It has been two years since we were last in Florida, and that was with our 2020 Tiffin Phaeton 40IH, which had to go back to the Tiffin Service Center for more warranty work, for a THIRD time in 10 MONTHS. We were so sick and tired of dealing with it and getting no help on fixing all the issues with it (since Bob Tiffin had sold the company to THOR and no longer cared for the buyers of his production). Actually we tried to make an appointment to talk to him several times, because everyone always said how approachable he was, but he was never available to talk to us about our coach, despite his own paint department manager having stated to us that that vehicle should never have left the factory in the condition of the paintwork it had. The Spyder Control Multiplex System also would not work correctly, with the levels going UP as the fluids were emptied and vice versa. I suggested that wires may have been crossed erroneously, but they said no, that is was working correctly, soo when the tanks showed EMPTY I needed to flush them, and when they showed full, they were good to go. Wait... WHAT??? No that just never made any sense, but since Bob wouldn't even talk to us about it, when the selling dealer (La Mesa RV, Tucson AZ) offered us $3,000 more than we had paid for it 10 months earlier, brand new, and offered to send a driver to Red Bay AL for it (from Tucson), we said "SOLD!" and dumped it.
Anyway, that was then (2021).... then we bought a house in Star Valley Ranch WY, thinking that we were done with the RV'ing nomad lifestyle. We had also bought a building lot (on a golf course) that we were planning on building our own designed alpine golf-front mountain retreat, but due to the high costs of building materials during Covid, we never built on it, thankfully because later we discovered that Roxy is deathly afraid of golfers (swinging clubs). Instead we bought the existing house, and later sold the building lot at 250% of what we had paid for it just 18 months earlier. We lived in the house for two years now, made some improvements to it and are now planning on selling it in May-June 2023, as it has been owned for 2 years which satisfies the Capital Gains requirement. Even with Biden ruining the economy and trying to ruin our country, it is still valued at least 200% of what we paid for it, so we shall make a profit on it as well, because all the billionaires are taking over Jackson Hole and forcing all the miollionaires down to our valley, which is maintaining the housing prices higher.
So, last year, after going through one winter living in Wyoming, and thankfully that was a relatively mild winter Mary said that she was missing the nomadic traveling lifestyle of RV'ing and suggested that we get a 5th wheel instead of an motorhome, given all the issues we keep having with motorhomes, and because Bill knew that she was really into the floor plans of 5th wheels (island kitchens, lots of storage inside and large pantries, etc.) though he is not that fond of 'trailers' he thought he would give it a try, and try to like it, for Mary's sake.
However, that lasted 10 months and 9,000+ miles. Try as he did, there was just no way that Bill was going to be able to enjoy traveling again on a 5th Wheel, and especially on that 5th wheel, (a 2021 Montana 3812MS). Bill has always had motorhomes (from a Class C to gassers to diesel pushers, and has always preferred them to trailers, for many reasons. Trailers may offer some benefits inside, but for the most part do not offer the comfort or the dependability of a motorhome, and since he was the one that has to drive it, and fix it when it breaks, it bore a heavy burden on him. Now, while Mary does not feel comfortable driving a 40 foot motor home, she had no problem driving a one ton Ford F350, pulling a 41 foot fifth wheel. Go figure! So she did help with the driving of the Fiver. But Bill would gladly take over ALL the driving of a diesel pusher motorhome, so as not to have to have his brains jarred loose in the F350 and not have to constantly have to take the walls apart to be able to get to the parts that need fixing, because something else broke on it... as well as having the 'basement' pass-through storage to transport all the patio equipment (tables, chairs, mats, propane tanks, grill, fire pit, etc,, plus the extra bags of dog food, wines, rum and extra food).
By Christmas 2022, the exasperation of all the issues with the 5th wheel was drawing to a head and it was evident that either the 5th wheel or the relationship was not going to survive. So we went out to look for a diesel pusher too trade the fifth wheel in on it. Since we had already had a Fleetwood Discovery 40E that we both loved and traded in on the Tiffin Phaeton 40IH, and have kicked ourselves constantly for it, though we did look at others we finally settled for getting another Discovery. The closest thing to the 40E (no longer made) was the 40M, and on a less luxurious level the 38W (but also 40 ft.) However, they didn't have the closet space, ample pantry, bar, etc, that the 40E had, and Mary was now used to having the extra 5.0 cu. ft. chest freezer that we had in the fifth wheel, to be able to avail herself of getting extra amounts of meats and cheeses (or ice cream) when they were on sale or at special places like Lowery's Seafood and Meat Market in Buchanan MI, or Yoders in Shipshewana IN, and so on, so we opted to get a 44 ft. bus with a tag axle because it had an extra 4 ft bunk beds plus two extra closets and 6 extra drawers.
