| From RVbookstore.com Archived Issues Issue 351 of RV Travel  RVs for saleMotorhomes, Travel Trailers, Fifth Wheels, Truck Campers, Pop ups and much more. See the big selection at NewRVer.com. Click here 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.com Editor's corner By Chuck Woodbury
By this time next week, we will finally know who our next President will be. I, for one, will be glad to at least know, regardless of the outcome. In this week's reader survey (see below), we ask who you will vote for. The way things are going at the gas pump, we may be paying 25 to 35 cents less for a gallon of fuel by the time this newsletter rolls around next Saturday. In my hometown of Edmonds, Wash., we are down to $2.55 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. In some parts of the USA, the price has dipped below $2. This is good news for all Americans (and Canadians who will be traveling here), especially for the many RV snowbirds who are en route south at this very moment or will be soon. * * * DURING A LITTLE DAY DREAMING earlier this week, I found myself thinking of things I had found while traveling with my RV -- items along the road -- money and tossed or lost stuff -- not necessarily very valuable, but good enough to keep. Have you found anything valuable or interesting? Read my short blog entry and leave a comment, okay? 15 SECOND SURVEY: Were you able to watch the video above without problems? Read my blog. Updated often.
Notices Chat with RV Travel on Sunday  Please join RV Travel Forum Moderator Adrienne Kristine and editor Chuck Woodbury this Sunday evening, November 2, beginning at 6 p.m. (Pacific Time) for an informal online chat. You do not need to be a member of our forum to participate, but if you are, please log in with your user name so others will recognize you. To participate, go to http://www.rvtravel.com/chat . When you log in, please type in the chat room RVTravel. 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. Learn more or order. Recent RV recalls Each month we list the latest recalls of RVs at RV-Recalls.com. Here are the most recent ones: September -- August -- July -- June -- May -- April -- March -- February -- January  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 Is your toad both legal and safe? Professor of RVing Jim Twamley profiles a braking system for vehicles being towed behind a motorhome. The Toad Stop system has many great features, writes Jim, but what he appreciates the most is that the major components are located under the hood and out of the way. Read more AND see the video. Trailer, fifth wheel RV maker Ameri-Camp calls it quits RV maker Ameri-Camp has closed its doors. The company manufactured the following fifth wheel lines: Summit Ridge, Wrangler and Trail Boss. Its travel trailer models: Trail Cross, Summit Ridge, Ridge Runner and Wrangler. Read more.
A week doesn't pass in the USA where a town somewhere doesn't pass a law prohibiting overnight RV parking on city streets. In many cases, RVs are not even permitted in driveways or in side yards of their owners' homes. The reason for the "no street parking" laws are illustrated in this video from Oakland, Calif., showing the RVs of homeless persons parked on city streets for weeks, even months at a time. Watch the video. Arizona RVer dodges jail bullet over Canadian firearms violation A U.S. citizen should be grateful he has poor health -- it kept him out of a potential three-year "visit" to a Canadian prison after he tried to enter the country with a cache of undeclared weapons. Learn more.
UPDATED  Big Rigs Campground Directory CD-RomThe popular Big Rigs Best Bets Campground Directory is now available on CD-ROM. This is the premier guidebook to RV parks that cater to large RVs. Originally only available in printed form, the publishers have now released the information in a searchable CD-ROM. Learn more. 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. READ BACK ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER: Click here. 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.Thousands of RV Snowbirds drive to Mexico during the winter months to vacation. Mexpro.com, a leading provider of insurance for Mexico recently released a list of tips about driving to Mexico this winter. Read more. Getting online while on the RV road Digital RVer blogger Scott Koegler recently spent six weeks traveling 6,000 miles in his RV. Scott edits several newsletters and had to stay connected while on the road. In this posting he tells about how he does it and provides a list of the equipment he carries to ensure that he can get online pretty much whenever he needs to. Bike carrier accepts variety of frames, sizes If you've ever lugged a bicycle or two on your RV excursions, you know how frustrating bike carriers can be. Cequent Towing -- the parent company of Reese, who makes fifth wheel hitches -- says it has the answer in its "Highland SportWing" bike carrier, designed to accommodate two bicycles. Read all about it.  Find Services at Interstate ExitsNever take a wrong exit off an Interstate highway again. The 2008 Next Exit lists every exit along every Interstate and details exactly what you will find at each: gas stations (including which brands and if they offer diesel), campgrounds, truck stops, casinos, laundries, retail stores, drug stores, hospitals, rest areas, and more! Tailgate a big rig truck: save gas! Ever heard that advice -- that by following close behind a big rig truck you can get pulled along in its draft and thus improve your gas mileage? When one "expert" on fuel efficiency recently offered this advice as a way to help increase a motorist's gas mileage, a howl went out by truckers. "Yeah, you may save some gas, but you'll also be dead!" Read more.
