Back Home Again in Indiana

our site at Total Value RV

We arrived in Elkhart today, around two and set up at the Total Value RV, (Elkhart, IN) parking lot for rigs coming in for service...here's the fantastic part. Because we purchased our unit from them, and are going to have service most of the day on Friday, we can stay here for a few days for FREE, with 30 amp service, water, but no sewer. We've got neighbors on both sides of us coming in, they are very close, there are no trees, but hey--it's FREE!  This will really help the budget this week by being able to stay on the lot till Monday, when we can switch over to the campground right next door...

Wanted to mention today some of the blogs Eldy has been reading for years, and the ones that helped us get started and shortened the learning curve to full timing....One of the first blogs Eldy started reading was the Gypsy Journal--"Nick's Blog"...I don't have all the urls available, they are not on my computer, but I think you will be able to find these with the info I give you. I'm too busy trying to keep up with ours and learn how to make it better! The Gypsy Journal is an online newspaper about Nick Russell's travels or you can have it mailed to you. Nick Russell, the writer, is a newspaper guy, so his column is VERY informative. He reviews products, editorializes about the places he travels, and he has been full timing over ten years. Another blog that Eldy reads faithfully is "RV-dreams journal"..written by Howard Payne. He and his wife, Linda, have been full timing about four and a half years. They publish their financial costs and monthly expenses for the whole world to see, so you know exactly what it's costing them to eat and live on the road. They worked in the corporate world and retired early to go full timing. They are both in their 40's... yet a third blog is "Mike and Pat's Travels"...they publish twice a week on Sundays and Thursdays...this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as what's available out there for people to read about full timing...

Later today we will go visit Eldy's daughter who has been graciously keeping our forwarded mail...in a few months, we will be needing to establish residency in a state that has lower health and RV insurance costs, no state income taxes and to set up a mail forwarding service..we're thinking South Dakota, or Florida or Texas...this is what many full timers do...pick a state that is RV friendly to get retired health and living costs down with no state income tax...we WON'T be living there, but can plate our car, apply for lower health insurance, and save a lot of money on taxes and still travel the country. For example, South Dakota's requirements to get state residency for RVers simply requires you to spend one night in their state! Eldy has ruled out Texas because it requires vehicle inspections regularly, and the driver of the motor home has to pass a driving test in the motor home. Now Eldy is an excellent driver--he can navigate major construction areas with cement barriers on both sides with inches to spare and orange cones to boot (and I have my eyes closed the entire time) without knocking a single orange cone over!  He hasn't squashed one yet!  But that's just additional problems for us to plate and have the car inspected, take the tests, etc. so we're leaning towards S. Dakota...

Just a heads up...there's not a lot to do here at the Total Value lot and the Elkhart campground until the rally starts so we may not have a lot to report for the next few days...IF you don't see a post for a day or two, or a day or two is missed next week, the week of the rally, it will be because we are doing the same thing every day--I'll be selling Tastefully Simple (if you haven't heard of it, check out their website, it's beautiful--tastefullysimple.com/web/jsparks3), Eldy will be attending rally seminars, and when we get back on the road after the rally, heading south towards the Atlantic Ocean and coastal highways, we'll be back on a daily track with the blog! Thanks for reading and staying the journey with us!

Jeannie at S. Haven pier