Thunderstorms Can Hammer Your RV

April is the Time of year when many RVs are on the road moving from the southern United States northward. This is also the time of year that lines of thunderstorms string from Canada to Texas and back. As an Air Force Navigator I threaded the EC-135 “Looking Glass” through many lines of thunderstorms in the Midwest. A thunderstorm will tear up an aircraft by wind shear and hail damage. Air Force regulations restricted us from flying within thirty miles of a thunder cell as “painted” on our radar. The reason was because hail generated inside the cell can be thrown 25 miles away from the center of the storm. That explains why you can be driving down a dry road on a bright and sunny afternoon and suddenly be pelted with hail. The damage looks like someone took a ball-pean hammer to your vehicle. Hail can range in size from a pea to a softball and can ruin you day. So what can you do to avoid damage from thunder storms? The first thing you need to do is look at your watch. Most thunderstorms build during the day and begin their fireworks in the late afternoon. So, if you get a good weather report and know where the thunderstorms have a high probability of forming, make sure you avoid the area (especially in the late afternoon). If you are unfortunate enough to be caught in a hail storm you should pull off the road and wait it out. This will help minimize the damage because the velocity of the hail will be reduced by the speed you were traveling. It’s even better if you can pull off under an overpass or a gas station awning. You should also be aware that thunderstorms generate intense winds including spawning tornadoes. I shouldn’t need to say this, but if you see or hear a tornado nearby, take shelter immediately. If you are RVing through the Midwest you need to ask your RV park manager for the location of the nearest storm shelter. Many Midwest RV parks have shelters inside the park. You should also inquire as to how RVers will be alerted to take shelter. Sometimes the manager will come knocking or sound an alarm from the office such as a siren or bell. A good weather radio and a great insurance company are two essentials when traveling through the Midwest during thunderstorm season. Helping you play safe on the RV road - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Oh The Things You See From Your RV

We're RVing in southern Texas and while driving from Del Rio to McAllen we captured this photo.
I should be immune by now, but for some reason I continue to be amazed at what I see moving down the road. This fellow is obviously an outdoor metal furniture vendor and has probably transported his wares like this hundreds of times without incident. I do get nervous when an old truck with multi-colored hood and doors and no tailgate comes flying by with junk stacked to the sky held in place by some flimsy cord. Frequently the driver attempts to conceal the junk with the ubiquitous blue tarp. Within a few miles the tarp shreds and flails in the wind as trash blows out the back. I've seen numerous items fall off these junk haulers and go sliding down the road. I usually slow down or change lanes or pass in order to give myself a safety corridor. The other day a commercial truck was attempting to pass me on the left when I noticed a long piece of re-bar protruding about six feet into my lane. Had I allowed him to pass me I would have had a nice long gouge in my RV. I stepped on the accelerator and jumped on CB channel 9 and told him what was happening. He pulled over and took care of the problem and my paint job is still intact. I would be interested in hearing from you about some of the unusual things you've seen while on the RV road. Just double click the blue "comments" below and tell us your experiences. Knuckleheads abound on the road today so when others drive offensively your best bet is to drive defensively. Leave yourself plenty of room to maneuver and stay alert at all times while behind the wheel. Helping you stay safe and arrive in one piece - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Stop Tossing Your Drawers On The RV Floor

Ever turn a corner in your RV only to hear the silverware drawer come crashing onto the deck? These old school fasteners don't always keep your drawers secure in the RV environment. I personally built our two person desk in our RV and while I was at it I also tore out all the existing drawer rails and replaced them with full extension rails. It's nice being able to open a drawer and actually have access to the whole drawer. Some RV drawers only come half way out - ooooh that drives me crazy! The only drawback of these full extensions rails is that they ride on ball bearings and are too smooth. If you get too much momentum going into a corner they can shoot out of the cabinet frame like a cannon ball. I've tried several types of drawer keeping hardware and some are better than others. The absolute best drawer keeper for the RV environment is the sliding bolt. You can pick these up at Home Depot or any hardware store in the cabinet hardware section. The trick is to use the sliding bolt key-hole as the drawer holder. Determine where you want the key-hole and mark where you will pre-drill the holes. Drill two holes being careful not to drill through the face of the drawer. These holes are important because they will allow the retaining screws to go in easy and prevent the wood from cracking. Once the key-hole is mounted re-install the drawer and measure where you will put the sliding bolt. Slide the bolt handle down revealing the top hole. I just held the bolt in place where I wanted it while I drilled the top hole. Screw in the top of the bolt before you drill the bottom hole. Fasten the bolt in place and slide it over the keyhole to make sure you have a snug fit. These sliding bolts look nice and work like a champ. With these babies installed there's no more, "Clean-up in isle one." Helping keep everything in your drawers where it belongs - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RV Strategies For Traveling Cross Country

