Greetings from Lindsey, the full time RVing Corgi! Since my Winter and Spring updates, I have traveled another 3,000 miles in our RV home. COVID lockdown eased up a little, so Mom and Dad felt it was safe to venture out again.

While out traveling the country I noticed something really weird. I have seen dogs that are muzzled, but now all the humans are muzzled. We were parked at a Walmart in Louisiana and everyone going into the store was muzzled. I wonder what they did? LOL Dad said it was because of the COVID thing.

Well, I turned sixteen in July! That is like 112 human years. I can’t see much anymore and I can’t hear much either. Dad has to type for me now as I just can’t do it anymore. I am pretty old for a Corgi! I am three years past the average life expectancy for my breed.

I wear my diaper all the time. I pee in it every day. I just can’t control my bladder. Dad says humans come into the world wearing diapers and some go out the same way. It’s just a fact of life. I spend my days sleeping, eating, and soiling my diaper. What a life!

Back to my recent travels. Mom and Dad packed up the RV and we hit the road again. They wanted to go back to the beach and visit some RV dealerships to check out the new models.

We went back to Lazydays in Seffner, Florida. We have been there many times. Mom and Dad have purchased two RVs there. I did not think they were there to get another one because we have only had Miss Tiffy, our 2016 Tiffin Allegro Open Road, for two years. I have heard them say so many times how perfect she is for our full time RV living.

The only downside is the cargo carrying capacity of 2,600 pounds and the ride when traveling on rough roads, like in Louisiana. Other than that, Miss Tiffy works perfectly for us.

What I found out later is that Dad was doing some research and discovered the new Tiffin Allegro Open Roads now come with the Ford F53 chassis with the Liquidspring option. What that means is the vehicle does not ride on leaf springs on the drive axle, but on compressed liquid. It is an adaptive system that controls ride comfort and stability.

That sounded great to me because Winston and I get our teeth pounded when we travel on rough roads!

People have asked Mom and Dad why they don’t buy a diesel motorhome. From what I can tell they don’t want a rear engine motorhome, they don’t want the extra maintenance cost of the diesel chassis and fuel, and Dad is a fan of the Ford chassis. It’s easy to maintain and it travels well.

Well, Dad talked Mom into upgrading to a 2021 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 36LA, just like Miss Tiffy, but with many improvements that they wanted: the Liquidspring chassis, more carrying capacity, better ride, a bigger inverter, onboard solar, and a few interior and furniture improvements. Also, everything is now controlled by the Spyder touchpad system.

So, for the fourth time in my life, I had to deal with the change of moving into another RV. This time was not too bad because the floorplan is the same so given my limited sight, I can still get around okay.

But, lets talk about the Lazydays experience. Last time, Dad said he would never go back there again after buying Miss Tiffy one. The salesman was terrible, the process of getting the RV was laborious, and the lack of communication during the sales process was terrible.

However, the one they wanted was only available at Lazydays in Seffner, Florida. Dad contacted a salesman there and had a discussion about the last encounter and asked if his approach would be better than the last guy. He said it would.

So Dad decided to give Lazydays one more try. So we drove from Texas to Florida to go see our new home. After three days of travel we were back in our domicile state. We stayed in the Lazydays campground which made it easier to interact with the process of transferring to Miss Tiffy Too.

We met our salesman and arranged the steps needed to get Miss Tiffy Too delivered to us in a few days. When Mom and Dad first saw her she was in the service bay getting her pre-delivery inspection and repair. From there she would go to detail, and then the delivery lot for us to take possession.

So far it all sounded like we were doing much better at Lazydays then the previous purchase experience. We were shuttled through the different departments to get things set for transferring to the new RV. On the appointed day we went to the delivery lot and parked Miss Tiffy One next to Miss Tiffy Too.

We were joined by a guy who was to do our delivery walk through. For Mom and Dad that was not really necessary because after twelve years of full time RV living, being RV inspectors, Dad an RVIA registered technician, the only thing that was problematic was the new electronics package. Dad walked around with the guy and checked the RV inside and out and created a repair list for the service department to address before they left the dealership.

After two days in the delivery lot Miss Tiffy Two was headed back to the service bay to fix things the technician did not catch the first time. After four hours in the bay everything was addressed except two issues.

So it was back to the delivery lot to wait for service in a day or two. Our service advisor assigned to us was not the brightest tool in the box. He was a nice guy but unable to steer the process to its logical conclusion.

On the day we were to go back to the service department for the remaining repairs, we had to abandon the RV and hang out in the service waiting room. It is a comfortable place with access to food, drinks, bathrooms, and a place for me and Winston to hang with Mom and Dad.

After six and a half hours of waiting, and no word from the service department, Dad went searching for an update. It turned out nothing had been done, and it was now three thirty in the afternoon. The service department would be closed soon.

At five-thirty, there was no service advisor, no one around in the huge building except for the folks in the sales area. Dad went looking for the RV and found it in a distant service bay, wide open with all our stuff in there, no electricity, the unit at ninety-six degrees inside, and the residential fridge at forty-five degrees. All the service personnel was gone.

Dad now came unglued and had to raise a stink to get some attention. The elusive service advisor showed up and apologized for the situation. But it was now really clear, the service department is completely unable to handle the demand with new RVs being so problematic coming from the factory with service issues.

