RVers Turn Satellite TV Upside Down
RVers love satellite TV because they can take it with them wherever they go. In order to receive satellite programming you must set up your dish and aim it at the appropriate satellite. Many RVers have a satellite antenna on the roof of their RV that automatically "finds" the satellite while other models are operated manually. 
Many RVers use a tripod system or some other way of setting up and aiming the dish. This RVer used the picnic table for his set-up. The only problem is that the dish hogs up the table.
My friend Stet Elliot uses a PVC stand that has a low profile, is wind resistant and turns the satellite dish upside down. 
Stet has used this system for three years and loves it. 
You can make a four pier stand or a three pier stand out of PVC fittings. 
Some RVers fill the PVC stand with cement or sand to give it extra weight and stability. 
You can make this stand yourself from PVC parts available at your local hardware store. If you will be using it in Canada or Alaska, you should make the riser about four inches taller so you can aim lower on the horrizon. You aim the dish with the assistance of some basic math. Pull the elevation off the TV for the zip code where you are located then subtract that number from 90 and use that number to set the elevation scale on the dish. The azimuth is the same. If you don’t glue everything together, you can easily break this stand down for compact RV storage. Yet another application affording you more flexibility in your RV travels. Jim
Many RVers use a tripod system or some other way of setting up and aiming the dish. This RVer used the picnic table for his set-up. The only problem is that the dish hogs up the table.My friend Stet Elliot uses a PVC stand that has a low profile, is wind resistant and turns the satellite dish upside down. Stet has used this system for three years and loves it. You can make a four pier stand or a three pier stand out of PVC fittings. Some RVers fill the PVC stand with cement or sand to give it extra weight and stability. You can make this stand yourself from PVC parts available at your local hardware store. If you will be using it in Canada or Alaska, you should make the riser about four inches taller so you can aim lower on the horrizon. You aim the dish with the assistance of some basic math. Pull the elevation off the TV for the zip code where you are located then subtract that number from 90 and use that number to set the elevation scale on the dish. The azimuth is the same. If you don’t glue everything together, you can easily break this stand down for compact RV storage. Yet another application affording you more flexibility in your RV travels. JimLabels: Satellite, Television
posted by Jim Twamley at
6/30/2007 11:14:00 PM
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Karl Kotecki, president and founder, started ArTech in his garage in 1988. As a Harley-Davidson owner Karl wanted a trailer that looked good and performed well and so he developed the ARC. This trailer has sweet aerodynamic styling with a wide loading ramp available in lengths up to 9 feet long. 
The diamond plate flooring looks great and the stainless steel tie-downs run the length of the trailer so you don’t have to go looking for a place to attach your tie-down hooks. This sporty trailer has 15 inch wheels mounted on a 2000 lb tortion axle with a 1000 lb towing capacity. It has a cool fold down, storable tail-gate and air assist lifts that make the trailer a breeze to enter and exit with a heavy bike. 
To top it all off, it has very nice LED tail lights and side markers. The ARC trailer has a base price of $7,995 and is delivered with a fiberglass gel-coat finish that is ready for any paint scheme you desire (They will also paint it to your specifications). This innovative company is also developing a two bike trailer ready for delivery in 2008. Check out their website and video here 
The nice thing about Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheel Trailers is that you can use your truck to run errands and scoot around town once you’ve parked at the campground. When I owned 5th wheels, I would back my truck up close to my king pin so that I could easily access my toolbox and when I left on an errand the truck was already pointed in the right direction. 
One time Ed backed his truck a little too far and dented his tailgate and bent his king pin leveling jack. After that he decided to start putting back-up chocks down on the pavement to prevent this situation from happening again. 
He simply places these behind the rear wheels of his truck at a safe distance from his king pin. 
