Gillette WY Recreation Vocation Lunacy

The Campbell County Economic Development Corporation had a booth at the Quartzsite RV show this last week. They were touting a new program they drummed up while obviously smoking something illegal (well…. maybe it’s not illegal in Wyoming – who knows anymore.)
It seems the town of Gillette Wyoming doesn’t have enough teenagers to work fast food in the summer. So, they are courting RVers in a program they call “Recreation Vocation” in which RVers are invited to bring their rigs to Gillette to live and work for the summer. They have a “booming energy economy and not enough workers.” They also don’t have enough housing so they want the RV community to bail them out by bringing their own houses. For this you get to earn $8 to $13 per hour (This is false advertising because their website as of today doesen't list any jobs for $13 per hour most are for much less) flipping burgers, making tacos or cleaning hotel rooms. The jobs shown on the front of the brochure they handed out (see below) are for Taco bell, Burger King, Conoco KwikShop, Pizza Hut and McDonalds. They only list one fun job “golf course marshals,” gee how many of those do you think they need? They also list these fun jobs, “Restaurant hostesses and city park maintenance workers.” When you look at the website you learn that all they really have are CRUMMY jobs available.Now, I think this is a great concept and many RVers would love to do these CRUMMY jobs for a few months if you provided them FREE – Get it Campbell County – FREE campsite facilities (including laundry and shower facilities) and NO additional FEES. You are asking the RV community for a HUGE favor and this is what they get - for $12.00 a day they get to live in the squalor of a 100 space fairground parking lot (with full hook-ups - I could make a joke here, but I will refrain) and on top of that they get to pay $35.00 per person per vehicle every 90 days AND they get to work at fast food joints, get held up at the local 7-11 and pay income taxes to boot. Apparently if you are from a state other than Wyoming you also have to have a Green Card.

If that wasn’t bad enough, you’re asking the RV community to give up the PRIME travel season of the year, May 1 through September 30, 2007 to bail out your local economy! Please go BACK to the drawing board and come up with a better deal for the RVing community! They have many MUCH better work camping opportunities in (can I be frank) much nicer places. So get a clue Gillette! Sheesh!

Social Security Credits Military Service

Attention military veterans! You may qualify for additional Social Security benefits if you served during certain time periods. Read this Social Security Administration publication to find out if you qualify. http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10017.pdf

RV Hobby Rocks!

RV camp hosts Chuck and Gloria Hill enjoy their Montana 5th Wheel in the Arizona desert.

When you walk around to the other side of their rig you see a hobby in progress. They are busy cutting and grinding stones. You might say this hobby rocks! This couple enjoys collecting rocks and making them into beautiful jewelry quality stones. What better place than Gilla Bend, Arizona to collect rocks. We have more rocks here than rabbits, so it’s the perfect hobby for these RVers. Rock hounds enjoy Quartzsite Hobby, Craft and Gem show that starts Wednesday and goes through Frbruary 4th. If you happen to be in the area, check it out.

The nice thing about this hobby is that the equipment is small and therefore portable. The rocks are usually small so you can avoid the problem Lucy had in the 1954 movie "The Long Long Trailer" where she kept a heavy rock as a souvenir of every place they visited. Eventually the trailer became overloaded and well, you know the rest of the story. This shouldn’t happen with this hobby.

Gloria wants to say “Hi” to her granddaughter Samantha who is serving with our fabulous armed forces in Iraq. Can you believe this Sam, your grandma is now famous, a rock star if you will. From all of us here stateside I just want to give you a great big salute and a hearty “Thank You” for serving our country!

Crock Pot Liners - No Mess

Reynolds Company (of aluminum foil fame) reaches out to RVers for the first time at the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV show with their new product “Slow Cooker Liners.”Reynolds representative Julie Mossler told me that you can purchase this new item in WalMart or grocery stores, BUT you must look for them where you normally find other Reynolds products such as aluminum foil. Julie says these crock-pot liners are great for RVers because they are a disposable one use product. Just throw them away after use and the pot is still clean. She says there is no need to soak the pot after your finished cooking. Less mess means more time to enjoy the RV lifestyle.

She says you can use these in slow-cookers up to 6 ½ quarts. The oblong bag designed to fit the elliptical shaped cookers fits just as well in the round cookers. Here I am preparing to use one of these new liners in my own RV home test. I decided to cook up some potato and ham soup for supper and Julie was correct – no mess (except for the lid – but that is no problem to clean).
DO NOT lift the bag out of the pot with the contents in it (especially when it is hot) otherwise it might break, spill and possibly burn you. Just dish out the contents like you normally would then after it cools down, pour the left-overs into a container for future enjoyment.

Want to win an RV kitchen makeover worth $1000? Go to the Reynolds website at http://www.noscrubrvclub.com/ and register. The first 2000 to register will receive a free gift.

Sniff, sniff… Ahhhhhh the soup is ready to eat!

Homeschooling in an RV

I first heard about parents homeschooling their kids while living the full-time RV lifestyle from the book, “Take Back Your Life,” a great read by the way. Speaking of reading, check out the many great RV books at the RV Travel online bookstore, you can access them through the ads in the side column of this blog. This past summer my wife and I toured a village museum in Harding Montana. They have many antique buildings including a train station, doctor’s office, period homes and a one room schoolhouse pictured below. I often wondered what it would be like to be a student in a one room schoolhouse. My friend Stan Sowers grew up in Kansas and attended such a school. He said that one year there were only four students. Most of the students went on to college and did quite well for themselves. Homeschooling and the RV lifestyle is not much different from those one room schoolhouses of the Midwest. I was fortunate to meet Cindy and her wonderful family. Here is the interview:

RV Now: Cindy you have four children, live in an RV Travel Trailer (bunkhouse model) and homeschool your children. How long have you been home schooling?

