One week to takeoff. LOTS to do!

[rolling_rhoda]

It's my first extended trip. This last week of getting ready looks like it shouldn't be a problem, if I can give up sleeping. The RV and toad have been serviced. Have arranged for lawn care and weekly house check. I'm using a good packing list, too. But the other stuff -- sheesh! Getting paperwork caught up, last get togethers with friends, more practice parking the RV alone, tying up loose ends at the store, fall yard work, cleaning gutters, emptying fridges....

Anyone else feel the pressure before you leave?
Any encouragement for a newly hatched snowbird??

[almcc]

We have a basic list made up(and it helps that we have a duplicate set of stuff in the RV so we don't have to move stuff like dishes etc.).The essentials (like passports) are on the list.

If we find we forgot something we can buy a replacement at our first stop. One year it was interesting, however, when DW forgot all her Bras! An immediate first day shopping became a necessity.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Roy&Lynne wrote:
We are not leaving until end of November but I'm feeling the pressure. I'm afraid that I won't get everything done. Need a list. Does anyone have a list?

Everyone's "List" is unique to them? I LIVE by lists; have multiple lists depending on what I'm doing.

I have items related to leaving my home for an extended time: setting back heat, snowplowing, lights on timer, getting the house winterized after we leave. Forward the land line to our cell phone. Discard perishable food.

Then there's the things related to pre-leaving: paying bills, letting charge card companies know of our travels; set up mail forwarding. Making sure a prescription won't run out?

Packing things: not to forget items like the clippers and beds for the dogs; "toys" I'll want to bring; anything related to electronics, like charging cords and our cell-signal booster; extra tools I might need for "projects". Don't forget the camera, binoculars, GPS. In my case, I also need to remember paddlewear for kayaking (for warm temps and cold). Don't forget winter and rain apparel - it still gets cold in FL and a hat and gloves might be needed. And of course if medications are taken, those are critical to get packed. And me? I'll never sleep if my Sound Machine doesn't come along...LOL!

Pre-trip checklist of things for the RV, like supplies for coffee, paper towel and TP, shampoo/soap/lotion; maintenance like tire pressure, etc. Are the batteries in devices charged?

I have a "Master List" inside my kitchen cupboard; then I make a copy of it to work from, so I can cross off items or make notes. Saves me from laying awake at night, trying to remember things.....

[John_Joey]

Don't forget to stop off at Winstar Casino RV park on the TX/OK border for a nice nights stay. Our trick is to spend Saturday night there, and drive Ft. Worth/Dallas on Sunday morning when traffic is light.

[rolling_rhoda]

OP again. I'm headed for Texas, allowing four weeks to get to Dallas. That will give me time to visit the kids, research family history, and see some attractions and college games.

[rolling_rhoda]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions!

DH says the RV is loaded and the car is ready, so there is not much else to do. Yeah, right! Haha! Honestly I think getting the house ready and paperwork/mail under control is a lot more work than the RV. I do appreciate the voices of experience telling me to relax. Yes, I probably should let a few things slide. The last time I was away from home for months was college, and I didn't have to give a thought about mom and dad's house because they were home.

For my friend who'd like a list, here's what I have left....I think.
Tomorrow's list
Forward mail, empty fridge, turn down water heater, put lights on timers, empty and scrub outdoor garbage cans, give away house plants, pay bills, switch newspaper to online, get pine needles out of gutters, get jet pack for cellular, fertilize perennials and bushes. Sprinkler woman will be here to blow out the system for winter, and the furnace man is doing fall service.

Thursday
Get filing caught up, make sure monthly calendar of bills, etc is up to date, type list of website passwords to take along, organize hobby stuff and load in RV, make house shutdown list for DH for the few times he'll return home, pick up prescriptions, call CoachNet

Friday
Go over weekly house check with house checker, go over snowblower with yard kid, consider drinking heavily, wash the last laundry, clean the house,

Saturday
Finish the items above that didn't get done. Get groceries for the first 3-4 days. Load last minute items. Spend the night in the RV.

[dieharder]

You should be able to put your hot water tank on vacation mode, also check with your providers to see if you can do the same with your utilities.

[almcc]

rolling_rhoda wrote:
It's my first extended trip. This last week of getting ready looks like it shouldn't be a problem, if I can give up sleeping. The RV and toad have been serviced. Have arranged for lawn care and weekly house check. I'm using a good packing list, too. But the other stuff -- sheesh! Getting paperwork caught up, last get togethers with friends, more practice parking the RV alone, tying up loose ends at the store, fall yard work, cleaning gutters, emptying fridges....

Anyone else feel the pressure before you leave?
Any encouragement for a newly hatched snowbird??

The first year is always more difficult! We found that transferring our banking to on-line along with getting most important documents electronically helped a lot. Having a web enabled house thermostat with E-mail notifications if the temp was low (or the thermostat lost power due to a power failure) along with a house checker helped our confidence a lot.

As you get more experience it will get easier, and it helps if you have neighbours that "look out for you" while you are away. One of ours notified us when a tree branch fell on the roof during an ice storm.

[pawatt]

John&Joey wrote:

pawatt wrote:
... AZ, TX CA or FL or all 4...

A little early for Viking happy hour :B

Good Catch, I added CA as an afterthought since many like Palm Springs or on the other end "The SLABS"

[joebedford]

John&Joey wrote:
A trick we do is just go 40 miles for our first night stay

X2

Learnt this trick the hard way after many years of doing it the wrong way. Just get off the driveway the first day.

Only exception to that is if we're travelling in winter and we have to beat a storm.

[rockhillmanor]

Snowbirds need to watch the real birds. :C

When I lived up North I knew to get out of dodge with the RV when the geese started swooping and banding together during the day.

That meant winter was coming. I found the geese to be a far better indicator of the impending winter that any weatherman prediction. They were never wrong.

Well I'm in Florida right now and the MH's are all swooping in early this year!
Must mean an early winter is coming for up North! :W

Come on down the weather is fine.

[John_Joey]

pawatt wrote:
... AZ, TX CA or FL or all 4...

A little early for Viking happy hour :B

Corrected my math :?

[Roy_Lynne]

We are not leaving until end of November but I'm feeling the pressure. I'm afraid that I won't get everything done. Need a list. Does anyone have a list?

[Cat_Lady]

You might also want to sign up to get text/email notifications of when a purchase is made on your card(s). That way you'll know if someone stole your identity. You can also type in the states you'll be visiting so they'll know it's probably you using the card. Discover lets you "freeze" the card until you "find" the card so no surprise charges can be made.

I generally just call the ccard folks and tell them the states and possibly towns/cities I'll be traveling thru. Then when I get the opinion card email asking how their CSR handled my question I can give the CSR a pat-on-the-back-and-an-attaboy.

Cat Lady

[pawatt]

Do you have a destination AZ, TX CA or FL or all 4. You are leaving early so take your time & follow the weather or fall colors.