Propane filling problems at Flying J

This blog post doesn’t fall under the category of electrical stuff, but it is timely and a situation that maybe you can help with.  Apparently Flying J is doing some training for their employees who are responsible for filling propane vessels.  Unfortunately, some of those employees either didn’t understand, or received incorrect information on what is required before a propane container can be refilled.  I have been in contact with FJ regarding this problem and they have asked for specific locations where it has occured so that they can correct the situation at those locations. Here is what happened: recently I pulled into a FJ to have the tank on my motorhome refilled and was told by the employee that she couldn’t fill it because I didn’t have a recent inspection sticker on it.  I was confused and decided to investigate this situation. Here is what I found.  Under the category of propane containers, there are two types that are commonly used in RVs.  There are “cylinders” and there are “tanks”.  Cylinders are manufactured under specifications from the DOT, the department of transportation.  Tanks are manufactured under specifications from ASME, “the American Society of Mechanical Engineers”.  DOT requires periodic inspections of “cylinders”, but have no control of “tanks”.  The inspection requirements for cylinders must be observed before a propane refill station is allowed to refill... Read more

Valley of Fire: A dazzling Spring high desert destination

By Bob Difley With Spring but weeks away and the desert sun burning hotter and hotter, you might be starting to think about heading back home and planting the garden. The temptation is there to get a head start, but instead of heading directly home on the way, try a different location for a few days or a week, a high desert location that would be too cold in mid-winter, and too hot in the summer, but right now might be, as baby bear said, just right. One place that comes to mind is Valley of Fire State Park in the Mojave Desert 55 miles north of Las Vegas and only six miles from Lake Mead. Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park and gets its name from the the park’s red sandstone formations. This park brings out the little boy in all of us, climbing the rocks, peering into eroded caves and through holes and arches, playing cowboys and Indians, and giving names to the odd formations–bee hives, elephant rock, and grand piano. You can also find petrified logs, big horn sheep, Indian petroglyphs, secret slot canyons, an old movie site, and a rainbow of colors in the geologic formations. Paved scenic drives access most of the park’s attractions, but several hikes wind in and out of the strange and mysterious rocky formations. There are primitive, nicely private, first-come-first-serve campsites tucked in the rock formations and some have water and electricity hookups. But don’t worry about driving in here and being shut out of a campsite,... Read more

RV Weekly Round-Up (Feb. 6-12, 2010)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from the past week. 1. USO of NC goes mobile with tricked-out RV: Barry Smith of the New Bern, NC, Sun-Journal reports on a spiffed-up RV generously donated to the North Carolina USO by a WWII veteran. This mobile unit will be taken to military installations across the state where the USO of NC doesn’t already have permanent centers for troop support. Read more  Read More →

RV Cooking Show – Three Crepes and a Castle…a love story

Hello RV Cooking Show “lovers”, When you were a kid did you dream of being a famous movie star or sports figure, invited to exclusive parties to mingle amongst the elite? Visit the Hearst Castle estate and, with some imagination, you might get a taste of what it was like to be part of that crowd. There are several tours available including their newest – a self-guided Gardens and Vistas tour – complete with guides standing by to answer your questions about Hearst and “The Enchanted Hill”. Interestingly, rather than a rote tour talk, each guide is permitted to develop their own spiel focusing on their interest in the Castle and it’s art, people, grounds, history, and more. Well, at least for now, allow me to be your personal Hearst Castle tour guide in this episode of the RV Cooking Show – Three Crepes and a Castle…a love story. Do I love the Castle or the crepes?? You can probably guess…yeah, both :> Using ingredients that you most likely already have at home, you, too, can make amazing crepes. It’s not difficult at all…just technique. Serve these to your Valentine’s Day sweetie (or enjoy each other’s company making them together in your RV kitchen) or wow your dinner/dessert guests. So let it snow…we’re warm and well fed inside.     “Luv” to you on this long, romantic weekend…please be mine, Evanne  Read More →

RV.net Forum Featured Threads (Feb. 6-12)

The Open Roads Forum is the largest and most popular RV forums online today and for a very good reason: the quality and quantity of RV information available there is beyond compare and it grows daily thanks to the input of so many RVers like you. Read more  Read More →

A Glimpse At The RV Underworld, Black Tank Tales

The Lug_Nut View.  Beneath the modern glitter and shine of all RV’s is the underworld, the basement, and of course, the waste tanks.  Seemingly unchanged over the years, the black and grey tanks are filled and must be emptied as needed.  This, in most cases, is being done using the big stinky slinky, at least until now.  But, a new method using a smaller hose and a macerator is quickly becoming popular.  This new system has some advantages over the tried and true gravity drain method.  Let’s look at what it offers. Read more  Read More →

Where is the Spare?