Here's a video demonstrating how this works. Jim
What started as a collection of 52 rigs gathered for fun and fellowship blossomed into the NAARVA that now boasts more than 1400 members and more than 50 clubs that are part of the five region national organization. John & Alice Taylor have been RVing since 1960 and joined NAARVA in 1999. As a member of the Western Region, John co-chaired the national rally when it was held at Palm-Creek RV Resort in Casa Grande, AZ in 2005. This is their 5th motorhome and they proudly display their NAARVA membership placard. 
They are also members of FMCA and Good Sam. NAARVA members gather each year for a national camp rally and this year it will be held at the fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia. They have a great lineup of entertainment, RV vendors, and RV seminars. You can still obtain reservations for this July 22-29 event. Joining NAARVA is easy; you just go to the website and download the form, 
This week the Christian Motorcyclists Association held their West Coast Convention at the fairgrounds in Moses Lake, Washington and I happened by with my camera and notepad. This motorcycle club is full of wonderful people who, like me, are professing Christ followers who also share a love of motorcycles and RVs. Steve and Nancy Gorder towed their motorcycle RV all the way from Mineral Point, Wisconsin for this conference.
They’ve been married 19 years and in that time have pulled this type of RV pop-up trailer all over the United States. They don’t cook in their living quarters (they don’t come with stoves), so they eat out when on the road. This is their 2005 bunkhouse by B&F Specialties of Elk Grove, Illinois. This cool little RV has a screened in porch for bug-free outdoor living. Let me take you inside for a look at the sleeping quarters. This unit comes with a king sized bed with blow-up mattresses. 
Under the bed is a large storage compartment which is the main body of the trailer. 
Though these pop-ups don’t come with a heater, they do come with an optional air conditioner which fits in a zipper opening near the floor of the dressing area.
This little RV is roomy enough for tall folks to be comfortable. It weighs 350 lbs. empty and also sports an electric refrigerator on the front. 
Steve says it takes about five to ten minutes to set up and, “If it’s raining you can do it real fast.”
Some folks carry cooking gear and prepare their meals but these little pop-ups don't come with a galley. They also don't have bathroom facilities. There are other manufacturers making similar models like this “Aspen” which has a full frame under it and retails starting at $3,600. 
The hitches that attach on the motorcycle are mostly made by Hitch Doctor in Round Lake, Minnesota. 
The trailer hitch is a swivel hitch to compensate for the “leaning” motorcycle when going into curves. 
Here are more motorcycle pop-up RVs.
If you're interested in the motorcycle club you may learn more about them here:
Many motorcyclists also use tents that also don't have heat so it’s important to have a warm sleeping bag and an insulated sleeping pad. 
Garth Evans is a proprietor of Full Throttle Camping that supplies both hikers and bikers with quality camping gear. The new inflatable air mattress is a throwback to the old days, but these new inflatables are made from tougher materials and are insulated with down. They are light weight and roll up into a small package that is easy to carry and store. 
The orange inflatable shown here can be used down to 0 degrees and runs $100. The black one is a bit smaller, rated at 15 degrees and is $75.
The red one is rated at 40 degrees and is $50. They also have a queen sized sleeping bag and mattress available for motorcycle campers. 
Next January they will be adding custom made extra large sized sleeping bags to their selection of camping equipment. They also have a great selection of tents and camping gear. Check out their website here 
RVers are flexible folk who readily adapt to climate changes. Global warming? No problem for us, we just rig our RV’s according to the weather. 
Here’s an example of some tactics that many RVers use to keep cool. We attach a sun-shade over our windshield that allows us to see out while keeping the heat at bay. The use of a reflector screen in the windshield not only gives one privacy, but also helps keep the coach cooler. 
The awning with the added sunshade is an excellent way to keep the temperature down inside your coach and it makes for comfortable outside living as well. Also notice that reflective material is used on the side window of the coach next door to keep out the hot morning sun.
We frequently use an oscillating fan and when it gets too hot, we give in and turn on the air conditioners. You can always go for a swim or run through the sprinklers and don’t forget about that tall glass of ice water.
And finally, if the weather doesn't suit our liking, we just take our RV’s to a more accommodating climate. The mountains are a great place to enjoy cool evenings and the ocean beach with its constant refreshing breeze are places that come to mind. 
