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!

Thank you!!

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.

Greetings from Lindsey, the full-time RV living Corgi!  I don’t know where 2018 went but it sure did go by fast.  At fourteen and a half years old I cherish every day as an RVing Corgi!

When last I wrote I mentioned that Mom and Dad were talking about another fur-kid.  Of course, they would choose another Pembroke Welsh Corgi as I am the third one they have had.  I posted a picture of the little nipper in my last blog.  It is a picture Mom and Dad got from the breeder.

On December 22, 2018, Mom and Dad woke me up real early and put me in the truck, in the cab of course.  I found out later that this was going to be a trip from Texas to Kansas to go pick up my new brother.  I was not excited!  I know what puppies are like.  Mom and Dad reminded me what a pain I was to Maya!

After leaving Texas at 3 AM, we drove over five hundred miles to the breeder’s location in Paola, KS.  It was quite a long drive, and even though I like to sleep all the time, I was ready to get out of the truck.

Once we arrived at our destination, Mom and Dad disappeared and left me in the truck.  I assumed they were meeting the new puppy before I got a chance to have my say about this whole thing.  Here he is, on the right, with one of his sisters.  Mom and Dad wanted the fluffy male corgi, but they were also looking at the female.

A short while later Mom came and got me and brought me into the breeder’s home to meet the little ball of fur.  I know they already decided they wanted him and my opinion really did not matter, but I did get a chance to check him out.  Since he has grown up with so many Corgi’s I was not a big deal to him.

He did the usual nip and run puppy thing but I snarled and he ran.  So I think we came to a quick understanding that I am the Queen of the castle. Here’s a picture of the Mom, PJ.

And here is the Dad, Reggie.

So, after about three hours of time with the breeder, meeting the mother and father, and getting the furball’s ownership transferred to Mom and Dad, we were back on the road, but know there was a crate next to me in the truck and I had to share my space with him.

We traveled for an hour and then stopped at a hotel for the night.  Since we started at 3 AM and it was now late afternoon, we were all tired, except for my new bro-fur!  So we stopped at a LaQuinta, which is a great hotel if you travel with dogs.  Since Mom and Dad are RVers, it is rare for them to be out of the RV!  In eleven years of full time living it has only happened a few times.

Mom and Dad said this trip was just too quick a turnaround to bring Miss Tiffy, and traveling into Kansas in the winter time can be problematic.  So the hotel was the only option.  So here was our room for the night.  It was quite comfortable and we were able to keep the puppy pen on the tile.

And here’s the happy family . . . . Not!   “Get him away from me!”

I keep referring to the little nipper as the furball and the bro-fur, but I guess it’s time to reveal his name.

Mom and Dad had decided on a name prior to meeting him.  They chose the name Sir Winston Churchhill’s Quandary.  The reason for the Quandary part of the name is that Mom and Dad have named all of us Corgis after tall mountains in Colorado, those over 14,000 feet.  I was named after Mt. Lindsey in the Sangre de Cristo range in Colorado.

I hear Mom and Dad calling him Winston.

So, after a night in the hotel and another long drive back to Texas where the RV is currently located, in less than forty-eight hours I traveled eleven hundred miles and returned with Winston.  We arrived home a few days before Christmas.  Mom and Dad wanted a few weeks over the holidays to get Winston settled into a routine.  They had the time to spend every day with him getting the little piddler housebroken.  Here he is in his playpen.

It has been three weeks since he invaded my space and life is very different than it was before he arrived.  Now I know how Maya felt when I showed up as a puppy.  She was so good to me!  I have to remember that even though I am old and cranky that I need to be nice to him like Maya was to me.  Yes, I must teach him in the ways of the force!

However, Mom and Dad are keeping us separated so we don’t get into a fight over food and toys.  Unlike Maya who was so easy going I do have a food and toy fetish: what’s his is mine and what’s mine is mine.  You know how that goes.

