RV Safe Haven In Times Of Tragedy

RVers have a huge edge during times of disaster because they are mobile and self contained. In fact aid workers who rush to disaster areas often rely on RVs to support them while they give support to others. I reported on this topic in RVers Respond To Emergencies Faster Than FEMA! I am completely and utterly incensed at how the Burma government is not handling the emergency situation there. The UN estimates over 100,000 casualties and a BBC reporter in the region says he is seeing little sign of government help and foreign aid workers are banned from the area. In my opinion this intentional lack of action and barring of outside help is tantamount to genocide. China on the other hand is rushing aid to earthquake victims and has invited outside help including Japanese teams of sniffer dogs to help locate survivors. China is a long way from embracing the RV lifestyle, but they have begun to manufacture some RVs. I envision that in the next 30 years RVs will be more common there. In the meantime almost 5 million people are homeless and the Chinese government is working to provide them with shelter. So here is the crux of this article - what will you do if a huge natural disaster hits your neighborhood? Are you prepared? Is your RV set up and ready to go in such an event? Trust me, if you read this article and take the steps to make your RV disaster ready you'll sleep better. If you actually have to use it for such a purpose you'll be grateful. Here are some of the most important things you need to do to make your RV disaster ready. Keep a full fresh water tank (change it out every few months to keep it clean and fresh), full tank of fuel, pantry stocked, medical supplies including enough prescription drugs to get you through a couple of weeks. Charged house batteries, full propane tanks, generator and fuel and a few tools. Keep in mind that many of your neighbors will not have prepared and you will be in a position to help them out. Americans typically rise to the occasion in emergency situations and help each other. However, judging from the response from some folks during the Katrina disaster this isn't always the case so be prepared for anything. If you don't have an RV get one! If you can't afford one, then get a tent and the necessary camping equipment. Get yourself and your family prepared, stay prepared and hope you will never need to use your RV in a disaster scenario. Remember Murphy's Law, "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way." Advance preparation is the antidote for Murphy's Law. I also recommend checking out a few disaster preparation websites for more ideas. An RV will dramatically increase your comfort and survivability in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Be prepared! Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RVs Sharing The Road With Truckers

RVers and Truckers share something in common besides the road. We both have control of large and heavy vehicles which require more forethought when maneuvering through traffic. Today's smart and safe RV tip is to merge into the center or left lane when approaching a truck weigh station. The next time you come to one of these commercial transport weigh stations you'll notice the truckers who don't pull off moving into the center or far left lane. They do this because they know chances are high a truck will be emerging from the re-entry ramp on the other side of the weigh station as they pass by. They are too large and heavy to accelerate or brake quickly and if another vehicle is in the left lane preventing them from moving over it could create a problem. So to avoid all this, they simply move over well before they get to the weigh station re-entry ramp. RVers should follow suit and practice this same safety procedure. Driving with at least one eye on the road - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Galveston, Oh Galveston, I Still See My RV Dashing...

Thousands of people flocked to the beaches of Galveston, Texas enjoying the surf and sun as we drove RV-1 down the strip. Bathing suits, kites, surf boards, fishing poles, motorcycles, bicycles, ice cream, baby strollers, walkers, gawkers and body art are now imprinted on my brain under the file heading “Galveston”. The Glenn Campbell song kept encroaching gently on my mind as we followed the ebb and flow of traffic across this spit of sand in the Gulf of Mexico. The loud music blaring from an open air biker bar helped shake the melody out of my brain long enough to get my bearings as we headed for the Ferry terminal. Once at the terminal we underwent a security inspection and were asked to turn off our propane tank. The Texas Ferry system is free and enjoyable. Folks get out of their cars to take advantage of the 15 minute ride across the channel to Bolivar Peninsula. Our 40 foot RV scrapped the ramp as we loaded, but other than that the trip was uneventful. I grabbed a soda from the icebox, made a snack and headed out to take some pictures and enjoy the day. We ended up at a nice campground with full hook-ups and a front row seat to a very nice sunset. And as I watched the sun retire I heard somewhere on the backroads of my mind...

