Edith & Eugene Tokalot: RVers At Large

We're Moving to a New Blog

2015-07-05T17:14:00.001-07:00

Yes, we're back but we're moving to a new blog. Hope to see you there!

http://eandetokalotsrvingadventures.blogspot.ca/

Happy Camping!

From your favourite puppets, Edith and Eugene Tokalot.

We're Back!

2015-07-04T21:40:00.002-07:00

Hi there. This is Edith and Eugene Tokalot:RVers at large.

We're back!

Sorry for such a long absence. We'll be here trying to blog every day as we purchase a new to us van conversion and get rid of our old and abused Class C motorhome and then as get into some real RVing adventures.

It's great to be back.

Happy Camping!

Confusion and Contemplation

2014-03-02T11:34:00.007-08:00

It's been quite some time since I/we last posted on here and this is not intentional. I've simply been busy with a new job and have been thinking very much about how and when I want to get on the road and whether the RV I now have is the right one to be doing this with. I must admit the age of my RV is giving me pause for thought as is the fact that I have not driven it anywhere or maintained it at all during my eight years of ownership. She appears to be pretty decent shape but she is old and her wood framing is sure to deteriorate even more as time moves on.

For some reason or another van conversions came to mind about a month ago and as I took the time to look at theses and contemplate my life on the road my ideas and intentions of the past faded away and were replaced with new ideas and perhaps a simpler and more economical way of living life on the road and a means of supporting myself that would not require more space than what is available in most van conversions.

So I'm in the middle of a mental battle with myself and what I have now versus what maybe now makes more sense or does it.

Confusion and contemplation are filling my thoughts and I'm not sure where I'm at or what it is exactly that I want to do. Well one thing is for sure and that is I want to live my life on the road. However, the best place to do that is in the United States. But I'm not a U.S. citizen so therefore I cannot work in this great country. Canada does not offer a lot to full-timers or RVers for that matter especially when it comes to wanting to work on the road.

Confused and Perplexed Here!

Happy Camping!

The RV Feels Like Home

2014-01-20T20:32:00.001-08:00

Last month, December 30, 2013 to be precise I visited the RV and she stills feels like home to me but being the realistic guy I am I realize I'll need to hold off in living that dream for a bit. No money means no fuel, food, or any other things needed when living on the road.

As it is I'm still catching up on my finances and obligation and one of these is the yearly fee for RV storage. Will be squeezing my wallet and bank account as much as I can to get that paid. It's looking to be a bit difficult to manage but manage it somehow I will. $800 for twelve months of outdoor storage is not all that bad however when one's bank account is barely in the black it's not an expense you want to be paying. I could always move it out onto the street somewhere and hope for the best.

Nah, I still like her too much to leave it out of a secure lot and the need to always be looking for a new place to park her!

Oh, and she still runs!

Happy Camping!

Working For a Living Yet Again!

2013-11-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Won't be getting to the RV any time soon but I'm not worried. I'll enjoy the visit to my RV when I get a chance to open her door and step inside. I really do love my RV and all her blemishes. One unfortunate circumstance may be that she won't start. The battery will likely have lost it's charge by the end of December.

Maybe I can take care of that then too as I'll be a bachelor for a week.

I have a regular job again, not happy about it but the job is not all that bad and the wage is decent enough and I like the work and the people I'm working with. Temporary as I do have clear goals in mind just need to be flexible is all. RVing is in my blood so I cannot delay embarking on such a lifestyle much longer. I'm itching to get out on the road.

Oh, and the RV is still not leaking...knock on wood.

And the other day as I looked out my office window I briefly say an image of my RV parked on the road...as I reflected on what it would be like living in my RV as I worked at this job. I've seen no parking restrictions on the streets where I work and the they are likely quite through the evening hours...hhhmmm...move into the RV and live outside the office...kind of a nice idea to toss around!

