Weekend of June 20, 2009
Issue 383 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.
NEW ARRIVALS TO RVbookstore.com
Guide to FREE Western Campgrounds Western Edition! This is the most comprehensive guide to free and inexpensive campgrounds of the American West you will find -- a "must-have" directory for RVers who want to save money on camping.
Learn more or order.
Editor's corner
By Chuck Woodbury
Follow me on Twitter
Dear reader,
It's only a few days before I leave with my daughter on a three-week roadtrip to Utah's red rock country. I am trying to get my work done so while I am away I can spend time with Emily and not my computer. But I am about to pull my hair out because it feels like everyone in the world wants to interrupt me.
Thinking about an RV trip is almost as good as the trip itself. Preparing for the trip -- cleaning up the RV and loading it -- is pretty darn close. But I'm sure you know how frustrating it can be when your dreaming and planning times are interrupted by "stuff" -- work, family emergencies, phone calls, social events you would rather not attend, and a dozen other things you are in no mood to do.
Right now, I just want to finish this newsletter, grab my daughter, hop in the motorhome, stop at the supermarket for food and then hit the road. That's what I want to do. But departure time is a few days away. . . . Still, now that I think about it, perhaps the frustration I'm feeling is the price we must pay for the incredible joy we experience when we finally climb aboard our RVs and hit the road. So nevermind!
ADVERTISE ON OUR WEBSITES
If you are in the RV business, please consider advertising in RVtravel.com and our family of websites including FulltimeRVer.com, NewRVer.com, FreeCampgrounds.com, RVnewsService, etc. Our websites are viewed by approximately 650,000 RVers a month, with millions and millions of hits. Contact me if you are interested at chuck(at)RVtravel.com.
2008 Wal-Mart Atlas & Bonus
"No Overnight RV Parking" Directory
Order the popular 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 provides store GPS coordinates. The "No Park" Directory lists more than 350 stores that DO NOT allow stays! Learn more or order.
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LEARN HOW TO USE TWITTER. "Twitter Power" is the best "how-to" book about Twitter. Order it from RVbookstore.com
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Motorhome maker Winnebago announces big losses on failing sales
Winnebago Industries, Inc. reported Thursday its 
financial results for the company's third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2009 ended May 30. The company reported an operating loss of $14.8 million for the quarter versus an operating loss of $6.9 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Net loss for the third quarter was $8.6 million versus net income of $3.0 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Read more.
BEST SELLER!
2009 RVers Friend
2009 Next Exit Directory
This should be an essential guide for every road-tripping RVer! Learn what you will find at every Interstate highway exit: gas/diesel fuel, campgrounds, truck stops, casinos, stores, malls, hospitals, factory outlet stores, parks and more. Learn more.
First hybrid motorhome to hit the road this summer
Winnebago Industries, Inc., will showcase the industry's first hybrid RV, a 2009 Winnebago Adventurer motorhome, during the upcoming summer tour of Brad and Amy Herzog. The Herzogs are spokespersons for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). Read more.
Motorized Lazy Boy chair perfect for exploring the RV park
How do you get around the RV park? Walk? Ride a bike? Well, here's a very creative method you may not have seen: Explore the park in a gasoline-powered Lazy Boy recliner. Yup! This is very cool. See it in action in this two-minute video (and prepare to smile).
Disabled RVers can get breaks on park access, fees
Many RVers are familiar with the federal government pass for seniors that gives free national park access and a break on some fees. But what if you haven't reached the golden age (?) of 62? More and more folks with disabilities are entering the ranks of RVers. For them, Uncle Sam has a pass system too. Read about it.
Fulltimers: Where to make your home base
For would-be fulltimers, which state to establish an official home base is critical. Picking the wrong state can result in paying thousands of dollars extra each year in taxes or RV registration fees. Don't let that happen to you! The best-selling Choosing Your RV Home Base, published in 2009, is an essential planning tool. Learn more or order.
Save this weekend on portable surge guards at Camping World.
Progress toward keeping California state parks open
On June 15, the California Budget Conference Committee weighed in on the Governor's proposal to close state parks. On a divided vote, the committee voted to agree to eliminate general fund support for state parks, but also to implement the State Park Access Pass which would institute a $15 surcharge on vehicle license fees of non-commercial vehicles to provide Californians with free day-use access to state parks and generate much-needed revenues. Since the vote was divided, this proposal still has a high hurdle to overcome, in order to be enacted. Send a message to the legislature.
RVing, Russian style
The RVs look just a bit different than ours here in North America. Take a look to see what you think.
