CuRVWander

I spent my first night in the new rig after the first day of training.  Most of the evening was spent reading user manuals, a lot of user manuals.  Multi-plex lighting, two-zone thermostat for the two A/C's and two furnaces, three different models of MaxxFans (whole house fans, two manual one remote controlled), 42" HD LCD TV, Denon Home Theater System, Samsung Blue-Ray Player, multi-fuel (propane & electric) fridge, Whirlpool Velos Oven/Convection Oven/Microwave combo, Fisher & Paykel drawer dishwasher, LED lighting, 12 volt systems, 120 volt systems, and the list goes on. So my head is spinning a little and now it is time to get my outside orientation.  Jeff started us out at the front of the rig.  In the forward compartment of the "basement" are two sub-compartments.  The lower one holds the house batteries.  These are not your ordinary car batteries.  They are however the usual classification of deep-cycle batteries found o...

I rolled into New Horizons at 10:00am, sharp.  There were introductions to the people that would be working with me for the next few days doing the training as well as addressing the punch-list (like putting on one of the two propane tanks that they forgot, or plugging in the electrical part of the fridge so it would run without consuming propane). Jeff was my primary contact for training.  In his very capable hands we spent the first day going through the inside of the rig.  Much was familiar, but not exact to what I knew from my 11 year-old rig.  RV technology had come a long way in the last decade. The first thing that struck me when stepping in was that it was bright and airy.  Our Newmar rig had a color scheme that was based in a dark blue, but for the New Horizons we chose to go with earth tones on the textiles and a light colored oak for the woodwork.  Wow, was it different.  We got just the effect we were looking for. Lots of windows, and...

After a delay of about a week and a half past the original completion date, the new rig is ready.  But with the time that has elapsed, work schedules are such that Cyndee will have to stay in Georgia and I will have to make the trek to Kansas alone. I threw a few clothes in a small bag, loaded up the "starter kit" of plastic-ware, paper plates and towels, blankets, pillow, etc. that we had put together for getting us through the week of training and getting it home.  My appointment for taking possession of the new rig was for 10:00am Wednesday morning, Aug 8. It is a two-day drive to cover the 900 miles between Cumming, GA and Junction City, KS.  I went to work on Monday morning the 6th to get a few things done that could not wait till I got back.  About 1:30 that afternoon I climbed into the truck and headed West. Over the weekend I had found a number of rest stops and truck stops that were at about the half-way point and a little beyond.  Since I wi...

We recently learned new lessons in living the full timing RV lifestyle.  While our 400sq ft of well-appointed living space is very comfortable for the two of us, it is a little lacking in being able to accommodate the demands of visiting family that have overnight needs. Our couch is a sleeper-sofa but its mattress and springs arrangement seem more attuned to dealing pain rather than comfort for sleeping.  And its size is good for only one adult or two children.  And even if people shrugged off the poor sleeping arrangements there would be a morning traffic jam trying to get everyone ready for the day.  As it is now with just two people you have to do a bit of a ballet and time the things you do so that neither of you need to be near the sink or mirror or closet, etc at the same time.  All those things we used to do in parallel in a bricks-and-sticks have been modified in the past weeks to a routine for each of us that is slightly off-set from the other. ...

July 31st (2012) was supposed to be the day that the new rig was completed.  However there are a couple of items missing and described as "on backorder".  One that is not critical to the building of the rig but certainly important is furniture.  They did not elaborate exactly which pieces of furniture were missing but it does not matter, it all has to be there before I will be able to take delivery. Another item that is way more critical that is missing are air conditioners.  They have known for months that this rig was being built and that A/C's were part of the deal.  What is up with this?  Some kind of a run on RV A/C's?  I did not know that the RV manufacturing business had picked up so well.  Anyway, there are two large holes in the roof with wires and ducting hanging there with nothing to plug into. We have slipped our schedule out by one week for going to Kansas to do the pick up of the rig.  Maybe this will work out for ...