Mutt's Reactions

So the mutts first time, hmm...

Well the first was River. She was SO nervous..

That's a lie... The first thing on that RV was a CAT. He got on while I was laying out irish soap to keep rats out. He explored the nooks and crannies, purred on my bed, sniffed the bunks, and favored the leather couch. Cats got good taste.

Sadly he couldn't stay but the moving walls from the slides made him not like it as much. They are loud going in or out...


But River was our first mutt in it.

She was so scared of our packing that we took her out to see it hoping it would help.


So she was untrusting of the stairs but was eager to check out the camper. We let her off the leash and let her sniff.

She eyed our bedroom (abit cramp for her taste), crawled along the bunk house bottom bunk (next to a window), ENJOYED the bunk house window (It is big), our dinette wasn't good for her sitting but she tried, then her favorite spot. That leather couch. She sat on it, tail thumping and panting as she looked up at me.

Then I showed her a special thing in my bedroom... Took some crafty adjusting to get on that bed but she did. And then she saw the window, just the right height for her to look out while laying. She hit me till I pulled the blinds up. Tail thumps... Happy River.


Then, I did something we cant do... You see, the windows of our current house were painted shut.. WILL NOT OPEN. Period. But these... As you can imagine, this was a happy pup. Cushy bed, new comforter, window, window opened for breeze and smells...


She smacked me when I tried to close it and kept smacking me when I put the blinds down.


She was a sad panda over that... But then she got back on the couch. Unbothered by the moving walls as I pulled the slides in... Which was shocking.


Then she went back in the house. No where near as nervous. Happy in fact.

Next time she went out, she went with all the dogs. A realtor was coming!


So one at a time they went out... First River and Lily (together) as Josh carried BB. River hoped right in, followed by Lily who followed her example and also wanting to explore. They were followed by Josh and BB who let the slide out while I fetched Wiggles...


Fat arse, he was the worse. I was tired and he weighs close to 100 pds but he squirms making him feel HEAVIER.


He wanted in but was scared of the steps. So after 30 minutes he put his paws on step one... And tried to then step to step 3 by skipped 2 and still staying on ground. We tried to help him, nooo go.


Josh had to lift his arse right into the camper bathroom (where our second door is and where we could close the others out). So his big butt and my love-able were then shut in so the big rump could go into the rest of the camper. Needless to say, he hated me shutting him in but loved the glomping the girls gave him.


Lastly was Big Hoss. Same issue as Wiggles but he weighs about 70 pds and goes tense when lifted... MUCH easier. So I gave him a minute with the stairs before lifting him up. He has arthritis and joint issues so shiny floors scare him (due to MANY falls) and he has trouble with stairs anyway. Same deal, close the door, let him go from bathroom and then I went in.


New place, the boys were nervous. The girls.. Well they were mixed. River knew it, loved it. Lily was cold and nervous but was so happy to have me join and also enjoyed the couch... She got use to it fast and laid around with Riv.


BB didn't know what to do but settled with the lowest bunk that was the size of a full size bed... Little dog, huge space. Made sense!


Buddy paced, scared of the new shiny floors. But tail wagging as he watched me put stuff in our pantry. He loves the kitchen and enjoys being with me as I cook. He never found a space but I think the carpet under the dinette will be his.


Wiggles being the biggest paced and sniffed but naturally he wasn't fitting on that couch (which he also enjoyed when the girls weren't on it), the dinette was too tight for him, and ended up crawling up onto our high bed in the cramp room... Walked in to see him laying on the pillows nosing Josh's head. Was cute.


After the realtor left, mom joined and Wiggles showed us a new trick... He knew how to turn on our gas stove burners..




Needless to say, they were all happy to see the camper but just as happy to go back inside.


I also learned a lesson... The couch was no longer for us. Same with bottom bunk.


We knew we'd lose the lowest bunk but the couch was where we were going to set up our PCs! Now were rethinking placement. o.<


Linda

Picking the Mutt's Hutt

So for us it was going to be a huge downgrade... BIGGER was better, it was 3 people, 5 dogs after all.


We wanted:

Slides (because RVs are CRAMPT)

Functioning Kitchen (I cook and one mutt has a special diet..)

Two different bed areas... (Its a couple and a third wheel..)

Room for Computers (Two hardcore gamers, and a work station for moms business)

Plenty of storage (We have food, I need a few books, crafts, dog food, clothes, game systems... Ect ect)

No carpet... (BB likes to mark those)

TWO doors (one that can be shut off to allow us to get in and out without pups.)

Full size fridge (This is full time!)

Oh, and the beds couldn't be pull out-per mom...




NOW! Budget... Under 200 a month, Priced under 17k, might push 20k.

I know, asking for the moon... But were on a budget and they had a sale of 30% off! So we looked online first, they had some as cheap as 10k with the sale but they were under 20 feet...

We were wanting 25+ or a toy hauler. Why a toy hauler? Because half the camper is EMPTY! Hello computer desk space, bed space, ect!

Before you ask we DID look for used... But we couldn't haul, we work full time, only had 3 grand in cash, couldn't have major issues, and had nothing within a hours drive EVERYTHING was atleast 2 hours away.

We looked at a couple and lost out due to bad titles, couldn't move it right then, couple of scams... After 4 months we were burned out.

So for us new meant a loan, but it also meant new, no issues, warranty, more options, CLEAN, no worry over mold...