We told you about this short video earlier this year, but in case you missed it, take a 90-second cruise with RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury aboard a Washington state ferry. The state's ferry system is the largest in the world. In this video, Chuck brought along his video camera to provide an idea of what a ride is like aboard one of these huge boats. RVing romance author gives advice to would-be writers Bess McBride writes romance novels as she travels with her RV. People often ask her, "How do you decide what to write about?" In her latest installment at RVromance.com, Bess answers this question and tells about how she got her start as an author of romance novels.  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.  Half of RV Travel readers own their RVs outrightAccording to a recent survey, a whopping 50 percent of RVtravel.com readers have no monthly payments on their RVs, but own them outright. Only eight percent have payments of more than $1,000 a month, and less than one percent pay more than $2,000. About one third of the newsletter's readers pay about $250 to $1,000 a month. See the survey results and read the comments. What about television watching in Quartzsite? With the dire warnings about "your television signal could disappear" some have wondered what the story is in the RV winter mecca of Quartzsite, Arizona. For those RVers coming to Quartzsite who want to get free programming off the air with a TV antenna, there are two signals floating in the heavens. But come February 17, 2009, television signals will switch to digital. Find out what that means.  Looking for a job while you travel?
 RV Quick Tips: Three easy do-it-yourself projectsFrom the TV program RV Today, see how to create and adapt a traveling workbench and vice into your RV hitch receiver. Also learn how to strengthen the storage compartment support beneath your RV bed by using closet rod hangers and PVC pipe. Finally, for those occasions where you need to get under the rig, the video recommends to carry a lightweight camping pad which can do double duty for exercising. Watch the short video. Lightweight truck camper hits the market There's buzz in the truck camper circles these days: Have you seen the Escape Pod? This lightweight truck camper from Australia is designed to be used with a Chevrolet Colorado, which can get 20 miles to the gallon. And, very unusual for a truck camper, the entrance door is on the side, not the back. Read more and see pics. Visit Arizona's Finest RV Resorts Leave the cold and enter the warmth and fun of sunny Arizona. Click here to view resorts
 Electric system issue likely culprit in devastating motorhome fireWatch as fire fighters try in vain to save this recent model motorhome. Listen closely and you will hear the RV's owner say that the RV had experienced "electrical issues." According to Mac the Fire Guy, the best known authority on motorhome fires, the three most common reasons for RV fires are, in order, problems with engines, refrigerators and 12-volt electrical systems. Watch the video at MotorhomesOnFire.com. Tin Can Tourists: RVers of yesteryear are remembered today  Tin Can Tourists were early day RVers who braved the elements to drive their primitive RVs across the U.S. before highways were paved, staying overnight by the side of the road, dining on tin cans of food on a gasoline stove and bathing in cold water. Today, the Tin Can Tourists, a revival of the club of yesterday with the same name, celebrates classic trailers and motor coaches through annual gatherings of owners and friends! Check out the club's website, and be sure to visit the photo section to see hundreds of pics of restored RVs.California state parks looking for camp hosts The California State Park system has more than 270 state parks. Miles of breathtaking coastline, remarkable wetlands, majestic redwood forests, beautiful deserts and colorful valleys provide a variety found nowhere else in the world. Volunteer camp host positions are available at more than 100 parks.  Explorer RV InsuranceGET 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 Last week's survey question Past reader surveys and results  ROADTREKMOTORHOMES The Fuel Efficient Motorhomes You'll Love to Drive! Learn all about them here.