Whatever type of weather you like you can drive to it with your RV and once there take full advantage by rigging appropriately. Jim
old fashioned drugstore into the fun and famous place it is today. You can’t help but know about Wall Drug, located in Wall, South Dakota, because Ted & Dorothy made it famous by the signs all along the highways. 
I began seeing these famous signs some 350 miles before I got there. You can still get a prescription filled at Wall Drug, but that isn’t why most people go there. 
Entertainment is everywhere, starting with the mechanized cowboy singers. The kids will love the backyard with the very scary Tyrannosaurus Rex.
You can top it off with homemade pastries of all kinds. 
And don’t forget the world famous homemade doughnuts (about a buck) and a cup of coffee that only costs five cents. 
Or, you can head for the soda fountain and get an old fashioned ice cream sundae. 
Don't forget about the yummy fudge! 
The shopping is excellent and the displays of stuffed animals,
exhibits, photos, and memorabilia are astounding. 
Plan on spending a couple hours here. RV parking is plentiful out in the north forty. GPS coordinates for RV parking 44.14398 N and -102.2421 W. Oh, and don't forget to pick up some Pepto Bismol for the road, it is, after all, a pharmacy you know. Jim
Now when he needs to get up from hook-up duty he can pull himself erect by using this convenient handle. 
"Work smarter, not harder" is my motto. Jim
He also stows his powered scooter in the back of his truck and takes it with him camping and everywhere else he goes. There is just one problem, the scooter is far too heavy for him to lift into the back of his truck and it doesn’t have enough horse power to go up ramps into his truck so he did the next best thing and bought a chair lift. The lift is bolted to the truck bed and wired into the DC power of the truck electrical system. 
There are a couple of brands and your local mobility store can order and install these in your truck or SUV. Some will even install in the trunk of a car. Ramon attaches a "U" shaped bar to his chair that allows the lifting bar to lift the chair and keep it level.
He then attaches a nylon web strap from the lift to the bar and uses a hand control to raise the chair.
Watch this video to see how he does it:
Why? Because it’s frequently too difficult to navigate large rigs into the RV lanes and it’s faster to just use the truck fueling lanes. I sometimes use the RV lane if it's empty and the truck lanes are full, but I prefer the truck lanes because it's so much easier. 
Once you’re done refueling pull forward far enough to allow the truck or RV behind you to have access to the fueling station and then go in to pay your bill. I recommend applying for the free Flying J RV Real Value Member card. This is not a credit card, but it gives you a one cent per gallon discount and you will pay the cash price listed on the sign when you use this card in conjunction with your credit card when fueling. 
For those of you using the truck side, Flying J will no longer accept Visa cards on the truck refueling side because Visa is trying to tell them how to run their truck refueling operations and Flying J executives don’t appreciate that. You may still use Visa on the auto and RV side of the business.
Here is another nice thing about Flying J (and other major refueling centers as well) you can use the internet to look ahead at the states you are passing through and get the latest up-to-date diesel prices for every Flying J in every state.
A telescoping window washer and a telescoping soft brush. The window washer ($10.00) has a nice locking handle that allows you to extend and lock with one twist. 
It's long enough to do any large rig and has a nice squeegee to boot. The brush ($20.00) is angled and has soft bristles that are easy on that fancy full-body paint job. 
The brush also has a squeegee on the back. You can also attach the hose so you can have water running down your elbows onto your shirt and into your pants. Who said you can’t have fun while you're working? "Excuse me sir, where do you keep the RV supplies?" "Really, I don't work here, but they're back in the automotive department." Jim
The tread separation caused a good bit of damage on their coach. By the way, for those who may not know, the term “alligator” is CB talk for a large tire tread on the road. This tread not only tore up the 5er skirt, it also ripped a couple holes in the wheel well. 