Like many of you we’ve pulled or driven RVs back and forth and up and down across the United Stats for many years. Over time you develop a pattern of travel that best suits your individual tastes. We try not to travel more than 250 miles a day. I enjoy taking in the countryside and traveling at a leisurely pace. I’m also slowing down to 65 mph and under to conserve fuel. I try not to travel when it’s dark because it’s fatiguing and more dangerous - besides, I can’t see the country in the dark. This week we’ll be traveling from Yuma, Arizona to Corpus Christi, Texas.

For campgrounds we frequently use Passport America member campgrounds because you can camp for half price. Membership in Passport America is not expensive and you receive a book with member campgrounds listed by state. Happy Camper is another great program similar to Passport America. We find these campgrounds relaxing and accommodating when we’re moving cross country. We’re not looking for a luxury resort, but rather a safe and clean campground with hook-ups that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. City and State campgrounds are good and many fairgrounds have inexpensive overnight camping.

Overnight dry camping is free and convenient for travelers. We don’t overnight in rest areas because of noise and lack of safety. There are much better alternatives including shopping centers, truck stops, BLM land, police stations, casinos, Cracker Barrel Restaurants, parks, and many other places including hundreds of free campgrounds listed at FreeCampgrounds.com. We like casinos even though we don’t gamble. When overnighting at WalMart or Sam’s Club we look for signs that prohibit overnight camping. RVbookstore.com has a book that lists all the WalMart stores where local laws prohibit overnight camping. It’s generally a good idea to park near other RVs in the far reaches of the parking lot. However, please be respectful of other RVers. Don’t park next to someone and run your generator all night - you might be missing your tire air pressure the next morning. If you plan on spending the night at a shopping center, it’s always a good idea to ask the store manager for permission to spend the night. We’ve stayed in the parking lots of JC Penny, Target, and other major brand stores after obtaining permission.

Truck stop overnight parking is convenient because of easy access to freeways. They usually have restaurants and a convenience store. The downside of truck stops is the noise (close to the freeway) and trucks dieseling their engines all night or running their refrigerated trailers. We generally use them as a last resort.

If you want to see America don’t be in a hurry. Stop in a place for several weeks and explore the surrounding area. Be flexible and allow yourself to break away from your plan. Stop and read the historical markers, take the mysterious roads, check out the museums, eat at the local restaurants, cruise down the main streets of small town America. One of the most rewarding things you can do is get to know the local people. Allow yourself ample time and you’ll be rewarded beyond your expectations. Looking forward to seeing you on the RV road - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Military Families RV Cross Country

Many military families are avid RVers. Being retired military I remember several RV trips we took as a "military family" moving from one duty station to another. For the military family an RV provides both a platform for a vacation along the way as well as inexpensive lodging. Today I met the Gustafson family in a military campground. They are moving from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. They left Alaska when it was snowing pulling this toyhauler. They pulled their RV from Elmendorf to Haines, Alaska and loaded it on the ferry to Bellingham, Washington. They didn't take off their snow tires until they were well into California. The Gustafson family uses many of the military campgrounds available exclusively to active duty, retired military personnel and DOD employees. The kids love the adventure partly because of the travel but mostly because they have Dad all to themselves for a while. Dad is a busy guy flying F-15 jets and now he's going to be the Vice Wing Commander at the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base. I told the boys they have alligators in Flordia - they thought that was cool and were looking forward to living by the beach. Laughing, one of the boys said, "We're going from cold to warm!" I have a special place in my heart for military kids - we raised five of them. Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Single RVers in a Win Win Situation

