Awaiting...

[Captain Jim]

We are back in the Tropical Tip, having enjoyed a delightful summer in a cooler climate. The X10 I ordered was supposed to ship yesterday - I needed to have an address where it could be sent, not possible while we were out in our motorhome. The guitar was done a couple weeks ago, but I asked Kevin at Emerald to just hang onto it until we knew we'd be home. Apparently Alistair found something that needed to be addressed (I didn't ask) and needed the weekend to do that. Monday is the new shipping date (the 3rd of those).

Yes, I am anxious to see this new model. No, a couple days is no big deal for it to be "perfect" (not my words).

We have been busy since getting home - it takes a while to get moved out of the motorhome and back into the house, and all that goes with each of those. Today was the first day we haven't been "going after it"... I took my Honey out for breakfast at a restaurant on the pier. With live music (mellow singer/guitarist) - Evan would like it: the guy is an outstanding musician, playing fingerstyle on his nylon guitar.

We drove around a bit, seeing what had changed in the last 3 months. Our island and South Padre Island are looking good. We'll get the boat out this next week; I'm looking forward to some time on the water.

But, the best part of the day: I got my guitar room back in order. I have room for 5 guitars out. The X7 went back on the wall the day we got back. The X20 joined it today. And a Yamaha electric bass I use for recording. One spot is reserved for the incoming X10. The last spot went to my Taylor 814... it hasn't been out of the case in almost a year. It is a lovely guitar: tobacco burst top, curly maple binding, spruce over rosewood. It looks and plays great... I had kinda forgotten how comfortable that Taylor neck is, in spite of those "hard edges" on the body. It will probably be the wood acoustic I'll keep.

I did spend about an hour playing (mostly the X20), dialing in the Bose S1... before I got roped into a plumbing project (helping the Blonde with replacing faucet stems) and replacing the doorbell (they last about 2 to 3 years at best in our salt-air environment).

So, there won't be any shortage of things to keep me busy while wait to hear if the X10 ships on Monday, and the ensuing tracking.

[kramster]

Don't let Good Ole Unc Evy see this as you know how he is when one is expecting.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by kramster

Don't let Good Ole Unc Evy see this as you know how he is when one is expecting.

Evan is "expecting"?? Do we need to have a shower for him?

[kramster]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Do we need to have a shower for him?

No...mustn't waste water here in the desert

[new2guitar_eh]

You are going to shower Uncle Evy in waste water?

[jwellsy]

It's probably a good thing you don't have an X30, those Honey-Do's never would get done.

[Methos1979]

Welcome home, Jim! In an effort to help you keep busy and not think about your wait for the X10 to arrive I'd love to hear a little about your travel vehicle, what class (size) and make and model. My wife and I are considering going this route some day but I'm not feeling a big class A vehicle. A class C or even maybe just a highly customized big van I think would be more our speed. Something big enough to hold the Emerald and the Bose S1. And tow a trailer with our motorcycle. We're still a ways away from being able to do that so we have time to mull it over. Would love to hear some tips from a veteran of the road.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Welcome home, Jim! In an effort to help you keep busy and not think about your wait for the X10 to arrive I'd love to hear a little about your travel vehicle, what class (size) and make and model. My wife and I are considering going this route some day but I'm not feeling a big class A vehicle. A class C or even maybe just a highly customized big van I think would be more our speed. Something big enough to hold the Emerald and the Bose S1. And tow a trailer with our motorcycle. We're still a ways away from being able to do that so we have time to mull it over. Would love to hear some tips from a veteran of the road.

Hi Scott. Our lifestyle has involved a lot of wandering over the decades, by RV, boat, and airplanes. We have had a variety of RVs, from bus chassis motorcoaches to Class B camping vans; a toy hauler and a 5th wheel made for full-time living. Our current conveyance is our "downsize" unit, a Winnebago Aspect 27K Class C. It is on a Ford E-450 chassis with a V-10 Triton motor. We picked this one based on the size, design, and floorplan. It is 29.5' long, only 10'5" tall, so is capable of getting into National and State Parks (some have a 30' max length). That said, much of our traveling is double towing, making our overall length just under 65'. But, we can break it down into 3 units and still fit in most places. As often as not, we stay in nice RV parks as opposed to the National Parks... good to have the options.

We often tow a Featherlite cargo trailer that holds our two scoots. It also give us great storage for riding gear, tools, and other "stuff." The S1 spent most of the summer in the trailer; my X7 stays in its gig bag in a corner in the bedroom and lays on the bed when we're traveling.

