Best Investments for 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Here is Jim's short list of the best places to invest in 2007 (not necessarily in this order):

1. Education
2. Family
3. Travel
4. Faith
5. Friends

Ha! You thought I was going to give you a hot stock tip didn't you! Well, in the Education department if you want to learn about how to trade stocks, I recommend the book "Real Money" by Jim Cramer. This guy looks like a crazy man on TV, but his book is full of good advice on investing in the stock market - well worth the read.

Leak Under Sink

"Hey, there is water leaking under here!" That's what my wife said yesterday as she was cleaning under the sink. Oh, how I don't like plumbing problems! But where exactly is the leak coming from? That's always the first thing you need to look for is the origination of the leak. I emptied the under-sink cabinet, turned on the flashlight and went on a leak hunt. At first glance I noticed that the black drain pipe was dripping. Thinking that there was a leak in the drain I filled up the sink then let it drain, sure enough there was water dripping off the drain pipe that connects the two sink drains. Great! I think, "I'm going to have to take this whole pipe off and repair it somehow." I was not looking forward to that. Here is the under-sink view:

But notice the two white water supply tubes zip-tied to the black drain pipe. I thought, "Hmm what if one of the water supply tubes is leaking - they are touching each other." So, I plugged up the sink because if there is no flow through the drain pipe a leak would not show up until I pulled the plug. Sure enough, even though I had the sink plugged the pipe appeared to be leaking. Therefore it was not the drain pipes. Indeed! The culprit is here:
As it turns out the water supply tube was leaking where it screws into the faucet nipple. All I had to do to fix the problem was to re-tighten the nut (hand tight). I am assuming that after two years of the near earthquake conditions of travel this fitting jiggled loose. (Is jiggled a word?) So, for my fellow travelers, it may be a good idea to check the "tightness" of your water supply fittings every year or so just to be sure no leaks develop. Jim

Bird Feeders

My wife is an avid birder (not quite an orinthologist but close). She likes to attract birds near the rig and then take pictures. We recently purchased this bird feeder from the Walter Drake catalog. It holds a small amount of seed and attaches directly to the window with suction cups. Very nice for up close pictures. We also have some humming-bird feeders that also attach with suction cups. These are great when you are going to be at a location for a few days. See you on the road and happy birding. Jim

5th Wheel King Pin Support

The "King Pin" on a 5th wheel is the point where the trailer attaches to the "hitch" of the tow vehicle. Many people do not like the fact that 5th wheel trailers have a tendency to pitch and roll when they are not supported so they carry a "King Pin" support device. These devices come as a bipod or a tripod. Here is a bipod that I use. Notice that I place it front to back in alignment with the trailer. This inhibits the very slight front and back motion that may be experienced with an unsupported 5th wheel when you walk around in it. They also now make struts that attach to the landing gear that have the same effect. Notice that this bipod support has a chain between the two legs for tension and one leg has a jack on it for tightening. I like this type because you can get it good and snug while the other tripod types have to be screwed into position. Also notice that the rear leg is on a wooden platform - this is because the trailer is on an incline and this leg is of a fixed length. No problem, just place a suitable block under this leg and jack it up under the "King Pin".

Above is a typical tripod unit.

Here is a tripod for a "Goose Neck" hitch. The "Goose Neck" hitch attaches to a receiver ball mounted in the center of the truck bed. Many people like these better because they do not take up as much room in the bed of the truck as a standard 5th wheel "King Pin" hitch. If you have a "Goose Neck" hitch be sure to order the corresponding support unit because the standard unit will not fit a typical "Goose Neck" style hitch. No matter which type of device you use, it will help to stabilize your unit.

Heating

Winter is upon us (or at least those of us not in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas or Florida) and winter calls for heat right? So how do we economically heat our RV's? Most every RV is equipped with a whole house propane heater. These heaters work great and we use ours to heat up the entire RV in the morning or when our small electrical heater is not keeping up. However this can get expensive, so I recommend you get a good quality portable electric heater with adjustable thermostate and automatic turn-off switch if it gets knocked over (our heater gets knocked over once in a while and the auto-turn-off switch works great). We use a Patton heater for this purpose. Since you are already paying for the electricity at your site, you might as well take advantage of it and save money on the expense of propane. Also, my wife enjoys pointing this little heater directly at her feet - you can't do that with a propane heater.