“I still see her standing by the water
Standing there lookin' out to sea
And is she waiting there for me?
On the beach where we used to run...
At Galveston, at Galveston”

Traveling across America on land and sea - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

True Confessions of an RVer and Fisherman

Many RVers like to fish and some of the greatest fishing spots also boast great RVing. The last two weeks I've been fishing off several piers in Corpus Christi, Texas. I caught a small hammerhead shark, several gaff top (they look like blue catfish), who knows how many perch, an eel, several sand trout and two speckled sea trout. I threw them all back except one of the sea trout which I brought home and turned into fish tacos. My Texas out of state license cost $60 bucks, throw in another $40 bucks for bait and tackle and this fish taco cost me $100 bucks. I could have eaten lobster tacos all week for that! Since sport fishing really doesn't pay for itself why do it? To be honest I'm not sure why I do it other than I enjoy it. Why do people fork out money for all kinds of hobbies that don't pay for themselves? I've thought about giving up fishing and taking up golf, but after seeing how much it costs to play I think I'll stick with fishing. Working all the angles - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RVer Discovers Aluminum Foil Trick

My good friend and full time RVer Joyce McClain told me about how to more effectively deploy aluminum foil. I did a quick survey at the market today asking ladies if they knew about this secret and not one single lady knew about this. Perhaps you are one of the rare enlightened ones who already knows this secret.For years I've been dropping the roll out of the box while trying to extract the correct length. I've always thought this was frustrating but never thought to look at the end of the box. Sure enough, there is a perforated tab at the end of the box that will hold the roll in place as you reel out the foil. Just push this tab into the box on each end and it will prevent the roll from escaping the box. Now you can get the exact amount you need the first time. Many other brands also have this device including clear plastic wrap. Thank you Joy for this helpful tip. Giving you more control in your RV galley - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Why Do RVers Like Swap Meets

RVs and swap meets seem to go together. I like the idea of swap meets because it gets you outside and walking. All too frequently it gets you spending as well. I've been to a half dozen swap meets in the southern part of the country these last few months and RVers have been well represented. Wherever RVers congregate, swap meet vendors spring up who cater to RVers. Today I am asking why is it so many RVers enjoy the swap meet experience? Is it because they get a better deal on stuff? Perhaps it's just the experience of rubbing shoulders in the public square. It's certainly an "activity" that can be enjoyed by everyone. Maybe it's the food or the "fair like" atmosphere. When I ask people why they like it I get different responses so it can't be nailed down to one thing. The draw for me is I want to see if there is something I might want. Heaven knows I don't need to collect more stuff to weigh down my RV, but there I am anyway. To be honest, I can't isolate what draws me to swap meets I just know I like them and that's enough. Outdoor markets are as old as human culture. We've tried to make this phenomenon more sophisticated by moving indoors into structures we call "malls." But the indoor commercialization of this ancient human swap meet custom has sterilized the experience and therefore swap meets continue to thrive all over America and the world. Some of the larger swap meets are seeing a trend toward becoming a "mall" themselves with covered structures and semi-permanent stalls. Frequently you see the same vendor with a stall on each row. Personally, I like a swap meet to have a little dust, a breeze, popcorn scattered here and there, maw and pop vendors and folks who just bring their garage sale stuff. Perhaps you can add to this article by telling us why you enjoy or don't enjoy the American swap meet by clicking on "comments" below and sharing your thoughts. Swapping stories across America - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Powerful Spray Saves The Day For RV Outdoor Fun

We are staying at an RV park on the beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. The other day I went outside to walk the dog and was attacked by biting flies. Red itchy welts began emerging on my arms and legs. It's too hot to wear long sleeves and pants, so I opted to use bug repellent instead. The next time I went out I sprayed on Cutter's Advanced insect repellent and they didn't come near me. There I was enjoying the morning while the guy next door was swatting at himself and bellowing his shirt to rid himself of the flies. I've been using this product for a year now and have found it to be effective. The bottle says it will repel mosquitoes, chiggers, biting flies, no-see-ums, gnats and fleas. I really don't like being bitten by bugs I can't see, the boogie-man of bugs those famous no-see-ums. We travel all over the country and never know when we'll encounter a bug pest fest so we make sure we have this product close by. Besides working great this stuff doesn't stink like products containing DEET (diethyltoluamide) which was developed by the Army in 1946 to combat bugs. Cutter's Advanced formula is non-greasy, non-stinky, and lasts a long time relying on Picaridin 7.0% as the main ingredient. We don't know whether this ingredient is effective in repelling ticks, so if you need to get ticks off stick with DEET containing products. Make sure you follow the directions on the back of the label. Debugging your RV holiday - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Would You Like Chips and Salsa With Your RV Paint Job?

