The Rally – our Last Day

by Chris Guld, www.geeksontour.com We’ve been here at The Rally in Louisville, KY this week and we’ve been hanging out in the RV.net booth.  It’s so fun to have all the people come by and say how much they love RV.net!  Here’s a group that I made repeat it for the camera: We’ve had our share of Geeks on Tour fans too – Thanks Everybody!  All of our seminars have had larger crowds than we expected – and we ran out of handouts.  If you want a handout for any of our seminars we encourage you to download them for free from the Geeks On Tour website: Internet on the Road How to Make a Blog Picasa for Managing Digital Photos GPS Navigation and Trip Planning w/Streets & Trips Narrated Slideshows with Photo Story 3  Read More →

Our Alaska Trip Part XXV Time Is Precious

This is the 25th in a continuing series about our trip through Canada to Alaska  Let’s start with a question:  “What is Wrangell-St. Elias?”  [answer below] Our caravan is designed to give us a sampler of what Alaska has to offer.  It’s like trying to see all of Colorado or North Carolina in two days.  It makes us want to come back to spend more time here.  The biggest difference is the time factor.  We drive 180-300 miles between destinations, and there are numerous things to see along the way.  Thursday, we stopped for glaciers and waterfalls, sped by moose and looked at towering, snow-covered mountains.  When we arrived at our campground, our fellow caravaners asked if we stopped at the railroad tunnel, site of a shoot-out, and other notable places. Others said they had just gotten back from the other side of the bay, where Mama Bear was showing her three cubs how to catch fish.  The dozens of people salmon fishing had to scurry out of the way while they ate. Too much! Our strong suggestion is that you try to spend as much time in Alaska as your resources allow.   Around every corner are more wonders to behold.   Whether you are into just passively enjoying the splendor of the scenery or are interested in more active pursuits – like fishing and hunting; photography and bird-watching; whitewater rafting and kayaking; native culture, homesteaders’ living conditions; mining history; geology and the northern lights (in the winter); hiking and biking, or... Read more

National forest boondocking: Fire safety

By Bob Difley Already we’re three-quarters of the way through July in a year that could be the hottest on record. The bark beetle is killing trees in western forests. Fire prone tinder is building up on the forest floor. And the dry, hot weather will soon bring on wildfire season. This is when we RVers must be especially careful with campfires and barbecues. Brock Astel, who is public affairs officer for the Idaho Bureau of Land Management, said that of the 32 fires reported in south-central Idaho this year, 17 were human-caused. Surprisingly, he pointed out that one of the major causes comes from vehicles: dragging equipment, blown tires, or bad wheel bearings can send sparks into and ignite dry grass. There have been four fires this season in Ketchum and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, three of which were caused by humans, two by campers. One emptied hot charcoal briquettes into a dry area, and one lit a “flash pile” composed of small limbs that are by-products of firewood collecting. Not that RVers would ever do dumb things like that, but we still need to take the proper precautions when boondocking to assure that none of our  actions are the cause of a forest conflagration. Some forests during the dry season require a fire permit if you are going to build a fire or use a barbecue. The permit is free and is issued by the forest service office or by a ranger when he visits your campsite. He will explain basic fire safety rules and check whether you... Read more

One Tank Trip for North Dakota Camping

This One Tank Trip seen in the Woodall’s 2010 North American Campground Directory. Visitors to North Dakota have a diverse range of expectations when it comes to their vacation, but one thing everyone agrees on is that there are fewer places on the map where you’ll receive a warmer, friendlier welcome. It’s fitting, then, that “Dakota” is the Sioux word for “friend.” Starting this one tank trip in Medora, you’ll discover a few interesting tidbits about this area. Founded by a French nobleman in the late 1800s, Medora was a thriving boomtown for many years. A few years later, Theodore Roosevelt arrived on the scene, originally to hunt buffalo. He fell in love with the area and built two cattle ranches within easy range of Medora. As a result, Medora serves as the entrance to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Among the many spectacular features to be found here is the Coal Vein Trail, which takes you through an area where a fire burned for nearly 30 years, thereby giving the rocks an unearthly purple color. A fantastic way to enjoy this area is with a horseback ride down the Maah Daah Hey Trail, which runs nearly 100 miles through the park and connects the north and south sides. This ride offers us a mix of scenery, from rolling grasslands to majestic buttes, and runs parallel to the Missouri River. While in Medora, you can enjoy a tour through the Cowboy Hall of Fame, or maybe you’d like to knock a few golf balls around at the award-winning Bully Pulpit... Read more

One Tank Trip for Saskatchewan Camping

This One Tank Trip seen in the Woodall’s 2010 North American Campground Directory. Rough and ready, that’s Saskatchewan. Boasting a mix of prairie life coupled with mountains and lakes, rivers and streams, as well as a bustling metropolitan scene, the “Land of Living Skies” is filled with enough adventure and excitement to satisfy even the most jaded traveler. From museums that depict the area’s prehistoric development, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre, Saskatchewan provides something to suit every taste and style. Kicking this one tank trip off in Moose Jaw, you’ll see a wealth of art galleries and museums just waiting for your investigation, along with more outdoor-oriented activities. The surrounding area exists in a river valley, so see the sights from a boat deck as you cruise down the river. The town has a thriving spa culture, so after you’ve hiked along the many trails in the Saskatchewan camping area, give your muscles a reward with a refreshing soak in hot mineral water. This is also the home of the endangered burrowing owl, and when you visit the interpretive centre devoted to telling the tale and safeguarding these rare birds, you can set up an appointment to see these magnificent creatures. Driving east for slightly less than 50 miles on Canada’s incredibly scenic Highway 1, you’ll soon come to Regina, home of the RCMP Heritage Centre. This facility showcases the world-famous Canadian Mounties, the police force represented... Read more