Joan hooked me on motorhome traveling with the idea of "going south in the winter and hauling our motorcycles." About 30 years ago. We quickly found that if you are spending extended time traveling, you are going to need a secondary vehicle besides a motorcycle for when the weather turns to crap or you need more groceries than you can carry on a bike. So, for a while, we left the bikes behind. If you want to "take it all with you," there is going to be more work involved.

My favorite conveyance was a 40' diesel pusher (American Coach) on a Spartan bus chassis that afforded loads of storage in the bays. I could easily carry a full size PA, keyboard, guitar and all the other stuff, and still have room for much more. This current Class C has good storage, but we do try to travel lighter these days. There is room for the S1 under the dinette seats if you aren't towing a cargo trailer. And room for a season (or 3) worth of clothes, food, etc.

We have had several Class B camping vans, our favorite was a Leisure Travel. They have all the amenities of a Class A, in a very compact form. The advantage of the Class B is the compact size: you can fit almost anywhere. They are generally more expensive than a small Class A or Class C, and have less storage space. If you tow a trailer behind the Class B, you negate the "small" advantage... might as well get something a bit bigger with more storage space and elbow room.

Like guitars, there are a lot of choices for motorhomes - some are built to a price point, some are built for the long haul. There are brands that I like and some that I wouldn't choose. Yeah, like guitars.

Best thing to do is hit up some RV shows... walk through a bunch. Try to ignore "the flash," and go for the substance. Consider things like storage space for clothes and your "stuff." We've been in some that are larger than our current unit, with very little room for clothes... or units that will "sleep 6" but have no room to actually seat and feed that many; and certainly no space for "stuff" for that kind of crowd. We have always considered our RVs as a space for the 2 of us. A comfortable bed for two, with space to get around the bed and make it. A bathroom that has enough room to do your business and take a comfortable shower (and room for linens). Comfortable places to sit when you are parked. If you aren't just weekend camping, you need living space inside any RV.

We did something unusual for us this summer: went to one place and spent 3 months. The motorcycle/scoot riding in the Black Hills is wonderful and we enjoyed it a bunch. Our motorhome is a comfortable mobile domicile for us. Yes, we have used our RVs for a home base when we have had the "fun summer boat jobs" (also lived on our boat for 3 years). The RVs have also been our "escape pod" for times when we want to be somewhere else (generally due to weather), and still have the comforts of home. We have somewhere on the far side of 350,000 miles of RV travel over the years.

Another thing we've learned with all this: some people aren't cut out for RV travel. Too much togetherness doesn't work for everyone, especially when you are living compact. We enjoy this lifestyle, but it can also be some work, especially the moving-in and moving-out stuff. RVs will sometimes need maintenance... or, things will break. How you deal with it makes a big difference. We found with our diesel pushers that you had one manufacturer for the engine, another for the transmission, another for the chassis, and then the maker of "the house" that sits on top of all that. With our current unit, we have Ford for the chassis and all mechanicals, and Winnebago for the house on top of it. I can get oil changes at pretty much any Ford dealer.

Once in the "house" part of the motorthome, you are dealing with a bunch of different manufacturers of all the components: fridge, stove, microwave, water heater, air conditioner, etc, etc. Most RV dealers can handle issues; we try to be self-sufficient, do our own repairs and maintenance.

There are gig opportunities when doing extended traveling: RV parks often have entertainment... if you can schedule where you want to be and when.

Whew - that got windier than I thought. It is a big investment. Drop me a note or give me a call when you get close and we'll talk more. Hope that helps.

Best wishes,
Jim

OK, I saw this. You guys are merciless. Yes Captain, I like hearing a good nylon string player, like a kitten on the keys, fingers on the strings. Sweet.

As far as the shower stuff goes, you can shower me with money. But that's it--and I am glad you stopped where you did.

And by the way, there is no waste water here. All major water use in the Las Vegas area is considered zero use because Vegas flushes everything except the big stuff back into the lake, and then sends it on to Arizona and California. It's all good.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

We have always considered our RVs as a space for the 2 of us. A comfortable bed for two, with space to get around the bed and make it. A bathroom that has enough room to do your business and take a comfortable shower (and room for linens). Comfortable places to sit when you are parked. If you aren't just weekend camping, you need living space inside any RV.

Another thing we've learned with all this: some people aren't cut out for RV travel. Too much togetherness doesn't work for everyone, especially when you are living compact. We enjoy this lifestyle, but it can also be some work, especially the moving-in and moving-out stuff.

Whew - that got windier than I thought. It is a big investment. Drop me a note or give me a call when you get close and we'll talk more. Hope that helps.

