Fred the Fun Finder

[Jacques in AZ]

I’ve been following FiberglassRV for some time. Had my heart set on a Lil Snoozy. Met Dave and Paula and their Lil Snoozy at their house in Mesa and again at Quartzite last February. We were the ones without the RV.

So last summer we lucked into a ten year old peak condition 14 foot Fun Finder (Shadow Cruiser). It’s not molded fiberglass but “the entire exterior… is wrapped in a gel coated fiberglass.” First thing, we took it to East Valley RV Specialists in Mesa for a complete check-up and they were impressed with it’s condition. It has a flushing toilet, stove & hood, sink, microwave, fridge, & CD/DVD system, awning, excellent A/C system and furnace and we exchanged the dinette for a good queen mattress. We also added more sway bars and safety equipment.

In October-November we took a 7,000 mile, 7 week trip, my husband, myself, and Baxter and Baylee, our MultiPoo and mostly Bichon dogs. Reason for the trip was a 5 day Czech Genealogy International Conference in Pittsburg in mid October. For the conference we stayed in La Quinta and the dogs spent their days at the Parkway Pet Resort. We spent several days at both Shiloh and Gettysburg (extended that one - the joy of RV living) then visited family in Wisconsin. Stayed in a wide variety of RV parks, including 2 at fairgrounds and one American Legion park. Since it is hardly peak RV vacation time, we had little problem getting space, except many parks close at the end of October. Had one very nice stay at a Walmart and one where, despite having called ahead for permission, when we arrived we were told overnighting was not allowed. We moved to a Flying J, where they were most gracious.

Mostly we were in parks with full hookups. One night it got to 19. We learned to unhook our water or not even hook it up at all. The Fun Finder, which we named Fred, is remarkably self sufficient. Very close living . You have to like each other and we’ve had 52 years of togetherness.

But one thing I wanted to mention was how many people we met who are living in RVS of all sizes and doing contract work- nurses, cable layers, etc. Sometimes we were the only transients. In all cases, we had the littlest rig in the park. People came up to us in parking lots to admire Fred. The only FiberglassRV we saw was a Casita whose owner had the flu and we had an extremely short conversation.

We are really newbies at this. We took Fred for a 3 day stay in Prescott in September and then we were on the road October 5. Husband Bob has gotten quite proficient at hooking up and we didn’t have a single disaster with our sewage either. We both are just delighted we bought Fred and are planning a longer trip next year (one where it’s warm enough to use the picnic tables).

So I hope we can continue to be fiberglass friends (our gel coated fiberglass exterior should count for something). You have such a good community. We had some misgivings starting such a new adventure at age 75 but it was even better than we hoped for. In fact, we got home on Saturday and left the next Friday for Prescott and the Christmas parade.

Presently Fred is in the shop getting improved stairs, a ladder, and other minor adjustments. We miss him.

[Jack L]

Some pictures would be great.

[Jacques in AZ]

I tried to post a photo but it didn't work. I know I got instructions before so I could post my profile picture. But can someone give me them again.

[Kai in Seattle]

Where you post your replies? See "post quick reply" and "Go Advanced"? Well, click "Go Advanced" and then in the lower section look for the paper clip. Click the clip. It'll say "browse" -- so browse in your pictures and click on what you want to post. That'll do it, though you won't see it until you submit. Good luck! Once you've got it, you've got it.

BEST
Kai

[Jacques in AZ]

On our way home to Arizona from the East

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Where you post your replies? See "post quick reply" and "Go Advanced"? Well, click "Go Advanced" and then in the lower section look for the paper clip. Click the clip. It'll say "browse" -- so browse in your pictures and click on what you want to post. That'll do it, though you won't see it until you submit...i

Don't forget to click "Upload" and wait for the pictures to appear in the attachment queue before submitting your reply. It can take a while for large files.

[Jacques in AZ]

Fred the Fun Finder - second try

I think this time I got it!

[Kai in Seattle]

Hey, you did it! Very nice pic. Only took two of us to get the instructions complete. Thanks, Jon in AZ!

BEST
Kai

Some awards for all three of us:
A

[Jon in AZ]

Nice rig, Jeanne! In the end, it's not about the equipment but the travel. You'll have to put a little more effort into maintaining the panel seams. That and covered storage, if you can manage it, will go a long way to making a conventional trailer last. I hope you'll stay connected on this forum and perhaps even join future molded fiberglass rallies. We are a passionate bunch, but not exclusive, when it comes to our all-molded trailers. Happy camping!

I will confess to a little name confusion... You are Jeanne, your husband is Bob, you dogs are Baxter and Baylee, and the trailer is Fred. So who is Jacques?

Kai, I'd be happy to accept the "Golden Aspen Leaf" award. I'm especially fond of aspens. This is one of my favorite fall hikes, about a hour from home in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona.

[Kai in Seattle]

BEAUTIFUL photo! You earn the Golden Aspen Leaf Award.

I could sure see that being a favorite place.

BEST
Kai

PS Jeanne: agreed...who is Jacques?