Our Motorhomes and Decision to Full-Time

FRED at Dealer--getting TOAD connected

First:  2008 Allegro Bay

FRED for FRont End Diesel was our first home on wheels, purchased in February 2008 from Costco! Well, through their RV buying program! It was an Allegro Bay, model 35 TSB, made by Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc. The coach had 3 slides, and we loved it! We purchased a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, as it was under the towing weight limit for this coach, for our Toad.

We loved it, having trailered for 35 years; 18' trailer, 24' trailer, 25' trailer to 27'trailer. Setting up a motor home at a campsite was MUCH easier than a trailer! Here is the last trailer we had. As find pictures of the first two, will post them.

27' SunnyBrook traded in on Allegro Bay

SunnyBrook and tow vehicle

We especially loved the fact that we could run the generator and the roof air while traveling down the road, thus making set-up a "cool" experience!

Almost finished!

Mike received her Doctorate from Arizona State University in May of 08. We drove FRED down to Tempe from Gallup, with Mike's dad and his dog, to attend the festivities. We returned to Gallup, where we packed up for the trip up to Washington, via the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

The second major trip was August of 2008, to Philadelphia, PA for the Babe Ruth Girls' softball tournament. We put 10,000 plus miles on FRED in short order!

FRED in Charlottesville, VA August 2008

Our decision to full-time came after spending our first winter in Arizona in FRED, the winter of 2009-2010. Upon our return to Gallup, April of 2010, we made the decision to downsize--selling the house and sorting through our "stuff" of 40 years in New Mexico. Fortunately, the house sold through word of mouth....! July 1, 2010, we headed north in FRED to South Dakota; our new state of residence! We had researched several options for a domicile  and chose Americas Mailbox.

Late spring of 2011, Lindy was following postings on the Tiffin RV Network indicating roof cracks on the roof radius of several Tiffin motor homes. Sure enough, our coach had them as well! We chose to have the repairs done at a Poulsbo RV in Everett, WA, a Tiffin dealer. (Areyou following this so far...?!) They had a 2012 Phaeton, 36 QSH, at 36'9", just a little longer than the FRED, and the rest is history! This is a diesel pusher, a 380 Cummins, compared to our 340 Cummins in FRED, with air suspension and air brakes, 4 slides and a washer and dryer. We did love our Allegro Bay FRED, but we are really enjoying the Phaeton!

"Our Outhouse--Paws and Friends--Travels with FRED"
That which started this blog, and its VERY long name....! 

Second Coach:  2012 Phaeton, purchase August 2011

In McKinney, TX for MCD shades

Computer table and recliner in FRED

We had MCD shades installed throughout the FRED, stopping in McKinney, TX for this upgrade.

We removed the couch and had a computer table built in, and purchased two Ekorness Stressless recliners for the FRED at Country side Interiors in Junction City, OR. These we transferred over to the Phaeton, removing the couch in the driver's side slide, replacing it with our two VERY COMFORTABLE recliners!

We are loving our home on wheels!

The dogs REALLY are enjoying their home on wheels!
Rupert is in his favorite spot and
Bitty is on one of the Stressless footstools, doing what she does best--sleeping!

Our Phaeton in Georgia 2012

Third Coach, purchased May 2015

Allegro Bus 37 AP at Memphis Jellystone RV Park, Horn Lake, MS

Yes, we kept the stressless recliners. Will leave one in storage when we return to Arizona this fall but are traveling "cozy" with both side by side by the fireplace, which we used most of one day while in Charlottesville!

2015 Allegro Bus getting washed and waxed in 2018

2015 Allegro Bus after wash and wax, 2018