Safety precautions and common sense can prevent wildfires

By Bob Difley The BLM has issued a warning for Northern Nevada on the lack of moisture and warm day time temperatures and that campers and boondockers must use caution when building fires. The dry state of already dry BLM land in other states calls for the same measures. Texas, for instance, has had its driest year in decades, and you’ve seen what happened to the state as wildfires ravaged millions of acres. Little rain or snow has fallen in any of the southwestern deserts and wildfire danger is very high. As a result of these conditions and to remind fire builders, the BLM published these guidelines for building a campfire. Park vehicles so that the exhaust system does not come in contact with the dry grass, weeds or leaves. If off-road vehicle use is allowed, internal combustion equipment requires a spark arrester. Please stay on designated roads and trails. When burning debris check local weather conditions, have water nearby and available and know your counties outdoor burning policies. Never leave a campfire unattended. Leave campsite as clean and natural as possible. Remember the basic rule of, “Pack In Pack Out”. Never use any type of fireworks on public lands. Keep stoves, lanterns and heaters away from combustibles and never use inside a tent. I would add the following: Don’t build a fire when the wind is blowing hard. Keep a bucket handy to use to throw water on any errant sparks that escapes and to drown your final fire. Use a folding... Read more

RVers perk: Trade out your help for free camping in national parks and monuments

By Bob Difley Do you want to make $600 to $750 a month while living in your RV in a beautiful location and doing what you like to do. Let’s see how an ad for a job like that might look: Wanted. RVer to live on location in National Park (NP) or Monument and spend 20 hours a week helping park officials with RV park registrations, light maintenance, and other upkeep needs as necessary. No two week limit on how long you can stay. If you now enjoy visiting our national parks and monuments this ad would attract your attention. Especially the potential of living in a national park for months where now you are limited to two weeks.   And earning some supplemental income is good too. The above situation is available now. But let me clarify first. If you were to take a regular job somewhere it is unlikely that you would be given free housing so whatever you earned, some of it would go for housing or, in the case of RVers, staying in an RV park. So to juxtapose the national park offer from one of earning money and paying for an RV park, instead you trade out your earnings for a free campsite. Same result–almost. If you got a job making $10 – $15 an hour (most temporary or part time jobs don’t pay as well as fulltime or career jobs) and worked 20 hours in a week you would earn $200 – $300 or about $800 – $1,200 a month. After paying $20 to $25 a night (no monthly rates in national parks) you would have between $200 to $450 left over. Out of this would... Read more

Update: Developing electric vehicle battery technology

By Bob Difley A lot of hype and optimism attach to press releases and news reports on not only the future growth of electric vehicles (inevitable) but also in what will be the jump start to propel them  fully into the mainstream. Though electric vehicle market saturation is only in the single digits, we hear a lot about the Nisson Leaf and Chevy Volt (photo), and it seems that every other automobile and light truck manufacturer – including dozens of start-ups around the world – are jumping on the bandwagon and trying to catch up with the market leaders. For RVers, we can hope for development of electric dinghys that will re-charge from the main RV engine while towing or from a plug-in at campgrounds and public re-charging spots while on the road. Light trucks must have enough torque to pull a small trailer or carry the weight of a small motorhome.  And of course, range and cost are currently the problems. Hybrids, where you have the power and range of a supplemental gasoline engine such as in the Prius and Volt, are the logical interim step to full electric like the Tesla or Leaf. But they will not become a hit with most mainstream car buyers until a battery–or other energy storage system–can deliver on reduced size, lighter weight, lower price, and a range of at least 300 miles. Progress is being made by research institutions such as Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LAL) in Berkeley, California, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.... Read more

Slab City: Life in the middle of nowhere

By Bob Difley The Slabs, or Slab city is a hardscrabble desert settlement scattered between the creosote bushes on BLM land in the Mojave Desert near the Salton Sea. It acquired its name from the remains of concrete slabs that once supported buildings of a former government facility, now long gone. At Quartzsite, it is understandable why RVers gather in the thousands every winter to attend the many RV shows, flea markets, and all the other quirky things that develop when there are essentially no laws about what you can do and where you can do it, especially true on the millions of acres of sparsely patrolled open desert under BLM administration. Lacking the glamour and lure of Quartzsite, though, it is a mystery why The Slabs has grown into a seasonal RV city, where Snowbirds of every type, size, and configuration move in and spend the winter. The local town and only supply center is not what you would call a tourist attraction. It looks more like a settlement in a Mad Max movie. The population isn’t just made up of those who can’t afford to stay in RV resorts or campgrounds, though the Slabs’ population includes many of them also, as well as those cast off by the recession and many who have lost their homes. But the majority (I’m guessing) of the winter residents consist of those that don’t like the formality or constrictions of a campground, who like to boondock out in the open desert, life without civilization’s appendages—water, electric, and sewage hookups.... Read more