Dad went to the service bay where Miss Tiffy Too was and drove the RV over to the where Mom, Winston and I were waiting to get back into our RV home. It was now a raging rain downpour. We went back to the delivery lot where we had electic and water service and waited to hear when we would have to return to get our service issues addressed.

One thing Dad told the salesman when he started the process was to not let the detailers touch the RV paint. The last time Sundial Limited scratched the clearcoat with swirl marks. As it turned out, they did the same thing on Miss Tiffy Too even though they were told not to. Somone at Lazydays service even added to wax the RV on the service ticket. Dad said you never put wax on new paint that has not cured yet. That was a whole other issue!

At this point Dad did not want the service department to touch the RV due to his lack of confidence in their ability to fix anything in a quality manner. One major problem left was that there was a water leak in the kitchen roof vent. The manufacturer put so much sealant around the vent that it was forcing water through the vent hinge.

They did solve that problem but did not fix the problem of the vent fully opening. The service department reminds me of chickens running around with their heads cut off.

Dad said the whole process, from start to finish was mixed with periods of extreme frustration. Most of these issues were due to a lack of communication and the service department’s ability to handle the workload. Dad says it also appears the service technicians just don’t really seem to enjoy what they are doing. They are just going through the motions.

He also observed they can’t be doing to bad as there were lots of Mercedes and Corvettes hanging out in the techs parking area. Their service rates are sure expensive!

I had to share that story because Mom and Dad were extremely upset and frustrated over the whole process to get their new RV. But, I did notice the difference between Miss Tiffy One and Miss Tiffy Too right away. When we finally were able to leave the dealership after two weeks, and we hit the road, due to the Liquidspring chassis, the ride was so much better. I am now able to get better naps during travel days. LOL

Mom and Dad did get to the beach. They went to the Gulf Beach RV Resort in Biloxi, MS. It is a newer park that Dad found. It is right across from the beach and has great beach views from the pool and the large party deck.

Now that we are back at the National RV Training Academy I can settle back into my life of sleeping twenty-three hours a day. Mom and Dad are busy with teaching classes and other business activities so they leave me alone. LOL

Thanks for stopping by and checking in on me!

Happy RV Travels!

Lindsey

Greetings from Lindsey, the full time RV living Corgi! Since the last time I shared about my Fall 2019 adventures, I have logged another 2,500 miles in my RV home. Mom, Dad, Winston, and I like to keep the tires rolling, but lately, that has come to a halt.

There’s this thing I keep hearing about. I can’t remember the name of it, but I guess it is a highly contagious form of the flu, or something like that. I think it has something to do with a Mexican beer. Oh yea, Corona something or other. I am getting really old so things slip my mind!

Since that all started earlier this year, the RV home has been sitting for months. I am ready for the view out the peeky hole to change! I think my days are numbered. I am not sure, but I can’t see very well, I can’t walk too well either. My sense of smell can still find the food bowl, but life is tough for this old girl.

Mom keeps giving me good food supplements to keep me going. I guess I can’t complain. I have lived way longer than the other Corgis that they have had, and by years. I was the first one to really have decent food from the time I was a puppy till now. Mom has learned so much about dog food quality over the years that I think that has probably helped me live this many years.

She is very leary of over-vaccinating too! After my bout with a tumor a few years ago I feel lucky to still be living the dream of traveling with Mom and Dad seeing the country. Oh, and of course with the runt too: Winston.

But I can tell he likes me because he always lies near me when he can. It’s like he thinks he is protecting me. It’s okay. I let him believe he is helping me out. Little does he know I am still a feisty old girl!

I have also been able to travel with Mom and Dad in the company truck while they were doing RV inspections. I prefer traveling in the RV better, but sometimes it works out that I have to go with them when they visit with their RV clients. You see, I can’t hold my bladder too long anymore. So, Mom, has me wearing a diaper to prevent accidents in the RV. Winston laughs at me!

In late January, Mom and Dad packed up the RV and we ventured back to Florida to spend some time at one of our favorite RV parks, Camp Gulf! Mom and Dad work camped there early on in the full time RV life. It is a beautiful place! The park is right on the beach so access to beautiful white sand, clear water, and amazing sunsets are always close by.

I am not allowed on the beach, but when we lived and worked there, we had a golf cart, and I could sit in that and enjoy the view. So, I still remember what it is like.

Dad decided to get a new tow dolly for Chevy Chase, the HMRVI Corporation work truck. The January trip was the first time pulling the truck behind Miss Tiffy. Mom and Dad had some work to attend to in Florida and Georgia.

It’s really cool because all Dad has to do is drive up on the thing, tie it down, and then off we go with Chevy Chase following behind. Unlike a lot of tow dollys, this one follows behind the RV and the wheels track were the RV tires go. It is able to do that because of the dolly wheels that articulate. When the RV turns, the dolly wheels also turn. Dad says it looks weird from his view of this in the RVs rearview mirrors.

I hope all this virus stuff ends soon! This Corgi has more adventures she wants to have before the big sleep. Speaking of sleeping, that is what I tend to do all day and I need to get back to it now.

Thank you for stopping by and checking in on me!

Happy RV travels!!

