Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Our Bungalow

Casa Grande, AZ  High 80   Low 47

Jim and I have been talking about a change in how we travel for a couple of years now. Mickey and Ginny leave their fifth wheel in our park in AJ and have a 22 foot toy hauler that they pull during the summer months. I thought that was a great idea and Jim agreed. We have looked at many many travel trailers over the last couple of years and found a floor plan that we really liked.

This is Jim checking out the roof of an RV we looked at.

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Well, last week we found a used trailer that was within our budget. The day we found it we had driven to northwestern Scottsdale to look at a trailer that was such a disaster I can’t believe they were asking more than $100 for it. We got home and I got on line. Found and interesting looking 23 foot trailer only to find out when we called about it that it was at a dealership in Tucson. It was 2:00 and Jim said, do you want to go look at it. I said yes and off we went. That was the day we drove over 350 miles.

We ended up buying the travel trailer while we were there. It had the major requirements we wanted – a walk around queen bed, a slide with a couch and a double axle.

Our new to us Bungalow is a 2008 Salem by Forest River. Dawn, I think our floor plans are very similar. Check out Dawn’s beautiful new rig over on her blog at Taking The Slow Road.

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P1070856We picked up the rig yesterday. Safety is always a number one priority for us, and we invested in a Hensley Hitch. Travel trailers have a tendency to sway more than fifth wheels and the Hensley provides the most sway free ride of any hitch made. Jim had to install it himself (very few RV dealers are familiar with this type of hitch and Jim wanted to make sure it was done correctly.) He went to Tucson on Saturday and started the job of installing the hitch.

The rig was sitting under a blue canopy so the color is a little strange. I’ll get a better picture with the rig hooked up in the sunlight. When you see these pictures, remember that we have everything piled everywhere. Just like we had to adjust to living in a much smaller space when we moved from a house to the fifth wheel, we once again have to get used to living in a small space in the travel trailer.

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Monday was an extremely long day for us. We were awake at 4:30 and headed for Tucson by 6:30. Saturday and Sunday we had been loading up the truck with all the things we bought last week. After getting the hitch installed (nothing ever turns out easy to do), finally having the walk through on the rig and getting the paperwork taken care of we got out of Tucson.

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P1070864We decided to spend a couple of nights in Casa Grande for a shake down of our Bungalow. But before we could get to the RV park we had to pick up our new mattress. We bought the mattress in AJ and they trucked it down to their Casa Grande store for us. We wrestled the mattress into the rig and finally got to Casa Grande RV Resort about 5:00.

Jan snapped this picture of us. She also asked me if she could blog about us and I told her sure. I knew it was going to be awhile before I found the energy to get this blog put together. So check out her blog at Jan.

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I called Jan and she and Bill came over to see our new Bungalow. They helped us haul everything in from the truck and Jan helped me put the bed together. Then they gave us a house warming gift.

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Wow – how neat is that. And then to top it all off, they had dinner ready for us. We headed for their house which is only about 1/2 mile down the road and had the best chili and these fantastic biscuits.

Dinner was wonderful but we were both so tired we almost fell asleep with our faces in our food. We said our goodbyes and headed home. Thought we’d watch some TV but we were in bed and out cold before 9:00.

The girls’ are adjusting quite well.

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bedSo to sum up – we are not selling the fifth wheel. It will stay in Arizona all year and be our home when we are in AJ. The rest of the time we will be traveling in the Bungalow. Ginny named our rig the Bungalow and I love it. We’re hoping we might be taking more short trips around AZ in the winter time.

More to come but right now it’s definitely time for bed once again.

36 comments:

  1. How fun, a new Bungalow. Seems like a great idea. You will probably find you are making more short trips each winter. Congrats! Becki

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  2. Congratulations on your new Bungalow (love that name)! Yes, our floor plans look very similar! Warm wishes for many happy miles in your new home on wheels! And thank you for the link, too!

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  3. Nice idea on the Travel Trailer. A home base for the winter in
    Apache Junction & a smaller rig for shorter travels around the area. We had a Prowler TT a bunch of years ago & liked it. Always lots of excitement acquiring another rig too & although stressful & tiring at times there is a lot of fun thrown into the mix as well. .

