Year 1 Day 4: Making The Transition – Part 3

The long awaited day where we were to actually take possession of our new home had arrived.  However, it was not to be a simple “sign the papers and drive off the lot” experience.  Since our legal residence is Sioux Falls, South Dakota (we have actually spent a few nights there over the last 10 years), we had to take possession of the Beast outside of Arizona to avoid paying both Arizona and the City of Mesa taxes.  The closest out of state location was Blythe, California, a “mere” 170 away.

Since we would be the ones driving the RV back from Blythe to Mesa, AZ, so we could pick up our car and continue on to Tucson (where our daughter, Christina, and her family live), this meant we would first have to learn how to drive a 40-foot-long, 40,000-pound beast down the freeway and over city roads without knocking over stop signs, fire hydrants, and other vehicles that would be zooming past us.

To become “expert” drivers, we both had a crash course (excuse the pun) that taught us the basics of being truck drivers in two hours.  As a comparison, most newbie truck drivers take a two intensive week course before being let out onto the open roads.  Watch out world, here we come!

We then followed our RV to Blythe in a shuttle van.  The trip took about 2.5 hours.  After signing the transfer papers, all witnessed by a notary public and then having our pictures taken with the Beast in front of the Blythe Post Office to document to the State of Arizona that we were actually in Blythe with our RV, the La Mesa RV folks shook our hands, patted us on the back, hopped in their shuttle van and drove away.

Gulp!  It was now up to Mary Margaret and I to figure out how to get the Beast and ourselves back to Mesa, Arizona; a long, long, long 170 miles away.

With the confidence and bravado that experienced truck drivers are renowned for, we climbed aboard, buckled up, turned on the engine and released the heavy-duty air brake system which issued a loud spreeeesh.  Holly, sh*t, we really do need to drive this 40-foot, 40,000-pound beast through the town of Blythe and then find the freeway back to Phoenix/Mesa area.  Double gulp!

To help get us into the mood, the town of Blythe was kind enough to block off a maze of streets due to a recent monsoon rain that flooded the roads.  Thus, we were forced to weaved through and around orange warning cones and barricades, slowly making our way out of town.

To make a long story just a bit shorter, we did navigate our back to Mesa just fine, buzzing down the freeway at 65 MPH, passing cars and big rigs along the way as well as getting passed by other cars and other big rigs that were going 70 to 80 MPH. We drove through rain showers and Saturday evening Phoenix traffic with Mary Margaret helping me avoid other vehicles by keeping a sharp eye on the traffic coming up behind us and in front of us. She also kept me advised as to how well I was staying between the lane markers.  It was really great team work that we both enjoyed.

Once we returned to La Mesa RV’s lot, we parked the beast and hopped in our little Fiat to return for our last night of staying in our hotel.  Tomorrow, we would hook up the Fiat to the Beast and for the first time drive our vehicles in tandem down to Tucson, where we would be staying for the next few weeks in order to outfit our new home.

I have finally taken some photos of our living room, dining room and kitchen area and have posted them below.

This is the view after you have entered our home.  It is of the living room, dining room and kitchen area.   The door at the end leads to our bedroom and master bath.

Here is our kitchen.  It comes with a large microwave/convection oven, two sinks, a induction stove top that we love, an extreme quiet dishwasher and a L-counter which retracts.  All of the cabinetry throughout the RV is solid cherry and the workmanship is outstanding.  There is tons of storage room throughout the RV.

Another view of the kitchen, this time with the cover for the induction stove top raised.  There are also two covers for the sinks if one wished the have a completely open counter top.

Next to the kitchen and right before you enter our bedroom is a powder room.

Across from the kitchen is where you will find our full size refrigerator/freezer.

Next to the refrigerator is our cozy  but comfy dining area.  The windows here and all around the RV come with both day shades and night shades.  Since we are in the desert and during the summer, we have the shades pulled to keep the heat out

OUr RV comes with 4, yes 4 TVs.  Go figure.  Two are in the living room, one in the bedroom and one is outside,  Here is the entertainment area of our living room and it comes with a electric fireplace that also supplements our heating system.  Also, the porcelain floor tiles are underlain with a floor heating.

This shows the front of our livingroom with the second TV and where we sit while driving down the road.  Both the driver’s chair and the passenger’s chair swivel 360 degrees.