Greetings from Lindsey, the full time RV living Corgi! I can’t believe how fast 2019 has gone! It seems like I just turned fifteen years old, but since then another six months have already gone by. Some would say that in human years I am over one hundred years old. I feel like it too!

Right now I am down in South Texas enjoying the beach. Hanging out around the water is my favorite thing. I have lived in many places in the United States, but I have spent most of my time in the high mountain region of the west and on the beaches in the Southeast. I think I am more of a water girl. I love watching the ocean and listening to the waves. They lull me to sleep! Well, that does not take much these days. LOL

Since my last post about our late summer activities, we have spent most of our time stationary at the NRVTA in Athens, TX where Mom and Dad teach people how to run a small business from their RV and how to be RV inspectors.

I would say the best activity while at the South Texas coast is the beach, but there are some other attractions to visit. Recently, Mom, Dad, Winston and I got to go to the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi. It’s the home of the USS Lexington Museum. I could not board the ship because they don’t allow pets. Plus, based on what Mom and Dad told me, there were just too many stairs to climb and descend. But, Dad told me all about what they saw. They took a lot of pictures too.

From what I heard it was really cool! From the outside, the ship looks huge! It has many decks. Also, from the outside, you can see all the plans that are sitting on the deck. They had everything from propeller warplanes to more recent jet aircraft. The deck of the carrier is 120,000 square feet. Dad said it was fun to just walk around the deck, look at the planes, and see just how far off the water the flight deck is.

The USS Lexington Museum is located inside the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. The ship is parked just offshore and joined to land by a long concrete bridge that takes you to the aircraft hanger deck. You can either walk to the ship or take a tram. Once inside the aircraft carrier, you pay the admission fee and also pay for a four dollar parking token. The parking area is across the street on North Shoreline Blvd and from the walkway bridge. You need the token to get out of the parking area when you are finished touring the USS Lexington Museum.

Mom and Dad said after they paid the entry fee of $14.95 each, they were given a map of the ship that allowed them to visit five separate areas of the ship. We were there for five hours so there is lots to see. Mom and Dad were worried about us so they did not spend as much time as they could have. There are television monitors throughout the ship that allow you to view information on many areas of interest regarding the ship, its operation, the history of naval operations, and life aboard an aircraft carrier.

The cool thing is they have a new feature that allows you to use your smartphone and a QR Reader App to scan the codes that are located at many of the exhibits. These smartphone tours give more information about the real stories of the LEX, her people, and her treasures.

Mom and Dad said they also saw a 3-D movie that was twenty-five minutes long that details naval operations. Dad said he really liked the clips of being launched from and landing on the aircraft carrier deck. The movie runs on the hour in the movie theater that is inside the ship on the hanger deck. Dad said it looked like it seated hundreds of people.

While we were there it was a pretty quiet day. The only group that showed up was a few buses of kids on a school field trip. Other than that Mom and Dad said they had the ship to themselves and were even able to sit on the bridge, all alone. No other visitors were around.

As I mentioned earlier, there are five self-guided tours. They each begin and end on the hangar deck. Dad said he and Mom were able to move at their own pace so they would not miss anything. They said some things they spent a lot of time looking at while others not so much. They did say that since the USS Lexington aircraft carrier is a former US Navy vessel, the ship has steep stairways, low overhangs, and some hazards to look out for. You do have to watch your head and where you step.

Dad said that he observed that the ceilings on the upper and lower decks, from the hangar deck, seemed really low. There were times he needed to squat a little bit in order to not hit his head on the services running along with the ceiling. He also thought that perhaps the navy crew of the forties were of a smaller stature given the uniforms and apparel that was displayed. Dad said he thought being shorter was a definite advantage for being a good naval aviator.

When you board the ship you get a map that shows the self-guided tours. You can start with the Flight Deck, then the Foc’sle, the Gallery Deck, The Lower Decks, and the Hangar Deck which is the first place you see when you board the USS Lexington Museum. Here’s a picture of the USS Lexington Museum map showing what you can see while at the ship.

Mom and Dad said they did all five tours and watched the 3-D movie at the Mega Theater, at the front of the ship, on the Hangar Deck. All that added up to the five hours that I mentioned earlier. I was glad they did not spend much more time than that because Winston and I were ready to go.

There are other things you can do on the USS Lexington that Mom and Dad did not try. Maybe on their next trip when they have more time. There is a flight simulator that accommodates fifteen people. You are launched off the flight deck, go attack targets, and return safely to land on the flight deck. That is an additional five dollars. Dad said it looks pretty realistic as he has been in a flight simulator before. From the outside you can see all the pistons that move the simulator around to give the feeling of flight.

There is also a Pearl Harbor exhibit that Mom and Dad saw while on one of the guided tours. But since they know the story very well they did not stay to watch the film montage that details the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is a state-of-the-art multi-media exhibit, on Tour Route 2 in the ship’s foc’sle. Dad said that the little bit that they watched was presented in realistic animations and actual footage.

For the real adventurous folks, they have something called Lockdown on the LEX. They have two missions to choose from. They involve either finding a bomb and defusing it or locating missing people who are lost in the depths of the ship.

From what Mom and Dad said it seems like visiting the USS Lexington is something to definitely do while in the area. There is a website for the USS Lexington aircraft carrier and the USS Lexington Museum.