Shelly & Steve Lechner are full-time RVers traveling North America in their 1999 Safari Trek. This couple recently took their motorhome into Mexico to be professionally painted by the Navarro Brothers and saved mucho dinero - $4,000 dollars. Here they are with Mr. Navarro and the finished coach.The paint on their aluminum sided Trek was beginning to bubble and corrode. The bubble trouble was especially apparent around the rivets. Steve says that during the sanding process they found several places where the corrosion had completely eaten through the siding.I asked Steve what gave him the idea to have the work done in Mexico and he said a fellow RVer suggested he contact them. He Googled “Navarros Paint Shop,” then called to set up a date and time to meet Mr Navarro at the border for an estimate.

Steve and Shelly drove to the border and stayed at the Happy Hollow RV Park. Here is an aerial view I took while hiking on the mountain overlooking the campground. The park is located on an Indian reservation just outside the border crossing into Los Algodones, Mexico (pictured below). The photo also shows the the parking lot on the U.S. side which belongs to the Indian reservation. You may park there at a cost of $5.00 a day and walk across the border - RV parking is also available). Steve met Mr. Navarro at the park where he provided a detailed list of what he wanted done and Mr. Navarro gave him an estimate.Steve says, “A list of everything you want done is a MUST, and I mean everything! they do good work but they don't read minds. You need to list things like the steps, the wiper blade arms the jack plates the mirrors etc. I went over my list and explained what I wanted done, he inspected the coach and we bargained a little and settled on a price.
They did a professional job of preparation and applying three coats of paint.I asked Steve what he would do differently if he were to do this project again? He said, “If we were to do it again, we would not plan on living in the coach while the work is being done." "There are several hotels and a nice bed & breakfast within walking distance.The refrigerator needs to be secured during painting (a fire hazard in the paint booth). Take several cases of water and snacks. Plan on inspecting the coach at least twice a day, this way you can ensure they are doing everything to your satisfaction. Women seem to have an eye for detail so use em gents!”Steve and Shelly purchased auto insurance form Sanborns in Yuma, Arizona which cost them around $11.00 a day. They crossed into Mexico at Los Algodones with no problems. Passports will be required next year. Firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited in Mexico and possession will bring an automatic prison sentence.I asked Steve if he was satisfied with the quality of work and would he do it again? He replied, “All said and done we were are very satisfied with the work. Is it perfect? No, but what is? I would do it again in a New York second.”Personally I’m a huge fan of Los Algodones, Mexico and enjoy eating in the restaurants, shopping in the stores and using the dentists and pharmacies so abundant there. I agree with Steve when he says, “The people of Algodones are a proud lot and speak far better english than most of us speak Spanish. It is in their nature to bargain and deal. Treat them with respect, and remember all of this when Mr. Navarro gives you the quote.”

Brushing up on my Spanish - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RV Shelf Organization Consolidates Storage

Sometimes an RV idea is so simple it's powerful. My full time RV friends John & Evelyn Culver wanted a way to keep their pantry stocked but not overstocked. They added slide out shelving to several of their cabinets to hold canned goods. Unfortunately the can labels were hidden and they had to pull every can out of it's tidy placement to see what it was. This meant that they would sometimes run out of something they needed for a meal and sometimes they would over-buy things of which they already had an ample supply. To alleviate this problem they used a Sharpie and marked the tops of all the cans. Now all they need to do is look at the lid top to see what they have. This helps RVers because when you know what you already have you won't overstock your pantry with heavy canned goods. It provides economy of space and a neat and orderly pantry. Helping you with a "can do" approach to storage issues - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RVer Tackles Corrosion Control With Adaptive Shelter

