The Mystery Camper Challenge Is Back. Can You Solve It?
January 28, 2010 by Lug_Nut · 23 Comments
Where is the Mystery Camper today? We haven’t heard from him for some time and this one will not be easy. In the past the Mystery Camper has sent us photos of his surrounding. These have been solved quite quickly by our smart members and readers. Well, he has not forwarded any photo clues this time, only some words and images. Your challenge is to name the location and campground. So here’s all we have right now. Clues will be added if needed every few days. Who will have the bragging rights to solving this one? “Something about the park’s name reminds me of Hawaii. What would that be? The Mystery Camper Well, that’s it. That’s all we have currently to work with. Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom. If you think you have solved it, let’s hear the location, campground name and how you figured it out. With The Challenging Question - Lug_Nut - Peter Mercer Read More →
Lost River Cave
January 28, 2010 by Nick Russell · 1 Comment
There is a hidden treasure in Bowling Green, Kentucky. A serene underground oasis located right in the center of town. A historical relic of Indians, outlaws, and Confederate raiders. A romantic meeting spot for couples for over a century. Nestled on the floor of a scenic valley, unseen from above, Lost River Cave will touch the heart of every adventurer or romantic. Read more Read More →
A Proposal ….
January 27, 2010 by Gary Smith, Jr. · 14 Comments
It has been a long time since I have had enough time to write on this blog. I hope I am remembered for my articles on Health and First Aid. But today I want to write on a totally different subject. In a couple of weeks I am going on my first camping trip of the year to the Okefenokee Swamp down in Georgia. What makes this trip a little different is that it is anniversary trip for my trip “Co-Planner” Pam and me. About 4 years ago when I had a small pop up camper and a canoe and a desire to go camping down in the south for the spring. I also decided to ask my girl friend of a year if she wanted to go along. I figured this would be a excellent way of finding out if we would be compatible after a week of camping in a pop up. Read more Read More →
Hydronic Heat For Gas Coaches And Trailers
January 26, 2010 by Lug_Nut · 30 Comments
Now gasoline powered RV’s and trailers will be able enjoy the comfort and efficiency of hydronic heat. RV furnaces and hot water heaters may soon be things of the past on many rigs now that an affordable propane fired hydronic heating system is available. Aqua-Hot recently introduced its new 375-LP that can provide interior heating and a continuous supply of hot water. While plugged into shore power it is heated with a 1500 watt 120 VAC element for general light service which helps reduce propane consumption. During times requiring additional heat, or while no AC is available, it is equipped with a propane burner. Read more Read More →
Bottle House
January 26, 2010 by Nick Russell · 5 Comments
In the tiny northern Michigan hamlet of Kaleva, we came across the Bottle House, a uniquely wonderful old home built out of soft-drink bottles. Over 60,000 of them, in fact! Read more Read More →
RV Doctor – Slideout Catching on Linoleum – Can I Replace It and How?
January 26, 2010 by Gary Bunzer · 5 Comments
Dear RV Doc, The kitchen area in my motorhome is linoleum and the rest carpet. The factory replaced the linoleum once under warranty due to buckling and fracture. This was caused from the kitchen slideout roller coming across the linoleum when the slideout was moved in for transporting. Now, six years later the linoleum is doing the same thing and curling at the edges under the kitchen slideout causing the slideout to catch the edges when moving in and out especially in cold weather. I must replace the linoleum again as it is damaged from the above explanation. If I replace with linoleum again is it a good idea to glue it down? The factory did not do so either originally or with the replacement. I am also thinking of maybe going to a floating laminate flooring which might be better to resolve my problem. What is your opinion? How difficult is it to remove that kitchen slideout to properly get the new flooring under the slideout? I contacted the factory for information but received no answer whatsoever. Your opinion and help would be greatly appreciated. - Larry Reeves, (Metamora, IL) Answer: Larry, I’m not fully convinced every single factory actually glues the complete floor area due to the time and effort involved. If the edge of the linoleum is exposed to the slideout floor it is bound to start catching and peeling eventually regardless of how it is fastened. A properly designed slideout should have a wedge of Teflon or other low friction material running along its entire... Read more
Who is that driving the motorhome?
