Who Are You And What Do You Drive?

[Bar1kru2]

Hi Derrick, Diane, etal. My name is Barb and I am a retired nurse. My children all graduated from Univ of florida and promptly moved out of state. When I was forced to retire after open heart surgery, I sold my 4 bedroom home and became a full timer in my 30 ft class C Jayco with all the bells and whistles. I had camped in a pop up for 30 years. I love my life, I feel spoiled. I traveled 29,000 miles the first year sometimes solo and somtimes with friends. My kids are in Calif, Tenn, and Ohio and I have club friends all over the US. I am enjoying checking out all the historical places I have read about for years and have no plans to settle anywhere permanently.

[Guest Wayne77590]

Wow! Over 2000 views and only about 25 replies.

What gives FMCA Members?????

[McClellan]

Hello Everyone!

Eddie and Lois McClellan with our little dog Lila here. We purchased our very first camper of any kind April 2008. Eddie had been a retired police officer for a couple of years and then I retired in July 2008. We took off for our first long trip (3 weeks) to Niagra Falls. Loved the RVing lifestyle. We're headed out West on May 18. We live in Denver, North Carolina and our first stop is going to be Nashville. Then on to St. Louis, Joplin, Branston, Oklahoma City, Flagstaff, Las Vegas, Hesperia, CA. Haven't completed our itinerary yet. We've been a member of FMCA since April 2008.

Any "words of widom" from you experienced RVers about traveling out West will be humbly appreciated and accepted.

Anyone else headed in the same direction this summer?

We have a 39' Winnebago Adventurer, gas pusher.

[-Gramps-]

We have a 39' Winnebago Adventurer, gas pusher.

Nice Coach. We almost bought one ourselves.

[Roodriver]

Wayne, I think a bunch of folks are shy. or they are underwhelmed by our sunny dispositions. Seriously, I wish that some of the viewers would jump in and discover the fun.

[-Gramps-]

I see that this thread has been moved to a new forum. This is a good change, so all members can feel free to reply not just the A owners.

So keep it up! Hopefully we will be getting new members, cause I really talked the boards up at the Convention!

[bb4wa@bb4wa.com]

I'm Rachel and hubby is Bill (33 years together) and we've been full-timing since April 2006. Bill does 4-wheel drive (SUV) training and guided back country trips, and I do all the rest of the work to run our business. When we lived in our house, he'd travel for this work most of the year and camp out during these times. He always wanted me to go with him and I said when I can take all my stuff including my office, my bed, bathroom, and kitchen, I'm in!

We travel to where the work is around the U.S. in our 42' 2006 diesel Renegade (made by Kibbi) w/a Freightliner engine towing a 25' enclosed trailer in which we keep Bill's work truck, a 1994 Land Rover Defender 90, as well as our Harley and the shop he created to fix things (his garage). Finding places to park our 67' rig has often been challenging as this style of coach does not have a good turning radius like a bus does. But hubby has become an expert at pulling into and backing it into or out of tight places. It's a good thing he's been a professional driver all his adult life!

Being a Virgo and very grounded, I didn't know whether I'd like the regular buttoning up the coach to move to the next work destination, but surprisingly I love it. Each time it gets close to us leaving, I get excited about our next adventure.

When we first bought our Renegade, we had no clue about anything motor homing as all the dealer wanted to do was sell it. We've learned about how it all works on our own. So here we are on the road together and after 3 years, we haven't killed each other so we're doing good and having fun traveling together. Besides the work stuff, the best part is that we get to see friends and family that we wouldn't ordinarily see for long periods of time.

[tbutler]

Hello Roodriver,

We are a pair of science teachers as well. I am Tom and my wife is Louise. If you haven't found us yet, we are currently featured on the Meet a Member section under the Join FMCA menu on the main board. Like you, we enjoy the back roads. We've made several runs across US 2 in ND and Montana. We're driving a 2004 Monaco Windsor. Our summers are usually spent traveling. This summer our goal is Newfoundland. Since we have a daughter and her family on the west coast that means a cross country drive is in the offing.