I will be fifteen in July.  Mom and Dad had me to the vet recently and had my blood tested.  Everything was normal so they were really happy!  They want me to be around a while longer.  I’ll do my best even though it is getting hard to get around.  I know Mom’s healthy diet: healthy food, freeze-dried protein patties, and healthy treats.  She has been feeding me these things all these years and it has really helped to extend my life!  Thanks, Mom!!  Even the breeder was impressed!  You see, Winston and I came from the same place.  Pretty cool, eh?

Well, that’s it for now.  I’ll check back in again and let you know how life with Winston is going.  I hear he is going to have his own section on the website.  He already has a Facebook page.  Better him than me!

Lindsey out!

Greetings fellow RVers and those that want to be!  Lindsey here.  It has been a few months since the last time I pawed out a blog.  The last time I wrote I was sharing about our new RV home.  We have been living in Miss Tiffy, our third full time RV home, for a little over four months.  I really like Miss Tiffy!

So what have I been up to since last I wrote?  Well, I sleep a lot . . . . LOL!  Hey, I am fourteen and a half years old.  I deserve a few good naps throughout the day.

There are times when Mom and Dad are around a lot and other times they are gone all day.  Since we spend a fair bit of time at the RV Training Academy where Dad teaches, those are the times I can really catch up on my sleep.  When Dad is not teaching he works from the RV and tends to keep waking me up to go outside to go potty, to kiss my head, and play with me.

All Ready for the Next Round of Classes

“The NRVIA November 2018 Advanced Graduating Class”

“Sixteen Inspectors Inside an RV Getting Ready to Inspect”

In late September and early October Mom and Dad were really busy due to teaching responsibilities and then the NRVIA National Conference.  As soon as that was over I noticed that the RV was going into moving mode.  That sounded good to me because I always love a good road trip!

“The 2018 NRVIA National Conference – A Morning Session”

In early October we packed up Miss Tiffy and headed towards the beach, one of Mom and Dad’s favorite places to visit!  The destination was Galveston Island where we were back in early summer.  We stayed at Sand Piper RV Park and decided to return to the same location as it was close to the beach.  This time Mom and Dad also took the bicycles along, as well as my wagon.  There were some bike paths that Mom and Dad noticed when they visited back in May.

“Miss Tiffy at Sand Piper RV Park”

The other thing Mom and Dad wanted to do on their trip was to have Miss Tiffy weighed now that the RV is fully loaded for travel after moving everything out of Frank and the trailer that we used to pull behind it.  The facility for weighing is part of the Escapees organization and it is called SmartWeigh.  The location in Texas is in Livingston which was along the route as we headed to Galveston.

We overnighted at Walmart in Livingston and planned a stop at the SmartWeigh facility the next morning.  It is set up so you drive through the park to a concrete pad where you drive up on that scales.  Each tire is weighed separately in order to get the total weight of the RV.

“Getting Lines up for a SmartWeigh”

“The SmartWeigh Facility in Livingston, Texas”

A SmartWeigh Scale

The front axle was weighed first on both the streetside and the curbside.  Once those values were determined the RV was moved so the rear axle measurements could be taken.  Before the weighing process, we were given a form to fill out.  It was sent to us via email when we scheduled the SmartWeigh.  What information was needed was the gross vehicle weight rating as well as the gross axle weight rating, tire load caps and current air pressure.

What we are trying to determine when weighing an RV is if the vehicle is overweight, or maybe it is underweight but overloaded on one of the axles.  It is also possible for the vehicle to be heavier on one side than the other.  There are several possibilities here that could lead to an unsafe condition due to excess weight being applied to any single tire or dual tire setup.

I overheard Dad talking to Mom about all this so I am just passing along what I heard.  I am a pretty smart Corgi but I don’t know a lot about this RV stuff, just what I overhear.

