DVDs by Mark Polk show how to operate an RV Learn how to use every system, how to set up, how to drive or pull your RV and more. Class A motorhome • Class C motorhome • Pop Up • Travel Trailer/Fifth Wheel

Camping and RVing with Dogs Get expert advice on traveling with a dog and learn about dog-friendly campgrounds and RV parks from coast to coast. This is the only book published today about camping and RVing with dogs. NEW! Learn more or order.

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Dear fellow RVer,

I am glad to report that we have already raised more than $400 for RVer victims of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, some of you sent hundreds of dollars directly to the charity (if you would like to make a donation, email Anne at happycamping10@aol.com for information). This initial donation will be distributed to RVers, many with families, who fled the hurricane thinking they would be gone for only a few days. Many of these RVers brought only bare necessities when rushing out of town. The money we raised so far from the sale of the three eBooks below will go directly to these now-homeless people for food and other essential items. We hope to double or triple this initial donation by the end of the month. Again, through September, we will donate 100 percent of the purchase price of the eBooks The ABCs of Pop Up Campers and Your Home on Wheels, and, through Sept. 15, 100 percent of our eBook directory of Wal-Mart Stores that DO NOT allow overnight RV parking.

For those of you who have not looked at our new and improved RVbookstore.com, please check it out. We've redesigned the site and improved the function so it's easier than ever to find your favorite book or DVD. We now carry at least five times as many RV-specific books and DVDs as any other store, online or off and we can easily claim the title of "World's Largest RV Bookstore." And we offer the fastest service anywhere -- with rare exception, all orders go in the mail within four to 24 hours.

I've spent the last three days at the Seattle RV Show at our RVbookstore.com/RVtravel.com booth. What a joy it has been to meet dozens of RV Travel readers, and get reacquainted with others I met at last year's show. I had planned to write about a couple of the RVs that struck my fancy, but ran out of time and will have to wait until a future issue. I must say, however, that I am thorougly impressed with the 23-foot Itasca Navion, a beautiful Class C motorhome powered by a Mercedes diesel engine. The sleek little RV gets 17 miles per gallon, and sometimes even better.

Okay. . . on with the issue. And, please, if you like this newsletter, would you urge your RVer friends to sign up? Thanks.

Pot of Gold Contest News
No winner last week. The pot is now $165 cash. Check each weekday at RVbookstore.com between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Pacific time) to see if you live in the Zip Code of the Day.

"RVing to Mexico": This Wednesday!
This Wednesday, September 14, Bill and Dot Bell will discuss RV Travel to Mexico at RVbookstore.com's office in Edmonds, Wash. The four-hour seminar is $40 per person or $70 per couple. All proceeds benefit research on Retts Syndrome. The Bells will also present the class in Vancouver, BC; and Tucson, Arizona. Learn more.

How did RV Travel readers respond to this question:
"On the road, would you prefer to eat at McDonald's or a Mom and Pop cafe?"
Learn how more than 1,000 readers responded.

Rent your motorhome to a construction worker
If you own a recent-model RV in good condition and want to put it to good use, call your favorite RV rental company to see if it would like to "borrow" it to rent to construction companies whose workers are headed south to help in the hurricane clean-up effort. The companies will pay for its use and the cost of insurance.

Two Quizzes Today. Win cash and a prize!

Look for a pop quiz or two with terrific prizes most weeks at RVbookstore.com.
Sign up to receive an email alert of quiz start times.

LP lighting Tips
If your RV is equipped with a gas light fixture, here are some ideas to help you get the most of it. First, keep your globe clean. It's amazing how much light can be absorbed by a dirty glass. Make sure the light fixture is cool before removing it, then carefully wash in dishwater, thoroughly drying before reinstalling. If the lamp has lost its brilliance, try changing the mantle -- they lose output with use. Periodically check the "bunsen" or that L-shaped tube that the burner hangs on. A stream of compressed air will remove dirt, cobwebs, and bugs that can obstruct the flow of gas.

