Category: Safety on the Road
Bear Attack Reported at Arizona Campground
June 1, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
An Arizona woman was injured this morning (May 1) when a bear ripped a hole in the tent where she, her husband, and their dog had been sleeping at Ponderosa Campground in Tonto National Forest, just off Highway 260 about 10 miles east of Payson. Grizzly bear attacks tent. (Source: Thomas J/travelooce.com) The attack occurred around 4:30 a.m. After tearing open the tent, the bear reportedly stuck its head in and clawed at the 74-year-old woman, leaving her with bruises and a laceration on her scalp. She was treated at Payson Regional Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries and released. The woman’s husband and dog were not hurt. A large adult bear had recently been seen hanging around the campsite dumpsters. A wildlife manager with Arizona Game and Fish Department visited Ponderosa Campground yesterday looking for the bear, but it was not found. A culvert-style trap was set. The wildlife manager talked to the campground host about precautions, and all campers were informed... [Read more...]
DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!
May 22, 2012 by Professor95 · 6 Comments
Kevin and Debbie Clark own a 2011 Chevy 2500 pick-up with a full-length bed. The truck is used to tow their 2009 Cardinal fifth wheel trailer. Kevin is extremely proud of his metallic silver truck and is meticulous about how he connects to his trailer. The fifth wheel hitch is a Reese 22K set on bed rails bolted to the bed and frame of the truck. The set-up is strong and easily handles the trailer in both braking and hard pulling maneuvers. . Kevin’s checklist includes: ● opening the tailgate ● chocking the trailer wheels ● setting the trailer kingpin to the height of the hitch jaws ● releasing the handle to close the hitch jaws ● carefully backing into the trailer kingpin while watching for the actuation of the jaw handle to move out and then back in indicating that the jaws have latched tightly around the kingpin. ● Push the jaw locking lever down on the release handle ● Raise the front landing jacks about an inch off the... [Read more...]
Top 10 things Campers Should Know about Ticks
May 20, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 3 Comments
There ARE more ticks in more places than ever before. Blacklegged ticks or Deer ticks Tick encounter rates are soaring, and experts are predicting 2012 to be one of the worst years for Lyme disease transmission due to higher than normal deer tick infection rates. Deer ticks also are known as blacklegged ticks in the U.S., sheep ticks in Europe, or Taiga ticks in Asia. Do you know THE BEST ways to keep yourself, your family, and your pets safe? Back in the day, we had ticks. Big, yucky American dog ticks. They usually crawled to the top of your head, you felt a lump, pulled the tick out, flushed them—or found some other form of revenge—and that was that. Usually no one got sick. Ticks were mostly just an annoyance, and that’s what people knew about ticks. American dog ticks are still around but these days, there’s another tick, a tiny blacklegged tick, smaller than a freckle. It’s also known as the deer tick, and it crawls up under clothes, latches on without much fanfare,... [Read more...]
Charges Laid in Death of Alberta RVers
April 27, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) has charged Travis Vader, 40, with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Lyle and Marie McCann. Lyle and Marie McCann. Photo courtesy Global Vader had been identified for some time by authorities as a suspect in the disappearance, but had yet to be charged. It’s been more than twenty months since Lyle and Marie McCann went missing during a road trip from their home in St. Albert, a northern suburb of Edmonton, Alberta to visit family in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. The McCanns, both in their 70s, were last seen July 3, 2010 fueling up their motorhome at a gas station in their hometown of St. Albert. Their credit card had not been used since they bought that gas. Their burning RV was found two days later at Minnow Lake campground near Edson, Alberta, about 120 miles west of Edmonton. The registration was pulled out of the motorhome before it was destroyed by fire; the documents showed that the McCanns were the owners. On July... [Read more...]
Woodall’s Campground Data Now On Board Rand McNally RV GPS Devices!
