Summer’s Here

By Lynn Difley It’s already past Memorial Day weekend, the launching of the summer barbeque season. Time to scrape off the grill and get ready for some good outdoor feasting. Summer barbeques can be a dangerous area for those trying to eat healthier or hold the line on the waistline. If you are hosting, I know you are looking for the best and healthiest offering for your guests, and if you are visiting others, or attending a potluck, you want to enjoy the offerings without padding your hips. Are you a burger and hot dog traditionalist? You can make alterations to enjoy healthier slimmer choices. Start by substituting a 100% wholewheat bun for the soggy white one to add fiber. And what about making it an open face, or single slice treat? Or use a big romaine lettuce leaf for the top layer. You can also reduce the fat; instead of a pork hot dog (300 cals and 25 g fat) choose a turkey burger (160 cals and 9 g fat) or even better, a veggie burger (110 calories 4 grams of fat). Instead of adding cheese, mayo, or bacon to your burger, go for mustard, lettuce, onion, and tomato to add lots of vitamins and no fat. Are you making a big potato salad?  Calorie red alert! More nutritious if you leave the skins on the potatoes–little red ones or Yukon gold have a delicious flavor on their own–no need to slather on dressings.  Substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for mayo. And add onions, celery, pickles, etc to add some crunch and zip. What about making a delicious veggie platter... Read more

2009 K-Z MONTEGO BAY 37KEM

2009 K-Z MONTEGO BAY 37KEM Previously $60,995 – Now $58,595 38-ft. fifth wheel sleeps 4, with 2 AC units, 3 slideouts, large rear picture window, dining table with 4 chairs, kitchen with island, fireplace and more! Offered from Terry Vaughn RV’s in Spring, TX. Learn More! As featured on  Read More →

Good Sam RVer of the Year Award

When we at the Good Sam Club decided to start a new annual award, the Good Sam RVer of the Year, the choice was easy and totally unanimous. Like many of you, we had been following the articles and postings on the online Forum about Richard Daniels of Waynesboro, Georgia and his rescued dog, Old Fella. For those who don’t know about Richard, here’s the story. In 2005, he and his wife, Sue, spotted an old stray limping dog at a South Carolina campground. Apparently, the dog had lived there for 3 years, being fed by the park’s guests. Something about that dog kept haunting Richard, and he started chatting about him on the Good Sam Club’s online Forum with other RVers. They encouraged him to find the dog a home, and he went back to the campground and adopted the dog himself, naming him Old Fella. Richard started updating his friends on the Forum about the dog’s adjustment to his new life. Words of encouragement and even financial assistance kept coming forward. And Richard learned from his dog….lessons like not to give up. Someday he would have a better life. Inspired by Old Fella’s spirit, Richard founded the Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue, which currently consists of a group of volunteers who foster stray pets. They transport many of them north to larger animal shelters where they have a better chance of getting adopted. These shelter officials are amazed at how well the Old Fella dogs behave as a result of their care and training. And Richard continues to use... Read more

Ticked Off With Ticks … Part 1

Hello everyone. First off, I want to wish every Mother a belated “Happy Mother’s Day” (and also wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day). My mother is one of the main reasons I like camping so much. As a single mom, she managed to take two wild and woolly boys (and other family members) on many wonderful camping trips as I was growing up! I hope you all are ready for the “start of the camping season” with memorial day here. For a lot of us, this holiday seems to signal the unofficial kick off of our summer activities. We are already planning camping trips and canoe trips and fishing days and the list goes on. In fact, I have to be honest, as I write this, we are en route to a vacation trip to the Gulf coast of Alabama. In fact, it will be our first time in Alabama… woo hoo another state. But to get to the actual meat of the article, today I want to talk about ticks, you know the little creepy, crawly things that get on you and (say it with a Dracula type accent) “Want to suck your blood.” To be honest, I really don’t like ticks, but I have to kind of admire them. They can crawl all over your body and attach themselves to you, and you never feel a thing. That is stealth! There in lies the problem. When Ticks attach themselves to you, they often mix some of the fluids they carry with your blood. This leads them to be carriers of several diseases; the two most feared are Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease. To even further complicate matters,... Read more

ELECTRIC STEP TROUBLESHOOTING: Caution – Moving parts – keep clear at all times.

LUBRICATION: Most electric step manufacturers recommend not using WD-40 or a silicone-based lubricant. A good quality moisture and heat resistant penetrating grease should be used every 30 days after a through cleaning. Clean salt, mud and road grime from all moving parts. Spray the step moving parts with fresh water and let dry. Lubricate the square shaft bearings, bushing-in-bushings, and any bearings under a removable cover. Electrical connections should be protected with a dab of dielectric grease. Replace corroded connections with an automotive type connector – preferably with heat shrink protection. Cam stops may be need adjusted if your steps feel loose. See your owner’s manual for the proper adjustment. With the steps fully extended, the step should not move inward. ELECTRICAL: Note: Disconnecting the power wire may produce a spark, this is normal. Control unit is not shutting off– Disconnect the power to the step and request technical help. Your step motor will burn up if left on. Erratic Operation: Check the vehicle battery for low voltage (12.6 no load amps); a bad ground or convertor not capable of providing 30 amps of power. If you are capable electrical tester = test the door switch, battery disconnect switch, override switch and related fuses. Refer to your owner’s manual for locations. Each of these items is tested according to your Owners Manual. Happy Camping, Fred b.  Read More →