Best wishes,
Jim

Great info, Jim - thanks. The above two graphs were standouts. We have gone to a bunch of dealerships and just done walkthroughs of the various Class A, B, C offerings. We don't plan to travel with more than just the two of us. Not even any pets. It's all still very early in the planning stages. Not even planning but more consideration stage. I've frequented a few RV forums and lots of good info there as well. A few people recommended renting some RV's for some trips to see what works for you. Make sure it's really for you. I like that idea as well.

By the time we are in a position to be able to actually do it (retirement, still several years away) we might not be riding that much by then anyway. Who knows? But it just seemed like a better alternative to both of us than to sell everything and move south to a fixed location that you might have to abandon a couple times a year due to weather! Besides, there's a lot of places I'd like to see around the country still. Living on a boat always sounded romantic and fun but the wife has never been too keen on that.

Thanks again for the insights.

[Frettingflyer]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Great info, Jim - thanks. The above two graphs were standouts. We have gone to a bunch of dealerships and just done walkthroughs of the various Class A, B, C offerings. We don't plan to travel with more than just the two of us. Not even any pets. It's all still very early in the planning stages. Not even planning but more consideration stage. I've frequented a few RV forums and lots of good info there as well. A few people recommended renting some RV's for some trips to see what works for you. Make sure it's really for you. I like that idea as well.

By the time we are in a position to be able to actually do it (retirement, still several years away) we might not be riding that much by then anyway. Who knows? But it just seemed like a better alternative to both of us than to sell everything and move south to a fixed location that you might have to abandon a couple times a year due to weather! Besides, there's a lot of places I'd like to see around the country still. Living on a boat always sounded romantic and fun but the wife has never been too keen on that.

Thanks again for the insights.

Hi Methos,
We have an RV as well, purchased used after renting.You would be welcome to come see it anytime as you get closer to doing it, and we will be glad to share our lessons learned so far, seems only fair as you have let me have at your guitars.
BTW-the CF goes really really well with an RV.

[The Kid!]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

We are back in the Tropical Tip, having enjoyed a delightful summer in a cooler climate. The X10 I ordered was supposed to ship yesterday - I needed to have an address where it could be sent, not possible while we were out in our motorhome. The guitar was done a couple weeks ago, but I asked Kevin at Emerald to just hang onto it until we knew we'd be home. Apparently Alistair found something that needed to be addressed (I didn't ask) and needed the weekend to do that. Monday is the new shipping date (the 3rd of those).

Yes, I am anxious to see this new model. No, a couple days is no big deal for it to be "perfect" (not my words).

We have been busy since getting home - it takes a while to get moved out of the motorhome and back into the house, and all that goes with each of those. Today was the first day we haven't been "going after it"... I took my Honey out for breakfast at a restaurant on the pier. With live music (mellow singer/guitarist) - Evan would like it: the guy is an outstanding musician, playing fingerstyle on his nylon guitar.

We drove around a bit, seeing what had changed in the last 3 months. Our island and South Padre Island are looking good. We'll get the boat out this next week; I'm looking forward to some time on the water.

But, the best part of the day: I got my guitar room back in order. I have room for 5 guitars out. The X7 went back on the wall the day we got back. The X20 joined it today. And a Yamaha electric bass I use for recording. One spot is reserved for the incoming X10. The last spot went to my Taylor 814... it hasn't been out of the case in almost a year. It is a lovely guitar: tobacco burst top, curly maple binding, spruce over rosewood. It looks and plays great... I had kinda forgotten how comfortable that Taylor neck is, in spite of those "hard edges" on the body. It will probably be the wood acoustic I'll keep.

I did spend about an hour playing (mostly the X20), dialing in the Bose S1... before I got roped into a plumbing project (helping the Blonde with replacing faucet stems) and replacing the doorbell (they last about 2 to 3 years at best in our salt-air environment).

So, there won't be any shortage of things to keep me busy while wait to hear if the X10 ships on Monday, and the ensuing tracking.

Good luck with the move and the new Guitar!

[Captain Jim]

BREAKING NEWS!!! According to Alistair: "the guitar has left the building."

I'm taking that as: it is on its way to AN Post. I suppose it could mean: we have set it outside to do a "30 day environmental test" on it... but, that just might be my Irish sense of humor at work. Yeah, let's go with the former.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by The Kid!

Good luck with the move and the new Guitar!

Thanks. Other than getting the boat out of our storage unit, the moving back in is pretty much complete. And now, I get to check tracking a time or twelve each day.

[wickedwahine]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

BREAKING NEWS!!! According to Alistair: "the guitar has left the building."

I'm taking that as: it is on its way to AN Post. I suppose it could mean: we have set it outside to do a "30 day environmental test" on it... but, that just might be my Irish sense of humor at work. Yeah, let's go with the former.

Outstanding, congratulations! I look forward to reading about how you (and your adorable kitty cat) like it.