As I’ve written previously, RVing is a means to an end not the end in itself. I like the mother ship metaphor because it stirs up ideas of a self contained vehicle supporting all your basic needs including bringing you to a destination. Once there you detach your “shuttle craft” whether it’s a truck or a towed vehicle and you launch out to discover new worlds. Vivian Grybko is a widow from somewhere in Kansas. Nothing unusual about that but she is getting up in years and, well, I was afraid to ask her age for fear of being impolite. Let’s just say she's a mature single adult. After her husband died she looked at the RV sitting in the driveway and decided to start using it. She’s been using it full time now for the past six years. She joined an RV singles group called “WIN” which stands for “Wandering Individuals’ Network.” This group is a high-energy group of mature adults who hike, bike, kayak, dance, tour, sail, boat, raft, ride horses and generally make me tired just thinking about all they do. To join this group you have to be single but if you get romantically involved with someone and get married, they let you stay in the group anyway. You just have to be single when you join. You also have to be under 70 years old and own an RV. Most WIN members become expert boondockers.Vivian says, “We boondock most of the time and rarely get a place with full hookups. We’re generally not a wealthy group of folks.” I asked her how many really close friends she has in her WIN community and she said, “More than I ever had when I was living in one place for many years.” Vivian is the only WIN member I’ve met so far, but if she represents a majority of WIN members then I want to get to know a lot more of them. She is truly a free spirit with her own kayak strapped to the Jeep she tows behind her motorhome. When I caught up to her she was doing laundry and had a few minutes to spare for an interview. She was headed for a couple days of WIN sponsored dancing lessons and evening dance socials after she was done with laundry. I don’t know where she gets all her energy, but It probably has something to do with living large in the great outdoors with her RV. I asked her, “If you were not a member of WIN would you RV as much as you do?” She said, “Probably not. You have a lot more fun when you're with somebody else to share the experience.” So I asked her to tell me about her kayak experiences and she told me that she’s been kayaking all over the country and loving it. She says that in her WIN kayak group there are 50 or 60 kayakers and that she’s recently been to eight different spots on the Colorado River with her group. She receives a WIN newsletter every two months telling her what’s going on and where. She can join a WIN group touring Alaska or go on tour of Florida. They like to get together on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and celebrate with a huge feast. She's planning a kayak tour of Missouri and then on to the Great Lakes this summer. WIN was founded by a woman named Dorothy Prince so I asked Vivian what advice she would give to a single woman thinking about doing this, “Come visit us and see what it’s like.” You can find more information on their website here WIN. Whew, the interview is over, I think I’ll go take a nap. Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RVers are at Home on the Range and so is the A-10 Thunderbolt

Many RVers are familiar with the Barry M. Goldwater bombing range because it is on one million seven hundred thousand acres of land that you have to drive through if you’re going to Rocky Point, Mexico. The range begins near Gila Bend, Arizona and if you are pulling your rig down to Mexico or the abundant BLM land for some boondocking don’t be surprised if you see an A-10 Thunderbolt strafing nearby. When the A-10 fires it’s powerful 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun you hear two distinct sounds, you hear the guns going off, but even before that you hear the bullets breaking the sound barrier. It sounds like when you drive your RV over a cattle guard. During practice the pilots fire at parachutes suspended between two poles while sensors in the ground tell the ranger controllers the accuracy. These weapons are designed for close air support for our ground troops and can kill tanks, convoys, armored personnel carriers, gun emplacements and everything else the enemy deploys on the battlefield. The gatling gun fires large depleted uranium armor-piercing shells at a rate of 3900 rounds per minute. They don’t carry this many rounds because even a two second burst will put 100 hits on a tank and it only takes six hits to do the job. The pilot of an A-10 can put around 80% of his bullets in a twenty foot circle from a mile out hence the name “Tank Killer.” It also carries the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile and standard unguided bombs. A-10s have the ALQ-131 ECM pod under one wing and two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles under the other for self-defense. This baby is powered by two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines mounted high above the wings. As an Air Force aviator myself we used to joke that these planes didn’t really fly because they were so ugly they just scared the ground away. Believe me, if you are the enemy and you see one of these coming you have every reason to be scared. The Barry Goldwater range exists so we can train the finest pilots in the world to fight and win on the battlefield. RVers who are down this way between October and April can go on this tour open to the public at no cost. Space is limited and there may be a waiting list so if you are interested call the Range Management Office at 623-856-8516 to book a tour.

