Friday, March 25, 2011

Okay, now we're cooking! I have NEWS!

You're not going to believe this, but I bought my RV today!  I was mainly thinking I'd like a Winnebago because I know the name and know they are reliable.  I love those Minnie Winnies.  But so far, I haven't seen the right one for me.

Forest River isn't a manufacturer I know anything about, but the funny thing is, I have always dreamed of retiring in a small cabin in the forest by a river.  With enough room between the trees to get enough sun through.  And that's exactly what I bought!

It's a 2006 Forest River Sunseeker. 





It's 22 feet long, kitchen in the rear, nice bathroom, upper bunk bed, large couch, and dinette that seats four. No slides.  It's newer and cleaner than what I expected to buy, and has exactly the layout I've wanted from the beginning.











It has 8,000 miles on it, 8 hours on the Onan generator, 2 house batteries, two-door Dometic fridge. It's in perfect condition - I could have moved in today.   A little age related wear on the outside decals - just fading I think - but not too much. 

It has a TV, some sort of special antenna box attached to the TV - it's in an adjacent cupboard - so I won't need a "dish," Serius radio ready, tow package, and an after market tow system that's attached under the steering wheel.  It's for going downhill when you're towing something, which I probably won't, but you never know.  I might decide to get a toad someday.  The salesman said it's a $4,000 item - it's a "Premier"?  Nice if I ever need it. 

The RV also has a switch for "arctic" so that if it's cold, the tanks are kept warm.  Since I'd love to camp in the snow, I think, that would be good.

It has an outside electrical outlet, hot/cold outdoor shower, I forget everything now.  Almost NO outside storage, just three very small compartments. One will be for my tool box, I don't know what I'll put in the others.  But the storage on the inside is much more than I was expecting to have. I think I'll be okay there.  My bike and lawnchairs/table will have to be on the back of the rig. 

Honestly, it doesn't look like it's ever been used, which I know isn't necessarily a good thing.  8,000 miles isn't much in 5 years.  The tires look new, but I didn't check the numbers on them for age.  I'll check them when I go for my run-through with them and make sure they are good tires.

Other dealers I've visited have said nothing is warrantied, but La Mesa RV has a 30 day warranty, and guarantees everything works when you drive it away.  I'm going to see if I can drive up to visit  my daughter and her family to make sure everything is in working order.

I've never driven an RV, so we went for a test drive in the parking lot, and it was really easy to drive.  I backed up right into a parking space - aced it!  I was surprised how easy it was to drive.  In fact, I was surprised at how easy everything was in this rig.

I also purchased the 4 year warranty package covering the house, truck and tires/rims, and a GAP policy.

I don't get the extended warranty when I buy a car, but thought it would be a good idea since this is also going to be my house.  What is your opinion on that?  It's a 4-year warranty that covers pretty much everything, has a $200 deductible, or $50 if I take it to one of their shops.

I have to go over all the paperwork, I can change my mind about the warranties when I go back to pick it up and have my walk-through, but I'm thinking I'll keep them.

Camping world sent me a card for a free year's membership in Camping World's President's Club and I got some info last week. There were a couple of sales items, one was a back-up monitor, which might be a good idea, since I'll be driving and backing up alone.  It looked like a good price.

Now I've got lots to do.  I need to get insurance for the RV, find her a storage place for a couple of months, have my estate sale, rent my condo, and look around for an RV park where I can stay on a month-to-month basis until the end of the year when I retire. 

One giant step... and isn't she a beauty?

From Me and Katie, have a great weekend, everyone! :)

32 comments:

  1. Woohoo! Congratulations!
    The rest of these things will fall into place quickly.
    We chose not to get an extended warranty. So far, the money we've spent hasn't come close to the premium for the warranty, but it's a decision everyone has to make on their own.

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  2. She is a beauty! Congratulations!

    8000 miles??? REALLY??? If I wasn't so happy for you, I'd be jealous~!

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  3. Wow!!!! Looks good! Good for u!!! Be safe and have fun!!!! Congrats!!!

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  4. whoo hoo..now you are cooking with gas!!!..good for you..we are so happy for you!!!!!..enjoy your new home on wheels!!!

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  5. Woohoo! Congratulations. Since you will be traveling by yourself and aren't real familiar with RVs, the warranty coverage may be good for you--at the very least, it will give you peace of mind. You'll need a water hose (white one!) and a sewer hose if your rig doesn't have them.

    Longdog2

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  6. Yippee!!! Whoop de doo!!! Congratulations. Hope you are planning a maiden voyage house warming trip so we can follow along. I agree about the warranty thing. So many little things can happen when you least expect it.

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  7. Woo~~~ hoo~~~, way to go, girl!!!

    22' is perfect for solo-RV IMHO!

    Yeah, I would go with the extended warranty but first check out what are to be covered.

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  8. Congratulations! Good for you for following your gut and buying when it felt right. We didn't plan on buying our truck or 5er when we did, but felt the deals were too good to pass up. We never regretted either decision. Can't wait to read about your first trip!

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  9. Good for you! That looks like a very nice rig. I hope you make many happy memories in it. Can hardly wait to read aobut your maiden voyage.

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  10. Congratulations, I think this will be the perfect size rig for you!

