| From RVbookstore.com Archived Issues Weekend of May 9, 2009
Issue 377 of RV Travel  Essential for Fulltimers!2009 Selecting An RV 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! This best selling guidebook is an essential planning tool. Learn more or order.
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Editor's corner By Chuck Woodbury  Follow me on TwitterDear reader,  Legislators in Maine don't want us to park overnight in their public parking lots anymore -- in ANY public parking lot in the state, even if the owners welcome us. If we stay we could be fined $100. A bill is making its way through the state legislature that would turn us into criminals if we stay at Wal-Mart. This makes me really mad. I won't eat any more Maine lobster if this law passes, and that would be a bloody shame because eating Maine lobster is one of the world's finest activities. Still, if Maine lawmakers are so loopy that they actually pass this bill, then other states might do the same thing.I suspect the owners of Maine's RV parks are behind this. They want everyone to stay at their places. That's an admirable goal. But if they want RVers to stay with them, they should provide excellent facilities with excellent service and fair prices, and they should realize that not every RVer wants to stay in an RV park every night. Lawmakers should keep their noses out of this. The fact is, most RVers, me included, don't need hookups all the time. We don't need to pay $30 for an RV park if we just want to pull off somewhere and nod off for awhile. Personally, on a typical RV trip, I stay in an RV park or public campground five nights out of seven. If I find a good place to stay for free, I stay. I like saving money. Sometimes I don't feel like driving 20 miles out of my way to find an RV park and then discover it's a dump or ten yards from the main line of the Santa Fe. I will drive to a KOA when I need an RV park because I know it will be easy to find and clean, plus KOAs have pinball machines. But Mom and Pop RV parks are a mixed bag -- good, bad, ugly. The Escapees RV club alerted me and much of the RV community to what's up in Maine. I agree with the Escapees that this bill needs to die, and fast. If Maine legislators are silly enough to pass it, then in the future if we refuse to pay to sleep in an Official Campground we will be RV outlaws. If you would like to learn more about this legislation and find email addresses and websites where you can reach Maine legislators, tourism officials and newspaper editors, then head here. Do you have a comment? Please leave it at the RVtravel.com Forum. Happy Mother's Day, Moms!  GAIN FAME IN THIS NEWSLETTER: Snap a pic of yourself at your computer reading this newsletter. Email it to chuck (at) RVtravel.com. Be sure to include your hometown or where you are reading the issue. Other comments are welcome, too. Meet some readers to the right above.
 Easy RV Recipes This is an oldie but goodie, packed with yummy recipes plus advice about stocking in the RV kitchen, pre-trip food planning and great recipes for cooking over the campfire when you're "roughing it." Learn more or order. Get the latest RV news headlines at TwitterKeep up with the latest in RV news and information at our new RV Travel headline service at Twitter.com. Plus, you'll be the first to get an alert about each new issue of the weekly RVtravel.com newsletter. Go there now. LEARN HOW TO USE TWITTER. "Twitter Power" is the best "how-to" book about Twitter. Order it from RVbookstore.com DID YOU MISS last issue of this newsletter? If so, read it here. READ BACK ISSUES: Click here. RVtravel.com Forum Update as of 5/8/09 at 3:30 pm: 9,726 registered members, 26,661 messages. RVtravel.com Alexa ranking: 74,695* *Rank in the world among tens of millions of websites. Number of RVtravel.com followers at Twitter: 2,414  Number of free and inexpensive campgrounds now profiled at FreeCampgrounds.com (as of 5/8/09): 1,777  2009 Next Exit DirectoryThis 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. Save money staying overnight at these places for free Even though officials at these places may not come right out and say it's okay to stay overnight in your RV in their parking lots, these stores almost always allow the practice: Wal-Mart, Camping World, Cabela's and Cracker Barrel restaurants. The best place to learn about these places and others is at FreeCampgrounds.com. Hard water? Try the vinegar trick Having spent a number of years in the 'naturally soft water' country of the Pacific Northwest, it was a shock to Russ and Tina De Maris when they learned about the effects of hard water on RV plumbing. Seems like the stuff makes deposits inside pipes, and can even eat through fittings. Read more.  