MEET TEXAS PETE

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They say that you should buy your third RV first. The idea being that it takes about three tries to get what you really need in an RV.  I never was very good at math. So, figuring out how to do the third thing first is a little confusing to me.

When it comes to living full time in an RV, finding your third RV first is even more confusing. The plan is that you do your research so that you have a real good idea what you want and need in an RV. Believe me we did our homework. We did a lot of reading and even more looking. We attended numerous RV shows, dealerships, and online RV sales sites to try a figure out what RV we wanted and more importantly needed. After all that, we decided that the Puma 253FBS would be just right. Once we decided on what RV was right for us, we began a search for one. We looked at a new one and were convinced that the Puma was right for us. So, we began searching for a used model. It seemed that used would be the best choice for us because of the rapid depreciation of new models and used are simply more affordable.

Finally, we found one listed on RV Trader. It was located in La Crescent, Minnesota. Pettibone RV Sales there had a Puma 253FBS on their lot. It was a 2010 model. Ten hours from our home in Michigan was a slight problem but our youngest daughter and son-in-law were only thirty minutes away. I sent them a list of things to look for and off they went to take a look. While there we did a video call and I got a tour. They took lots of pictures and we felt that we had plenty of information to make a decision. That’s how we came travel with Puma Pete.

From the beginning we knew Pete wouldn’t be our last RV. When we retired, we sat aside a portion of our retirement funds for the expressed purpose of upgrading our RV some-time in the future. We were thinking maybe five years with Pete and then finding his replacement. After a few months of full time living in Pete we had begun thinking that we might upgrade sooner rather than later. We were thinking maybe next fall or winter would be a good time to upgrade.

We had gone RV shopping with a friend. He’s thinking about getting an RV to escape the heat in South Alabama in the summer time. Sort of a reverse snow bird. While he was looking, we were browsing through some of the used 5^th wheels. I had rejoined our friend in his search when Mary came and asked if I had seen the Laredo on the lot. “I really like the layout”, she said. So, I looked through the Laredo and I too liked it. Even though it was a 2016 model it was in like new condition. They had just taken it in on trade for a newer bigger model for a couple who were beginning their full-time journey. We were intrigued but not yet convinced.

It was our salesman’s fourth day on the job. He had asked another gentleman to join our friend and ourselves as we looked around. His accomplice was very knowledgeable about all of the RVs. It turns out he and his wife were the owners of the dealership. One of my concerns was all of the solar panels on Pete’s roof and all the other parts of the system. I asked him about removing the panels from Pete and placing them on another RV and without hesitation he assured me that they could do that. When I asked about the price, I was quite surprised that it was a bit under what I had thought we would pay for our next rig. Now beyond intrigue we were interested.

That night I began to read reviews of Laredo’s. I downloaded the 2016 brochure and learned all I could about the build and specs of the LS325RL. A few days later we returned to look at the RV again. This time the rig had been detailed and we took a much more thorough look. We really liked what we saw. Later that day we began the process of taking our money out of the investment account where we had been keeping it. It was clear the markets were about to take a dive and we wanted it available if we in fact made a deal for the Laredo.

Finally, after a lot of thinking, talking, and praying we decided that even though it was ahead of schedule we would begin negotiating with the dealer and see what might happen. We decided what our bottom line would be. When the dealer came back with their offer they were under our bottom line. We began serious negotiations and talked about some things we want to see them do, new tires, solar swap, a few minor repairs, and I made a counter offer. After a bit more negotiating, we finally had a deal. We bought our third RV second. Whatever that means!

His name is Texas Pete. (Laredo is a Texas city) He is a 37-foot fifth wheel. There is a nice sized closet which crosses the full width of the RV in the front and it has washer and dryer connections should we decide to add them at a later date. There is a slide out in the bedroom making space for a RV king size bed. The bathroom has a 60-inch residential sized shower. It is larger than the shower I had at the Groveland Mansion, our previous house in Roseville, Michigan. I love it! We have a mid-kitchen with an island where a large and deep two bowl stainless steel sink lives. There is your typical 3 eye cooktop and oven. Most of all there is a four door, eighteen-cubit foot, refrigerator which works on propane, 12 volts, or electric. In the kitchen, dining, and living area there are opposing slide outs making for a lot of room. Across from the kitchen is the dining area. Originally there was a table and chairs in the dining area. The previous owner took out the table and built a counter across that portion of the room along the wall with windows on two sides. This space can be used for dinning, as a desk, or as a crafting area. This is something we actually had considered doing in Puma Pete and was one of the things that really attracted us to Texas Pete. In the living area there is a couch that can be made out into a queen size bed and a pair of reclining theater seats. There is a beautiful entertainment center which has a 42” TV, a stereo system with DVD player, and an electric fireplace. Outside there is a power awning, a very large underbelly storage area, an outside kitchen complete with a refrigerator, two burner cooktop, and microwave oven. The tires are 16” and new. They are mounted on aluminum wheels.

The overall build quality is far superior to that of Puma Pete. Texas Pete is truly a four-season RV. The roof has an R rating of 30, the walls have an R rating of 10, and the floor an R rating of 29. The underbelly is fully enclosed. All water lines and holding tanks are in heated areas. While we don’t plan on doing much winter camping, we certainly could. We are only on our 5^th day in Texas Pete but we are certainly discovering the value of our new home. We think this is it. We believe it is going to be our home for several years. We are still figuring out where everything goes, but we are convinced we had found our third RV.