    The RV also has a switch for "arctic" so that if it's cold, the tanks are kept warm. Since I'd love to camp in the snow, I think, that would be good.

    We are currently camped in the snow, but would much rather be back in Mexico! Don't like the cold. Beware that using this "arctic" switch will also use LOTS of battery power if you happen to be dry camping.

    Extended warranty? After working at an RV dealership for a couple of summers, it is easy to see that, just like most forms of insurance, extended warranty is NOT worth it. Nor is any of the add ons like paint protectant.

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  11. Yahoo !! Congratulations on your new home. It's so cute, just perfect for you. Good luck and happy trails.

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  12. This is great news, you are now on your way officially to living your dream. AND dreams do come true, Good Luck with your new home, you didn't mention if it had the V-10, but it probably does, that is a great engine that is in most shuttle busses. very dependable long life motor. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna...

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  13. Too cool! You're on your way. Nice rig for you!

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  14. Congratulations!! We are so happy for you. Isn't it amazing how you "just know" when you find the right one??? She is a beauty!!

    We have some friends that just downsized to Forest River Class C from a huge fifth wheel and they are loving it!! Couldn't be happier!! In fact they are on their way to Alaska....the slow route cause of weather!
    This is what Mike and I are going to be looking for when we downsize from our Dutch Star. It is the perfect size for parking just about any place you want....HUGE plus!!

    We never purchased the warranties either.

    Have fun and travel safely on your maiden voyage!!

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  15. Yippee, good for you! First step out of the way!

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  16. Congrats!!! So jealous!! Nice rig for sure, love the back kitchen and the huge bathrooms they offer!

    I don't believe in warranties, too much fine print on them to make them worth it.

    Im sure you would get alot of use from her for sure!

    Cheers!

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  17. Congratulations, indeed! Thanks for sharing the process of getting "out there." This is fun!

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  18. I am so excited for you. She is a beaut. Once you are living in her for a couple of days, you will discover all kinds of cool things. Congrats!!!

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  19. Looks like a great RV, I'm happy for you (and a little jealous). Have fun getting ready for your first trip. Re: warranty - I was thinking of checking into the Good Sam Plan, because I figure I won't be able to do many repairs by myself, but they don't cover everything. The list of things they don't cover.. is very long???

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  20. I NEVER buy warranties, but I bought a 3-yr policy when I bought my Mac laptop. One service call more than paid for the warranty. But read it very carefully and make sure it will cover the items you think it does.

    If I ever had the money to order a brand new RV (of any kind) I would tell them to leave off the graphics. I hate those things, think they are ugly, and they start to peel away before you know it, but of course they don't peel clean or entirely.

    I am really impressed - it is a beautiful RV. I think you are smart not bothering with slides - they can give you extra space, but I am reading too many blogs where the slides get stuck and won't go out, or worse, won't go back in.

    You must be ecstatic, and I am so happy for you. Enjoy your travels.

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  21. What a beauty! Looks like new to me. Congratulations! I think it is perfect for you.

    I have never been a big fan of warranties. Dod is 32 years old and everything still works. I don't know what was repaired or replaced prior to my purchase but I have a feeling that everything may be original.

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  22. Congrats! I too jumped fast last summer when my van came on the market. I just knew it was the right choice for me. I didn't get the extended warranty for mine - it was just way too much money for what it covered. Even if I end up having to get a new fridge, it would be less than half what the policy would have cost me.

    Get the engine checked out. Sitting can be more detrimental to engines than miles. But it looks really great. Whoo hoo for you!

    Never say never about changes. Once you have time under your belt, you might find some things that they designed to handle 4-6 people are useless to a solo.

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  23. Fantastic. I know you have been looking at a lot of rigs so you should have a good feel for the right one! It looks like it would be great for one person. Love the size and location of the kitchen.

    Except for sleeping in an overhead bunk, I think it's what I would like if it was just me. (I'm too old to climb up into an upper bunk, and I need to get up several times every night.

    You might want to get a better mattress up there.
    Do you read "travels with Miranda" ? Rae has done so much to her rig including making the overhead more comfortable.

    We have rented a 25' Class C, and find it similar to driving my GMAC Safari van.

    At least you are getting started. I wish we were there! I'm coming to San Diego at the end of July, maybe we can meet and I can see your new home.

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  24. Congratulations!!! How funny that you buy on Friday and I buy on Saturday. Now we don't have to think about it anymore...we just have to do it.

    Any chance we could get together when I'm down in Indio next month???

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  25. Wow - congratulations! Looks absolutely perfect. Just add some solar panels and you are good to go.

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  26. CONGRATULATIONS! Love the floorplan. I bet Katie is going to enjoy the new home as well.

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  27. I am so happy for you:). Welcome to the world of women on wheels. Hope to meet up with you someday, somewhere along the road.

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  28. OMG!!! I'm SO EXCITED for you! Things will really start moving at rocket speed now. And you have the added fun of setting up your new home :-) Good one :-)

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  29. How exciting! I'm jealous of your kitchen, you have more than we do in our Gulf Stream Travel Trailer!

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  30. I know I’m a bit late, but your rig is awesome! And based on the excitement in your tone, I can say that it’s a good driving companion. And it feels right living on wheels!

    Liza @PrairieCityRV.com

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