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girasoledonna's avatar
girasoledonna
Explorer
Sep 09, 2013

UPDATE from your favorite songstress- soon to be full-timer!

Hey everybody! I thought it was time I share an update on my progress with purchasing my 2003 Roadtrek 190 Popular :) As many of you guys know, I found myself in the awesome, advantageous and extremely blessed position to purchase my trek with only 29K for $22,000 from a little old couple in Indiana. I was supposed to be financing the RV through a loan, but was refused my loan ( long story ) after they'd already "pre-approved" me for it. So it looked like all was lost. But the couple in IN was so touched by my story of traveling the world and playing music that they decided to let me purchase it over time!

So since July I have been making payments, and I've successfuly paid $11,00 towards it! I'm half there! I have to come up with the other half by November 1rst so my life has changed drastically to get to that goal. I am working 3 jobs and making about $1,000 a week, moving out of my apartment to couch-surf for the next 90 days, and selling all my belongings. I'm surprised how odd and unsettling it is feeling to do the latter 2 of the 3 things - but I know once I'm free of possessions I'll feel much better and have nothing but the open road ahead!

Anyway, so my plan is to leave in January, and I'll be working soon on booking my first 3 months of the tour. My record is almost done too!

I was hoping that any of you who full-time in a class B and who might have a RoadTrek (Dodge Chassis) 190 could give me advice. I want to know as much as I can about what I'm about to take on before I do it. Info perhaps on a security system for the trek, rear camera, etc would be helpful - but anything else you have to offer I'd love you to share! If there is somebody with the exact same vehicle or even just a 190 roadtrek popular - who wouldn't mind being men "mentor" :) I'd really appreciate it.

I am a brazen lady and I'm def scared to be embarking on this mission alone - but I know I can do it. Thanks to everyone who has already showed me support :)
Class B
  • girasoledonna's avatar
    girasoledonna
    Explorer
    Sep 19, 2013
    I don't think I'm going to go with Solar right away because I will be driving almost daily and not boondocking for days or a week at a time. I'm a working musician so I will be on the move a lot, and expect I can charge the battery that way pretty easily. I am sure having solar would be nice so that I could get rid of the generator altogether, but I don't have any extra money to put into my 22K vehicle that I'm already spending every penny I own on, so it's not in the cards for me right now. But I appreciate all the feedback!
  • stan909's avatar
    stan909
    Explorer
    Sep 19, 2013
    Do Not get rid of that generator! Take good care of it and run it a couple of times a month. Excercising it running the air. Someday when you sell that will pay off handsomely. A new gen is over $3k.
  • Escargot's avatar
    Escargot
    Explorer
    Sep 20, 2013
    girasoledonna wrote:
    Learning curve is steep huh! Yikes! I'm a little scared!


    Relax. You will learn as you go and you will not suffer from not knowing. One step at a time. You'll be okay.

    ENJOY the voyage!

    PS I concur, do. not. get. rid. of. your. generator. It's value added when you decide to sell or upgrade your rig.
  • SkiMore's avatar
    SkiMore
    Explorer
    Sep 21, 2013
    You have 2 types of batteries: engine battery and house battery(s)
    Engine battery helps the engine start - just like a normal car battery
    House battery(s) - is used by the house section of the RV for lights and stuff

    Your house batteries won't be powerful enough to run the rear air conditioner or microwave. You will need to run the generator or connect up to external power for them.

    The batteries can be charged by engine, generator, solar panel or external power (i.e. from a wall outlet or similar)

    This video will help explain some of the technical stuff. I know it's not for your RV, but it shares the common systems with all/most RVs.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKdr4Z1LBKY#t=269

    Make sure you have some reserve money. Things break.
  • girasoledonna's avatar
    girasoledonna
    Explorer
    Sep 21, 2013
    Thanks SkiMore - I plan to have a nice fund of like 7-9K in an emergency fund for disaster :) So that's good to know though - about the house batteries and the car batteries - that I can charge the house battery off the engine - since I'll be doing a lot of driving I may not need to use the generator much at all. I will take a look at the video. Thanks again :)
  • Escargot's avatar
    Escargot
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2013
    You will want to "exercise" your generator on a monthly basis. Run it for at least 1/2 hour with a load. I run my AC when exercising my generator and I try to do this while I'm driving because I'm too impatient to stand around while the genset does its thing.

    The monthly exercising prevents gas from going stale and gumming up the carburator; it also helps burn off / dry out accumulated moisture in your generator.
  • gdoug83's avatar
    gdoug83
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2013
    Escargot wrote:
    I try to do this while I'm driving because I'm too impatient to stand around while the genset does its thing.


    I'm too impatient to wait, too, so I run it while I cut the lawn. The neighbors can't hear the genset for the Husqvarna. :B
  • Fastpaddler's avatar
    Fastpaddler
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2013
    I have found that running my generator in a parking lot, especially a Walmart or big box store parking lot or, in fact, on the street--nobody cares. In fact, most wouldnt have a clue what is happening. So that is a good time to exercise the unit or, in fact, use it if you want to run the 110v microwave, run a toaster, kettle or even play a movie while using the Inverter. I dont like to run the generator in RV parks or State(Provincial) parks as those ecologically minded folks dont like noise as they contemplate the natural elements at work. Or something like that! I sing out loud with my lyric- tenor voice and sometimes play Blues harmonica and nobody complains--that would be really unsociable.

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