Well, it’s time to get back to watching the ocean waves and catching a nap. After all this writing I am exhausted! Thanks for stopping by! Please be sure to leave a comment, or ask a doggy related question, if you would like my input on what it’s like to be a full time RV living Corgi.

Here’s a little parting humor from the ship!

Greetings from Lindsey, the full time RV living Corgi! July was a big deal for me as I had my 15th birthday. In human years that would make me over 100 years old! We were on the road traveling back from seeing Mom and Dad’s family. So I spent my birthday near the water in Biloxi, MS.

The last time I wrote was early summer and I had just come back from the beaches of Port Aransas, TX. Mom and Dad needed to head back to the NRVTA to teach a couple of one-week classes and Dad wanted to take a Lippert Class that was also taking place there.

Right after that we were on the road again headed to Florida. It seems to me that heading to south Florida in July is a stupid idea. But I found out that it was not a sightseeing trip but to help move Dad’s Mom out of south Florida, to Georgia, to be closer to his brother. It was really hot!

So right after the Lippert class, the slideouts were moving in, the leveling jacks were retracted and we were off! By that night we were hanging out at a Cracker Barrel in Shreveport, LA. With an added fuel stop, it was an easy 140 miles. I was keeping my eye on the GPS. Dad did not notice that I was paying that much attention to it, but I was.

After three more days of RV travel, we arrived in Fort Myers Beach, FL. We had stops in Gulfport, MS and Lake City, FL before making it to South Florida. They were long drive days for me, especially with the pounding roads through Louisianna!

We spent eight days in south Florida visiting friends and family and helping to get Dad’s Mom moved out of Naples, FL. I have been visiting this area since I was just a little pup. In fact, the RV park we stayed in was the same one we stayed at last year.

Mom and Dad have friends in Estero, FL that they always see when they are in the area. In fact, their fur-kid Rylee is Mom and Dad’s God dog. So I got to see Rylee again, and of course, Winston went along too. He got to meet Rylee for the first time. Rylee was not that excited to have Winston in her home. So we all had to keep separated so there would be no little tiffs between us dominant Corgi’s. I am too old to care but Rylee doesn’t know that!

So, once the visiting and moving were taken care of it was time to leave South Florida. Our next stop was in south Georgia. Just north of Valdosta is a town called Tifton. That is where Dad’s Mom was going to be living. After a 430 mile drive, we were in a nice little park right off I-75. We stayed there for a week while Mom and Dad spent time with his brother and sister-in-law and finished up the moving situation.

By then it was time to meander back to Texas for the next round of classes at the NRVTA. We spent three days heading back. We boondocked in Crestview, FL, Biloxi, MS on my birthday, and Alexandria, LA. It was pretty hot the whole trip so the generator got a real good workout when we were boondocking.

Well, that’s was has been going on since my last post. I am a pretty old girl, so it’s time for a nap. Dad helped me with writing this post because my eyesight is not that great anymore! My eyes are pretty cloudy with cataracts, but I’m doing okay for such an old girl! I can find my food bowl, crate, and the door, so I guess I should be happy!

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to support my little Bro’s online store that has all kinds of great doggy stuff! He calls it Winston’s Favorite Things!

Also, leave a comment and ask me a question about the full time RV life. I have learned a lot from Mom and Dad!

Lindsey out!

On July 29th, 2019, yourfulltimervliving.com underwent a major upgrade to both WordPress and the websites theme.  The goal of the update was to better protect it’s visitors via the new security that comes with the upgrade, and to offer a better visitor experience!

These updates should also help the mobile visitors that are using phones and tablets to have a better website experience at yourfulltimervliving.com.

Please contact admin by commenting below if you notice any non-responsive links.  Every effort has been made to account for all changes but given the vastness of the website, things could have been missed.

We would appreciate your cooperation in helping us to be sure everyone has a positive experience at yourfulltimervliving.com!

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Greetings from Lindsey, the full time RV living Corgi!  In less than a month I am going to be fifteen years old!  I have overheard Mom say to Dad that being a fifteen-year-old Corgi is way above the average for the life expectancy for my breed.  Maybe my life as an RV camping dog has extended my life due to all the adventures I get to have.

Or, it could be all the good food that Mom gives me.  She has been doing that my whole life.

I have already told you about Winston who came to live with us last December.  Mom has been feeding him the same way she did with me when I was a puppy.

I am not that crazy about the little nipper, but I’ll have to give this younger generation credit for mastering technology.  He has mastered Mom and Dad’s language and has been posting to social media and he even created his own online store to sell his favorite things.  He says it’s better than having a paper route as a kid!  LOL!!

In his online store, he shares all the tasty food items that Mom buys for us.  I’ll have to give him credit where credit is due.  He did a good job on his online page.  He added it to this website.

I know Mom and Dad already wrote about their recent travels to the beach in Port Aransas, TX.  But, I wanted to share a few things too.  Above is a picture of me on the beach.  It was great to have my RV home parked at the beach where we could camp for a few days.

I got to sleep a lot because Mom and Dad spent the whole time hanging outside the RV, or on the beach.  I got some great naps in while falling asleep to the thunder of the surf.  It was very restful!