Cindy: About three years now, the kids have been put in public school for short periods of time.

RV Now: How did you get started home schooling your children?

Cindy: My husband works away for about six months, so the family started going with him. It is too hard to put the kids into different schools every two months so we chose to homeschool.

RV Now: What does a typical home schooling day look like for your family?

Cindy: We get up and eat breakfast and try to begin schoolwork by 8 am. I try to have all the work they need to do for that day in their folders. My 4th grader generally goes into the bedroom and does his work, asking for help when needed. My 2nd grader and two Kinders sit at the table with me and I read the directions and help as needed. We take a snack break around 10am and generally are finished for the day by lunch time. The afternoon is for computer time, play time outside and cleaning up. Since we do travel so much I do take advantage of museums often. Usually on Fridays we have a field trip to a factory, a history museum, or a science museum. The kids love this and learn so much more than from a book. We do have "big days" and "easy days" too. We might work longer or shorter depending on what has been done in the week or even the weather.

RV Now: Recognizing there are differences between living in a standard house compared to an RV, what are the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling while living in an RV?

Cindy: It is a little more difficult in the RV, just for the room. It is a lot of books and materials to have readily available, not stored away somewhere. The table is small, the reason my oldest does most of his work in the bedroom. But, that is also an advantage because I am always close by to help them when needed.

RV Now: Do you know of other families who live in RVs and home school?

Cindy: I did know of one other, but they no longer homeschool. Their oldest is now in high school and they have settled up in Idaho and she attends public school. The younger sibling does too.

RV Now: What tools, resources, organizations, web sites or blogs do you recommend for helping parents home school.

Cindy: We belong to a charter school so I get a tremendous amount of support from that. Of course, the internet is often used to for information. I would talk to more homeschool parents and attend homeschool conventions to look at materials. Every child is different and not one curriculum will suit each child. I like hands-on learning for my kids and use materials from Delta Education quite a bit. We have a support system of homeschool families too. There are all different grade levels and families who are new and families who have many years behind them doing this. I am the only one who travels in an RV however.

RV Now: What advice would you give parents who are thinking of doing this?

Cindy: Just do it!! I always thought homeschoolers were crazy, why not take the break while the kids are in school? But being forced into it, I realize all the benefits it has for our family. My children get along with each other better than many other families. There is a bonding that happens when the family learns together. The parent learns, too. I also love the flexibility of homeschooling, like going to places and you will take advantage of other moments. Because you know exactly what your child is learning about, you use it in every day moments to ask them questions and they will show you what they are learning in everyday situations. There isn't too many things better than to watch your child learn and to finally "get it" !!

Since doing this article I met another mom homeschooling her children while living the RV lifestyle. She told me about a resource that is specifically for RV homeschooling families and here is the link:

http://www.familiesontheroad.com/about.html

Think about this, you do a lesson on the Alamo and then actually go to the Alamo and do the tour - I think I would learn a lot more this way than just reading about it in a book. Jim

Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show

Oy! My feet are tierd! Quartzsite is an interesting place to say the least. We’ve stopped by the annual Sports, Vacation & RV show for the last three years. I enjoy the show and always learn something new and usually end up buying something. This was the 24th year the show has been in production. Something different this year is that they closed the big tent down and sent everyone home last Sunday around 3:00 pm due to high winds (somebody said they really closed it so they could watch the football game). This year the show runs from January 20th – 28th, so if you hurry, you can make it here by Sunday which is the last day of the show. Following the RV show is the Craft & Gem Show (Jan. 31st – Feb 4th) followed by the Classic Car Show (February 3rd & 4th). So, if you don’t make it to the show, no problem! There more shows to come and there are so many venders here doing business in the “Flea Market” format that it will make your feet hurt just thinking about it. If you are driving through Quartzsite and you’ve never been here before, do yourself a favor and spend a few days here. There is no place on earth quite like it! You don’t have to boondock, although space is plentiful if you want to dry camp a few days or the whole season for that matter. We just stay at the Desert Gardens behind Loves truck stop where we enjoy full hook-ups.

The last two years traffic was bad, but this year it is reasonable. You can actually get around town now that the construction is mostly finished.

There is always something cooking at the RV show! There is also live entertainment! And, there are lots of vendors with all kinds of goodies for RVers. Let’s see, where is my credit card…. See you on the road. Jim

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is a great place! We took a leisurely drive through the park from Twenty Nine Palms to I-10. We enjoyed meeting the local residents: The Joshua tree is a fascinating specimen. The blossoms of this tree are pollinated by the yucca moth. The moth lays her eggs inside the blossoms and the larvae feed on the seed and when they hatch the remaining seeds, which are ample, spread planting new trees. These two rely on each other for survival in this hostile desert environment. The Scotts Oriole, the Ladder Backed Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, owls and other birds that migrate through the area enjoy the protection of this desert tree. This park also has great rock formations and a beautiful Cholla garden. It is well worth taking a detour and putting this park in your planned itinerary.

Fresh Water Tank Filler

Don’t throw that drinking water hose away before you make a fresh water tank filler out of it. You could buy one at the store that looks like this: Or, you could make one yourself that looks like this. All you have to do is cut off the end with the female connector and “presto,” you have a fresh water tank filler. I like these homemade units better because you can make them longer than the commercial cousin and they stay in the tank filler recepticle better.

Then you add a water pressure gauge and an inline valve and you have a pressure testing system as well as a fresh water tank filler. This tool does double duty (you know how I appreciate tools that are multipurpose!) I don’t always put a water pressure regulator on when I hook-up. I make it a point to test the pressure every time before I attach the hose to the city water inlet of my rig. An RV Tech told me that most new RV plumbing can handle pressures as high as 90 psi without a problem. I, however, put a water pressure regulator on if the pressure at the hose bib exceeds 60 psi.