If you do a lot of boondocking (dry camping without hook-ups) you may want to install a ceramic propane heater. I installed one of these units in our last 5th wheel and it worked great. The nice thing about these heaters is that they use much less propane than your whole house heater and they don't use battery power. Your whole house heater will run down your battery bank in a day or two while these ceramic heaters will not.

You can operate these heaters with one panel ignited or two or three depending on the model you purchase. I recommend you install them permanently, although you can use them in a stand-alone fashion. You need to remember that you need to run a propane hose to the unit, so place it accordingly. Also, when using this type of heater you need to open a vent or window so as to allow adequate ventalation as per the manufacturers directions. Some of the newer RV's have a built in fireplace which also radiates heat and looks good at the same time.

Many RV's also have a heater unit combined with the air conditioner unit. These work great but some people complain that they are too noisy - they also require full electric hook-ups. There you have it - keep warm out there. Jim

Pooper Scooper

This is a subject that needs some help. Every RV park and state and federal park that we have visited requires pet owners to "pick up" after their pets. Here you see our dog Barney (who by the way thinks he is somehow human) attached to a leash. I like these new leashes because they are on a spring loaded reel that lets out and retracts the teather as you walk along. Attached to the lesh you see a "pick up" bag holder. These are quite inexpensive and very convienient. You always have them because they are attached to the leash.
When you need another bag it neatly dispenses and then tears off at the perferated edges. Refills are inexpensive and easy to replace. Once you collect the "little present" in the bag you can put it on the porch of the camp host and set it on fire with lighter fluid, knock on the door and run - or you can just put it in the dumpster :) No one appreciates RV'rs who do not pick up after their pets - I know a guy that would pick up the "little present" left by other inconsiderate RV'rs and really would place them on the steps of the offender's RV. Sometimes they would get the message, sometimes not. It wasn't me, I would be more inclined to put it under their windshield wipers without the plastic :) If you are going to RV with pets, please be considerate and pick up after them. Also, obey the leash laws and keep your pets on a leash - lots of people think their little Fifi is hamrless until they get sued and have to sell their RV to pay the legal fees. You can also receive a ticket and fine in state and federal parks for not obeying the leash law and you might have to retrieve your pet from the pound as well. So, follow the rules, be polite and pick up the "little presents" and all will well in the park.

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! Full-time RV'rs celebrate Christmas all year long (every day is Christmas for us) anyway, Many RV parks have their own church and folks celebrate Christmas Eve services together and have fellowship and food - it's a good ole time! Others, because of their easy mobility are able to travel to visit with relatives and friends with all the comforts of home intact. RV'rs are able to spend time with friends and relatives while using their RV's as their hotel. It is a great way to get around! Merry Chrtistmas! "To us a Savior is born!"

Pots and Pans Storage

Imagine having an earthquake at your house for eight straight hours every few weeks. You would eventually learn to make adjustments after the earthquake. Well, that is exactly what happens in your 5th wheel everytime you travel. If it isn't tied down it will fall, roll around and make a mess. This twisting and turning, churning and shaking causes wear and tear on thing that are secured in drawers like your pots and pans. If you store metal on metal it will cause abrasion and do things like wear off that nice T-Fall non-stick coating on your expensive pans. So, RV'rs have learned to pack these things to minimize the damage. Many RV'rs use the no-slide "Grip-It" shelf and drawer liner (note the liner in the photo). Not only is it good as a non-slip lining but it is also a good separator for glassware. It is soft and spongy so it nicely absorbs the rattle of travel. Some RV'rs use bubble wrap or dish towels to accomplish this. I wore off the non-stick coating on my last electric skillet by putting the lid upside down in it so the drawer would close. Now I put a rubber muffin pan in the skillet before I put the lid in place and it protects the non-stick lining of the skillet from abrasion.

