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Old 07-28-2008, 10:44 AM   #1
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FiberglassRV and Retirement

As many of you know, Lori and I have been working on our retirement plans for several years. As most of you know, I have been on this website an average of three hours a day every day for 5 years.

Another RVer, Andy, has been courting me and FiberglassRV.com for quite a while. A few weeks ago I discussed his latest interest in purchasing the website with the Administrators & Moderators. I have really resisted even considering selling the site because of three reasons.
<blockquote>1. ALL of you and your loyalty and friendship.

2. My love for RVing and the Rallies.

3. FiberglassRV is my baby.
I started it with Charles (some of you may remember) to solve a problem on the other sites and have tried to see the site as a facilitator, not an owner. Typical organization charts put the owner at the top and sorta look like a pyramid. I saw myself as the base holding/supporting up the Admin and Moderators who help the Members on TOP have a great experience. The organizational chart is upside down from the world view.
</blockquote>It seems it is time for me to move on in my effort to start unloading all my stuff and responsibilities. For the first time, I took a second look at Andy's offer with eyes wondering if it is in my best interest. The fact that one of our Admin, Roger, knows Andy and how he operates has given me a good feeling about selling the site. I have found Andy to be a very approachable guy who does not want to change the philosophy or Look & Feel of the website. He has asked me to stay on as an Administrator which I have accepted. He has the technical resources to take this site to the next level and make it even better.

The count down has begun for Lori and I to retire and become Fulltimers and enjoy the Fulltiming Life Style in our 25' Bigfoot FiberglassRV.
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Old 07-28-2008, 10:56 AM   #2
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It's hard to imagine FiberglassRV without you at the base of this website's pyramid, but it's reassuring that you'll stay on as an administrator. Congratulations and happy retirement! We look forward to having our paths cross with yours at some wonderful campground in the future.

Thanks for all you've done in creating a fantastic Fiberglass community!!!


Jeanne & Steve
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Old 07-28-2008, 11:24 AM   #3
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We too will be sad. Mike, you and Lori have always been so approachable. We have met you at rallies and you are so friendly and warm that we will be sad to see this site run by someone we don't know. When we first discovered this site it was through personal contact with Mary and her husband. Then to meet so many of your moderators at rallies has added a comfortable feeling about this site. While other sites may be great for learning how to do something your site has been the best site for why and where and when to do something fun. It was the link from internet to really camping. If you must turn the site over to another, we hope that he maintains the in person, easy to contact, understanding that you have Mike.
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Old 07-28-2008, 11:38 AM   #4
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Hey there,

I just wanted to chime in, say hello and answer any questions you all might have. My story parallels Mike's in that I also started an RV forum out of need to exchange info with others working on similar projects and our philosophies are similar regarding support of the Mod/Admin team to lead the community. I am very impressed with the community here on FGRV and the plan is to keep everything the same. All our policies will remain the same and hopefully most of the team too (great crew). Over the winter when the camping season is over we will talk about ways to improve FGRV and hopefully be able to leverage work I have done on the Airstream community.

I know the FiberglassRV community is very special and tight knit and realize that I will have to gain your trust and respect. I plan to work hard and get to know you all so you can indeed feel comfortable that your community has not been left in the hands of some random questionable person. Please post any questions you may have and I will answer them here.

I don't own a Fiberglass trailer yet but will probably start after I have done my due dilligence. I am from Dallas so odds are I will end up with a locally made Casita but I have a lot to learn about FiberglassRVs.

Regards,

Andy
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Old 07-28-2008, 12:59 PM   #5
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Wow - what a small world - Andy is very well known in the Airstream world and I can tell you from experience he has done an incredible job with us over there and I think you can feel comfortable he will do that over here.

We have a vintage (58) Airstream that we enjoy very much - I just bought an egg (13')trailer a couple weeks ago to use for when I go camping/bike trips by myself.

Ken J.
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Old 07-28-2008, 01:06 PM   #6
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I've always felt so lucky to have stumbled onto a great deal in finding a Scamp to own, especially since it caused me to find this forum and all the wonderful folk who frequent it.