I experienced problems once when I was using one of those light blue plastic water pressure regulators from a large chain store. These are junk! Save your money and invest in a better quality brass regulator from your friendly neighborhood RV parts dealer. The problem was that the water pressure was reduced so much that it wouldn't force open the check valve on the rig and all I had was a trickle. You could get more water out of a squirt gun! When I changed to a higher quality water pressure regulator everything was fine. Jim

Axle Equalizer Safety Alert

Did you know you are supposed to grease your leaf spring equalizer assembly every six months? I know my 5th wheel well and while I’m traveling I visually inspect my rig every time I stop. I look at the tires, the 5th wheel hitch, the exterior of the rig and I even glance under the rig. At a rest stop just north of Bakersfield, California I made such an inspection and didn’t notice anything unusual. I always look at the gap between the tires and they were fine. After I arrived at Edwards Air Force Base Family Camp I noticed that my street-side tires were only about ½ inch apart. This top photo is normal, the next photo shows the tires too close together.














I immediately crawled under my 5th wheel and saw this:
This is a typical double eye leaf spring equalizer. The retaining bolt had literally cut down the center of this piece and eventually broke the equalizer. The springs are up against the frame holding up the 5th wheel.It had been like this for some time since there was rust on part of the material that was cut.
It is very difficult to see this from a glance because the metal housing that holds the equalizer blocks the view of a casual visual inspection. Notice that this set-up has a “wet bolt kit” meaning it has grease fittings that lubricate the leaf spring equalizer assembly - when you service them that is.It is recommended that these be serviced (read more grease added) every six months. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea that the grease fittings were even there let alone that I was supposed to grease them every six months. The eyes where the bolts insert into the equalizer are lined with brass sleeves. These sleeves had long been warn away. Here is a comparison between the old and new equalizers. I replaced both equalizers today and am glad I did even though on visual inspection the curb-side (the one that didn’t break) looked fine. After removal and closer inspection this equalizer was beginning to crack and would have eventually broken as well. This could have caused a catastrophic accident. So you can bet I will be servicing these leaf spring equalizer assemblies every six months from now on. There are also grease fittings on the ends of the leaf spring assembly that also require 6 month servicing. I know most of you knew this already, but for those of you who, like me, didn't have a clue about this - now is your chance to get an inspection and a correction. Keep an eye on your rig and by all means be safe out there! Jim

Slideout Solutions

RV slideouts are a wonderful invention and make RVs so much more spacious! Our first 5th wheel with a slideout would accumulate leaves, pine needles and dust especially when we parked under a tree. Since I didn’t know any better, we quickly accumulated this debris inside the rig when we retracted the slides. Some folks elect to install slideout awnings to keep dirt and debris off of their slideouts. These short awnings automatically deploy when you extend your slides. They can be purchased and installed from any RV dealer with a service department, or if you are so inclined, you can install them yourself. Here is a cheaper solution that has multifunctionality and when I can use a tool in multiple ways it makes me happy. I like leaf blowers! They are great at cleaning up a paved campsite or blowing debris off your little slice of heaven in the RV park.

Arizona is dusty and I use this jewel of a tool to clean up my site in a hurry. But, it also does double duty as a slideout sweeper. I used a length of PVC pipe and a threaded elbow fitting to make a blower extension. I used some gorilla tape to secure it to the nozzle that came with the blower. Now I can clean off the roof and the slideouts without having to get on the roof or climb a ladder. I use a bungee ball chord to hold the blower attachment handle to the main unit and use it as a “sawed off” air shotgun to clean the campsite. When I want to clean the slides I simply attach the homemade blower nozzle extension. I also use this unit to blow out the bed of the truck.

Junk Rack

When we took delivery of our new 5th wheel it didn’t have much in the way of towel bars, junk holders and hooks. Where do I put my wallet, watch, cell phone, all-purpose tool, reading glasses and keys? We looked around the 5th wheel and decided that we needed a towel bar next to the kitchen sink and the bathroom sink and a “junk rack” somewhere near the entrance. The towel bars were easy enough, but the “junk rack” took some thought. We decided to put it in the hallway going up the stairs to the bedroom. Here is a picture: This area also holds the “Fantastic Vent” and heat/AC controls. I mounted a thermometer next to these controls and put this dandy combination letter holder and key rack just below the controls. I used one inch drywall screws to mount the thermometer and the rack into the side of the pantry wall. This wall is a double thickness hollow wall and the screws did not protrude into the pantry.

We do not have a broom closet, and were placing our broom in the 5th wheel basement (the main storage space of the 5th wheel located under the bedroom and aft of the kingpin). My wife likes everything clean and was not happy having to ask me to fetch the broom all the time. We tried several places to store the broom but nothing worked until after we installed the ‘junk rack.”

As you can see the broom fit neatly in a space next to the steps and the handle is held in place by the “junk rack” itself. My wife loves the easy access to the broom and I like a place to put the stuff out of my pockets. A few RV manufacturers are beginning to build in useful stuff like this. Here is an example of a junk rack that also opens to reveal control switches.

"Upstairs Toolbox"

Our family moved around frequently while I served on active duty with the military. We had five kids which meant that we usually purchased two story houses to accommodate everyone. One of the things that frustrated me most about a two story house was the fact that when you needed a tool, and you were on the second floor, you had to make a journey downstairs to the toolbox. Then you would go back up stairs only to discover that you picked up the wrong size tool for the job. To remedy this situation, I put together an “upstairs toolbox” which was a smaller version of my main toolbox in the downstairs garage.

This was a happy compromise but now that I’m living full time in our 5th wheel I am stuck with the same problem. When I need tools, I have to go outside and open a storage compartment and drag out everything until I get to my tool box. I usually have to make several trips in and out until I have all the proper tools assembled.