We will leave Texas the end of April and head to Florida to try to catch a launch of the Shuttle, STS 125 and/or STS 127. Then Kentucky and a visit to my brother and his wife. From there Missouri to see family and doctors. We are planning a short trip with our 2 oldest grandsons. After we return them to their parents we'll set sail for Newfoundland. If you are going to be anywhere along that route this summer drop me a line. Perhaps we can sit down and solve the educational problems of the nation over a glass of wine (or 2).

[tbutler]

Greetings all. I'm Ward (Roodriver) and my bride is Pat. We are retired science teachers and started out backpacking and sleeping on the ground in a small tent. We were married on the Appalachian Trail and graduated from tent camping to a slide in truck camper, then to a 25' Georgie Boy Class A, and now to a 35' Bounder gasser.

We like to workcamp for three to five months and prefer National Wildlife Refuges. We have made a lot of friends in our workcamping and keep in touch with many of them.

The way we like to travel is kind of foreign to a lot of RVers, since we prefer to stay off the Interstates and stick to local and US highways. We are headed to Oregon this summer and will take US2 from Michigan to Washington, with many side trips. The trip is planned to take six to seven weeks.

By the way, our home base is in Suches, Georgia.

Roodriver,

You should copy this to your personal statement, I had to look all over for it! Just checking to make sure my memory was good! I've put you on my list - friends that is!

[stevens4957]

Hello All

We are Ken, Nancy Stevens & Katie (four legged variety) FMCA #405689 We are new to FMCA but have been camp hosting in our 40' Newmar Dutch Star for the last two years.

We are going to be at Hunting Island SC from April 1 to June 6, 2009 so if you are in the area come by & say HI, we love meeting new people.

Ken & I just got married November 8, both of us lost our mates of over 40 yrs in 2005, Ken is retired CSM US Army & I retired from BellSouth after 33 yrs.

We are going to host at John Pennekamp in Florida from October 1 to December 1, then visit relatives, wander around Florida until the weather turns warmer then head up to Oregan & Washington State, taking our time & stopping whenever the mood strikes or we see something we want to do in the area.

Hope to meet some of you along the way.

Safe traveling

Nancy & Ken

[-Gramps-]

I am so ready to hit the road again cause I want to get away. My best friend and business partner died suddenly last week while we were in Florida. This is the second time this has happened to me. Mike was a great guy and friend for almost twenty years and his death has just about devastated me. This is one big care that isn't so easy to cast upon the Lord but I need to, to survive. My rving friends are about the only thing keeping me going right now.

Derrick

[Guest Wayne77590]

Derrick,

Our heartfelt sympathies are with you at this time of grievance.

God bless.

[EaglesNest]

Derrick so sorry to hear about your friends sudden passing. It seems that when someone is ill for a while we have time to prepare for the inevitable but when someone passes suddenly it takes a while to put it in perspective. Just remember that NO ONE is promised tomorrow, that is why we have to trust God today. Keep the rest of your friends and family close, for God sends those to help us through the hard times. I understand what you are feeling because I lost a cousin about 3 weeks ago suddenly at the age of 41. I still don't know what actually took his life. He leaves behind a wife who lost her job and 4 small children. Take care and we are here for you if you need us.

Joy

[Jackhal49]

Hi Gramps and All. Very sorry to hear about your loss Derrick. I'm Jack and my wife of 39 yrs is Peggy and we are new to RVing, however, we have been camping since we were kids. We met at a campgrounds when we were teenagers, I was working there and she was camping with her parents. We even honeymooned at the campgrounds we met in a borrowed Banner TT. We bought a used 05 Winnebago Journey 34H last fall from a private party who babied it so we were really lucky as it is just the MH we wanted. We live in the mid-coast region of Maine and have for over 24 years, love the area, but are really starting to dislike the very long and cold winters. I am a retired Navy weather guesser, retired in 1991 and am now a science teacher and Peggy is a safety specialist for the Dept of the Navy. Our plans are to retire in the summer of 2010 and go full-timing and can't wait. We have friends and family scattered across the country so we can have fun traveling and visiting, especially our daughter and family in Colorado. There is a lot of country out there we want to see while we still can. If you all are RVing in Maine look us up we are only 1/2 mile from Meadowbrook Campgrounds. We also have 3 golden retrievers (Charlie, Oliver, and Anne) who will be traveling with us. We are also new to FMCA (# 403927) and got introduced to MHing through my father-in-law who has been RVing for quite some time now in their Winnebago Adventurer. Hoep to see you all on the road too! Good Camping and Happy RVing!!