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 experienced RVers, too! 67 minutes. Save 10% at RVbookstore.com. Learn more or order.
"What you need to know in as few words as possible."
The U.S. National Park Service is looking to stimulate summer vacations at national parks, starting this weekend. Entrance fees at 147 national parks and monuments including the Grand Canyon and Yosemite will be waived on three weekends this summer. The weekends are June 20 and 21, July 18 and 19, and August 15 and 16.
RVfinancing.com is supplying a travel trailer support vehicle for Keela Carr of Apopka,
Florida, who is walking for the second time across the USA raising
money for veterans. Goal this year: $300,000.
With the increasing number of RV manufacturers closing their doors or filing for bankruptcy, the Good Sam Club has expanded the protection available from the Good Sam Extended Service Plan to include the time normally covered by the manufacturer. "We still repair or replace any of the thousands of parts of your RV we have covered for years, but now that coverage starts even during the original manufacturer's warranty term, in the event the manufacturer is unable to honor their warranty," the club said in a news release. The benefit is now available exclusively through participating Good Sam Authorized Dealers.
Mark your calendar. Next weekend, June 27 and 28, is Free Fishing Days in New York State. Anyone can fish without a fishing license.
Retail registrations of motorized RVs totaled 2,204 in April, a 34.2 percent slide from a year earlier, according to Statistical Surveys Inc. Year-to-date motorized registrations totaled 6,615, down 45.7 percent from 12,180 through the first four months of 2008. But the good news is that April was the first time this year that both Class A and Class C motorhome registrations each topped 1,000 units.
Pop Up Times Magazine has a new publisher, Bob Babb, who bought it from Dave Newhouse. Babb runs the popupexplorer.com website.
Vector DC Cigarette Lighter 3 Socket Multiplier Adapter
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The 3-in-1 Socket System
is specially designed to provide multiple and simultaneous use of three
12 VDC accessories. The adjustable three position plug allows for ideal
positioning for accessory connections. Ideal for running some 12-volt accessories such as TVs, radios, cellular phones, power tools, lamps & car vacuums without running your generator or using shore power. Learn more or order, and see other specials exclusively for RVtravel.com readers.
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.
RVer needs access to underneath tub to fix water leak
Dear RV Doctor,
I have a water leak that looks like it is coming from under the tub when I turned the hot water tank bypass off. Is there an easy way to access the water lines without destroying the inside of the bathroom? I think the damage is caused from mice chewing a hole in the water line. Please help! -- Joe Linneman
Read Gary's response.
Read previous RV Doctor columns
Check with us on the Web for last minute bargains!
See Alaska, Canada,
Mexico or the World!
Join Tracks to Adventure on RV tours around the globe or close to home. Tour with us to Alaska. Been to Copper Canyon in Mexico (what a trip!)? Join us in Canada, Australia, New Zealand -- or closer to home -- Branson or the Pacific Northwest. All arrangements including RV parks by Tracks RV Tours. Click here for your free full-color magazine or call us toll free at 800-351-6053.
This Week's Reader Survey
How comfortable is the bed in your RV? Answer here.Last week's survey question
Do you sometimes use a portable electric heater in your RV? Read the answer here.
Past reader surveys and results.
Bella Terra RV Resort
FREE Summer Stay Program
Bella Terra of Gulf Shores is kicking the season into high gear with a promotion you won't want to miss! Call NOW and ask about our FREE STAY Summer Vacation Program (certain restrictions apply). Also inquire about price incentives on the few remaining Phase One lots! Be sure to mention promo code - RV Travel !!!Call (866) 475-7746 or visit us at BellaTerraRVresort.com.
RV Boondocking Tips
By Russ and Tina De Maris
Safety and unvented heaters: Want to use an non-vented catalytic, blue flame, or radiant heater in your rig? They're great for saving electricity and propane. Still keep safety in mind: Always have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your rig. Your life is worth a whole lot more than a few bucks savings in LP.
Last day at RV park? Some vacationing boondockers spend their last vacation day in a commercial RV park. There they dump tanks, rinse the dust off the rig (if permissible), and otherwise prepare to return to "civilization."
Russ and Tina De Maris are the authors of RV Boondocking Basics.
Books and DVDs about camping on public lands and RV boondocking.
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.
THE guide for Alaska-bound RVers!
The 2009 Milepost
is THE guide to visiting Alaska
This is THE mile-by-mile guidebook for RV or auto travelers headed to Alaska, the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. If you only take one guidebook to Alaska, take this! Learn more or order at a discount price.
