Weekend of October 17, 2009

Issue 400 of RV Travel
Learn about RV camping, RV travel, RV news and much more. This newsletter is funded through sales at RVbookstore.com, the World's Largest RV Bookstore specializing in books and DVDs about RVs and the RV lifestyle.

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DVD: How to Winterize Your RV
Do you know how to prepare your RV for winter? If not it could end up costing you a bundle in repair bills. In this DVD by RV technical expert Mark Polk you'll learn the right way to prepare your RV for cold winter temperatures and how to store it for extended periods without causing it harm. The goal is to show you the easiest and most effective way to winterize your rig. Learn more or order for only.

To ensure you continue to receive email alerts for this newsletter, please place the following email address in your own email address book: rvtraveler@topica.email-publisher.com

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Editor's corner
By Chuck Woodbury

Dear reader,
Welcome to the 400th issue of this newsletter. For more than eight years, producing it has been a part of my weekly routine. I've probably written 350 of those issues from home or at my office. Others I have written while away -- most while traveling in my motorhome, but others while abroad. Twice, I was able to follow the Tour de France as a journalist. I had minimal assignments, so while the rest of the 600 journalists pounded away their deadline stories after a race, I worked on this newsletter. Another time, I produced two issues from Romania, and as recent as three weeks ago I wrote parts of several issues from Germany. What a world we live in -- to be able to be so far away and still do one's work!

I don't like to admit it, but with close to 30 years of RVing under my belt, I guess I now qualify as an old timer. I got my start in journalism in college in the late 1960s. Most newspapers were still being typeset by Linotype machines back then -- big, ugly, iron monstrosities with clunky, typewriter-style keyboards that molded hot lead into letters and numbers. They looked like something out of the Twilight Zone.

Ten years ago, even though I was dabbling in Internet publishing, I could not imagine how far it would evolve in the next decade. Today, with my laptop computer and a small digital camera, I can travel the world (most of the time in North America) and report to you using WiFi or my Verizon Aircard -- with stories, photos and even videos (even live videos).

I've been in love with journalism and the media my whole life. I produced my first "periodicals" as a kid on a tiny Tom Thumb toy press. My first day working on my college daily newspaper, I fell head over heels in love with publishing. I spent many of the years afterward as a struggling freelance writer, then a decade roaming the West by motorhome as a publisher of a quirky newspaper called Out West. And now, with the Internet, the way we communicate is upside down from the old days. I wish I were 30 so I might have another half century to see how it all plays out. As it is, the odds are I should have a couple of decades.

Will there be an issue 500 of this newsletter? That's about two years from now. As long as my health holds out, I'll likely make it. But after that. . . well, I don't know. A year from now, my only child, my wonderful daughter Emily, will fly away to college, probably on the East coast. Not only will she take flight, so will I. I'll be free to head out on adventures whenever I wish without neglecting "Dad" duties. And I plan to -- and most of those travels will be aboard my magic carpet -- my motorhome. And I am 99 percent sure I will continue to write. I love to write almost as much as I love to travel.

About 100,000 RVers read each issue of this newsletter -- a Rose Bowl crowd! Imagine that! I wish I could sit down with each of you over coffee or a root beer or maybe something stronger. I would love to know about your lives -- who you are, your families, your jobs, your dreams. I can't do that with all of you, but lucky for me I have met hundreds of you through the years in person or through email.

So I thank you for reading this newsletter. Stick with me, okay? I have a few hundred thousand words inside me that will need to come out. I hope you will be there to read them.

WEBCAST ARCHIVE: Watch a 45-minute recording of our live webcast of Oct. 17 with Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor. Gary takes questions from RVtravel.com readers and answers them on the spot. Watch the recorded webcast.

BLOGGERS WANTED
RVtravel.com is looking for bloggers on the topics of RVing Mexico, RVing the East and RVing Florida. Some pay is involved. Candidates must have excellent first-hand knowledge of the subject matter and be familiar with blogging technique. Contact Chuck(at)RVtravel.com for more information.

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See books, DVDs at bottom of newsletter
We've moved many of the ads for books, eBooks and DVDs at RVbookstore.com to the bottom of this newsletter. So please check them out. We have the world's largest selection.