After we finished with the weighing process, and by the way, Miss Tiffy needs to go on a diet, we headed south for Galveston Island.  We spent three nights there and enjoyed some warmer weather and a little time off.

After our time in the Galveston Island area Mom and Dad packed up Miss Tiffy and we headed northeast towards Arkansas.  We were headed back to Heber Springs, AR where I have been for the past five years when mid-October rolls around.  Mom and Dad go there to attend the Workamper News Rendezvous.  It is a great time that they get to share with a couple of hundred other RVers who come to learn about the work camper lifestyle.  Dad had a session where he shared how work camper dreamers can achieve the lifestyle.  And since Mom and Dad have been living it since 2008 they have a lot they can share.

Workamper News Rendezvous

“Miss Tiffy at the Workamper News Office”

I came on the scene in 2004 when Mom and Dad were still renting RV’s and exploring the RV lifestyle.  In fact, when I was a puppy and they came and adopted me from my birth mother, they showed up in an RV.  The first month of my life with them I thought we lived in one.  But then we went to the mountains of Colorado and I lived in a really big house for a while with my sister Maya.  I saw a lot of snow during the first few years of my life!  I thought the world was always white.

After leaving Heber Springs, AR we headed back south.  We took a few days and boondocked in Texarkana and then visited an RV park on a large lake in northeast Texas.  We then headed back to the Training Academy for another round of classes. 

We love boondocking at Cracker Barrel!  They welcome RVers by having RV/Bus lanes.  They are always conveniently located off major highways and are easy to get in and out of.  All they as is if you do stay overnight to please come in for dinner or breakfast.  And why not!  The food and service are always good!

“Miss Tiffy at Cracker Barrel”

So that is pretty much what I have been up to since late summer.  Stay tuned for my ongoing adventures because from what I hear Mom and Dad have been talking about a new fur-kid.  I am not excited about having to train a new puppy in the ways of the force . . . . LOL, I mean how to be a Corgi, especially one that lives full time in an RV!  I will be sharing a lot of pictures of the cute little nipper!

Happy RVing!!

Lindsey the full time RVing Corgi here! I wanted to update you all on what has gone on the past few months. The last time that I wrote I was on my way to Florida because Mom and Dad had some work there and they also wanted to visit friends and family while in the area.

Dad packed up Frank, our class C RV, and we headed out of Texas to go some eleven hundred miles to the Tampa, FL area. It was great to get away from Texas and the one hundred degree temperatures. Florida is hot too, but it was in the low nineties, high humidity, but always an afternoon shower.

Mom, Dad, and I boondocked a few nights on the way to Florida, but it was so hot that they decided to stay overnight in an RV park because they did not feel it was safe to run the generator all night while sleeping. I was glad they did!

After three days of travel, we wound up in the Tampa area and stayed at Lazydays RV Resort. Mom and Dad like going there because they can check out all the RV’s and see what is new in the industry. I recognized the place as I have been there so many times before.

When we first got there Dad got out my wagon and he put me in it. Before I knew it I was being pulled around the dealership, and I was allowed inside too. I suddenly got the idea that perhaps they were not only looking at RV’s to just look but perhaps they were thinking of getting another one.

How I knew was we appeared to be in the sales area where everyone was welcoming us to Lazydays and offering assistance. I loved all the attention! I looked so cute in my wagon!

After that, we went over to the campground and parked the RV. I was still not sure what Mom and Dad were up to, but by conversations I could understand, it did sound like a newer RV was in my future. I like Frank but I sure would like a little more room to stretch out and play. Plus, a few more hiding spots would be nice!

Over the next few days, Mom and Dad were sure gone a lot. While they were away I got caught up on my naps. Travel days really wear me out. It’s hard to get a really good nap when the RV is rolling down the road, especially with some of the roads in Louisiana and Mississippi!

We were there at Lazydays for about a week and then, all of the sudden, we were leaving. So I figured that maybe we were not getting another full time RV home. It looked like we were heading further south. A short while later we were in Fort Myers, FL. Mom and Dad told me they were there to visit Dad’s Mom and their God dog Rylee.