Happy Camping

Never Give Up On a Dream

2013-10-06T06:31:00.001-07:00

I’ll be paying another visit to the RV tomorrow to check on how she is holding up as well as fire up the engine and perhaps drive her around the lot once or twice before returning home to focus on finding a way to earn an income. No money coming in means no RVing for me moving forward. I had good intentions but the money ran out before I could get the RV into the shape I wanted her before hitting the road.

But never give up on a dream.

Happy Camping!

No Leaks...

2013-09-27T09:30:00.002-07:00

So after my initial discovery of water stains in the bed-over-cab area, I applied a caulking sealant over the corner trim and all exposed seams and it has apparently taken care of the leak.

I'll go back to the RV again next week to check her over again as today is a day of heavy rainfall so another test of my handiwork. I'm quite happy with how the RV looks and feels and will have no problem transitioning into such a small space and calling my permanent home.

Just an addition of a few minor decorative touches and my RV really does feel like home.

Oh, I'm sad to discover that a couple of my favourite bloggers are giving up their personal blogs. I was quite disappointed and almost depressed over it but then I came to understand their decisions and cannot let it affect my desire to be an RVer and a blogger. I need to get out there all the same.

For five months I danced around my search for employment, working on the RV and taking care of my stick and bricks residence and gave up crafting altogether thinking that I was done with it. However, this is not really the case. I received a couple of request to make some cards for my friends and this was all I needed to catch the crafting bug once again, could be the season too but whatever it is I'm focused on crafts and RVing and doing both at the same time...

...my job title now stands as Crafter, RVer, Ventriloquist, and Writer.

Thanks for reading and Happy Camping!

A Road Trip by Car and A Week in Mexico

2013-09-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

We've been busy getting things done on the RV but then a road trip to the Oregon Coast, a week at home, and then a week's vacation at an all inclusive in Mexico put all of that work on hold.

The trip to the Oregon Coast was really fun and I'm glad I did it by car and hotel first as now I know what the roads are like and where there may be places to boondock and camp out for a while when ever I make down there in my RV.

I'm happy to report that I put some trim on the exterior of the RV and it looks good, blends in well with the fiberglass paneling however I may have leak on the front passenger side corner of the bed-over-cab area. Quite dismayed that spraying on a sealer and using silicone sealant has not proven to be enough to keep the water out. I added more sealant the week before leaving to Mexico but have not had the time to get to the RV to see if it made a difference.

Maybe we can get over to the RV some time this week so I can take a look as it has rained a lot over the past few days so I'll know one way or another if the leak has been repaired.

The interior of the RV is looking really good and I've actually added a few touches of home to the RV to give it more of a a homey feel and boy does it make a difference. Oh, and having a chair to sit on to eat lunch or simply take a breather is such a luxury as is the space since all of the junk has been tossed.

One more major project to do and then I'll totally clean out the RV so she is ready for more touches of home and then it is time for a call to a mechanic so she gets a good mechanical and systems overhaul before I take her out on the road.

So much time has passed by since my initial goal of getting into the RV. Life can certainly get in the way, if you will...our choices really can take us in a different direction that we planned but that is also a part of the learning process I guess of trying to transition from one lifestyle to another.

I'll get there soon enough but a lot patience is required before that happens...soon, soon, soon...

Thanks for dropping by and Happy Camping!

Many Posts to be Coming Soon!

2013-08-20T07:50:00.001-07:00

I have, we have been busy working all summer on the RV. We're now to the point of needing to get one to two more projects out of the way and we're (almost) good to go. Most of the interior work is simply decorative and can be done on the road.

Looking back just a year is simply amazing at how much we've accomplished while juggling jobs and many of life's other priorities and commitments. We'll be making many a post detailing the work we've done, including photos of the changes we've made to our home on wheels.

Thanks for sticking around and all of your moral support and encouragement.

Happy Camping!

Edith, Eugene, and David

Joey's Junk

2013-07-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Joey's Junk

Getting the RV cleaned up a little and the best way I figured I could get this done was to call one the experts, a junk removal guy. The first outfit I called pretty much laughed in my face so I sat on calling anyone else for about a week and the I gave Joey (Joey's Junk) a call and he was more than happy to take on my job. Joey is polite, on time, and very courteous. I have no hesitation in recommending Joey for any of your junk removal needs.