Like ALL NEW RVs, this one too has some issues that will need to be taken care of at the Fleetwood Warranty Service Center in Decatur, IN, but we already have an appointment to have that done on May 8th, after we leave Florida and head north. Just before getting to Fleetwood we will be stopping in at JC Refrigeration (where we had 4 x 300w solar panels they had put on the fifth wheel) and have them put on the motorhome, in addition to the one that it came with. Bill was not going to let those go with the trade after having paid about $4K for them, with a 100amp controller. He also removed from the fifth wheel a 3000W Victron MultiPlus Pure Sine Wave Inverter, 4 batteries, a 4-battery box, the Furrion Backup Camera system, and the Rock Guard from the truck. We have already sold the batteries, battery-box and Rock Guard.
So, on getting to Florida we were delighted with the change from the wet and cold Texas weather (though thankfully no snow, after the several feet of it back in Wyoming). We split the trip across (962 miles) stopping at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center in Louisiana (245 miles), which we heartily endorse and recommend. It checks all the boxes. Then, because the Official Florida Welcome Station was closed for upgrading, we stopped at the Santa Rosa Eastbound Rest Stop (Milton, FL), another 30 miles down the road. It is a huge (63 semi/long RV spaces and 12 shorter RV (30'- 38') and 65 car parking spaces. This one we can also recommend. It is clean, safe, well-lit, dog walk area, nighttime security, etc. In the semi/RV spaces there are even several (8) 'islands spaces' where one can park and be able to open at least one side of slides. Lowering jacks is NOT recommended though usually not needed as the parking is very level (within 1-2 degrees off at most). The next stop was at the Madison County Eastbound Rest Area (MM265) with only 21 diagonal spaces and 5 lateral spaces, but 6 are spaces that one can open one side of slides on an RV. We hate to take up a trucker's parking space, but at 44 feet on the motor home with a 22 foot truck behind us, we are almost as long as a trucker and we just don't fit anywhere else. On the fourth travel day we stopped at the Marion County Rest Area on I-75, near Hwy 484 and Ocala, (128 miles, with only 18 miles to go to our final (first) destination of Thousand Trails (TT) Three Flags Camp, as our -reservation was not until the next day (March 7-21) there.
We visited the area and went to the Brownwood Town Center and had dinner at Too Jays. It wasn't as good as we remembered primarily because of the service, but it seemed that they were (as so many others) short-staffed. We also went to our local Hispanic food market, Pueblo Supermarket, and got some cooked take-home foods, like 'Carne Frita' (fried pork meat), Chicharrones, and Longaniza. It was delicious. We also went to our 'other' hispanic food market in Apopka, called Compare supermarket, but found that they were no longer there. Instead there was a Mexican supermarket though so we just got chicharrones, which were actually quite good. Then we went to the Sumter County Auto Tag and Tax Collector, where Mary changed the titling and registration of the truck from Wyoming to Florida, as well as her driver's license. Why you might ask... Because in Wyoming vehicle registrations are based on the MSRP of the vehicle. While we had the 2021 Keystone Montana 3812 5th Wheel, titled in Wyoming, with an MSRP of $94,000, the registration for it for just the first year was $1,800. The following year (this year) it was going to be $1,500. Imagine now needing to register the motorhome, with an MSRP of $628,829, the yearly registration would be astronomical. The good thing about Wyoming (so we thought) was that the vehicle insurance was quite inexpensive, However, in Florida, the insurance on the truck was actually only $2 more than in Wyoming. No typo here, you read that right... TWO DOLLARS. To register the motorhome in Florida it was about $360 (title + 2 years of registration); and the truck was about $340 (title transfer + 2 years of registration + Mary changing her Driver's License. Bill kept his driver's license in Wyoming, so he can hunt and fish in Wyoming and open/concealed carry there or in Florida (as they are reciprocal states).
Thousand Trails was a good stay in Florida, even though we were only able to get a 30amp site. We could still alternate two A/Cs and stay relatively cool. Unfortunately this campground is still rather rustic (grass sites and narrow streets with lots of trees and leaves on the ground all over. Thankfully though, while the weather was warmer than in Texas, it was still not unbearably hot, as it gets here in the summertime. We were missing our Wyoming friends Darren and Rozz and Jerry and Sue, but since at least Jerry and Sue were also in Florida, staying pretty close to us, with his sister and brother-in-law, we invited Jerry and Sue to come by our campsite for dinner one day and then hung out around the campfire having some wine and chatting. Mary had meant to offer them 'Empanadas' as hors d'oeuvres (from Pueblo supermarket) but forgot to get them out, so she gave them some to take with them (along with some Brats for his sister and brother in law).
They had mentioned that they too were getting tired of traveling in a fifth wheel and were thinking about a motorhome, so we invited them to come to with us when we relocated from TT Three Flags to TT Orlando, so they could see how easy it is to prepare for a move and how comfortable it is to travel in the motorhome. They did and then we brought them back to The Villages area, stopping at the Pueblo Supermarket to introduce them to where they can get the 'empanadas'. They also got some Hispanic Beef stew with rice and chorizo, which they also say they enjoyed. On the way back to their truck we showed them a really nice campground (modestly priced) where a yearly site is only $525/month... really close to The Villages. We will probably be getting a yearly site there as it is equal to a 6.5 month stay, starting in September 2023.