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DID YOU MISS LAST WEEK'S ISSUE? If so, read it here.

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Wal-Mart Atlas & FREE Bonus
"No Overnight RV Parking" Directory
Order the popular Wal-Mart Atlas and receive the "No Overnight Parking" Directory for FREE. SAVE $9.90! Most Wal-Marts permit a free overnight stay in RVs. The Wal-Mart Atlas provides driving directions to more than 4,000 Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs. It lists which stores sell diesel, have pharmacies, and provides store GPS coordinates. The "No Park" Directory lists more than 350 stores that DO NOT allow stays! Learn more or order.

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READ BACK ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER: Click here.

Get the latest RV news headlines at Twitter.

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Prevent holding tank odors!
GET RID OF THE STINK!
Coil n' Wrap's Xtreme Vent uses a law of physics to drive odors upwards and out of your holding tank vents whether you're driving or parked. Easy to install with directions included. Coil n' Wrap's website explains why odors spread in your RV and how to remove them. To receive a 10% discounton Xtreme Vent purchases, type RVtravel in the discount code box in the checkout section. Learn more.

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What are the difference between motorhome "classes?"
Folks new to the motorhome world are oftentimes confused by the jargon. "Class A" motorhome? "Class C" motorhome? Van campers? Isn't there some way to keep RV shopping simple? Here's an effort to demystify the "types" or "classes" of motorhomes.

Mexico fishing licenses: get one before you go
Whether you've already booked a fishing excursion in a freshwater lake or you might want to catch dinner while you're RVing in Mexico this winter, if you're 16 years or older (most RVers are!), you will need a fishing license. While these can be purchased upon entry into the country, if your already planned vacation itinerary includes any type of fishing activity, it is advisable to apply for and purchase your fishing license ahead of time. Learn more.

"Flag" your RV to remind yourself of dangerous conditions
For RVers, there's nothing like the heart-stopping feeling when you're happily motoring down the road and another rig pulls up beside you, its driver wildly pointing at something on your rig. Oh, the adrenaline and how the imagination kicks up. Maybe the RV antenna is up, or a storage compartment is flapping in the wind, or you forgot to extend a leveling jack. Here are some ideas about how to ensure this does not happen to you.

Arizona snowbirds will find fewer open rest areas
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will be closing the bulk of its highway rest areas, effective October 19. With 18 current “pit stops” available, RVers and other snowbirds traveling the Grand Canyon State will soon have but five to choose from. Caught in a budget crisis, ADOT is relying on commercial businesses to take up the slack when the shutdown occurs. Read more.

DID YOU KNOW?
In a recent survey, more than half of RVtravel.com readers (54%) reported they will winterize their RV for the upcoming winter season. See the actual survey results and read the comments.

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New eBooks at RVbookstore.com
Order now and read within a few minutes

RVing Alaska: Insights and Observations (Joe and Vicki Kieva). $9.95
Winterizing and Storing your RV (by Mark Polk) $12.95
The Snowbird's Guide to Quartzsite (by Russ and Tina De Maris) $11.95
Boondocking: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America's Public Lands (by Bob Difley) (Great deal!) $7.95
RV Bookdocking in Southern Texas (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95
RV Boondocking In Arizona (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95
RV Boondocking in New Mexico (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95

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"What you need to know in as few words as possible."

Fleetwood has announced the launch of its limited edition 2010 Quest, a value-priced Class C diesel motorhome built on the fuel-efficient Dodge Sprinter chassis. The limited production run of 150 units will be available at select Fleetwood RV dealers.

Foraging bears in Yosemite National Park choose minivans as their first or second choice of break-ins among SUVs, sedans, sports cars and other vehicles. Main reason: minivans reek of food.

The annual Good Sam RV Rally scheduled to begin Oct. 18 at the Rockingham (Virginia) County Fairgrounds has been canceled. The regional gathering attracted nearly 200 RVs and 500 RVers in the past. A club spokesperson said it was canceled because of a lack of participation.

Great Falls, Mont., police are urging residents to secure the batteries on camper trailers. In the past few days police have taken at least 10 reports on stolen RV batteries.