As for the RV, she is coming along quite nicely. I'm eager to upload a few photos to show the changes I've made but will wait until I've got another couple of projects completed and out of the way. One of which is to do a filter and oil change. The second, a good washing top to bottom side to side, and front to back. When this is complete I have a few more things to clean up and then the photos will come.

I thank you all for your patience and support.

Happy Camping!

Progress and Quick Trips

2013-06-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

The RV is slowly coming together and I've learned many a skill from my work in tearing apart and putting back together the interior of the RV. This coming week will see a few more things happening but I'll not get into to much as it's still a work in progress and I've still got quite a bit of work to do. In fact, a new project has come up that needs my attention.

In the meantime, however, a few quick trips have been over the past month. We visited Nanaimo, Chemainus and Victoria. We took a quick walk along the Cheam Lake Wetlands and hike the Brothers Creek Loop in West Vancover.

Here are a few photos of our trips:

Nanaimo , BC

Nanaimo, BC

Chemainus, BC

Gastby Mansion Inn, Victoria, BC

Market Square, Victoria, BC

Cheam Lake Wetlands

Brothers Creek Loop, West Vancouver, BC

Brothers Creek Loop, West Vancouver

Getting on with my day, bye for now!

Happy Camping!

Quick Update!

2013-06-07T09:47:00.002-07:00

I’m feeling good about what I’m doing in the RV. The desk and cupboard combination are looking really good. I cannot wait to get everything painted, stained, and wallpapered so I can see the finished product. The same goes for the bedside cabinet. Just a good removal of the leftover wallpaper I decided to peel off and a couple coats of paint and installing the hinges and the bedroom is almost complete—just need to add the mattress and bedding, do a few touch ups maybe and it’ll all look smashing.

What Happened?

2013-05-30T08:49:00.002-07:00

For the past three months I've been working long days and at times six days a week at a job that I was expecting to last two to three weeks only and here I am three months later having just worked my last day yesterday. It was a good run and one of the best jobs I've had. I worked for Elections BC-New Westminster doing enumeration work for two and a half weeks then in-office voting and whatever other task was needed of me.

This weekend is a quick trip over to Victoria and then next week I'll be in full swing getting things done on the RV. She's still looking pretty good for her age as well as for sitting in one spot for the past almost seven years. Runs great though, if I haven't let the battery go dead-did it once again. I'll take the battery to Walmart for testing since that's where I got it from-a red top optima.

Once, I've got the battery taken care of I'll likely pick up a few cans of rust remover or neutralizer and give the under carriage of the RV and good spray of that to get that taken care of and then its onto the interior work again. I want the RV to be in a liveable condition by the end of June. I'm close to that so if the weather co-operates and I work at it diligently it should not be a hard goal to accomplish.

Thanks for stooping by and Happy Camping.

Oh, has anybody camped at Emory Creek Provincial Park or Emory Creek Campground? I'd like to know what they are like as they came to mind the other day for some reason.

Thanks for any comments...

RVing On Hold

2013-04-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

I have free time but I don't have free time and this really bothers me as I want to fix and drive away in my RV and create the life I want.

Have to be patient and wait about another month before I can get back to work on the RV and finish what I can before I hit the road. My goal is to get the RV back to a liveable condition on the inside, patch up a few things on the outside, get the mechanical side of things checked out and then hit the road for the summer and fall if I can stretch my meager dollars that far.

Don't give up on us, we're still here but delayed by this thing called life...

Until next time....Happy Camping!

More to come....Later

2013-03-05T07:04:00.003-08:00

I picked up a good paying temporary job over the next couple of months so I can improve my finances a little so I can get more serious about getting the RV put back together.

Amazingly, she has not shown any signs of water leaks inside so my quick application of sealants around the known leaks worked well and my more permanent fix along the cab-over is doing it's job.

