How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

Getting settled in the new RV isn't a 2-day effort.  Each day we chop away at the stuff that was in the HitchHiker, deciding what stays (more like: what will fit) and what goes.  In the meantime, the daily stuff gets done, too.  We went out for a leisurely breakfast - my idea, since we have pretty much been on the run since we left Texas two weeks ago.

On the way back to the resort, we picked up some groceries and stuff we need for the new RV.  Then, those chores: Joan took care of laundry while I sanitized the water lines and holding tank in the Aspect.  Not a hard chore, but it takes time.  It also gave me the chance to check out all the water connections and operations (all good).  The other thing I was tasked with: figure out how to use the new infotainment center in the motorhome.  The Winnebago operator's manual is pretty thorough, just not much info on this option.  I had to dig around on the internet to find the company who makes it and download a "quick study" guide.

Pretty impressive unit: besides being the stereo, it has the Rand McNally RV specific GPS unit built in.  And SiriusXM satellite radio.  And the monitor for the backup and side-view cameras... pretty slick: turn on the blinker, and the screen changes from the GPS to a view down the side of the motorhome.  You enter your RV specifics (height, width, length, weight), and it warns you of low overhead or narrow roads ahead.  Somewhere around a gazillion POI (Points of Interest), many that are RV specific (RV parks, dump stations, big rig parking, etc, etc).  Once you know where to look for all the stuff this thing does, it is relatively easy.  I've not been one to want a built-in GPS in our other vehicles, because it is so easy to use the portable units; but this one is supposed to be easy to update.  And, it has all that other good stuff built in.  Now, we just need to go somewhere.  ;-)

We did get out on the scoots today - I think Joan was sensing that I was getting cranky due to two-wheel withdrawal.  We talked about a late lunch on the other side of the 101, but found something closer... then some wandering about on the scoots.  No destination, no schedule.

Back at the motorhome, Joan is now arranging kitchen drawers.  I came up with a possible shoe storage solution.  We have enough kitchen utensils to equip a big kitchen... and a reasonably small galley to put them in.  More decisions, more paring down.

Next goal: get the satellite TV set up.  The Aspect is wired for it, so that makes it less of a chore.

Yep, one bite at a time.  I can see all the pretty flooring in here, and the bed is clear of clutter.  I see a couple trips to the Salvation Army or Goodwill in our future... plenty of good stuff here that needs to find a new home.

You want fries with that?

Izzy rode with me today.  Well, she rode on the bed.  OK, she rode under the covers... she likes to burrow.  She came out to have lunch when we ate.  I thought she might like to ride in her carrier (as usual), but she seemed quite content in back.  We had to drive separate today - Joan drove the truck; I think Izzy's routine will be different when we're all in here together.

Our daughter had a school event at the local McDonalds this evening; even though we were tired after the past two days of moving in and out, we drove the 40 minutes to support her and the kids.  It was McTeacher's Night - the teachers in Steph's school worked the counter, handed out the meals, and "worked the tables," selling desserts.  It is not just a promotion for McDonalds - 15% of the sales go to the school.  Beyond that, it shows the community just how much impact the school community has in the area - the place was packed!

Iz had to stay by herself for a couple hours while we were gone.  When we returned, Izzy was all stretched out on one of the cab seats...

Didn't take her long to make this new RV feel like home.

Maiden voyage...

All the way from Tucson to Surprise (NW Phoenix area).

Since we had the truck there (to drop off the 5th wheel), we had to drive separate.  Not my idea of a fun way to travel... we used to do that when we hauled a sailboat behind the motorhome we had back then (almost 80' long overall) - Joan would drive separate and be my "escort" vehicle.  It started out interesting, but quickly became a pain in the butt.

First impressions of the Aspect: drives nice.  Rides cushier than the truck and 5th wheel.  The whiz-bang info-tainment center on the dash is going to take some studying to get the most out of it.  The Rand McNally GPS works fine, but I couldn't play with it much while driving.  Never turned the radio part of it on.  The rear/side cameras are slick.

Joan got 22 mpg in the truck on the way back (not towing), and I have no idea how the Aspect did... but the fuel gauge didn't move much.  We kept it around 62 - 63, until we got to the urban sprawl of Phoenix - where you don't want to drive slower than all the other traffic.

Pulling into our site here was a complete non-event.  It took me a half hour to get the 5th wheel positioned a few days ago - backed right in with the Aspect.  Pressed a button and down went the jacks to level and stabilize.  Put the slide-outs out.  The rest of the utilities are fairly similar, but I was able to get closer to the sewer connection with this new unit.

We still have a bunch of stuff to try to find a place for, but we are not on a deadline.  We staked down a patio mat... I'm hoping this means we are settled for a bit.

That said, I am anxious to do some side trips so we can ride together.  And for those who will ask: yes, I did ask Joan if she wanted to trade off... "I'll drive it when we're together."  Works for me.

Cha-cha-changes...

We have been looking for a different RV.  Today was the day.