Here is a picture that Dad took while driving the RV over the bridge that leads to Mustang Island.  Port Aransas is on the north end of the island.  Dad likes to come in from the south to avoid the ferry when coming in from the north.

We did that once, and that was okay in order to have the experience.  But, the waits can be long depending on when you travel and the time of year.  In the summertime, it is always busy!

While in town, in addition to camping on the beach, Mom and Dad stayed at several RV parks during their visit to Port Aransas.  Dad talked about that in a previous post so I won’t rehash that here.  But I will also comment on one thing that Dad mentioned: watch the electrical services and the proximity of those to your RV slideouts.

If Dad had not been paying attention he might have done damage to the RV slideout during deployment when it could have come in contact with the RV sites electrical service.

In this RV site, we had to pull in and back out.  The site was not very wide so in order to avoid a problem with the slides out, the RV had to be situated at the back of the site.  Some RV’s might have been able to get the box between the slideouts, but not with ours since the two slideouts cover most of the streetside sidewall with no room between them.

If we had our truck with us on this trip we would have parked it in front of the RV.  The truck stayed back at the NRVTA as Mom and Dad did not need it.  You see, they teach there every five weeks so that is kind of like a home base.

So, pay attention to how you park your RV when you get it situated on your RV site.

Here is Miss Tiffy at our beach spot just before a beautiful sunset.  The beach cleared out right around dinner time.  It was so peaceful.  I had a great nights sleep while continuing to feel the pounding of the surf given my limited hearing.

Winston got us all up early one morning with his loud talking and crying.  He is high maintenance!  Mom says he loves to be loved!

Even though it was early, it was really cool.  Dad got a lot of shots of the sun coming up, like the one above.  The pictures were so good he decided to use one of them as the main banner on their website.

Here’s a picture of Mom carrying me out of the RV so I could relieve myself.  My nap was interrupted, but when a girls gotta go, she’s gotta go!  Mom has to remind me to go out or else I pee in my diaper.  I talked about that in my last springtime blog.

And here I am at my window in the RV!  It is right in front of the co-pilots seat and at floor level.  I lay here a lot and watch the world go by.  I told Dad he needs to put an awning above my window because it gets hot when the sun beats down on it.  LOLOL!

Finally, just recently Dad decided to clean and protect the roof of our 2016 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 36LA.  It was quite a project.  He was up there for hours!  It sounded like a big rat was up on the roof!  That’s what Mom said anyway.

He was so proud of the results.  It looks like new.  He applied a coating of a product that I can’t name, but I think he is going to post something in his page of RV Resources here on the website.

I’ll have to say that the roof has quite a shine!

Well, Dad says that it’s time to end this.  He has to type for me because I can’t see very well anymore.  Thank you for stopping by!

Lindsey, out!

Pam and I love the beach, so when we are enjoying Texas camping we have found that we like to visit Port Aransas RV Parks!  We also want to share our experience with Port Aransas beach camping.

So far in 2019, we have visited two Port Aransas RV parks.  And in March and May of 2019, we enjoyed Port Aransas beach camping.  I want to talk about both these experiences so that you can learn about a future beach camping experience that you might want to enjoy for yourself.

Here we are parked at Tropic Island RV resort.  It is located on Avenue G just southwest of the Ferry terminal on Mustang Island.  We stayed here twice: once in March of 2019 and the second time in May of 2019.  The RV park is very adequate for a stay, but depending on the size of your RV, and the parking of vehicles by other full time residents, it can be difficult to navigate the RV park’s roads.

This was the site we had the second time we stayed.  It is a pull in / back out RV site.  It was very nice, but the only problem we had was the location of the electrical box in relation to our streetside slideouts.  We had to park toward the rear of the site to make it work for us.  If we had a tow car with us we would have parked it in front of the RV for this RV site.

You can see by the picture above that these pull-through sites funnel into a road that is very narrow.  If placed in these sites with a forty-foot fifth wheel and truck, getting in and out of these could be a problem if the park is full.  Even an experienced RVer with a towable RV could find navigating these a challenge if vehicles are parked right to the end of these sites.

The lesson here is, know before you go!   We ask what RV site we will be on and we check the online park map and Google Maps to see what the conditions are.

We stayed at an RV park a little northeast of Port Aransas, in Rockport.  They assigned us a site over the phone, the last one that was available for a standard back in site.  I checked out the site from my computer and saw that we may have tree issues.

When we got to the RV park, and while Pam was checking in, I went to go look at the site before driving to it.  I discovered that my suspicions were correct.  There was a tree on the site that would prohibit us from getting in there.  It would hit the roof.

So I went back to the office and relayed that observation.  Since there was no other back in sites they upgraded us to a pull-through site at no additional charge and stated that tree trouble was not our fault.  That was Wilderness Oaks RV Resort.

Here we are parked in Pioneer RV Resort in Port Aransas.  This park is a little southwest of town.  It is a larger park that is on the beach, the other side of the dunes.  We were about an eight-minute walk from the beach, down our access road, across the boardwalk, to the beach.

We used our little red folding wagon to load up our chairs and other beach toys to transport them the beach where we spent hours sitting and enjoying the view.

Pioneer RV Resort is well maintained and manicured.  While we were there and since it had been a very wet spring, the mosquitos were a problem.  Even in the wind, they were biting.  We don’t know if it is always this way but if staying here, bring repellent if coming in the spring.