Satellite Internet Perfect for RVs

We are traveling today, so I am posting this on the 20th for the 21st posting.You may be wondering how we manage our stock transactions, banking and bill paying. We do it all on line. Online banking is safe and secure (as long as you have a firewall, good passwords and don't do stupid stuff like answer an email purportedly from Ebay saying you just bought a new set of tires while in Alabama but you are in Arizona -Yikes I better answer them right back and get those tires taken off my account -then the email asks you for your password...No, No, No, NO! - FIRST - log off - then log back on to the site you know is the REAL Ebay and then do the inquiry using your password - got it? Good!) So how do we get the internet while on the road? Sattelite. We subscribe to Hughes Sattelite and enjoy high speed internet whether we are in Nova Scotia, Canada or Scottsdale, Arizona. I like the tripod model (roof mount is available and more expensive) because you can move it to where the reception is the best. I drilled holes into the side of the trailer where the sattelite modem is located and inserted the cable fittings. Both Marilyn and I have wireless enabled laptop computers through a Linksys wireless router. the printer is also wireless. Very convienient to use as you can use your computer outside as well as at the desk.

I secure the tripod with two stakes at opposite angels and secure the stake eyes with a caribiner, tensioner connected to a chain which is secured to the tripod eyebolt.

If you want to purchase one of these systems, just post your email and I will put you in contact with a vendor. The price for the whole set-up is around $1,300.00. However it can be done cheaper. The fee is around $60.00 a month and you must sign up for a two year contract. The nice thing about this system is that if you are not a full-time RV'er you can use it at home and then take it on the road with you. It disassembles for easy storage.

Electric Appliances Save You $$$

Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) is what we full time RV'ers try to conserve. Lots of things can run off of propane in RV's including the refridgerator, stove/oven, heater, water heater and even the generator. One of the ways to conserve your LPG is to use as many electric appliances as you can. I rarely use the stove unless I am boondocking (dry camping - withoug hook-ups). Instead I use electric appliances like the coffee pot, microwave, electric heater, crock-pot, electric pot and electric skillet. I use the pot and skillet almost every day. I particularly like the pot because it has a vegtable steamer and I like the safety break away magnetic cord. We also switch the refridgerator and water to electric when in a campground with hook-ups. By using appliances we conserve on LPG to the point that we only refill the tanks every three months or so. When we first started RV'ing we were filling the LPG tanks every few weeks. At campgrounds you have already paid for the use of the electricity, so use it and save $$$. Jim

Sea Otters Play in Monterey Bay

As full time RV'rs we get to see lots of fun things. Yesterday we saw these two sea otters in Montery Bay. We try to remember to take the camera and the binoculars with us every time we go on an outing because you never know when a great photo-op will present itself. Happy Trails! Jim

Ford Chassis Turn Signal Problem

We attended the Naval Post Graduate Chapel this past Sunday and I met and befrinded Chaplain Fred McGuffin (US Navy). He is also an avid RV'er. He shared with me how he fixed his signal problem on his class "C" motorhome Ford chassis. He began to experience problems when he began towing his car. His turn signals wouldn't work properly. He went to this site, www.dasplace.net , followed the directions and solved the problem.

This is a great web site that has many good ideas with instructions and pictures. There is also an excellent wiring diagram for all RV shore power with diagrams. Good site.

Dish Rack Drain Problem Solved

When we lived in a house we had a built-in dishwasher. Nowdays you can get a built-in dishwasher in your RV (usually where the oven used to be located), however in our RV - I am the dishwasher! One of the problems I encountered early on as the "Chief Bottle Washer," was the problem of water not draining off the dish rack drain pan. The dish rack tray needed to be elevated in order for the water to be able to run back into the sink.