[Jackhal49]

Whoops had some problems trying to edit! LOL

[jmthomas29@gmail.com]

Hi All,

Lenny and Janis Thomas here. We drive a '95 Coachman Class C Santara. We love every chance we get to go camping. Lenny is less than 5 years from retirement and I can hit the road anytime. I used to be a travel agent (pre-9/11) and was used to the best of the best. He suggested for a vacation one year that we rent a MH and drive to FL to visit my family for Easter. Never having camped before I was pretty scepticle. By the time we came home from that trip I was hooked and we bought a pop-up. Five years later we had been through three pull trailers and now we have our first coach. Friends introduced us to FMCA and I love the people I have met and become friends with. I wouldn't trade this lifestyle. If any of you are ever in the NYC area, please look us up, we'd love to meet you and show you around. (jmthomas29@gmail.com). Looking forward to life on the road.

Janis

[TZScales]

We just bought our first RV last December 2008. So far, we have brought the coach up-to-date on maintenance for the generator, chassis and engine (cummins). We both are federal employees, eligible for full retirement, and enjoy the outdoors. We have a yellow lab by the name of Columbus and looking forward to some serious road time this year.

[bjmcgee]

Hello, all. We are Bill & Judi. Purchased our first coach, 2004 Mandalay, in February. We've camped only a few times so buying this coach was a leap of faith for us. We have friends who have been RVing for a number of years and they were kind enough to let us stay in their coach last year for National Quartet Convention in Louisville, KY. It really was fun so I gave in. We're so very grateful for this coach and have enjoyed it already. We leave Thursday for Cleveland, SC for our first rally, a Mandalay Rally. Then back to Lincoln, AL for an FMCA mini Rally. Can't wait. Bill is a consulting engineer and I am a former secretary/admin assistant who now loves to stay home. We have two sons, a daughter-in-love and 3 granddaughters. We're looking forward to traveling in our coach and meeting others who love to travel. Bill & I are bass and soprano, respectively, in a Southern Gospel Quartet named The Majestics. We are looking forward to traveling in our coach to sing everywhere we have an invitation. Lord bless each of you and say 'hey' if we cross paths.

[paul46227@yahoo.com]

Hello. We are Jim and Nina. Our ride is a 1994 Fleetwood 34J Bounder. Runs good, looks good.

Had the Bounder almost three years now. Nina and I travel with our buddy JJ, a 15 pound beautiful, hard-headed Dachshund.

Nina is retired after 31 years with DOW Brands. I retired after 20 years of service in the U.S. Navy, Chief Petty Officer.

After retirment I bought a truck and we hauled frieght to all 48 states and Canada. Now we are both relaxing and traveling as we want.

[susan.charles@windstream.net]

Hello everybody. My name is Charles Mobley. My wife Susan and I have been camping since 1998. We camped in a 26' travel trailer with one slide till July of this year. We now have my lifetime dream of having a class A motorhome. It is a 2008 38' Georgetown. We are presently on our third trip in it in the north Georgia Mountains. We have to head home tomorrow. Three of our kids and their spouses and our 2 grandchildren plan to trick or treat from our house Saturday night. Susan retired from the state of Georgia about 9 years ago with 34 years and I retired from Windstream Comm. after 36 years. I ended up going back to work and hope to work for 2 more years till I'm 62. That works out good since we can't take long trips due to committments at home such as aging parents and church. I really enjoy the FMCA forum. ccmsm

[banditrider776@gmail.com]

I entered the U.S. Army in 1969 and retired from the Air National Guard in 1990. After retiring I went to work for the U.S. Air Force as a Quality Assurance Specialist at Boeing. After a number of reorganizations, mergers, and finally an agency designation I retired from contract management in 2007. Wife's name is Pat. This poor woman had the misfortune to marry me in 1973 while living in Germany with her parents. She followed me around from post to post until we finally endinged up in Nebraska where she attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney receivng a BS in Education. Pat was hired by the school district in Concordia, Kansas. After one year she followed me down to Wichita where I hired on with the Kansas Air National Guard as an aircraft technician, Phase Inspection. She was hired to teach special education in Rose Hill and did this for four years, she then went to work for Rose Hill Schools teaching fith grade. She has since taught third, fourth, and ninth grade earning a Teacher of the Year award in the process. Pat will be able to retire when I hit the lottery or 2012, which ever occurs first. Now Mike wants to take Pat all over the country in a motorhome. After I retired we bought a 2000 40' Beaver Contessa motorhome and started seriously making plans to fulltime in it.

