Mark’s RV Garage Episode #5 Released

RV Education 101 releases Episode #5 of the new Internet based RV How-To series titled “Mark’s RV Garage.” The new episode is available for viewing at www.rvconsumer.com and on You Tube.            On this episode of Mark’s RV Garage:  *Mark & Tyler finish framing the vintage travel trailer and start the rough-in wiring. * Learn how to protect your RV from power surges and improper campground wiring * Get some great tips for extending the life of your RV holding tanks and controlling odors * Get some answers on how to protect your RV awnings * See what camping tip won the author a free copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips If you missed previous episodes of Mark’s RV Garage they are archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing Episode # 6 will be available for viewing on 18 April 2011. Happy RV Learning, Mark Polk www.rvconsumer.com  Read More →

Gr8LakesCamper: Are you ready for a good paddling?

After years of being a canoeing expert – and by expert I mean I’ve canoed about four or five times – the last two summers during our annual Camping & Canoeing Extravaganza I switched to kayaking. A quick aside: Like many, we have an annual trip each summer with a group of family and friends in which we camp, canoe and do our part to stimulate the economy of the local party stores. Ours we call the Camping & Canoeing Extravaganza, and besides my family it also includes my brother-in-law and his family. Our oldest kids also now bring a friend; it’s not too big compared to some groups, but it’s big enough for us. (Click here to read Parts I and II of last year’s monsoon of an Extravaganza.) As I said, I am a canoeing expert. But the last two years of our Extravaganza, I switched to a kayak. So now I am a kayaking expert – and by expert I mean I can zig zag from bank to bank with the best of them. (In all honesty, I found the kayak less likely to tip and much easier to steer.) So it was with collegial eagerness that I was able to rub shoulders with a fellow paddling expert (paddling – that’s what we canoeing/kayaking experts call what we do). And by rub shoulders, I meant I was part of the audience who listened to Doc Fletcher, author of a handful of paddling books on Michigan and Wisconsin rivers. Fletcher was the guest of my local library, and he also happened to be a 1972 graduate of our local high school. So for him... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part IX – How to find boondocking campsites

By Bob Difley Just knowing that you can legally boondock almost anywhere on public lands, such as those managed by the forest service and BLM, as I wrote in last week’s post, does not tell you exactly how to find these dispersed campsites (meaning not within the confines of an organized campground). You won’t find any signs saying “Campsite Here” or numbered posts designating campsites.  No hosts in golf carts will lead you to an open site. No, you have to find them for yourself. Since finding dispersed campsites is more difficult than finding campgrounds, it is one of the features that makes boondocking attractive–there won’t be a lot of RVers competing for the same campsite. First, become alert so that you notice when you enter public lands. You will recognize national forests or national recreation areas by their familiar brown signs (photo below).  Seldom, however, will signs identify BLM lands. Much of the  land in the Southwest used by snowbirds in winter is BLM land. Maps are available from visitor centers in states that contain public lands and on the Public Lands website where shaded areas define lands managed by the BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, National and State Forest Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, Indian Reservations, etc.  However, the BLM and some other agencies do not necessarily post signs so you can determine when you enter and leave. Sometimes the only way you can recognize  when you are on public land is the... Read more

Membership Campgrounds: 2 Western Horizon Parks Sold

Western Horizon Resorts (WHR), an owner and operator of private membership, RV resorts, and RV travel related services, purchased eight resorts from 2000 to 2005. From 24 RV resorts, WHR is now operating 11 resorts. Indian Waters RV Resort in Indio, California, is one of two camping resorts recently sold by Western Horizon. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved In an earlier post (Membership Camping: 8 Western Horizon Parks for Sale), I indicated that WHR had listed eight of its recreational vehicle parks for sale, with a combined 1,839 RV sites for a total of $28.13 million. In a recent statement on their Website, WHR announced that two of these RV parks—Indian Waters in Indio, California and Ocean Shores Resort in Washington State—have been sold. A privately held company, WHR was founded by Jim Loken and family in 1984 and was designed to provide RVers with “an exceptional outdoor vacation experience”. Following the sale of these two parks the corporation operates 11 resorts, 7 affiliated resorts, Vista Group RV Insurance, and two affiliated camping networks: Adventure Outdoor Resorts (AOR) and Sunbelt Resorts. Indian Waters was sold to RV Management Services – Indio, LLC (RVMS), a RV resort operator with more than 15 years experience in the operation of more than 25 RV properties. The new developer’s improvement plans include a second pool, sewer to the sites on the north side of the resort, a pickle ball court, and a putting green. The park will close in April and... Read more

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