Well, we pretty much put the deal together when we were in Tucson last week.  They needed time to prep the new motorhome, we needed time to off-load a bunch of stuff from the HitchHiker.

Here they are, side-by-side...

We drove down from Phoenix this morning.  Traffic was heavy, but we planned for that; we were an hour early for our appointment with the RV dealer... time for us to have some lunch (on them), then do our "walk-through" at 1:00.  As expected, the tech who was instructing us learned a bunch during the walk-through... we have been doing our homework.

As you can tell from the photo above, the new motorhome is smaller than the HitchHiker - in height, length, and square footage.  We were trying to find the smallest motorized coach that would give us the nice amenities we wanted.  This is a Winnebago Aspect; Winnebago calls it a Class C, but it does not have a cab-over bunk.  It is lower profile, only 10' 5" in height (compared to 13' 5" on the HitchHiker).

We looked at a bunch of RVs over the last year - I really wanted to like the Sprinter chassis motorhomes, like the Winnebago View... but, at 24', it was just a bit tight for us (mostly in the sleeping accommodations).  We test drove some Class C motorhomes (like the Minnie-Winnie and the Jamboree), but they felt a bit lumbery.  We strongly considered Class A motorhomes in the 30' range... but found most of those were considered "entry level" models and didn't have the ride or details we liked.  And then we checked out the Aspect.

Other manufacturers make similar style motorhomes, but we really liked the way the Winnebago was built and detailed.  I would consider this more like a cross between a Class B campervan and a Class C.  Some call it a "B+"... we both felt it hit the high-points for what we want.

After the walk-through, they had to fix a couple items we found... and I'm sure that there will be more as we spend more time in it.  It's the nature of the beast - lots of systems.  Then, it was time to start moving our stuff.  As I mentioned above, we off-loaded a bunch of stuff from the HitchHiker.  HitchHikers are wonderful 5th wheels, truly designed for extended living.  After 6 years with ours, we still had storage space that wasn't full.  This new motorhome doesn't have near that much storage... it will take us several days to get things sorted and stowed, but a bunch of stuff went into the truck...

Temporarily.  We will, out of necessity, be getting rid of some stuff.

What we are hoping to gain with this new rig is some ease.  The HitchHiker wasn't hard to set up, but it didn't have levelers.  It takes more time to hook up the truck.  The Winnebago has automatic levelers - push one button, and it levels and stabilizes the coach.  We didn't have a built-in generator in the HitchHiker; this does.  And an inverter to be able to run some things from the house batteries.  Full body paint.  No idea how the road manners will be when the wind pipes up or semis roar past (the truck and 5th wheel were more solid feeling than our previous diesel pusher motorhomes), but the ride seems to be a bit more cushy than the truck.  A monitor in the dash shows the view behind and to either side of the coach.  A nice "info-tainment" center, with a built-in GPS, SeriusXM satellite radio, blue-tooth for connecting to the phones or iPad.  In-dash DVD.  Satellite ready for our Tailgater (VuQube).

And the really big plus: we can use all the amenities while going down the road.  Yes, I am aware of the seat-belt laws in every state.  I also know how we used our previous motorhomes, and the convenience of being able to get something out of the fridge or use the potty.  Little Izzy will not have to "be moved" to and from the truck.

We really had to move quick to get stuff out of the HitchHiker and mostly into the Winnebago so we could get to the nearby RV park (where we stayed last week) before dark...

Set up was easy, but we have stuff piled all over inside.  Joan has been working hard at finding "the place" for everything, but I have no doubt that there will be some switching and mind-changing.  The Aspect is smartly laid-out, but it is about half the square footage.

Little Izzy is confused: she recognized some of our stuff, but this "moving house" looks different and that stuff isn't in the same place.  She was very content in the HitchHiker, with several good vantage points to look out the windows.  She will find new vantage points.  We have only been in our site for a couple hours, but she has already gotten comfortable enough to eat and use her litter box.

We plan to do more traveling, less staying in one place for extended time... well, after we get past the time we have already scheduled for the next two months in Phoenix.  If we decide to pull into a Wal-Mart parking lot or a truck stop for a quick over-night, I feel more secure with a motorhome - you don't have to get out of the rig you are sleeping in to get to the driver's compartment.  No, we have never had an issue, but that type of overnight boondocking will be better for us with this rig.

Plus, we were ready for something new, and wanted a change.  We have had motorhomes before, but this will be a change.  Size-wise, this gives us a lot more space than we had in Wild Blue.  For my boater buds, it has more cabin space than a Ranger Tug 29... doesn't float worth a darn, though.  Well, I'm assuming that, and have no intention of finding out.  ;-)

Not much time for photos today, but here are a few views I took when we looked it over last week...

 More to come, after we've had a chance to catch our breath.

 

Work done, time to scoot...

