OK, tonight you win the Powerball and you can forget your job and jump in the Ol' Barth and go "anywhere" and "do anything". Where would that be. Now let't try to keep it within the bounderies of human expectations. And guys, let's not have any "las Vegas Showgirl" stuff.

I will start with seeing the Shuttle take off. I understand there is an RV park in Titusville, FL that gives you a perfect view...

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Short cuts always take longer

1985 28 foot Regal
Dave and Deb Bowers

[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited October 15, 2003).]

Dave even tho we bought a bus and not a barth we would be right next to you watching the shuttle. That is one of the things on my to do list. It is cool on tv but i know that it has to be at least 100 times more impressive to see,hear and feel it in person. Its like Hawaii, looks good on tv and the movies but you have to experience it to really know what its like. We were lucky in that we got to live on Maui for 11 years and if we won the powerball i would definitely be thinking of spending at least a few monthes each year there. As for the rest of the time? Explore America and see all of the beauty she has to offer and then head for Canada for more of the same. I figure that ought to take up 10 or 12 years...after that, hmmm i have always dreamed of New Zealand and Tahiti....who knows, after all i have a childhood friend who won 7 million in the WA. state lottery so maybe it could happen to me... better check that i have my tickets for the drawing huh?

A farmer won ten million dollars in the lottery...When asked what he was going to do with it, he replied, "Don't rightly know...Probably just keep on farming til it's all gone...."

Likewise, I guess I'd just keep upgrading the Barth until it was all gone.....Besides, according to Publisher's Clearinghouse, there's a VERY good chance I might already be a millionaire.... Not to mention the $12mil finder's fee that some dude from Zambia wants to give me for helping him get his $50mil out of the country.....He or his friends e-mail me at least weekly.......

On second thought, picture a Prevost with a Barth toad...Hmmm.......

Lee, what's with the guy from Zambia, I got that same email. And, here I thought I was special.

It's dangerous to dream like this with retirement five years away, but...........

I'd head for Texas and work my way north right into the Canadian rockies the then take a left to Alaska. On my way back to Massachusetts we would see the west coast from Vancouver down to Tijuana. I'd put new tires on the ol' Barth give her another fill up and head straight for Newfoundland and work my way back home. I hope the kids didn't miss us.

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William B. Goodwin

Panama City, Florida-It's great for fishing, snow white beachs, spring break bikinis. My family has been going to Panama City Beach since I was kneehigh to a grasshopper--very long time. They have St. Andrews State Park at the end of the beach. They have secluded campsites that back right up to the bay--own private white sand beach and beautiful blue-green water. Also, there are tame deer, coons, & skunks that wander through the park like domestic pets-great for kids. There are fishing jetties along with a partitioned saltwater area for snorkeling and the little ones. If you haven't been to paradise lately, this is pretty close and cheap. There are deepsea fishing party boats for Red Snapper fishing--electric reels are great--just hit the button and reel up 150' of line in a hurry.

We would (and will be anyway in a couple of months) love to see the Grand Canyon, Arizona, Texas, Oregon coast, - anything in warm USA! We have never been west and it has great appeal for us. There is a book out that covers sights to see in North America - all we have to do is pick an area and it tells of all and any points of interest that one might miss if they didn't check this book out. We would just head far enough south so that we won't need to turn on any furnace and then travel slowly till we decide to turn around and come home. Our expectations aren't huge so we will definitely have a wonderful trip no matter where we go or what we see.

I would search out every museum of any consequence in the US and Canada.

And, taking my lead from Lee, I would continue upgrading. Maybe a W20 workhorse chassis under it with a Duramax/Allison with a Bank$$ kit. And Alcoa wheels.

And fish more.

Yeah, I'd hire a guide to learn from. And I'd learn to fly fish and buy lots of Orvis stuff. And be too uppity to even nod to non-fly fishermen.

And all my firewood would be hickory.

[This message has been edited by bill h (edited October 16, 2003).]

I would give half back to my brother in Zambia since he is trying to share so much of his with Barth members. Didn't you realize he started contacting you just after I became a BARTHMOBILE member? Now you know why I am trying to find the safe in my Barth? Dave, you ARE special, don't be so silly.

