To buy or not to buy . . .

Staying in one spot in south Texas for a couple months, it is the best time to take care of some major shopping purchases. Now we have the time and the close proximity to major sellers to get things bought. Most men would think that is a dangerous combination for their wives. But Denisa doesn't really like to shop, and we don't have room in the motor home for extra purchases. So the "major shopping purchases" we are talking about are just replacements for things that are wearing out since we started full-timing.

That would include our couch. We replaced the upholstery on our captain's chairs over a year ago when the "ultra-leather" started cracking. Much discussion has been made on the Tiffin forum about the upholstery fabric used in their motor homes a few years ago. Just like the chairs, our couch cushions also started cracking.

Mark sent the picture above as proof of the deterioration of the fabric. But unlike the Flexsteel Company, who stood behind the chairs and sent us new covers, the couch manufacturer didn't do anything to help us. So we shopped for a new sofa, hoping to replace it with something that had recliners and was more comfortable. But whatever you buy must be bolted to the floor, and will have to be rigged to include seat belts. La-z-boy is the easiest replacement because its furniture comes with backs that come off--making them much easier to get into that narrow 26-inch motor home door. We shopped and figured, and Mark made a detailed diagram of all the measurements of the slide and the space available for a replacement couch. It was further complicated by the window, and the valances on the wall, and the slide measurements. To buy or not to buy?

We thought we had found a good option, only to realize that it was two inches too deep to fit into our slide when reclined. We were so sad! So we decided NOT to buy. Instead, we got only the cushions reupholstered. We have found that south Texas is a great pace to find quality workmanship at a fair price. We got the two cushions done with life-time fabric on both sides (the originals were only upholstered on the top) using materials that the upholsterer had in stock. We think that they match the arms and back of the sofa very well. So our decision this time was not to buy--but to repair.

Our tow vehicle odometer turned over to 100,000 miles on January 1, and we decided it was time to start looking for a replacement. We have really liked our 2014 Honda CRV. It can tow flat with no alterations needed. It has 37 cubic feet of cargo capacity, and that is important for storing our inflatable kayak, bike gear, camping chairs, and all the miscellaneous junk that happens when you live on the road. It has basically become our "garage" for storing things we need as we wander.

We would have replaced it with another Honda CRV, but in 2015 the manufacturer changed the transmission so that it is no longer towable. Industry-wide changes to auto transmissions have really reduced the number of good towable vehicles. So Mark had to re-research our options for a replacement. He used the Motorhome Magazine Dingy Guide, but over and over he read that you have to check the owner's guide to be sure that even the models listed in the guide would work for us. His short list of replacements included the Chevrolet Colorado pickup. But only the four-wheel-drive model is towable. We would gain some storage, but would have to add an expensive cover for the back. This model would also be more expensive, gets worse gas mileage, and is heavier to tow.

We looked at several Jeep models--from the new pickup to the Grand Cherokee. Some were too little, some too big, and all of them seem to have a bad reputation for reliability.

We were pretty thorough with our shopping. One of our concerns is the storage, so we even moved the tub that holds our inflatable boat into the car to see what space was left over for our other outdoor hobby equipment. Our boat almost filled this Jeep Cherokee's 26 cubic feet of storage, and totally blocked the rear view mirror's view.

The Jeep GRAND Cherokee has 36 cubic feet of storage space. So it would be able to hold all of our equipment. But it is bigger, heavier, longer, and much more expensive. We would have to buy the 4-wheel drive model in both of these jeep models to be able to tow behind the motor home. That also makes them more expensive.

We wanted to see the Ford Ranger pickup, but again the only model towable was the four-wheel-drive. The price tag on the luxury model scared us, and the dealer didn't even have any of the cheaper models in stock because they are so popular.

The General Motors line has two SUVs that can be towed--Chevrolet Equinox and the Buick Envision. We thought one was too little, and the other was too big. Just like Goldilocks, we couldn't find anything that was "just right." Buying a new tow vehicle is a major decision, because we will also have the expense of getting the air brakes mounted on it, adding a hitch that will fit our bicycle carrier. and bolting on a baseplate that attaches to the towing apparatus. It's an expensive and time-consuming process after the new car purchase. To buy or not to buy?

So after hours of research and a day of shopping, we have decided to drive our old car for another year. We hope this decision doesn't leave us stranded on the side of the road with a major repair bill. But we will definitely be looking for a vehicle in the next year.

In the middle of all this shopping and research for couches and cars, our computer decided not to turn on one morning. It looked like we were going to be making yet another unplanned purchase. Is it the charger or the computer that has gone bad? To buy or not to buy?

Denisa is glad to be married to a handyman that knows his way around a computer. He took it completely apart and worked his magic to get it working once again. So the decision is "not to buy" once again. But just like the other decisions, we'll probably be seeing a new computer some time in our future.

This seems to be a season of "to buy or not to buy" for us. We've spent the time researching and shopping, and we didn't buy anything new. But we are more informed and more ready when we make that decision that we have to buy. It's not glamorous, but this is yet just another part of wandering this season.