Since they left the HMRVI truck back in Texas, Mom and Dad rented a small car to be able to go visit friends a family. I got to go along several times when we went to visit Rylee and her Mom and Dad. Rylee came to stay with us three years ago when she was just a puppy. She got a little fresh with me back then so I bit her ear. I think she still remembers that! For this visit, Mom and Dad thought it was best if we stay separated so as not to get into trouble. I was also trying to stay away from the two-year-old boy. I am an old girl and not able to play that way anymore.

Then, while Mom and Dad visited his Mom, I stayed home and got to catch up on more sleep. It was a long day because they had to go down to Naples, FL. After eight nights down in the Fort Myers/Naples area, over the July 4th weekend, we were on the road again. I did not know where we were going, but after a stop at Publix for groceries, we were headed back north. I have a good sense of direction!

A few hours later we were back at Lazydays again. Now I was really confused. There was not that much talk about what was going on, or at least that I could hear or understand. My hearing has really gone downhill these days.

Oh, and I had my fourteenth birthday on July 9th! At ninety-eight years old I guess I am doing pretty good! I may not be able to hear and get around as well as I used to but I am doing pretty good for a Corgi of my age.

Anyway, Dad parked the RV in the campground and then they disappeared again. At this point, I knew something was up. Then, the next day I noticed things were starting to get packed up. The pictures were coming off the walls and stuff was being put into bags and boxes.

Then, the RV was on the move again. Dad went a short distance from the campground and parked it in a lot with a bunch of other RV’s. All of a sudden this big beautiful newer looking RV was parked next to Frank. Mom and Dad seemed to know what was going on. They disappeared into the other RV, and, all of the sudden, I was whisked away out of Frank and into the other RV! Wow, it is beautiful!

I was checking it out and Mom decided my crate was the best place for me to stay out of the way. All the stuff from Frank was now being brought into the new RV. It took a few hours and it looked like a bomb hit, but all our stuff was now in the new RV. I heard Dad refer to it as Miss Tiffy.

Later on, after stuff started to be put away, I was able to check out my new digs. It is really nice, and it has so much more room than Frank! The one thing that I did notice right away is that the flooring is really slick! For me, it’s like walking on ice. Dad put down some carpets for me so I have a place to get some traction. Dad keeps laughing at me but I am not amused!

We spent the night in Miss Tiffy, at the dealership, and then by late morning, we were on the road heading back to Texas. Dad had to get back for business. Miss Tiffy rides so much better than Frank due to the larger tires and suspension system. I was able to roam about a little but I mostly stayed in my crate as it is much safer that way during travel.

While I was continuing to investigate the RV over the next few days I discovered the most wonderful thing for a full time RVing Corgi: a doggy peep window. It’s right at my level and lets me look out anytime I want. I can even lay there and enjoy the view, whether we are moving or not. It is located by the front curbside corner of the RV.

I also love my new couch! It is a great place to sit with Mom and watch Lassie.

Another really cool thing is that I can use Dad’s office area when I want to write my website posts. It’s really comfy and I have plenty of room to work. Mom has to help me up on the chair but once there I can really get things done. I think better with my hat on!

It has been four weeks that we have now been living in Miss Tiffy and I must say that I approve! Mom and Dad did a good job picking out my new RV home. From what I heard they worked really hard to check her out to be sure she was what they were looking for and that she would be trouble-free. You can read their side of the story here.

Time for another nap! Thanks for stopping by. I’ll check in again soon.

If you have been to our website before you know a little bit about Pam and I. For those that have not, we have been living the full time RV life since 2008. In that time we have had two RV’s that have served our purposes well during those years. Recently, we decided it was time for number three. So, I want to discuss what we did and some ideas on how to buy an RV.

Here are the RV’s that have helped us travel the United States since 2008.

