DVD: Working On The RV Road Learn how to earn income while RVing. Author and work camping expert Jaimie Hall reveals what you need to know to gain employment or run your own business while traveling with a recreational vehicle.
Issue 357 of RV Travel Learn about RV camping, RV travel, RV news and much more. This newsletter is funded through sales at RVbookstore.com, the World's Largest RV Bookstore specializing in books and DVDs about RVs and the RV lifestyle. Email alerts for this issue were sent to 71,141 readers.
Best seller! Find Rest Areas, Welcome Centers & more With the new Interstate Travel Guide
you will quickly and easily locate rest areas, welcome centers, scenic
turnouts, including a list of Flying J Travel Plaza locations popular
with RVers. Learn more.
To ensure you continue to receive email alerts for this newsletter, please place the following email address in your own email address book: rvtraveler@topica.email-publisher.comEditor's corner By Chuck Woodbury
EDITOR'S VIDEO COMMENT: One fun reason to travel the back roads
Be sure to watch my short video, where I share some "roadside" photos that may bring a smile to your face. (if you cannot view the video to the right, see it here).
Winter has arrived here in the Northwest where I live. I envy all the snowbirds who have already made their way south where nature can keep them warm. I plan to join these folks briefly in late January, but only for a few weeks.
For RVers like me who will ride out the winter in areas with a good chance of some nasty weather, I'd like to offer a quick reminder. Take some time right now to make sure your RV is ready to fill in as temporary housing should you lose power to your home or need to evacuate quickly. Make sure you have a full tank of fresh water, that your holding tanks are empty, and that your propane tank is full. A full tank of fuel is important, too, should the weather force you to flee because of flooding, high winds or another emergency.
If you live in a very cold climate where you can't keep fresh water in your rig without it freezing, then keep some jugs in a warm place where it can be quickly brought on board.
Keep enough food in your cupboards should you need to make a quick getaway or even if the snow gets so deep you can't get to the grocery store for a few days. I keep about a week's worth of basics -- cans of soup and veggies, fruit, pasta, cereal and fresh water. In the 25 years that I have owned RVs, I've retreated to them several times when I lost power at my residence, and have felt very fortunate knowing that others were struggling for those same comforts.
Do you have a comment about this essay? If so, leave it here.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING IDEA This newsletter is made possible by sales at RVbookstore.com -- the world's largest store specializing in titles about RVs and the RV lifestyle. Would you please consider giving a holiday gift from the store to your favorite RVer? The proceeds will help keep this newsletter rolling along!
Nifty device can help eliminate holding tank odors In
this video, Jim Twamley shows you how to install a very handy device on
your RV that will virtually eliminate odors from holding tanks. He
explains how the device works and why it can keep your RV smelling
fresh and clean. Scroll to the bottom of Jim's story to play the video. 2008 Wal-Mart Atlas & Bonus "No Overnight RV Parking" Directory Order the best-selling Wal-Mart Atlas and receive the "No Overnight Parking" Directory for FREE. SAVE $9.90! Most Wal-Mart stores permit a free overnight stay in RVs. The 2008 Wal-Mart Atlas provides driving directions to more than 4,000 Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs. It lists which stores sell diesel, have pharmacies -- and it provides store GPS coordinates. The "No Park" Directory lists more than 350 stores that DO NOT allow stays! Learn more or order. Replace your RV's fuse panel with a low-voltage breaker panel It seems there's a class of folks out there who like to really "trick out" their RVs. Some of them do bus conversions, but for many of us, well, the saying is: "Too rich for my blood!" But there are still some things we can do to upgrade and fancify our rigs. This one might fit your fancy, and perhaps even your budget: Ditch that old fuse panel and install a neat low-voltage breaker panel. It's a whole lot easier to flip a switch (or poke a button) than to fiddle around changing out a fuse. Read more.
How to make RV cabinet adjustments Chances are good that your RV cabinetry system won't be exactly how you like it so you'll need to either live with it the way it is or improvise and modify. Here are some ideas about how one RVing couple modified their coach's cabinets to make them more efficient.