Winnebago Industries Inc. said Thursday its fourth-quarter loss widened to 50.2 million, or $1.73 per share, compared with a loss of $12.7 million, or 44 in the same quarter last year. On the bright side, the company said its sales order backlog climbed 58 percent during the quarter, suggesting a recovery may be beginning.

DRV Inc., a manufacturer of high-end fifth-wheel trailers, has introduced floor plans in its 2010 Select Suite series that include up to four slideouts standard and an optional fifth vanity slide.

State regulators hit the Forest Lakes Resort in Seaside, Ore., with a proposed $246,000 penalty for failing to replace the park's inadequate septic system. The resort is along the Necanicum River just upstream of Seaside's drinking water intake, the agency said.

The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who bought a used $135,000 motorhome drenched with pet urine can sue the dealer, Bretz RV & Marine. The smell was not noticeable, she said, until the weather warmed. But after $17,000 in restoration and janitorial work, the RV was "non-salvageable due to extreme amounts of urine," the lawsuit claimed. The woman said she was not informed of the damage when she bought the motorhome.

The 57th Annual California RV Show, sponsored by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), kicked off yesterday, October 16, at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., and runs through Oct. 25. It's the largest consumer RV show on the West Coast.

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NEW
ARRIVALS
at RVbookstore.com
Check 'em out. Good stuff.

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"Mean motorhome" race coming soon
Mark your calendars, RV and automotive race enthusiasts: Perhaps the biggest race of the U.S. racing season is coming Halloween night, Oct. 31, to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The race is huge. Well, maybe not the race, but the race vehicles. "It's also ponderous, cumbersome, slow, and anything but boring," say its promoters. It's the General RV Center Mean Motorhome Race, the most unlikely drag race imaginable. Read more.

Desert boondocking close to city services
Just because you enjoy boondocking in nice, natural, and scenic locations doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be out in the boonies miles from services and civilized (as against nature-oriented) entertainment. In the desert southwest, many towns and mini-cities are planted smack in the middle of BLM land where you can boondock for two weeks at a time. Read more.

Also. . . New boondocking location: Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

2009 dinghy guide is essential for
motorhome owners who pull a tow vehicle.
If you plan to pull a vehicle behind your motorhome, the 2009 Guide to Dinghy Towing from Motorhome Magazine should be an essential resource about how to do it -- and do it right. And some great news: you can download the guide for free.

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is offering a $1,250 fuel card with the purchase of any qualifying new motorhome built on a Freightliner chassis from dealers in the United States and Canada through Dec. 31. Learn more.

Prices reduced on RV Tour to Alaska. Learn more.
Alaska's scenic byways showcase the best of the state. Learn more.

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By Jim Twamley
Professor of RVing

How gross is your RV fresh water tank?
RV fresh water tanks can be bacteria heaven. If you leave water in your tank for several months without cleaning it out, you may be conducting an aquaculture experiment. Green yucky stuff can overtake your on-board water system, clogging your pump and exposing you and your family to sickness. So how will you know if the water in your tank is contaminated? Here's one way.

Bonus article from the Professor
Macerator can help extend stays at non-hookup locations
Want to stay on a relative's property in the comfort of your RV but can’t because your holding tanks won’t let you? Want to stay at a pristine campground for more than a few days but can't because your holding tanks won’t let you? Well, perhaps it's time you purchased a macerator.

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Three-Bulb LED flashlight
List $6.99. Now only $1.99!
This 3 bulb LED flash light brings impressive functionality out of a flashlight. LED lights give resilient brightness with added battery lifespan. This flashlight with its ultrabright light comes with many features and is excellent for indoor and outdoor use.  Water and shock resistant, plus excellent focus function. Perfect for the home or RV. Limit ONE PER CUSTOMER at this super low price. Learn more or order (and see our other specials).

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The mystery of the leaking air conditioner
What would you think if your air conditioner was leaking onto the floor under the air conditioner? Rain seeping in? Condensation inside the air conditioner dripping out? Nope, something else. Find out here.

