I’m Jeanne, from Austin, Texas. Riley is my dog, a Sheltie from Austin Sheltie Rescue. We are traveling for a few months in a 1992 22′ Lazy Daze motorhome. We are traveling indefinitely, and as of July 2013 we are in a 2001 26′ Lazy Daze Motorhome, with a Kymco Like 200i Scooter.
A little backstory – I had been interested in RV’ing for a few years and found the perfect make and model in February 2012. Took a few local trips and learned the systems (with lots of help from my dad). Turns out I loved it even more than I expected.
I had owned a home for 15 years, but was ready to sell for several years since it was too much house/yard for one person. But the market was poor, so I waited. Then the market in my neighborhood turned suddenly in Spring 2012 and houses were selling fast. I got the best realtor in my area, he arranged/picked the carpet/tile/paint colors, we updated the place and it sold in 10 days. At about the same time I decided to leave my job at Dell Computer. I was going to take some time off and travel, then decide what I wanted to do and where I would live.
So, now I’m on the road, living the dream. And it’s fantastic!
At Jade Lake, Dubois, WY. August 2012
Upgraded to 2001 Lazy Daze in July 2013
Boondocked near Leadville, CO. August 2013
New scooter added August 2013.
New scooter purchased August 2013, Denver
OnTheRoadWithRiley 
Hi Jeanne! I doing my laundry, errands, etc. Found an RV park with free WiFi to enjoy while doing my laundry….nice! It is right across the street from Hodges. I guess I’ll find a camp site after my errands. See ya! Chris
Hi Jeanne – I just discovered your blog because of another RV blog I follow. We were at Yellowstone mid Sept of last year and loved it!! Question for you – how did you decide on the RV you bought? Had you rented some different RV’s prior to purchasing to at least get an idea of the size you wanted?
Sounds as though you are doing this short term….the living in the RV and traveling around the country part or do you think it will become full-time for you? Do you find that you feel a little isolated at times?
Best wishes for you in all your travels!
Barbara
Hi Barbara, I don’t remember exactly how I found the Lazy Daze brand, was just doing research on downsizing. When I found the LD and saw the floorplans, the style, and especially the high quality, I started leaning heavily toward that direction. I looked at a Tioga, even took it to a mechanic for a look-see and decided against it. Never did rent an RV. But when I saw the rig on Craigslist, having been following Bob’s travels in it on his blog, I checked it out and bought it ASAP. It was perfect for me, except I was nervous that it was older than I planned to buy. But it’s been well cared for, so that helped my fears. I figured I would get something small that I could drive, but the floorplan is fantastic, so it seems larger than 22′. I’m very happy with my decision, but it did take 2 years of research. And with a combination of perseverance and luck to happen upon the perfect rig.
As far as timeframe, I have done this 3-1/2 month trip, and now am looking at figuring out how to stay on the road. I love it.
I don’t really feel isolated. I’ve been really busy traveling and seeing sights. I have met some folks along the way. Walking a dog around a campground leads to conversations with other campers. (Especially with a dog like Riley that attracts folks with his good looks and zen-like temperament.). I have met women from the Yahoo group I belong to (women go solo), and have approached other bloggers when I have been in the same area. I had a fantastic week recently hanging out with a community of RVers. It’s like anything else – you make it what you want. If you need folks you can find friends. If you want space you can go off on your own. Also, I have always been quite a loner, so I may be better suited to this lifestyle than most.
Hope this helps. Sounds like you are doing good research. Best wishes for your future travels!
Jeanne
Hello Jeanne,
How do you pronounce your name? Like Jean or Jeanie, etc.
Thank you for the pictures of the Lake Isabella area.
While looking online for information on Kernville and Lake Isabella, I came across your Webpage.
Thank you for the pictures.
You are on an interesting adventure. Good for you. Also good for Riley to be rescued by you. I recently started as a volunteer at a “No Kill rescue in Santa Paula California, which is said to be the only “No Kill” rescue in Ventura County.
I wish you the best for your road trip.
Dean
Hi Dean,
It’s both – Jean (my given name, my family calls me Jean) and Jeannie (friends call me Jeannie, I changed it when I was younger). Either is fine. Hope you enjoy the Isabella/Kern area. I really liked the area. Gorgeous. Got a bit warm and I moved on to Yosemite to take advantage of the heat wave. If the weather is good it’s a good area. Really liked being on the shore of the lake when it was deserted. Good for you working with the rescues. It’s rewarding work!
Safe travels! Jeanne
Hi Jeanne and Riley, I just found your post while looking at the Duck Roll…I will be setting off on a similar journey in a couple of years and I am also researching RV’s. I will be following your travels and taking notes..I live in So Cal and travel up to the Sierras for camping and fishing yearly…Enjoy yourself and stay safe, I hope to be reading your adventures and enjoying until I am out there also.
Hi Shirlene,
I look forward to seeing you on the road! It’s good you have time to do research before heading out. I had been researching for about 2 years before things just fell into place for me, earlier than I had originally planned. One site that was really helpful to me (especially with my choice of Lazy Daze) was Andy Baird’s site – http://andybaird.com/travels/index.html. He writes about starting out with trips, then retiring and fulltiming. He has lots of good ideas about making an RV into a home. Also, Barbara of Me and My Dog chronicled her path to RVing – http://dewelldesigns.blogspot.com/, and I found her thoughts helpful. (You probably know her site from the Duck blogroll.)
Anyway, best wishes on your research. If you have any questions just ask.
