RVers Enjoy Model Specific Rallies
RVers like to get together and visit, play and just have fun. What better reason to do this than to have an intentional social outing based on the model of your RV. From pop-ups to high-end motor coaches these rallies are going on all over the US right now. 
For instance, I just visited the Country Coach Rally held at the fairgrounds in Albany, Oregon where Country Coach owners gathered for fellowship. These events usually have lots of entertainment including bands, dances, games and you name it. 
There are always lots of new RVs to look at and appreciate. Matt Howard, the Director of Marketing, stands in front of the 1.3 million dollar Country Coach Rhapsody.
Vendors are also available to sell you stuff you need to make RVing more pleasurable. Dining together is often a part of these events as is the spontaneous tail-gate party that can break out anywhere at any time. 
These rallies are places where new friendships are made and old ones renewed. 
I made friends with Brian & Kay Case from Bend, Oregon while attending the rally.
We spent time talking about what we liked and disliked about our Country Coaches and what we would do differently in their design (perhaps the engineering staff at various manufacturers would do well to spend more time talking to the folks that actually use their products before they make design changes). These events also have seminars where you can learn more about your particular RV and there are usually factory representatives available to answer questions plus on site RV technicians to handle minor repairs. 
Check with your RV manufacturer for details about upcoming rallies and events. Jim TwamleyLabels: RV Shows
posted by Jim Twamley at
7/31/2007 11:25:00 AM
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The Segway has several models to choose from including the recently introduced “off road” model that has bigger wheels with more traction tread.
Segways will achieve 12.5 mph and travel up to 25 miles. The two on board batteries recharge in about 8 hours. One of the neat things about this machine is that it has a zero degree turning radius, which means you can spin like an ice skater if you want. How do these engineering marvels work? There is a computer under your feet that measures your center of gravity 100 times per second and makes corrections accordingly. To move forward you just lean forward on your toes. 
To move backwards you lean back on your heels. To stop you just come to a level standing position. Turning is simple, you just tilt the handlebars left or right. This little unit climbs hills and curbs and can go through a regular sized door. Here Janice Burke from Segway of Orange County demonstrates the versatility of this unit.Joe and Erma Myers own a motorhome and race off road vehicles and just purchased two off road models to use in the pit-stop area of the off road race track. Erma is practicing on a standard model while her new off road model was being assembled. Here is a good comparison between the standard and off road model.
These babies go for $5,145 for a standard model and $5,660 for the off road model. We are beginning to see more and more of these at RV rallies, NASCAR, fairs, beaches and public parks. These truly are amazing machines. Check out this website for more info: 
Though this list is intended for all vehicle operators, I thought I would pick out the few that are applicable to RVers in general. Commandment #3 is, “Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.” Now that is good advice for everything in life, not just driving, but I’m all for more courtesy on the road! Commandment #4 states, “Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.” That pretty much sums up the “Good Sam Club” motto and is a value that most RVers already live by. All the other Commandments for motorists are obvious and easy to understand. 
Then there is Commandment #5 which states, “Cars (and presumably RVs) shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.” How many horsepower is your engine? OK, ok, so I get a little adrenaline rush when I step on the throttle and hear that turbo diesel wind up like a 747 ready for takeoff. So I feel a little aloof when passing a rice burner and watch in my mirror as my vortex pulls him close to the line. Ah, I feel the thrill and exhilaration of sounding my massive air horns when someone is stumbling down the onramp talking on a cell phone not seeing a 32,000 pound giant motorhome thundering down upon them with no room to pull into the far lane. 
Yes, my fellow RVers, I am a sinner, and thankfully there is ample grace to cover my occasional violations of Commandment #5. Nobody’s perfect, so I’ll just have to keep working on it. Keeping you up to speed on RV theological issues – Jim Twamley
It comes with a stainless steel adaptor kit to fit most generator exhaust vents. 
You just slip the pieces together and clamp the adaptor onto your current exhaust pipe and point the “stack” toward the sky. 
CAMCO has a patent on this stainless steel venture system which not only exhausts the bad fumes, but also acts to baffle the noise to make your system quieter.
You can pick up this system wherever CAMCO products are sold (practically all RV stores). The GenTuri sells for around $160 clams. 