Australian campervan is sleek with clever design
Check out this sleek, very cleverly designed Australian RV, the Euro Tourer. The compact campervan is equipped with a highly functional kitchenette, ample living/dining areas, quality bathroom including shower and toilet and a generous bed for two. All combine to provide totally independent, self sufficient touring. Watch out: after watching this video you may want one of these. If so, better head Down Under.

RV birdwatching blog returns
Do you enjoy watching birds on your RV travels? If so, you should visit (and bookmark) the recently revived Birdwatching on the RV Road blog at RVtravel.com. Good stuff!

California bank launches Good Sam RV Club banking center
Waterfield Bank of Irvine, Calif., has announced it has launched the Good Sam Club Banking Center to offer on-the-road banking solutions for RV owners and families. Learn more.

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Ask the
RV Doctor
Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor is a well known RV author and the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry's most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD Do It Yourself RV Care. 

RVer's refrigerator has problems at high elevations

Dear RV Doctor,
I have a Norcold refrigerator that came standard with my 2006 Holiday Rambler. From the get go, the refrigerator, while running on LP will turn off and flash (indicating electric service or issues with the LP system). This usually happens in elevations above 7,000 feet and in the early morning hours after midnight. The dealer tells me that this is normal; however, I don't think this is the case since other campers around me don't have this issue. Can you tell me how much of an issue barometric pressure may be playing on this unit? Can you give me advice as to what I can do to fix/repair this issue? Read Gary's response.

Bonus RV Doctor column
The electric landing gear legs on an RVer's fifth wheel trailer quit working and his slideout does not slide smoothly.  Read Gary's response.

Live webcast with the RV Doctor, Saturday, Oct. 17. See top of newsletter for more information.

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Check with us on the Web for last minute bargains!
Send for FREE CATALOG
Have fun, make friends!
Drive the Alcan to America's Last Frontier, envision yourself on Nova Scotia's miles of coastal drives, cross the border to sunny Mexico, celebrate Mardi Gras, experience Grand Canyon, Glacier, Pacific NW, Great Lakes, Branson, South Africa, Australia. All arrangements including RV parks by Tracks RV Tours. Click here for your free full-color magazine or call us toll free at 800-351-6053.

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This Week's Reader Survey
Do you dream in color or black and white? Answer here.

Last week's survey question
What is the most you have ever spent with a veterinarian on a pet for a single illness or accident?Read the answer here.

Past reader surveys and results.

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Good Stuff from the Good Sam Club
Join the Club: $19 a year. Save on camping fees. Free magazine.
Continuing Service Plan: No More Major Repair Bills! Get a Fast Quote
RV Emergency Road Service: Special Low Rate! Join Today.
Good Sam VIP Insurance for RVs. Free Quote.

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RV SHOWS FOR 2009-2010. Click here.

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Big Rigs Best Bets
RV Park of the Week
An outstanding park for RVs 30 feet and longer.

Whether you are traversing I-10 looking for an overnight stay or have your GPS set for the Texas Hill Country, Buckhorn Lake Resort in Kerrville, Texas is an excellent stop. Long pull-thrus accommodate overnighters while pull-in spaces facing Goat Creek are popular with folks lingering awhile. The nearby German town of Fredericksburg with its quaint shops is only 20 miles away while San Antonio is only an hour down I-10. Bikers and bicyclists love the local scenic back country roads. Free WiFi thoughout the park. Learn more about 1,100 campgrounds and RV parks for large RVs in the Big Rigs Best Bets Campground Directory.

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with the Steadyfast® Trailer Stabilizing System
Performance, quality, and ease of use makes Steadyfast® the most effective fifth wheel and travel trailer stabilizing system. Learn more here. 

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Boondocking Tip
By Bob Difley
Wind direction is important to minimize dust
Which way do the prevailing winds blow? That's valuable information if you're away from your rig and a wind comes up. Leave the windows up-wind closed and open the ones on the lee side of the rig for ventilation if you don’t want to come back to find a layer of sand over everything. Bob Difley is the author of the eBook Boondocking: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America's Public Lands ($7.95) and the editor of the RVtravel.com Boondocking Blog.