Here is a photo of a beautiful sunrise on the beach!  Winston, our corgi puppy, woke us up early because he wanted us to see it . . . . LOL!

Mixed in with our stays at Port Aransas RV Parks we stayed right on the beach in Port A, on Mustang Island.  You can get on the Island from the north by taking the ferry.  It’s a short ride across the channel to the island.

We usually come in from the south through Corpus Christi, but we have taken the ferry once.  It was fun to do!

So, the deal with staying right at the beach is there are miles of Beach access road that run parallel to the beach, and areas where you can park an RV and stay overnight.  The only cost is the beach parking permit that is required for anyone parking at the beach.

In 2019, the beach parking permit costs $12.  It can be purchased at local vendors: Stripes, IGA, the Chamber, City Hall, Beach Mart, and Snappy’s.  While we were there in May, there was a trailer at the end of Avenue G and Beach Access Road.  They were selling beach parking permits as well as other beach services.

Here is a panorama shot of us with the awning out, beach chairs out, and enjoying the view.

One thing I love about full time RV living is the ability to change the view out the RV windows.  It’s great when you can look out the window and see a view like this!

Here we are looking from the beach access road towards the beach.  Our jacks were down and the slides were out.

Here is another view looking at the front of the RV and towards the beach.  We have had people tell us that they would never park at the beach: too much sand will be brought in.  Well, if you have kids that are not well trained, that’s possible.

What we did was to place a 2’x6′ mat at the bottom of our entry steps.  We kept a broom nearby.  We left our Crocs outside, kept the mat swept, and entered the coach barefoot.  We have carpet on each step so we had no trouble with sand in the RV!

Here’s a similar shot as the one above but it was later in the day and towards sunset.  The clouds can pick up the pinks and reds as the sun sets.  By this time of the day the beach clears out and becomes very peaceful.

The day we took this picture the wind was fairly brisk, so we did not deploy the RV awning.  To do so could have resulted in damage to it with the gusts of wind we were experiencing that day.  So we used our chair umbrellas to shield ourselves from the sun.

Here we are enjoying an adult beverage right on the beach.  We brought the little red folding wagon out and sat for hours enjoying watching and listening to the ocean.

Once the sun set we decided to have a beach campfire.  You are allowed to dig a hole and burn firewood.  Just be sure to clean up after yourself when you are done!  We saw some people leaving their campfire pit without filling it in.

So, how long can you stay and enjoy Texas camping right on the beach?  In a three week period, you can stay three nights.  In the slow season, you may be able to stay longer, but you would have to ask permission to do that.  We saw some folks that had been camping for five to six days.  For more of the rules, you can visit the City of Port Aransas website.

On our way out of Port Aransas, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel to boondock for the night.  They have wonderful RV lanes for RVers!  This particular stop we decided to eat in so we got online and placed a food order and then went inside to pick it up a half hour later.  We had a great meal and a great night.  We either have dinner or breakfast when we stay at Cracker Barrel locations.  That’s how we pay our camping fees . . . LOL!

We also stopped at Cabela’s in Buda, TX.  They allow RVers to stay overnight as well.  We go inside and talk to the manager to let them know we would like to spend the night.  They appreciate that and grant permission to do so and let the evening manager know that we are on the property.

We are so blessed to be able to live the lifestyle that we do!  For those of us that can live in a few hundred square feet on a full time basis, we have the ability to experience so many great places and people.

We hope that you will have the chance to do the same!

Blessings,

Howard, Pam Lindsey, and Winston

It is hard to believe that Pam and I started full time RV living eleven years ago!  Before that time we knew we loved RV travel and all the benefits there were for us, but we were not sure how long we would try it for.  We did not plan an exit strategy, we just figured we’ll “grip it and rip it” and see where it leads.

There is so much of our story on our website about full time RV living, and our business endeavors, so I am not going to rehash that here.  What we did want to share is some of our latest revelations of things we experienced in our recent travels.

We spend a fair bit of time in Texas at the National RV Training Academy.  When we are not teaching we hit the road and travel to locations where we can help others with our business services while we enjoy RV travel and the tax advantages of operating our business on the road.

Stories From Our Recent Travels

We left Texas and headed to Alabama in late January.  We had two purposes for going: one was to visit Red Bay, AL where Tiffin Motorhomes is located, and the second was to work with some RV inspection clients while we were on the road.  We needed some minor repair work on Miss Tiffy and the factory service department at Tiffin is really the best place to go.  The dealerships take too long and you don’t get to stay on board and interact with the technicians as you do at the Red Bay location.

The only problem for some could be that when you go you don’t get to schedule an appointment.  You check in and wait for them to call you to a service bay.  It could be a day or two, or it could be a week or longer.  But, you get to have your issues addressed directly with the technicians and you are there to see what is done.  For Tiffin owners, this is a really nice service.  So, we learned if you want your service issues addressed, go to the manufacturer’s service facility for peace of mind.

Miss Tiffy is Fat!

Since we have had Miss Tiffy, purchased last year in July, we have had it weighed twice.  The first time we were grossly overweight (get it, GVWR, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).  We just drove over the CAT scales at a Pilot/Flying J location after we had removed approximately 1,000 pounds since the last weighing, but we are still over the GVWR rating with full water and full fuel.