I know what you're thinking... but please, don't use this system to launch potatoes into the next county. I just wanted to clear the air on that issue. Jim Twamley
At the recent Redmond, Oregon RV rally, Bob Ingalls demonstrates a product called "RV Awning Clamp". The device locks your awning to the side of your RV and you use your awning rod to lock/unlock it. 
This product comes in two colors and sells for $50.00 and you can see it here. 
Inventor Kees Staats (left) and technician Bas Jansen (right) brought this fantastic machine to the Redmond RV rally from Germany. Here is the video demonstrating how it works:
Currently these units are only designed for trailer weights of 5,500 lbs. They are working on a new model that will move heavier trailers. The trip to the Redmond, Oregon RV Rally helped them realize that our trailers here are much heavier than the trailers (caravans) used in Europe, so they will be hard at work designing the new model. The unit works by using roller bearings against the tire tread. When you are ready to tow the unit, just disengage the unit and off you go. They are also working on a model that will move small aircraft. I think it would be cool if they could figure out a way to make these waterproof so you could use them on boat trailers. 
Kees Staats sold his invention to the Reich company (which has a bunch of cool RV products that Europeans are using) and if you read German check out the website here: 
Mark & Jacee Gerbozy started a company that makes solar cookers called appropriately, “Sol-Food.” This is a solar oven/BBQ that is 92% efficient. Depending on weather conditions, this cooker maintains a cooking temperature between 250 and 450 degrees. 
In optimal conditions, this cooker has reached a temperature of 675 degrees. This cooker is 100% environmentally friendly because it doesn’t use any fossil fuel, wood or charcoal. This unit weighs about 45 lbs. and sells for $300.00. They are working on a more portable unit that will be ideal for RV use. I’ll let you know when they have the product out of the testing phase. Check out their website here: 
Jake Dunkin has been playing a Didgeridoo for five years now and demonstrates his skills in this video.
Now, I was imagining that this was a lady carrying a baby, or a bag of groceries or a basket of flowers. Much to my delight and surprise, I discovered this: 
Part of the da Vinci Days Festival is the display of art related to technology. Many sculptures adorned the street leading up to the campus grounds. RVers may take away some ideas for one of their favorite pastimes, bicycling, with this fuzzy entry.
I’m not sure why, but I enjoyed this sculpture, "the Neck Tire" – that’s the great thing about art, it affects everyone differently. Some folks hate it while others find it refreshing. Maybe I liked it because I don't have to wear ties anymore!
The festival is full of entertainment and I especially enjoyed the Maharimbas who provided the Sunday afternoon entertainment. 
The kids loved this group and after this number were dancing in front of the stage.
Seems they come in handy for events like this. 
Many exhibits captured my attention like solar panel demonstrations, solar cooking and environmentally friendly landscaping sculpture. 
There was a huge center designed to entertain and educate children. The kids were having a blast and stayed in the enclosed Children’s Village for hours on end. Also present were many street performers including jugglers, fire dancers, stilt walkers and more. 
The Bistro dinning area had more food vendors and a better selection than the Redmond RV Rally. This is a great festival for families and friends, so make it a point to visit next year. Discover more about this great event at the da Vinci Days website : 
First let me start with the Kinetic Challenge; this event requires engineering genius because teams must put together “human-powered” all-terrain vehicles that must complete a 10 mile course. The course includes climbing a sand dune, traversing a mud bog, paddling down the Willamette River and winding through the streets of Corvallis, Oregon ending at the Oregon State University campus where the majority of the festivities are held. 
These kinetic machines must not only be road and sea worthy, they must also be works of art with a theme. Here is the “Draggin’ Wagon” powered by one cyclist and one rower (the rowing machine puts power to the wheels). 
The team consists (from left to right) of Jacob “Orc’s Blood”, Jaylin, Nick, Nicholas “Redbeard”, Lauren, Kelsey and Chelsa. This is actually a fire breathing sculpture that has a top speed of 15 mph on land and 4 knots on water. The “Winchworm” has a top speed of “caterpillar crawl” and is powered by seven people called “pilots” and their leader Melissa Boyd (center with helmet)
Larry and Joni Plotkin show off the "Winchworm". 
There were many more “human powered” machines that competed in the race. 