 The 2008 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 at a huge discount. Trivia In 1943, the National Broadcasting Company owned two networks, NBC Red and NBC Blue. The federal government ordered NBC to sell one of its networks. Enter Edward Noble. With his Life Saver millions, he bought NBC Blue and changed its name to the American Broadcasting System, known today as ABC.  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.
video tour of Bella Terra. RV Boondocking Tips Need to keep cool? By Russ and Tina De Maris You can keep you and your rig cool without the expense of firing up your air conditioner even on fairly hot days. One secret is properly using your rig's awning combined with a shade cloth screen. Orient your rig so that as little of the rig is exposed to the sun during the hot part of the day. Run out your awning and tilt it to provide as much shade as possible. Some RV suppliers sell "awning track eyelets" which are reinforced cloth gadgets that fit in your RV awning track. With these gizmos in place, hook one end of an "S" hook in the awning track, the other end to an eyelet in your shade cloth. Viola! Instant "Arizona Room," where you can retreat from the heat of the day. 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.  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.  RV Tech Tip by Mark PolkTips to make your RV fridge run more efficiently Learn how to winterize your RV with Mark's best-selling DVD. Find out about DVDs and eBooks by RV expert Mark Polk. FMCA: Check out these RV Travel Forum discussions 50 amp service question I have a 220 volt outlet in my garage on a 50 amp breaker. Does anyone know if I can plug my 50 amp service into this or is it too much voltage? Is sewage smell at campground normal? Well, we took our first outing to an actual campground/RV park. Our site was a little small and not much room for the kids to run around. Our dogs, well, this was the first time they have been tethered in about seven years. They did okay: only barked a bit. My question is there was a constant sewage smell at the campground. Is this typical? Hot water runs out fast in the shower It was a cold night and the enjoyment of taking a nice hot shower in our RV in the morning came to a screeching halt after about four minutes of hot water as I stood there with soap all over me as fresh, ice cold mountain water came out of the shower head. Anyway, we have the hot and cold knob and the shower head on a flexible hose. Is there a gizmo made that would allow me to shut the water off at the shower head during lathering without having to readjust the hot and cold? Genset start hookup question Now that I have an inverter/charger and battery bank, I want to add a 4K genset. When the Onan is running, there is a trickle charge going to charge the start battery. Do I use the same battery bank for starting or do I need a separate Onan battery? If the battery bank is used, how does the inverter's charger act with the Onan's trickle charge? How does the trickle charge work trying to feed 4 big batteries? Inconvenient location of light switch Our 29-foot 2007 Arctic Fox 5th wheel lights located over the dining table has the switch located on the front wall 20 feet away. Has anyone ever changed this so that the lights can be turned on and off while sitting at the table? Interesting Forum:  Truck Campers: Read all about these very cool type of RVs. Ask a question or leave a tip for other truck camper fans.Read other Forum discussions  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 "Any device that burns fuel produces carbon monoxide, a very dangerous gas to inhale. Make sure the wind does not carry your generator exhaust (or a neighbor's) in through your window." --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 RV Check-List Bumper Snicker  LOW, LOW PRICE! RV in your Retirement Anyone who is close to retirement or who recently retired and is planning to spend all or part of their time traveling with an RV will find much useful information in "RV Retirement." SPECIAL LOW PRICE. Learn more or order. Worth Pondering "Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy." --Groucho Marx RV Links. Learn about the best RV websites at RV-links.com. RVbuyingTips.com. Get good advice here. Books and DVDs about Fulltime RVing READ BACK ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER: Click here.  Visit Camping World for RV supplies and accessories About the editor Chuck Woodbury has been exploring America by RV off and on for nearly three decades. In the '90s he published a quirky travel newspaper about his adventures, and for six years was an "on the road" writer for the New York Times Syndicate. Nowadays, he lives near Seattle where he drinks massive amounts of coffee (required by law) and travels when he can in his motorhome and sometimes by plane when vast expanses of saltwater would turn his RV into a leaky submarine. 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. If you read this far, then "thanks a bunch!" © Copyright 2007 by RVbookstore.com |
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