RVing

by

First Purchases for Miranda!

I had a lovely time in upstate New York yesterday and picked up a few items for my RV (ignore all prices on the websites, I only picked up stuff on sale!!!):

–Garmin Nuvi 260 GPS (how, praytell, have I traveled all this time without a GPS?!);

–APS 750V battery back-up system (UPS) and surge protector, for my computer set up of course;

–Black & Decker Pet Series hand vac, which they claim is specifically engineered to pick up pet hair (the reviews support this);

–Corelle Sandstone dinnerware–I decided after a lot of hemming and hawing to get a plain colour because the RV was going to look ‘busy’ enough;

–Stanley Stud Sensor, because I want to make as few holes as possible in my coach (and got quite the lesson in the mobile house);

–collapsible over the sink strainer;

–collapsible measuring cups (and matching spoons);

and, finally, let’s not forget my

–Wonder Wash, which was a gift.

The trip was well worth the time and gas I expended… especially since gas is so much cheaper in the US. When I bought two gallons worth at the last gas station before the border, the attendant took my ten bucks and laughed, saying that it’s easy to spot Canadians these days–they’re the ones topping off their almost full tanks before going home!

by

Inspection Results

First off, let me say that the RV is just as beautiful and spacious as I remembered it. I’m surprised!

So, the inspection.

The RV is in perfect condition. It’s not just in good condition for its age. It’s in perfect condition. Other than a really nitpicky item, I need to do absolutely nothing. The tires are just about new, I don’t need to even think about the brakes for another 50K km, the fridge runs perfectly, the engine’s good, the suspension is outstanding and doesn’t even present a hint of a noted flaw in some of these types of chassis, there has been no water infiltration whatsoever (not even the kind that was fixed) and so on and so on and so on. All I can expect to need to do in the next two years at least are routine things like oil changes. The inspector says that he has never, in the dozens if not hundreds, of RVs he’s seen, inspected one that was in that good of a condition. That it’s a 1997 is further astounding.

The nitpicky item is that the automatic starter for the stove doesn’t work. He can fix that for me if I want, but it’s a couple hundred bucks, so I’ll just stick to lighting the burners myself for now since an automatic starter is solidly in my list of luxury items.

So, well, wow. This was obviously the RV I was meant to find.

by

Inspection Tonight!

Yesterday, I got a call from the mechanic who will be inspecting the RV. He’s the step-father of one of my best friends and I’ve known him a long time, so he has a bit of a fatherly interest in my endeavour. He wanted to confirm that the coach was delivered on schedule and that the owner will be away till the rest of the week. He then suggested that we try to coordinate our schedules so I can be present for the inspection. 4:30 TONIGHT worked for both of us, yay!!! I cannot wait to be able to go through the rig again on my own. He’s pretty much an RV expert (with RV inspection experience and certifications up the yazoo), so I know I’m in good hands.

by

Crossing Borders Within Canada

A friend of mine asked me last night what makes me feel that Canada discourages any sort of serious and long term travel within its borders, something I mentioned in my previous entry. I thought I should highlight the three roadblocks I’ve encountered so far, starting with the least severe. The more I look at this list, though, the more I have to wonder if the issue isn’t Quebec rather than Canada. This is another reason I want to try life in other provinces.

1) Vehicle Insurance

This is not an issue I expected to encounter, but if I’m out of the province for more than 6 months, then getting insurance coverage for my vehicles is an issue. I was only able to get coverage by promising that I would not spend more than a couple of weeks of the upcoming year outside of Canada and that I would return to Quebec for six months starting next fall, else my coverage will not be renewed. Well, there’s another reason for setting up residence elsewhere.

2) Health Coverage

Same sort of deal as with vehicle insurance. The RAMQ (Quebec health insurance board) allows one exemption to the ‘no more than six months out of the province’ rule every seven years. So, next fall I need to return to Quebec for six months or lose my health care coverage, and then I have to stay in in the province for six months per year for six years.

3) Voting

I sure hope that things have changed since the last time I was out of Quebec when there was a provincial election. When the 2001 elections came up, I enquired about voting by proxy from the small town in Ontario where I was going to school and was told I absolutely had to travel back to my riding in Quebec in order to vote. So, with my riding being a twelve hour bus ride away, this wasn’t feasible and I had to give up my right to vote. Never mind that I was paying income tax in Quebec and still considered a resident of the province.