Russ and Tiρa Demaris are authors of RV Boondocking Basics
and Boondocking Tips for RVers: More Fun Without Hookups

Books and videos about Boondocking

QUESTION: If I buy an RV at an RV show, will I get a special low price? ANSWER: Maybe, maybe not. In rare exceptions an RV dealer will sell you an RV for the same price later at his lot as he would at a show. At an RV show, however, a salesperson will likely try to convince you otherwise to make the sale right then.

Best selling book: How To Buy An RV & Save Thousands.

Pennsylvania Welcome Center: Matamoros, Pennsylvania
Matamoros is an old river town beside the Delaware River across from Port Jervis in the tri-state corner of Penn., New York and New Jersey. This welcome center allows overnight stays and is closed to trucks from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., making it a very quiet rest area. Wal-Mart and Price Chopper SuperMarket are nearby. Free.

Davis Camp: Laughlin, Nevada/Bullhead City, Arizona
This campground is right on the Colorado River on the border between Arizona and Nevada; you camp on the waterfront. Great free hot showers. Get there early, as the prime spots are taken quickly. $10 or less.

Pampa Park: Pampa, Texas
The park has room for about three at the railroad underpass. There is 30-amp service and water with a dump station on site. One day limit. Free.

The information above was provided by visitors to FreeCampgrounds.com. The information has not been verified.

Learn about more than 720 free and inexpensive campgrounds at FreeCampgrounds.com

Guidebooks and DVDs about RVing in Mexico

RV Breakdown: "My RV has a new slant!"
"When I packed my 18-foot motorhome for a 50-mile trip, little did I know that she would be hooked on the back of a tow truck at a 45-degree angle for 40 miles at 55 MPH. I also didn't know just how valuable my friends are." Read more.

RV Traveling Tales:
WOMEN'S JOURNEYS ON THE OPEN ROAD
Women who travel by RV tell about their lives. Superb!

Hear Pete Seeger tell about trailering in the 1920s.
Here is a treat for you: A delightful story by folk music legend Pete Seeger spoken in his own words about his parents' home-made trailer and their trip south from New York in 1921. Seeger tells of how his musician-parents built the four-wheel trailer from maple wood, outfitted it with a portable stage and pulled it (with mishaps along the way) to entertain audiences wherever they could find one. Take a few minutes to listen to this delightful story.

Huge demand for rented motorhomes in Hurricane area
Motorhome dealers in Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana have run out of rentals and are turning away frantic families. In some cases frustrated would-be renters are simply buying RVs. Most work for government agencies trying to operate in hurricane-devastated areas, businesses trying to keep their operations running, relief agencies struggling to set up operations and media organizations covering the aftermath.

Volunteer to help the Red Cross
On Thursday, American Red Cross President Marty Evans announced that the Red Cross is launching a nationwide recruitment campaign for 40,000 volunteers to assist the 26,000 volunteers already assisting with Katrina disaster relief. Training is being provided at many local Red Cross chapters. It is expected that most commitments will last three weeks. To learn how you can help, contact your nearest Red Cross Chapter.

Oktoberfest, Bramwell, West Virginia
The Ninth Annual Bramwell Oktoberfest is coming Saturday, October 8 between 2 pm and 8 pm. "Beer traveler," critic and author Owen Ogletree, whose annual “Classic City Brew Fest” is one of the largest fine-beer expositions in the Southeast, will again lead the jury in the competition for the coveted “Bramwell Cup.” Microbrewers and home brewers will be judged in parallel competitions in various style categories. Live music will be featured along with guided outdoor tours of the "Home of the Millionaires." Bramwell is near Bluefield on the Virginia/West Virginia Border near I-77 south. Tucked beneath Pinnacle Rock State Forest in a horseshoe bend of the Bluestone River, tiny Bramwell is said to have once been home to more millionaires per capita than any town on earth. The town is a hidden enclave of Victorian splendor amid the once-mighty Pocahontas coalfields. For information, call (800) 221-3206.

2005 Big Rig Best Bets Campground Directory
Drive a king-sized RV? This directory is for you. Buy or get info.

Manage Your RV's 12 Volt System
Learn all about your RVs 12-volt electrical system including
how to upgrade and operate it and troubleshoot problems.