It is strange that since coming upon fiberglassrv.com, I haven't found much interest in other rv websites since not only is the forum brimming over with great ideas and insights about these glass eggs, it also is a haven for folks seeking a friendly chat, a earnest discussion, or a "there I was" tale, without the ration of scorn, trolls, and general ridicule you find most everywhere else. No doubt a lot of it is due to the diligence of the moderating staff, but here in this forum, the level of generosity, friendliness, and good comradeship is overwhelming.

Mike, my hats off to you and all that you have achieved here. I thank you for making this forum such a place of high integrity, and hope you well in your retirement. I hope also that the new owners of this forum carry on your fine standard of excellence, and maintain it as the premier forum that it already is.

ConwayBob
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Old 07-28-2008, 02:29 PM   #7
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I am saddened to hear that you will no longer own the site, Mike. Thank you so much for all you have done to create a site that is so professional, friendly and fun. Obviously you have a good team of administrators and moderators but even bigger than that is the community you have fostered. I am glad that you have taken care in choosing who will take it from here.

Good luck to you and Lori as you lighten your load and kick up your feet!
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Old 07-28-2008, 02:36 PM   #8
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Let me add my goodbye and good luck and let me say you can go proudly forth and know you have crafted one of the finest websites I've found on the net. You and your people are polite, informed and rigourously fair and Andy, as I'm sure he knows, has a very tough act to follow. Enjoy your well-earned retirement and I'm sure you won't be a stranger on the site.
cheers
Ian
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Old 07-28-2008, 03:47 PM   #9
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Congratulations on retirement and thanks for putting together and maintaining such a great website! When we have a few more dollars in our pockets and/or gasoline goes down we'll hope to meet you in person on the West side of the country.
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Old 07-28-2008, 04:26 PM   #10
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Mike... You and your wife have earned a well deserved rest. Fill us in from time to time!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 07-28-2008, 06:03 PM   #11
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Mike and Lori,

Welcome to the ranks of the retired! Enjoy your well-earned freedom. As many other retirees have said, now you'll discover the true meaning of "busy"! At least the degree will now be more or less under your personal control.

Ann & I met you at the July '06 NOG and have been impressed with your down-to-earth helpfulness. both with the web site and the dutch-oven cooking seminars.
We add our "Thank You" and "Bon Voyage" to all the other best wishes.

See you on the road...

Kurt & Ann K.
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Old 07-28-2008, 06:12 PM   #12
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Congratulations on your retirment!! I hope you have many happy trips to where you want to go..
You've done a wonderful job with this website and must welcome Andy also..... Hope you will keep in contact with everyone here as your journey continues to the 'good life'...
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Old 07-28-2008, 06:56 PM   #13
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Mike....
I have only been on this site for about a year and a half now and really enjoy it here from what i have learned here and what i can contribute to help others also......I am glad that you will still be on the site as a moderator and maybe we will get a chance to meet up with you and your wife someday
Thanks,
Joe and Linda

Andy..... Thanks for chiming in and by first impressions I believe you will also be very good for this site so from my wife linda and myself we would like to welcome you.

Joe and Linda
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Old 07-28-2008, 07:43 PM   #14
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It seems it is time for me to move on in my effort to start unloading all my stuff and responsibilities.
I think I gave the wrong impression (sorry).

Lori and I are several months away from retiring. We need to sell our house and get rid of all our stuff. Thus I said, [b]"START unloading".

We are planning on being on the road next year. First stop South Dakota to change our Domicile. Then on to Boundary Waters Canoe Base. We hope to stop at any Rallies we can find along the way. Then on to the North East. Lori has wanted to go to the Smithsonian for years. I told her we could give it an afternoon.

Anyway, we are planning on seeing if anyone wants to join us for the National Cowboy Symposium & Dutch Oven Cook-Off sponsored by the Smithsonian and held in New Mexico in October 2009.



PS: Thank you all for making this site so great. We plan on continuing to play here.

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Old 07-28-2008, 07:55 PM   #15
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If you're retirin, it wouldn't be a bad thing to see you up here at Emily or some such event, you know, you got an awful lot of us gung-ho on our trailers Mike, and we all appreciate that more than words can count for.

