| From RVbookstore.com Archived Issues Weekend of May 23, 2009  2009 RVers Friend
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Editor's corner By Chuck Woodbury  Follow me on TwitterDear reader,  How often do you use your RV? A couple of weeks a year? A few months? Probably not surprising to you, there are hundreds of thousands of RVers who live all the time in their RVs, or at least most of the time. Nobody knows how many people live full-time in RVs. It could be a million or more. But what I do know is that a lot of people live and travel full-time in an RV and many others dream of the day when they can, too. For most, it's a very good life.RVs are so comfortable now that it's easy to live in one, enjoying nearly all the comforts of home. And the freedom is incredible -- to go where you want, when you want and bring along your easy chair, too. It's a satisfying, stimulating life for people who yearn for adventure.  Recently, during a brief visit to Quartzsite, Ariz., I was invited into the fifth wheel winter home of a full-timing couple. They were parked in the wide-open desert with no hookups. As I drove toward the RV, it seemed lonely out there. But as I got closer, I noticed that the couple had manicured their little piece of desert with a rock-lined front walkway and had placed a few potted plants in the shade of their awning. And several lawn chairs were atop a few square yards of artificial turf.Inside, there was plenty of room for two people with all the creature comforts -- spacious kitchen, TV, computer, big bedroom with bathroom -- everything two people would need to live with ease and comfort. Outside, solar panels harnessed the energy of the sun to provide ample electricity. Just as I had entered the RV, the cell phone rang: one of the couple's children was calling from the Midwest. The cell phone did double duty as the link to the Internet. "How different was this from a 'home' that didn't move?" I thought. It seems to me, as even more of the baby boom generation enters their senior years, that even more of them (as well as younger people who can work while on the road), will take up full-time RVing. It's a heck of a lot less expensive in most cases than maintaining a home, a lot "greener" (overall, even factoring in gas for travel, you use less energy in the small space than in a traditional home), and in most cases more exciting than sitting at home. Permission is granted to reprint the essay above on any RV-related website as long as a credit is provided to RVtravel.com with a link to http://www.RVtravel.com. * * * P.S. I will be in Cooperstown, New York late next week to attend a wedding. I plan to do a little sightseeing while there. If you have any suggestions of places to see or things to do, please drop me a line at chuck(at)rvtravel.com. (I already know about the National Baseball Hall of Fame).  MILESTONE AHEAD FOR OUR FORUMOur RVtravel.com forum will soon hit 10,000 members! This has become one of the leading information sources for RVers on the Web. Check it out.
 2009 Choosing Your RV Home BaseFor 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. 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. 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 5/22/09 at 5:30 pm: 9,840 registered members, 26,927 messages. RVtravel.com Alexa ranking: 72,901* *Rank in the world among tens of millions of websites. Number of RVtravel.com followers at Twitter: 2,878  Number of free and inexpensive campgrounds now profiled at FreeCampgrounds.com (as of 5/22/09): 1,791  Trailers & 5th Wheels Made EasyThis is a terrific book. There's tons of concise tips and advice that will make RVing with your travel trailer of fifth wheel much better whether you are a new RVer or veteran. This is a best seller year in and year out. Learn more or order. Roads made of wood carried early motorists In the early days of auto travel, motorists faced a huge obstacle when traveling west from Yuma, Ariz., into California: 40 miles of sand dunes. To make travel by auto even possible, a narrow wooden plank road was built. It did the job, but not very well. Read the editor's story about this fascinating project. Read more and see a photo of the road.  How to replace an RV electric plugEven if you own an expensive motorcoach like Jim Twamley, it's probably equipped with cheap electric plugs -- which will often fail. In this article and accompanying video, Jim shows you how to remove your coach's standard plug and replace it with a more sturdy one. Read the article and watch the video demonstration. Free RV camping, lots of sand at Ocotillo Wells If you like the thrill of roaring up and down dunes in your hopped-up off-roader, and want to mix it with free boondocking, then you'll want to check out Ocotillo Wells. An 80,000 acre off-roader's paradise, it's a California State Park-managed area south of Indio, California. Learn more.
