Finally!!

     We are moved to our permanent spot (may-be).  We had the 5th wheel moved to the RV park on Wednesday and have organized the inside for full time RV'ing.  There is still lots to do on the outside, build a deck and a porch as well as cover in the front of the 5th wheel for additional storage.

     Everyone here seems really friendly, there are 120 full time RV'ers here.  We are not really a social couple so this will take some getting used to.  There are so many things you have to think about when making the move to full time RV'ing.  The list is endless but first and foremost living in a small space is uppermost.  The space is small so I feel you need to put things away when you are done with them so there is no clutter because clutter makes it seem even smaller.  The next thing to adjust to is a friendly RV park, as it appears that everyone knows everyone and their goal is to get to know you as soon as you unhook the trailer.   This is a challenge for us being the private people we are, we will survive the onslaught though.  Next is to keep busy, I have my sewing and my husband has a bunch of projects so we are set for a while.

     On another note our cat has settled in beautifully, we thought or should I say I thought she would not want to go out as she is a bit timid, however I was wrong, she loves it here, she is out exploring and finding new friends.  There is an abundance of pets here and she is loving it.

     That is all for now blog later.

Two Days to Go!

     Well, we are in the dodo now, I guess when buying a used RV one should expect the unexpected but this was not one we were expecting or wanting for our worst enemy.  Our black water tank which I explained in the last post was half full when we brought it home and apparently dry so material was dried on the inside of the tank.  We have been emptying and rinsing the tank once a week hoping that we could dislodge some of the dried on material.  Today we discovered a crack in the tank, we have apparently cleaned the sides well and exposed a crack.
     My husband is a very handy man and was able to figure out a way to patch the crack, thanks to a phone call to a mobile RV repair man.  Glue, fiberglass hairdryer and he was set.  Four hours later and he hopes he has conquered the leak.  If this does not work it means we will need a new tank.  What more can go wrong?  We are waiting until morning to make a decision about the move.  We do not feel it is wise to move to the RV park with a leaking black water tank.
     If he has conquered the leak we have to get the 5th wheel ready to be towed, that in itself will be an all day job.  Do folks who travel south have to pack up breakables?  We don't know so we are going to do it and be safe.
     So many things to think about when buying a used RV and we didn't think of half of them, you need to check for leaks, cracks, condition of the tanks, size of the fridge, size of the bed (this one we did check), condition of the carpet, did the previous owner  have dogs, how much cupboard space is there, and etc.
     Hopefully our next blog will be from our new parking spot, until next time.
   

Moving Day is Fast Approaching!!

     The house is empty!  We have finally gotten rid of all our belongings that we are unable to fit in the 5th wheel and take on our new adventure.  What a relief to have it done so far ahead of the end of the month.  We have made arrangements to have the 5th wheel moved, told the RV Park we are coming, we are now just waiting for it all to transpire.
     Something happened last week that we had thought about but then forgotten about that required some quick thinking and some unfortunate spending.  We knew that black water tanks need to be jostled around from time to time to make their dumping more successful, however with all the other chores we had listed that particular piece of knowledge seemed to slip into the unknown.  What to do?  The first step is to google it!  My husband found lots of useful info on the internet and was very impressed with a gadget called Sewer Solution, it breaks up solids and cleans out the drain pipe at the same time.  Next step is to find one in Canada!  Every RV site we looked at here in the lower mainland re-directed us to a U.S. site!  So frustrating.  He searched on his laptop and I searched on mine, he was not successful but I was.  I sent him the link but for some reason he was sent to the U.S., anyway to end this rambling we eventually found where we can order one and pick it up the next day.

Vancouver Night (Photo credit: rmillar91)

     We go to pick up the Sewer Solution and come home, thinking we will start the clean out but typical Vancouver, there is a torrential downpour.  We will leave it until tomorrow.  Wake to the same rain the next day but decide to suit up and get the job done.  The little gadget works a treat!  We are thinking that this will be the way we empty the tank always as we will not be hauling this 5th wheel around.
     Well it is St. Patrick's Day and my 65th birthday so better go drink some green beer.  Thanks for reading we will blog again soon.
   

Ready To Move It!