Why don’t some RV manufacturers include a spare tire with a new RV?  Is it a liability issue or a cost issue? I have heard both sides of the story over the years, and it usually depends on what type of a RV you are talking about. I have owned three towable RV’s and two motorized RV’s. Two of the towable RV’s came with spare tires when I purchased them and I ordered a spare tire as an option on our Class C motorhome, but I could not get a spare for our Class A motorhome. It seems ridiculous that you buy an RV, designed for traveling all over the country, and the one thing not included is a spare tire. Let’s try to find out why there’s no spare! Read more  Read More →

Cell Tower Overload

by Chris Guld, www.geeksontour.com RV Rallies present major issues for Internet Access.  Rarely is Wi-Fi provided throughout the rally grounds, and, when you try to use your Cellular provider for data, you may find it doesn’t work so well. That was our experience at the FMCA SE Area rally last week in Brooksville, FL.  At times like these I wish we had our Satellite Dish back. If you doubt that cell tower overload is a factor, check out this article on AT&Ts troubles due to all the iPhone users out there. Actually, this article has me a little worried about Verizon as well, once the Droid (Verizon’s answer to the iPhone) catches on.  You see, once you have Internet browsing capabilities on your cell phone, you use it a lot more.  When I use my phone to make a voice call, I’m on for 5 – 20 minutes.  When Jim uses his new Droid to browse the web, he’s on for hours.  Both usages connect to the Cellular Tower, but the data usage represents a quantum leap in loading the Tower’s connections.  Read More →

What you need to know for desert boondocking

By Bob Difley If you follow the rest of the snowbirds to the southwestern deserts in winter, you will find that most of them stay in he same RV resort or campground for the entire season. A small number of RVers decide to so some boondocking in the open desert to really experience the desert in its wildness and beauty. As you roam around and talk to other boondockers you will find more desert boondocking locations than you ever imagined. Many are just places where an RVer has pulled off onto an unnamed, unpaved desert track and found a nice spot behind a hill, overlooking a wash, or hidden in a grove of desert willow or mesquite trees. Others become popular simply because one boondocker spots another and decides to join and soon there are half a dozen RVers, though they space themselves apart from each other, but still enjoying the proximity of other boondockers. Iff you would like to try this open desert camping, here are some of the basic rules and tips you need to know. The BLM allows free camping for up to 14 consecutive days out of every 28 days on open land. After 14 days, you must move at least 25 miles away from your current location and cannot return for another 14 days. Camping is legal except where specifically prohibited by signs or fences. No camping within 300 feet of a man-made watering hole or tank to allow wildlife access. Use existing routes and trails. Camp at previously used sites. When there is no danger of rain or flash flooding, camp in washes where... Read more

RV Weekly Round-Up (Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, 2010)

Check out these highlights of RV-related news, events and video from this past week. 1. RV Rentals Up As Saints Fans Eye Miami: New Orleans news station WDSU.com reports from Kenner, LA, that several RV rental companies have almost sold out all their units in preparation for Super Bowl XLIV this Sunday. However, RVs and tailgating are not allowed at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium, leading some people in Miami to offer parking spaces up for grabs on Craigslist…. 2. Celebrate Century of RVing with the Good Sam Club: Sue Bray, executive director of the Good Sam Club, discusses the RV centennial, which will be celebrated this year. Motorized travel has changed dramatically since 1910, but the lure of the outdoors remains constant for RV enthusiasts. Centennial celebrations will be held at the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum in Elkhard, Ind., RV shows around the country, and at the Louisville Rally this summer, which runs July 22 through 25. 3. Wi-Fi – A Better Antenna will Get You a Better Connection: If you’re using a Wi-Fi hotspot and it’s not working so great, get an external Wi-Fi adapter. Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour explains the how’s and why’s of boosting your computer’s Wi-Fi connection with an external adapter antenna. 4. Cost Effective Weekend RV Fun: Sometimes spending your weekend at home is just plain boring. There really isn’t much to do, but on the other hand you don’t have much of time before the weekend is over and it’s back to work again.... Read more

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