Category: Frugal RV living

Fact Check: Open your tailgate for better fuel economy?

Russ De Maris
By Russ and Tiña De Maris We recently got a “news item” from a Wyoming Dodge pickup dealer marked with the headline: “Removing a truck’s tailgate can boost fuel efficiency.” The balance of this news story was a set of instructions on how to remove the tailgate, and advice on not leaving the tailgate loose inside the pickup bed. Is... Read More

Engine monitors: Drive with safety – and frugality

Russ De Maris
By Greg Illes In 1996, the U.S. auto manufacturers began adhering to (another) new standard. This time it was the On-Board Diagnostic port, or OBD interface to the engine electronics. This port (since evolved to OBD-II) allowed access to a host of engine parameters, from water temperature to fuel flow and other critical operating numbers. The OBD also reads the... Read More

Nine easy steps to holding down fuel costs

Russ De Maris
By Bob Difley In an article in the Financial Edge newsletter from Investopedia.com, Jean Folger points out these nine effective ways to increase your gas mileage by driving more efficiently. This can be even more timely and important as projections for fuel prices appear to be on the rise. And as events from 2017 remind us, unexpected “outside” events and forces... Read More

Is reverse osmosis water safe for your RV batteries?

Russ De Maris
By Russ and Tiña De Maris Not long ago we got a message from a reader who was traveling across the United States. Before he left home, he’d hit the local shopping centers looking for distilled water for use in his RV batteries and, much to his dismay, couldn’t find any. Could he use RO (reverse osmosis) water to keep... Read More

Snowbirds – Can you feast on fresh fruits and veggies?

Russ De Maris
By Bob Difley About 10 percent of all the energy consumed in the U.S. – about 100 billion gallons of oil each year – is used just growing the food we eat. Processing and transporting all those tomatoes, pork chops and strawberries to our table raises the figure to about 17 percent. The Chicago Produce Terminal reports that food in... Read More

Propane exchange could be an expensive pain

Russ De Maris
By Russ and Tiña De Maris Look outside nearly any hardware store, supermarket or Walmart, and there’s the enticing offer: Bring in your empty propane cylinder and “trade it in” for a refurbished full one. With the number of live “filling stations” said to be decreasing, and the “convenience” of nearly 24-hour access to propane, it may seem a real... Read More

Trim your RV weight and increase storage space, too

Russ De Maris
By Adrienne Kristine There is a direct connection between reducing the weight inside your RV and increasing the mileage for every gallon of expensive gas you purchase. Storage space is limited, but you can make the best use of the space you have by thinking outside the box or can. When you shop for groceries and sundries for your home,... Read More

Paying an RV park for power? Read your meter!

Russ De Maris
By Russ and Tiña De Maris Spend any amount of time in a commercial RV park and you’re apt to get a power bill. Since power is expensive anywhere, it’s a bitter pill for RVers when they are often presented with a bill for rates higher than the locals pay. We’ve all heard the “Cost of reading the meter,” “Administrative... Read More

It pays to stop at tourist bureaus and visitor centers

Russ De Maris
  By Bob Difley All area attractions at one time or another offer either discounts, free days, two-for-ones, or other incentives. Always check at every tourist bureau and visitor information location you find and ask about your specific interests – as well as some things you may not have an interest in at present yet you may find interesting and... Read More