Clipper Growing Pains...

[Shayne]

With a heavy heart, we have decided to sell our Clipper.  We have been thinking about it for over a year now, but I just love this thing. As the kids get bigger, the Clipper seems to get smaller.  If it were just me and my wife, it would be perfect.  If it were a bunk house, we'd be OK.  I've tried to write a classified ad three times now and just now have finally been able to put something together without changing my mind part way through.  Whether it's been camping, driving, ACOC rallys or playing shadetree mechanic... I've put a lot of time and effort in this Clipper and have enjoyed all of it. Well.. there were a few bruised knuckles that maybe weren't so great a time, but 99% of the time has been greatness.  I hate to let it go but we think a 5th wheel is going to be more practical for the way we camp as we often need a vehicle to haul bikes and gear once we get where we're going.

The ACOC rallys are always a great time, but the last couple years we've just been too busy to count on going.  I was looking forward to this one, but with other priorities and the weather, decided it was just going to be too much.  I'll miss the ACOC Rallys as much as I'll miss the Clipper.

Keep an eye on the Classifieds for the ad, or if you know anyone looking for a Clipper, this is a good one.  I think anyone that's seen it will vouch for that.

Thanks for the good times...

[bigray]

Ahhhhhhhhh Shayne.........sorry to hear you are getting rid of your Clipper. The tought crossed my mind to do the same but I've resisted. My wife made a comment about getting a bigger/newer RV but I had to put my foot down and said we are going to keep the Clipper for 5 years before we even think about getting another RV.  

The other day I started to research a larger new class C and the interest rates they are offering but again I resisted. I figured if I looked I would proceed to buy one.

I love my Clipper and what I've done to it. Like you, there has been some knuckle busting from time to time but I've enjoyed it. Worst experience yet was driving 300 miles at 40-50 mph back home from a trip between X-mas and New Years. That even beat breaking down in Lousinana with a busted waterpump with my wife (who was 7 months preganant), mother, and son. I think the X-mas trip was just cummulative impact. With all the replacements and repairs, I wouldn't change a thing! If I decide to get ride of it, I'm going to keep it in the family. There's no way on God green earth that I would be able to get out of it what I've put in it.

At any rate, my Clipper is running great now and we are  heading to Mississippi for my sister's wedding in two weeks!

Well enough about me............I wish you luck with your new purchase. Although you will be Clipperless soon, check in on us every now and then.

I've said it once and I'll say it again: We certainly appreciate your contributions to the club. Getting us up-to-date with PHPBB forum software has been a tremedous help. Then upgrading and migrating all the data after the hacking fiasco was very much appreciated.  Thanks for all the info you've shared. We appreciate it immensely!

God Bless ya!

[handyman]

I know the feeling just got rid of mine to but we had no chouce were going full timming as soon as the house sells and our new fifth wheel comes in then I quit .....as Alfa says see ya it's killing us waiting but itll be worth it  I still want to talk to the club so youll still hear from me now and then

[Conrad]

Ah Shayne, sorry to hear of your decision.  Maybe you could put it in storage?  I really appreciate all that you have done to make the website happen.  Will you still be involved?  You mentioned someone else taking over but I was wondering how you could give up what you created...

My kids are in college.  Terry and I figured that the Clipper would be perfect for just the two of  us, and it is.  Actually it was perfect for the four of us too!.    Now we have taken in her niece and nephew (16 & 9 yrs) so it is kind of like starting over again in midstream.  Nephew has NEVER been camping so we are looking forward to our first trip with him.  Niece, I think she is more interested in her friends and the mall than going on a camping trip.  So I think that we will always have the Clipper.  Hopefully it will stay in the family long after I am gone. :wink:

[Shayne]

Bought a new truck today... no turning back now.  


Nice truck and all, but holy cow.. remember when trucks used to be cheaper than cars?  We got a good deal on a Dodge RAM 2500 Cummins Diesel.  More than enough truck for what we're looking for.

So far I've had to leave cleaning out the Clipper to my wife.  It's kinda buggin me to think of it going away.  I've done a bunch of work to it recently and havn't even had a chance to really get out and have fun with it.

[bigray]

Oh well........I saw the post made by Dufus last light about the regret of getting rid of his Clipper.

I thought perhaps you would reconsider but yOU JUST HAD TO GO OUT AND BUY A TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I'm glad you were able to find a truck. Good luck with the 5'er search and purchase.

[Shayne]

Yeah, Dufus called me about coming to look at mine.  Looks he he and his wife decided on a bunkhouse.. good luck finding one.  Like I said, if we had found one, we would be OK for space and all that.

[bigray]

Shayne,

Which model do you have? I have the FCIT model which has the flip bed on the driver side and two swival chairs with the small table in the middle on the passenger side.

I really needed the extra sleeping space so when I did my reupholstering, I bought enough fabric and foam to create cushions for another flip bed on the passanger side. I removed the two swivel chairs and table and added the second bed.

Bob Anderson (Big thanks to Bob) was kind enough to send me the hinges for the second bed. I installed the hinges today an it looks great. Now I have two beds down below and the cabover bed as well.

If its just me and my wife and kids, we will use the two below beds and use the cabover for storage. If we have other guess, we have sleeping space in the cabover.

[Shayne]

Mine is the 821SK - Side kitchen, dinette table drops down to a bed, and the couch flips down to a bed.  If you don't mind converting them every night, it will comfortably sleep four adults (as long as two of them are very friendly)

I have interior pics on my website.. http://racenut.com/clipper/

But the kids tend to scatter their stuff around.. no matter how much we stay on them.. and that makes for a lot of extra work to make beds etc.

[Shayne]

She's gone.. delivered her today.

She has a nice new home, and even gets to stay in a nice garage.  I'll miss her.

[Shayne]

Ordered a new 5th wheel yesterday.  Should be here in about 4-5 weeks.  Maybe I'll stop missing my Clipper the first time I don't have to fold down the couch and dinette so the kids can sleep.  Or when I can leave camp in the truck to go sight see or run an errand.


Of course I'll start missing the Clipper all over again every month when the trailer payment is due  :roll:

[Shayne]

Just in case anyone is curious... we picked up our new trailer this weekend.  Even while I was at the dealership waiting for them to do the hitch work etc.... at one point I was having a tough time making a decision... my wife asked me.. well WHAT DO YOU WANT?  I said.. I want my Clipper back...

Anyway.. it's a done deal now.  We camped in it over the weekend befre bringing it home.  One thing is it's sure not as 'planted' as the Clipper was witht he jacks down. The kids roll over in bed at one end and I feel it at the other.  It's a nice rig, but it can't touch the Clipper when it comes to CHARACTER.  And not one person even seemed to notice it at the campground.  Where with the Clipper we would always get coments on how good she looked.  Oh well... here's a picture