Truck Stops love RVers! Directory tells what they offer!
The 2005 RVers Friend lists every Travel Center in the
U.S. and Canada and the services each provides to RVers.
Learn which offer overnight stays, dump stations,
Internet access, propane or other services. Best Seller!
Learn more or order for only $12.95

Buying an RV?
Don't buy one before reading The RV Buyers Survival Guide. Ex-RV
sales manager Bob Randall reveals how to get the best deal from
an RV dealer. Don't pay too much. Available as printed book
or instant eBook.

RVers Guide to Dump Stations
A state-by-state directory of most of the known
public dump stations in America. Learn more or order.

All The Stuff You Need To Know About RVing
The best book for beginning RVers.
Order or get more information.

Quartzsite, Arizona. See it on DVD!
Visit the Boondocking Capital of the West on DVD. Like being there!

Books about earning an income on the road

RV books for less than $9.99

How to enjoy an RV Show
Veteran RVers Joe & Vicki Kieva reveal tips for comparison shopping at RV shows.

. . . see a list of upcoming RV shows.

Marvelous Marvin's Mechanical Museum, Farmington Hills, Michigan
The museum contains items of magic, neon, antiques, posters, airplanes, robots, animation, and all sorts of odd and unusual coin operated games, ranging from the oldest gypsy fortune telling machine of the early 1900s to the latest video games. All the games are operational. Every inch of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum's 5,500 square feet of floor space contains an array of buzzing and clattering vintage coin-operated devices. Overhead dangle signs, animatronic dummies, over 40 airplane models gliding along a steel rail, vintage fans of all types, and classic sideshow posters. Marvin's is listed in the World Almanac's 100 most unusual museums in the U.S. Admission to Marvin's is free. The museum is located at 31005 Orchard Lake Road. For information: (248) 626-5020.

Oregon attractions
Want to keep up with what's happening in beautiful Oregon? Then click to this website and sign up for the info-packed monthly "Oregon Attractions" email newsletter.

See the USA like you've never seen it before!
Map lovers will love this site — The Color Landform Atlas of the United States. Click onto the state you wish to view and then see it through various maps including satellite views. This is so cool!

Passsport change postponed
The government has delayed a Dec. 31, 2005, deadline for the first phase of a plan to require Americans traveling to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the other allied nations to show a passport or other secure document. The departments of State and Homeland Security said they expect to officially adopt the new policy — which drew complaints from travelers, the affected nations and even President Bush — by the end of the year. But they pushed back by a year the date when the requirements would begin to affect travelers, and said they would work to come up with an alternative document that would be cheaper and easier to obtain than a passport. Under the new timeline, all who travel by air or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and South and Central America will have to show a passport or one of four other secure documents by Dec. 31, 2006.

Family to donate their motorhome to hurricane victim!
A Washington state family will donate its 34-foot motorhome to a hurricane relief victim. After watching TV coverage of homeless storm families, John and Karen Lovrovich of Moses Lake decided their RV could be a good home for one. And so in two weeks they plan to drive it to Houston where they will donate it to the Salvation Army.

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This issue's Knowledge Quiz

TWO QUIZZES TODAY

Prizes:
•$50 cash & a very cool FM Auto Scan Radio with built-in flashlight & compass.

Answer the Quizzes here at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Pacific Time.

Knowledge Quiz official rules

Camping fees will increase $4 a night at 35 Michigan state parks next year. Transaction fees at the state's computerized reservation system also will increase, effectively raising rates at all Michigan parks with campgrounds.

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground has received verbal confirmation from Trailer Life's "Campgrounds, RV Parks & Services Directory" that it will be receiving the Trailer Life 10-10-10 rating for 2006. The top rating is awarded to the top one percent of campgrounds in North America. Fort Wilderness has received the perfect rating for the last seven years.

A developer has proposed a 207-acre RV park 3 miles east of Inverness, Florida (south of Ocala). The project would accommodate 500 to 1,000 RVs.

