Towing

Horrors!

I can't tow my new used fifth wheel travel trailer with my bicycle.

Sold the motorhome after squeezing a ton of fun out of it. Couldn't tow the 5th wheel with it either.

So I am parked for a spell.

Could be a good long spell. 

Life is goof.

I didn't get many pictures before the move. It came with a big new wooden deck that sadly had to be abandoned, but on a stroke of luck it was regifted  back to the original handyman builder.

The picture above was taken just before we moved the decking further out of the way and the transporter hooked up the RV and towed it about 55 miles to my lot.  I didn't have time to take many pics, sad to say. There was a great deal of commotion going on plus my confused dog.

I was sick and the move had been postponed several times due to a multitude of ongoing problems, some unrelated to the actual RV. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to see it arrive on my lot. I had been trying  to get it moved for nearly three weeks!

If you can imagine a 70 year old man , plus me who was sick and weak, and a man with a bad back and one yappy dog all trying to move this deck... We were comedy in motion. Previously part of the deck has been disassembled, but the cramp-ground had many obstacles in getting the rig out. There were sign posts and such blocking the way as the park assumed the rig would not be moving. At the last minute, it was decided that the deck had to be moved or more of it disassembled.

When  a young strapping man (an angel!) drove through the entrance of the park, he slammed on brakes, got out of his truck and asked us if we needed help.

He worked really hard to help us get it moved out of the way. 

He was strong and sweating to move the deck. I was bundled up in layers of clothing because I couldn't warm up. Talk about a contrast!

I was going to pay him for his work, because we surely needed his help. He saved us hours of inching it along. He refused payment.

I mentioned how well the deck was built and he said he should know, he built it!

He wanted to know when we were coming back to get it. 

When I explained I couldn't take it with me and it was a shame to abandon it, he asked if he could have it to relocate to his mother-in-law's place.

I was delighted it was going to get a new home as it wasn't very old. It had been built a few months earlier with about a thousand dollars of lumber and screws.

Due to the ongoing chaos of buying the rig, moving it and my issues with me being super sick and a close friend being super sick (who suddenly died!) there just wasn't time to do anything about the deck.

If I didn't get the RV moved out of the cramp-ground where I purchased it, then rent and utilities were going to be on my dime. When I say cramp-ground I was serious about it being crowded and cramped. It was also net to a super busy noisy highway.

The RV was sort of a distress sell.

The owner had suddenly moved out as he was very ill and not expected to live. His grown children were selling it on his behalf and they knew nothing about the rig or it's inner and outer workings.

This has been a huge learning curve for me.

It was a great bargain.  Many people were trying to buy it. I guess I am not the only bargain hunter in Florida.

However, it will and already has cost a ton in sweat equity with more than a few surprises along the way of critical repairs.

The pic below is how it looked with most of the decking walls still up at the fifth wheel's old location. That is a 20 foot shade awning and the bedroom window on the right also has a built-in shade awning. I can open the windows when it's raining and put the shade out to let in fresh air without the rain coming in.  It blocks the sunshine, but where my lot is located now, I have towering oaks over it for shade.

 The next picture below:
This is the rear of the wheel estate. That is a storm cover for the kitchen window. Sadly the former owner never opened it. I of course live with it opened and the huge window there cranks open for fresh air.

The big M below is where the spare tire is hidden.

The former owner also neglected to keep his tags current. I had to pay a bloody fortune to get new tags, but I did not have to pay for his years.  I also had to pay 7% sales tax when I bought tags.

The total cost at the DMV almost caused me to faint.  I didn't realize sales ta was 7%, I thought it was much lower.

Florida charged me a full year for my tags because they refuse to prorate and the tags come due on my birthday in April, so I have to pay all over again. Not a fair system. Plus there were some kind of up front costs beyond the sales tax and tags.

It's a terrible way to do business, but that is how government operates. No prorating of tags. Grr...

Many people suggested I lie about the cost of the RV to save on sales tax, but I was scared of bad karma and told the truth to give it good luck. And that karma cost me a lot!

Florida requires current tags on all RV's in the state whether parked long term or short term. I am surprised the former owner got away without having to pay for his tags, but that is his problem, not mine.

I put insurance and tags on the RV immediately. This picture was taken before I put the new tag on it.

Next pic below:
That is my jumbo 15 foot slide out. The manual says to make sure you have 3 feet to stick it out, but DUH, it sticks out 4 feet, not 3.

I was thrilled it came with 4 huge windows and the awnings.

You can see the dirt on the rig, but it's been washed since this pic and cleaned up beautifully. This pic is at the old lot.

 This pic below is the driver's side of the RV while facing aft, with the slide still out. That tiny window is where my toilet room (water closet) is located. Yes, the toilet sits in a room all by itself, with a window and a view.

Amazon has 

shipped me many RV parts

that were cheaper than the local dealers and stores.

Check out their RV department.