying to understand the gist of how RV systems work, looking into boondocking/dry camping sites on my proposed route across the country, searching for employers to whom I could send a resumé and covering letter asking for short term work, and a host of other things I’m sure I’ll remember soon as I’m drifting off to sleep tonight.

All I can say is THANK GOODNESS I DON’T WATCH TV. For one thing, it gives me more time to surf. But, most importantly, it’s one less thing to research. 😀

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But I Thought You Wanted a Bus…

I still want a bus. But I’m not ready for one.

When I first looked into the RVing life, I gravitated towards the class C models. While smaller, their layout made more sense to me: I could use the back bedroom as my study and sleep in the over head cab, giving me more floor space for daily use. But I began to hear horror stories of carrying capacity on class Cs, so I started to look at class As, which sort of automatically led me to look at buses.

Soon as I started to shop for a bus, I began to feel very uncomfortable with my plans. I finally accepted that I was trying to learn too much in too little time. I just did not have the time nor knowledge to learn what I needed to learn about bus conversions to buy smartly. Also, the amount of choice in Canada left to be desired. I had no idea what I was looking for and fishing in a very small pool of candidates. It was a recipe for disaster.

Later, when I’m properly retired and have years of RVing under my belt, I can get the bus of my dreams. For my current plans, a bus just adds too many variables.

So, I went back to looking at class As. Originally, I had budgeted a lot for my rig, but I knew I had to scale that plan down when I decided to give up full-time work for at least a year. The rigs within my new budget were older. Through research and inference, I began to realise that a lot of these older rigs really didn’t have all that much more carrying capacity than does a class C. Why buy a 35′ or 40′ rig when a smaller one would actually give me more usable space?

I test drove a 40′ rig and doing so showed me that I didn’t have to fear driving such a behemoth. I could now look at smaller rigs for reasons other than ‘I’m scared to drive a class A!!!’ The more I researched class Cs, the more I liked them. Their smaller size is better suited to the sort of RVing I want to do and will be easier to heat in winter.

So, it was a question now of finding the perfect match of manufacturer, length, floor plan, and the all important carrying capacity.

Figuring out my optimal floor plan didn’t take long. I want a rear twin bed model. I could use one bed as a sofa and replace the other one with a desk. Once I’d settled on this floor plan, I seriously narrowed down my options for the other three requirements.

I Googled, searched discussion forums, read, read, read, and did a ton of math. I made some phone calls, read some more, and perused the for sale ads.

Finally, I found two local RVs matching all four criteria.

One is a Glendale Royal Classic, 31′. The other is a Winnibago Winnie Minnie, 28′. Both are roughly the same age and the same price. The Royal Classic is a high end, luxury model. The Winnie Minnie is in the same league.

One of them is just about as perfect as I could ever have dreamt of, factoring in some compromise, and offers almost twice the carrying capacity as the average class C its size. I didn’t believe the math, so I ran it by a few other people. It checked out. It’s a gorgeous coach, twelve years old and still looks brand new, with a layout that would give me the illusion of having no less than six rooms. Solar panels, inverters, and the very tow bar I want to buy are also negotiable as a package deal. If the inspection checks out, and I have no doubt it will, this coach will be confirmed as being a gift from the gods.

I went from ‘thinking about full-timing’ to ‘shopping for a rig’ in a very short amount of time. I’ve had to take a crash course in everything from calculating RV weight to 12V electricity 101. The amount of research I did and the questions I asked (some of them probably sounding idiotic to those in the know) really helped me figure out exactly what I need for my current project. It’s not what I want; I would love to head up the 417 in a gorgeous Prévost conversion, but it’s what makes sense for me at this time of my life and for the type of full-timing I plan to do in the next year or two.

So, which did I choose, the Royal Classic or the Minnie Winnie? All in good time, faithful readers, all in good time. 😀

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Plunging

I’m now waiting for the RV’s current owner to call me so we can discuss the terms of surrender. Erm, purchase. I’ve come up with a list of items I’d like for him to include as well as the price I’m willing to pay. I don’t feel like dithering with him. He and his wife are very open and honest and it’d just feel like an insult to give him a stupidly low figure and then work our way up to the price I’m willing to pay.

(I need to stop staring at the phone. :D)

Mechanical inspection, insurance, and financing are more or less settled. The first two more, the last one less. A friend’s step-father should be available to check the truck portion of the RV (brakes, chassis, engine, tires, etc.), I’ve found an insurance company that caters to Quebec full-timers (!!!), and the guy at the bank is fairly sure based on our conversation that a loan won’t be a problem. I’m just not crazy about the loan terms since I know that dealer financing for RVs provides much better rates and terms. I have one more lead to follow before I make a formal, credit-report dinging, request from the bank.

I’m still trying to figure out how I wound up at this stage so quickly.

I told a colleague/friend today that I’m scared witless by this project and she didn’t believe me. But I am! It’s just that I’ve learned in life that great things lie beyond fear. I just can’t wait for terror to give way to enthusiasm! LOL

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Taking the Plunge

Soon as I have financing, insurance, and a mechanical inspection sorted out, I’ll be ready to make an offer on a unit I have viewed.

*pauses to reread that*

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!