Forest Service leaves 50% camping discount stucture intact

Wherever you look, which ever way you turn, somebody or some agency is slyly slipping their hand into your pocket to alleviate  their looming deficits. The USDA Forest Service’s (FS) attempt to remove or greatly reduce discounts provided to holders of the Senior Pass, which gave retirees a 50% discount on camping fees in  National Forest campgrounds, including those operated by concessionaires, would have raised money, but cost seniors a bundle. Concessionaires, for obvious reasons, were solidly behind the move, lobbying for a 5 to 10% discount instead. This would bring in more money to the FS as well as the contractors, a Win-Win deal–except to seniors. In a rare push of solidarity, seniors and about-to-be seniors flooded the FS offices with more than 4,000 emails and letters urging the FS to reconsider. And it worked. On Wednesday, FS Chief Tom Tidwell announced that he would not change the fee structure, a move not embraced by the concessionaires that operate the campgrounds. Read more  Read More →

The Mystery Camper. Can You Solve It?

The Lug_Nut Mystery Camper is again enjoying an RV park somewhere in North America.  Your job is to name the park and location.  In addition, see if you can name the make, model and year of the Mystery Campers RV.   We have some photos of the park and of parts of his motor home. The photos above were taken at the location the Mystery Camper is at?  Below are photos that show parts of the Mystery Camper’s rig.  What is it? Just to clarify, the 3 photos of parts of the Mystery Camper’s RV are those that show only a small section of the coach, not the one shown on the lot in the park. So, that’s it.  Now it’s up to you to solve where he is and what kind of RV he is driving this week.  Who will be the first to solve it and claim this month’s bragging rights?   Enter your guess in the comment section below.  Good luck! With This Month’s Mystery Camper Challenge    -     Lug_Nut    -   Peter Mercer  Read More →

Continuing our search for the ideal DP

In this, the third installment in our search for the ideal diesel pusher, we are going to talk a little about floorplans, and delve into some technology subjects. Under the subject of technology, we could go on almost forever with our wishlist.  Unfortunately by the time this article is finished there will be something new available and it is just about impossible for the manufacturers to keep up with it.  We could discuss satellite systems, sound systems, etc, but those are really a matter of current technology and personal preference best discussed with the sales person where you pick out your motorhome.  However, I would certainly like to see more technology in new motorhomes using the RV-C protocol.  If you aren’t aware of this system, check it out on the RV-C website, http://www.rv-c.com/  This protocol provides benefits to manufacturers, service techs, and owners.  It is a win-win deal.  Ask for it when you go shopping for a new coach.  RV-C is a technology that useds a simple twisted pair of wires to control an almost unlimited range of devised such as lighting, and other RV controls.  This technology has been around for a couple of years and is being promoted heavily in the industry.  Let’s talk about floorplans.  Again, my wife is a lot more picky about this than I am.  However, there are some things I like and don’t like.  First of all, I really prefer what is known as a “side aisle” floorplan where the bath fixtures are housed in a room on the... Read more

RV Recall Notifications – A Must Have for RVers

RV recalls happen. When they do, it’s imperative that RVers know about the recalls relevant to their RVs. Did you know that RV.net keeps RVers informed of RV Recalls by partnering with the Good Sam Club and the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to gather RV recall data and then distribute it to RV owners in a relevant and timely manner? Read more  Read More →

Freightliner continues introductions of alternative-power vehicles

By Bob Difley Freightliner is continuing to introduce alternative-power products for the commercial vehicle industry with the introduction of its highly anticipated plug-in all-electric walk-in van (WIV) chassis. The new chassis model is the only one domestically engineered and the first in the industry to be completely all-electric (includes HVAC system) in North America. The all-electric chassis, developed in partnership with Enova Systems, a leading developer and producer of electric vehicles and hybrid-electric drive system technologies for commercial vehicle OEMs, is built on the Freightliner MT-45 WIV chassis platform. On select delivery and service routes, Freightliner’s studies showed a 100 mile range on a single charge and that customers could save up to $15,000 per electric vehicle annually compared with traditionally powered walk-in vans. Freightliner presented the pre-production all-electric WIV chassis model at the 2010 National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Work Truck Show. Freightliner designed this truck from the ground up and is going after the walk-in van market though itis another step toward electric powered RVs, admittedly still years away. But what would prove beneficial to the RV market would be acceptance by the walk-in van market, enabling mass production and a lowering of costs by the time it reaches motorhome manufacturers. Freightliner introduced  the first hybrid-electric Class A motorhome chassis in December 2008. Check out my... Read more