At first I began leaving a few tools in the junk drawer but this left less room for all the junk and when I was using my tools outside, well you guessed it, I had to come inside and rummage through the junk drawer to find that Phillips screwdriver I left in there. We don’t have enough room for an “upstairs toolbox” in the 5th wheel, but we do have room for an all purpose-tool. This all-purpose tool has everything I need for simple jobs and saves me from having to go outside and dig through storage when I just need to tighten up a screw. I use the needle-nose pliers and the Philips head screwdriver frequently. So, if you are only going to have one handy tool inside the rig get yourself a good all-purpose tool. I’ve found that I fix the little things more quickly because this tool is so readily accessible. Jim

GPS Navigation Laptop

The night before we travel I load up our route on Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 and plan our trip. Once the trip is planned I save it to a file, but not just ANY file, I’ll get to that in a moment. The next morning I plug my laptop into the inverter in the truck, plug my dash mounted GPS into my USB port and fire it up. During this part I’ve been heard to say things like, “Lay in a course for the Arizona Quadrant Mr. Chekov.” “Aye, Captain!”

Do any of you talk out loud like that? Hmmmmmm?

Well, if you ever watched Star Trek you would appreciate the fact that science fiction has increasingly left the pages of fiction and become fact including modern navigation.

My laptop shows our position on a computer generated map. I’m never lost, EVER! As I drive it speaks to me (just like the computer in Star Trek) and tells me stuff like, “Turn right in 2.8 miles.” Now if I can just program it to say, “Captain, we are approaching a Cracker Barrel.” Now that would be progress! But wait, perhaps it is possible. This tiny device is a GPS receiver attached to my computer via a USB port.

Let me just say that these GPS navigations systems are worth their weight in gold – PERIOD! If you don’t have one installed in your RV – be good this year and maybe Santa will bring you one. No kidding, these systems will save marriages, reduce stress and blood pressure and save you money in gas. How does it save you money in gas? When you add up all the missed turns I used to make and the five miles we had to drive down the freeway to the next off ramp then five miles back…. well, you get the point. God bless the people who made these systems possible!
“Bones, how’s my blood pressure?” “Well Jim, you’re a lot calmer now that you have this new fangled navigation system.”

Our navigation system not only directs us where we want to go, but it can also be programmed with extremely important features like the location of low clearance bridges, WalMarts, dump stations, Costo locations, Corps of Engineers campgrounds, casinos, Flying J stops, Military Family Campgrounds, State Parks, Camping World, Wifi campgrounds, and other useful places.

I customized a map with these things downloaded on it and saved it to a file I named, “Standard Travel Map.” Before I lay out our trip on Streets and Trips I call up this file then add the trip plan to it and save it with a different name. This way I preserve my “Standard Travel Map” file for use on the next trip. As we travel it shows us where the low clearance bridges are located so we can avoid them, and yes, even where the next Cracker Barrel restaurant is.

Free download for these data points here: http://www.discoveryowners.com/cginfolinks.htm
This is a service provided by the Discovery Owners Association website: “How many times have you found yourself fumbling through your campground books, road maps and numerous other data, wondering if a member campground, dump site, or WalMart was nearby? Thanks to the collaborative efforts of many Escapee and DOAI members, a database has been developed that works with your Delorme Street Atlas, Delorme MapNGo, or Microsoft Streets and Trips mapping program to make all this information readily available on your computer screen. In the spirit of the DOAI and Escapee RV clubs, this information is shared freely with the RV community.”

Here is the website where you can find help files to get you up and running, “More power Scotty!” http://www.discoveryowners.com/cginfo.htm

All this new technology can “boldly” make your RVing adventure even more enjoyable when you learn how to use it. Science fiction has a funny way of turning into reality, now if I can just get them to make a cloaking device I wouldn’t have to wash and wax the coach as often. “Mr. Chekov, accelerate to warp speed.” “Aye Captain!”

Gray Water Overflow Danger

Try not to make this mistake! I only drain the black tank (the main sewer tank) about once a week. When I do this I close the gray water valves. One gray water valve goes to the kitchen sink and the other goes to the bathroom sink and shower stall. I close these drains because if I don’t the smell from the black tank filters up through the gray lines and into the coach. Not pleasant!

When I had finished dumping the black water tank, I closed the black water tank valve and went back inside and washed up. OK, so what’s the problem? Well, I forgot to re-open the gray water tanks so that they would continuously drain.

We took showers and my wife did several loads of laundry. Luckily I opened the shower for something and found that the shower gray water tank was completely full and had backed up into the shower to the point that it was about to overflow.

This would have been quite a mess – all because I forgot to re-open the gray water valves. Fortunately for me I avoided a night in the doghouse because I caught it in time.

I wanted to show you this shower basin so you can see how it is constructed. You see the lip around the edge? This lip raised about one inch above the crown of the shower basin. The wall of the shower comes down over this lip and water run-off is prevented from seeping behind the shower wall. My RV tech told me that no caulking should be used between this lip and the shower wall. The reason is to allow air to circulate behind the shower wall and aid in preventing the buildup of moisture. So, you can see that if your gray water tank backs up it will overflow your shower stall and make a huge mess. Here is an idea that I am going to try in order to remind myself to re-open the grey water valves. I am going to put a ball chord bungee on my wrist when I open the valves and won’t take it off until they are re-opened, then I will wrap the bungee around the valve handle. Hopefully this new procedure will do the trick. Jim

RV Sales Manager Interview

From time to time RV Now will be interviewing RV experts throughout the industry and from the RV lifestyle. I will be talking with the good folks from RV dealerships, RV show vendors, manufacturers and anyone else who has something interesting to add to the conversation. Today I did two interviews at a local RV dealership and learned a few things. This interview with the Sales Manager was quite informative. Meet Michael McCormik, General Sales Manager at Visalia RV who has 23 years experience in RV sales.

RV Now: “What can customers do to help themselves most when they are shopping for a new RV?”