I added the equivalent of a 2x2 under the drain tray at the oposite end from the drain lip. I cut the wood to size and attached it using two drywall screws. Here is the side view showing the elevated tray:

Military RV Camping

Currently we are staying at the Naval Post Graduate School RV Park in Monterey, California. We have stayed at many military RV parks all across the USA and have saved bucket-loads of money. If you are active duty military or a DOD employee or retired military or DOD you are already a member of one of the largest RV park clubs in the world. Among the benefits you have is the opportunity to stay and play at the many military camping parks known as "Family Camps" and use the many golf corses and abundant Morale Recreation and Welfare (MWR) facilities available to you. Almost all military bases have RV parks near the base. Many base MWR departments maintain RV parks away from the base at highly deseriable resort locations. A civilian company called "Military Living" publishes several great guides to military travel and recreation. Many of you are familiar with their "Space A" books but perhaps you are not familiar with their "Military RV, Camping & Outdoor Recreation" book. This Jewel gives you all the information (200 pages) you need to make reservations or get directions to these military family RV parks. You can purchase this book at the exchange or you can order it directly from the exchange by calling 1-800-527-2345 or you can log onto the AAFES website at www.AAFES.com You can also order it at www.militaryliving.com Happy camping!

Shower Curtain

Our RV came with a glass shower door. However, we do not like having to keep the glass shower door free of water spots, so I installed a shower curtain that protects the door from water spots and adds some color to the decor of the room. The curtain is held by a track rod attached to the ceiling so that the curtain hangs in front of the shower door. Your local RV dealer can obtain this type of track for you. You will have to cut it (and perhaps bend it depending on the shape of your shower stall) and drill holes to mount it. Mount it directly into the ceiling with one inch screws.

Towel Rack

What do you do with your towels after your shower? Here is what we do. The towel bars in this case are shower rods.

As you can see, the shower curtain rod simply adjusts to fit in the top section of the shower stall.

Tire Care

Today I want to cover proper tire care. First, you need to make sure that you have good quality tires, if not, get some :) Protect the rubber from sunlight by covering your tires with wheel covers when you plan to stay somewhre more than a couple of days. When you sit in one place for a while you need to make sure you check your tire pressure with an accurate guage and reinflate them to proper manufacturer recommended pressure. I keep 80 pounds of pressure in my tires. I also have a small portable air compressor (not the kind that plugs into the cigarette lighter - they are a waste of time and money) the one I have is heavy duty enough to fill to these pressure levels. Once I am satisfied that I have the proper air pressure in each tire, I visually inspect the tires for any bubbles, nails or unusual tread wear. Once on the road, I do a walk around at each stop and visually inspect each tire. Some folks use a spot meter temperature indicator to check for excess heat. If a tire is producing excess heat it is not properly inflated and or is failing. Make sure you rotate the tires on your truck according to manufacturer recommendations and also make sure your front end is properly aligned. Also, make sure your lug nuts are torqued to the proper torque. Take care of your tires and they will take care of you by getting you to your destination safe and sound. Tomorrow I talk about the shower stall.

RV Tires

As per Murphey's Laws we were driving through Nowhere South Dakota when we experienced tred seporation on one of our 5th wheel tires. The tire did not blow out, but it seporated to the point that it was rubbing on the other tire causing friction, heat and smoke. Part of the problem, as you can see, is that the tires are too close together.

I pulled over and put on the spare. Fortunately nothing catostrophic happened. The tires HitchHiker put on were Goodyear 10 ply tires and the trailer is a 2004 model - the tires failed after only two years and I am meticulous about keeping proper air pressuer. What is the fix? Put on higher ply commercial grade tires which is what I did as soon as we got to a big enough town. I put on Goodyear 14 ply tires.
These tires have held up well so far. Four new tires cost me about $1200 installed. If you buy a used rig I recommend that you just install new tires all around as soon as possible, even if the tires look good on the outside you have no idea how they were maintained. So, replace them just to be sure! Tomorrow I will talk about tire maintance and care.