Roxy has started improving her elbow dysplasia, which we attribute to the heat. She loves to hang out outside, laying on the warm grass and concrete slabs, so we have come to the decision that we will probably be buying a small house in The Villages, where we can stay during the Winter and then travel to Wyoming and other western destinations in the late Winter, Spring and Fall. So, by maybe next year we can have Darren and Rozz come visit, when they want a break from those awful Wyoming winters, like this one has been.
At TT Orlando we were fortunate enough to get a campsite in the new section, probably being graced with such luck because Jerry and Sue were with us. We will be here until April 11, and then return to TT Three Flags in Wildwood for two more weeks before we head on North to Shipshewana and Decatur in Indiana to have the solar panels currently being stored in the over-cab Hide a Loft Bed. Bill will be glad when that is done as he keeps knocking his head on it, due to the bed having to be lowered to fit the four panels there.
In Florida we were able to visit a bunch of friends that we had not seen in a long time, and two very special friends who are also our neighbors in Star Valley, Wyoming, Jerry and Sue Hazen, who were visiting with his brother-in-law and sister in Beverly Hills (FL) not too far from The Villages.
We also visited with Tom and Patty Taylor (twice... at our rig and at their house).
And below with Sandra Olear and her beau, Michael Dyon, of Arlington Ridge subdivision in Leesburg....
And below, with Mike and Magda Miley
(who drove up from Vero Beach and met us for lunch at Gator's Dockside in Port Canaveral),
Mike and Magda Miley with Mary
We also got to visit with other friends, as well, who sadly we forgot to take photos of the encounter (apologies to them). Among them were Merry Wiseman Sanchez, who came up from Davenport to see our new rig and visit for lunch, and Carmen Batista, who came down from St. Augustine with a co-worker that Mary had worked with at one time (Steve Grant), while on their way to a business meeting in Orlando, and had Too Jay's muffins and coffee with us.
Lastly, we tried to see Karen Burk for lunch in her hometown of Mt. Dora... but we got stood up. 😕
Don't we look happy to be in Florida...
away from all the cold and snow of a Wyoming winter?
In Florida we stayed at Thousand Trails campgrounds (TT Three Flags in Wildwood and TT Orlando in Clermont). Of the two, TT Orlando was the nicest (as shown in the photo above), because it was in the new section, where all the sites were concrete and the streets were paved. TT Three Flags, by comparison, the streets were asphalted but the sites were all grassed and graveled and for the most part were not very level, causing soggy areas in campsites which were cause for bringing in grass and dirt into the rigs.
Apart from visiting with friends while in the area, we did a lot of Open House visits, as we are contemplating buying a small house for winter residence in The Villages (and putting the RV in covered storage w/electric), and then traveling to Wyoming and other visits Out West, while there. In the meantime, we found a beautiful and very well maintained campground ('Sun Kissed') next to Camping World on Hwy 441, which we can lease by the year for just $575/month, plus metered electric. So the plan is to start with that (starting around September/October 2023) so that we are not rushed to buy a house and can take our time looking for just the right home. And even if a home is not found right away, we will be very comfortable staying in our RV as long as it takes.
It's amazing how time just flies by when one is having fun and enjoying an area and climate. The only down side to our visit to Florida was that we missed our other great friends in Star Valley Ranch, Darren and Rozz Housley (and their son, Chase) and Richard and Caroline Hensel.
Toward the end of our stay, Bill got a haircut at his old barbershop in The Villages Cal's Barber Shop . His barber has now retired but he found another barber that he likes, Jeff.
Then, just before it was time to move on, on April 21, 2023 we attended the traditional Aggie Muster with the other Aggies of the Aggie Club of The Villages, who bill was instrumental in starting and chartering. It was nice to see his Aggie friends again. MUSTER is a yearly tradition celebrated ALWAYS on April 21st (even during World War II (even in Corregidor), where the names of all Aggies who died in the previous year are read out loud and at least one Aggie answers "Here!" to symbolize that they are still with us and never forgotten. It's a wonderful tradition... one of the many that Texas A&M is known for.
Then on April 29, we started our trip to Shipshewana Indiana, to remount the solar panels that came off of the 5th wheel and then on to REV Customer Service Center in Decatur, Indiana, to work on all the warranty repairs.
We continued on US 231, connecting to I-65 at Montgomery, following it to I-22 at Birmingham, and connecting to Hwy 19 and 24 into Red Bay. We have an appointment on May 2, 2023, to add a Girard window awning. Girard has a service center in Red Bay and continues to use the name Girard, though the company was bought out by Lippert..jpg)
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