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Recent RV recalls
Frequently, we list the latest recalls of RVs at RV-Recalls.com. Here are the most recent ones: 2009: June-July-August -- March-April-May -- January-February  2008: December -- November -- October -- September -- August -- July --  June -- May -- April -- March

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FMCA:
The best club for motorhome owners
If you drive a motorhome you should join the Family Motor Coaching Association, the largest and best club exclusively for motorhome owners. Many benefits including rallies, local chapters and thick monthly magazine. Special new member price of $35. Click here to learn more or join.

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Check out these RV Travel Forumdiscussions

Texas to Seattle? Want to minimize mountain travel
We are leaving Texas the first week in November in our Ford F-350 and 12,500 lb 5th wheel to journey to Seattle, WA. We would like to avoid as many hill/mountain climbs as possible. Any suggestions? Two possible routes I have considered are I-10 to California and I-5 north to Seattle, or Houston to Denver, Cheyenne, Salt Lake, then Seattle.

Generator shutdown
We have a Carriage with an onboard Onan propane 3600 generator. Unfortunately, it is time to shut down for the winter. Are there any special considerations or steps I need to follow for a 4-5 month shutdown? We have only 44 hours on the generator.

Racks for convection cooking and baking
Just got a new to us motorhome with a convection oven but no racks. Are racks needed? I love to bake and will be using the oven for just about everything.

Mirrors
Can you tell when you are in a room, restroom, motel, etc., with a mirror or a 2-way glass? Do you know how to determine if a mirror is 2-way or not? When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel rooms, changing rooms, etc., how many of you know for sure that the seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the wall is a real mirror or actually a 2-way mirror (i.e., they can see you, but you can't see them)?

Homemade macerator pump
Okay for all you black tank fans! Here's how to make a homemade macerator pump out of a kitchen food disposal pump (garburator, food processor, whatever you want to call it)!

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Interesting Forum
RVing with Children
Do you travel with children on your RV trips? If so, here is where to share information about how to do it, or how to do it better. If you're full-timing with children, discuss homeschooling. And if you bring your grandkids with you, this is a good place to discuss any issues about that. This is a terrific resource.

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The RV Kitchen

Janet Groene's Squaw Corn Casserole
This economical dish makes a generous casserole to put on the potluck table. It can be made atop the stove, in a Dutch oven in the campfire, or in an oven. Cook it completely in camp, or bring cooked and crumbled ground beef from home (I always have a supply of it in the freezer), or substitute fully cooked meat crumbles from the supermarket. This can also be made with vegetarian “meat” crumbles or sausage crumbles. Get the recipe.

Cookbooks for RVers: Big selection at RVbookstore.com.

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Bella Terra RV Resort:
A Lifestyle You Can Call Home
Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, the # 1 rated Class A RV resort in the Southeast is the perfect Oasis to enjoy Fall, Winter and Spring. Call NOW and ask about our SNOWBIRD SPECIALS (certain restrictions apply). Also inquire about special pricing incentives on the few remaining Phase I lots! Be sure to mention promo code RV Travel Call (866) 475-7746 or visit us at BellaTerraRVresort.com.

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Trivia
David H. McConnell started Avon in 1886 without really meaning to. McConnell sold books door-to-door, but to lure in female customers he offered little gifts of perfume. Before long, the perfume McConnell was giving away had become more popular than the books he was selling, so he shifted focus and founded the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon.

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How To Buy An RV
and Save Thousands!
This book offers a lot for a bargain price. Written by RV insider Don Wright, it provides a wealth of information about buying an RV. You'll get insights into RV buying here that you will not find elsewhere, and for only $12.95. Learn more or order.

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Random RV Thought
Arizona is shutting down most of its rest stops because of budget problems. This is a very bad thing for most motorists when they need a pit-stop. But it's not as bad for RVers, most of whom carry a restroom with them.

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Find Free RV Campgrounds
"Don't pay to stay!" Visit FreeCampgrounds.com and find more than 1,700 free and inexpensive places to stay in the USA in an RV. Stretch your RVing budget by staying at these freebie locations.

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Bill's Hints
"You need a variety of power adapted plugs/receptacles for your RV. The receptacles are distinctive, whether 30 or 50 amp, both in size and shape. If your campsite does not have 30/50 amp receptacles, you can't just plug your RV cable directly into a conventional 15 or 20 amp receptacle. You'll need an adapter, RV female to 15-amp male. The better ones incorporate several inches of heavy 30-amp cable and are commonly called "dogbones." --From Motorhomes Made Easy.