April 10, 2012 by Guest Blogger · 2 Comments
Just in time for the spring RVing season, Rand McNally has added the Woodall’s campground directory into its top-selling TripMaker® RVND™ GPS devices. Woodall’s, part of the Good Sam family of RV clubs, community and publications, is North America’s leading source of campground information for RVers and campers. With the addition of thousands of Woodall’s reviewed campgrounds and amenities, the TripMaker® RVND™ devices now feature more than 250,000 RV-focused locations, such as campgrounds and RV service centers, as well as millions of additional general points of interest. “A year ago, Rand McNally introduced the first GPS device developed specifically for RVers and campers, and the response has been exceptionally strong,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally. “The addition of the Woodall’s information provides RVers with a leading source of vetted campground data that no one else provides in a GPS device.” Two weeks ago at The Rally in Phoenix, Rand McNally... [Read more...]
AN ELEPHANT ON ROLLER SKATES – Taking care of E-Z Lube Wheel Bearings on Your Towable.
April 7, 2012 by Professor95 · 6 Comments
Can you imagine an Elephant on Roller Skates? Besides being able to actually stand-up and skate, the sheer weight of an elephant on the small axles, bearings, and wheels of roller skates brings images of frequently broken parts to my mind (Elephant on Roller Skates sketch by James Suhr) . Realistically, a large towable riding on a conventional spindle and bearing system isn’t much different than putting an elephant on roller skates. That is a lot of weight for such small parts to handle. Specially designed parts to handle the weight and suspension abuse our fast deteriorating highways inflict on our RV towables is a must. But, without proper maintenance, those parts will fail. Wheel bearings are constantly being exposed to water, dirt and heat – all enemies of even the best engineering designs. A ritual that is performed at least on an annual basis with our towable is inspecting and repacking the wheel bearings. Thankfully, two newer wheel-bearing styles used in the RV industry... [Read more...]
WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN – IT IS GOOD TO HAVE FRIENDS AROUND
March 30, 2012 by Professor95 · 4 Comments
Somewhere between Little Rock, AR and Carrabelle, FL two cross members that support the frame rails on our fifth wheel broke. Initially, I could not tell there was something wrong because the plastic belly panels covered the problem area making it impossible to notice the broken welds. Our first indication that there was a problem occurred when we attempted to open the curbside living room slide and it would not extend. My inspection of the problem resulted in a major shock – the axles under the camper had moved at least 3” toward the left side and the drive rod for the slide-out had been bent by the tire. The tire was ruined and all six spring hangers had bent to approximately a 75 degree angle – they should be 90 degrees to the frame rails. In case you haven’t caught on yet, this is a MAJOR problem that could easily result in many thousands of dollars for repairs and the loss of use of the camper for “who knows how long”. One thing for sure – we were not going to be... [Read more...]
IS YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS?
March 24, 2012 by Professor95 · 3 Comments
I slept in this morning. The past two days had been rough on my aging body while fixing a problem with an ABS brake sensor on the Volvo HDT and replacing the blown A/C compressor on the GMC pickup. I was successful with both projects but they left me with sore muscles, painful hands and stiff joints that needed time to recover. Anyway, as I was sitting in the kitchen eating my Pop Tarts and drinking my morning coffee, the fourth hour of NBC’s Today show was on the TV. It really caught my attention when I noticed that Kellie Pickler was the cohost with Hoda. Now, if you don’t know who Kellie Pickler is you might as well quit reading. But, just in case you are interested, Kellie is a popular Country Music singer and former “American Idol” contestant. She is an extremely talented young woman that is apparently pretty doggone smart as well. OK – I’m getting a little off track so let me get back to my rant. Hoda and Kellie were introducing a segment on what may... [Read more...]
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...]
NASCAR Partners With Good Sam Enterprises to Launch Roadside Assistance Program
March 7, 2012 by Good Sam Team · 1 Comment
LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — Good Sam Enterprises (GSE) is pleased to announce a new partnership with NASCAR® to offer a comprehensive Roadside Assistance Program to those traveling by auto, truck, or SUV. Leveraging GSE’s existing proprietary network of service providers in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the new NASCAR® Roadside Assistance will provide unlimited-distance towing to the nearest network service facility. “Sign & drive” coverage will also be available in Mexico. Coverage will be available for virtually any type of truck, auto, or van and extends to spouse and dependent children at no additional charge. Other services will include mobile mechanic dispatch for minor roadside repairs, tire changes, jump starts, delivery of up to five gallons of fuel if the customer runs out, lockout service, lost key return and much more. Help will be available within the coming months via a downloadable app on the customer’s smart phone.... [Read more...]