We are camping 100 yards from the beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. It’s windy here and the salt air causes corrosion on anything made out of metal. Our campground neighbor Neal Lund is a “Winter Texan.” He’s actually from Minnesota but has been coming down here for the last three winters. You can’t help but notice the silver tent-like object in front of his motorhome. As it turns out this is a portable shelter for his 2003 Harley Davidson “Fat Boy” motorcycle. This product is made by Cycle Shelter. It’s a portable non-contact (meaning it won’t scratch your bike) stand-alone storage unit; a one-size-fits-all unit that’s easy to assemble and comes with a carry bag. Neal says this shelter has withstood sustained winds of over 50 miles per hour broadside without additional ropes or tie-downs. He should know because he has a miniature weather station on top of his motorhome. He added a plywood floor with a front wheel cradle attached. I asked him to explain the little bell on the bottom of the front fork and he told me it was for warning rhinoceros and giraffe to get off the road. “So far it’s worked,” he said. The plywood provides additional support and he doesn’t need to stake it down because the weight of the bike holds it firmly in place. The shelter is vented to prevent condensation and Neal says it really does help protect the chrome. Living at the beach still requires a lot of TLC in order to keep this beauty in mint condition. Riding a big Harley down a coastal highway is a marvelous experience and worth the trouble of a little extra work. Having the Cycle Shelter makes it much easier to prevent salt air corrosion and ultra violet damage. For the return to Minnesota this week he’ll load his car and motorcycle on the trailer he tows behind his motorhome. The Cycle Shelter is yet another example of how RVers adapt their hobbies to the RV lifestyle. Your under cover reporter - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing.

Consider Multifunction When Choosing Items You Carry In The RV

Every serious RVer must be concerned about storage space and weight. When you take an extended RV trip consider how to best utilize your storage space because if you're not careful you'll fill it up and not have enough room for more important stuff. The other problem RVers face is weight restrictions. I know many of you don't think much about the weight of your RV, but it really does matter. The more stuff you cram into your RV the more it weighs and the less safe it becomes with each additional pound. This is why I'm a cheerleader for items that can do multiple jobs and are light weight. "Multifunction" is the name of the game when it comes to reducing weight and saving space in your RV. Almost all RVs come with a microwave and many have the microwave/convection oven option. This cooking tray is a good example of the "multifunction" concept. This product has been around for a long time but consider how many items it replaces. First it is a great way to cook bacon and it conveniently removes the bacon grease into the built in trap. Place the bacon on the tray. Cover the bacon with a paper towel and put it in the microwave until the bacon is cooked to your specifications. Remove the paper towel and enjoy your bacon. The grease can easily be poured into a container. It is also a good way to thaw steaks, fish, hamburger or anything else. The grooves keep the thawing item dry while the condensation and meat juices drain away. This tray can also be used to cook the steak, fish or hamburger in your microwave/convection oven. It acts like a famous boxer grill and drains away the fat while cooking. The "Nordic Ware" company makes these and they are good in a convection oven up to 400 degrees but are not to be used for broiling in a conventional oven. These can be purchased anywhere cookware is sold. So this cooking tray acts as a thawing tray, famous boxer grill, bacon cooker and washboard. It's light weight and does more than one job. Many items fit the "multifunction" description and some do a better job than others but the idea is to try and cut back the number of items you take with you in your RV. I have entirely too many duplicate screwdrivers in my toolbox, in fact I have a bunch of duplicate stuff loitering around in my RV. I think it's time to have a yard sale - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Bumpy Ride Tests RV Closet

Those of you with rear kitchen 5th wheel RVs know just how hazardous a bumpy road can be to the stuff in your cupboards. The rear section of an RV is the most vulnerable to the rock-n-roll of the RV road. Last week after we pulled into camp Mrs. Professor opened the rear clothes closet to discover the wooden clothes hanger bar had fallen down along with all the clothing. On closer inspection I found that the plastic retainer screw was yanked out of the wall. It is amazing to me that one little screw was holding up that bar of clothing. I busted out the cordless electric drill (a tool every RVer should have) and promptly reattached the retainer with not one but four new screws. I didn't drill a hole, just powered the screws through the existing plastic plate. I did the same with the opposite side retainer which already had two screws. Now all is well in closetland. Not only are we raising the bar at RV Now, we're actually putting it back in place - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Lemon Pledge Good For Wood And The RV Toilet