 Wal-Mart Atlas & FREE Bonus "No Overnight RV Parking" DirectoryOrder 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! Both books for less than $20! Learn more or order. In the short video, Chuck Woodbury tells you more.
Will the real Quartzsite please stand up? The politics of America's RV snowbird capital are a mess. The mayor just resigned, and two city council members may be recalled. Some folks want the town to grow up to be bigger and better, others want it to remain what has made it popular so far -- home to wall-to-wall flea markets, gem shows, and tens of thousands of RV snowbirds each winter season. Who will win? Will Quartzsite turn into just another dusty spot in the road? Read more here.  Only good news here is that burning RV didn't spread to buildingIt's lucky that the flames from this burning Class C motorhome didn't spread to the nearby building. We're probably safe to assume that this motorhome has seen its last camping trip. Do you agree? Watch the short video. What You Need to Know About RV Fresh Water Systems -- Part 2 Last time we discussed using "city water" in a campground or RV park. When you're away from city water, you've suddenly become your own water utility company. How can you make sure your water is pure and safe? Here are some tips. Important advice to RVers who travel with pets This is from the Ask Heloise newspaper column: "We just returned from an RV vacation in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and one of the RV owners has a sign in the vehicle's front window indicating 'In an emergency or power failure, please remove pets from inside.' If the power goes out in the campground, pets can become very hot quickly, which apparently happened to this lady before."   Electric flyswatter zaps bugs For RV Travel readers only!  Reg. $14.99 -- ONLY $3.95 The Electronic Fly Swatter kill flies and mosquitoes instantly -- zaps the critters with a simple wave of the clever device. There's no hazard to humans or pets. Electric Fly Swatter kills insects upon contact when activated and has no smell, no poison or harmful  materials. And it's safe for indoor or outdoor use -- and great at the campground! Electric Fly Swatter is praised as the most effective, convenient, and hygienic insect terminator, as it leaves no smudge, smear or mess to clean up afterwards. Learn more or order, and see other specials exclusively for RVtravel.com readers.
The American Automobile Association reports that 32.4 million people will likely travel 50 or more miles from home this Memorial Day weekend, up about a half million from last year. Outdoor RV and Marine LLC, a Columbia (Missouri)-based boat and RV dealer, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Mackie and Gail Daniels of Lake Park, Georgia won a new Keystone travel trailer worth more than $27,000 in a contest sponsored by the RV maker. Their name was selected from more than 50,000 entries. After being closed for almost five years, the Angeles Crest Highway, State Route 2 near Wrightwood, Calif., was opened to traffic Wednesday. -- Farther north, Tioga Pass, Highway 120, opened Tuesday across the Sierra Nevada range in central California; Glacier Point Road, which leads to the lookout over Half Dome and Yosemite Valley at Yosemite National Park, has opened. -- In Washington state, route 20 is now open through North Cascades National Park. -- The Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park is still partially closed. -- Snow on the 33-mile Rim Drive in Oregon's Crater Lake National Park is still being plowed: the park's popular Mazama Campground should open about June 1. -- Traffic is a mess on I-80 over Donner Pass in the Sierra: RVs and big trucks are being diverted part of the route to two-lane California route 20. In the past few months, robbers have hit Camping World and RV dealers along the 1-35 corridor from San Antonio to Austin, Texas. Camping World has been robbed four times. Most thefts are of TVs and microwaves from RVs. Got info? Call the police, 830-608-2179. RV dealer Dan Gamel, Inc. has closed its Anderson, Calif. business, but two former employees plan to reopen a dealership in June at the Redding-area location under the name B&B RV. Damon Motor Coach, a Thor Industries subsidiary, has announced it is back to five full days of production, has a backlog of orders and has hired back some workers and intends to hire more.  Save on these best sellers!Mountain Directories East & West Driving into the mountains with your RV? Be careful, there are some nasty grades. Here, in two volumes, are the premier guides to the mountain passes and steep grades of the American East and West -- more than 700 passes all together. You save $5 when buying both these guides together. Learn more or order.
