Officially an RVer?

I got my 'welcome to the FQCC' kit today!

Fédération
québécoise des
camping et
caravaning

(Quebec federation of camping and RVing.)

The package included stickers for Miranda's upper left rear end to identify her as belonging to this group, including a series of number that identify her uniquely. I'm not sure yet of the benefit of that.

Membership has a lot of benefits in Quebec and some across Canada and even the US.

I joined mainly because membership was 58$ and meant I paid 150$ less for my insurance policy, for a savings for 92$, plus I get the rebates at specific gas stations, campgrounds, RV supply stores, and more. Membership comes with a really nice magazine, but I opted out because it's focused on Quebec and I didn't feel it would be worth having it forwarded to wherever I end up being over the next year.

I'm looking at other discount clubs and might join one more, but that'll be it for my first year on the road.

Research, Research, and More Research

Now that I've pretty much settled all the questions pertaining to the actual RVing buying process--inspection, finances, registration, taxes, and insurance, I'm delving into these fascinating topics:

-Roadside assistance;

-Memberships (to RVing groups for various discounts);

-Internet and cell phone (a nightmare in Canada, a country that is at least a decade behind the times in this area);

-Electrical upgrades (ie. Solar Panels and inverters 101, so I don't have to rely on hookups);

-Backup cameras;

-GPS systems.

And that's on top of trying to understand the gist of how RV systems work, looking into boondocking/dry camping sites on my proposed route across the country, searching for employers to whom I could send a resumé and covering letter asking for short term work, and a host of other things I'm sure I'll remember soon as I'm drifting off to sleep tonight.

All I can say is THANK GOODNESS I DON'T WATCH TV. For one thing, it gives me more time to surf. But, most importantly, it's one less thing to research. :-D