“HIYADOIN’?”

Hors d'oeuvre -- A Taste of Zion © All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers We’re on the first stop of our Grand Circle Tour, after three days in Las Vegas.  Four of us living comfortably in a 28-foot travel trailer! We – Monique, her brother Philippe and his wife Solveig and I — are in Zion National Park, Utah, one of America’s most popular national treasures.  We hiked to the highest of the three Emerald Pools Thursday morning, returning to the Visitors Center and our truck just as the rains came. Lots to tell you, but let’s start in the Watchman Campground, where we are fortunate to have electric hook-ups, but no water or sewer at the site.  A teardrop trailer was next to us, but moved over two spots this morning to make way for a pop-up.  There’s a Casita from Louisiana across from us, two mini-tents next to them and a canvas tent on a utility trailer behind us. So if you’re thinking we’re crowded in our RV, I want to let you know we feel fortunate to have room to move around while the rains and chilly temperatures pretty much confine campers to their quarters.  Incidentally, we’ll be moving a lot over the next five weeks, so we didn’t take our satellite dish with us. Along the Virgin River Hiking Toward the Narrows “Hiyadoin’?” Philippe, who speaks English very well  [and continues to work to improve his vocabulary and pronunciation -- all part of the... Read more

Using Hydrogen to Increase Mileage and Reduce Emissions

Forget the staycation. (Credit: h2purepower) Sure, average gas prices are currently $3.94 (diesel: $4.11), according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report, and climbing toward the highest recorded average of $4.11 that crippled travel back in 2008. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up your summer road trip. It’s one of America’s greatest travel traditions—so don’t let these high fuel prices stop you. Mary Meadows says she can increase mileage and reduce emissions. She’s the founder of an Arizona company that makes a system that converts cars, pickups, trucks, recreational vehicles, and boats to hydrogen hybrids, reported The Arizona Republic. “We’re not replacing the fuel; we’re just supplementing the fuel to make it highly efficient,” said Meadows, CEO of H2 Pure Power, which is based at the Innovations incubator. The company manufactures the Hercules Hydrogen System, which is about the same size as a car battery and can be installed under the hood or in the trunk. The system manufactures hydrogen, mixes it with fuel, and puts the mixture into the engine by air intake. “It’s a very sophisticated system,” Meadows said. “A lot of systems out there don’t work; they don’t last.” She says that the Hercules Hydrogen System works—and it lasts. One of the problems to overcome was that post-1996 model cars and pickups contain computers that sense when a vehicle is using less fuel. That triggers the computer... Read more

Gr8LakesCamper: Michigan DNR delays closing state forest campgrounds

Good news from the state of Michigan regarding its proposal to close 23 state forest campgrounds: it’s not gonna happen … well, not yet, anyways. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Rodney Stokes recently tabled a director’s order to close 23 state forest campgrounds until the June 9 Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. The order was eligible for Stokes’ signature at Thursday’s NRC meeting in Flint. My story publicizing the original proposal to close the campgrounds can be found by clicking here. Stokes said he was tabling the order to give DNR staff more time to work on two plans to keep more of the campgrounds open. First, he wants to give DNR staff more time to discuss leasing agreements with local units of government that have expressed an interest in some of the campgrounds targeted for closure. Stokes also wants to give the DNR’s Forest Management Division staff time to work with the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division staff on a joint management agreement for some of the campgrounds. He also announced that the Lime Island State Forest Campground in the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, on the list for closure, would be transferred to the DNR Parks and Recreation Division to manage. “It is always unfortunate when we have to close campgrounds due to budget cuts and low revenues,” Stokes said. “However, by tabling this order until the June NRC meeting, we buy some time to keep discussing options with local units of... Read more

Mark’s RV Garage Episode #8 Released

RV Education 101 releases Episode #8 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 start putting the interior of the Yellowstone restoration project back together. * See how convenient battery operated LED lights are for all those dark and dimly lit areas of your RV. * Get the answer to the question on mixing and matching different battery types and sizes on your RV. * Take a stroll down memory lane when Mark narrates who and what the Tin Can Tourists organization was back in the day, and how it has been revived. * All of this and more on this episode of Mark’s RV Garage. If you missed previous episodes of Mark’s RV Garage they are archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing Episode # 9 will be available for viewing on 30 May 2011. Happy RV Learning, Mark Polk www.rvconsumer.com www.rveducation101.com  Read More →

What do Ohio, Tennessee & British Columbia Have in Common?