We have now welcomed this RV into our family! We call her Miss Tiffy. She is a Tiffin Allegro Open Road.

After our previous two RV’s, why did we choose this one? What was our thought process? What class of RV were we looking for after having a 5th wheel and a class C RV?

After spending ten years in an RV and over one hundred thousand miles driven in RV’s, we know exactly how to buy an RV! Of course, since our business involves being in the RV industry and being RV inspectors, that makes the process that much easier. Let’s see if we can share some information that will help you as you do the same!

Why Did We Choose This RV?

So, we spent six and a half years with the truck and 5th wheel and three and a half years with the class C RV. Many fellow RVers asked us why did we go from a large 5th wheel and truck, some sixty feet of RV, to a thirty-foot class C pulling a trailer? Did we lose our minds?

The answer to that question lies in the needs of the RVer at the time that the purchase is made and how you see your RV life in the foreseeable future. Can you really know what RV will best suit your purposes for years to come? Do wants and needs change over time? Absolutely! We would have to be mind readers to be able to see years into the future to know what we would be doing so we could choose an RV that would suit those needs.

For the first six and half years of our full time RV life, we work camped in areas we wanted to visit. We spent months in those locations. One place was right on the beach in the panhandle of Florida. We enjoyed that areas so much we spent a total of forty-three months on and off over a period of years. We just kept coming back. And being that Florida is our domicile state it made sense at that time.

That style of full time RV living where you are not moving around a lot matches well with a 5th wheel RV. They are set up like a small condo with all the amenities you need to be comfortable. But, for us, the problem came when it was time to move. It took us many hours to get ready and once on the road, navigating to certain locations took careful planning due to the size of the RV.

The other issue was backing the RV into tight spaces. At sixty feet long we had issues in older RV parks that were not designed for today’s larger RV’s. I had experience backing RV’s of this size as I was trained by a retired semi-truck driver in an RV park we were work camping at. He let me move 5th wheel RV’s around the park and get them set on RV sites.

Even with all that experience, backing the 5th wheel is the thing that scares a lot of people away from them once they own them for a little while. Even if they get good at it, the process is always nerve-racking after a long days drive. And, pull through RV sites are not always available. And, if they are, they cost more. We have found this to be a problem for some.

After all those experiences with the 5th wheel for six and a half years, and due to the change in our full time RV living lifestyle at that time, we needed to go smaller in order to make more frequent travels to many locations easier due to our business that we run out of our RV home.

So, we decided on the class C RV, knowing that it would be much smaller and there would be issues related to the lack of space compared to the 5th wheel. However, when it came time to move, drivability, ease of getting in and out of any RV spaces, ease of fueling, less fuel and maintenance costs, better mileage, easier to clean, etc. we found ourselves enjoying the experience of living in Frank, as we called him.

I wrote an article on the full time RV living and small RV motorhomes that you can visit if you would like to know more about my thoughts on the positives and negatives of a small RV motorhome.

What Was Our Thought Process?

Having all those RVing experiences, since we started back in 2008, and with those two completely different RV’s, plus all the time we spent renting Class A gas and diesel RV’s, as well as class C RV’s, we had a pretty good idea at this point how to buy an RV that would now suit our needs for years to come.

So, what were we now thinking would be the major things we wanted in our next RV home based on how we live our full time RV lifestyle? Now, before I share this list let me tell you this! No RV is absolutely perfect and able to meet all your RVing needs. Even if you had one custom built, there would still be the issue of the chassis and the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

We had to sit down and look at our previous experiences, what was currently available on the RV market, what manufacturer would best meet our needs of quality and durability, have a good reputation in the industry for overall quality and service, and overall meet most of our full time RVing needs.

What Class of RV and Manufacturer Would Best Meet Our Current Needs?