So far in our full time RV living journey, we have never had a storage unit.  The best scenario has been a motorized unit pulling a trailer, but we wanted to get away from that.  We just want the RV and our truck.  That being the case everything has to fit in both and not exceed the RV’s cargo carrying capacity.

For the first time, we have had to get a storage unit so we could take out all the extra stuff and weigh Miss Tiffy.  Now that all that “stuff” is out we just need to get rid of a little more and we’ll be okay.  But, that means if all the stuff that is in the storage unit does not fit in the truck, some of it has to go.

What we continue to learn is that you really have to be diligent in watching how much of your possessions are loaded into the RV and do not exceed the recommended cargo carry capacity.  If you do, then you are risking damage to the running gear and are also risking safety.  Weighing the RV on a regular basis is the only way to know that you are traveling safely!

Reducing Bodily Injury to My Head!

When we purchased Miss Tiffy we chose a particular floorplan so I would not have to bend underneath curbside slideouts to get into our storage bays.  RVers are delusional if they think everything they need will fit inside the RV and the storage bays are for occasional use.  We are in and out of them constantly.  So, that plan has worked well.  Everything we think we need on a regular basis stays on the curbside of the RV and the rest is on the streetside where our two slides reside.

However, the streetside contains the plumbing bay which houses the water, sewer, and electric service.  This area is also accessed very regularly.  It is located beneath our main larger slideout which extends out almost three feet.  That requires a lot of bending underneath the slideout to access this area.  Setting up and breaking down with the slideouts out has lead to encounters of my head with the slideout t-molding, which can be sharp!  Even wearing a hat has not saved me from a bleeding incident.  I have talked with other RVers.  I am not alone in this activity.

While getting ready to leave in January I was wearing a heavy coat due to temperatures in the thirties.  I had my hood on as well.  While working to get the RV services unhooked I hit the front portion of my head on the lower Schwintek rail of our rear slideout and about knocked myself out.  With my hood over my head, I just misjudged things.  Advil was the solution for that stupidity!

So what have I learned?  When dealing with a Class A motorhome, regardless of what I am doing I have to take the time to pay attention to where I am when under and around the slideouts to be sure to avoid another bloody incident. 

I have had to change our order of events a little when coming and going from RV sites.  When hooking up and removing services from Miss Tiffy I now make sure the slideouts are in.  This situation is a problem mostly because compared to the other RV’s we have owned, the storage bays sit lower than our other full time RV living RV’s.

Boondocking

We also discovered on recent travels that not all Cracker Barrel locations allow RVers to stay overnight in their RV/Bus lanes.  We have never had an issue up until recently.  I am sure that is due to either a city ordinance or because disrespectful RVers have taken advantage and ruined it for others by taking up residence instead of showing up for the night, having a meal, and then leaving the next morning.

We have seen people at Walmart locations with their slides out, jacks down, chairs, grill, and patio mat lout like they are at a campground.  That is not the intent of boondocking at Walmarts and Cracker Barrel locations. 

The best rule of thumb for places that do allow overnight blacktop RV parking is to not look like you are staying overnight: slides in, jacks up, if a towable RV have the tow vehicle attached, and don’t stay too long unless clearing it with the management of the location.

Pilot/Flying J Truck Stops

We have known for years that truckers really don’t like RV’s in their fueling area.  They seem to get frustrated with us being on the highways as well.  They like to cruise along at the maximum speed, and then some.  I, on the other hand, have discovered that reduced speeds are safer and less stressful.  These big RV’s don’t stop easily and it is easier to do that by reducing the speed a little.  We like to travel at 55-60mph regardless of the maximum speed.

We were boondocking in a Flying J truck stop recently while heading west to Texas.  We decided to take an out-of-the-way end spot to not get sandwiched in between two trucks.  I also shifted the RV towards the outside of the lane.  A truck pulled in, got very close to us, ran his generator so as to blow the diesel fumes at our entry door, and then later threw a bag of chicken bones and a half drunk soda out of his passenger side door at our RV.  Nice!

We only stayed there because we were out visiting friends and we parked at the truck stop because we thought it was safer than leaving the unoccupied RV at Walmart.  There were no RV parks in the area and we thought this would be a good option.  We don’t typically stay at truck stops, and this further confirms the reason why.  Not to mention the whole place smelled like urine.

The lesson learned?  Only stay at these locations in extreme emergencies!

Boondocking at Casinos

We have known about this for years and have visited several locations.  What we learned recently is that there are several along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi that are right across from the beach, allow multiple nights of boondocking, and they have security on the premises.  These boondocking spots are usually parking lots that are on the outskirts of their facility where there is space for larger vehicles.

While staying at Harrah’s in Biloxi, MS we had the chance to visit the beach, take long walks along the peninsula and stay for three nights for free while getting to enjoy the water.  Winter time at beach locations is difficult because the snowbirds take up spaces, raise the nightly fees, and leave no availability for the transient crowd.

So, we learned to never give up on finding something!  Pam found this location and it was a nice surprise.

RV Park Electrical

Having worked in the maintenance department of several RV parks I can say with assurance that the RV park electrical pedestal may not always be adequate to supply the needed power to my RV.  After blowing up my EMS unit three times in the early years, I learned that testing with a voltmeter first is a good thing to do!

