A, B or C, towable or teardrop...

Is that camper in the picture cute or what? That is a retro towable, how fun, right? All that's missing from this one is a string of pink flamingo lights across the awning. Seriously though, deciding on an RV is a daunting task. There are so many to choose from and such a wide price range that it's a bit mind boggling. Luckily, I'm in no real hurry. I plan on narrowing it down to a few types and styles then renting each one for a 2 or 3 nights and seeing which I like best. What I do know is that I want something fairly small. For a motorhome, that means under 26 feet and for a towable, that means under 25 feet. Most national and state parks have a 30 to 35 foot limit and for a towable that's including your towing vehicle. Here's what I've learned and like so far. 

Class A - bus style motorhome:

Class As are the most luxurious but they can often be too long or too expensive. They are also not great for boondocking or driving off road. However, there are now some fairly small class As. So far my favorite overall is the Thor Axis 24.1. It is technically a class C with an A style, or a class A with a C chassis and it's only 25.6 ft long. I love the Newmar Baystar Sport 2702 but it's almost 28 feet, still within state park range but a bit larger than I prefer. 

Class C - truck like cab with over cap sleep space:

Class Cs are nice and roomy. Some even come with all wheel drive. Finding one under 26 feet is not difficult. Like class As they have a dry bath and usually  separate dining/living and sleeping area. I'm not really sure which one of the Cs I like best so for now will go with Dynamax Isla 3, the Winnebago Porto and the Winnebago Minnie or Minnie Winnie, as it's called. 

Class B or B+ - smaller van size:

There are Bs and B+s with the B+ being a crossover between a B and C. These are great because most are small enough to park in a regular parking place. They are also easier to drive. My favorite is, of course, a bit out of my price range. It's the Leisure Van Wonder with the rear twin beds. There are a few others which I'll cover later on. 

Towable - pulled by a truck or full size SUV:

There are a lot of positives to a towable but some negatives as well. The first negative is having to hitch it to a vehicle. The second is safety. Unlike a motorhome if I'm somewhere and I get a bad feeling I can't just jump in the drivers seat and take off. The positives are getting a bit more space than the smaller motorhomes and have a vehicle to drive around without the RV. So far my favorite is none other that the iconic Airstream Flying Cloud 25FB. There is also the Oliver or Ollie Elite II. The Ollie is great for parking off grid and boondocking. 

So that's about it for now. I'm going to skip the teardrop because they are pretty much for the weekend campers and definitely not for the full timer. Please feel free to post questions and/or comments. Let me know which of the ones I linked are your favorites. Also I'd love to know which one you can see me in. 

TTFN

Caged Bird

BY MAYA ANGELOU

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind   

and floats downstream   

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and   

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings   

with a fearful trill   

of things unknown   

but longed for still   

and his tune is heard   

on the distant hill   

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn

and he names the sky his own

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams   

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream   

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied   

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings   

with a fearful trill   

of things unknown   

but longed for still   

and his tune is heard   

on the distant hill   

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom.

Here we go...

Hello, my name is Lisa and here is a bit of my story.

I was married for 35 years to great guy who, unfortunately, died February, 2019 at only 63. He caught the flu and pneumonia, developed sepsis and A.R.D.S. (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and passed away 13 days after his diagnosis.

Little was I to know that one year later many people across the world would be dying of similar things. After his death I quickly sold our house, bought another and fully renovated the new one. I finished the renovation in October 2020 and I have now decided to go ahead and sell. The picture above will pretty much explain my motivation. If I've learned anything from my husband's untimely death and this Covid 19 pandemic it's how short life can be. I want to live a very scaled down simple and eventful life. We only live once, right? Time to see the world and live free.

Now for why I titled this blog The Liberated Canary. One of my all time favorite movies is Harold and Maude and my favorite quote from the movie is "Ah, me. free as a bird. You know, at one time I used to break into pet shops and liberate the canaries, but I decided that was an idea way before its time". I thought this was quite the fitting title for a blog. If you've never seen Harold and Maude you should watch it. I am finally liberating my inner Maude.

I'm planning on full time R.V. living. I'll start small and work up as needed. Time to head out and see the world. I want to use this blog to chronicle my adventures including the many mistakes I will likely make.

TTFN