Taking the previous discussion into account, we decided on a Class A Gas RV based on these needs:

• A gas engine over a diesel engine due to the desire to have the engine up front and easier access to maintenance facilities.
• More adaptable to sit for extended periods of time or frequent travel compared to a diesel engine that is more suited for frequent travel and higher engine mileage.
• More bang for the buck in the gasoline chassis and the fact that we did not need the carrying capacity that a diesel chassis offers.

Here are some of the other things we had to have. They are available in either a class A gas or diesel RV:

• An RV with two slides on the streetside and not on the curbside.
• 2,600 to 3,000 lbs of cargo carrying capacity.
• A suppression system to reduce sway.
• A floorplan that allows for boondocking when the slides are in.
• No plumbing located in slideouts.
• A residential refrigerator.
• A washer and dryer either as a combo unit or separate ones.
• A bath and a half.
• A space to create an office work area.
• Only one black and one gray water tank.
• All solid flooring with no, or very little, carpet.
• Pass through outside storage bins.
• A large shower.
• A king size bed.
• A comfortable chair for Howard to sit and work or to watch TV.

Once all these things were found, the next issue to overcome is whether the RV is built right and all the systems are functioning as designed. This is where the RV inspector training comes into play!

Looking at all the criteria above and having the knowledge about RV manufacturers and their building practices, as well as the track record from friends who own RV’s, we chose the Tiffin Motorhomes brand as our RV of choice.

Once that was settled we only had to choose a floorplan that met the needs that we stated above. It was easy to find a floor plan that fit our desires perfectly. There were six options available and one was a clear choice.

To Buy a New or Used RV?

We never buy new RV’s as there is no need for such things! If you are patient and know exactly what you want, knowing how to buy an RV is easy! You can save tens of thousands of dollars buying a two-year-old RV!

When we were ready I did a quick search at a dealership that we bought our class C RV, and guess what? There was a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Open Road in their inventory that has just come in with only 1,226 miles on it! We contacted the dealership and put a deposit on it until we could see it in person.

Armed with our list of criteria, mentally, of course, we drove 1,100 miles to Florida to go visit the dealership and the RV. Our first viewing of the RV was promising. Pam and I went into inspection mode and did a quick evaluation of the major systems to see if all was okay.

I headed to the roof and Pam investigated the interior. It was looking promising. The next step was to verify all equipment was as listed on the build sheet. During all this investigation we quickly found some issues that we made known to the dealership and that we wanted to be addressed before we would possibly take possession of the RV.

We decided it was worth it to go on a test drive. We had expectations about what it would drive like, but due to the newer Sumo suspension system on the Ford F53 chassis, we were hoping it would not sway as much as previous rentals we had on the gas platform. Once driven, we found we were happy with the drivability so we decided to negotiate based on the dealer taking care of the concerns we had.

After a few weeks and patience on our part to get the dealer to get our concerns addressed, we were able to take possession of the Tiffin Allegro Open Road!

So How Has it Worked Out?

We have been in Miss Tiffy for almost four weeks now. We drove her from Tampa, Florida to East Texas. She performed admirably! There have been no issues since then. Due to the careful process that we initiated for investigating the RV prior to purchase, we were able to find the right RV for us.

All the items that we had stored in the class C RV, Frank, have disappeared into Miss Tiffy along with all the items stored in the trailer. Between Chevy Chase, our work truck, and Miss Tiffy, there is plenty of storage for our belongings.

We are thoroughly enjoying our new RV home!

How Can You Know How to Buy an RV?

Be sure to have a list of all the “must haves” for you based on your previous RV experiences. As I have said before, if you are considering the full time RV lifestyle, and you have never RV’d before, please rent for a while before deciding on your full time RV home.  A mistake can be very costly, perhaps to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars!

Also, unless you have the experience and credentials, we would suggest seeking the assistance of an NRVIA inspector to be sure you get all the facts about the RV you are considering prior to purchase!

Pam, Lindsey and I wish you all the best in your current and future RV travels!