Russ De Maris, Author at RV Travel

Cart makes easy work of lugging your RV stuff

October 12, 2017October 12, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Bob Difley One of the things I like about boondocking in undesignated campsites or in some forest service campgrounds is that the picnic-table-outside-recreation-hub isn’t placed just outside my entry door. I like it to be a distance away, maybe in the trees, in the sun, or on a view knoll – not under my neighbor’s window. The problem was... Read More

RV Mods: Protect your headlights!

October 11, 2017October 12, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Greg Illes As we prepared for our Alaska trip, we read many warnings about damage caused by flying rocks. Having traveled thousands of miles of dirt roads in the desert Southwest, we are no strangers to road hazards. But this time, the hazards were to come from other vehicles tossing stones up off the roadway. One of the most... Read More

Full-time RVing — the plague of cargo capacity

October 11, 2017November 27, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Russ and Tiña De Maris Here’s the case of the couple that wants to break into full-time RVing. That’s a serious step, since “all your worldly goods” go with you, wherever you go. Their decision is to go with a motorhome – and they want to stay with a gasoline engine rig. After paring down their “stuff” they need... Read More

How well do you know Yosemite National Park?

October 10, 2017October 12, 2017 Russ De Maris

Courtesy U.S. Department of Interior Waterfalls, towering granite monoliths, deep valleys and ancient giant sequoias – that’s Yosemite. On October 1, 1890, Yosemite became a national park, and more than 125 years later, it’s still wowing visitors. Here are a few facts you might not know. 1. Yosemite is the nation’s third national park, but it sparked the idea of... Read More

Is tilting your RV solar panels worth the trouble?

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Russ and Tiña De Maris We’ve preached about the positive aspects of tilting solar panels to catch more of that “low on the horizon” winter sun. But some have wondered, is it really worth the hassle? Here’s a video that shows you what happens when one couple tilts their panels. ##RVT814 Read More

Drive the dirt trail without fear of getting stuck

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Bob Difley There’s boondocking and then there’s boondocking. If boondocking to you is staying the night in a Walmart parking lot, this may not be for you. But if you visualize yourself as somewhat of a desert rat or mud junkie – even if you actually haven’t driven your rig onto the open desert or down a muddy forest... Read More

More venues for great outdoor photography

October 5, 2017October 6, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Russ and Tiña De Maris When you’re home from your RV adventures, there’s nothing like looking back and pondering your travels with pleasure. And a great thing to increase your “ponder factor” is having good photos from your adventures. For many RVers, one thing leads to another – the RV adventure leads to the “photo” bug. Racking out your... Read More

How to locate roof leaks

October 5, 2017October 6, 2017 Russ De Maris

Being careful, get on your roof and feel around. Soft spots can indicate loose roofing material and damage to the substrate, composed of anything from... Read More

The readers write — No trolls allowed

October 4, 2017October 6, 2017 Russ De Maris

Edited by Russ and Tiña De Maris Keeping it civil In the opening editorial for Issue 813, RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury pointed out how mean-spirited “trolls” and others of a similar ilk aren’t welcome in the comments section. Our readers lit up the board with their thinking. Dave Dark wrote, “I think you have hit the nail on the... Read More

Keep those prescription costs down

September 29, 2017September 28, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Russ and Tiña De Maris Spend any amount of time on the road with your RV, you quickly learn the ropes of how to keep up with the mundane: Getting your mail when away from “home” and paying the bills. Add, getting those prescription drugs. That can be a bit dicey, particularly if you don’t have drug coverage in... Read More

How to fix a sticky black tank valve

September 28, 2017September 30, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Chris Dougherty Chris Dougherty is a certified RV technician. Here is a letter he received from a reader while he was serving as RVtravel.com’s technical editor. Dear Chris, Pulling the black water handle on my 2012 Entegra is getting more difficult compared to the gray water side. Is there any way to ease this or prevent it from getting... Read More

Don’t be a carbon monoxide victim

September 28, 2017October 17, 2017 Russ De Maris

By Russ and Tiña De Maris Nearly every new home built in the U.S. has them: carbon monoxide detectors. These little units can save your life. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and often deadly gas, the byproduct of incomplete combustion. The combustion source in an RV could be anything from an improperly operating furnace, water heater, oven,... Read More