The trains by the (noisy) RV parkThis two-minute video illustrates that when you make a reservation at an RV park, ask if there are train tracks nearby. If so, and you like peace and quiet, you might want to stay somewhere else. The Landa RV Park in New Braunfels, Texas is a case in point. The rent is cheap but you get what you pay for considering the trains roll by at all hours of the day and night. There are a few sites down by the river that aren't quite as loud, but there is no escaping the trains of this noisy park. Watch the video. Answers about RV water filter systems RVers encounter different water quality every time they change campgrounds. Since you don�t know what kind of water you have, you need to consider a water filter system for your rig. Professor of RVing Jim Twamley shows you what he uses. And don's miss the video.  2008 Wal-Mart Atlas & FREE 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. What you need to know about RV generators RV tech Mark Polk writes: "When I worked at an RV dealership, every spring our service department was booked with appointments for generators that either wouldn't start, or if they did start had that all too familiar surging sound. This was a result of letting the generator sit for periods of time without exercising it." Learn what Mark suggests you do to keep your generator humming. Unfair treatment at Colorado State Parks?  Pull into a Colorado State Park with your motorhome and its dinghy and you'll pay $8 for the RV and $8 for the dinghy? So that's $16 -- and we're talking day use here only. But pull in with a pickup and a fifth wheel trailer and you'll pay only $8. Unfair? Seems that way to us. Read more.Four terrific quick tips to make your RVing easierIn this video episode of RV Quick tips, learn a neat trick for airing out your RV's waste holding tanks. Plus learn how to mount a temporary paper towel holder on the exterior of your RV. And how about this? Find out how to use wallpaper to keep your RV's floor and carpet clean. Finally, learn a simple way to keep a pan from burning inside a small RV oven. Click here to watch the video. RV makers: Which are gone, which are still with us  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 Why traveling by RV is like joining the circus RV Travel editor Chuck Woodbury reflects on how, as a young man, he dreamed of joining the circus. It was about the travel, he says -- drifting from place to place. That's what he and many fulltime RVers like to do. Read more. When towing a dinghy, do not back upThat's the advice of Jerry Dale, representing Blue Ox Towing in this short video. If you drive a motorhome and tow a vehicle behind -- or you plan to do so one day -- you should watch this.   Gas Watch Propane Indicator Gauge with glow-in-the-dark dial For RV Travel readers only! Reg. $29.99 -- ONLY $9.95  GasWatch model TVL 212, UL approved propane level indicator and safety gauge is integrated with an easy to see and read colored dial. GasWatch 212 is great with all outdoor propane appliances having QCC Type I connection. "Easy To Connect, Easy To Read, No Tools Required", TVL 212 connects between propane tank and the equipment regulator. Ideal for use with BBQ gas grills, patio heaters, smokers, camping stoves, cookers, RVs, and more. You pay less than half the price you'll pay elsewhere -- only $9.95. This is like stealing! Learn more or order, and see other specials exclusively for RVtravel.com readers. Follow RV Toy Outlet on Twitter
RV and bus maker Thor Industries Inc. reported Monday that its fiscal third-quarter sales fell 41 percent on steep declines in RV volumes. Overall sales for the quarter ended April 30 fell to $415 million from $708 million last year. RV sales fell by nearly half to $311 million from $601 million, while bus sales slipped to $104 million from $107 million. CrankyApe.com buys repossessed RVs from banks, fixes them up and then auctions them to the public. Check out the rigs up for auction right now. Emerald Desert RV Resort of Palm Desert, Calif., has been acquired by Sunland RV Resorts, a luxury outdoor hospitality with seven luxury RV properties in Southern California. A special week rate of $145 is being offered at Emerald Desert through Aug. 31. Call 800-426-4678 for info. Great Lakes RV Center in economically depressed Elkhart, Indiana, sold 30 RVs in April, just five shy of last year's April sales. Strong demand and loosening credit are reasons for higher sales after a dismal start to 2009, according to the company's president. A travel trailer being hauled by a truck overturned Friday on eastbound Interstate 80 near Vacaville, Calif., spilling its sewer tank. Two lanes of the heavily traveled highway were closed for 45 minutes while the stinky mess was cleared. Membership in the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) is down from 108 to 91 manufacturers in recent months due to members dropping out because of the bad economy. New York parks officials have reversed earlier plans to close six upstate campgrounds, with four now scheduled to open for a shortened season.