Michael: “It is important for them to research the products and pricing of the products they are interested in. The internet is a great way to do that. It is also very important for them to find a quality RV dealership with a good reputation for service, because service goes on long after the sale.”

RV Now: “Good point! OK, I have an idea of what I want and I go to the dealership and a sales person meets and greets me. How important is it to be loyal to that sales person, especially since they work on commission?”

Michael: “If you are satisfied that this sales person knows the product and you are confident they will meet your needs, then by all means stick with them, but if you are uncomfortable with them for any reason then ask for help from another sales person. It’s very important that a customer work both with a knowledgeable sales person and someone who they trust. Go into any RV dealership and you will find sales people who are just starting with limited knowledge and those with years of experience, so you need to be selective about who assists you.”

RV Now: “Really? It’s kind of awkward to say to a sales person. “I’m sorry, but I would like to talk to another sales person please.” How does one go about finding a knowledgeable sales person anyway?”

Michael: “Ask them an RV question that you know the answer too and see if they give the appropriate answer. If they pass the test you can feel more confident about the experience level of the sales person.”
(RV Now note: You could also ask them how long they have been selling RVs and if they own and use one themselves. Then ask them about their own RV experiences – you’ll be able to judge quickly whether they know what they are talking about.)

Michael: “From the dealership point of view we want happy and satisfied customers, so don’t feel uncomfortable switching horses midstream. Dealerships spend a lot of money on advertising, flooring costs and other expenses just to attract customers, so we want you to be happy.”

RV Now: “So you don’t want customers to think of the dealership as being just one sales person but rather you want us to think of the dealership as a service organization.”

Michael: “Exactly, I always remember what I was taught when I first started in this business and that is that no one sales person can say to anyone, “that’s my customer.” No, the customer is the responsibility of the entire dealership not just one person. So make sure you are working with a sales person who is knowledgeable and able to assist you through the selection and purchasing process.”

There you have it folks, be picky about the dealership and who your salesperson is. They work for you and don’t earn a commission until you are completely satisfied and vote with your wallet by purchasing an RV. And don’t forget the best advice, “…find a quality RV dealership with a good reputation for service, because service goes on long after the sale.”

Picture Frame Hanging

Being the proud grandparents that we are, we naturally wanted to hang pictures in our RV to enjoy the smiling faces of our grandchildren on a daily basis. But, how are we going to do that without nails and with the earthquake movement of a traveling home won’t they fall off the wall? The answer for us was a 3M product that uses interlocking fasteners with an adhesive that adheres firmly to a flat surface, yet removes cleanly without damaging the wall. The “medium” fastener strips cost around $4.00 for a package of three sets of two. These medium fasteners can hold frames up to 3 pounds. There are three critical steps in the process of putting up picture frames in your RV. First, you need to decide where they are going to be placed. Once you accomplish that important task and you still have your sanity, you must apply the strips to the back of the frame. It is very important that you clean the area where you place the fasteners with rubbing alcohol. This makes the adhesive work better. If the frame is not flat (it has to fit flush with the wall) then use liquid nails and a popsicle stick as a trowel and make a flat spot on each side of the frame where the tape will be placed. Let the Liquid Nails dry completely before attaching the fasteners.Once the 3M fasteners are on the frame it is important that you actually hold the frame up to the wall where you want it and when your wife says, “perfect!” then you carefully mark (with a pencil) on the wall where the corresponding interlocking fastener strip will be placed. Once you know where to place the corresponding fasteners, you clean the surface with rubbing alcohol (being careful not to rub off the pencil marks) then you pull the backing off the fastener and place it in the pre-marked location and let it cure for the recommended time. I gave my strips 24 hours to cure before I attached the frame to the wall.Now all you have to do is align the frame and press it to the wall so the interlocking strips engage. When you want to take the frame down to change out a picture simply lift it at the bottom edge and it comes right off. We thought for sure these picture frames (which have glass in them) would fall off the wall on the first trip. Well, after two years all the pictures are well secured and have never fallen off. We even have pictures on the rear wall where the most significant vibration occurs and they travel fine. Now you can hang as many pictures as you like and you don’t even have to put one single hole in the wall. Hang in there! Jim

Cold Weather Rigging

I hope you never have to use this advice, in fact, It gives me the chills just thinking about it! You never know when you’ll have to take your RV into cold country, so here is some advice on how to rig for cold weather. First, if you are going to be staying in snow country (like we did until my job was completed and we started out on our full timing adventure) you need to get prepared BEFORE the snow falls.

If you are going to be staying the whole season, I recommend building a skirt around the bottom of your rig. Plywood will do fine. This skirt will keep snow from drifting under your RV and will help you stay warmer because it prevents chilling airflow from blowing under the rig.

Second, you need to purchase some heat tape for your water line and your sewer line. Most heat tape comes with an automatic thermostat that automatically activates when the temperature drops to near freezing. For the water line you need to lay the tape inside lengths of foam pipe insulation then enclose the hose inside the pipe insulation and tape it shut. Leave the temperature sensor exposed to the elements (shouldn't be hard as it is located near the plug). It is also a good idea to put a Styrofoam hose-bib cover over the entry point where the hose screws into the “city water” line on your RV. These pictures give you the general idea, and the actual hose bib should be completely covered with insulation.You also need to wrap heat tape around your exposed sewer pipe and follow it on down the flex hose to the dump hole. Then find some old insulation and cover the flex hose and lay something on top of it to hold it in place without collapsing the flex-hose.

This is one of the most important things you need to do – FOLD YOUR STEPS IN when you go in for the night and when you leave for the day. Why? Because they will get covered with snow and ice and you will slip and break something. Trust me on this! Keep some salt handy to melt the ice off the steps if they get covered with snow.

Also either rent a larger propane bottle or purchase an extra bottle because you will go through propane faster than normal, even with the extensive use of space heaters. You will appreciate having the extra LPG, it comes in handy!