The U.S. Forest Service is temporarily rescinding fee requirement for campgrounds and the 14-day stay limit for camping on some National Forest System lands in the Southern Region to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Forests offering free camping include the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana, the National Forests of Alabama, the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest in Arkansas, the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas and Oklahoma and the National Forests and Grasslands of Texas. In all, 106 campgrounds are open without charge to the hurricane victims.

Send your RV park news to Chuck Woodbury at outwest@seanet.com . Keep it short.

Those mysterious buttons on your wall
Have you ever wondered what that electrical receptacle is in the kitchen or, more likely, the bathroom? You know, the one the kids (or even you) play with while sitting on the throne, when you push one button the other one pops out? It's called a 'Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt' or G.F.C.I. or G.F.I. Its function is to save you and yours from being electrocuted by serving as fast-acting circuit breaker designed to disconnect the power to the outlets if it detects a sudden surge or loss of power. One GFCI receptacle can control 2 or 3 other plugs on your RV, so if you find you have no power, check your breakers and the GFCI. — Tim Collard, producer of the DVD RV Walk-Thru

RV toilet paper: Make sure it's the right kind.
RV toilet paper is biodegradable and designed for RV use. If you don't use RV toilet paper, buy a cheap single-ply brand from the store. Do not use the heavy double-ply type. You want it to break down and dissolve with the chemicals in the holding tank. — Mark Polk. Learn about Mark Polk's RV "How-to" DVDs and eBooks.

What type of toilet paper do RV Travel readers use in their RVs? Find out!

. . . Don't pay a mechanic! Work on your RV yourself. Repair Manual tells how.

RV dealers in South Central Kentucky, cooperating with FEMA, have sent 100 travel trailers to the hurricane Katrina survivors. • • • Fleetwood Enterprises Inc., posted a $29.6-million fiscal first-quarter loss Thursday, but the company said it expected to see increased sales for emergency housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. • • • To transport trailers to hurricane victims, drivers in Grand Rapids, Mich., are being paid $1,600 to tow them with their own vehicles. The drivers pay for their own gas and expenses. • • • Winnebago Industries' employment in Iowa has shrunk almost 15% – about 620 workers – in the past year as demand has fallen for motorhomes • • • Don't expect to get a campsite in Mississippi's Guntersville State Park. Hundreds of hurricane victims are soon expected to occupy the park in FEMA-supplied travel trailers • • • A motorhome plunged over a cliff on the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper, Alberta last week, killing at least one occupant. Witnesses said the RV sped around a corner and then crashed into two cars before its deadly plunge. • • • The American Red Cross will need about one billion dollars for its initial hurricane relief efforts, half of which it has already raised. The Red Cross is installing computers in its shelters so evacuees can search for family members. • • • In an AP-Ipsos poll, 54 percent of the Americans surveyed say the flooded areas of New Orleans lying below sea level should be abandoned and rebuilt on higher ground.

Upcoming RV Shows

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Beginners Guide to RVing

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RV Travel is copyright 2005 by RVbookstore.com. Our International Headquarters: RVbookstore.com, 170 W. Dayton Street, Suite 103, Edmonds WA 98020, USA, Earth, Milky Way, Known Universe, Unknown Universe.

RVbookstore.com is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau. We strive for excellence in all we do and that's the absolutely, 100 percent and honest truth. Our customers receive really, really fast service. We move so fast in sending out a customer's order that sometimes we look like big ol' human blurs. Our motto is "You need it so we speed it,"™ and no truer words were ever spoken! If you're in Edmonds, Wash., stop by to tour our offices and warehouse. We're a block from the fishing pier near the traffic holding area for the Kingston Ferry, gateway to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas.

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RV Travel staff
Editor: Chuck Woodbury. Assistant Editor: Adrienne Kristine. Contributing Editor: Malia Lane. Contributors: Peggi McDonald, Russ and Tiρa Demaris, Chris Dougherty, Mark Polk, Bill and Dot Bell. Website Administrator: Zoey Platt. Office Manager: Jody Allcot. Clapper Loader: Emily Woodbury. Mascot: Captain Jack Platt — the Energizer Doggie.