Like a bobcat in a cage...

Lately I have become aware of some subtle changes occurring in my life. I am noticing more detail outside, paying more attention to my surroundings, hearing more sounds, and seeing more in depth colors in the sky and in nature... I began to wonder why this was occurring.  And then it struck me... I am mentally preparing for my life of freedom from the everyday confines of my current life, I am letting go of my current existence. 

Since I have set a date for retirement I have been slowly mentally retiring for some time now.  I first noticed this when I shared my impending retirement with my co-workers.  To which many reacted with jealously while others reacted with curiosity or animosity... more on this another day.  But it wasn't until I shared my future plans with my co-workers that I noticed a shift in how I carried myself when in meetings or in office conversations.  I was suddenly, or seemingly, more respected for my thoughts and ideas. I was also communicating with a more definitive purpose in getting things done to begin the shift of my responsibilities to others. 

So these subtle changes that are occurring are becoming less and less subtle and more and more obvious.  As a result a weight has begun lifting off my shoulders and I have begun to enjoy more the little things in life that were important to me in my early life but that I had been neglecting now for some time.  Now my only problem is my retirement is still a year or so away,  Thus, the day that I will no longer work and will begin the transition form the lifestyle I have now to a completely new one is on hold. As a result I am feeling somewhat trapped in my working existence and more like a bobcat in a zoo pacing mindlessly back and forth and back and forth waiting for the door to the cage to open and be set free...

Narrowing down the list....

With the RV show coming up in February in Houston it is time for me to narrow down some motor homes to focus on. As much as I want to have a diesel pusher my budget may not allow me to do so. I have looked at a lot of models and manufacturers and floor plans... to the point that I can hardly do it anymore. One of the key issues that I have had to contend with is the wheelbase to length ratio which has excluded many motor homes I initially thought I would be getting.  I really want a home a motor home with at least a 55 percent ratio and it is amazing how many there are with less than that.

We have also decided that we want a home between 30 and 34 feet and they build very few homes in this size range for full timing.  We also have decided we want no more than 2 slides and prefer those that don't move the kitchen.  A bedroom slide and a dinette/sofa slide is preferable.

So what does that leave me with... My most prefered right now is one of the Tiffins....

Tiffin Allegro 30DA with the FO chassis and it has a bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Tiffin Allegro 30DAwith the WO chassis and it has a bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Tiffin Allegro Bay 32BA with the WO chassis and it has a  bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Tiffin Allegro 34TGAwith the FR chassis and it has a bed slide and dinette and sofa slide and kitchen slide
Tiffin Allegro 34WA with the FR and it has a bed slide and dinette/sofa slide

I am still considering the ones below but many do not have more than 3000 payload for which I feel we must have...

Newmar BayStar CSCA 3102 with the FR or FO chassis
Monaco Windsor 32 PDB - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Windsor 34 SDB - bed/wardrobe slide and dinette and sofa slide
Monaco Windsor 34 PBS PB/FD
Monaco Monarch 32 PBD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Monarch 33 SFS - wardrobe/fridge/dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Monarch 33 SDD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide and has a Tub
Monaco Monarch 34 SBD - bed/wardrobe slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Monarch 34 PDB - bed/wardrobe slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Lapalma 32 PDB - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Lapalma 33 PDB - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Lapalma 33 SFS - wardrobe/fridge/dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Lapalma 34 SDB - bed/wardrobe slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Lapalma 34 PDD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco cayman 32 PBD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco cayman 34 SBD - wardrobe and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco cayman 34 PDD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco cayman 34 SKD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco knight 34 PDD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco knight 34 SBD - wardrobe and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Montclair B+ 293TS -bed slide  and sofa slide and dinette slide
Monaco Riptide 33 SDD SBD - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide
Monaco Riptide 34 SBD - wardrobe and dinette/sofa slide
2000 Country Coach Seaside
2004 Rexhall RoseAir 3300 S
2005 RexHall Aerbus 3250
2007 National Sea Breeze 1311
2006-7 National Tropi-Cal
2008 winnebago sightseer 34M - bed slide and dinette/fridge
2004-7 Triple E Comander A3509FB
Itasca Sunova 35N - bed slide and dinette/sofa slide

So in Houston I will focus once again on the the size (30 vs 32 vs 34 feet) and on the floor plans.  I will secondarily start focusing on brands and quality of construction for full time use.  I hope to learn enough from the RV trade show to create a top five to ten list of homes to look for.  Wish me luck...