God bless our Troops - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RVers Roll Into Quartzsite As the RV Show Begins

RVers from Canada, enjoying a favorable exchange rate due to the falling value of the US Dolar, have flocked to Arazona. Bob Billing from Beiseker Alberta, Canada spent a month in Yuma before coming to Quartzsite and reports fewer Americans there this year and the same for Quartzsite. Norm Rieger the campground host at Hi Jolly, the free 14 day BLM boondocking campground on the outskirts of Quartzsite, reports that the RV population in all the BLM areas from Yuma to Quartzsite is down quite a bit this year. He told me that prior to the Quartzsite RV show his campground (normally packed like sardines) was down to only 50 units. On Friday afternoon, the day before the RV show began, I noticed that the campground began filling up. I interviewed many vendors at Rice Ranch (located just across the highway from the big tent where the large shows are held) and they reported that this is the slowest year in memory. Many vendors are going broke and may not be back next year. Gordon Ickerman, manager of the Rice Ranch vendors and campground for the past 21 years, told me that RV attendance at Quartzsite is down over 50% this year. His RV park was not even close to being full on Friday afternoon. I spoke with a Beaudry RV salesman and he said sales were soft and very few people were shopping for RVs this year. Here I am with Mary Lindsey an ice-cream vendor at Rice Ranch. Her and her husband Jake report that sales have been way down. Overnight, it seems, RVers began rolling into the area and the opening day of the RV show was packed.Traffic jams near the big tent parking area were just as bad as years past. The big tent seemed to be crowded with people. I’ll need to check back with some of the vendors at the end of the week to see if attendance was good or whether this was just a first day spike. I have a notebook full of new products and ideas from the Quartzsite RV show, so stay tuned as I cover these stories in the days ahead. On the road somewhere in Arizona - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

RVers On a Roll With This Revolutionary Transport

RVers often need transportation once they’ve arrived at their destination and have the RV all set up. Historically we’ve used bicycles, scooters, golf carts and 4 wheelers to get around. Increasingly RVers are turning to the Segway as a reliable energy efficient mode of transport. 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: Segway
Keeping you up to date on personal transportation – Jim Twamley

Successfully Doing Lunch At Rest Stops Requires A Strategy

Marilyn and I have been stopping at many rest stops for lunch as we travel across the country. One of the things we talked about this week was the strategic positioning of our RV at a rest stop to gain maximum enjoyment from our lunch. 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

WalMart Is A Great Place to Spend The Night!

This week we’ve been traveling across the US from Ohio to Washington state. Yesterday we were in Montana and drove by a river and looking down from interstate 90 we could see a motorhome boondocking at the river’s edge. We needed to put on more miles otherwise we would have joined them. We elected to stay in the Bozeman, Montana WalMart parking lot. 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 WalMart – what a great country! Jim

Homeland Security Requires RVers Going to Mexico or Canada to Have Passports by January 2008

If you plan on traveling to Mexico or Canada on or after January 1, 2008 be sure you have a passport with you or you will not be allowed into these countries. Also, plan ahead to apply for your passport because it takes a while to get them processed. With this new law that was passed by Congress in 2004, “The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative,” the passport system could get “jammed up” with a huge influx of people applying at the last minute. So, why not apply now and be done with it. Jim

When You Celebrate Easter Depends On Where You Are

One year many moons ago Marilyn and I decided to spend a week on the tiny Greek island of Mykonos. We had already celebrated Easter back in Belgium, but here we were two weeks later celebrating Easter again. The reason is because the Greek Orthodox liturgical calendar is frequently different than ours. We didn’t know this at the time, but were glad to have the opportunity to celebrate Easter twice. RVers are travelers and therefore subject to experiencing different cultures and celebrations as we journey across the world. I say world, because RVers have been taking their RV’s all over the world now for decades. Europe is ripe for RV adventures and invites you to explore thousands of new places, festivals and feasts. You never know what you might encounter in the local restaurants, but you can be sure it will be tasty. In the Christian tradition Easter is about the promise of everlasting life as we Christians celebrate the resurrection. So from one RVer to another, whatever your faith group might be, I wish you a happy Easter and joyful travels wherever you go on this wondrous planet!