Many were technological marvels while others were simple yet effective. 
To win this race you must come in exactly in the middle (fastest doesn’t get you anything) which is good to remember the next time you think about driving fast. The contestants must also have a song and dance to entice the judges. 
Judges may also be bribed with theme items like a can of sardines from the fish sculpture. Here is a photo of the water propulsion on one of these amazing machines. 
Watch this video as this same machine crosses the finish line.
He and his wife were shopping for a new 5th wheel. These kinds of events are the best place to do this because you can see and compare most all the major brands and models in one place. In fact there were approximately 1,000 RVs on display. 
The Affinity Group sponsors this event every year and an estimated 10,000 people are expected to attend each day. 
The vendor’s booths were humming with activity as folks purchased items for RVing. 
I’ll be bringing you news on many of the new items I saw at this event here and at the “Great RV Gear” blog. 
Lots of folks enjoyed touring the many exhibits and attending the informative seminars on the RV lifestyle.
Nightly entertainment and camping camaraderie at the event campsites are always fun. 
Reporting live from Oregon – Jim Twamley
These Goodyear water connectors are a good example. 
They are strong and flexible so you can use them when the hose bib is too close to the ground or in an awkward position. The on/off handles are large and easy to use.
They are also handy for reorganizing your plumbing. This RVer uses these connectors in conjunction with check valves in his motorhome water service compartment.
This way he only has to hook up one hose. I would use a seporate hose for your fresh water though, just to be safe.
Many of the things you need to make your RVing experience more pleasant can be found at Home Depot or Lowes or Ace or True Value hardware stores. Jim Twamley
You see all kinds of stuff being hauled around like giant tanks, long windmill blades, military vehicles, aircraft and huge pipes. I always wonder where they are going and what they intend to do with all that stuff. It makes the time pass – and speaking of passing, please study this photo and think about what you see. 
When you begin to pass the picture begins to become more clear.
Home to the Country Coach Factory and Guaranty auto and RV sales, Junction City has attracted vendors who cater to the RV industry. 
Places like Countryside interiors where Terri Penrod (in the center of the photo) will help you find just the right furniture, carpet, tile or fabrics for your RV. 
Brian Hanavan from Elite Coach Care can have his team spruce up your coach so it looks like new. 
They do detail work to include wash, wax, spot removing and carpet cleaning. You can have just one thing done, or you can go for the whole ball of wax.
Innovative Audio is co-located with Elite Coach Care and can install audio, TV, Tracvision, navigation systems and much more. 
Tiffany (left) and Jennifer (right) will greet you at Davis Cabinets where you can have custom built cabinets installed, or a TV retrofit, tables, desks, dog-house covers, racks and anything you can imagine made out of wood. 
There are many more service centers located in and around Junction City like Carrier and Sons, Pacific Service and Repair, A-1 Auto Glass, Cummins Northwest and many more. 
Your chances of getting your RV fixed or updated in a timely and satisfactory manner are very good in Junction City, Oregon. Jim Twamley
Others fold in and out. A majority of motorhomes have clear acrylic handles that light at night. My Country Coach has such a handle and the other day when I reached up to help myself into the coach it broke off in my hand. I was a little surprised at my own strength - or perhaps I need to weigh myself, hmmm.......
We're camped in my brother-in-law’s driveway in Albany, Oregon, so I drove down to the Country Coach service department in Junction City, Oregon and picked up a new handle. Steve, in the parts department, found a replacement handle for me. 
The handle only cost me $17.96 because I was using the brackets that came with the original handle.
The new handle was a little longer than the original handle, so I used a Dremel Tool with a grinding stone to remove a small metal lip in the bottom bracket so I could slide the handle farther down into the bracket and get the screw holes to line up.
I reinstalled the handle with the original screws and now I’m back in business. 
Does anybody have the number to Weight Watchers? Jim Twamley
First you turn off the fan, break out your cordless drill and remove the dirty screen. Just take out the screws and place them in a cup or somewhere where they will not fall into the toilet or down the sink drain.
Next fill up the sink with soapy water and immerse the screen. Use a soft brush to scrub off the lent and grime, rinse and set aside to dry.
Use a wet paper towel to clean off the fan blades and reinstall the dry screen. I did two fans in about 10 minutes. 
The cordless electric drill really makes the job fast. Jim 
Before you leave make sure your brakes are in good working order. If you have a diesel with an exhaust brake use it! Many mountain highways and roads have 6% or greater down grades which require you to maintain a safe speed while 30,000 plus pounds of steel, fiberglass, glass and plastic are pushed perilously down the grade at ever increasing speed. 
Use you lower gears and your exhaust brake to save your regular brakes. Don’t wait until you are going too fast to engage the exhaust brake, go ahead and turn it on at the top of the grade. Allow yourself plenty of room between you and guy ahead of you. Here my brother-in-law Todd 
Remember, as you come barreling down a grade behind a commercial truck, they may be slowing down using their exhaust brake and their regular brake lights may not be illuminated. If that is the case, you will be in for a surprise, so keep it nice and slow down steep grades. 
Passing trucks while going up hill is a chore since you are both going slower. Give yourself plenty of time and distance to pass a truck going uphill. In Oregon you will see many trucks pulling three trailers which require more distance to pass. 
Also, since it is summer many of the roads you travel will have road construction. Going from California to Oregon requires you to “thread the needle” on the bridge going over Shasta Lake. 
Take your time, don’t be rushed, give yourself plenty of room on both sides of your RV to navigate through these barriers. 
Also, try not to hit cones, especially at high speeds, because they can go under your RV and tear out electric, plumbing and gas lines. 
Be safe out there as you drive your RV this summer. Jim 
Portable pens by Precision Pet allow the RVer to create a temporary yard for their dogs. The pens fold up for easy storage and transport and they don’t contain any bolts, screws or wires that would scratch or harm your dog. 
This RVer put two of these pen kits together to make a nice enclosure around the entrance to their toy-hauler. These enclosures fasten together with thumb fasteners and can be set up and taken down quickly. You can also buy them with covers so your dog can have shade. Check out their products here: 
You can pick up your DVDs at the “Redbox” fully automated DVD rental kiosks that are conviently located at many McDonalds, over 350 Albertsons grocery stores. Redbox has over 3,500 kiosks nation-wide and they are growing fast. The best news for RVers is that you don’t have to return the DVDs to the same kiosk. You can return them to any Redbox kiosk anywhere in the US. 
So I could pull into McDonalds and pick up a couple DVDs in Myrtle Creek, Oregon right off of Interstate 5 (exit 103) and return them a few days later in Kansas City, Mousouri. You can pay with cash or credit card. Each kiosk has over 70 new releases to choose from. You can keep the DVDs as long as you want for $1.00 per night plus tax.
You can even order you DVDs ahead of time on the internet and then pick them up at your nearest kiosk and Redbox will provide you with an alternate location if the nearest kiosk does not have the title in stock. Now that’s great news for RV enthusiasts who love new movie releases. Check them out here: 
When you are finished filling up your tank/s and washing your windows, you are supposed to pull forward enough to allow the truck or RV behind you to pull in and begin refueling. 
Once you pull forward you can go into the truck stop store pick up a soda and pay the cashier for the $200.00 worth of fuel you just pumped. 
This simple courtesy will go a long way in helping with RV/Trucker relations. Jim
Richard Walter of DeBary, Florida uses a canvas firewood carrier to both tote and store his little lumberyard. Notice that he also uses the plastic Lego style blocks as well. 
They all store neatly in his tote and it keeps the dirt and debris in the bag and out of his storage area.
I’m out here digging up RVing tips like crazy so you'll have a more enjoyable RVing experience. I hope to see you on the road this summer. Jim
As you can see, he can enjoy them as he lounges outside under his awning enjoying a NASCAR race. The stickers are mounted on Plexiglas so that he can transfer them to his next RV without much effort. 
In fact, he’s already transferred them from his old rig. He may need to buy a longer rig with more storage bays if he keeps this up. Jim
This RV park exit sign in Tyler, Texas is a good start. Jim
A park model is a small mobile home (not to be confused with a full sized double wide mobile home you see in trailer parks) that is usually parked in a resort park and occupied during the winter months. Below is a model home in one of these parks. 
The majority of these parks are located in the south western United States and Florida. Many full time RVers use these parks for a home base in the winter. Some are skinny and some are wider - they come in several sizes and many different floor plans.