Trash Talk

Why is that bag of trash on the hood of my truck? Good question. I've seen this being done for several years in many campgrounds and always wondered why they just didn't put the trash in the bed of the truck. Well, at many campgrounds the garbage is near the entrance/exit to the park so people routinely drop it off when they are leaving. I always just put the trash in the bed of the truck until recently when twice in one week I drove out of the park with my trash in the back of my truck. TWICE! Am I getting senile or what ?!?!?!? OK, what were we talking about. Trash, Yes! Well, when you put the trash on the hood of the truck, you don't forget it is there when you drive out of the park. Now we know why all those old timers do it that way :)

RV and Satellite Radio

A satellite radio is an excellent companion for RV’ers. It used to be that when you were camping out in the boonies or traveling along I-80 through Nevada you couldn’t get radio reception. Not anymore! Now you can get all the radio programs you want for a small investment and a low monthly fee. There are currently two satellite radio companies you can use – XM™ or Sirius™. What you need. 1. A receiver. 2. An antenna. 3. A FM radio or a set of headphones. I purchased the XM Rodie ™ from Staples for $80.00 and it came with the automobile installation kit which includes a cradle, cigarette lighter power plug, and a magnetic antenna. I mounted the cradle on the dash and ran the antenna wire along the inside of my door frame weather stripping (easy) and the magnet attaches to the roof. I drilled two tiny holes and mounted the receiver cradle on the dash of the truck. You can play this through your FM radio or plug earphones into the cradle. I usually use the earphones. You can pass many a mile enjoying music, news, financial reports, NPR, comedy and whatever your heart desires.

Once we are set up at the RV park I pull the receiver off the cradle in the truck then put it into my XM boom box for indoors. The boom box is weather resistant and can be used outside as well as inside. I don’t know how it works, but the antenna is able to pick up satellite inside the RV. It has a remote control and has good sound quality. You may also use headphones with the boom box. I bought the boom box at WalMart for $80.00.

I pay $12.00 a month, but you must purchase a year in advance. If you sign up for more years the price gets cheaper – down to about $10.00 a month.

If you don’t want the boom box, you can purchase an indoor kit for around $50.00 and play it through your RV’s built in FM stereo system. It operates the same as in your automobile – by playing through an unused channel on your FM radio.

You can preprogram the XM radio to all your favorite stations. This makes it easy to change stations when you are driving. They also have holiday programming. From now until Christmas, we are listening to a variety of Christmas music – all without commercial interruption!

Only the music channels are free of commercials. The talk and news stations have commercials. One of my favorites for the RV lifestyle is the Weather Channel. This feature alone is worth the price of the system!!

Awning Security

Awnings are a wonderful part of an RV. They allow you to lower the temperature inside and out by providing instant shade. Awnings come in several styles and many colors. Some awnings are fully automatic and retract when the wind meter detects that it is too windy. Most of the others are manual. Wind is the biggest enemy of your awning followed by rain. I recently saw the remains of an awning that the wind had broken loose and blew over to the other side of the rig. You can secure an awning by detaching the legs from the side-wall holders and securing them to the ground (carport style) and then secure the ends with a ropes tied to steaks. You should also add "anti flapper" clamps (available at WalMart and any RV parts store) and you've got a well secured awning. Unfortunately, even this amount of securing will not be enough in a big wind (40 knots or more). The best thing to do when you leave your RV for any length of time is to stow the awning.

Rain is another enemy. A freind who bought my previous 5th wheel from me failed to lower one side of his awning and it filled up with rain water like a wading pool. When he tried to lower one leg to drain the water the entire awning ripped and drenched him! So, always lower one end of your awning to allow for rain to drain :)

When you travel, be sure the awning posts are secured. My rig has squeze in clamps (pictued above) and the roll tube lock holds the rolled canvas tight to the side of the rig. However, as you can see, I also strap the awning leg and arm together (pictured above) as an additional percaution to prevent the awning opening should the main clamps fail while I'm tooling down the road at 65 mph. Some people use zip ties and just dispose of them when they want to open the awning. I've seen awnings come apart while people are traveling - not good!