RV Travel Safety & Security

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that overall traffic fatalities  at the end of 2009 reached the lowest level since 1954, declining for the 15th consecutive quarter. The projected data puts the highway death count at 33,963, down 8.9% from 37,261 in 2008. That’s good news but, one death is too many. Read more  Read More →

Windows 7 = Wi-Fi Hotspot

“…any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke Connecting a Single Computer For the RV traveler, Internet connectivity is a lifeline.  Connecting even a single computer to the Internet can be a daunting experience.  Everything needs to be configured properly for it to work. There are three ways for RV travelers to connect to Broadband Internet.  Satellite, Wi-Fi and Cellular (see Internet on the Road video for an overview.)  Each has its own good and bad points.  Nothing is perfect. Read more  Read More →

VIDEO: Tips for SLEEPING in an RV

Long Long Honeymoon is now available on DVD. A week or so ago, I asked my Twitter friends for topic suggestions. Someone (yes, I’m referring to you JJohnston1975) suggested integrating “creature comforts” and the spa experience with RVing. Personally, I’ve been wanting to do a blog about sleep for a long time. So these two topics dovetail in this LongLongHoneymoon.com entry. I’m a big believer in “spoiling” ourselves when we go Airstream camping. I mean, we’re already dealing with compromises in terms of living space and **ahem** plumbing. So why not add a little pampering to the equation? An extra pillow or blanket never hurt anyone. A dash of lavender linen spray can work wonders. And yes, you WILL find Grey Poupon in our fridge (right next to the cave-aged cheese and Trappist ale). Read more  Read More →

Life With A Car Trailer

As far as I can remember there has for the past 50 years or so almost always been a car trailer lurking in and around our back yard. I have always been tinkering with things mechanical like race cars, old cars, old tractors, or anything as Lucy says that makes noise. And as such a car trailer or equipment trailer has been part of the tool kit. My 1928 Peerles road from Kittery Maine barn fresh to our home in Massachusetts on a trailer behind our then new 1973 Ford pick up as did most of my other treasures. When we moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire there were many trips with the trailer behind our Dodge van to get all my junk moved. So trailers of the “move the mechanical stuff” genre have been a part of my life forever. I had also owned a variety of motor homes over the years and the car trailer then was pressed into duty to transport what ever car we wanted to take along. Now that is not to say that I did not stray once in a while and tow with a tow bar or a dolly. In fact when we went to the 1985 Daytona 500 we had a then pre production Ford Taurus station wagon on a tow dolly behind our old Winnie. The car was on loan to me, I was an auto writer then road testing and writing about new cars, by Ford Motor. Only they did not know that I was towing it to Florida and that it would be seen by almost all of the motoring press in the world, but that is a story for another time. Over the years I have gone through a number of car trailers, some good and some bad.... Read more

Boondocking in desert washes: Are you asking for trouble?

Many RVers would rather surf in a tsunami than camp in a desert wash, assuming both would yield the same results–tumbling tush over teacup in a roiling maelstrom flash flood of boulders, trees, and mangled RVs. Many real-life stories circulate about hikers being washed away in flash floods, suddenly overtaken by a roaring freight train wall–of– water with no warning and clear skies overhead. But these tales do not in themselves prove that every wash (”a dry creek bed or gulch that temporarily fills with water after a heavy rain, or seasonally” – Wikipedia) is unsafe to set up camp. To make an informed decision whether to camp in a wash, you need to study several factors about the wash. These include: * Configuration and shape – Is the wash deep and narrow with steep sides constricting flow * Width – Determines how far run-off can spread out, which also determines flow rate and depth * Distance from head – The further from the head of the wash the more runoff will build up and the deeper the runoff will be * Area of drainage – A wash that drains a large area of plateaus with many feeder washes will accumulate more runoff, producing deeper water, faster current, and more debris * Evidence of previous flooding – Height of debris caught in limbs of shrubs and trees growing in the bottom of washes * Season – Most flash floods occur in summer when heavy, short downpours produce a quick buildup of runoff * Weather... Read more

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