By Greg Illes We’re now three years with a composting toilet. In that span of time, we’ve used the toilet continuously for anywhere from 3-4 weeks to 4-5 months. Total usage in three years was for a total of about 9-10 months, so I feel that we can speak reasonably authoritatively about it. Our original motivation was to “do without”…
Read MoreMonth: January 2018
Coffee, tea and ads at a small town cafe
By Chuck Woodbury I first posted this story in early 2013, after visiting this small town restaurant on a road trip to the Southwest. I love Mom and Pop places like this. Alas, you don’t see them much anymore. When I visited I wondered how long the business could survive, now that a McDonald’s had opened just down road. So it…
Read MoreWhy vultures poop on their legs (and more)
By Dr. Deanna Tolliver, DVM It’s something we’ve all seen. We’re cruising down the highway and see a dark speck ahead by the road. Closer, we see it’s a gathering of vultures dining on a bloated deer carcass. Yuk! They are SUCH disgusting birds, right? Well, yes, but vultures are Mother Nature’s clean-up crew. Hey, somebody’s got to do it!…
Read MoreClear debris and water from slideout with RV Slideout Broom
If you have slideouts you know the importance of cleaning the tops before retracting the slides. Otherwise, you get the outside inside. Not a good thing. Slideout toppers help to keep debris and water off the top of the slideout but are expensive and not always effective. And I’ll bet you aren’t especially fond of climbing the ladder to your…
Read MoreNot too late for California/Arizona LTVA boondocking
By Bob Difley One of the most common and easiest ways to start boondocking in the desert is to head for one of the BLM’s Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA), which are designated camping areas but do not have designated campsites, hookups or convenient amenities. Most will have a ranger that patrols and an onsite host that can answer questions,…
Read MoreIt’s official: RV shipments in 2017 topped half-million
The following is a news release from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association RESTON, Va.–(January 29, 2018) — The comeback story of the U.S. RV industry began to be written in 2010 and, according to annual shipment statistics released today by the RV Industry Association (RVIA), another record-setting chapter was published in 2017. For the first time in more than four…
Read MoreRV stock prices plunge at market watcher warning
By Russ and Tiña De Maris While RV industry cheerleaders are practically wearing themselves out flashing their pom-poms and losing their voices shouting about the huge number of RV sales, a small voice in the investment world is urging a bit of caution. On Thursday, January 25, stock prices for big RV builders Thor and Winnebago took a beating after…
Read MoreConstruction workers on temp assignments choose RV living
One of the reasons RV parks are so crowded these days is because many of the spaces are occupied by long-term residents. That includes Baby Boomers who live year-round in RVs, poor people in old or inexpensive RVs who can’t afford a traditional home or apartment, and construction workers who move from job to job with their own RVs rather…
Read MoreHow to sanitize your RV’s fresh water system
Most RVers treat their fresh water tank from time to time to keep the water tasting good and safe from germs. This short video from Trailer Life shows how easy it is to freshen your water supply to keep it in tip-top condition — and spend only pennies doing it! ##RVT831
Read MoreCamping World repair turns into nightmare
This video is pure amateur hour, but it’s hard to stop watching after this Camping World customer begins to show the incredibly shoddy work done on his fifth wheel trailer. He says he paid a total of $14,000 to have the RV fixed to have it be more functional and increase its value. As many of the commenters note, the…
Read MoreWinnebago, Thor stocks fall, dealer inventory “unsustainable”
Stocks of Winnebago and Thor Industries plunged in heavy volume Friday, extending recent losses as an analyst raised concerns over dealer inventories. Northcoast Research lowered both stocks to a neutral rating from buy due to concerns that dealer inventory is at an “unsustainable level” for 2018. Winnebago fell 8.4 percent on the stock market Friday, preceded by an 8 percent…
Read MoreForest River recalling some trailers for improper wiring
Forest River is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forest River Cherokee travel trailers. On the affected RVs, a 14 gauge and a 12 gauge neutral wire for the 110V air conditioning were connected to the same lug in the 120V panel neutral bus bar. If both wires were connected to the same lug, the smaller wire may overheat and fail due to…
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