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eBooks: INSTANT READING!
With eBooks you don't have to wait to read your book. Just place your order and your eBook will be delivered almost instantly to your email inbox. These eBooks are written by RV experts and delivered instantly in PDF format.
I Have A Convection Oven in My RV. Now What?
Frugal Shunpiker's Guide to RV Boondocking In Arizona
The ABCs of Pop Up Campers
Boondocking Tips - More Fun Without Hookups
Complete Guide to Dinghy Towing
The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing
A Collection of RV Tips
Boondocking: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America's Public Lands
RV Awning Use and Care
RV Care and Maintenance
Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance
The 3 Primary Systems of an RV: LP Gas, Water & Electricity
Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitchwork and Backing
RV Check-List

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Bumper Snicker
So many Snowbirds, so little freezer wrap.

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Woodall's RV Owners Handbook
Learn how to perform preventative maintenance and repairs on your RV from RV technical guru Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor. Learn about winterizing your RV, holding tank systems, heating systems, water pumps, trailer towing, spring shakedown, water systems, electrical systems & much more. The RV Doc is the national authority on RV maintenance & repair, and this is THE book for every RVer do-it-yourselfer. Low price, too.

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Worth Pondering
There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. -- Nelson Mandela

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Finance your RV at RVfinancing.com
RVfinancing.com is THE largest online RV financing company. Lowest rates nationwide. Visit its website or call 1-888-929-4424. Toll-free 24-hour recorded RV financing tips at 877-905-0060. Endorsed by RVtravel.com

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READ BACK ISSUES
of this newsletter: Click here.

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Bargains at RVbookstore.com
Low, low prices. Save up to 80% and even more!

RV books for less than $9.99

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Terrific books & DVDs
from RVbookstore.com

2009 Next Exit Directory
Essential guide! Learn what you will find at every Interstate highway exit: gas/diesel, campgrounds, truck stops, casinos, stores, malls, hospitals, factory outlet stores, parks and more. This is a best-selling directory year after year. Learn more.

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DVD shows how to drive a motorhome
Learn how to drive a motorhome the right way -- and the safe way -- from RVer/tour bus driver Lorrin Walsh. In this 67-minute DVD, Walsh and host Mark Polk show you everything you need to know to confidently drive a motorhome. This should be essential viewing for novice motorhome drivers, but even experienced RVers will learn a great deal as well. Save 10% on this at RVbookstore.com. Learn more or order.

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How to Buy An RV
Advice on DVD from the Better Business Bureau
Join host Chuck Woodbury and other RV experts as they explain how to buy an RV. This 50-minute DVD was produced for consumers by the BBB to help them avoid making buying mistakes. Learn to choose the right RV at the right price and avoid heartaches caused by a bad decision. Learn more or order.

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DVD:
Towing Behind Your Motorhome
Learn how to tow a vehicle behind a motorhome in an easy to understand way. RV expert Mark Polk shows you everything you need to know. Special low price at RVbookstore.com. Learn more or order. 

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Save on Mountain Directories
East & West
Driving into the mountains with your RV? Be careful, there are some nasty grades. Here, in two volumes, are the premier guides to the mountain passes and steep grades of the American East and West -- more than 700 passes all together. You save $5 when buying both these guides together. Learn more or order for only $26.90 for both volumes.

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DVD: Travel Trailer/Fifth Wheel 101
If you just bought a travel trailer or 5th wheel trailer, you'll need to know how to operate it. The onboard systems -- electrical, water, LP gas and waste -- are often confusing to new owners. This one hour DVD from RV Education 101 provides an excellent understanding of how a towable RV's systems work and how to operate them safely.Learn more order.

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Guide To The Firearm Laws of the 50 States
RVers who travel with a firearm may not know that what's legal in their home state may be a felony in another. This 2009 guide explains current, specific gun laws for every state. Don't cross a state line with a gun without knowing the laws! Learn more or order.