The Accuracy and Worth of Onboard Fuel Monitors

As reported by Lug_Nut .  Last week we looked at needed dash instruments and readouts required in the operation of your RV or tow vehicle.  This week we will examine an option that may be a somewhat luxury that many already have, the fuel mileage onboard computer.  Does it work and does it provide a value? Fuel consumption computers are found on many vehicles sold today including many RV chassis.  These display digital readouts of such things as instant MPG, current MPG since last reset, estimated remaining fuel range and more.  While all may have somewhat questionable accuracy they are still very useful.  In addition, one has to also remember that the calculations do not include consumption from the generator or any fuel burning heaters or boilers. Unfortunately their accuracy can not be adjusted.  This is due to their method of calculation.  While gasoline and air intake are burned at a theoretical weight ratio of 14.7 to 1, it is subject to vary depending on conditions and the exact fuel properties.  Temperature for example, alters the volume to weight ratio of both fuel and air.  So repeatability is not necessarily possible.  One day’s event may well be more accurate than another. Even industrial electronic flow meters with temperature compensation are generally only accurate to a + or – of about 0.5 %, and these are far too expensive and delicate for such an application.  But, for what they are and do, the automotive fuel consumption computers work pretty... Read more

RV Cooking Show – Free RV Fun & Stuffed Bananas on the Grill

Greetings from the road, Summer is officially here as evidenced not only by the calendar but the temps outside!! Chances are RVing/camping is in the cards…even if you are on a budget. Well, you won’t be surprised with this show…you already know we RVers are the most frugal bunch around. In this episode of the RV Cooking Show I’ll share with you some of my favorite fun free things to do when you go RVing. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love free fun, right!?!? And now to one of the main attractions of summer…the grill. But nope, we’re not talking burgers here. Instead we’re making steamy stuffed banana boats on the grill (you can also make them right in the campfire). Think chocolate, peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, even pineapple and coconut…it’s all so very good! Watch this shorter than usual (I know you have places to go) RV Cooking Show – Banana Boats – steamy, stuffed and grilled & No Cost RV Fun below.  I am also delighted to tell you I’ve produced an RV Cooking Show eCookbook – Great Getaway Grilling – free to my show subscribers. If you are already a subscriber you’ve recieved the link to this summer grilling kick-off, six of my favorite locations and grilling recipes. If not, visit the RV Cooking Show home, subscribe, and a downloadable e-Cookbook will be sent to your email address. Thanks for watching…now let’s get this show on the road! Evanne RV Cooking Show  Read More →

Live webcam – RV.net at the Rally

RV.net is live at the Rally in Louisville, KY. Located in the exhibit hall at booth #340, a few select RV.net staff members, bloggers, and forum moderators are meeting and greeting our fellow RVers. And while our internet connection allows, we’ll be running a live webcam (see below) during exhibition hall hours (Thursday 2/22/10 10am-5pm EDT, Friday 2/23/10 9am-5pm EDT, Saturday 2/24/10 9am-5pm and Sunday 2/25/2010 9am-2pm). If you are attending the Rally, please stop by and say hello!  Read More →

Our Alaska Trip Part XXIV Before & After

This is the 24th in a continuing series about our trip through Canada to Alaska Pat Sajak often announces the category “Before & After” on “Wheel of Fortune,” a puzzle where two expressions overlap.  I decided “Deadliest Catch 22” would fit in that puzzle, with “Deadliest Catch” referring to the TV show about the hardships crabbing in Alaska and “Catch 22” describing a good-bad situation.  Our trip through western Canada and into Alaska has been absolutely spectacular from the standpoint of scenery, wildlife and opportunities to learn about the rich cultures of this vast, somewhat forbidding land.  Since you’re reading these blogs, you probably have either been here or you want to take the trip.  We hope all you “want-tos” are able to get here – it’s an adventure of a lifetime. The native tribes and clans of Alaska apparently had a very pleasant lifestyle for up to 6,000 years.  Then along came the Russians, who settled in the territory for fishing and trapping.  They enslaved natives and decimated the population with disease.  As bad as that was, their main impact was on coastal areas and less in the interior. Tribal logo represents the traditional animals, fish and birds that are significant in sustaining life in Seldovia  Then came the goldrush and discovery of coal and other valuable minerals, which caused a cataclysmic change.  Whether all that was good or bad is in the eye of the beholder, but as Walter Cronkite used to say, “That’s... Read more

Continuing our trip to find the perfect DP

Well, apparently, there are at least some of you out there who really like your coach and are not afraid to express those sentiments here on this forum.  In addition, and again, apparently, I have managed to offend, injure, hurt, spite, go against, violate, appall, outrage, shock, transgress, scandalise, and pique with some of my statements regarding some of the RVs we are planning to review, or not to review.  For that I apologize, it certainly wasn’t my intention, and in order to try to avoid further misunderstanding, following is a list of the representative coaches we are going to look at here.  Did I leave out some very nice motorhomes?  Yes, of course.  Is your favorite here?  Maybe, maybe not.  My goal here is to find my own perfect DP.  The reason there are so many is because what is perfect for me is probably not perfect for you.  As Yakov Smirnoff used to say, “America: What a country!” Read more  Read More →

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