RVers “rent” or “lease” a space in these parks on a yearly basis. These rents run anywhere from three to eight thousand a year depending on the quality and location of the park. Utilities are not included in your rent. These park models can be purchased new or used. If you purchase a used model it will be cheaper and most of the stuff you want is already included.
A couple of our friends purchased used models for less than six thousand dollars and they had a carport, laundry room and storage unit already built on.
You don’t have to have a park model to use these parks. Many RVers rent a site on which to park their motorhomes or 5th wheels so it’s not unusual to see a motorhome parked next to a park model. 
Full time RVers use these park models as a storage unit while they are off gallivanting around the country during the warmer months, then return in the winter. These parks also have RV storage areas so RVers can store their RV while they occupy the park model. The lifestyle in these parks includes many “activities” for the occupants including shopping trips, entertainment, games, computer club, wood shop, card tournaments, pot-lucks and church services. They usually have a “cruise director” that coordinates all the events. So if you’re the kind of person who likes this kind of lifestyle you should seriously look into buying a park model in one of these parks. Jim
I like Camping World, but the last few times I’ve gone in the store I’ve had to wait a long time for service at the service desk and in the check-out line. I’m not complaining, just making an observation. Last week I had to wait in line while one worker talked on the phone and another employee looked through paperwork and another worker played around on the computer. As I stood there I looked around the store and saw other employees doing other stuff but were not assisting customers. 
After I waited in line for about 12 minutes (I was the first person in line), I was helped. The service person found the part I needed which meant I now had the privilege of waiting in line at the cash register to purchase the item for which I just waited in line. (Murphy's law says that there is no one in line at the check-out until you are ready to check-out yourself.) You meet a lot of nice and interesting people while waiting in line, so it’s not a complete waste of time. I’m not sure I could make things any better if I was the store manager, but I would sure try.
Maybe I'm just getting impatient as I get older because this seems to be happening not only at Camping World but at WalMart, Target and other stores as well. Could it be that "customer service" is declining everywhere in our society? What has been your experience lately? Let us know good or bad in the “comments” section below. Jim
How is a 5th wheel owner supposed to display it in the “driver’s side window” when he’s out driving his truck away from the campground? 
Well, here is how one 5th wheel owner solved the problem. He put “zee papers” in “zee plastic document protector” and hung it on the door to his coach. 
Plastic is good because when they turn on zee sprinklers in the wee hours of the morning “zee papers” won’t get wet. Jim
We’ve had stationary toilets even before we had stationary. When I was in Greece I saw an ancient public toilet that actually used running water to carry waste away. So the concept of the toilet was an early development. But, when did mankind invent the portable toilet? The old saying, “necessity is the mother of invention” was the driving force in the development of the portable toilet. 
Mining was the most likely first place where portable toilets were employed. There they were, a couple of ancient miners, far underground in a confined space with little ventilation, suddenly nature calls…somebody think of something quick! I think we have miners to thank for our modern day RV toilets. As early as the 1800s miners were using oar cars on rails to transport ore to the surface. These were pulled either by men or mules and the rails made it easy to move heavy loads. One of the earliest portable toilets that we have in museums is this two seater converted ore car.
It had covers to hold the fumes at bay and had a wash out system. 
This was crude and offered little privacy, but when you are a mile underground it seems like the lap of luxury. 
Next we began making portable out-houses that could be used on the job site or at public events and then transported and drained at more appropriate locations. This idea caught on and someone got the bright idea to make a miniature version of this which was basically a seat with a container. It worked great as a honey bucket for tent campers and caught on in nursing homes as well. Now patients could use the commode right at their bedside and didn’t have to travel down a hall to the public facilities. Eventually someone developed the chemical reservoir cassette toilet which allowed longer holding times before one had to empty. So when RV’s started hitting the scene this idea was perfect for this new mode of camping. It was a natural transition because the holding tank idea had already been pioneered by miners and now RVers are the beneficiaries of this very practical idea. 
So the next time you use your RV toilet, you’ll be more appreciative of this technological marvel. Tanks for your readership. Jim
Chances are it's filled with plastic shavings from when they drilled holes at the factory. If you have an older RV and your water pump pressure begins to taper off, check the in-line screen. Manufacturers put this screen in hard to reach places that make it very difficult to get a strong enough hand grip to get the cover off. 