No photos, but it did happen.  ;-)  After lunch, we came back to our site and got the scooters out.  The first order of play ('cause it ain't business) was a tour around this resort.  It's a BIG place - over 2,000 sites.  Most of them have homes of some sort on them, some are still RV sites.  The Town Center has a restaurant, a Post Office, lots of rooms for the different activities (from wood working to lapidary), a swimming pool, bunches of pickle-ball courts, and an events center.  Seems that there is something going on several times a week at the event center - tonight and tomorrow night, Summer of '63 is playing (a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons type group).  We just missed Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits).  Later this week is Rockapella (an a cappella singing group).  Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers... like having Branson in our back yard.  ;-)

We walked by a "Strings & Things" meeting room... Joan said, "They have guitars and stuff in there; let's check it out."  Must be a beginners' group - they were playing Kingston Town (the Harry Belafonte version, not UB40)... sorta.  There were about a dozen people playing a variety of string instruments: guitar, violin, auto-harp, mandolin.  Sorta.

Lots of people eating ice cream - the restaurant serves ice cream, and has some sort of "special" each day.  That doesn't suck.  :-)

We took the scoots outside the resort, checking out some of the city of Surprise.  Well, mostly the Sun City Grand area.    The other Sun City areas we've ridden through have been good roads - this was a very pleasant ride.  We found the important stuff: a gas station, Safeway, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Ace Hardware, and Wells Fargo.  We're covered.

We haven't been out on the scoots since we left Texas - any ride would be a pleasant ride.  The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the temp is around 72º, hardly any breeze.  It's OK, we make our own breeze on the scoots.  :-)

I don't know why...

I don't know why some RV resorts don't like cargo trailers.

We have stayed at several that don't allow cargo trailers.  They all allow sheds on specific sites... patio furniture... some that allow portable dog runs... even some that allow a fridge outside... but, a nice, clean cargo trailer is somehow "unsightly."  Even though that cargo trailer contains all the stuff that we might "spread around" on a site, and that is acceptable.

This park we are trying this season is an owner-park: you buy your site.  You can build on it (depending on which part of the park you are in), if you choose.  If you put a park home on the site, you cannot park an RV on the same lot.  If you build a small home on the site (or a shed/storage building), you have to have an RV on the site, also.  If you build a home with a garage, no RV parking.  There is a small section that is Class A motorhomes only - you cannot put a 5th wheel, a travel trailer, or a Class C motorhome in there.  Lots of other rules, too... and I understand that rules are put in place to protect property owners.  If you are not on your site, you can rent it out - that is how we are staying here.

We picked this site because it has a storage shed big enough to garage the scooters.  And, even more stuff.  I know, 'cause we put a bunch of stuff in there today.  Stuff that was in my very-nice-looking cargo trailer.  Then, we took the cargo trailer to a storage lot a mile or so away...

Yep, extra expense for no good reason.  Rules is rules.

Back to our site...

It will take us a while to figure out where everything is - this is a new part of the area for us; as well as the fact that this is a huge park.  Like the many versions of Sun City, folks here get around by golf cart.  I guess that will make us the "outlaw bikers" if we ride around on our scooters.  ;-)  I may really shake things up and pull my cargo trailer around with the scoot.  No, not really.

Little Izzy seems to like this place.  She hasn't gone outside for a walk, yet - lots of people walking dogs.  But, she enjoys the view out the large picture window in the back of the 5th wheel...

Movin' day...

SuperBowl Sunday!  It is all that anyone is talking about here in Phoenix.  We had some other stuff to deal with today.

We moved to another RV resort for the next two months.  The one we headed to is very highly regarded... bigger, fancier, more facilities... and, truth be told, nicer management than where we have been staying.

We checked in at the front gate and rolled up to our site... oh, shit.  We looked at this site where we were here in September; it didn't have six inches of fresh gravel on it at the time.  I could see the tracks where the RV that was on there until today "plowed" their way off the lot.  It was a tough fit getting our 5th wheel into the narrow slot... and I had to use 4 wheel drive to "plow" our way through the gravel.

The site was originally set up for a park home: the sewer is WAY far to the back.  The electrical connection is even further back than that.  And the gravel is so loose that you literally sink into it when to walk on it.  There is a nice patio pad, but a couple goofy sidewalks make it impossible to get the 5th wheel next to it.

It took me a while to get over the shock of all the work we had to do to get into the site and set up.  Sheesh, this RVing stuff is supposed to be laid back.

A lady from the rental office came by to tell us we can't have our cargo trailer on the site. "HOA rules."  We kinda knew that.  Still don't like it.  We do, however, have a shed on the site, where we can keep our scooters and some other stuff that would normally be in the trailer.

Not really settled in, but there... and it was time to head to Steph and Dan's for some SuperBowl watching.  At half-time, it is all tied up at 14.  The second quarter was interesting.  The commercials have been mostly forgettable.  Katy Perry was overly showy.  The food has been mostly non-healthy, just the way I like it!

More as it plays out.

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On edit: turned out to be a good game.  I was pulling for the SeaHawks; Joan and Dan were rooting for New England; Steph was neutral.  The SeaHawks had a chance to pull it out with a minute left... that interception is going to get "Monday morning quarterbacked" for a long time.

Congrats to the New England Patriots and their fans.