Winter Driving & RV's

My advice for winter driving is simple, "Stay clear of snow and ice!" The above picture was taken in the Nebraska panhandle on October 17th at a nice Passport America RV park in Chapel, NE. A winter storm can strike at any time and it is better to wait it out than to try to drive in it. As we drove through Wyoming the next day, we saw multiple truck and RV rollovers because of the icy conditions the night before. We saw the shell of a 5th wheel box that had rolled over scattering debris all over the side of the road. We try to stay far enough south so this is not a concern. However, you never know when you might get caught in a winter driving situation. I carry tire chains only as an emergency procedure. I have not had to use them, and I don't intend to have to use them but I am a firm believer in Murphy's laws so I try to be as prepared as possible. One of the best ways to be prepared is to consult your CB weather radio, get a weather update on the internet or your satelite radio weather channel. Truck drivers are also a good source of information if you have a CB radio. It is better to stop like we did in this situation and wait until the ice is melted off. Don't get up at the crack of dawn and expect the ice to be gone, instead, take your time, have a liesurly breakfast and let the sun do it's job. Mountainn passes are the most unpredictable because at higher elevations a light rain can easily turn to snow, so check the weather before you go. If you get caught driving in these conditions, SLOW DOWN - don't be tempted to try to outrun the storm. Find a safe place to camp as soon as possible and wait it out. Truck stops are great "harbors in a storm" for this situation. Drive defensively and be safe!

Live Free or Die

General John Stark is a great American war hero.

He fought in the French backed Indians as one of Roger’s Raiders and because of this experience he later became a great leader during the Revolutionary War. He was from New Hampshire and led the volunteers from that state fighting alongside General Washington at Valley Forge and many other major battles. He is probably most famous for giving his state its motto, “Live free or die!” However one of his lesser known quotes is, “There they are boys! We beat them today or Molly Stark sleeps a widow tonight!” Now that is a great quote from a great American!

He has a town named after him in New Hampshire. Here is a picture of the church and covered bridge in Stark NH. Recently I had the pleasure of preaching in this church which is the oldest continuously active union church in the United States. It is so old it doesn’t have indoor plumbing, but it has been upgraded with electricity and a more modern heater. It doesn’t have a microphone because the acoustics are such that the speaker’s voice carries quite well even to the last pew. It’s a cool place and if you happen to be there on a Sunday be sure to attend the worship service. The parking lot (to the left of the photo) is large enough to accomodate big RVs. Blessings - Jim

Bridge Clearance

Ever notice the battle scars on the bottom of highway and railroad cross-over bridges? On a recent tour through Moline Ill. we came upon an highway bridge that had a clearance sign stating it had 12 feet 2 inches clearance. We could not go under this bridge because our rig is 12 feet 8 inches tall. Had I continued on I would have lost my air conditioner unit and left a gaping hole in the roof of my 5th wheel. There was not enough space to turn this beast around on the two lane divided road and it was about a mile to back up to a suitable turn around spot. What did I do? I cranked the wheel and backed the trailer crosswise in the street with the rear wheel of the 5er at the edge of the shoulder. I unhooked the truck that was pointed toward the bridge, drove up the ditch and back on the other side of the 5er facing away from the bridge, hooked it back up and easily pulled the rig out going back the way we came. This didn't take long, and the folks that had to stop and wait for me were kind and understanding. You can't always avoid this type of thing happening, though I now have a GPS system that tells me where most of the low bridges are in the USA and Canada (I will do a post on this at a later date). However, you can keep yourself from accidentally going under one of these low bridges by doning one simple thing - MEASURE the height of your rig from the tallest point to the ground. When you have the correct height of your rig, add two inches to it and put a label with this height on your instrument column. This does 3 beneficial things for you. 1. It keeps you from embarassing yourself. 2. I prevents you from panic wondering if you will make it under that fast approaching bridge. 3. It will help your marriage as you reasure your spouse that, "Yes, honey, we are at least 4 inches shorter than the bottom of that bridge." Happy Trails. Jim

Our Rig

Our 2004 HitchHiker II LS has had multiple problems, enough to fill 3 pages single space, but our dealer was proficient in fixing most of the problems. (The dealer RV Tech told me the factory used a bad batch of caluking that year - and it's true on my rig). We are still fixing stuff even after the warranty ran out, but such is life as a full time RV'er. If Honda made RV's (please Honda, please please please consider making RV's!!!) we wouldn't have nearly as much warranty work. But alas this was made in Kansas and, well.... - it's CRAP! But so are all the other US RV's on the market. With all the problems, it's also home. Anyone have a similar perspective?