The RV Kitchen
Janet Groene's Pollo-Potato Pancakes for Two
Serve these meaty pancakes for supper topped with applesauce, sour cream or gravy. A small can of chunk chicken is just enough. Keep a bag of frozen hash browns in your freezer or ice chest for recipes like this one. If you don't have a freezer, it's OK if they thaw in the icebox. Use within 3 or 4 days. Get the recipe here.
Cookbooks for RVers: Big selection at RVbookstore.com.
Don't let this happen to you
When the editors of RVtravel.com set up the website MotorhomesOnFire.com to
show RVs burning, the intent was to bring attention to the fact that it
can and does happen. Here is the latest example of an RV that burned to
a crisp. See a bigger pic of the tiny one here.
National Park Service Camping Guide
This best-selling guidebook is a helpful resource for anyone who enjoys camping in a National Park. Learn about nearly 450 campgrounds in 121 National Park Service areas -- home to more than 25,000 campsites. Learn more or order.
Recent RV recalls
Frequently, we list the latest recalls of RVs at RV-Recalls.com. Here are the most recent ones: 2009: March-May -- January/February 2008: December -- November -- October -- September -- August -- July -- June -- May -- April -- March
Updated for 2009
Casino Camping: Guide to RV-Friendly Casinos
This 2009 directory is the best casino guide for RVers. Learn which casinos have RV parks or offer free overnight stays. Plus get tips and information about other casino benefits for RVers. Learn more or order.
Some features on vacation. . .
--Photo of the Week
--The Good Ol' Days
--Tourist Attraction Spotlights
--A Woman's Perspective
--Working on the RV Road
. . . are taking a summer vacation break. They will return in the fall.
2009 Big Rigs Best Bets Campground Directory
If you drive a king-sized RV, this directory is for you. The authors provide details about 1,100 RV parks throughout the USA and six Canadian Provinces that welcome long motorhomes and towable RVs. This should be an essential resource for owners of large RVs. Learn more or order
Tech Tips
with Mark Polk
A short rundown on deep cycle RV batteries
RVs come equipped with deep cycle batteries for the coach's 12-volt DC electrical system. House or coach batteries need to be true deep cycle batteries that are designed to provide a steady amount of current over a long period of time. Starting batteries and marine batteries should not be used in this application. True deep cycle batteries have much thicker plates and are designed to be deeply discharged and recharged over and over again. Many RVs use a single deep cycle battery. Deep cycle batteries are rated in amp hours -- how many amps the battery can deliver for how many hours before the battery is discharged.
If you enjoy dry camping without utility hook-ups, you depend on your deep cycle battery(s) to take care of your 12-volt needs. You can purchase a deep cycle battery with a higher amp hour capacity that will last longer. The higher the amp hour capacity is, the larger and heavier the battery is. If you have room for a larger battery and enjoy dry camping, you may want to upgrade your deep cycle battery to one with a higher amp hour rating. If your RV is equipped with a marine RV battery, you may want to upgrade to a true deep cycle battery.
RVer's trailer keeps blowing out tires. What to do?
After seven blowouts on his 27-foot travel trailer, an RVer turns to Mark for an answer to what might be wrong.
Learn more about RVing from Mark Polk
Find out about DVDs and eBooks by RV expert Mark Polk.
How to Buy an RV the Smart Way!-- ONLY $11.95
This eBook is delivered instantly to your email address. Learn how to buy an RV from RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury. Learn which RV is right for you, how to negotiate the best deal, and about money-saving flat-rate buying services. Learn more about "Buying An RV the Smart Way," or order for $11.95 and be reading it in a few minutes.
Check out these RV Travel Forum discussions
Advice needed about buying first travel trailer
We have a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer and it is rated to pull 5400 lbs. The current receiver on it is rated to pull 5000 lbs. In looking at travel trailer, am I supposed to be looking more at the GVRW of the trailer or more at the unloaded total weight? I was told by an RV dealer that I should be looking more at the UVW rather than the GVRW. Also if you want to recommend some good brands, that would be helpful. Would love to get one with a slideout.
Looking for advice about The Slabs
I read about The Slabs in the book Into The Wild. Apparently lots of (RV) wanderers will spend the winter there. It's in Imperial Valley near Niland. Has anybody ever stayed there? What's it like? Lots of crime? Scary?
Heat from "doghouse" and floor on Class C motorhome
We just completed a 5,000 mile trip to the Southwest and in the warmer areas experienced quite a bit of heat coming from the doghouse and floor. This is the first time since we purchased our Tioga Ranger that we drove for about six hours a day in warmer climates and experienced this heat problem. Is there anything that can be done to correct this? I've been told to engage the towhaul feature and it will lower the temp? Has anyone had this problem and if so, how did you correct it?