A Day Spent At Callaway Gardens Will Not Be Held Against Your Lifespan

Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia is what I would consider real treasure. It is an exquisite complex of hiking and biking trails, lakes, exhibits, picnic areas, fishing, golfing, the Sibley Horticulture Center, vast gardens, the Birds of Prey Show, the Discovery Center, restaurants, chapel, beach, lodge & spa, and the crown jewel the Day Butterfly Center. This is a great place for riding your bike. There are hills here, so be ready to pedal hard. You may bring your own bikes or rent them. The azalea gardens were exploding with color and the dogwood trees were in bloom. These gardens have plantings of many varieties of flowers and you will see different flowers depending on what month you visit. The turtles enjoyed sunning themselves on one of the many lakes. There are access roads that allow you to drive all around the park taking in these lakes and all the other venues.The Birds of Prey Show was informative and interesting. They use wild raptors that have been injured and can’t survive in the wild on their own. These birds can still fly and entertained us as they flew over the audience. It might be a good idea to wear a hat. The Day Butterfly Center is chock full of butterflies. Color and graceful elegance attend these magnificent creatures as they sail around the climate controlled atrium. Kids were enchanted and adults were busy capturing the beauty found here. Here is Your's Truly hanging out inside the butterfly habitat.
Bring a picnic lunch or plan on eating at one of the restaurants, but don’t plan on any fast-food being close by.

Cason and Virginia Callaway developed these gardens consisting of 14,000 acres. Callaway Gardens have been enchanting the public since it opened in 1952. There is an entrance fee, but once inside the park you have free access to all the venues. RV parking is available in the bus parking area near the "Overlook Garden." RVs should use the Garden Entrance on highway 27. Motorcycles are not allowed in the park.For more information call 1 800-225-5292 or visit them on the web here: Callaway Gardens

New Infantry Museum Will Be A “Must See” Tourist Destination

I originally posted this over at Military RVing Military RVing, but it is so important that I decided to post it to RV Now as well. Here it is, enjoy!

An all new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center is being built on a 200-acre site that will be known as “Patriot Park”. Located next to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, civilian visitors will no longer need to go through the hassle of presenting ID, proof of insurance and standing in line just to get on Fort Benning proper where the present museum is located. There are also plans to establish an Armor Museum here as well.

This state of the art museum will have 160,000-square-feet of exhibit, classroom and meeting space. It will have a 3-D IMAX Theatre, adventure simulator attractions as well as a themed café and gift shop. The exhibit galleries are being created by top-notch exhibit designers and will cover Infantry history from pre-Revolutionary times to the present. The mission of the museum is, “To teach the lesson that freedom is not free and to help Americans see the faces of the men who sacrifice so much for our freedom”. Patriot Park is much more than a museum; it will also be a history maker. Patriot Park will be the site for public military graduation ceremonies on a seven acre parade field with a grand-stand. Over 30,000 Infantry School students will graduate here each year. These graduation ceremonies draw more than 150,000 friends and family members from all across the country each year.
But wait, we’re not done yet! Right next to the parade field is an authentically recreated World War II Company Street which includes a functional chapel for reunion groups, weddings or other special events. The World War II Company Street also includes barracks, mess hall, day room, supply room and the headquarters and sleeping quarters used by General George Patton prior to his deployment to North Africa in WWII. A Memorial Walk of Honor will feature monuments from many Infantry units currently scattered across Fort Benning. There will also be a replica of one of the famous 250-foot jump towers. Every airborne student past and present has been dropped from one of these towers, so it will be a “towering” feature of Patriot Park. State of the art Patriot Park will also include exhibits like the “Cold War Gallery” highlighting the “Vietnam Experience” with a glass-enclosed, heat- and humidity-controlled environment where visitors will feel and sense the dangers of face-to-face fighting in this jungle environment. World War II Street should be completed soon. Construction on the museum and parade field began in January 2007 and completion is expected in 2008. What is amazing is that this is being done by a private non-profit organization known as the “National Infantry Foundation” which has already raised 61 million dollars and continues to raise money toward the project goal of 85 million dollars.

When complete Patriot Park will truly be a “Must See” tourist destination! You can learn more and make a donation here: Patriot Park

Where Are Your Travel Books When You Need Them?

John and Evelyn Culver were like most of us who have a stack of RV books grazing around the dashboard, under the seats or in some obscure overhead cabinet. Important books like campground directories, a WalMart locator, casino camping, Corps of Engineers, free campgrounds, Next Exit, mountain passes, maps and well… you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about here. We RVers depend on these books to help guide us on our voyages and adventures into unfamiliar territory. Most of us plan the trip beforehand, but inevitably the driver will say something like, “Honey, would you look for a fueling station in the “Next Exit” book, I think it’s somewhere under that stack of papers back there under the table…. Did you find it yet? No rush, but the needle is starting to disappear off the fuel gauge…. Honey ???”