Today RV Now completes story 500. That represents a lot of typing on my part and reading on your part. A great big THANK YOU to all my readers and to many of you who have encouraged me in the comments section. I would also like to thank Chuck Woodbury and the entire staff at RVtravel.com for their fervent support in this endeavor. Hopefully we will continue down the RV road together for many years to come.
Alright, I know you are anxious to know why Lemon Pledge is good for the RV toilet. I was at an RV dealership and was talking to a knowledgeable RV tech about my leaking water seal on my RV toilet. I have a Sea/Land type toilet that uses a rubber gasket and a foot operated ball lever. The plastic ball moves back and forth across a rubber donut shaped disk and is supposed to trap the water in the bowel when closed. The trapped water prevents noxious odors from entering the RV which is a very good thing. He told me that if the seal was not cut or the ball not gouged, then I may be able to clean around the rubber seal and treat it with Lemon Pledge. He says that years ago before Dometic bought out the Sea/Land toilet company they used to tell you this in the owners manual.

I turned off the water, opened the ball and pushed the rubber seal down about one quarter inch with my fingers (I recommend using rubber gloves for this procedure). I used the blade of a screwdriver and carefully scraped all the Arizona hard water build-up off the top of the rubber seal being careful not to puncture or tear the seal. Soaking it down with Lemon Pledge was easy, just push down on the seal and spray it. Let it set for five or ten minutes and then turn on the water and test it. Now my toiled retains water and my wood is happy to get the Lemon Pledge leftovers. Next I'll show you how to make plutonium out of household chemicals - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Free Yourself From A Dribbling RV Shower

RV showers come with a device called a “vacuum breaker” which supposedly prevents back-flow into your fresh water system. When you shut water off at the shower head and the faucet valves remain open, contaminated water could seep back into your fresh water system. I personally don’t care about this because we don’t allow our shower-head to become contaminated in the first place. Most RV manuals say this dribbling is “normal” and means the unit is working properly. Do the water saver shower-heads used in regular house bathrooms dribble? They do not, so why do we need a dribbling shower in our RV wasting precious hot water? You also need to replace the shower head with one that does not dribble. Once these two items are replaced your dribbling days are over. Vacuum breakers made from plastic and frequently fail as ours did this week. The above photo shows the plastic vacuum breaker compared next to the free flowing "D" Spud.I decided to replace the cheap plastic shower faucet with a nice brass fixture from Phoenix Faucets. These are among the best RV fixtures you can buy. Visit their website here: Phoenix Faucets.

This article will show you step by step how to remove and replace your shower faucet and replace the vacuum breaker with a non-dribbling “D” Spud (also from Phoenix Faucets). I will discuss shower heads in a later post.

Begin by turning off the water to the RV including the water pump. Next locate the access panel behind the shower and remove the retaining screws exposing the plumbing. Remove the shower hose from the vacuum breaker. Unscrew the hot and cold water connectors and remove the plastic retaining nuts holding the faucet in place (I attached a bungee cord around the water lines so I could retrieve them if they fell to the side behind the wall). Push the fixture into the shower stall enough so you are able to finish extracting it from inside the shower. Remove the faucet and clean the shower wall around the faucet.

Prepare the new faucet for installation by removing the vacuum breaker that came with the unit. Put plumber’s dope or teflon tape around the threads of the “D” Spud. If you use teflon tape be sure to trim the excess off so it does not block the water flow. Install the “D” Spud using an allen wrench, star wrench or a large flat blade screwdriver. Place the black plastic mounting flange on the new faucet. Insert the new faucet through the existing 4 inch center holes. You may want to coat the mounting flange with clear caulking prior to insertion. Screw on the new plastic retaining nuts by hand until the faucet is firmly in place. Replace the hot and cold water connectors making sure the rubber gaskets are in place inside the water connectors.

Reattach the shower-head hose and turn on the water. Before you “button up” the back cover place a dry paper towel around each of the water connectors and turn on the shower allowing the water to run. Remove the paper towel making sure it is completely dry. If it's wet you either need to tighten the connectors or replace the gaskets. When you are satisfied everything is dry and working reinstall the back cover and put your wife’s stuff back where you found it.

Helping keep your RV lifestyle dribble-free - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing