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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Adopting Goldilocks


The "grapevine" probably beat this News Flash post, but here goes. Saturday we adopted Goldilocks, an eighteen year old orphan in need of a good home. She's a Lazy Daze Class C motorhome, and yes, we know adopting an eighteen year old may come with a few challenges, but it was love at first sight for me. She's beautiful. We'll get the paperwork taken care of on Tuesday, and then it will be official.
You've heard me rumble about finding a good used motorhome going on a year or more now. Nothing serious, mind you, just letting my imagination run wild; dreaming; wondering. Bobbie never got too excited when we talked about it, or, to be honest, when I talked about it. I didn't push because I like being married to her. I think I left it at, "If we could find a good, clean, low mileage motorhome for less than twenty thousand, it would sure make wintering in Utah and Arizona more comfortable for a big guy like me." 

It's not that I don't love the Chalet, with it's go-almost-anywhere camping potential, easy set up and light weight. I do. But one thing it lacks is decent seating. I have a choice between an uncomfortable and confining dining table bench seat, or laying down in bed where I can stretch out. 14 hours of winter darkness seems more like 20 when I don't have a decent chair and bed... I'd be risking bedsores staying in bed that long anyway. So we (I) haven't been shopping for anything. I confess to stopping a few times when a For Sale sign on a "pretty lil thing" caught my eye, but jeepers, anything less than 20 K was usually a high mileage horse that had been rode hard and put up wet. 

It so happened that I had to go to Motown to get a computer cable for a presentation next Sunday at Church of the San Juans. It seems the pastor talked me into do a reading of one of my newspaper columns from the Ouray Plaindealer, and then give a slide show with music featuring some of my photography (gulp). So I pulls into Radio Shack (nothing but a phone store nowadays) and happen to see what I thought was a fairly new Lazy Daze Class C motorhome. There was a sign in the window so I went over to have a look-see. The price had been changed from $12,000 to $10,000. The paint looked good, and the tires were brand new. I peered through Lazy Daze's trademark dark tinted windows and thought it looked clean for a 1994 model. I called the phone number to ask if it had a gazillion miles on it. 

I listened to the sales pitch... basically a one owner (he died), well cared for, new tires, blah blah blah... and only 64,000 miles. Hmmm. I went home, got ready for work... trying to think of a way to broach the subject with Bobbie. Finally, I just called her and asked if she would be interested in driving to Motown Saturday before work instead of taking her morning walk... so we could look at a used Lazy Daze motorhome I stumbled upon. Since recent visitors Debbie and Jim and Gayle have Lazy Dazes' Bobbie was familiar with them. I gave her the sales pitch given to me. 

We met the owner early Saturday morning and took the L. D. for a test run. Bobbie thought it was easy to drive and that it rode nice... it didn't feel any bigger than Petroleous Rex, really. No smoke whatsoever out the exhaust when I asked her to "floor it." The motor was quiet, too. We rolled back into the parking lot... handed over the keys and said we needed a moment to talk. I was in love already. The back room was big enough to have comfortable chairs or a love seat of some sort... and those huge wrap around windows were miniature versions of our Imax windows at home. The cabover bed was comfortable so the back room could be converted to a living room. The whole interior looked brand new. A "cherry," as they say. 

I felt pretty sure that it was worth what she was asking because I did some checking on the internet the night before. We offered $9300, she countered at $9500. We drove her home. 

What do you think? Is Goldilocks a Deal? or no deal?


28 comments:

  1. Congrats on your new RV. Wow, I think that's a good deal. They are supposed to be a high quality RV. I was looking for one, but was impatient when I couldn't find a low mileage one.

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  2. Yup, that's a good deal. You just can't beat a good Lazy Daze that's been well cared for. You will not regret that purchase. We've had our 31' Lazy Daze for a little over a year now, and we love it. Check out the Lazy Daze group on Yahoo. Lots of good folks there. Andy Baird is the moderator, and he's a great resource and a very helpful and knowledgeable guy.

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  3. What Russ said lol!! Congratulations - you have a fine rig there.

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  4. She looks mighty fine and that sounds like a good price. Now you'll really be counting the days til hit the road.

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  5. I LOve it !!! Not sure how good a deal. Time will tell. But for $9000 if you have to put in a few dollars, then it is still a good deal for a classic like that.

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  6. Got yourself a nice little Princess there for sure:))

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  7. A mid-bath LD can't be improved on. You are one lucky guy. We are camped in our a liner which when we bought it, was told "that's the last camper you are ever going to buy". She has seen a mid-bath LD and her pupils enlarged so I have some small hope.

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  8. I really like the Lazy Daze wrap around windows in the back.   You should have fun fixing the LZ up to your specs and it will be more enjoyable to have the extra room.  You can put a Lazy Boy recliner in the back and watch the sun set over the Utah landscape. Enjoy!

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  9. She's beautiful! I love her wrap around windows. I got rid of my Chalet for the same reasons you describe, and have never looked back. My trailer is perfect for me and Mr. Nimble.

    Best wishes to you and Bobbie as you travel many happy miles in Goldilocks. :)

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  10. She's beautiful. You are so going to love traveling around with her. And so will Bobbie. We need pictures of inside though.

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  11. Nice looking LD. The good thing about their retro look is you can't tell how old they are. Hope you have as much fun in yours as we do in ours!

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  12. Congrats to you! I have the same model Lazy Daze and the same color scheme. Love it. Mine is called Footloose. Tore out one of the couches in the back and put a desk instead. Added a complete solar electric system and whole-house inverter. Have been boondocking not far from you all summer. A good friend of mine, Andy Baird, runs the Lazy Daze yahoo group. Come on over and join us!

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lifewithalazydazerv/

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  13. Congratulations, Mark! That's a great rig at a good price. Drop me a line, and I'll send you the factory spec sheet for the 1992 models, which will give you useful info such as tank capacities. You can find my email address on my website:

    http://www.andybaird.com/travels/skylarking/

    Happy travels in your new luxury coach! ;-)

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  14. I'm envious of your purchase. The price was perfect for a continuing fantasy within this old brain to get a used Lazy Daze for travel and rent sticks and bricks for non travel times.

    Perhaps your winter journeys will get Bobbie and you to Tucson this winter. Looking forward to a tour. If not, that tour will wait until next summer for a visit to your neighborhood. My luck would be such that you would be traveling all summer in 2013. C'est la vie.

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  15. Looks good! I imagine you are ready to hit the road. Chris's advice is don't try to pull it into your garage though!

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  16. Mark-- I cannot believe I am asking this----More pictures are needed!!! (your new RV!)Looks great!! I hope you enjoy yours as much as I have enjoyed mine the past 2 years! BUT I have noticed lately that I do not think I will ever be completely content with any purchase of RV etc-- I was thinking about truck to haul my next purchase(cycle) and get small rv to travel summer-- then I go by a beautiful red 1952 MG - guy said he would take my mustang convertable in trade-???? AS far as your RV - You can enjoy and get your money back- Only thing for me is I really like those slide outs! I see alot of enjoyment ahead for you and Bobbie! Keep us posted if possible- but if you are having to much fun- forget a bout it! But you know you need your rants! take care

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  17. Looks like a great deal...
    Yet, as long as you never ever forget that "everything is a compromise". As long as it is a "positive compromise" all is well...
    Come to Texas! Come back... We will be in and out this winter back on the hack only!!! Life is a circle as you know.

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  18. Congratulations on your new RV. Looks like a great deal now you travel south in style.

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  19. Thanks to all of you... for sharing in my (hopefully) long term joy on the road in a New Used Lazy Daze Motorhome!!!

    This is going to be a great winter or roaming the southwest, so check back once in a while. I'll get more photos of Goldilocks up soon!
    Thanks,
    Mark

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  20. Before you rip out the beds in the back, you may want consider that waking up there with a view and enjoying a cup of joe might have some appeal.
    We are too old to climb up and down ladders at night, so we converted the cab bed to storage.

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  21. Want we ae a1982 2ft,utwewabt longer one on the ford chassis sours has only4000fom hiau,no kidswehaputdomewcarpetandrecovered seats in the cab area.

    why do you guys call them her? Ours is me shack, or he,

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  22. I am a few days late on reading blogs but just got the news. That is a GREAT deal! Now you will have to join the rest of our Lazy Daze gang in Quartzsite in January.

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  23. I see many "Lazy Days" in your future. We're happy for you and Bobbie! -scamps

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  24. Uh... YEAH! I'd say you got a good deal!

    Happy Trails and Westward Ho!

    Just be sure to use petrol and not porridge!

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  25. Looks like a fun new ride and lots more room than the Aframe. Have fun, that is all that counts!!!

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com

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  26. :) A Motorhome? ;) I've come 'round to thinkin' for an "aging" and "Wandering Soul"... a small one like that lil' jewel just might be the most positive compromise... a comfortable place to sleep at night... and sized to be a no stress deal goin' down the road...

    Now... If ~I~ Can find such a sweet deal...that will fit with my Raider! :)

    I'm glowing green JEALOUS!!!

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  27. Deal! Well done! We got to peek inside Jeannie's rig, and we were impressed with the floor plan and storage,etc.

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