Several campgrounds have been closed in California's Cleveland National Forest after a dog was mauled by a mountain lion on Tuesday. Check before hiking or camping in the area.  The RV Kitchen: Fix It in Foil
Dear RV Doctor, The three-burner propane stove in my RV seems to take longer and longer to perk a pot of coffee. I recently took a trip in a friend's RV and noticed his propane stove perked coffee much faster. On inspection, I noticed the flames on his burner were about one-inch tall and were a nice two-tone blue. On my stove the flames are blue but they are only about 1/2-inch long. Is there something wrong with my burners? My incoming line? The tanks show a constant 150 pounds pressure with no leaks. Are there newer burners that burn hotter? --Dan Keller 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. It's not too late to join us on the Oregon Trail (get packing, we're leaving next week). Or 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 does your income today compare to two years ago? Answer here. Last week's survey question Past reader surveys and results  Best selling directory of RV services at truck stops!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. Recent RV recalls Each month we list the latest recalls of RVs at RV-Recalls.com. Here are the most recent ones: 2009: January/February 2008: December -- November -- October -- September -- August -- July -- June -- May -- April -- March  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
RV Boondocking Tips Russ and Tina De Maris are the authors of RV Boondocking Basics.
 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. A Woman's Perspective
What do you do about security? Learn more about RVing as a woman.  MORE POPULAR THAN EVER!2009 Trailer Life RV Parks & Campground Navigator CD-ROM America's most popular RV campground directory is now on 2 CD-ROM disks. The user friendly interface provides the ultimate RV travel planning software for the U.S. and Canada. This is the best CD-ROM RV park and campground directory. Retail price: $59.95. Now 38% off -- only $36.99. Learn more or order  The RV KitchenJanet Groene's Creamy Grits 'n Greens Cookbooks for RVers: Big selection at RVbookstore.com  How to cook with an RV's convection ovenIf you have a convection oven and would like to learn how to use it better -- and pick up some great new recipes, you will enjoy the eBook "I've Got A Convection Oven in My RV: Now What?" 2009 RV Show Schedule Bella Terra RV Resort  Grand Opening Celebration May 6-10Now Open for Rental Occupancy! Your dream of five-star, luxury RV living is becoming a reality. Make a RV lot reservation now. Don't forget to ask about our Buy One/Get One Free Promotion.Make a RV lot reservation now. Call toll free 1-866-475-7746 or complete our reservation form online.
Working on the RV road
Excellent book about Workamping: Support Your RV Lifestyle
 Photo of the weekYum, Yum Sometimes, you're driving along with your RV, and you're pretty hungry and you think, "Well, maybe I'll just pull over and make a sandwich." But, just before that happens, you turn a corner and see something that just blows you away (not literally, of course, as that would be very bad). You spot a sign advertising "Bait Sandwiches!" Well, if that doesn't make your taste buds dance a jig, well. . . what the heck will? Our favorite bait sandwich is the "Earthworm Club." Books and DVDs about Fulltime RVing 
Tech Tips with Mark Polk Find out about DVDs and eBooks by RV expert Mark Polk.
RV travel in 1937Traveling by RV wasn't called RVing back in 1937. The RVs way back then were travel trailers (mass produced motorhomes were years away) and the folks who traveled with them were called "Trailerists." In this movie theater newsreel from 1937, you'll meet some RVers from 72 years ago. Pay attention to the fee they paid at the RV park! Click on the video to play. Read about the fascinating history of the RV industry in The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That, available at RVbookstore.com  Advice on DVD from the Better Business Bureau Join host Chuck Woodbury and other RV experts as they explain how to buy an RV. This 50-minute DVD was produced for consumers by the BBB to help them avoid making buying mistakes. Learn to choose the right RV at the right price and avoid heartaches caused by a bad decision. Learn more or order.  Man puts motorhome on "cruise control" to make coffeeThe following "urban legend" has been floating around for a few years. Fact is, it's a bunch of baloney. It goes like this: "In November 2000, Mr. Grazinski purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motorhome. On his first trip, having joined the freeway, he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go into the back to make himself a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly, the RV left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him in the handbook that he could not actually do this. He was awarded $1.7 million plus a new Winnebago." (Are you laughing? -- editor)
