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Old 11-11-2017, 04:14 AM   #1
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Good to find a Crossroads community

Hello all, I'm John and am new to this forum.My RV story began on a recent walk through a state park where I stumbled across an orange Volkswagen camper van. It immediately brought a smile to my face and brought back memories of seeing these on the road as a kid in Southern California. On my drive home I started to remember outdoor excursions, how I was invited to travel to Lake Shasta by a family that owned a large camper with the overhead sleeping bunk with the window looking out on the road (which to me was the coolest place to possibly be). Along with that RV experience, it was the first time I camped and water skied (or actually, water plunged. A few years later in the Boy Scouts I had great camping trips that ranged from canoeing on the Colorado river, traversing Death Valley and a full week of fun and torture at at Boy Scout camp on Catalina island.

It's been decades since I thought about it, but this VW camper van provided a nudging reminder of what I used to truly like and enjoy. Throughout my life I have been fortunate to travel extensively, from 5 months in Europe on Eurorail pass, to Asia, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico. These were trips with the proverbial planes, trains, hotels and rental cars - where every day was planned to squeeze-in as many activities and places and sightseeing experiences as possible. Sometimes I wore my family members out, but I kept marching on....

So now I have been on a deep dive, rabbit hole YouTube and web foray. Originally I just wanted to see if these VW vans were still around, but I quickly uncovered an RV community who are out there exploring all parts of the world, and doing so in vans, campers, converted school buses and travel trailers. The internal dialog began... "what if I could rent one of these and try it out?", "what if I could find one to buy?", "what if I shut the door on my condo and hit the road for a couple of months?"

So after seeing a few RVs I found my 2016 Crossroads Z-1. Funny thing is that for wanting to simplify things and hit the road, I have found that I need to get up to speed on many systems and processes that make an RV hum out there on the road and in the campground. I look forward to learning from this forum, and sharing whatever progress I make in the coming months.
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Old 11-11-2017, 07:32 AM   #2
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Nice write up John.
Welcome to the forum, and good luck with your new RV.
Have fun.
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Old 11-11-2017, 10:02 AM   #3
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Welcome aboard John. This is a great forum to learn and pass along experiences. Have fun as you "re-aquaint" yourself to the RV experience. I remember those Shasta RVs well. I started with my parents traveling in a Boles 19' trailer with an icebox!
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Old 11-11-2017, 10:15 AM   #4
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John
Nice story...One of the things I like the most about camping is that people that camp seem to be much more willing to engage in a conversation with you and all you have to do is say hello...There is a level of friendliness and consideration that seems to be missing in this country in our everyday lives...So with that being said welcome to the forum, congratulations on the purchase of the Zinger, best of luck with it and most of all ENJOY...

PS...something else for you to consider is take a look at the "Rally with Crossroads" thread on this forum...
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Old 11-11-2017, 11:09 AM   #5
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Welcome John from the ShoMe State - get out there and enjoy our beautiful country!


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Old 11-12-2017, 04:24 AM   #6
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Thank you Lloyd, Stan, sleepyT and MoTreker for the welcome messages! I am having fun in the planning and outfitting of my RV, and really looking forward to taking it on the road.

And I agree that the community is filled with very friendly people who are willing to help out a new comer with their knowledge and experience.

The Rallys look great - hope I can coordinate a trip to meet-up with a few fellow Crossroads RVers next year.

And getting out to enjoy our beautiful country is the whole idea behind the RV quest. Flying over it isn't quite the same as a thoughtful, slow and gradual exploration of all the great places their are to see and experience.
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Old 11-12-2017, 06:21 AM   #7
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Welcome to the forum from NC
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Old 11-12-2017, 11:02 AM   #8
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Great story John. Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new Z-1. Enjoy!
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Old 11-13-2017, 10:05 PM   #9
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Welcome to the forum! Good post.
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Old 11-14-2017, 03:52 AM   #10
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Welcome from Ontario
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Old 11-14-2017, 06:52 AM   #11
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Welcome from Texas !!
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Old 11-14-2017, 10:04 PM   #12
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Welcome. I really enjoyed reading your intro!
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Old 11-17-2017, 07:59 AM   #13
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John, WELCOME.
FYI, Sleepy T is the wagonmaster for the 2018 Northeast Crossroads rally in May.
Don't know where in PA you live, but feel free to join us for the rally.
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Old 11-17-2017, 07:15 PM   #14
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Thanks for the info on this - I live in Bucks County PA and will be on the lookout for details for the rally.
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