Category: Preparation & Readiness
Reduce the Risk of Fire in Your RV/Mobile Home
March 22, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 3 Comments
The BC Coroners Service and Office of the Fire Commissioner are urging owners of mobile homes and recreational vehicles and operators of mobile home and RV parks to take special care to prevent fires in the wake of a calamitous New Year’s weekend for fire deaths in British Columbia. Fire safety in a recreational vehicle and mobile home is important. (Credit: klinesrvwisdom.com) From December 29, 2011 to January 2, 2012, seven lost their lives in five separate fires. Three of those fires and five of the deaths occurred in mobile homes or travel trailers being used as living accommodation. The BC Coroners Service and the Office of the Fire Commissioner are continuing to investigate these fires. Studies show that fires in mobile homes and recreational vehicles, especially older units, tend to be more devastating than those in other forms of residence. Mobile home and RV fires claim the lives of 345 Americans each year and injure 765 more according to a fact sheet prepared by United States... [Read more...]
DO I REALLY NEED TO TAKE THAT? Must have tools and parts for RV Camping
March 17, 2012 by Professor95 · 4 Comments
Packing or stocking your RV for an extended camping trip can sometimes be more like a game of chance than a science. The problem is that when you are 90 miles from nowhere at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night and the need for a specific tool or part arises you are up that proverbial creek without a paddle – that is, unless you stock for every imaginable need. Well, let me share with you one of my most inner, deep, dark secrets – this is one of those secrets that only my closest friends and family know. I have an extremely vivid imagination. Couple that with a guy who is an admitted tool junkie and president of his local Tools Anonymous help group along with my passion to fix anything and everything that “might” go wrong and you end up with a big, big box of tools and RV parts that could serve as initial inventory for a new Camping World Store. Anyway, to get to the point, these are the items packed away in that big, dark warehouse of parts, tools and accessories that DID prove... [Read more...]
BIG WHEELS KEEP ON ROLLING -Friends, Family and Funerals
February 18, 2012 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
After a long and difficult illness, Nancy’s Mom died peacefully Sunday night. While it is always sad to lose a loved one, especially a parent, it is also a relief to know her human suffering was over. Born in 1920, she would have been 92 next week. We had been planning on joining a group of our friends in Florida on the Gulf Coast beginning March 1st for a couple of weeks – then suddenly, plans changed. The funeral was to take place in Bryant, Arkansas, some 1,200 miles away, on Saturday. We could fly, drive a four-wheeler or take the RV. We decided to take the RV to Arkansas and then to slowly work our way down to Florida after the Funeral. We found ourselves in a real frenzy preparing for a memorial service in our hometown on Wednesday and de-winterizing the RV for the trip. Somehow, we got it all together and pulled out Thursday morning a little before 5 a.m. It was raining. As most of you know, it is no fun driving in the rain – especially with a big RV. It rained... [Read more...]
Earn Money From Your RV–Teach College!
February 15, 2012 by Diane Berry · 1 Comment
There have been a number of articles posted in recent months on various ways to earn money by working from your RV. My esteemed colleague, Patti, has written several posts on this topic and shared specific details about tutoring students right from her RV. I submitted a post later last year about writing books from your RV and publishing them via Amazon.com’s Create Space division. I want to share another money-making tip today—teaching online college classes right from the comfort of your trailer or camper. There are a number of colleges and universities that offer online classes. If you have any type of connection with a brick and mortar school, you may be able to teach an online class or two for them, giving you the opportunity to travel year round. If you do not currently have such a connection, I would encourage you to explore the numerous schools offering primarily online courses. A few of the most popular include: Capella, Phoenix, Kaplan and Keller, but there are a number of... [Read more...]
A Little Traveling Music, Please…
February 5, 2012 by Diane Berry · 2 Comments
Whenever we embark on one of our road trips, one of the most important considerations is the music that will accompany us on our journey. Over the years, we have come to recognize the true importance of this non-human companion, in terms of creating mood, anticipation and pleasure for our journey. Early on, we experimented with books on tape. While some swear by those, we found they were likely to lull our poor driver, most often my husband Terry, who is an awesome driver, but not such a terrific passenger, to sleep. Even the likes of a Grisham mystery, being read over the car speakers, will soon have heads nodding. So we stick with music for our on-the-road entertainment. We also developed several criteria for just the right accompaniment. It must be upbeat and lively (so as to avoid those nods), it must be something all of us enjoy (or can at least tolerate—my daughter said one thing that impressed her future husband was that she knew the words to all of the songs on the Eagles’ Greatest... [Read more...]