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2009 Trailer Life RV Parks & Campground Navigator CD-ROM
America's most popular RV campground directory is now on 2 CD-ROM disks. The user friendly interface provides the ultimate RV travel planning software for the U.S. and Canada. This is the best CD-ROM RV park and campground directory. Retail price: $59.95. Now 38% off -- only $36.99. Learn more or order

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Learn how to. . .
RV in your Retirement
Anyone who is close to retirement or who recently retired and is planning to spend all or part of their time traveling with an RV will find much useful information in "RV Retirement." Learn more or order.

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Dog Friendly's
Campground and RV Park Guide
This is a jam-packed, well-researched directory of campgrounds, filled with detailed information, about where you can camp with a dog in the USA and Canada. Learn more or order.

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RECENTLY ARRIVED!
2010 Rand McNally
Motor Carriers' Road Atlas
RVers who drive big RVs can travel with peace of mind with this truckers' road atlas as their guide by avoiding low overpasses and roads where a big rig could get in a pickle. Learn more or order.

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A best seller
Fifth Wheel Bible
This is the first book devoted to fifth wheel travel trailers. It covers everything about these RVs: Buying, towing, operating and enjoying them. Learn more or order.

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Trailer Life RV Road Atlas
Besides showing highways and other roads, this large-format road atlas shows more than 10,000 campgrounds, plus RV service centers, tourist attractions and 1,600 state parks, plus a special Tech Tips section. Learn more or order for only $15.96. (Cover price, $29.95).

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On the Go! Microwave-Convection Oven Cooking
This terrific spiral bound microwave-convection cookbook explains what combination modes mean, cooking utensils, racks, preheating and much more. The recipes are simple and have minimal ingredients making this the perfect cookbook for RVers and those at home who are also on-the-go. Learn more or order for only $9.98.

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Complete Guide to Full-time RVing
Thinking of becoming a full-time RVer? This is THE guide about how to do it. From dreaming about the lifestyle to living it, this fabulous resource has all the answers. This should be required reading for all aspiring full-timers or those who are new at it! Learn more or order!

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Fulltimers:
Where to make your home base
For would-be fulltimers, which state to establish an official home base is critical. Picking the wrong state can result in paying thousands of dollars extra each year in taxes or RV registration fees. Don't let that happen to you! The best-selling Choosing Your RV Home Base, published in 2009, is an essential planning tool. Learn more or order.

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Special low price!
2009 Trailer Life
Campground Directory
This is the biggest selling directory of RV parks and campgrounds. If you travel by RV you need this! Check out our special low price. Don't travel without this essential guide. Order now

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Senior Citizen
Discounts Guide
This annual directory for 2008-2009 will save you a ton of money. Learn about thousands of senior discounts throughout the USA. Most are not publicized elsewhere. National and local businesses are listed.Learn more or order.

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Corps Camping
Guide to Corps of Engineers Campgrounds
This best-selling guidebook, published in 2009, describes more than 600 Corps-managed campgrounds suitable for RVs on nearly 200 lakes around the USA. Haven't camped at a Corps of Engineers' facility? Then you've missed out! Learn more or order

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2009 Big Rigs Best Bets Campground Directory 
If you drive a king-sized RV, this directory is for you. The authors provide details about 1,100 RV parks throughout the USA and six Canadian Provinces that welcome long motorhomes and towable RVs. This should be an essential resource for owners of large RVs. Learn more or order

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Wrinkle Free
RV Laundry
Learn how to use your RV's Splendid washer to not only clean your clothes but dry them without wrinkles. If you have a washer-dryer on board your RV, you need this book! Learn more or order.

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National Park Service Camping Guide
This book is a helpful resource for anyone who enjoys camping in a National Park. Learn about nearly 450 campgrounds in 121 National Park Service areas -- home to more than 25,000 campsites. Learn more or order.

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RVers Guide
to Dump Stations
This directory offers a comprehensive listing by state and by highway of most known public dump stations in America. RVers should pack this along on their trips! Learn more or order.

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U.S. Military Campgrounds Directory on CD
Pack this along with you to get current information about Military Campgrounds across the USA. Updated monthly. No internet access needed for most of the information. Learn more here.