We had a couple reasons for wanting new, but were not looking at debt free living so much as escaping a bad reality...


So... Off we went. After 20, we had three we liked. A 35 and 31 that had the same lay outs, two slides, full fridges, two doors.. Almost exactly what we wanted! And a 25 foot toy hauler that had a pull down bunk bed, huge kitchen, and a all in one bathroom... Needless to say the refusal to shower while on the toilet had my mom turned against that hauler... Sad panda..


So the 35 or 31. Both had a bunk house with a entertainment center, slides in living room and bunk house, full baths and kitchens, two doors, ect.

But..



The smaller had a GREAT look. Modern, nice décor, huge farm style sink, counter space, it was nice. But the bunk house was carpet...

The bigger only had carpet under the dinette, less counter space (sad panda is sad), no shelves for books, more painful bunk ladder apparently, but more pantry space (those missing feet of the other are pantries to this one).

The smaller was 5 grand cheaper... We learned towards the smaller.. But, no.. The day we went to sign we were told there was MOLD in a damaged section we'd pointed out and we had to take our camper that day for end of the month sweeps...

So we were rushed, spent 6 hours there after the closed, 10 hours total, getting insurance so they could haul it, paying hidden fees, calling banks to say they could take the down payment out, going over this and that, being told we wouldn't get sway bars or ANYTHING like we were suppose to get in the deal cause we couldn't haul it, and paying 5k more to boot plus a extra 3k in hidden fees, oh and a extra 2k in supplies we'll have to buy since no sewer, water, sway bars, hitch, nothing...

I will never buy from that Camper World again. Upside? That sales rep got a fucking promotion off that sale. -.- And paid for a couple of fees they "forgot" to tell us about. So hah.

But.. Were happy with our camper. Its big, roomy. Nice.

Linda

What the Fleck are we thinking?

Well i'll tell you!


I was given a home when I was younger... Oh how lucky right?  Go Flick yourself...  I got screwed!

It was a home i'd been raised in... But it was in disrepair before I got it (major, like termite damage falling in major...)  Oh, and a ungodly amount of debt attached to it.  Still think it was a good deal?


Over 10 years we added a new roof, paid about 28 grand in debt (none of which we made), paid a couple grand in minor fixes for busted pipes, paint, new water heater, basic home repairs... A few major plumbing repairs, new deck (The old was 40 years old and falling in), filled in a pool that had turned into a mess due to the fact that it was built OVER a underground spring and had become a bug pit!, oh and don't forget having to rewire it because it was running fuse box (illegal here..).

Ah!  This house would of been illegal to RENT!  NO HEAT!  NO AC!  No really, the furnace is broken, leaks gas, and ducts were trashed.  The AC hasn't worked since I was a toddler...  100+ degrees?  Sweaty Mess.  Below 30?  Burr.

People whine when its 90?  Oh, this isn't that bad to us...  70-80?  Oh that's freaking heaven!  Personally I like cold so 60-75 is wonderful...  Winter?  50?  Oh that's great!  No really... Without AC or heat you adapt to all but extremes.

Years of pain, torture, eating ramen... At this point, we've almost paid for a brand new house... And then the kicker.  "Your Sub floor is shot."  Well shoot me and put me out of my misery!  This is a HUGE house!  Water, termites, time... We were walking on rotten beams and plywood.

So... After 10 years...Of Torture.  We threw in the towel.  In fact, as I write this were looking for a flipper to take this off our hands!


This is what lead up to the choice:  Get a camper.  Live small.


We'd go park on a cheap lot or with family while we paid off debt (and work off the camper loan).  We also wanted to look for land of our own and build homes.  What homes you may ask?  Hobbit Holes!  Were nerds.


So that's our reasoning.  Be cheap, pay off debt, get homes.


But we do want to do some traveling... Yes, yes, we do..  Maybe while we build or for our honeymoon... (Hah, I wish...)


But for now, that's the game plan!

Linda

Mutt's Hutt, Where?

Playing off the first post I figured i'd share the where for us!


As of now were living in a craptastic town in Beautiful Alabama.

Oh yes, I love the state.  Its wonderful.  Thick forest, plenty of water ways (creeks, rivers, and lakes), mountains...

Don't get me wrong, this towns in a nice setting.  BUT its run by moronic, elite-socialite-wannabes.  We've lost tons of business, more care is put into a Library (that does not need the amount their given because they make enough), a shelter that is in disarray (Yes, Animal Lovers), and a Museum that lacks funds because its all about the public.

I know I sound like a bleeding heart, but when you worked for someone who had the books for these places...  You can tell who got the money and who didn't but seeing it on paper... Oooh it makes a girl livid!

I love to read but that Library sucks, didn't have Lord of the Rings till after the third movie came out. It had a very poor selection once I was out of goosebumps reading level...

But I digress, the point was none of us like the town or the way its run.  It didn't help that we were really on the outside looking in.  No family nearby really, kind of anti social by nature/loners, strong opinioned...  Oh, Crazy Dog Family.  We don't fit the mold. 

But I rant!

So yes, we live in Central Alabama.

Our plans are to head to the Country.  Looking at a place to rent outside of city limits, a place with my old man in another county, or up to my grandparents.  Either way, we look for a new beginning.

You might be asking yourself... "Why the Fleck did they get a mobile home to go park it?"

Well, for the time... You'll have to see us next week find that answer.  Because that's a whole nother can of worms.


Linda