Dave,

We just completed a GREAT journey, even minus hitting the the Powerball.....

Yesterday, my bride & I flew out from Wash. DC area to Louisville, KY to take delivery of our '78/24'/p-30/454 and bring her home...about 550 miles of beautiful weather through the mountains of W. Virginia & western Maryland....What fun!

Thanks to a caring previous owner who babysat the unit thru 3 years of storage and 25 years of active use, the system checkouts were routine and pronounced good-to-go in short order....

An unfamiliar vintage machine always carries with it a certain amount of anxiety, and this was no different. I was paranoid about every feel, sound and response the whole trip. (On this trip, it was definately NOT a "recreational vehicle"...It was a strange machine that was out to kill me or leave me stranded in a heartbeat - at least that's the way I approached it...)

After the first 18-wheeler blew past, a strange rattle emerged from the front curbside area, and I was convinced that the crankshaft had exploded and at least two connecting rods had wrapped themselves around the right steer-tire....Sure glad my bride was quick to point out that the retracted step was rattling when air currents were altered.....

A "tinkling" sound increased with the miles -no doubt in my mind it was the needle bearings falling out of the universal joints, dropping on the ground and bouncing back-up to impale themselves in every rear tire.....My Sherlock Holmes partner traced it to worn-thru paper towels under the burner rings on the stove - Wow, she's GOOD at this motorhome diagnostics stuff!!

...And that's the way it went for 15 hours...We pulled into the driveway after a totally uneventful trip, tired but excited about this new addition to the fun side of our lives.

Tomorrow, it's time to break-out the aluminum polish and the sewing machine...But for right now, we're gonna sit in our Barth in the driveway and have a pizza, all in the shadows of a WORKING door grab handle, a little crazed, but showing the world we're now Barth owners!

The adventure begins......

Lee

P.S. After owning three 454's, one in a Suburban, one in a flatbed truck and one in a Barth, I can now report that older 454's get exactly 8 mpg.....uphill, downhill, 25 mph, 74 mph, loaded, empty, plowing snow, it just doesn't matter....8 mpg - You take it to the bank!.......

I love it, what a great story. Ya those strange noises can really try he sole. Just a hint, I think that at least half of all motorhome owners have found the proper placement for the top of the stove...on the bed. I am so glad for for you...the adventures have only begun..

Great story Lee! Since I acquired a Barth, I get drowsey easily because this coach is so quiet and smooth! I know if I won the lotto, I would get everybodys address and visit every Barth owner in the country and start a Barth photo album. The album would have pictures of every Barth owner accompanied with photos of the coach.

I think it would be nice to go to the old Barth's factory,and just for the heck of it,pump new life in the old Barth's factory,putting NEW Barth's on the road again.We was in Texas last year,and stay at R.V. park in Bubba,Texas.If you go there don't park under the trees,Boy the birds are BAD:BAD:we was lucky our lot had no trees.The KOA in Fort Stockton,Texas was a good park.We enjoy traveling in Texas.

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br2409

Great story, I just flew to D.C. and drove home to St. Louis my new to me 30' Breakaway and know what you mean about sweating every possible detail that can turn into a nightmare (none did).
I got those little felt stick on circles at the hardware store (they come in 3 colors!)designed for the bottom of lamps and things for my stove lid....no noise.

Mike
91 Breakaway

Wow, if money didn�t have to play into the equation. I�d take year off and set out with my wife and 3 girls and see the many sights of this country.

I come from a manufacturing background; we�d have some plant tours along the trip. My wife says definitely the Longeberger basket facility. I�d love to tour the Corvette factory in Bowling Green KY. The Hershey plant (living with 4 of the female persuasion, this is defiantly on the agenda). That�s just to name a few. Since we home school the girls I think this would be a great opportunity for them.

I�d love to stand at the brim of the Grand Canyon with my girls and say �God created this just for you!� Then move over to the Rockies and repeat the statement. Then head on out to California just to meet up with Bill H. I�d love to shake hands with someone of his knowledge.

Although I know Bessie (my girls have named her �Bessie the Barth� (she�s a 1975 27 footer)) could handle the trip, we�d probably be heading to Crowley Lake, CA as I�m lusting after the 1993 there.

Anyway, it�d be a year of adventure!

Gary