Fleetwood stock hits single digits (as in cents) A share of stock in Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc., would have set you back nine cents at the close of trading on Thursday. The company is no longer traded on the New York Stock Exchange since its stock dipped below $1. Get the newest issue of our FREE magazine! Drive the Alcan to America's Last Frontier, envision yourself on Nova Scotia's miles of coastal drives, celebrate Mardi Gras, cross the border to sunny Mexico, form friendships you'll treasure the rest of your days. All arrangements, including RV parks, by Tracks RV Tours, est. 1975. Click here for your FREE full-color magazine of our many adventures or call 800-351-6053. Getting dental work done in Mexico. Part 4
Professor of RVing, Jim Twamley takes you back to Mexico in this fourth installment of his five part series "Dental Tourism." If you're not covered by a dental plan, then learn from Jim about no frills high quality dental work in Mexico border towns at a fraction of the price you'd pay in the USA. In this episode, Jim visiits New Progreso, Mexico near Brownsville, Texas.
New Low Price! Greatest DVD on Quartzsite Take
an armchair visit to Quartzsite, Arizona, a hotspot for wintering
RVers. See where to camp for free, tour RV parks, learn about local
attractions and more. Was $24.95. Now only $19.95 - Learn more or order.New Chevy Workhorse chassis increases Class C tow capacity The 2009 Chevy Workhorse Class C motorhome chassis offers a significant increase in towing capacity to allow RV enthusiasts to tow most passenger vehicles with a Class C motorhome. The GCWR weight of the loaded vehicle and what it's towing has been boosted from 17,600 lbs. to 20,000 lbs., while the GVWR has been increased from 14,050 to 14,200 lbs., giving it best-in-class payload capacity. Read more.
The care and feeding of your "Blue Boy" One of the more useful tools for boondockers who like to "hunker down for a spell," and not move the rig is the "blue boy," or portable waste transport tank. Nothing more than a plastic tank, usually equipped with wheels, one simply hooks their sewer hose to their rig's dump port, the other end to a similar fitting on the blue boy, and discharge your tankage into your rolling receptacle for transfer to a nearby dump station. Here are a few tricks that will make your experiences with using a blue boy a lot easier, and in some cases, less messy. FREE SHIPPING
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The joy of fulltime RVing according to one RVer A man approached Jim Twamley recently and asked him how he liked fulltime RVing. Jim pointed to the nearby mountain range and answered, "This is our backyard and it extends throughout North America." In this short essay, Jim offers some tips of how to live comfortably in the relative small space of an RV.
Jayco to close recently opened Entegra RV plant Jayco announced Dec 8 that it will close its newly opened Entegra Coach subsidiary in February. More than 100 employees will lose their jobs because of the plant closure. Read more.
To pull a dinghy or not to pull. . . . . . that was the question in last week's RVtravel.com reader survey. We asked motorhome owners "Do you pull a vehicle behind your RV?" Well, it turns out that more than half do -- 54 percent always have a vehicle in tow, and another 25 percent do it sometimes. Only one in five of the more than 1,200 motorhome owners who responded never pull a dinghy. Read the actual results.
. . . if you're one of those RVers who NEVER pull a dinghy behind your motorhome, you will probably enjoy reading the blog RVing Toadless. Bargains at RVbookstore.com Low, low prices. Save up to 80% and even more! RV engine maker Cummins plans cutbacks, layoffs Cummins, Inc., is planning to cut back its labor force and take other cost cutting actions in reaction to the ailing economy. Among its many products are diesel engines that power many motorhomes. Read more.
How to store an RV for the winter season Snow has arrived in many parts of the country and before long it will be Christmas. What does this mean to many RVers? Well, besides shoveling sidewalks and last minute Christmas shopping it means parking the RV until next spring. Many of us don't think about it, but the storing portion is just as important as winterizing the water system. Read more. RVs FOR SALE Motorhomes, Travel Trailers, Fifth Wheels, Truck Campers, Pop ups and much more. See the big selection at NewRVer.com. Click here RV Recalls for November, 2008 The latest round of recalls on recreational vehicles has has been issued by the government. Among the companies issuing recalls are Monaco, Prevost, Fleetwood and Winnebago. See if your RV is on the list.
The Complete Flag Pole System! There's Nothing Else Like It! Are you tired of climbing up your RV and spending hours trying to get your flag up, only to find that it's not sturdy enough to withstand winds? Never fret again! After a quick installation, you can easily put up and take down any flag in seconds! Not only is it quick, but this system is super sturdy to withstand even the harshest winds! Learn more, watch a video, or order from RVtoyOutlet.com
UPDATED 2008 Fall and Winter RV Show Schedule Learn about RV shows through the winter of 2008. Check in here to learn when shows will be held in your area.
Best Selling Directory of RV Services at Truck Stops!