I use a rubber strap wrench to turn the cover counter clockwise while holding the bottom of the housing with my other hand (you don’t want to snap off the housing from the water pump). 
Once you get the cover off you’ll know if you remembered to turn off the water pump, because if you didn’t, water will come gushing out. Once you've filled up your water pump compartment with excess water and turned off the pump take the screen out and clean it by running it under water. 
If the screen has mineral build up, soak it in vinegar to dissolve these deposits. Replace the clean screen and screw the cover back on clockwise. Now your water pump won’t have to work so hard and it should last longer. Jim
U.S. RVers are typically very patriotic (and rightly so – what a great country where we are free to roam in our RVs wherever we like). We have many different ways to display our flags. One of the most popular is the telescoping flag pole that can fit into a receiver hitch.
These flag poles can also fit into a “wheel stand” where you use your RV tire as an anchor for the pole holder. 
This RVer uses his 5th wheel king pin stabilizer jack to anchor his "wheel stand" pole holder. 
Another way RVers display their flags is to use a smaller version that attaches to the rig and holds up to three small flags.
However you choose to display the flag make sure you take some time and reflect on what it stands and appreciate the freedom it represents. God Bless America! Jim
Full time RVers Larry and Cheryl Mattingly pulled up in the camp site next to us and broke out this same mysterious sewer hose. 
I had seen other campers using it and looked at it in the RV store but didn’t give it a second thought. Now my curiosity pushed me to inquire about this device. Larry has been using “The Sewer Solution” for about three months and loves it. It will pump sewage up to three feet high so you don’t have to worry about the elevation of your sewer receptacle. The Sewer Solution acts in a similar way to a macerator. 
It uses water pressure to operate when emptying the black water tank. The high pressure water stream breaks up waste and pushes it through the hose. The connection at the sewer is snug (there are three sized foam adaptors for this purpose). 
You can get an additional 10 foot extension to make your system reach farther. A clear window in the element that attaches to your rig lets you see when the tank is running clear. After you’ve emptied the black water or grey water you can rotate the water connection 90 degrees and use the water to back-wash the tanks. Larry leaves his grey water tank open and it drains just like you would do with a traditional sewer hose. When Larry is ready to break camp, he dumps his tanks, back-washes them, closes the valves which rinses the equipment (including the hose) and then he can store the system in a much smaller space than the traditional equipment. If you’ve been using this system or have used it in the past, please leave a message for us in the “comments” section below and tell us what you think about the Sewer Solution. Jim
According to Murphy’s Laws of RVing, when a rupture occurs it’s usually in the most inconvenient and inaccessible place on your coach. The part to fix the leak costs less than $10.00 but the labor is somewhere around $400.00 if you’re lucky. There are some simple things you can do to prevent this kind of damage to your RV plumbing. Many RVs already have an internal water pressure valve installed near the city water entry point. Check you owners manual to see if you have this device already installed. If you don’t have one or aren’t sure, you can install your own water pressure regulator. You can purchase one at an RV store or you can make your own.
Home Depot carries a ¾ inch adjustable water regulator.
You will need to purchase garden hose adaptors to attach at each end of the regulator. 
Use a water pressure gauge to measure the pressure going into the coach and adjust it so you will achieve the best possible water pressure for your individual unit.
(Note: Pressure adjustments will vary depending on the type of plumbing and fixtures you have in your coach.) Sometimes water pressure is affected by a plugged screen or a plugged water filter so be sure to check that these items are clear of debris when you adjust your regulator. Jim
It only made it 21 miles out of Portland before it died from an electrical problem. There it was, pretty as can be, but no power. The battery bypass 
I observed the tow truck operator skillfully maneuver the cross beam member into place under the front wheels. He then assembled the wheel cradles made of metal extensions that would lift the front wheels. 
Satisfied that the wheels were properly aligned, on the cradle, he secured them with heavy duty cargo strap tie-downs. 
He released the parking air brake (easier to tow that way) and attached signal lights on the back of the coach with long cables. This "Patriot Thunder" was out of electricity but fortunately the tow truck was equipped to take it safely back to the factory. Jim