EVERY RV TOOL BOX SHOULD HAVE THEM
February 2, 2012 by Professor95 · 4 Comments
Next to a roll of duct (or duck) tape, a package containing an assortment of zip-ties is one of the most important “fix-it” items you can put in your RV toolbox. First introduced under the name of Ty-Rap in 1958 by Thomas & Betts for assembling airplane-wiring harnesses, the zip-tie has evolved to include every conceivable function – including handcuffs often used by law enforcement. Today they may also be called zap-ties or cable-ties, About the only thing you cannot fix with either duct tape and zip-ties are hot exhaust or tail pipes. Zip-ties usd by law enforcement as hand cuffs (Don't try this at home!) Good quality zip-ties are made of nylon. The black ties are UV protected and suitable for outdoor use over an extended period. White and other colors generally do not have the UV protection chemical added and are designed for indoor use. Unfortunately, many companies have made cheap copies of nylon zip-ties using plastic. These are subject to easy breakage and... [Read more...]
Beating the Winter Blues…
January 29, 2012 by Diane Berry · 5 Comments
As the daylight gets shorter when winter approaches and out sunlight decreases in November and December, many of us in northern climates (and even some in more southern climes) start to experience what is commonly known as the “winter blues.” Add to this, the fact that many of us are not engaging in our favorite pastimes of camping and RVing during this time of the year and things can get downright depressing! While the medical term is “Seasonal Affective Disorder” or SAD, most of us just know this as the blues. Further, many feel they just need to suffer through it; that there is nothing they can do to minimize the symptoms they are experiencing. But there is much you can do if you are affected by this loss of light. First of all, many medical people report that increasing your intake of vitamin D, either in the form of food or by supplement, can make up for the loss of sunlight that winter brings. While you will always want to be sure to check with your physician or other medical... [Read more...]
SAVE 75% or MORE ON YOUR NEXT CORDLESS TOOL BATTERIES (Yes, I like saving money!)
January 25, 2012 by Professor95 · 4 Comments
Battery powered tools can be the mainstay for many RV’ers that like to be prepared for both unexpected needs and maintenance when away from home. I carry a full complement of 18-volt Ryobi power tools, including a drill, flashlight, reciprocating saw, handi-vacuum, and a small chain saw. Other tools such a air compressors, radios, saber saws, circular saws, and leaf blowers also operate off of the same 18-volt nickel cadmium battery pack. I find myself frequently using the drill with a socket that fits scissors jacks to quickly raise or lower the jacks. The drill also serves as an electric screwdriver that recently came in handy when the base of our bed broke apart. Both the reciprocating saw and the 10” chain saw are great for cutting gathered firewood from downed trees or limbs. Of course, you are limited to small diameter wood. Using portable battery operated tools requires several spare batteries as well as a proper charger. If the batteries are old and weak and can... [Read more...]
I LIKE SAVING MONEY!
January 18, 2012 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
I like saving money. Do you like saving money? Hey – I bet you think I am getting ready to front yet another insurance commercial. You know, switch from Lizard to Mastodon, save $500 a year, then switch from Mastodon to Flogressive, and save even $500 more but if you come back to Lizard you can save even $385 more than Allstale, which is $275 lower than E-Assurance? Nope – this one is for real and it can save you more than enough the next time you fill-up that big motor home fuel tank to buy you and the DW a nice lunch. When I first saw the details I thought, “Yea – right, just another credit card trick to sock you with big interest rates”. BUT WAIT! It is not one of those tricks at all. This one is the real deal. So, you ask, “Just how good is this money saving deal?” Well, how about 11 to 14-cents a gallon off the pump price of diesel fuel – and this is not one of those limited purchase deals where you collect points by spending a couple of your pay checks on groceries. THIS... [Read more...]
Soup Is Good (Camping) Food!
January 15, 2012 by Diane Berry · 8 Comments
I’ve written before about meals to make for your family while camping. I want to add a segment today about hot meals that are easy and quick to make: soups. To be honest, I have made these soups more when we’ve been at home than when we’ve been staying in our camper. This is mostly because we hadn’t discovered them until last fall, after our camping was finished for the year. But knowing what I know now, I am planning to buy some for the camper and to incorporate them in many of our camping adventures. Gumbo Ingredients I am speaking of the commercially made soup mixes carried in every grocery store. The brand we started buying, chiefly because they were on sale at the time we found them, is the Bear Creek brand. However, I know there are several different brands on the shelves of the grocery store, even in our city of 33,000 people. The variety is endless. They have Creamy Wild Rice, Cheddar Potato, Chili, Cheddar Broccoli among others. A favorite of our family members is Gumbo.... [Read more...]