2009 RVer's Friend Now Available
This best-selling directory lists RV services at truck stops with free "camping," dumps, Internet, propane, repair services & more. Truck stops offer more to RVers than ever. Let this best selling book be your guide. Order the 2009 edition now! Learn more or order. Get an email alert for upcoming issues of this newsletter. It only takes 20 seconds to sign up. Your email address is never sold or shared with outsiders. No exceptions.
Workhorse UFO Chassis The hottest RV chassis going these days is the UFO from Workhorse. Poke around the company's website to learn about this chassis, and about everything else going on at Workhorse (which is a LOT). Don't miss the entertaining videos. Learn more.
Camp your RV on the beach in Los Angeles It's a busy time of year right now at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey, where row upon row of RVs are parked right along the beach, each with stunning views of the Pacific. It can be noisy as jets from LAX roar on takeoff only a mile away. Still, the modest camping fee of $34 to $38 a night (higher in summer) in a big city like Los Angeles is a sweet deal. Learn more.
RV manufacturer lays off most of staff Northwood Manufacturing of La Grande, Ore., has laid off 140 of its 168 workers. That was the latest in a series of layoffs and work curtailments at Northwood. More than 300 workers have been idled there since the onset of the recession. The company makes travel trailers, truck campers and fifth wheel trailers with the brand names of Arctic Fox, Desert Fox and Nash. Indiana Congressmen request aid for struggling RV industry. Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Mark Souder recently wrote letters to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke asking that the federal government's program that encourages business and consumer lending to include the RV industry. They are also asking banks that get money from the $700-billion bailout to make loans to RV buyers and sellers. The Congressmen say a healthy RV industry is essential to northern Indiana, home to many RV factories.
Free 2009 Tracks RV Tours catalog available Dozens of tours are spotlighted in the Spring 2009 edition of the Tracks RV Tours catalog. The company has held the line on prices and has increased the size of its catalog to 48 pages. RVtravel.com readers can request a free copy at the company's website. Tracks RV Tours is a sponsor of RVtravel.com.
Extending your stay -- battery conservation tips Whether you're stopping for the night at a Wal-Mart or dry camping for a week in the outback, you will at some time need to rely on your RV's 12-volt batteries for lights and some electrical needs. Even if you have a generator, it's just not practical to run it all of the time you are camping. Here are some ways to help you get the most out of your batteries.
DVD shows how to drive a motorhome Learn how to drive a motorhome the right way from RVer/tour bus driver Lorrin Walsh and host Mark Polk. This should be essential viewing for co-pilots and novice RV drivers. And veteran RVers, too! 67 minutes. Save 10% at RVbookstore.com. Learn more or order.
A Woman's Perspective By Adrienne Kristine
Self-protection while RVing Several women in the RVing Women section of the RV Travel Forum have mentioned using their intuition and trusting their instincts to protect themselves when they travel alone. One of the reasons I drive a motorhome is to avoid having to go out to go in. When I stop, I leave the keys in the ignition and check the surrounding area before I leave the RV. If I see or feel the slightest threat, I can drive away.
The RV Kitchen: Fix It in Foil Easy prep, great taste, good nutrition and quick clean-up - what more could you want from a meal? This cookbook combines the best of all worlds! Featuring 51 fantastic recipes that each include instructions for cooking in an oven, over a campfire, or on an outdoor grill. Learn more or order
The RV Kitchen Janet Groene's Chillin' Chicken Chili The cook can chill out while this chili cooks. All the work is done for you if you start with canned beans and a BBQ chicken from the deli. Get the recipe.
Explorer RV Insurance GET A FREE QUOTE Owners of motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and medium duty tow vehicles save up to 15% over our largest competitors by tailoring their coverage from more than a dozen options. Get a quote now.
This Week's Reader Survey Do you have a junk drawer in your RV? Answer here.
Last week's survey question For motorhome owners: Do you pull a vehicle behind your RV? Read the answer here.
Ask the RV Doctor Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor is a well known RV author and the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry's most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD Do It Yourself RV Care.
Low voltage at RV park site. Would a power booster help?
Dear RV Doctor, Sometimes,
when camping in a local campground, the voltage drops down to 95 volts.
Do the voltage boosters, like those advertised in RV magazines, really
work? I am concerned about running my appliances on this low voltage. --Mark Altman
Bella Terra RV Resort Now Open for Rental Occupancy! Your dream of five-star, luxury RV living is becoming a reality. At Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, we pride ourselves on creating unique travel experiences for our guests. Make a RV lot reservation now. Call toll free 1-866-475-7746 or complete our reservation form online.