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  4. Well good for you two. Congratulations on your second home. Hope you have as many great adventures in the Bungalow as you do in your 5er.

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  5. I do remember you saying this is what you were thinking about doing. Congratulations to you. Now you have one for the road and one to leave behind. Congratulations on your new house!!

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  6. Wow - how fun will that be?? You'll have fun with your Bungalow!

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  7. Looks like you have things all figured out, and nice smaller trailer to travel around with and a home base.
    Enjoy your bungalow, am sure it will be fun.

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  8. I think that was a good decision and the little girls seem to have adjusted to their new digs well.

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  9. Congratulations on the purchase of your new home!!

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  10. Great find! Just think, with the money you'll save from the increase in the mpg towing the trailer over the fifth wheel, it should pay for itself in no time! :c)

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  11. That's so cool Sandie. I love your new Bungalow!

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  12. How fun. Congratulations on the new Bungalow!

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  13. wow… lot of happenings… so glad Aunt Happy is home… and you got a bungalow (great name) to travel about in. what fun. Love your house warming gift… haaa wag worthy. glad all is well with the Dixons!

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  14. I knew it !!! Fantastic !!

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  15. Congrats on your new home on wheels. Sounds like a great idea to use it on short trips and now you can get into a lot more campsites. Have fun.

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  16. I love it! I know we all want to see and hear more about it.

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  17. I'm still in total shock how fast you got your trailer made into a real home. I love all the blue and I can't believe you had everything you needed to set up housekeeping. What a difference just a few hours made.

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  18. Congratulations on the new rig! These 5th wheels are sure nice and spacious when you're parked, but they're a lot to drag around when traveling. I've been looking at Class C Motorhomes again ~ LOL!

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  19. Such a great idea! hope you enjoy it..

    Bill

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  20. I'm glad for you. A small trailer is really a lot easier to pull than a large fifth wheel.

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  21. Ahhh...now you are the proud owners of two rigs!!! Good for you two.

    xo

    Jpo

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  22. We're happy for you because you're happy! Congrats! Look forward to seeing your little rig in Wyoming this summer!!! Be well, and enjoy!

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  23. Wow, it looks nice. Hope you really enjoy it.

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  24. Congratulations! The Bungalow looks mighty nifty! I know you two are going to be really happy with your choice.

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  25. Congratulations, Jim and Sandie!

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  26. Sounds like you now have a home and an RV :-) Hope this works out well for you guys.

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  27. Congrats on the "Bungalow". It sure will make traveling easier for you, but still have the comfort of your fifth wheel in AJ>

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  28. Love it!!! Congratulations on your new "Bungalow." I know you all will truly enjoy your travel home as well as your Arizona home!!

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  29. Congratulations on the new Bungalow.

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  30. What a neat idea! I love the Bungalow. It looks a lot bigger than my trailer and mine is either 21 or 22 foot. Glad the pups like it—that’s important. Love opening your site to those four beautiful eyes staring back at me. I have the Hensley Hitch, too! Lots of luck and happy times in your new digs. :)

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  31. That is awesome, Sandie.... I'm so happy for you and I love the 'Bungalow'.... Great idea--you all will love it... Congrats.

    Hugs
    Betsy

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  32. Sorry I'm so late commenting - catching up after family visiting. I think this is a great idea! And I love the name "Bungalow." You'll stay all set up at AJ and not have to move your fiver any more, and have the Bungalow for traveling. What a deal! I'm heading over to Jan's now to see what she's got about it. :)

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  33. Wow! You have been busy! Good idea though for the way you and Jim travel back and forth to MT. Looks nice! Now you have 2 "homes" again! But I am sure this one, too, has to be able to pull that boat! Enjoy it. See you around the first of April.

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  34. congrats on your new 'bungalow'! may it give you many safe and happy adventures!!!! Can't wait to see the pictures of it when you are all settled in!!

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  35. WOW big news, was worried about the girls until I saw them.

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Thanks for visiting today. I look forward to reading your comments. Have a beautiful day.