Golden Access Passport & Discount Camping

Attention disabled Vets (0% and up) and others with disabilities. You are eligable for FREE entrance into all Natinal Parks and recreation areas when you apply for and obtain a Golden Access Passport. This will save you mucho dinero! All I did to get mine was to go to my local federal forestry management office, like a BLM office, present my VA letter of disability eligibility, sign a log and they issued my pass. Golden Access Passport can only be obtained in person at a federal area (National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and Tennessee Valley Authority sites). We have saved hundreds of dollars with this card. Here is a link with more information: http://www.us-parks.com/golden_access_passport.html You get discounts on tours and lots of other things. Not only do you save at National Parks and federal recreation areas, but you also get a 50% discount when you camp at Corps of Engineers campgrounds. http://camping.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=camping&cdn=travel&tm=80&gps=64_949_827_585&f=10&su=p531.19.152.ip_p532.6.150.ip_p284.5.420.ip_p531.17.420.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors">Here is the link to the Army Corps of Engineers Gateway for camping.

You can also get the following discount at these state parks with this card:

States that DO provide a discount to Golden Access pass holders:Alabama (15% off entry fees)Arkansas (50% camping discount)California (50% off for disabled, but must apply for & have California disability pass)Delaware (10%)Louisiana (Some camping discount in all parks)South Carolina (Discounts at four specific state parks)

Passport America

How about that 50% off camping membership club called Passport America? We use them frequently and they are indeed half price. These parks are sometimes "out of the way places" and are usually mom and pop operations, but by and large they are good places to stay. They are NOT 5 star RV parks, but then again, what do you expect for half price?

We usually use them when we are traveling cross-country, staying only one or two nights. Sometimes, though, we find one that is worthy of a longer stay. Definately worth the money, and you get a membership card and a campground listing book that covers the US, Canada and Mexico. I think their lifetime membership is too costly, but try it for a year and see if you like it. Here is the link: www.passportamerica.com
You can also click on the link on the right hand colum.

Attention Disabled Vets Free Camping

Free camping is available to disabled veterans from ANY state, through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. They ask that you fill out a VERY short form and attach a copy of your VA letter of eligibility. They will send you an ID card with instructions on your free camping status. Download the form here. The address of where to send it is on the form.
http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/docs/2006_vet_app.pdf

Battery Box Upgrade

Our Hitchhicker II LS came stock with two 12 volt batteries. This was not ample for more than one or two days of dry camping. Therefore I decided to install 4 new 6 volt golf cart batteries and hook them up to give us more dry camping power. The problem was where to put the extra two batteries. The original batteries were located port and starbord in the front of the basement by the 5th wheel legs. They each had a seporate battery box and vent hose. I removed the original plastic battery cases and cut out the plywood inbetween the two battery box holes making one long rectangle hole. Then I had a friend manufacture a box out of sheet metal to fit in the hole. I attached the box to the plywood with eye bolts which also act as tie down sites for the box lid. The sheet metal box has a lip welded to it to hold it in place in the hole. I used plastic edge guards (available at any hardware store) and on top of that I put a rim of pipe insullation to form a tight seal. I chose a wooden top since I did not want any material that would conduct electricity over the top of the battery terminals (the lid has plenty of clearence above the battery posts). I used snubbers for tie - downs. I also reconnected the original vent hose to the box which also has vent holes in it. If you use wet batteries, you must vent them as they produce toxic fumes. I used a 1 1/2 plastic electric conduit nipple and screwed one end into the flex hose, passed the nipple through the pre-drilled hole in the box and attached it with an electrical conduit nut. I put a long rubber floor mat in the bottom of the box for the batteries to rest on. I used a one inch wooden plank as thecover.