I may drop by the rig this morning to flesh out a few ideas as to what to do next but will not get into trying to do anything today as I'll have no time to really get into it as I'll be working six days a week for the next while.

Hope you all hang in there and keep us in mind.

Until next time, Happy Camping!

Life on the road: Heading Nowhere but always arriving Somewhere

2013-02-15T07:52:00.002-08:00

I’m taking my life on the road as soon as it is or as I soon as I make it possible and to do that, I guess I need to make it a priority. Life on the road is what I most want and desire so I must strive to bring this to fruition.

Life on the road heading nowhere but always arriving somewhere.

Mobile RV Mechanic Needed

2013-02-04T11:51:00.001-08:00

Good Day to all the Happy Campers and RVers out there.

I'm giving it my best to get out in the RV this and to get going on this I'm making an open call for a mobile RV mechanic that knows what he or she is doing and can do it a reasonable price.

As I think I mentioned before I have a 1998 Vandura 3500 Class C Corsair. I'm not sure what size of engine she has but it I was told by the dealership that the engine was rebuilt in 2004/05. She has also been parked for awhile although I've driven her around the storage lot a few times.

One item I know for sure that needs to be replaced is the gas fill line from the fuel cap to the fuel tank as when I've added fuel to her there is a leak.

Any way I'd love to have some recommendations for a RV mechanic in the Metro Vancouver area.

I thank everyone in advance for their advice and recommendations.

Happy Camping!

A Look Inside Our RV

2013-01-15T07:48:00.002-08:00

Since it may be a while before we get out on the road, how long have we been trying to get on the road now, four or five years I think, we'll let you have another look inside of our RV. Just remember she is a work in progress.

The interior work is the easy part for us however the exterior stuff is where we are perplexed as to what to replace the old trim with. We want any new exterior trim to look similar to the old trim but just a larger size so that it completely covers the corner seams. We'll show you some exterior photos next time so you can see what we mean.

In the meantime we wish you all Happy Travels and Happy Camping!

The RV Is Still Hanging Around

2013-01-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

I paid a visit to the RV while Eugene and David were out and about running a few errands and she is still holding together in all of this rain we've been having. I checked all of the areas we've had and repaired leaks and she is as dry as can be inside. David and Eugene were very pleased about that. Oh, and I paid our yearly storage rental fee. It didn't go up because of all the break-ins in 2012.

Since the weather is and has been less than ideal we're kicking back and pursuing our hobbies until it gets nice enough for us to get back to remodeling and repairing the last bits of our planned work to the RV. We'll visit here here and there to make sure she is holding up in all this rain we're having as she is no longer covered with a tarp. If there is a day here or there that looks nice David will take advantage of it and wrap a few small projects up that need to be done for any more "major" can get done.

It sure was nice to be in the RV again even if it was only for a few short minutes.

Thanks for dropping by and chatting!

Just Want To Drive Away

2013-01-05T06:51:00.001-08:00

I know my RV is not in perfect shape or anywhere near being what I want her to be however, I just feel like hopping in, starting her up and driving away. The time will never be right if I just sit here and wait for the right time to arrive in my life so I might as well just give in to such thoughts and ideas and go for it. . .

. . .well not so fast. . .she is a bit cluttered with tools and supplies and what about my clothes and other possessions? I need to bring along a few things that can earn me a living on the road. . .okay let's slow down a little and see what we can do here. . .let's pay the RV a visit and clean her up a little, oh and finish off that bit of construction that's still left to do. . .okay I can't just jump in and take off but I can if I get my butt in gear and get work in progress completed. . .

. . .just what I needed, motivation!

Thanks for listening. . .I needed that.

Happy Camping!

Belated Happy New Year

2013-01-04T06:16:00.001-08:00

Another year has passed us by and we are still stationary and waiting to get into our RV. We have work to do but not much. However, winter weather is not conducive to comfortable working conditions in the RV so that work will have to wait.