Dear RV Doc, Recently, while on a trip, my hot water heater wouldn't ignite. The technician at the dealer examined it and said there is oil in the propane lines and that I should break the line at the lowest point and at the heater, and then blow the oil out from the appliance towards the tanks. I am hesitant to open the line for fear of leaks in the future. Is there a better way to clear the lines? What can be done to prevent oil buildup in the future? --Russell Adams 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 Is your present RV too big, too small or just right? Answer here. Last week's survey question Past reader surveys and results  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.
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.
 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 Gold Medal Pork Chops Bonus Recipe: Brown Rice Seafood Supreme Cookbooks for RVers: Big selection at RVbookstore.com  The Digital RV -- only $11.99 Reg. $21.54. Limited supply at this price. Learn everything "digital" as it relates to an RVer: Connecting to the Internet, enjoying a stereo system that weighs ounces, managing digital photos and more. Retail price $21.54. Now only $11.99. Learn more or order. 2009 RV Show Schedule
 Message from editor of Workamper NewsWorkamper News is considered the number one source of information and jobs about working while traveling with an RV. In this three-minute video, editor Steve Anderson explains how Workamper News can help both would-be workampers and companies who seek to employ them. Excellent book about Workamping: Support Your RV Lifestyle
 Photo of the weekWow! Big tires, for sure! And you thought your RV tires were big? We found these at an open pit gold mine in rural Nevada, where they are used on huge earth movers. We're not sure how much a tire like this costs, but we found similar tires for sale in central California for as much as $33,500 each! Care to buy a set? Books and DVDs about Fulltime RVing 
Tech Tips with Mark Polk Find out about DVDs and eBooks by RV expert Mark Polk.
The Good Ol' Days  Yup, fifteen cents for a burgerYes, young people of America, there really was a time when you could get a burger, fries and a milkshake for less than a dollar. This sign once stood atop Ray Kroc's first McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, which opened on March 2, 1955 with a whopping $366.21 in sales. The first-ever McDonald's was opened in 1940 in San Bernardino, Calif., by Dick and Mac McDonald. That first store's location is now the corporate headquarters of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain. At last count, there were more than 31,000 McDonald's worldwide. Read about the fascinating history of the RV industry in The Dumb Things Sold Just Like That, available at RVbookstore.com  2009 Fuel Finder Pocket Edition -- ONLY $4.95Put this pocket-sized guidebook in your glove box and use it to find truck stops and other fueling locations that cater to RVers and truckers, and offer diesel fuel. More than 6,500 locations in the USA and Canada (mostly U.S.) are listed. Only $4.95. Learn more or order.  Stupid questions tourists askThere's no such thing as a stupid question. Right? Not if you ask the National Park rangers who compiled this list of actual questions asked by park visitors. At Grand Canyon National Park: "Was this man-made?" "Is there an elevator to the bottom?" "Do you light it up at night?" "Is the mule train air-conditioned?" "Where are the faces of the presidents?" At Alaska's Denali National Park: "What time do you feed the bears?" "How often do you mow the tundra?" "How much does Mount McKinley weigh?" At Everglades National Park: "Are the alligators real?" "Are the baby alligators for sale?" From RVjokes.com  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. Check out these RV Travel Forum discussions Vet seeks full-time RVing advice "I am ready to take the leap into full-timing (I think/hope). I've received a lot of good information from many different posts and am ready to ask a few dumb questions myself. I am retired Air Force and looking at Class C RVs and am curious if anyone can give me advice on which makes are the best for the money. I have been looking at Fleetwood Tioga, Coachmen, and Dutchmen. But if anyone knows of better ones please let me know. Is there anyone out there who is full-timing in a Class C? If so, what is it like living in one full-time? I am a little leary going from a 2200 square foot house into an RV, but I've got the bug and won't be happy until I at least try. Thanks all and look forward to reading a lot of good responses (I hope)." How do I hook up a television? "I have been reading around the board and see that people run their TVs off the 12v with a power inverter. I have outlets that have a 12v plug with the cable hookup. Why? Why isn't the 110ac plug being utilized? I'm sure there is