1) We settled on an RV last night, and I went in today to apply for financing. We’re on pins and needles until we hear back on that tomorrow. We’ve chosen a 2003 Forest River Cedar Creek Custom 36RLTS fifth wheel. It’s older but in great shape. Has some nice features: built-in desk, surround sound, fireplace, washer/dryer connections, ceiling fan, lots of storage. We’re going to get an extended warranty just in case. We can’t afford to end up homeless is something happens to the RV. The fifth wheel cost $24,990, and we’re looking to put $3000 down (I’m scurrying to get that together by Monday). With the warranty, I’m hoping the amount financed will come in under $28K. If it does, we SHOULD be able to manage the monthly note (which should come in around $350-400). It may mean me working overload every semester, though.
2) We got an application in the mail for the RV site we want. The management has agreed to take $100 deposit to hold the site until July. They’ll apply that deposit to our first month’s rent. When we move in (we’ve decided on July 1st as the move-in date so we’ll have time to work the bugs out of our RV before our lease is up in case we have to send the thing back to the shop for repair), we’ll have to put down first and last month’s rent, so that’s where a good chunk of my summer school earnings will be going. July we’ll be paying triple rent, essentially between the RV site and the apartment. At any rate, I’m pleased with this place, especially given that it’s so close to school and right off the Chesapeake Bay on Bear Creek. I’m not sending in that non-refundable $100 check until I know for certain we’ve secured financing for the RV.
3) We’ve started to look at tow vehicles. To haul the 13,000 lb. trailer, we’ll need a super-heavy-duty pickup truck. Basically, a diesel-powered 350/3500 pickup with dual rear wheels is what we’re looking at. We have figured out that if we get an older one under $20K, Lex will be able to trade her car in on the truck without her monthly payment increasing significantly. The only tricky bit is that it’s not easy finding a truck like this in MD. In TX, we definitely would not have this problem. Hopefully come summer, folks will be selling their fuel hogs as the price of gas goes up, and we’ll have an easier time finding something. Lex got to test drive a couple of trucks at Carmax yesterday, but we decided against them. It will take some getting used to in order to drive such a big vehicle, I imagine. We’re holding off buying until we know for sure that we can secure financing for the RV. If we can’t, no point in buying a truck.
4) I started a Flickr set for the RV quest. There are pics up of the fifth wheel we’re trying to buy as well as the site where we plan to move. If we get a truck, pics of that will go up, too. Take a look.
5) I’ve jumped ahead and started looking at cutesy little RV accessories. I really want a personalized campsite sign with our names on it, and we just have to have a patio mat to put under our awning so we have a comfortable outdoors space. We may need pink flamingos. Definitely. We MUST Have pink flamingos. It will be our own little tribute to Baltimore’s John Waters and all things queer.
6) We’re still doing our homework. I’ve bought books on RV repair and maintenance and living full time in an RV. We’re going to have to be pretty DIY to make this all work, I imagine. We’ll most certainly be developing a closer relationship with our own sewage than most folks ever have. Not the best part of the experience, but I imagine we’ll become more conservative with things like water, propane, and electricity living aboard the fifth wheel. I wonder if anyone has done a “carbon footprint” for RV living.
So that’s where we are. If everything works out the way we hope, we’ll be having a “trailer warming” this summer, and we’ll be seeing our TX/AR friends in the summer of 2010! Woot! Keep fingers crossed for us. We’re hyped about this whole thing.