January 25, 2010 by Mark Polk · 22 Comments
Over the weekend we started planning for an RV trip we are taking later this summer. It’s about 6,000 miles roundtrip. We are on somewhat of a timeline and I wanted an idea on average of how many miles we would travel each day, based on our schedule. It seems like more often than not we are on a tight schedule, forcing us to put in more miles per day than I would like. I want this trip to be more leisurely when it comes to how many hours you are behind the wheel each day. Admittedly I am one of those people who likes to do all of the driving myself. I just feel better if I know I am behind the wheel. I know my wife, Dawn, is a competent driver (she even has her CDL) but I still prefer to do the driving. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is extremely important that both individuals are capable of driving or towing the RV. You never know when your wife or husband will need to drive the RV and they should feel comfortable and confident in doing so. As we were planning the trip it brought back a memory of a past trip we took in the RV. We were stopped in traffic because of an accident, and had sat in the same spot without moving for at least 30 minutes. I told Dawn that I was going to run back and use the bathroom and if traffic started moving to just get behind the wheel and drive. The boys were in the back bedroom playing X Box. The motorhome started moving about the same time that I came out of the bathroom. Both boys looked up at me with their eyes wide open and... Read more
Make a Wi-Fi Hotspot with your Cell Phone
January 24, 2010 by Chris Guld · 13 Comments
by Chris Guld, www.GeeksOnTour.com If you’ve been reading my posts here – you probably know that you can tether your cellphone (if it’s the right model with the right service) to your computer. Tethering your cellphone to your computer will give you Internet Access on that computer. What you may not know is that you can tether it to a router as well. The Cradlepoint cellular router is very popular among RVers. Most people use it for their Data Cards. Plug the data card into the router and configure the router for your hotspot. Now several computers can use that same Internet connection. The router that we have will accept a Data Card, an Ethernet cable from DSL or Cable Internet, or a cell phone USB connection. While we are parked for the season at Paradise Island RV Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida – we decided to spoil ourselves and get a month-to-month DSL Internet connection. The telephone cable comes in from the post outside (the yellow cable) and plugs into the modem and then to our Cradlepoint router. The Cradlepoint creates a wireless network called ‘GeeksOnTour.’ We can both connect to that network and we have Internet supplied by the DSL cable. We’re on the road right now, headed toward Holiday Travel Resort in Leesburg, Florida where we are presenting some computer classes. Then, on to the FMCA Southeast Area Rally in Brooksville, Florida. As we pulled into our overnight site at Thousand Trails, Orlando – I felt a bit of panic. ... Read more
RV Cooking Show – Grilled Cuban Sandwiches, Cuban Cowboy Caviar & Cortez, FL
January 23, 2010 by Evanne Schmarder · 4 Comments
If you ask me, there’s nothing better than a warm weather getaway by the beach. Bonus points if it’s a stay in a thriving town with a terrific RV resort, lively dining and entertainment in walking distance, and fresh fish right off the boat. Well, that’s just what I stumbled upon when I pulled into Cortez, Florida. This little town is tucked away on the land side of Anna Maria Island and is often eclipsed by its big neighbor to the south – Sarasota. But don’t be fooled, you could easily while away many memorable days and nights in this West Coast of Florida paradise. In our latest RV Cooking Show –Grilled Cuban Pressed Sandwiches, Cuban Cowboy Caviar & Quirky Cortez Florida – we’ll show you around town and, with a special guest, make a mighty tasty meal. I’m especially excited to bring you Paulette’s Cuban version of an old RV-standby – Cowboy Caviar. Take a look – you’re gonna love it. Don’t miss the “From my RV kitchen” section on my website’s show page – I share many of my favorite Cortez “locals’ haunts” with you. I hope you enjoy watching this episode of the RV Cooking Show as much as I enjoyed making it! Evanne RVCookingShow.com Read More →
Electric vehicle technology experiencing growth spurt
January 23, 2010 by Bob Difley · 15 Comments
Ideas are sprouting like weeds in the cabbage patch in the Electric Vehicle world’s designs, batteries, and the rush to replace fossil fuels for powering the cars, trucks, and RVs of the future. Here are a few and how they might affect the RVs of the future. A company called Trexa is offering a new electric drive system which can be customized by “specialty vehicle developers” (does that mean RV manufacturers also?) for their own varied needs. Trexa says its platform has a scalable wheelbase which could work for “compact, microcar and ATV-size” applications. No RV sizes yet, but this could represent a step toward a new model for RV makers, similar to the chassis provided by Workhorse and Spartan to the RV industry. Trexa says this platform “offers an unprecedented level of versatility because it contains an entire vehicle’s drivetrain within one low-profile enclosed structure.” A number of standards are built into this platform, including four-wheel drive and four-wheel independent suspension which is “adjustable for ride height and terrain type.” The lithium-ion battery system is scalable, depending upon the application, making itavailable for ranges from 25 to 125 driving miles. A company called Balqon has developed a new lithium-ion battery powered heavy duty electric vehicle that could be possibly be astep toward an electric RV. The Nautilus XE20 electric yard tractor can tow loads of up to 40 tons at a top speed of 25 miles per hour, according to... Read more