Joe
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Old 07-28-2008, 09:11 PM   #16
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What more can I say. Enjoy your retirement. And again
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Old 07-28-2008, 09:42 PM   #17
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I too am about to embark on that long road called Re-Tire-Ment as of Sept 1th, 2008! I can also sympathize with you having/wanting to sell your place and downsizing as we too are doing the same thing. It is indeed a scarry feeling and the Trailer Goddess and I wish you both all the Best In Your Retirement Years. The site (I'm sure) just won't be the same without your guidance, input and influance.

Cheers Mike and Happy Trails To You n Yours.

...Doug n Sandy
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Old 07-28-2008, 09:51 PM   #18
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Hey there,
I just wanted to chime in, say hello and answer any questions you all might have.
.
.
.
Regards,
Andy
Hi Andy R !

So.... I'm thinking that you are the same Andy R. who administers the www.early-retirement.org site that I enjoy so much. True or false?

--Lynne

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Old 07-28-2008, 10:03 PM   #19
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Mike,

When Lynne and I first started thinking about buying a small travel trailer two years ago we found three valuable resources online: the Yahoo Scampers group, the Casita Forum, and FiberglassRV. FiberglassRV became an invaluable resource in helping us find others who love these little trailers, helped us decide on and find a trailer we love. Now we own two Fiberglass trailers, and Fiberglass RV continues to be a source of information on everything from where to find needed repair items, do a specific repair, neat places to camp, and read camp fire stories.

I rarely go to the other forums I mentioned earlier. This is a wonderful place to hang out and share with the many friends we've made in this well-established Fiberglass trailer loving community. It's time you sat back and enjoyed the site as the rest of us do -- not as an owner, but just another guy out to share stories, tips, and tricks with friends.

Thanks for all you've done.

--Peter
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Old 07-28-2008, 10:33 PM   #20
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Talking

Quote:
Then on to the North East. Lori has wanted to go to the Smithsonian for years. I told her we could give it an afternoon.
You sparked a memory for me.

I had been working at San Diego Scale for a couple of years. It's a small company, and business ebbs and flows. When it gets really busy, schedules back up like a clogged drain; the work is just specialized enough that it takes about a year for a new hire without previous experience to be able to work in the field alone unsupervised, as most of us do.

A co-worker dropped a bombshell: He was checking into rehab for cocaine addiction. Even though he was a good worker, his employment with us ended that afternoon. This was in the middle of our busy season. My boss, Larry, held a company meeting and told the 2 of us field guys remaining that he wouldn't be able to bring another tech onboard and up to speed fast enough, and the next 6 months were going to be rough going. Of course, there would be a lot of overtime, and we would have to try to keep from loosing customers.

A year later, I happened to be driving Larry to the airport for an early morning flight. As I pulled away from his house, we started talking about making it through a tough period. Larry was taking a week off to go to New York, a favorite spot for him. He noted that my vacations were about seeing my Parents and Siblings, and asked about it. "That's all my family does, is visit with each other," I said. He said, "That's an obligation, not a vacation. If you were to imagine a vacation where you went where YOU wanted to go, where would it be?" It's important to note here that we were both single at the time.

After a pause, I told him that I had never been to Washington, D.C. What I was interested in was to see as much of the Smithsonian's Museums as I could. I guessed it would require at least a week.

A month later, I was returning to the office at the end of the workday to submit my reports. I glanced at the scheduling board to prepare for the next day's assignments and scrawled over that day's notations for me was: "SEE L.O.

That cryptic note was a summons to the Boss's Office. It was curt, and usually meant that a MISTAKE had been discovered. The last time I had been summoned to Larry's office like that, I had received a violation notice from the County Department of Weights and Measures for placing an inaccurate scale into service.

I knocked on his door, and went inside. Wordlessly, he handed me an envelope. I tried to keep from trembling as I opened it.














Inside was a round-trip airline ticket to Washington, D.C., reservations for a week's stay at the Downtown Holiday Inn at Thomas Circle, and $100.







That was twenty years ago. I still work for Larry.

I want to go back and see the Smithsonian again.
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