RVtravel.com readers special only! 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 novice RV drivers and co-pilots. And experienced RVers, too! 67 minutes. Learn more or order. Check out these RV Travel Forum discussions Swine Flu? Hype or real threat? More than a dozen RVtravel.com readers commented on RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury's comments last issue about the swine flu "pandemic" being overblown. Read the comments here. Wants to tow Jeep I'd like to start towing my 4X4 Jeep Liberty behind the RV when we travel. What do I need to do? I know I'll need a tow bar for it, but what about the brake lights? Do I have to modify the Jeep's wiring? Tow bar recommendations? Is installing the tow bar a DIY type thing? Problem with 3M film on front of RV The factory installed a clear 3M film over the 'nose' of my Holiday Rambler back in October, 2003. The film made it so much easier to wash the bugs off. But now, I see fine cracks throughout like alligator skin. I called my warranty but of course they said it's not covered. Does anyone have a similar problem and can that 3M film be replaced? What's best: Surge or electric brakes with two dolly? I'm shopping around for a used tow dolly to pull behind my class A. From the folks out there who use dollies vs four down, do you use dollies with surge or electric brakes or not? As I look around used, there does not seem to be any available with brakes. Not thinking new because down the road as our experience and adventures increase, plan on going the car four-down route because of the simplicity of it (though more expensive on startup, etc.). How much should I pay the refrigerator repairman? Someone's (friend of ours) on their way to take a look at our Norcold fridge that stopped working last night. How much do these people get per hour? $50 or more? What's the best way to defend against bad guys? What are your means of a weapon in case of an emergency? I know one should always practice safety, beware of your surroundings, cell phone to call 911, park so that your RV door is to the busy side (i.e. overnight at Wal-Mart, Travel Plaza), alarms, and so on. But what if you come in contact with folks who are up to no good? Do you have a gun, Tazer, mace, pepper spray, knife, axe; baseball bat? I feel naked out there because we do not carry any type of weapon to fight back. Seems like there are circumstances where one might need such a weapon for a defensive posture.  Deep Cycle Batteries DVD shows how to use them Deep Cycle Batteries run the "house" part of your RV -- not an engine. Problems with deep cycle batteries are usually because an owner did not understand how to properly maintain them. With this DVD by RV Education 101's Mark Polk, learn to maintain your batteries and extend their life.
Interesting Forum  Communicating on the Road: How do you stay in touch with friends, family and business associates while on the road with your RV? Here is a terrific place to share information about cell phones, Internet access, PDA devices, laptop computers, email programs, and anything else related to staying in touch while traveling. Visit the forum.Read other Forum discussions  Best seller!Find Rest Areas, Welcome Centers & more With the 2008 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. Trivia The Wright Brothers were not the first to fly in heavier-than-air aircraft. People were flying in gliders long before the Wright Brothers were even born. But those gliders didn't have engines. That's what the Wrights added to their aircraft that put them in the record books. 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 Random RV Thought On those occasions when you're traveling by car and not with an RV, and you pull into a rest area, you can get a little bit depressed. It happens when see happy RVers walking in and out of their RVs, or maybe you see them sitting inside having a snack. You stare at them and realize that all you have is a car, which is totally boring compared to an RV.  DVD: Choosing An RV: A Logical Approach Now HALF PRICE -- just $9.95 If you plan to buy an RV, then you must see this! RV experts Joe and Vicki Kieva outline a game-plan that helps RV shoppers target an RV that's right for them. "Steal" this DVD for half its retail price of $19.95 -- only $9.95! Learn more, see a short video or order. Bill's Hints "Trailers usually have a battery (sometimes two) that operates interior lights, blowers, fans and pumps. These batteries are charged when the vehicle engine is running and the trailer is connected to the tow vehicle. They are also charged any time the trailer is plugged into 120 volt power." -- From Trailers and Fifth Wheels Made Easy. 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.
Tourist Attraction Spotlight
 Learn all about sponges at SpongoramaOnce you visit Spongorama in Tarpon Springs, Florida, you will never want to buy an artificial sponge again. You'll want the real thing -- an honest-to-goodness sponge that once lived in the ocean. Years ago, Tarpon Springs had a huge sponge industry. Divers pulled the soft little critters up from the local Gulf waters like crazy. Then cheap, phony sponges came along and nobody wanted real sponges anymore. So the sponge divers had to find other work, just like many Americans today who lose their jobs to people in China. If you would like to learn more about sponges, past and present, Spongorama is your kinda place. You can even buy a sponge to take home. Restaurants and trinket shops are nearby, so take your time and have some fun. Do you know of a terrific tourist attraction? Share it with the readers of this newsletter in the RVtravel.com forum.
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  Best book on the subjectThe Complete Book of Boondock RVing Yearn to camp in the wild beside a babbling mountain brook or with a remote panoramic vista? This is the complete guide to camping without hookups (aka "dry camping"). Learn more or order.
Bumper Snicker
Worth Pondering "Winning is not a sometime thing; its an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit." --Football coach Vince Lombardi
READ BACK ISSUES of this newsletter: Click here.  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 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. 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!" Looking for a used motorhome? 
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