Our First 5th Wheel

The retirement plan is drafted and in motion. All I have to do now is focus and work towards it. Meanwhile I have to learn and gather things that I will need or at least I think I am going to need for our epic retirement adventure. So when the day comes we are ready to take off and don't have to learn as we go. No matter how many articles or web pages I am going to read or how many YouTube videos I'm going to watch...the best way to learn is by actually doing it. So now that I have a truck I can look for a GOOD deal on the used, preferably smaller 5th wheel. My dream 5th Wheel is 41 feet long and it's intimidating just to look at it...I can't imagine pulling it down the road and trying to back up in the small site.

It's amazing how I do not notice things until I want something. I drove by this 5th Wheel a million times on my way to town, the grocery store, friend's house... but not until I started to think about buying one that I actually noticed it. It was parked on a side road and one day I decided to call the number on the For Sale sign and check it out.

I saw some used 5th Wheels in the dealer lots and was not impressed. They all looked dark, dingy with matted carpets...almost all of them smelled like old dog and socks... so to be honest that's what I expected this one to be. But to my surprise it was so clean and fresh that if not for the outdated fabric and wall coverings you would think it's a new 5th Wheel. I loved it from the moment I walked in, and most importantly Beth loved it too. I will write a separate post about Beth and all the pretty stuff she likes... and to my joy she liked this one...

A couple of weeks later I brought home my first 5th Wheel: 2006 Jayco Eagle.

As most people who buy their first home or car...we wanted to make it our own. So we rolled up our sleeves, got some paint and painted the bedroom...

Before painting...

Prep work is done and ready to paint...

The painting crew...

We chose GREY color for the walls and WHITE for the cabinets. Testing different shades of grey before we commit.

Because it's a such small place and low traffic area, I chose to skip on primer and paint two coats of paint directly on the walls and cabinets. No sanding or heavy cleaning... Now that is done I would not recommend skipping on primer. The paint does not stick to the surface materials very well and scratches easy...