The RV is in decent enough shape that tweaking a few things here and there in terms of exterior repairs and interior remodeling is all that is needed before we hit the road. Well. . .almost that is. . .

We still need the mechanical stuff looked at and taken care of but even that should be a fairly quick exercise. . .

We are not given up and are hopeful, no, not hopeful, very much knowing that this year is the year that everything should come together for us and allow us to get out on the road when Spring has sprung.

Happy Camping!

Next Visit to RV in 2013

2012-12-24T07:51:00.001-08:00

Looks like 2012 got away from us and we won't be visiting our trusty, little RV anytime soon. Hopefully, she is still staying dry inside as with all of this heavy rain and snow I'm guessing a bit of water may have found its way inside. However we won't know anything until our next visit and I'm not even sure when that will be.

I'm looking forward to life in my RV as our Edit and Eugene. My craft's business has a little momentum going for it as my cards made for people to give away at Christmas as well as cards I've made for various birthdays have proven to be very popular and well liked. Every card has received a comment and compliment so I fell more confident and secure in earning a few dollars from making cards. Add on top of that what I may make from other paper crafts and then my bracelets and what not I should be able to eke out a living on the road just as I have visualized for myself over the past three or four years.

Merry Christmas to all and to Happy New Year!

Seattle Bound

2012-12-21T09:16:00.002-08:00

On a snowy Wednesday morning, the 19th of December we set off for our overnight trip to Seattle. As we drove the snow became heavy and thick and we were questioning ourselves as to whether or not we should continue on with our journey. The roads were empty so onward we went. As we neared the border and customs the snow let up and it became somewhat dry.

We quickly crossed the border and were truly on our way down to Seattle. As we drove and passed by RV dealerships, signs advertising campgrounds and RV parks as well as Camping World, a store I've longed to visit since I discovered it my thoughts turned to me and my RV

As we approached Everett, the rain started and got heavier the closer we got to Seattle and so did the traffic that was moving at a snails pace. But we made real good time as it only took us about two and a half hours to make the trip. We arrived at the hotel very early, about five or six hours before check-in however they let us check-in early.

Seattle was wet for our visit but we still did our best to enjoy ourselves and our shopping which we did and completed all in one place - Pike Place Market. I discovered Tenzing Momo where I picked up a book, magazine and some great incense. My partner made purchases at Ed Newbold, Wildlife Artist and Raven's Nest Treasure.

Wednesday's dinner was had at the El Borracho Taqueria y Cantina. We had our Thursday breakfast at Starbucks just around the corner from our hotel, Hotel Vintage Park before heading back home in the rain, ah such is winter in the Pacific Northwest.

Another Year Getting Away From Us

2012-12-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

Edith, Eugene, and I are disappointed that the year has gotten away from us, another year that has run faster than we were able to get the RV put back together and on the road again.

We have never had the RV on the road mind you so when we say "on the road again" we are referring to the last time the previous owners had our beautiful RV on the road before they traded her in and got themselves a new RV.

We are very happy with the work we are doing to the RV so although we are bit disappointed with not being on the road we are happy that we are making this RV our very own.

Not sure when we'll get back out to the RV this year or how soon we'll get out there next as we have much more groundwork to do to get our business venture on a more solid foundation so we can take it and ourselves out on the road.

We'll get there soon enough, just need a little more patience is all.

Thanks for being here with us and Happy Camping!

Felt Like Home

2012-12-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

Edith, Eugene and I paid a quick visit to the RV yesterday and it felt like we were returning home from a long trip as we were so happy to open the door and go inside.

We were again surprised at how spacious she looks since we removed the dinette table and benches and put in a work space. Of course, we the work space is nowhere near being done but it was great to be back home again. Home is home not matter how messy or disorganized it may be and this is even true of a RV.

Our RV Miss Esmerelda Lucille Tokalot is home to us and always will be. Tomorrow we may visit her again but this time do some work to complete our living space so we can get onto other facets of our prep work before going out on the road.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Camping.