The following headline may provide a clue: As Washington State prepares to charge admission to all state parks, British Columbia is launching free admission to its provincial parks. BC Parks Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved B.C. Premier Christy Clark recently announced that parking will now be free in all provincial parks to encourage families to take advantage of the system. With 13.6 per cent of the province set aside as parkland and protected areas, B.C. has the second largest park system in Canada, second only to the national park system. Special events will be held in parks across the province all year, as BC Parks honors 100 years of conservation and recreation. It started with Strathcona Provincial Park in 1911 and now BC Parks has grown to be one of the largest park systems in the world. “The parking meters are coming out and parking will be free, effective immediately, so that British Columbia’s parks are even more welcoming for families,” said Clark, as she launched BC Parks centennial celebrations. “Our parks not only contribute to a healthy lifestyle and protect our environment, they are important to our economy. More park visitors mean more tourism dollars and more jobs for rural British Columbians and we want to eliminate any barriers to using the parks.” Clark said parking fees earned about $1 million annually, “although the ‘net’ was a lot lower than that.” She also announced a... Read more

New forest service rules will affect boondocking

By Bob Difley Beginning a few years ago the Forest Service began developing restrictions for users of the forests, including hunters, users of off-road vehicles, and campers. The new plan was titled The Travel Management Plan (TMP) and would be undertaken by the management of each individual forest to define their forest service roads that were authorized for motor vehicle use. Theoretically, authorized roads would consist of those built by the forest service to approved standards, such as suitable for log trucks, cattle trucks bringing in cattle for grazing (on leases paid for by ranchers but still open for recreation), and fire fighting equipment.  These roads, ideally, would also be suitable for large RVs as well. Roads not authorized for motor vehicle use would include those established by users, such as hunters in 4WD trucks accessing hunting grounds or for hauling out their kills, trails created by off-road vehicles, and forest service roads that had been abandoned and not maintained. Most of these would not be suitable for RVs, except for truck campers mounted on 4WD trucks. Campers/boondockers would only be allowed to park within one vehicle length of the road unless in an authorized “dispersed camping area” as defined by the forest service.  The penalty for driving on an unauthorized road or parking in an unauthorized area could result in a $5,000 fine or six months in jail. But–until we actually see this TMP implemented–which will begin to take... Read more

THE BACK ROAD TO VEGAS

By Barry Zander, edited by Monique Zander*, the Never-Bored RVers This wasn’t part of the Grand Circle Series I mentioned in our last RV.net blog, but Saturday was too interesting to let go by without telling you about our drive from California’s “Inland Empire,” east of L.A., to Las Vegas. The Back Road to Vegas © All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved You are in my target audience for this article if:  1) you don’t think it’s important to RV out West; 2) you’ve been to Vegas already, but you took interstates all the way; and 3) you think the destination is what it’s all about. So, let’s address each of those as it applies to what we just experienced. 1) In my formative days in my hometown of New Orleans I didn’t have any concept of the grandeur of the Golden West, and, therefore, I didn’t care about what new vistas it held.  I traveled expensively around the Eastern U.S. by car, but when I had business on the West Coast, it was by air. Let me tell you easterners this – if you don’t point your RV westward at least once, you’re missing out on America at its grandest. What we saw Saturday was desert … with jagged mountain peaks and ridges on either side of us … and desolate patches of land where people eke out an existence … desert vegetation and much more.  For more than five hours, we were never bored. 2)  We have a GPS to tell us how to get from Point A to Point B.  A few days ago, I was trying to figure out Google route planning... Read more