[JeffBoldt]

Newbie here- My name is Jeff & wife of almost 36 years, and co-pilot since we began rving in 1987 is Barbie. I'm a retired high school principal (as of Nov 18) and my wife is a middle school math teacher (until June when she retires). We started rving in 1987 with a 23 foot travel trailer, graduated to a 30 foot travel trailer before changing over to class A motorhomes. We started with a 34' Thor Infinity, traded to a 37' Itasca Suncruiser before purchasing our Newmar Kountry Star 38' DP in 2004. Because of work, our travels have been limited to the southeast, that will continue until this June. We spend most of our extended time at one of two rv sites that we own. The first is in the NE Georgia mountains in Dillard, GA and the other one is in ELITE Resorts Crystal River in Crystal River, FL.

We have been FMCA members since 1997 and members of the Roamin' Rigs Chapter for the same number of years. I have served as President as well as newsletter editor and website manager for the chapter and Barbie has served as vice president in the past. We attend the Southeast Area Rally each year in Brooksville, FL and I have served as photographer and newsletter writer for that rally in the past.

We love the rv lifestyle-.... see ya down the road.

[banditrider776@gmail.com]

Newbie here- My name is Jeff & wife of almost 36 years, and co-pilot since we began rving in 1987 is Barbie. I'm a retired high school principal (as of Nov 18) and my wife is a middle school math teacher (until June when she retires). We started rving in 1987 with a 23 foot travel trailer, graduated to a 30 foot travel trailer before changing over to class A motorhomes. We started with a 34' Thor Infinity, traded to a 37' Itasca Suncruiser before purchasing our Newmar Kountry Star 38' DP in 2004. Because of work, our travels have been limited to the southeast, that will continue until this June. We spend most of our extended time at one of two rv sites that we own. The first is in the NE Georgia mountains in Dillard, GA and the other one is in ELITE Resorts Crystal River in Crystal River, FL.

We have been FMCA members since 1997 and members of the Roamin' Rigs Chapter for the same number of years. I have served as President as well as newsletter editor and website manager for the chapter and Barbie has served as vice president in the past. We attend the Southeast Area Rally each year in Brooksville, FL and I have served as photographer and newsletter writer for that rally in the past.

We love the rv lifestyle-.... see ya down the road.

I don't have that kind of resume but I'll say welcome to the forum. My wife is also a teacher and will be retiring in 2012 after which we will be going fulltime.

See you in a campground somewhere sometime.

[Condor18205@gmail.com]

Saddletramp and Pinky here - AKA Dennis and Sandy of Spring Hill, Fl. We just purchased a 05' R-Vision Condor in August of this year (our first.) We normally traveled by Honda Goldwing but since I retired what the heck. Lets spend the kids (1 daughter and 2 sons, 4 grandkids) money. We have not been to to many places yet but we are on they way somewhere. Lefty the fat Chihuahua and Bosley the Pit Bull keep us in check when on the road. That is why we bought it so they can come with us, had to leave them behind when we took the bike. Hope to meet some of you folks in Brooksville for the rally.

Dennis and Sandy

US Navy - Veitnam Vet

Retired from Anheuser Busch

[banditrider776@gmail.com]

Saddletramp and Pinky here - AKA Dennis and Sandy of Spring Hill, Fl. We just purchased a 05' R-Vision Condor in August of this year (our first.) We normally traveled by Honda Goldwing but since I retired what the heck. Lets spend the kids (1 daughter and 2 sons, 4 grandkids) money. We have not been to to many places yet but we are on they way somewhere. Lefty the fat Chihuahua and Bosley the Pit Bull keep us in check when on the road. That is why we bought it so they can come with us, had to leave them behind when we took the bike. Hope to meet some of you folks in Brooksville for the rally.

Dennis and Sandy

US Navy - Veitnam Vet

Retired from Anheuser Busch

Welcome to the Forum. Happy trails.