Before you retract your slides to leave for a warmer climate, be sure to clear the ice off the top of the slides. If you don’t do this your slides will not close all the way and you will more than likely get water inside the rig. I usually wait until the sun is out and the ice is somewhat melted then I use a broom to sweep it all off. BE VERY CAREFUL when you do this. It is not safe to be walking around on your roof with ice, so I recommend you use a ladder to do this. Also be careful not to damage the roofing material.

And finally, buy a good snow shovel – Hmm, I seem to have forgotten what those look like. Brrrrrrrrrr, think I’ll head for Arizona! Jim

RV Background

New to the RV Travel Blogger Family: Jim and Marilyn Twamley

My wife and I have been camping and RVing since we were married. Our first RV was a VW van that we owned when I was stationed with the Army in Belgium. We had so much fun with this magic carpet that we still talk frequently about it. I took out the rear seats and built a platform for the bed and a galley in the rear, reachable when the back hatch was raised. We used an ice age cooler as our refridgerator and stowed our luggage under the platform bed. It was fitted with curtains and a foldable front windshield privacy screen. We toured 12 countries in Europe and we did nine of them with our VW RV. We did some tent camping and I did a lot of backpacking. Once the family began to grow we purchased a used Apache Pop-Up Tent Trailer. Pop-ups are a blast! They are light to tow and easy to set up. They are very spacious and are a great beginning RV for a family. Our next RV was a Komfort Travel Trailer. This was one of the “Komfort Light” models. The floor felt like you were walking on a trampoline, but we had a lot of great times in this trailer. Next we graduated to a 31 foot Wilderness 5th wheel by Fleetwood. This was a great starter 5er and we learned a lot about what we wanted and didn’t want from this unit. Our next and current “rig,” as we refer to them in Oregon, is a 34.5 HitchHiker II LS by NuWa.
I retired from the military with a colorful career. I started out in the Army as a medic stationed in Belgium. I got out of the Army and went to college and seminary then went into the Air Force through ROTC and became a Navigator flying KC-135s. After a few years of flying I was offered the opportunity to become a chaplain. I resigned my commission in the Air Force and joined the Navy as part of the Navy Chaplain Corps where I finished my military career. After retiring from the Navy we were pastors of a church in Klamath Falls Oregon.

My wife, Marilyn, and I have been full time RVing going on three years now. We love this lifestyle because it affords us the opportunity to travel and visit our many friends and family who are scattered all over the USA. We also enjoy the pure delight of traveling and seeing the world and RVing is the best and most economical way to do it! We have been avid readers of Chuck Woodbury’s outstanding work over the years and we look forward to being part of the RV TRAVEL team.

Sink Covers

Since I’m the chief cook and bottle washer in our RV, I sometimes put off doing the dishes until the mood strikes. However, since our 5th wheel is like a small one bedroom efficiency apartment there is no room to allow for dirty dishes to pile up. There is however room for them to “pile down.”

Tour most any new RV and you are likely see these new fancy sink covers. Some people see these sink covers as merely an extension of a flat surface from which to prepare meals.
Upon closer inspection you will notice that these “counter top extensions” are more than that – they are in fact “pile down” devices. It is here where you can store the breakfast and lunch dishes with impunity and hence the term “pile down.” This is very convenient because nobody notices that you have dirty dishes lingering under these “counter top extensions.”

You can go about your day and face the dishes at a later time. You can relax and read this blog, take a walk, read a book or whatever you enjoy doing because the dishes will wait. And, they will wait in obscurity.

If your RV did not come with a sink cover, chances are that you can either make one like I did or you can purchase them at your local RV parts dealer. Here are some examples of wood and plastic sink covers. I measured the sink-hole, cut a cardboard pattern to make sure it fit and traced the pattern onto a nice piece of plywood. I cut out the cover with a scroll saw, drilled a finger hole and stained it. Done! If you sink does not have a recessed rim for the sink cover to fit into, you can glue some short pieces of wood on the bottom of the cover to hold it in place along the sides of the sink basin.

I made two sink covers but normally only use one since I leave one sink open for use. There is ample space in one sink for “piling down.” Now I use my extra time to do what I enjoy doing, like woodworking. Now forget about those dishes and relax :) Jim

Door Vents

Above is a picture of our bathroom door and laundry room door in our 5th wheel. You may be wondering why there are no vents in these doors. No, they are not defective, there is indeed a vent hidden somewhere in this picture. Looking at the picture below, you will immediately notice that the doors do not extend all the way to the ground but have a gap at the bottom. Yes, that gap is the vent. It allows air flow from the bottom up. The bathroom has a power vent and when you are bare-legged and you switch on the vent fan you immediately notice a draft on your leggs. On closer inspection (and depending on how powerful you fan is) you may even notice the dangling TP dancing in the breeze! So don't complain to the dealer that your doors are too short, they are that way intentionally. Jim

Visalia RV

When you are on your way to Arizona and you are driving down California Highway 99 be sure to stop at Visalia RV. They have a great selection of RV parts a clean and well organized store and helpful staff. The service department is top notch and it is easy to get to by taking the Betty Drive off-ramp. We are in Visalia because we just had a new granddaughter, so I took my camera over to Visalia RV and spent the afternoon taking (365) pictures for future posts. You can visit them on the web at http://www.visaliarv.com/ or call the toll free at (800) 638-0038

Towel Hangers

Want something to sing about in the shower? In a previous post I showed you how to use a shower curtain rod as a towel drying hanger that is installed inside your shower. OK, so what do you do with your towel once you are inside the stall taking a shower? Easy, I hang my towel on the shower door. These hooks are cheap (less than $2.00 at WalMart) and all you have to do to install them is open the package and hang them over the door. They come in white, grey and clear.You have instant access to your towels without even having to open the door and let out all that nice warm air. Happy singing! Jim