John and Evelyn came up with a great idea for storing and organizing these books for quick and easy access in their motorhome cockpit. Using a Sharpie permanent marker and writing the title of the book on the edge of the book makes it very easy to retrieve when you’re rolling down the road or pre-planning your trip in the quiet comfort of your campsite. Great ideas like this can save your sanity! Thank you John and Evelyn for giving us yet another great idea for making RVing more enjoyable. Jim

Are You Safe At The Rest Area?

Rest areas can be dangerous places if you don’t pay attention. Here a New Monaco Dynasty motorhome is stopped with the door closed and the entry steps extended. No problem if you are far enough out of the line of traffic, but in this case the steps are clearly in danger of being sheered off by a passing vehicle. I once saw a passenger door completely bent back by a passing car in a similar situation. Here anyone stepping out of the coach is in danger. I don’t even want to think about kids or pets jumping out of this coach the way it’s parked. Bottom line, be aware and be safety conscious at all times when operating your RV. Be safe out there! Jim

Bisbee Buzz

All you Mexico, Southern California and Arizona snowbirds, here is a recommendation if you are Eastbound. Leaving our winter quarters in Arizona we took a detour down to the towns of Tombstone, Bisbee and Douglas then back up to New Mexico. Here is my take, on the towns: Tombstone is a tourist trap (just watch the movie and save your money). Douglas is dead and not worth driving down Main Street. Bisbee is a jewel and worth the time and effort to visit.
We stayed at the Queen Mine RV Park owned and operated by Stan Dupuy. $23.00 a night with 30 amp full hook-ups. Small cul-de-sac park with great views of the huge open-pit Lavender Copper Mine (several sites back up to the mine). It is a tight turn at the bottom of the hill going up to this RV park, so if you have a huge rig be careful. The nice thing about this park is that it is walking distance from everything you will want to see in town, including the Queen Mine Tour. Other RV parks include the San Jose RV Park ($13.50 a night) (520) 432-5761 and the famous and (worth a visit even if you don’t stay there - $30.00 a night) Shady Dell RV Park (520) 432-3567. I highly recommend the Queen Mine Tour. This is the largest tourist attraction in Bisbee and it is very educational. They suit you up in miner’s garb consisting of a raincoat, utility belt, hard-hat and torch (flashlight) – you will appreciate the flashlight. The tour guides are miners and have many years of mining experience. Martin Davis conducted our tour. They load you up on rail-cars and you head into the mine. The tour takes you 1500 feet under the mountain and you get a close-up view of mining past and present. (Above photo from Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum)
The Queen Mine’s original shaft was dug in 1880. There are over 2,300 miles of tunnel in the Queen Mine – stay with the tour, you don’t want to get lost down there.Make sure you ask about the 400 mules that lived their entire lives inside the mine and how they contributed to the mining operations. Bisbee is the second richest mineral area in the world with 300 mineral specimens.The Queen Mine produced 8 billion pounds of copper and 2.8 million ounces of gold as a byproduct. The phone number for the Queen Mine tour is (866) 432-2071 or you can email them at queenminetour@cityofbisbee.com

According to Ilona Smerekanich, Director of the Tourist Information Center, Bisbee enjoyed 50,785 visitors who came just to see her in 2006. (Well, really, they were there to get tourist information, but don’t tell Ilona). Be sure to stop in and pick up your walking tour map. The Info Center is directly across the street from the Mining Museum.

The second place you must experience is the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum. This is a great place for both adults and kids. This is a true gem, because it is one of the first small rural museums to partner with the Smithsonian to develop a top-notch interactive mining museum.Museum Director Carrie Gustavson gave me a guided tour of the new exhibits and they are fabulous. The Smithsonian designers, exhibit and lighting experts did a superb job. Here Carrie touches something that the sign clearly forbids – she says the kids love to open it but the adults won’t go near it. Rule followers! The Bisbee minerals are on display and the new fiber optic lighting makes them “pop.”
Both underground mining and pit mining are displayed with great interactive stuff for the kids (and the adults that are still kids at heart). After you’ve done the walking tour of all the 1900 era buildings, cool your heels at the historic Cooper Queen Hotel restaurant and enjoy the ambiance of this palace erected for the mining executives of Phelps-Dodge from a bygone era.

Photo Credits of the museum exhibits:
Courtesy of the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum
Photos by Angela Neal and John Harris

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!

Live Free or Die

General John Stark is a great American war hero.

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

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