Larry said, “The tire was just under 2 years old and had about 12,000 miles on it. Because the tire was still inflated, the dealer was able to verify that the proper pressure of 110 lbs had been used. The tires come new with 12/32 of tread. My remaining 3 tires all measured as having 10/32 of tread remaining.” This turn of events worked in Larry and Cheryl’s favor because Goodyear agreed to pay for repairs to their rig and to replace the tire. Goodyear has a form that you must complete and submit along with supporting documentation of repairs. 
Larry also had this to say, “Through this process, I have learned that my tires are rated for 65 MPH. This means I can't take advantage of the higher speed limits in some of the states we visit.” Thanks Larry for sharing this information with us because I’m sure many of us didn’t know about the speed limitations on some types of RV tires. We are also encouraged to know that some tire manufacturers will stand behind their products and pick up the pieces. Jim 
To solve this problem I simply soaked the faucet/sprayer in a cup of vinegar overnight. Do the same with your bathroom faucet screen (you’ll have to unscrew the retaining tip to get the bathroom faucet screen out). Vinegar dissolved the mineral build-up on my kitchen faucet and now it works like new.
Vinegar is also a great solution to use for general purpose cleaning. You can clean just about anything with vinegar reducing the amount of cleaning supplies you need to carry in your RV. 
Just put about 1/8th portion of vinegar to water in a spray bottle and use it like you would Windex on windows, Spic-n-Span on bathrooms and floors or for brushing your teeth (just kidding about that, but hey, if you have a mineral build-up in there…) I hear that vinegar makes a good salad dressing too. If you have more ideas on how to use vinegar, let us know in the “comment” section below. Jim
The biggest killer of battery life is allowing them to become deeply discharged (usually beyond 50% depending on the type of battery) and the second biggest killer is allowing cells to go dry. Keeping the proper water levels in your RV battery cells is important but it’s a pain doing it the old fashioned way. RV Power Supply sells great stuff for RV’s and you’ll want to check out their website just to see if there's something there for you. 
The system automatically fills each cell to the proper level through the special battery caps that are connected to the fill tube. You can’t “over-fill” the batteries because of a special shut-off valve in each individual cap. No more spill-overs from doing it the old fashioned way.
These systems are fast and easy to install. There are two primary systems, the Pro-Fill system that is designed for four six-volt batteries 
and the Quik-Fill system that works with two 12-volt batteries.
You can also obtain kits that will service more batteries if your battery bank is larger. Not only will this system save you time, but it will also save you money. But the best part is that it will give you peace of mind knowing that your batteries are at their proper water level. Jim 
It's a long surface so you can pile stuff on it and it adjusts to any height you need. It also folds up and stores under the couch when not in service. 
Not a bad use of space in a pinch. Jim
The Johnsons RV with two birds in the coach. 
TJ is an 18 year old female Umbrella Cockatoo with a life expectancy of 70 to 90 years.
TJ stands for “Trouble” and “Joy” because she has a great personality but can damage RV furniture. Her bill can cut right through soft woods – like a broom handle with no problem. 
These birds make good company because they talk to you. TJ has a vocabulary which consists of, “Hello”, “Pretty Bird” and “I’m Sorry” and other assorted phrases. Zane Grey is a 17 year old male African Grey Parrot.
He likes to mimic sounds like the RV microwave, emergency vehicle sirens, squeaky doors, and phone sounds. Sometimes they don’t answer their cell phone because they think it is Zane mimicking the sound. From outside the coach friends would ask, “Is that your bird ringing?” He also likes to whistle tunes. 
One of his favorites is La Cucaracha which puts everyone in the mood for Mexican food. These birds love to look out of the window of the motorhome while they travel saying things like, “Are we there yet? Awwk” (not really, but next time I see them, I’m going to clandestinely teach them this phrase).
These types of birds are expensive and unfortunately subject to theft, so they are now receiving ID chips embedded under their skin. One of the problems with RVing with any pet is border crossings. Skip says he would have no problem getting them into Mexico, but would have trouble getting them back across the border. He reports that when he last checked, Canada had a quarantine requirement making it difficult to travel there. Just like you walk the dog, you have to get these birds out for some fresh air. Skip made a portable perch out of PVC pipe and fittings. 
He didn't glue them together but just inserts them into their fittings until they are snug. The perch is a wooden branch and the chain gives the birds a foot-hold when climbing. An eye bolt screwed into the end of a PVC cap serves to hold up the perch.
A note of caution, these birds will in all likelihood outlive you, so you need to provide for them in your will to make sure they go to a good home. Pets on the RV road are numerous and diverse (I once saw someone with a pet goat). What kind of pets do you RV with? Leave us a message in the "comments" section below and tell us. Jim
They happened to park next to us for a few days and shared some great stories with us. They have been full time RVers for 12 years. Gordon took this photograph in Yuma, AZ back in 2001. He recalls that it was a 34' Itasca and the fella who occupied it was frying something on the stove when his dog (tied up outside) distracted him with his barking. The RVer left his cooking and went outside to check on his dog. While outside, the frying pan caught on fire and his coach went up in flames. 
This photo was taken approximately four minutes after the coach caught fire. Fortunately no one was injured, but it gives you an idea of how fast you need to get out of your coach if it ever catches on fire. Don't waste time, don't take anything with you - just GET OUT NOW! Don't even think about going back in!! Alert your neighbors, call the fire department and get out of the way while they extinguish the blaze. The best thing you can do is to minimize the danger of fire in the first place. Be safe out there! Jim
Once at the campground the ladder often comes down and is placed under the RV for a number of days until it finally melts into the ground.
It’s important to have a ladder because you need one in order to put up windshield covers, wash the bugs off the top, change that light bulb high up on the side, wax and a number of other important jobs. Where do you store your ladder when you’re not using it? Where do you store it when you travel? As you know I recently purchased a nice used motorhome that happens to have pass-through storage. 
I decided to purchase a fold-up ladder (available at most RV parts stores) and stow it in one of the pass-through bays. 
These ladders come in six and eight feet lengths and are held together in a neat square bundle by a single Velcro strap. 
To open and use the ladder you simply slide the ladder apart, 
bend the red tabs down until you hear a “click” which indicates that they are locked in place.
Now you spread the ladder legs apart until the safety locks are down and locked in the “A” frame position. 
The only problem with this ladder is that the rungs are skinny. Some folks like a wider ladder rung because it provides more comfortable support for their feet. 
The great thing about this ladder is that it is light weight, can easily store away or be carried on your roof-rack. 
Ladders can be dangerous, so please use caution when climbing on them. Jim
They have several models available. You will find them near the plumbing and bathroom fixture section at Home Depot. Once you get it home you will need to determine the place you want it. I had Marilyn get in the shower and pretend she was using the dispenser in order to find the best place to put it. The reason this is important is because you will be affixing it to the shower wall with silicone glue. Carefully clean the shower wall and then use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to clean the area. 
This step will help the silicon glue adhere better. Next apply the double stick tape (which is really just to hold the dispenser in place until the glue dries). Spread the glue on the designated places on the back of the dispenser (use the entire tube supplied with the kit). 
Now you are ready to apply the dispenser to the wall. Carefully place it where you want it and firmly press it against the wall. 
It takes 24 hours for the glue to dry and you are not supposed to put any liquid into the dispenser until the glue has thoroughly cured. The nice thing about these dispensers is that when you travel, you don’t have to put the shampoo away because it’s already neatly organized on your shower wall and won’t fall over even on the roughest roads. Jim
We began seeing signs on Interstate 90 featuring the Corn Palace (we also saw numerous signs for Wall Drug – but that’s another story). So, naturally Marilyn and I began wondering what this Corn Palace was all about, so we decided to camp at one of the RV parks in Mitchell and visit this place the next morning. We drove our 40' motorhome right downtown and found RV parking was plentiful. 
As we approached the domed palace we could see corn murals adorning the front of the structure. Each year about 20 local residents tear down the old corn murals (or whatever is left after the birds have eaten their share). 
The next job is to put up roofing paper that has the next year’s theme drawn on it. Some 3,000 bushels of milo, rye, oats and sour dock are tied into bundles and nailed to the building along with 275,000 ears of corn that have been sawed in half. These half ears of corn, representing about eight different color types, are then nailed onto the wall using a nail gun with three inch nails. It costs $130,000 each year to “re-corn” the Corn Palace and they are usually finished by mid October. Admission is free and once inside you can take a free tour. 
Our tour guide was Becky Garton and she has worked at the Corn Palace all through High School and actually had her graduation ceremony in the building.
Inside you will see photographs of the Corn Palace through all the years they were able to decorate. The most famous Corn Palace photo is one depicting a backward swastika.
This was done many years before the Nazis ever came to power and represents an American Indian symbol for peace and prosperity. Over 500,000 tourists visit the Corn Palace every year. Here’s Yours Truly posing with several vacationing Cornhuskers, Katie, James and Andrew Christensen from Blair, Nebraska. 
Inside the Corn Palace you’ll also find permanent corn murals, a large gift shop and a popcorn stand and snack bar. 
This attraction is more suited to adults than children because of the historical nature of the displays. Most people are in and out in less than thirty minutes, but there are other attractions nearby like Enchanted World Doll Museum and others. The Corn Palace is definitely worth a visit. Jim
Some folks do stuff like this to remind themselves of this lurking danger. Others take a more aggressive tack and remove the old TV and replace it with a newer flat screen model. 
This allows them to trim the TV cabinet back almost flush with the overhead cabinets. It removes the "overhang" of the TV cabinet and allows your head to move freely through the space previously occupied by your arch nemesis. There is still a lot of room behind your TV cabinet to run wire to hook-up your DVD, Satellite, VCR (am I the only one who still has one of those) video games, head-sets and whatever else you need access for. 
It's a good idea to also throw in a muffin fan (available at Radio Shack) and an automatic attic fan temperature control (available at most hardware stores) and some extra ventilation holes for good measure (electronic gear does not appreciate heat). 
There are some aftermarket vendors who will do this for you for a fee (make that a large fee) or you can do it yourself (now you’re talking!). By doing this you’ll save your noggin countless traumatic encounters and you’ll be in a better mood and a more likeable person to boot. Jim 
Well, there is the piggyback method (the port-a-bote (not a misspelling) is a popular RV watercraft because if folds for easier transport).
Another alternative is an inflated dingy type boat which can be stored in your cargo compartment. 
Another alternative is to trailer your boat behind your RV. You can also have someone pull your boat separately and meet you at camp. 
And finally, (and one of my favorite choices) is you can bum a ride from one of your RV friends who is always looking for someone to go fishing with. Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen and the lifejackets. Be safe out there this weekend. Jim
Yes, we all have cookies on our computers (unless you intentionally remove them) because they perform tasks like automatically signing you into Google or other sites you frequently visit. You also pick up unwanted cookies as you surf the net and therefore you need to empty out your computer’s cookie-jar once in a while. This will speed up your computer and keep it from over-tasking the memory. Another nice thing you can do for your laptop computer is give it more ventilation. 
You can purchase a unit designed specifically for this purpose which has a muffin fan installed, or you can make your own. Full time RVer Marjorie Morrison made a laptop ventilation platform by using a cookie cooling rack. 
She modified the rack by attaching felt pads to the bottom corners so it wouldn’t scratch her RV table (note: she inverted the cookie cooling rack so the wire legs are pointing up and then attached the felt pads.) It works great and costs much less.
It looks like a truck camper was superimposed on a VW Bug. It was light enough to be hoisted up to it’s current resting place, so I figure it was actually used for camping, although I wouldn’t want to be behind it going up a hill. 
Modern RVs have come a long way since then, but the workmanship must drastically improve if the RV industry wants to survive the coming economic downturn and increasing fuel prices. I think they need to look to Honda, Toyota and VW to learn how to make fuel efficient, superbly manufactured (I’m talking fit and finish) RVs. 