Bicycle Carriers

RV'rs like their bikes. But where do we put them when we travel? The picture above is the best configuration in my opinion. This is a receiver hitch bicycle carrier. I had a bike rack on the ladder and did not like it because I had to take the bikes off in order to access the roof. I also didn't like seeing bike wheels when looking out my rear window. The receiver hitch carrier is the best because many models allow you to lower the bikes to the ground and they are more securely held in place than the ladder racks. Also, the ladder racks shake loose the ladder (I had to replace several screws on the ladder holding anchor legs). The above pictured rack allows you to carry the bikes and tow a vehicle. I don't like the racks they sell in WalMart because they are made for a universal fit in two sizes of receiver hitch. So, you have to insert an adapter into your standard size receiver hitch in order to make it fit. Most RV parts stores carry bike racks that actually fit your size receiver hitch. These hitches will be more expensive, but they are heavier duty and will perform better. I have a receiver hitch on my 5th Wheel so this is an option for me. Some folks don't want the expense of a receiver hitch on their 5er so the ladder rack is the only option unless you want to strap them on the front of your truck which I do not recommend. Happy biking. Jim

Sewer Hose Deployment

Sewer hoses are flexible for a reason. These coils of vinyl come in a variety of colors (grey, black, brown, blue and red) depending on the brand. These hoses come in 10 mil to 20 mil thickness and as a general rule the thicker the better. There are many kinds of connectors and various ways to configure them. I will cover these in a future post, what we are going to focus on today are the ways you can deploy these hoses. It is a good idea to have at least 30 feet of hose. I carry a 10 foot hose and a 20 foot hose. Today I have them both hooked together because the sewer hole is about 27 feet from my rig's drain pipe. I use screw-on couplers for quick connection of the hoses. Here is a straight forward deployment of a sewer hose. This uses a piece of plastic rain gutter to help support the hose to achieve a "downhill" drain flow. They just tie it to the rig's sewer pipe or support it with wood blocks at the rig drain. They also use a short piece of PVC pipe for added support which also serves as an added extension if necessary. Notice the clear elbow connection - this alows you to actually "see" when the clean-out process is running "clear" water - meaning your tank is mostly empty of waste.

What happens if you pull into a spot, get level and then discover that the campground sewer hole is level with or higher than your sewer line on the rig? It is best to park the rig so that the sewer line is higher than the campsite sewer dump, but this is not always possible. In this case you need to deploy the hose so that it creates a syphon action. In order to do this you must first run the hose "out and around" so it is approaching the sewer dump hole from a "downhill" position. Here is an example of this configuration.

The expandable hose holders are great for this kind of application. They fold up for easy storage and allow for a varriety of hose deployment applications. It is best to have an elbow type sewer fitting for the hose to fit neatly into the sewer hole at the campsite. Most RV'rs use a rock, bricks, small log or wooden blocks to hold this elbow in place in the campsite sewer hole. You don't want it to come out of the hole (which can easily happen when you first pull the drain valve because of the pressure), so make sure it is secured in place. Remember, keep the grey water valves open when you are set up, but keep the black tank sewer valve closed until the tank needs to be empty (usually once a week). When you empty the black sewer tank be sure to close the grey water valves or you are likely to smell sewer fumes inside the coach. There is a lot more to talk about in connection with the sewer, but I will save these issues for future posts. Jim

RV Europe

Want to live in Europe for a few summer vacations? That's what I want to do. I was stationed in Belgium back in the 70's at the 196th Station Hospital at SHAPE. I was a medic and my wife worked in the JAG office. We had a great time. Sometimes on a whim we would just drive to Paris or the Netherlands, or wherever. Our first RV was a VW van. I made it into a camper van. One of our favorite memories was touring England in this van. We found nice campgrounds and had an absolute blast! Because we wer RV'ing we were able to see and do stuff that the average tourists don't get to do, like going to local festivals, Highlands Games, out of the way villages, exploring abandoned castles and ruins. Ah, I want to go back and explore some more!
I want to purchase a 24 foot motorhome (the max size you want for European campgrounds) and ship it and store it in Europe. Being retired military we can take free flights to Europe and once there our hotel, kitchen and transportation are all there. It costs (as of 6 months ago) about $5,000 to ship a 30 foot coach to Europe. Why would we spend so much to send a US made RV to Europe. 1. Renting a tiny European RV is $900 a week peak season (which is when you would want to be there) 2. US RV's are much more livable in terms of ameneties, storage and overall space. 3. You can "rig" your RV for Europe while stateside (ie. solar panels, generators, LP adaptors, inverters, electric transformers and other assorted things). Then you can live in it a month or so to work all the bugs out before you send it over. RV storage is no problem in Europe as there are many secure storage lots, some are even covered.

Streets are small, but large trucks and busses navigate in Europe with no difficulty. General rule, if you see a bus or truck using the street so can you! The Euro (though expensive for exchange right now) is more convienient that 20 years ago when you had to change currency every time you went into a different country. RV parks are plentiful and convienient (like right downtown Paris).

I recently read "Take Your RV to Europe" (pictured above) and it is a must read if you are thinking about doing this. There is a link to where you can buy it here : http://www.intrepidtraveler.com/travels/rv-europe.html

There are also some motorhome clubs in Europe. Two are based in England and have a website finder here: http://www.caravan-sitefinder.co.uk/features/motorhomes/motorclubs.php

Here is the motorhome club website: http://www.motorhomeclub.com/

You don't need a special licence. You do need proof of insurance, and you can drop your insurance while it is in storage during the winter months. Get the book it will explain it all.

If you want to see and experience Europe, then consider doing it with an RV!

