Starting on the Grand Adventure

[EdHarvey]

Hi, my name is Ed and I am a romance addict....

I haven't had any romance for a couple of years though, so today I gave in and ordered a Salem Villa Estate 404FB as my intended semi-retirement home. The expected delivery date is sometime in May.

The intention is to make it my home and my hope is to make a maximum of three moves as I determine where my twilight years will be spent. Honestly, I'm excited but a bit scared as well.

Will I need a better mattress on that bed? How do they do in summer heat? Bug problems? Do I remember how to use a dutch oven? Can I still make cornbread? Will the grill and bicycle I want be able to move when I pack up? BBQ Time on the deck, YEEE-HAH!

I'll be starting off down South (Alabama) and hopefully moving back to cooler climes in the next 2-3 years. My interests are Park life (not aggressive traveling with the trailer I prefer cruises) and probably will be increasingly concerned with maintenance. I was a military brat and have been around a bit so I'll cheerfully contribute my opinions on places when those thread pop up.

As I get ready for my walk-through date and minimizing possessions to fit the new lifestyle and space there will probably be manic-obessive (stay away depressive!) bouts of anxiety which will result in flurries of nitpicky questions.

Thanks in advance!

[bikendan]

welcome to FRF, Ed!

just one question, isn't the Salem you are buying a park model?
those aren't really intended for places to use dutch ovens, like state parks.
i'm confused because what you are buying is mainly used for seasonal sites, which aren't exactly like a state or national park.
they aren't really made for typical RV'ing.

that's why they're called destination trailers or park models. they're designed to be taken to a spot and left there for extended periods. not for traveling the country with.

[Wiscampsin]

Welcome EdHarvey from Wisconsin. Best thing to do about the mattress is use a memory foam topper. They come in different thicknesses, we use 3" and it's great.

[EdHarvey]

Originally Posted by Wiscampsin

Welcome EdHarvey from Wisconsin. Best thing to do about the mattress is use a memory foam topper. They come in different thicknesses, we use 3" and it's great.

Thanks for that tip!

I was thinking about setting it up with a good mattress on top of the "bunk pad" they use but wasn't sure what the effecct would be ithout a box spring set under.

It says it has a trundle bed and I am wondering of that can be set up similar to pushing two twins together? Nobody has the size of the lower bunk for bedding?

[EdHarvey]

Originally Posted by bikendan

welcome to FRF, Ed!

just one question, isn't the Salem you are buying a park model?
those aren't really intended for places to use dutch ovens, like state parks.
i'm confused because what you are buying is mainly used for seasonal sites, which aren't exactly like a state or national park.
they aren't really made for typical RV'ing.

that's why they're called destination trailers or park models. they're designed to be taken to a spot and left there for extended periods. not for traveling the country with.

Indeed it is a Park Model! I thought I described pretty clearly that it might get moved no more than 3 times in its lifetime and that aggressive travel trailering was not my intention.

As I said, my interests are living in an RV Park for extended periods, minimalizing my footprint and finding a near-optimum place for a retirement base. I love cooking so hope for a park with a sense of community where I can grill up some ribs all night and enjoy fishing and friends the next day.

Dutch ovens are fantastic, versatile cooking devices even in an ultra-modern kitchen. It's hard to imagine living in an RV Park without one. Wherever I live I smoke, grill and bake. My guess is that I'll get the 10" in both a flat bottom and camp oven style for beans, roasting, casseroles and cornbread. My anticipation is to cook most of my food outdoors except maybe for some breakfast.

A little research will indicate that this is increasingly becoming a retirement option for a large segment of seniors. Whether you're snowbirding, traveling with the trailer or positioning it as a small footprint home one estimate said as many as 15% of those over 60 are expected to be living in these style units by 2020.