Health Insurance While On The Road

Health insurance while on the road is covered for us through the VA between the age of 62 and 65 our Medicare kicks in once we are 65.  Both of us served in the Air Force on active duty when younger and we have Honorable Discharges, because of this we earned Veterans Benefits for life which include basic medical coverage.

We have been using the VA as our primary provider since moving to Rock Springs they have a clinic be side the College and Hospital we worked at.  While on the road we have been studying up on how to utilize the VA while on the road.  They have an office called VA Travel that will handle us while on the road.  We will let you know how that goes as we use it.  As for our VA clinic providers and staff it has been great.  We even had some major surgery during our time here with few issues.

While on the road we will try to plan our routine check ups with our home provider and if we can not be in the area for these we will work with VA Travel to have it done at a VA medical facility near our current location.  We also have an HSA that we paid into through my employers for years now and will use these tax free funds for any non emergency needs while on the road and away from any VA facility.

Other related notes

• Dental Insurance does not come with us in retirement so we signed up for one of the two VA approved dental plans at a monthly cost to us of around $80.00
• The VA provides us with our eye check ups and glasses
• In the March 2018 American Legion Magazine (page 20) there is a nice article called " VA to pay partial non-VA emergency claims by Tom Philpott". It talks about some court cases that the VA is now complying with, which improves our medical coverage and reduces our medical costs by using the VA service we have earned.
• In talking with VA Travel and our Provider we will try and do our winter check-up via Tele-a Health.  This will mean we will have to have our lab work drawn at a different VA location.  For our summer check-up we plan to return to our home clinic for our lab and check-ups.
• My canned O2 refills will be set up through VA Travel while on the road with local O2 providers in the area.

We Are Now Both Retired

We have started receiving some of our retirement income and will receive the rest starting in July.  We hope to be on the road some time in July. 

We sold our last home in 2013 and have been renters these past few years so we would not have to worry about what to do with our home.  One problem is we still have a lot of our stuff from our last house in our rental so we need to speed up our downsizing.

I hear the number one cause of fires in an RV us using propane while driving

I hear the number one cause of fires in an RV us using propane while driving.  I remember a fire at a gas station years ago that burned down be cause of a generator running while fueling up.  I also have read/heard several cases over the years of fires and people dying from driving down the road with their propane turned on while driving down the road.  WE have had 3 motor homes over the years and before we new better we had done both but have not done either for many years.  We will continue not to have either on while driving down the road,  

Also everyone needs to remember all newer RV's with propane usually have a propane alarm remember these expire after several years and needs to be replaced.  Check with a RV dealer or RV technician for details on your unit.  I will replace mine in another year or two, if you pay attention to yout alarm it will tell you when it is time to be changed out for a new one.

Bedroom slide out

When we got our RV we saw the slide-out motor  under the RV and were briefed on how to manually do the one hidden under the bed.  The problem is I have never actually manually gone through the steps.  So this spring I want to go through the motions on both.

Above is looking to the head of the bed and below is at the foot of the beed showing the electric motor.

I also found I have not picked up an extra slide out fuse so I will do that over the next month.  I have two slides so I should pick up two.

Tweaking our dolly

Tweaking our dolly should be a big aid on my back when moving it around on a camp ground when unhooked. Below you can see the extra wheel to hold up the tong to make it easier to move around without the auto on it.  Over time I am sure I will move it up and back as I use it more.

 Under the cloth and wood are my spares to the dolly and tow car.  I have yet to decide on what location they will be when all hocked up.

More on preping for full timeing

Organizing the RV and refining our cooking for the RV is our current mission.

Here I can buy a 10 pound piece of choice meat and cut it up into small roasts, brown and freeze so all we need to do is pop it in the oven or DO and ready to eat:)  So when we stay a few weeks to a month or so we can pre-cook for our next movement when all we need to do is re-heat.  We will also do one pot meals with our pressure cooker.  We also both like soup, salads and sandwiches so all should go well.

 Below we decided we do not need cookie cutters when a tin can will do with the top and bottom removed.

What do we take and leave.  We have tons of tools for the house kitchen we can only take a few and put the rest in storage.

 Limited space under our dinette seats for heaver or little used kitchen tools which do we take and which go to storage.  Also had to cut out a piece under one seat to get the air fryer in.

 We would like to have one spare propane tank on board as a backup.  We added an extend a stay connection to the RV a year ago.  By using a standard BBQ bottle it will be easier to do an exchange then find a propane station in some areas.

Prepping for full time RVing

Prepping for full time RVing.

Several things have have been happening starting in March.

Kathy and I have both tendered our resignations for retirement to start early summer 2018.  We want to travel by RV our first few years of retirement.  Altitude is not my friend I have been on O2 for years and on a CPAP.  When I am below about 4500 feet my breathing improves and at or near sea level it is great compared to 6000 feet and above.  So much of our travel will be below 4500 feet.  During these travels we will be looking at where we will end up retiring to a home or condo.

Our current  RV insurance expires the start of May so we are going back to Good Sam to find a replacement that is set up for full time (365 days a year)  RV'ers. Our current policy only covers us for part time use. Most RV'ers are occasional users so their coverage is only geared to cover them for 60 to 90 days a year. So we will switch by the end of April to the full time option, looks like cost will be around 3 times the part time coverage.

Since Kathy and I are both veterans our primary providers are VA so for the 2.5 years before Medicare the VA will be our primary coverage backed up by our HSA that we funded over the past 10 years.  Once on Medicare the VA will become our secondary coverage.  The VA also provides us our eye classes and we have taken out one of the 2 VA approved group Dental Plans that we do pay a monthly fee.

We have a joint appointment with the social security administration to sign up for retirement starting this summer.  Kathy  has already signed up for her state retirement should start by June.  I can not sign up till the end of April to have mine start by June,  Both states advise if they have not started our retirements by our planned date they will pay us back to our planned date once they complete set-up.  We plan on leaving Kathy's TSA alone for now, may take it in a few years to give ourselves a raise.  I had a small IRA and that has been added to our emergency/future home fund.  Finally I note that Kathy and I have also been receiving early retirement from two previous employers.

We did not buy a home here at my final college, because we did not want to be tire down till it sells so we rented these last 5 years,  We plan to be out by end of summer with some items in storage at our daughters and the rest sold off or donated.

Finally for this post I have dropped off the RV at our mechanics to do a detailed going over and for new tires.  Our tires are 5 to 6 years old so we want to start out with new tires as well.  If they replace any parts do to looking weak I asked them to hold them for us, we will hold most for emergency spares.

Even our overhead bunk is being converted for storage as you can see below.  Chairs and a walker with seat if needed on a long walking tour can also carry my spare O2 tanks.