2009 Mandalay Presidio 38E Diesel Pusher

2009 Mandalay Presidio 38E Diesel Pusher Previously $270,997 – Now $227,850 38 ft. luxury Class A sleeps 4, with HD satellite dish, washer & dryer, king bed, tile living area, two flat screen TVs, 4-door fridge, keyless entry and much more! Offered from RV Town in Everett, WA. Learn More! As featured on  Read More →

Our Camping weekend

This weekend we stayed at Cedar Point Amusement park which is located on a point of land sticking out into Lake Erie in Sandusky Ohio. This is a very nice campground with large, level sites and full hookups. Saturday morning I went outside and took some photos around the cul-de-sac where we were parked.  I saw a popup, a couple of motorhomes, some old, some newer, a fifth wheel, and a couple of travel trailers.  Several were even flying American flags. Yes, there was even a couple staying in a teardrop trailer.  Looking around I realized that the common thread here was that the campground was occupied by families spending time together, enjoying the weekend.  I couldn’t help thinking that this camping thing we do is a wonderful way to spend time together as a family, enjoying each other and enjoying this great country of our.  While we are at it, we are probably saving energy as our RVs generally use less energy than we do at our houses during an similar period of time.  In addition, the families I watched were involved in outdoor activities which required physical activity.  I would propose that this will lead to families with better health than the average, non-camping family.  All in all, what I saw this weekend convinced my that camping is a valuable and worthwhile activity and should be encouraged.  My thoughts turned briefly to the condition of the RV industry in general, including manufacturers, various suppliers, campgrounds and the general, prevailing... Read more

State Parks with Great Appeal: Picacho Peak

Arizona is a magnet for travelers. And for good reason: incredibly painted skies against which virtual forests of immense multi-armed cacti display their dignified spires; deep, rich cultural history of Native American, Spanish and American influences; a blanket of wildflowers covering the desert terrain in spring. Tucked away in some of the most vibrant areas of Arizona are 28 state parks; one of which, located in the southern region of Arizona, was a particular favorite of travelers, Ken and Ann:Picacho Peak.They speak highly of their experiences at the Park in their site, http://www.mytripjournal.com/ann-ken. Interstate highway 10 crosses Arizona to the south, and when passing east of Casa Grande, you will arrive at Picacho Peak Park.Construction has just been completed on the new Visitor’s Center, which is rated “silver” on the LEEDS scale for environmental consciousness; a first for Arizona State parks.The park’s name was given centuries ago by the Spanish, and literally is a duplication of names, as Picacho is the Spanish word for “peak”, so its translated name is, quite simply, Peak Peak. The peak is part of the Picacho Mountains, which has its historical roots imbedded in Civil War history.A military outpost was built in Tucson and later abandoned at the onset of the war as soldiers joined ranks with the Union or Confederate armies.In 1862, members of each of the Union and Confederate troops met in a battle around Picacho Peak; providing possibly the westernmost... Read more

(CAFE) I already have a golf cart, I don’t need another one

I read in our local newspaper that one promise President Obama made was to have 1 million plug-in hybrid electric cars on the road by 2015. He can make that 999,999 because I already have a golf cart and won’t be needing another one. Where I live, an electric car that can go 40 or 50 miles before it needs to be plugged in and charged will hardly get me to the grocery store and back before it loses its charge. The really sad thing is these plug-in hybrid cars, designed to save money by eliminating fossil fuels, will cost the consumer way more to buy than the trusty old comparable gasoline model. Geoffrey Styles, founder of energy consultants, GSW Strategy Group, said it will take a minimum of six years for drivers to recoup the differential between a Chevy Volts projected price and that of a Toyota Prius — even assuming $4 per-gallon gasoline. That brings a question to mind, how long do you keep a car before trading it in? I average about 4 years, so would never recoup the money I spent, even with a government tax rebate, for buying one of these electric hybrid cars. I paid less for my 2500, 4-door Dodge Ram hemi than one of these electric Chevy Volts will cost, and I want to see them load the Volt up with some 4 X 8 sheets of plywood and 2 X 4’s. The Federal government bails out the automakers and once in control passes new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Obama’s new standard requires fleets to average 35.5 MPG by 2016. The way I see it... Read more

Extended run time fuel tank for generators!

Super money saving tip! Extended run time fuel tank for Honda 2000 generators (and others) Here’s en excerpt from my RV Tech Tip book of one of my many tech tips…..While dry camping I got tired of fueling the Honda 2000 once or more times a day depending on use. I decided enough of that and after a little surfing on the web decided to make my own extended run time fuel tank. I found these on line for $100 or more + shipping. The exact same thing and cost me a whopping $36! All that is needed is…. A 6 gallon marine fuel tank. Mine is an Atwood marine tank from Wal-Mart ($15!) A Honda mower gas cap. Make sure the one you get fits the generator you’re using! They make different sizes with different type threads! You may also use the stock generator cap. (see below). 6′ or so of fuel line A 1/4″ bulkhead fitting of some kind (or suitable item), usually found at marine shops. All for under $40 or less! The fuel line simply is ran from the marine fuel tank which has a 1/4″ pickup tube in it and then connect the other end of the fuel line to the 1/4″ nipple on the gas cap. Everyone asks what about venting since the original 2000 gas cap comes with a ventable cap. Well the 6 gallon Atwood marine fuel tank (which can be bought at Wal-Mart for $15) is vented so it accomplishes the same thing as the original cap with the ventilation knob. The fuel line and stock Honda mower gas cap was bought at a local Honda and mower shop. Talk about extended... Read more

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