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All about RV batteries
and solar battery charging
Managing 12 volts (book)
RVers Guide to Solar Battery Charging (book)
Deep Cycle Batteries (DVD)
The RVers Solar Primer (book)

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DVD:Extended and Full-time RV Travel
In this DVD, Joe and Vicki Kieva show RVers who plan to travel much or all of the time how to successfully live a life on the RV road. They cover banking, bill-paying, e-mail, telephone communications, mail forwarding, medical care, taking care of an unoccupied house and other considerations while on the road for weeks or months at a time. SPECIAL LOW PRICE! Learn more, see a short video or order.

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THE guide for Alaska-bound RVers!

The 2009 Milepost
is THE guide to visiting Alaska
This is THE mile-by-mile guidebook for RV or auto travelers headed to Alaska, the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. If you only take one guidebook to Alaska, take this! Learn more or order at a discount price.

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Updated
Casino Camping:
Guide to RV-Friendly Casinos
This 2009 directory is the best casino guide for RVers. Learn which casinos have RV parks or offer free overnight stays. Plus get tips and information about other casino benefits for RVers. Learn more or order.

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The RV Kitchen: Fix It in Foil
Easy prep, great taste, good nutrition and quick clean-up - what more could you want from a meal? This cookbook combines the best of all worlds! Featuring 51 fantastic recipes that each include instructions for cooking in an oven, over a campfire, or on an outdoor grill. Learn more or order.

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Learn how to use your Class C motorhome
DVD: Class C Motorhomes 101
Learn how to use everything on a Class C motorhome. Watching this 42-minute DVD is like getting a personal tour by an expert, showing you how to operate everything the correct and safe way. Learn about all the systems -- water, electrical, heating, refrigerator, holding tanks, and about appliances -- really, just about everything. Learn more or order.

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Follow the RV Travel editor on Twitter
Twitter.com is where people write very short postings (about 20 words or less) about what they are doing right at the moment. To sign up follow RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury's Twitter comments click here.

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These DVDs will make you a better RVer
Get these popular DVDs and others at RVbookstore.com
Better Business Bureau Guide to Buying an RV
Choosing an RV: A Logical Approach (with Joe & Vicki Kieva)
Do It Yourself RV Care (with the RV Doctor)
Drive Your Motorhome Like a Pro
Guide to Class A Motorhomes
Guide to Class C Motorhomes
Towing Behind Your Motorhome
Guide to Travel Trailers & Fifth Wheels
Guide to Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitch Work & Backing
Guide to Winterizing Your RV

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About the RVtravel.com editor
Chuck Woodbury has explored America by RV for nearly three decades. In the '90s he published a quirky travel newspaper about his adventures and was an "on the road" writer for the New York Times Syndicate. Nowadays, he lives near Seattle where he drinks massive amounts of coffee and travels often in his motorhome and sometimes by plane when vast expanses of saltwater would turn his RV into a leaky submarine. He is the host of the Better Business Bureau DVD "Buying a Recreational Vehicle," the definitive guide to purchasing an RV the right way.

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RV Travel staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Contributing editors: Russ and Tina De Maris, Jim Twamley, Gary Bunzer and Bob Difley. Forum Administrator: Adrienne Kristine. Office Manager: Jody Allcott. Web operations: Zoey Platt. Advertising Director: Eric Brotman. Clapper/Loader: Emily Woodbury. 

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Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We're just human! So don't go spending $10,000 on something we said was good just because we said so, or fixing something like we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. So be sure to check things out. At RVbookstore.com we strive for excellence in all we do and that's the honest truth (as opposed to the dishonest truth). Our customers receive really, really fast service. We move so fast in sending out a customer's order that sometimes we pass through the sound barrier, which really upsets our neighbors. Our motto is "You need it so we speed it," and no truer words were ever spoken!

RVbookstore.com and RVtravel.com are members of the Better Business Bureau. We are proud commercial members of the Escapees and the Family Motor Coaching Association. RV Travel is copyright 2009 by RVbookstore.com. Our International Headquarters: RVbookstore.com, 170 W. Dayton Street, Suite 103, Edmonds WA 98020, USA, Earth, Milky Way, Known Universe, Unknown Universe, Expanding Universe.

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