August Q&A

I’m back with more questions from blog readers about RVing, what’s happening in our lives since we hung up the keys, and all kinds of other things. While I try to answer all questions individually, I also share some here occasionally.

Q. We are new fulltimers and want to replace the two recliners in our new motorhome with a custom desk similar to the one you had built in your Winnebago, but my wife worries what if the bank comes to inspect the RV it might cause a problem with our loan. We have had the motorhome four months now, so would this be a problem?
A. I’m not sure I understand the question. If you have had the motorhome four months, the loan must already be secured. So why would the bank come and inspect it? Did they ever come and inspect the house you had after giving you a mortgage? Or a car after you had it several months?

Q. I’m curious why you decided to retire to Florida instead of back in your old hometown of Show Low, Arizona, when you stopped fulltiming?
A. Let’s clear up one misconception first. We retired from the RV life, but we are not retired. I still work at least 50 hours a week writing, and Terry is busy proofing my books and blogs. As to why we didn’t settle down in Show Low after we stopped RVing, we both love the ocean and wanted to live on the coast. The challenge was deciding between Florida and the Pacific Northwest coast around Long Beach, Washington. We chose Florida because the cold, damp winters in Washington and Oregon are hard on our arthritic bones and joints. But a large piece of both of our hearts are up there, and sometimes we ask ourselves if we made the right choice.

Q. I got too close to a campground utility hookup and tore up a bay door on our 2011 motorhome. The manufacturer says they no longer stock parts for it. Do you have any suggestions on where to find a replacement?
A. Try Colaw RV Salvage in Carthage, Missouri. Their website is https://colawrvsalvage.com/

Q. Nick, how did you go about finding an agent and publisher for your books? I have been sending query letters out for two years now and get a lot of replies saying they like my manuscript, but it’s not right for them at this time.
A. All 41 of my books are self-published. After my first novel made the New York Times bestseller list, I was approached two or three times by publishers and as many times by agents. After looking at their terms, I laughed at them. Among other things, they wanted me to put out two books a year. Really? Two books. I am working on my 4th book for this year now and will release one more after that. They offered me $7,500 as an advance for that book and the next two in the series, yet unwritten, and eventually got up to $22K. That first book, Big Lake, made $28K in commissions in the first year, and I still own all the rights to it. I have a great cover artist that charges less than $150 for a cover. Great editors and a book formatter that I can easily afford, and I make a six-figure income. What could a traditional publisher possibly do for me?

Q. How does Miss Terry like her new Breville oven compared to the older model she used for years?
A. Terry loved her old Breville and used it nearly every day. And she loves her new Breville SmartOven even more. She has used it every day since she got it and said with the interior light and the air fryer option it does everything the earlier model did and more.

Q. I am so sick of politics, sick of COVID, and sick of sitting home with nothing to do. Will things ever get better?
A. Politics are a way of life, especially dirty politics, it seems. I think things will get better, but not until people stop believing whatever their favorite politician or Facebook expert tells them, and all unite to beat this pandemic. If you and I wear a mask and practice social distancing while others do not, and congregate in large groups as we see on the news all the time, it’s like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.

Thought For The Day – Don’t irritate old people. The older we get, the less “Life in prison” is a deterrent.