Thursday, February 21, 2013

Zen and the Art of Roof Maintenance

We wanted to thank everyone for their comments and emails regarding our "homesickness".

I think I made it sound like the only reason we are feeling this way is because of the Grandchildren.

They are the number one reason, but not the only reason.  We miss the rest of our family too, and we miss our condo, and just being home.

Another issue that upset us was not being able to support family members whom have lost loved ones this winter.

Why am I telling you this ?  Because we know there are people like us that are planning for their own travels.

We want to present both sides of the snowbird life.

The positives are many, but there are a few negatives as well !!

Today, I tackled a job that I have been wanting to do for a couple of years now.

Many of you know that the caulking on a motorhome needs to be done every couple of years.

This is especially true on the roof, as the sun, wind, and rain beats down tirelessly on this flat surface.

There is a miracle product out there called Eternabond.  This is a four inch wide tape, that sticks and seals to any surface.

You simply wipe the area clean with acetone ( nail polish remover ) and apply right over the old caulking.

It was fairly easy to do, and looks great.

Best part is this stuff lasts for many years, so although somewhat pricey ( over $2.00 per foot ) once applied you are good to go.

Now with that job done, we can get back to simply relaxing.

8 comments:

  1. TnT: Good to know both sides. Thanks for enlightening those of us yet to embark upon our adventures... but getting closer each day.

    One thing to certainly be thankful for however is modern technology i.e. skype, facetime, facebook etc. Imagine all those snowbirds before you who back in the old days (when you think about it not that long ago)had to rely on the telephone or snail mail to stay in contact with those back home.

    I remember many years ago spending a couple of years traveling abroad and it would be weeks and/or months before contact was made with those back home. I'm sure I caused premature aging of my parents wondering where I was let alone if I was still alive!

    Keep the info coming... do's and don'ts of traveling south. We are happy to learn from others such as you & T.

    Out of curiousity what do you and your fellow snowbirds typically budget for a winter down south? We have a 5th wheel and hope to do a fair bit of dry camping as well as staying at campgrounds/parks.

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    1. That is one of the hardest questions to answer. It is kind of like, "How long is a string?".

      Some people drive to one location, set up in a cheap RV park for maybe $500 a month, buy groceries and stay put, rarely venturing away from their rig. Others, like us, are constantly on the move, exploring new areas (we are currently in Southern Mexico) and indulging in local restaurants. Our costs are substantially higher than the first example and there are thousands of levels in between.

      All in all, we find it cost about the same to RV in the south as it used to cost us to stay at home for the winter. Many find it costs much less and some who live a more extravagant lifestyle while traveling, find they spend more.

      The nice thing about it is, it is much easier to control your costs in a warm climate where fresh food is always available and cheap. As far as fuel costs, you can drive every day, which would not be much fun, or you can drive for a day and park for a day, week, month or whatever it takes to keep on budget.

      The standard disclaimer applies, Your Mileage May Vary.

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    2. If you want to see our actual budget for 2010 = 2012 you can check our Blog post here:

      http://croftsmexico.blogspot.mx/2012/05/what-did-it-cost.html

      Sorry for hogging your comment section Trent & Teresa, but this is always an interesting question.

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  2. Only you T n T know the answers to your questions and feelings. Its good to hear all sides and get some feedback from others on how they handle their problems. It is hard not be around for others in their time of need.
    I have rarely been so far that I can't just jump in my car and get back. But if my plan works out this summer who knows where or how far I may be from my loved ones.
    Just really think it through.

    Didn't you get snow there yesterday? We got plenty. YUCK!

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  3. the other option is to simply sell the house then you obviously can't miss it :)

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  4. Yes thats right, we have no house to miss, we miss our rv when we are not in it, this is our house. The family are as close as a phone call or internet video call for us.
    But only you can decide whats good for you, it would get pretty crowded out here if everybody lived this lifestyle.
    We also find that moving to a new location every week or two helps to eliminate those thoughts. New scenery and new neighbors.

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  5. That you were finally able to complete the intended RV roof work is a good thing. RV's do require regular maintenance, don' they.

    A very interesting series of comments from your readers on 'missing home'.

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  6. I know what you are saying. It was tough for us to leave our new house after being in it just a few weeks but we have loved our time here in Mexico. OUr house will be waiting for us. Children and grandchildren are an entire different thing. We don't have those but do understand the tug at your heart strings. You are both still young and have years and years ahead of you to explore the world. follow your hearts.

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