While in Alabama, along the Gulf Coast, we visited an RV park that we have visited on and off for the past four years.  It was newer back in the earlier years but now it has been a bit neglected.  I can always tell by the condition of the electrical service.  When I flip the breaker prior to plugging in and the spring action is loose, to me this may indicate a problem.

I had just parked the RV, it was raining, and I decided to just plug in the EMS unit and omit the voltmeter check.  It indicated low voltage on one leg of the 50 amp service.  I got out my voltmeter and double checked before having Pam run to the office to seek a solution.  The voltmeter confirmed my EMS results.  We had 12 volts on one leg and 126 volts on the other leg.  The EMS unit will not allow power through to the RV with this condition.  That is why these devices are so important!

We contacted the RV park office.  Their solution was, “just don’t use the EMS unit!”  That is not what I wanted to hear!  You don’t run things in the RV with low voltage.  You can do serious damage to electronics and appliances!

I told the RV park maintenance person that if he would get me a new breaker I would replace it.  I know liability wise that should not be allowed, but he went to go find one.  They had no one on property to perform this fix and the person who could was not going to be back till that evening.  The other option was to move to a less desirable site.

A new breaker was delivered and I replaced it with the member of the RV park staff watching me.  Once replaced all was good.  The whole repair only took a few minutes.  The nice thing was he offered to go to the office to see if he could get us a free night for helping out.  He did and we were happy!

Once again, I confirmed the reason why I never trust that the electrical service is adequate and why I always check first before plugging in my shore power cord to an unknown source.  Being lazy and ignorant of this issue could be costly!

Okay, so those are a few things I wanted to pass along.  Maybe they will be helpful to you.

Please feel free to leave a comment before you go.

Greetings from Lindsey, the full-time RV living Corgi!  It has been two months since the little nipper that Mom and Dad call Winston, joined our family.  He is a real pain and I don’t really spend time with him.  I am an old girl and he just wants to nip and jump at me.  I am not in the mood for that at my phase of life.

I have not been feeling great these days.  Mom and Dad took me to the vet and they pulled blood samples to see how I am doing.  All the tests came back good.  Nothing was of concern according to the Vet.  Mom and Dad were really happy to hear that!

Speaking of hearing, I don’t think I have that sense anymore.  Either that or the world has gotten pretty quiet.  But, when I look at Mom and Dad and they talk to me, I see their mouths moving but no sound coming out so I figured I just can’t hear anymore.

Also, the little nipper looks like he is always barking, and I don’t hear that either.  Or, maybe he is trying to cough up a fur ball . . . . . LOL!

Mom got really concerned a few weeks ago because I stopped eating my food.  That hard kibble really hurt my teeth!  That stuff is just too much for my old teeth I guess.  But I could not tell Mom what the problem was.  She was really worried.  But, she figured it out after a few days and started feeding me rice.  Mom and Dad also bought some high-quality canned dog food for me to eat.

I really like my new food!  All is good in that department now.

I have been drinking a lot of water too.  Mom seems to think more than normal so she does not leave the water bowl out for me anymore because I drink the whole thing and then I can’t hold my bladder, and then I pee on the floor.  Mom gets really frustrated.   Here I am sleeping near my window in the RV.  It’s better known as my peeky hole.

So, in order for me to continue to sleep on Mom and Dad’s bed, I have piddle pads and I have to wear a diaper.  It’s not very comfortable but it does save Mom’s sanity from having to clean up urine puddles in the RV.

Lindsey’s Travels

For the past month, I have really been a traveling Corgi.  We logged about two thousand miles traveling around the southeast.

We were in Red Bay, AL where our RV was made.  Mom and Dad had some minor service issues they wanted to be addressed there.  They were also able to do some RV inspections while in Alabama. 

It was cold there!  We had weather that was in the low twenties some nights!  I think this winter has been really cold.  As an older Corgi, I really feel it.  I am really glad Dad bought the infra-red heater to help keep the RV more evenly warm.  I feel much better with it running!

They also took a factory tour.  They said it was really cool to see how our RV was built!

While on the road Dad decided to do his regular leak test on the propane system.  He discovered a leaking hose coming out of the ASME tank regulator.  While in Alabama he had it replaced as it was a special set up that was best purchased from Tiffin.

We then traveled into Florida and visited Passport America and MY RV Mail.  From there we headed down to the Gulf Coast in Alabama, spent some time at Harrah’s Casino in Biloxi where we were able to boondock in their lot and enjoy being right across the street from the Gulf of Mexico.  We also boondocked around Gulfport, MS where Mom and Dad met with a business client.  It was nice that the weather was warmer there!

We then traveled into Louisiana and spent some time around the Lafayette area at a nice campground with small lakes surrounding the property.  From there we boondocked a few more nights at Walmart and Cracker Barrel before arriving back at the National RV Training Academy where Mom and Dad teach others about RV inspections and starting an RV inspection or RV related business.

Okay, that’s all for now.  Thanks, Dad for helping me write this one.  My paws just can’t work the keyboard as they could a few years ago.

Leave me a message below if you want to say hello.  Dad will pass it along to me.

Lindsey out.