Some manufacturers are thinking in this direction already, but they have a long way to go in my humble opinion. Jim
We decided it is best to get either the first or the last spot at the end of the truck/RV row so our window looks out at something other than a truck. We also like to be able to open our windows but if you are bracketed on both sides by trucks with idling diesel motors you can’t do this. If you can get one side of your RV away from the trucks you can at least get some fresh air.
Today I approached a real truck driver by the name of Richard Falls from Ladora, Iowa and asked him why truck drivers leave their trucks running while at rest stops and truck stops.
Richard said that they keep their trucks running in order to keep their refrigerators working and all the other electronic stuff they use which includes (among other things) a microwave oven, television, battery chargers, radios, video/DVD players, cell phones, video games and, well just use your imagination. Today’s commercial trucks are not your grandfather’s trucks! Richard says that trucks don’t usually have generators like many RV’s and they rely on the alternator to supply the electricity, hence the incessant idling of trucks at rest stops. Now you know the rest of the story. I’m open to suggestions for doing stories about stuff you are interested in. If you have a question about something that has to do with RVing or traveling on the RV road just drop me an email and I will do my best to “get the scoop” and answer your questions. Please email me at jimtwamley@gmail.com with your questions. Thanks for your readership. Jim
She experimented and came up with picnic-ez. These colorful picnic table and bench covers come in 8 colors. 
They are made of washable water resistant nylon pack cloth. They have an adjustable bungee cord to hold them in place with an ez-locks at both ends for a snug fit. 
And best of all, they are oversized so they can fit on those thick and huge cement tables that nobody but Atlas can move. 
picnic-pz is easy to clean, fits all tables (and to Lari’s knowledge no one makes an 8 foot cover). The table and bench covers fit neatly into a color coordinated stuff sack for easy transport and storage and it only weighs 3 pounds. 
You can order picnic-ez at 
As you can see, there were several other RVers there with us and when I woke up this morning, there were about six more that were not there when I went to bed. 
I woke up, showered and went into the WalMart Super-Center and picked up some donuts and a good hot cup of coffee from the McDonalds restaurant located inside the store. I also mailed a letter at the mailbox convieniently located outside the main entry. Most of the time it’s cheaper to stay at a campground because we end up spending more money at WalMart while we’re camped in the parking lot than when we stay at a regular campground. Old Sam Walton was a smart businessman to allow RVers to stay at his stores. Some towns have passed laws that don’t allow RVers to stay overnight in store parking lots. 
WalMart would rather have the business we RVers bring, but some cities are just RV unfriendly. I choose not to spend money at any store in any city that does this. RV Travel.com is good to point out when towns are planning to ban RV parking and you have written the city officials and stopped this practice in many cases. Thank You! We spend most of our time in RV parks, but once in a while we really do need the convenience of being able to stay at a 
He designed this multi-function box that includes all the functions he needs in a very nice application. As you can see he ran conduit up from the floor into the box which is screwed into the bulkhead (Navy talk for “wall”).
After he removes his mini-cooper out of the toy hauler, he has easy access to his electrical and cable hook-ups when he sets up his desk.
Since Bob installs commercial silos all over the United States he frequently needs a utility trailer to carry his tools to the project and keep them locked up while not in use. Bob got to thinking that he could also make a nice toy hauler out of his utility trailer and so he went to work.
He installed an AC unit, roof vents, 
an inflatable bed, refrigerator, carpet and some furniture. Now his utility trailer is truly a multi-use vehicle. 
It’s an RV when he needs one, a tool crib for on the job and a toy hauler that will easily carry his ATV and motorcycle. 
Perhaps this utility trailer conversion is just what you need. It 
My wife Marilyn and I are out here on the RV road having a lot of fun bringing you new and fresh ideas and meeting many wonderful people on the journey. I thank all of you for your continued readership. Perhaps we will meet up at a campground along the way. I certainly enjoy meeting you! Jim
