Hi everyone, a taste of spring and other things and Campdown is On! Wow! What a difference a few days can make. How just a few pieces of good news can really change your attitude and perspective. Last weekend we were freezing in a frigid artic vortex and now the temperature has risen to a balmy -3c here in Bowness. You really have to love Calgary for its Chinook weather. Chinooks are what allow the citizens of Calgary to endure the long cold winter here in the Great White North. When you see your temperatures rising 20+ degrees it sure can put a smile on your face! The weatherman is calling for 7c degrees and sunny for Sunday, boy shorts and tee shirt weather eh?

Well Campdown is on now. The Alberta Government released its opening day for campground bookings This year opening day will be March 4^th, 2021. So if you have not already figured out what you want and where you want to go, you may want to take a look at that prior to March 4^th. When bookings open you will be able to book a full 90 days in advance of March 4^th, so to June 4^th.  Then there after, each following booking day will open as the calendar moves forward. So you have to stay on your toes and know when to book if you’re going to forgo the frenzy of opening day.

Another thing people are thinking of is should I buy an RV now? Or trade up? Well that is a great question and one that depends on your situation. But certainly if you in the market, then sooner other than later would be the choice for buying. There is a huge pent up demand for RV’s and I predict that the ones for sale especially the good used ones will fly off the market as they did last year. Don’t despair though, if you start now you may find a great deal waiting to be found. Most people don’t start thinking of camping till April / May time period which by then is probably too late. I believe the best time to purchase an RV is between November and March. The winter season is when you can find good deals and dealers that are willing to negotiate. After March, the demand picks up too much and then it is a seller’s market.

Even though there is high demand for RV’s don’t make any snap decisions on a big cost purchase. Even though there is pressure to buy, take your time and make the right choices. It is too easy to get caught up in the moment while shopping for RV’s, as this decision seems to fall in the emotional category for most people, especially first timers. If you’re thinking of purchasing a new RV see my article; Tips to buying a used RV.  You will find 10 tips to successfully find your RV dream. IF you are ready to purchase make sure you get an inspection of the RV, by an independent party. RV inspections are really helpful in determining if the RV you’re interested in is a good choice. Of course finding a RV inspector is difficult, so if you are mechanically inclined or have owned an RV before maybe you’re ok with doing the inspection yourself, as I was. If so then take a look at my Inspection Checklist. Here you will find 6 pages of things to look at when considering purchasing an RV. It is a great start to understanding what it is that you are considering purchasing, and whether or not the RV has issues to look at or deal with. A Checklist can help you stay objective while you look at the RV. The last thing you want to do is buy a rig that requires thousands of dollars in repairs without knowing it.  Here are Some of the questions the checklist addresses.

 

 TheCanadianGlampur.ca - RV – Inspection Check List

Coach:

• Coach – Entry stairs – work? Quite? One or two steps? Close to the ground?
• Coach – First impressions? Good, Bad or Ugly?
• Can you see yourself living in this space?
• Does it fit you? Yes or No?
• Sit on all cushions chairs or couches – are they comfortable?
• Lay down on all beds – are they comfortable?
• Stand-in kitchen and does it flow?
• Stand-in Bathroom – Spacious?
• Sit on toilet – Enough room?
• Stand in shower – do you fit?
• Check storage compartments – Will you fit?

If the answers to above are positive, then continue on with this checklist.

• Check ceiling and corners for water damage or intrusion
• Check walls for bubbles – signs of water damage or intrusion

Well you get the idea there is a lot of things to look at and consider when inspecting an RV.

Hopefully, if you get my checklist you will find it helpful and thought provoking. Once you purchase the RV consider my other checklists for trips and maintenance, again they are a great start to figuring out what to do, what to take, and how to maintain your rig.

So how is COVID treating you? Are you still healthy, or have you had the bug? From those that I know that have had the bug it varies, some get it really bad and others not so much. It really is a lottery on how COVID will affect you. I know the lock downs are starting to wear thin, but I and Lorraine firmly believe in their effectiveness, at least until everyone gets vaccinated. I know that Lorraine’s Emergency Doctors and Nurses are very worried about a third wave. I guess these new variants are nastier than the original virus. Oh Yeah! Well I don’t think things are really going to go back to normal for a while yet. Even once vaccinated I think there will still be mask, and distance orders to follow, and again restrictions on gatherings and occupancy in stores. I believe it will be a couple of years yet before we are out of the woods. I also think that COVID will eventually become like the flu, we all will have to get an annual shot to beat this thing.

So has COVID hurt you financially? I know with us it has. Since the beginning of last year everyone at my office had their hours reduced by 20%. This year it has gone down another 10%. So we are starting to feel the effect of a reduced paycheck, and it’s hard to stay positive working for less money when the expectation to continue working your full hours or more is there. IT can really be a pain in the side! I am pretty sure they never told us in school, that we would one day be expected to work more than a 40hr work week and be on call 24x7. Sigh…  So to compensate I am attempting to start up a computer consulting and repair business through theCanadianGlampur umbrella. I have begun advertising in my local communities and trying to improve the visibility of the Canadian Glampur website and offerings. So far I am having some success, but time will tell and patience is a virtue eh? So if you live in Calgary and you are in need of some computer work or upgrades Try using the Canadian Glampur (Services from a Pro) you won’t be disappointed. Well enough of the shameless self-promotion. Ha! Ha!

Well with Campdown on and Spring only 30 days away now the thoughts of getting outside more is getting me excited. Not that the winter was really bad this year; realistically it has only been the last few weeks where we really experienced winter here in Calgary. But it seems like winter has been here forever now, and I want the warmer weather to come sooner than later. Our groundhog Balzac Billy predicted another 6 weeks of winter here in Alberta. I sure hope not, 30 days sounds much better than 45 days till spring. Ha! Ha!.

Well that is all for now, stay safe and healthy, and I will once again leave you with some pictures of past adventures to hopefully get you thinking and dreaming of our summer to come.

 

Happy Trails

 

The Glampurs