Rewiring your RV? By Russ and Tina De Maris Modifying the electrical system in your RV? Or just trying to run down trouble? An "as built" electrical wiring diagram can be most invaluable. Some RV manufacturers actually include a wiring diagram in your owner documentation, but sadly, some do not. Call the manufacturer and ask if you can buy a set of "electrical engineering schematics" for your rig. And if you make alterations to your RV's wiring, indicate the changes on the schematic or make up an additional sheet and keep it with the manufacturer's version. Later on, you or the next owner will be thankful of your foresight when dealing with an electrical goblin. Russ and Tina De Maris are the authors of RV Boondocking Basics. Are you a veteran boondocker? Would you please share some of your tips and tricks at our RVtravel.com reader forum? We'll reprint some of your comments in this newsletter each week.
Visit Arizona's Finest RV Resorts Leave the cold and enter the warmth and fun of sunny Arizona. Click here to view resorts
Flushing and cleaning your holding tanks It's one of those jobs like cutting the grass -- flushing and cleaning your holding tanks. You don't want to do it but every time you turn around it needs to be done. One big problem is you can't flush out the gray tank like you can the black tank. Over time grease and residue build up in the gray tank and it causes a foul odor not to mention how it is affecting the tank and valve assembly.
A company called Flush King sent me its product to test. It is a reverse flush valve that connects directly to your sewer outlet and rinses and cleans both holding tanks in one very simple operation. It works extremely well and makes a job we don't want to do much easier. When you use a wand to clean the black tank you can't tell know how clean it is. The Flush King valve has a see through barrel so you know when the tanks are really clean. They also recommend adding some Simple Green or your favorite grease cutting dish detergent down the drain to help lift residue and freshen the gray tank.
FMCA: The best club for motorhome owners If you drive a motorhome you should join the Family Motor Coaching Association, the largest and best club exclusively for motorhome owners. Many benefits including rallies, local chapters and thick monthly magazine. Special new member price of $35. Click here to learn more or join.
Solar panels when boondocking
With shore power, boondocking RVers -- those who operate off the
traditional power grid -- need a source of electricity. The most popular
way is with power from the sun. In this discussion, RVers discuss how they use solar power in their rigs. Are catalytic heaters safe? A forum member writes: "Are catalytic heaters safe in trailers, especially at night while sleeping if one or two windows are cracked? The new ones have a low oxygen shutoff. It would save on battery power and probably propane over using the trailer furnace."
Staying with relatives, but in your RV, not in the house A forum member asks "Do any of you have to deal with relatives you visit who don't want you to stay in your RV and think it's silly?" What do you think?
RVing with pets in cold, winter weather An RVer wants to know how to keep her cats warm in her RV when the temperature is very cold. Many RVers offered advice, but you might have some too. The discussion here would also be of interest to RVers with dogs or other pets. Click here.
The perfect job for workamping RVers: working for FEMA? A forum member writes: I think I've found the ultimate fulltime RVer job: I work for FEMA as a reservist. I work when I want (as long as there is a disaster), I get paid an hourly wage that is roughly three times what I made as a workamper, I get time and a half for overtime, they pay my campsite, rent me a car and pay me non-taxable per diem. I work long hours for a few weeks and then it's over until the next time. I can make as much in one month doing this as my wife and I did together all summer as workampers. There are a number of fulltime and mostly part-time RVers working for FEMA. Read more.
Motorhomes on Fire Each year, 20,000 RVs catch fire. Check out dozens of videos of RVs going up in flames at Motorhomes OnFire.com. Maybe you'll get motivated to check your fire extinguisher. Broadband connection recommended.
Interesting Forum: RV Lifestyle Ah.
. . the life of an RVer! Pretty great, isn't it -- going where you
want, when you want, staying in one terrific place after another? In
this forum, share ideas with other RVers about ways to make RVing more
fun and rewarding. Read other Forum discussions Trivia Durham, North Carolina once hosted the Rose Bowl game -- the January 1, 1942 contest between Duke and Oregon State. It's the only Rose Bowl not held in Pasadena, California. The game was moved to the East Coast because of security concerns after the December 7 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. RECENTLY RELEASED BY FILMMAKER JOHN HOLOD DVD: RVing Alaska (with Joe and Vicki Kieva) Learn
everything you need to know about traveling by RV to and from Alaska
via the Alaska Highway and the Alaska ferry. Essential viewing for
Alaska-bound RVers. Learn more or order. Random RV Thought A terrific place to pause on your RV travels is at a library. And the price is right -- free admission (and sometimes even free or very inexpensive Internet access). Search for local or regional magazines: they may provide ideas of things to see and do. And the same goes for the local newspaper, which will not only provide quick clues about local news and events but about the residents and their culture. Most libraries have a section devoted to regional history. Browse through a book or two. You will learn things about the area that you would never learn otherwise. In small libraries, consider donating a book you've read. It will be appreciated. Find Free RV Campgrounds "Don't pay to stay!" Visit FreeCampgrounds.com and find more than 1,700 free and inexpensive places to stay in the USA in an RV. Stretch your RVing budget by staying overnight at these freebie locations.