TV Dishes

Go to any RV park and you will see portable TV Satellite dishes all over the campground. The ubiquitous TV Dish is most often mounted either as a permanent mouunt on the roof of the rig or as a stand alone. Most stand alone dishes are mounted on a tripod. I have seen other configurations, the most notible one being one mounted on PVC pipe and inverted to make a lower profile for wind resistance. Many RV'rs with a permanently mounted roof dish will also carry a stand alone dish for times when they are parked under a tree or other obstacle that would prevent optimum signal from the roof mounted dish. They usually have several lengths of cable 25, 50 and 100 feet for various contingencies. If you have comments about your dish or ideas about how to make them more effective or links to other sites with more information, please leave a comment for others. Thanks, and Blessings! Jim

Switch Replacement

This is the type of switch you see in most RV's. It is a typical on/off switch.There is a reason that RV's are required to have fire extinguishers onboard. My son, the fireman, tells me that if I have a miniature fire (the size of a tissue box for instance) then use it, if it is larger then get out immediately and call 911. Let it burn to the ground, insurance will replace most of it, and you can't be replaced for any amount of money. The problem is not the fire (you will be long dead before the fire ever gets to your body). The problem is the toxic gas produced by the fire will knock you unconscious - that's why they say to drop to the ground and crawl fast when there is overhead smoke. Never go back in for pets, let them come out on their own. OK, so what causes fires in RV's. I can't find any stats that talk specifically about RV's but in regular houses many fires are caused by faulty electric connections. Here is an example of a faulty RV electric switch:How do you determine if switches are faulty? You can take the switch cover off and inspect them. If you feel the switch cover and it is warm to the touch - you have a dangerous problem. One night when I went to turn off the switches in the 4 switch model, I noticed that it felt warm. I removed the switch cover to discover that one of the switches was scorched and melted. The male piece of the switch broke off and stayed in the female bayonet connector when I tried to disconnect it from the switch. We need to be vigilant about inspecting and maintaining our own RV systems. I went to the nearest RV parts store and purchased a new switch and installed it. I also cut the old connectors off the wires leading to the switch and replaced these with new electrical female bayonet connectors. The lesson learned here is to be alert to your RV systems and when something doesn't seem right - investigate before it becomes a larger problem. RV dealers are really good about repairing factory mistakes, but you are responsible for finding the mistakes and getting them corrected. Jim

Vulture Story

A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The Stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

Go here to read more about a vulture's life: http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/103436.html

My wife is an avid birder and I take the photos. We have seen Turkey Vultures in many areas and taken some good photos of them. Little did we know that they would throw up on you if you got too close! That would be enough to make you give up bird watching!

Data Storage Back-up

This is not exclusive to RV'rs by any means, but many of us use computers in our rigs and because of the bumpy ride, outside use, and any number of small abuses we need to back-up our data. There are now many ways to do this, CD, Zip Drives, Portable Drives, and my favorite the external USB connected hard drive. These units come in several memory configurations. The one I use, pictured here, holds the data for both our our lap-top computers and has room for one more. Make sure you back-up your data and if and when your computer or the internal hard drive goes down, you will be prepared. These external storage devices are getting cheaper every year so don't delay - back it up! Jim

Before You Buy

RV'ing is a very economical way to live and see this country or any country for that matter. If you are not sure what kind of RV you want to do it in I suggest you rent one and take it out on a spin for a few nights. This will give you an idea of what you really need for this lifestyle in terms of space, comfort, amenities and the like. I know they are expensive to rent, but, it is a lot cheaper than buying something you have never tired and discovering that you don't like it. I don't know of anyplace that will rent you a 5th wheel, so you will need to talk to people who own them to find out what they think. You can tour them at most RV dealerships. Also try to go to RV shows where you can get lots of information. Promise yourself that you will not make any decisions to buy until you have thoroughly investigated all the possibilities. RV salesmen and women can bring on some high pressure tactics, leave when they do it. Just say, "Thanks for showing us around we must leave now" take the brochure and get off the lot. Study the rigs you like then see if you can rent one like it and if not just go spend a couple hours sitting in it, exploring it, talking about it, check it out thoroughly. OK, so how do you get a good deal? Decide what you want then email every dealer in the country (except the one you want to deal with) and tell them what you want (send them the model and the list of features you want) and that you are looking for the best price. Take the best price and fax your dealer an offer. Tell them you can purchase the rig at x number of dollars at another dealership and that you are offering them the same deal. If they don't want the deal, then go buy it in Montana or wherever you found the best price. The warranty is the same so it doesn't matter where you buy it because you can get warranty work done at any dealership and many RV repair facilities. I did this and saved about $20,000.00 off the list price. So before you buy, do your homework, go to an RV park and talk to the full timers. They will be happy to tell you what they think - believe me! They will show you their rigs and they will give you all kinds of advise. They will be a great resource for you. So, before you drive off the lot with a new rig, whatever kind you buy - new or used - motor home, travel trailer or 5th wheel, be sure you are satisfied that your research was complete. Happy trails. Jim

Vaccuum Cleaner Storage

Vaccuum cleaners come in various sizes and therefore the storage requirements differ. We use the DirtDevil hand held because it is small and we have to get on our hands and knees to get the cracks and crevices anyway so we get along just fine with this little jewel. We store it in a plastic tub in an overhead cabinet. This keeps the cabinet clean and the cord out of the way. (We also store the toaster in one of these plastic tubs under the sink and it's amazing to see how many bread crumbs it collects). Most full time RV'rs we hang out with have learned this trick, so if you are not already using this idea - try it. If you have other ways of storing the vaccuum, please leave a post and let us know. Have a great RV day! Jim

Wolf's Motorhome Modifications

Over the years I have appreciated Steve Wolf's web page which has a section dedicated to his motorhome upgrades. He has some ingenious ideas that are applicable to all RV applications. Here is his web page - enjoy. Jim


http://www.wolfswords.com/motorhome/index.html