a good reason, but just don't know why. If it's so you can watch TV with no electrical hookups, how do you keep your battery from dying? BTW, in my area ( Pittsburgh, PA), Target has a 19" LCD with a built-in DVD player on sale for $230. Thought it was a great deal and picked one up for the trailer. Thanks in advance for the help." Generator starter power? "Where should the generator get its starting power, from the coach batteries or the engine battery? Mine is presently getting it from a smaller temporary battery, but was originally wired to the coach batteries. I'm going to remove the small temporary battery and hook it back up to the coach batteries. It just seems like the engine battery would be the place to connect it to. Opinions?" Question about trailer wheel bearings I had the wheel bearings repacked on a 1999 24-foot Terry in April '08, and then only towed it about 400 miles and placed it into storage. Did not do any further towing since. Now I plan a 4000-mile "excursion." Do the bearings need another repack or should they go the distance on last year's repack? Also, is this a type of maintenance procedure similar to doing such work on a car? I have repacked car wheel bearings in the past and wonder if I should be able to handle it with this trailer? Thanks for any advice! Satellite TV in the Far North We are planning an Alaska trip next summer. We have DirecTV satellite service. Does anyone know how far north we will be able to get programming?  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  RVing with ChildrenDo you travel with children on your RV trips? If so, here is where to share information about how to do it, or how to do it better. If you're full-timing with children, discuss homeschooling. And if you bring your grandkids with you, this is a good place to discuss any issues about that. This is a terrific resource. Read other Forum discussions
Trivia  This year marks the 75th anniversary of a milestone we are unlikely to witness again: the last 30-win season in the National League. It was pitched by future Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals. Winning 30 games is almost impossible today: Only six pitchers in the past 15 seasons have started as many as 36 games in one season. Even if a pitcher completed all 36 starts, he would be hard-pressed to win 30. DVD: Travel Trailer/Fifth Wheel 101If you just bought a travel trailer or 5th wheel trailer, you'll need to know how to operate it. The onboard systems -- electrical, water, LP gas and waste -- are often confusing to new owners. This one hour DVD from RV Education 101 provides an excellent understanding of how a towable RV's systems work and how to operate them safely. Learn more order. Random RV Thought The best time to camp with an RV, most people will agree, is when the weather is sunny and warm (but not too warm). But even on a cold and rainy day, holing up in an RV can be a special experience. The sound of the rain falling on the roof, combined with feeling secure in a warm and cozy space that's your very own "home sweet home," can be very comforting.  FREE SHIPPING at RVbookstore.com Order $49 or more and choose to pay absolutely no postage or handling fees (USA addresses only). Nearly ALL orders ship same day. Our motto is "You need it so we speed it." RVbookstore.com. Bill's Hints "Uneven tire wear, once it is severe, can't be stopped by realignment or balancing. Replace such a tire before starting a long trip. You don't need the aggravation of replacing it on the road." -- From Motorhomes Made Easy.  Guide to Dog-Friendly campgrounds and RV parksDog Friendly's Campground and RV Park Guide is a jam-packed, well-researched directory of campgrounds, filled with detailed information, about where you can camp with a dog in the USA and Canada. Learn more or order.
Tourist Attraction Spotlight
While this may look like your average RV bed, it's definitely not. See that little piece of blue material in the middle? That's part of a seatbelt -- not a common sight on the bed of an RV. No, this bed is in an airplane -- the Convair 880 private jet once owned by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. If you would like to see the "Lisa Marie" and its bed for yourself, you can tour it at Graceland in Memphis. And, by the way, Elvis paid a whopping $250,000 for the former Delta Airlines passenger jet back in 1975. 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  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
Bumper Snicker
Worth Pondering "Cherish all your happy moments: they make a fine cushion for old age." --Christopher Morley
READ BACK ISSUES of this newsletter: Click here. 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 editorChuck 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!" 
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Ask the RV Doctor 
The 2008-2009 
No, this bed is not in a fancy RV