Jeanne
Jeanne: Lynne told me about your wonderful new life. So exciting to see your pictures and see your happiness. Good for you!!!! Debra Sirois
Deb, hey!! How are you? Good to hear from you. Hope all is well with you, and Dell. Maybe we can get together for a lunch when I get back to TX for the holidays. Would love to catch up with you.
Take care,
Jeanne
Hi, my sister just bought a new 24′ Lazy Daze RV and we are looking for a bike rack. any suggestions? thanks. tom.
Hi Tom,
Congratulations to your sister. I’m sure she will really enjoy her Lazy Daze. I would say – avoid the ladder mounted racks like this (http://www.amazon.com/Swagman-80630-2-Bike-Ladder-Rack/dp/B003DIMST2/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1386901658&sr=1-6&keywords=bike+rack+for+rv) and go for a hitch mounted rack. I had a ladder mount and it was a pain to lift the bike and get it all strapped in. I rarely bothered to use my bike. I hear the hitch mounts are a lot easier to use. This is the style I mean – http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Sports-Deluxe-5-Bike-Receiver/dp/B001M4H2Q8/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1386902053&sr=1-4&keywords=bike+rack+for+rv. I don’t know if this one is good or not, I just show as an example of a hitch mount type.
Hope this helps.
Jeanne
thanks so much. see you on the road. t.
Jeanne,
Hi LilNomad future solo female rv’er here. love your blog. hoping to do some extended traveling or fulltiming myself in the future. I was wondering if you have any info regarding budget or what to expect as far as expenses. Not retired but have worked long enough to know im ready to leave the corp grind. I hope to make a few dollars here and there while on the road. I have a Airstream travel trailer. Also thanks for the info on Kern I will be in that area for a Airstream Rally in Oct and wanted to extend the trip and see some more of the area.
LilNomad
Hi LilNomad, I would say the budget will be whatever you’ve got. I know some folks who live on $400-800 per month. Some live on $3,000-4,000 per month. I’m in between. The best place for good info is RVSue’s blog. She has shared several months of living expenses, and it gives an idea of spending. She is able to live on quite a bit less than her monthly income. http://rvsueandcrew.net/money/
Best wishes as you get on the road!
Jeanne
A new follower here…hoping sometime in 2015 to RV full-time. Interested to learn from your experiences as a woman traveling solo.
Yay! Hope all goes well as you make your plans and get things in place. It’s great out here! If you haven’t already, consider signing up on the WomenGoSolo Yahoo group. It’s a good, supportive group.
Thank you! I did sign up on the group. Not sure I’m ready to engage, but just taking it all in.
Hello, Jeanne! We got the link to your blog from the posting in the LD forum about the balloon festival. We were surprised when we clicked through some of your entries to find that you pack a scooter on the rear. We thought we were the only ones! We’ve had our Vespa 250 since ’08, and have put 12,000 miles on it, mostly during our travels around the U.S. It’s taken us as high as Sandia Peak behind Albuquerque, as far West as the Hoh Valley in Olympic Nat’l Park, and as far east as the Outer Banks of N.C. We sympathize with your travails in getting it on and off the rack. Do you motor it up or try to “dead push” it? Our rack was custom built, doesn’t use the hitch, and sits a bit higher than yours. Here’s a link to one of my blog entries that shows the scoot mounted on back. http://www.hounsjournal.blogspot.com/2008/09/ca-to-az-lot-of-desert.html Lazy Daze + Scooter: the only way to go! — Jon & Loni
HI Jon and Loni,
Yes, we are Lazy Daze/scooter compatriots! I checked out the info you wrote on the LWALD site and the pictures. VERY helpful as I was researching scooter carrying. I have gotten better at the loading and do power it up the ramp. I’m not strong enough to get it up there without power! It’s just heavy and unwieldy as it goes up the ramp, even with power. Plus, I have lacked confidence in the operation, so I have gotten better as I’ve gained experience and confidence. The prior owners of the rig beefed up the hitch and structure underneath, so it was the perfect rig to buy since I wanted to add a scooter. Hope to meet you at a LD gathering at some point!
Thx! Jeanne
Hi, Jeanne! I’m new to your blog (or at least was twelve hours ago, before reading nearly every entry you’ve written–seriously…that’s ALL I did with my day off…a day well-spent, in my opinion), and I just wanted to say that you are incredibly inspiring to me. I am a girl from CO who is nearing my mid-twenties, and I was just awed by your blog. I found you via Google images (of all places!), looking at pictures of a campsite I might visit on my long weekend camping/hiking in Colorado.
I wish you the absolute best, and I hope that you might pick up where you left off soon, and tell all of us apartment-living people of your (and adorable Riley’s) adventures. Keep us posted, girl! ❤
Hi Jeanne, We met briefly at the fairgrounds in Cottonwood, AZ. (remember the Lazy daze fan?). We exchanged one email, and thought I signed up to follow your blog. Well, seems there haven’t been any recent entries. Things going OK for you I hope.
Still saving for my own LD. Target is about 2 years out (for a 20-year-old one). I am in the Flagstaff area for weeks or months. Take care , Dan
Hey Jeanne! I am wondering how you’re doing, and if you still love the Lazy daze? I waffle between that and a trailer to be towed. I know driving for me would be easier in something that was all one piece but I’d also like to leave it in a campsite and go exploring in something smaller. I guess you do that with the scooter? And finally, wanted to see how Riley was…I have Katie the sheltie, she says HI too!.