Old travel trailer. Where do we get rid of it?
We have an old trailer that needs work and costs more than I am willing to pay for repairs. Any suggestions as how to dispose of this 23 1/2-foot Salem?
Welds broke on fifth wheel trailer. Why?
Hi all. We own an Open Road 357 RLDS that we purchased 3 years ago. The unit has been hauled from Alberta, Canada to Northern Baja, Mexico for the past three winters. It has never been off the pavement nor has it been mistreated in any way. On our return trip this past April, the welds broke and the metal tore around the pin box where it fastens under the gooseneck of the RV. Needless to say, we were shocked. The fiberglass cap on the front of the unit is cracked, the floor in the closet heaved and the walls of the closet are cracked from the upheaval of the pin box. Thankfully, we were able to find a portable welder to patch things up so we could travel the three hours to our home. We took the unit to the dealership and were told that they had never seen that before. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before. We have read that Lippert Manufacturing has had several instances of this happening with many different makes and models of RVs. Thanks for any replies.
UPDATED IN 2009
Corps Camping
Guide to Corps of Engineers Campgrounds
This best-selling guidebook describes more than 600 Corps-managed campgrounds suitable for RVs on nearly 200 lakes around the USA. Haven't camped at a Corps of Engineers' facility? Then you've missed out! Learn more or order
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.
G
uide To The Firearm Laws of the 50 States
RVers who travel with a firearm may not know that what's legal in their home state may be a felony in another. This 2009 guide explains current, specific gun laws for every state. Don't cross a state line with a gun without knowing the laws! Learn more or order.
Trivia
Soft serve ice cream, invented in 1938, has less fat than regular ice cream. It contains air introduced at the time of freezing which helps make the ice cream taste creamier, smoother and lighter, and appear whiter than other ice cream. Dairy Queen is the largest seller of the product.
Senior Citizen Discounts Guide
This 2008-2009 directory will save you a ton of money! Learn about thousands of senior discounts throughout the USA. Most are not publicized elsewhere. National and local businesses are listed. If you are over 50, this will save you big $$$. Learn more or order.
Random RV Thought
There is no such thing as the perfect RV. There is always something you wish was a little different. Maybe it's a bigger bathroom, or a softer chair, or more cupboards. Maybe you'd prefer a different color on the exterior or of the carpet. Maybe it's a motorhome that needs a bigger engine. Maybe the bed is positioned so it's hard to make. About the best you can hope for in an RV is about 90 percent of what you would consider the perfect rig. If you do better than that, you are very fortunate.
Buy or sell an RV!
Whether you are buying or selling an RV, RV Trader is the place to do it. Still in the early stage of the buying process? You won't find a better place to research your new vehicle. See photos of RVs and videos, too. Search by type of RV, location, price, new or used. . . Visit RVtraderOnline.com
Bill's Hints
"Never plug in external power while the generator is running and carrying a heavy load. The automatic transfer switch (if you have one) will most often fail, leaving you without any AC power capability." -- From Trailers and Fifth Wheels 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?
Complete Guide to Dinghy Towing
Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance
The 3 Primary Systems of an RV: LP Gas, Water & Electricity
Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitchwork and Backing
Bumper Snicker
"Are you drunk or just on your cell phone?"
The 2008-2009 Trailer Life RV Road Atlas
Besides
showing highways and other roads, this large-format road atlas shows
more than 10,000 campgrounds, plus RV service centers, tourist
attractions and 1,600 state parks, plus a special Tech Tips section. Learn more or order for only $16.95. (Cover price, $29.95)
Worth Pondering
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery." --James Joyce
G
ood Stuff from the Good Sam Club
Join the Club: $19 a year. Save on camping fees. Free magazine.
Continuing Service Plan: No More Major Repair Bills! Get a Fast Quote
RV Emergency Road Service: Special Low Rate! Join Today.
Good Sam VIP Insurance for RVs. Free Quote.
READ BACK ISSUES
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Finance your RV at RVfinancing.com
RVfinancing.com is THE largest online RV financing company. Lowest rates nationwide. Visit its website or call 1-888-929-4424. Toll-free 24-hour recorded RV financing tips at 877-905-0060. Endorsed by RVtravel.com
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.
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. Clapper/Loader: Emily Woodbury.
Books and DVDs about Fulltime RVing
Largest selection in the World.
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 and the Family Motor Coaching Association. RV Travel is copyright 2009 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.
If you read this far, then "thanks a bunch!"
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