Bill's Hints "Turn off all open flames when you are filling your gasoline tank(s). One hundred gallons of burning gasoline makes an impressive sight after the explosion." --From Motorhomes Made Easy. eBooks: INSTANT READING! With eBooks you don't have to wait to read your book. Just place your order and your eBook will be delivered almost instantly to your email inbox. These eBooks are written by RV experts and delivered instantly in PDF format. Buying an RV the Smart Way I Have A Convection Oven in My RV. Now What? The ABCs of Pop Up Campers Boondocking Tips - More Fun Without Hookups Complete Guide to Dinghy Towing The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing A Collection of RV Tips RV Awning Use and Care RV Care and Maintenance Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance The 3 Primary Systems of an RV: LP Gas, Water & Electricity Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitchwork and Backing
Tourist Attraction Spotlight
Museum honors legendary boxer The Jack Dempsey Museum in Manassa, Colo., is located in the prize fighter's modest childhood home. See the champ's gloves, shoes and other personal and boxing effects. The museum is free and nearly impossible to miss on Main Street (U.S. 285) in the small town in southern Colorado south of Alamosa. Admission is free.
Do you know of a terrific tourist attraction? Share it with the readers of this newsletter in the RVtravel.com forum.
Save on directories of Free Campgrounds The most comprehensive guides to free and inexpensive campgrounds in the East and West -- "must-haves" for budget-minded RVers. Save $5 by buying both East and West editions together. Learn more or order.
Bumper Snicker Love him like a king. Train him like a dog.
RV Emergency Road Service from the Good Sam Club Looking for the best RV benefits and the best value in a reliable RV emergency roadside service plan? Look no further than the Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service, the all-in-one roadside assistance club that caters specifically to RV owners. Learn more or sign up. Worth Pondering "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." --Thomas A. EdisonBig Rigs Campground Directory now available on CD-ROM The hugely popular Big Rigs Best Bets Campground Directory is now available on CD-ROM. This is the premier guidebook to RV parks that cater to long RVs -- 32 feet and longer. Previously only available in printed form, the publishers have released the information in a searchable CD-ROM. Learn more.
About the editor Chuck Woodbury has explored America by RV for nearly three decades. In the '90s he published a quirky travel newspaper about his adventures and was an "on the road" writer for the New York Times Syndicate. Nowadays, he lives near Seattle where he drinks massive amounts of coffee and travels often in his motorhome and sometimes by plane when vast expanses of saltwater would turn his RV into a leaky submarine. He is the host of the Better Business Bureau DVD "Buying a Recreational Vehicle," the definitive guide to purchasing an RV the right way. RVs for sale at NewRVer.com. Check them out. RV Travel staff Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Contributing editors: Russ and Tina De Maris, Jim Twamley. Forum Administrator: Adrienne Kristine. Office Manager: Jody Allcott. Web Operations Guru: Zoey Platt. Clapper/Loader: Emily Woodbury.
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We're just human! So don't go spending $10,000 on something we said was good just because we said so, or fixing something like we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. So be sure to check things out. At RVbookstore.com we strive for excellence in all we do and that's the honest truth (as opposed to the dishonest truth). Our customers receive really, really fast service. We move so fast in sending out a customer's order that sometimes we pass through the sound barrier, which really upsets our neighbors. Our motto is "You need it so we speed it," and no truer words were ever spoken!
RVbookstore.com and RVtravel.com are members of the Better Business Bureau. We are proud commercial members of the Escapees, the Family Motor Coaching Association and a sponsor of the 2008 Life On Wheels Conferences. RV Travel is copyright 2008 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, Expanding Universe.
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If you drive a motorhome you should join the Family Motor Coaching Association, the largest and best club exclusively for motorhome owners. Many benefits including rallies, local chapters and thick monthly magazine. Special new member price of $35. 
Big Rigs Campground Directory