     We have finally emptied the house and are ready to move the 5th wheel to it's new home!  We found a park to our liking and have reserved a spot, they also have storage for our small RV, which we think is fantastic as we want it close when we do decide to go camping.  Having to load the truck and drive to a storage lot then unload the truck would be such a lot of trouble.  This was we are able to walk across the park, load up and be on our way.
     We are still cooking and eating in the house to save on propane.  It is quite strange to be living in two places at one time.  We have moved most of our cooking supplies to the trailer, spices, flour, etc, so occasionally I have to send hubby out to get ingredients for me in order to prepare a meal.  That is one thing I didn't think about when I retired, preparing meals three times a day, but that is what I do and my better half certainly appreciates it.
     The spot we are moving to will let us have a deck and a small shed, which we are ecstatic about,  my husband will have a place to store his beloved tools that he can not seem to part with.  The RV park has a pool and laundry facilities, so we are set.
     Will blog more once we are settled.  Thanks for reading.

What A Great Weekend!

We have had a very successful weekend, both with downsizing and with completion of the Bedroom in the 5th Wheel. Yippee!!  First the downsizing, we gave our bedroom set to our son, and the mattress and box spring went to one of his friends.  We listed everything else on kijiji, some for free and some for a very nominal amount.  We had great results and sold three tables, and had numerous calls about everything else, oh and we sold my car!  The house is now more than half empty of furniture, we have a call into Big Brothers to pick up all the items that are still good and will help some local charities. All our clothes are in the 5th wheel as we are sleeping there right now.  So everything is starting to come together.

Next the completion of the bedroom, now you would think what would anyone need to do to improve a 5th wheel, well that person hasn't met my husband.  If there is a improvement to make to a design he will find it.  Following is a list of all the things he has found to do:
    He made the board that holds the mattress 8 inches longer.(5th wheel mattresses are 72 inches                
    our memory foam is 80 inches) 
    made a frame so the mattress would stay in place. (the board that was used for the bed was                      
    slippery so we boxed the mattress in)
    made a shelf at the head of the bed to put our books (Seems strange to us that they would
    not have night tables)
    made a divider between the sink and bed. (Every time we wash our hands in the sink we
    give the duvet a shower)
    bought and installed a shower caddy and towel rack, both of these had to be altered to work in a
    5th wheel.
    Altered a closet organizer to hold sweaters. (The closet in the 5th wheel is shorter so had to
    cut 12 inches off and change the hanger position)
    carpeted the closet walls for added insulation

    carpet for the toilet room floor

Funny Bow legged Unisex Bathroom Humor Sign (Photo credits: www.justbathroomsigns.com)

    installed light and switch for toilet room
    I made curtains for three windows

After all of that we are done, thank goodness.  One room complete, will blog again when the rest is done.

The Reno’s Continue.

Main Window

Well I finished the curtains and my husband installed them, they are okay and make the space appear warm, but I think I will soon grow tired of them and have to choose another fabric. The small window is at the head of the bed on both sides.  I lined the chocolate brown part to make them darker and keep the light out.  The main curtain is dense enough to stop the light.  The duvet cover we are using also has brown tones so the room looks great.

We have decided to stick with venetian blinds in the living area until we have resided in the unit for a few months.

Window at head of bed, one on each side.

My husband has been busy putting dividers into most of the cupboards as we are putting a variety of items not necessarily related in the cupboard and he thought the dividers would help keep things more organized.  Of course it is my job to fill them up.  The challenge of this job is to put things we use daily close to hand and things we don't use in convenient cupboards.  We guess the object of this task is to be slightly more organized than we are in the house kitchen.  We are thinking that whatever we do now will probably get changed as we live in the 5th Wheel.  All in all we are making progress and should be right on target for our goal date.

Hopefully we will be done in time to get some camping in in our little 5th wheel before we move to the RV park.  We are going to keep the little fifth wheel so we can continue camping here in beautiful British Columbia.  There is nothing more restful than setting up camp away from technology, lighting the campfire and relaxing.  We usually go to Forestry Campsites as the fees are reasonable and make it affordable for us full-time old-timers.  We have two first choice spots, one is on the Chilliwack Lake Road and the other is in the Mission area.

Well I think I will get back to it, we will blog again soon.