Travels With Miranda

I went to VR Expert today to get the estimate for the final insurance-covered work to be done on Miranda as well as for the work to be done on the water-damaged overhang. While I was there, I got some more personal items out of the rig and also emptied out the loft in preparation for the work.

First the bad news: they can’t start on the rig till next Tuesday. What with having two four-day weeks in a row, I definitely won’t have Miranda back until at least July 16th. OMG.

The insurance-covered portion of the work is:
-replace rear hitch with a 3500HD model, straighten the support, straighten the frame (all involves welding)
-repair and repaint the rear fiberglass bumper.
Subtotal: $1,967.56
GST: $98.38
QST: $196.26
Total: $2,262.20

I have sent this off to the adjuster and hope that she will reply with the okay to go ahead.

Now, the overhang. The passenger side wall is apparently saturated. So remove and reinstall window, mouldings, and fiberglass; replace rotten luan; seal everything: $1,700.

As for replacing my propane regulator, making my entry door plumb and square, and replacing the window frame: $189.

Subtotal: $1,889.00
GST: $94.45
QST: $188.43
Total: $2,171.88

He forgot to get the info for the tow package, but I will be having that done in the fall since Miranda comes first. So I will be going back to the States to get the parts and just paying for the installation here.

If I can manage to save some QST, that would be awesome. QST claims to be 9.5% but is actually more than that because it is calculated based on the price with GST. In a province with PST, you would do, say, $1,000x.05=$50GST, $1,000x.095=$95PST, Total=$1,145 ($1,000+$50+$95). In Quebec, the math is $1,000×1.05=$1,050, $1,050×1.095=$1,149,75. Difference: $4.75.

As long as the overhang repair doesn’t cost more than the estimate, I can live with it. I wouldn’t have had to do it if I had repaired that damn leak correctly the first time. I will have some internal work to do again, like repaint the wall, but I have tons of that paint left. As long as they don’t trash everything, I can deal. I just hope that the new side panel matches the rest of the rig… There is a chance they will be able to save the existing panel (taking $250 off the bill), but I’m bracing myself for the worst case scenario.

The other repairs are minor and I actually find the $189 amount rather low. I cannot wait to have a door that opens and shuts easily!!! And how about a propane system that doesn’t whistle! It helps that I picked up the propane regulator in the US last year. It was just $25 when it would have been about $50 here!

Now, I need to figure out how I am going to survive the next few weeks. One thing is certain; I need to spend at least one weekend out doing something fun like going camping with my truck. Now that I have an idea of how much I’m looking at to get back on the road with a sound rig, I know what I can spend this summer. I just have to make sure that I have the $2,200 or so for the tow package well ahead of my estimated departure date!

Except for one practise I thought was frowned upon in developed nations (all I’m saying on that matter!), Alberta is going to be the cheapest province for driving costs.

When I hit the road in ’08, I was registered in Quebec. Yearly costs there:

-registration for Miranda: $650

-insurance for Miranda: $750

-registration for the toad: $250

-insurance for the toad: $1,500

-driver’s license: $50

Total: $3,200

I then moved to Yukon and my yearly costs there were:

-registration for Miranda: about $125

-insurance for Miranda: $750

-registration for the toad: about $70

-insurance for the toad: $1,500

-driver’s license: $5

Total: $2,450

Now, I haven’t crossed all the T’s for Alberta, but I’ve been promised that the insurance estimates are pretty firm:

-registration for Miranda: about $75

-insurance for Miranda: $750

-registration for the toad: about $75

-insurance for the toad: $630 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

-driver’s license: $17

Total: $1,547

Notice the one constant, the cost for Miranda’s insurance! The Alberta broker I’m going with thinks the amount is outrageous. I still can’t believe it’s that cheap.

As a reminder, Miranda is insured by Aviva Elite, the only entity in this country to have a product specifically tailored to full-timers. Brokers might scratch their heads when you say you live full-time in an RV, but just send them off to Aviva who will cheerfully come up with a quote that will cover your rig (and then some), your contents, and give you a good amount of liability coverage.

Toad insurance is tough (they don’t like it when you take the car out of the province…), but you can travel freely with your rig. I’m not sure I’d have the strength to push on with the other challenges if I didn’t have these understanding folks at my back. When the worst happens and you have to claim a total loss of home and possessions, or you get sued by someone who trips on your stairs, lies and half-truths just won’t cut it. Aviva allows me to be fully open in disclosing my lifestyle so that I can get the right policy. I am very grateful to them.

(Psst, Aviva, do you need a spokesperson?!)

I had an interview this afternoon and went to it thinking that it would be a waste of time, just like all my previous job ventures in Lethbridge. This was confirmed when I realised, after I was offered a long-term, salaried, position (!), that they neglected to notice the sentence at the very top of my resume that said that I’m only looking for work into October.

I wasn’t even disappointed, but they were crestfallen. “But you have such great credentials! You’re perfect for us!” And then I saw a light bulb go on over the interviewer’s head and she invented a job for me right on the spot!

I start some general training tomorrow and by Monday they’ll have a better idea of my duties, responsibilities, and schedule.  It’s part-time, no guaranteed hours, and no promise that it’ll even go through October, but it’s relief and a good fit for both of us. I wouldn’t have wanted something full-time or regular now, not with how my transcription business has taken off, so this is perfect.

The burning question of course is, what will I be doing? Well, starting tomorrow, I’ll be adding ‘apartment manager’ to my resume!