THE GRAND CIRCLE — PREVIEW

By Monique & Barry Zander, the Never-Bored RVers Our next big adventure begins this coming Sunday when we pick up Monique’s brother and sister-in-law in Las Vegas and take them back to our trailer parked in the Nellis Air Force Base RV park*. Our first excursion with our French relations was three years ago, when we toured from Salt Lake City through the Sawtooth Mountains, into Yellowstone, over to a working cattle ranch in Oregon and down into the some of the world’s most beautiful spots in northern California.  Four of us living for four weeks in a 28-foot travel trailer.  Two words describe that 3,500-mile jaunt:  “SPECTACULAR” and “FUN.” Unposed Photo of Monique Planning the Route We expect the same experience over the next five weeks as we motor around “The Grand Circle,” which takes in more of the world’s most inspiring spots, these in southern Utah and Colorado, through the Four Corners and into Arizona.  Monique has poured over maps, travel books and internet downloads over the past three months putting together a route that will expose our guests to hundreds of miles of natural beauty, several Native American cultural events and a few surprises. In the next five weeks, you’ll have a chance to join us on this adventure through our RV.net blogs.  As on our Canada and Alaska trip last summer, how often we will be able to post will depend on time and technology. Time – Several days will fly by as we hitch up and drive for long hours, stopping... Read more

A GPS Designed For RVers

After extensive research and beta testing in the RVing community, Rand McNally has released the TripMaker® RVND™ 5510 sporting a name that’s almost as long as my motorhome. It’s the first navigation device designed specifically for RVers. Rand McNally's GPS for RVers (Credit: Rand McNally) It comes stocked with information that would make a car driver’s head spin. Routing isn’t just routing on the 5510. The GPS also includes height and weight restrictions and turning preferences that are tuned to the type of RV you’re driving. For example, you might not enjoy maneuvering your 43-foot-long motor home around a tight right corner into the Cracker Barrel parking lot. The 5510 will show you a left turn into your destination. There’s also the question of where to park your house-on-wheels. The points of interest on this GPS are expanded to include RV campgrounds, dealers, repair providers, and travel centers with dump stations. “We’ve listened carefully to members of the RVing community, who told us overwhelmingly that they would be interested in purchasing a GPS if it provided RV-specific routing, stops, and amenities that RVers need while on the road, and things to see and do along the way. Our new TripMaker® RVND™ line will solidly deliver on these expectations,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally in a new release. RV-critical Information Fully operational in English, French, and Spanish, the TripMaker® RVND™ features more... Read more

My On the Road Data Diet

How I Exceed My 5 Gigabyte Limit with Verizon This is not a good thing!  The point is to stay within your contract limits.  When you go over, there are extra charges.  Our contract allows 5 Gigabytes of data usage per month.  Check the image at right and you’ll see that we’ve used over 4 Gigabytes and we’re only on day 8 of 31!  Looks like I’ll have to go on a data diet for the rest of the month. What’s a Gigabyte? Data usage is simply Internet use as opposed to voice.  Voice plan usage from your cellular provider is measured in minutes, Internet/Data usage is measured in Megabytes/Gigabytes.  Data usage is also referred to as Downloading, Uploading, or Bandwidth.  Think of it like a stream of water going thru a hose, email and other text is just a trickle, video is a firehose.  You’re measured by how much data is going thru the connection – what you’re looking at, not the time you’re online. Each Gigabyte is roughly 1,000 Megabytes.  We teach people that 5 Gigabytes is usually plenty for a month of one person doing normal browsing, email reading and maybe some Youtube watching.  But, if you share that connection with multiple computers, or you watch a lot of video, then 5 Gigabytes won’t be nearly enough. Just to give you an idea, a large, high resolution picture that you view on the web may consume about 1 Megabyte.  You’d have to view 1,000 of those pictures to hit one Gigabyte of usage. ... Read more

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