RVSEF to conduct RV Lifestyle, Education & Safety Conference in Bowling Green

By Bob Difley Years ago I was fortunate to be able to teach classes at the Life On Wheels RV Conferences. But unfortunately, the program no longer exists due to the death of its founder and head cheerleader, Gaylord Maxwell. It was an excellent learning program with offerings for wannabee RVers to old hands brushing up. One of the other instructors was Walter Cannon, who offered classes–like his driving and safety classes–through his Recreation Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation (RVSEF). He has since brought his program to other venues across the country and in partnering with North Hampton Community College in Bowling Green, Kentucky, will again offer his “Behind the Wheel” driving classes (which will be held at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green) as part of RVSEF’s RV Lifestyle, Education & Safety Conference in 2012 on May 18 – 20. To register call RVSEF @ 321-453-7673 or email them. Check out my website for RVing tips and destinations and for my ebooks, BOONDOCKING: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America’s Public Lands (or for Kindle version), Snowbird Guide to Boondocking in the Southwestern Deserts (Kindle version), and 111 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang out of your RV Lifestyle Dollar (Kindle version).  Read More →

Happy New Year

By Bob Difley Having never been a celebrant of New Year’s Eve, when that date rolled around I tried to find a boondocking spot as far away from the insanity as possible. I found that even one lone neighbor within a hundred yards or so could still disrupt the solitude of my campsite, so I sought to get completely away from others. It’s the curmudgeon in me. I figured it was successful if nothing–except maybe a coyote’s howl–woke me at the stroke of midnight. If you are also seeking solitude from New Year’s Eve  celebrations, I hope you have found that little-used dirt road that winds through a hidden canyon and accesses the perfect–and quiet–spot to celebrate the beginning of a new year, hopefully an improvement over 2011. Have a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2012. Check out my website for RVing tips and destinations and for my ebooks, BOONDOCKING: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America’s Public Lands (or for Kindle version), Snowbird Guide to Boondocking in the Southwestern Deserts (Kindle version), and 111 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang out of your RV Lifestyle Dollar (Kindle version).  Read More →

Know your TMRs before it hits your wallet

By Bob Difley This week the Forest Service (FS) posted the motor vehicle travel regulations that are now in effect for the Williams Ranger District and the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. These motor vehicle travel regulations are the result of the national Travel Management Rule which the FS has been working on for several years, and which are coming to all national forests in 2012. Details of the motor vehicle travel regulations and associated maps are available at any Kaibab National Forest office or online at the forest service website. And remember this little ditty that appears there also: “Be sure you know before you go! And please remember: Nature Rules! Stay on designated roads and trails.” What is important is that it is up to you to know the new rules for driving and boondocking in all the the National Forests (FS)–not just the Kaibab. There are two important changes with the new Travel Management Rule (TMR). The first is that you may no longer drive on roads not designated by the FS. Many roads have been closed–but not necessarily blocked or signed–though most of those were illegal roads that were created by off-roaders, hunters retrieving game, and other illegal uses so it shouldn’t affect RVers–except maybe for truck campers driving 4WD vehicles. Some of these trails, though, were being used by off road vehicles (OHVs) which will no longer be permitted, though there are also many legal trails for OHVs... Read more

Are boondockers and off-road vehicle users heading for conflict?

By Bob Difley The New York Times published an article this morning on off-road vehicles called side-by-sides (SBS) that are growing in sales while sales of all terrain vehicles (ATV) are shrinking. SBS growth in popularity is due to not what they can do, which is drive on rough forest trails the same as ATVs, but for the amenities of the vehicle when off-roading. Unlike ATVs that have a straddle seat for the driver and handlebar type steering, SBSs have two seats up front, and often seats in the back as well, a automobile-type steering wheel, and rollbars, making them popular for those with spouses and families who want to take the family along. Sales of SBS have invigorated the power sporting equipment industry that has seen sales of ATVs drop by two-thirds since their peak in 2004. The debate in the industry, as it has been with ATVs, is with safety issues such as rolling over. These issues are important to the industry, as favorable rulings will boost sales and unfavorable rulings will depress sales. For instance, requiring manufacturers (such as Yamaha that makes the popular Rhino) to widen the wheel base and lower the center-of-gravity–which also reduces clearance–to reduce the potential for rolling over will also reduce the number and type of trails (which means elimination of rougher, narroweer trails) that side-by-sides can use. What does this have to do with RVing? For those RVers that tow ATVs and side-by-sides along with them it will mean that they may have... Read more

Photo winner announced for National Historic Landmark Photo contest

By Bob Difley The winning photograph (left) in this year’s National Historic Landmark Photo Contest was of the ruins at New Mexico’s Pecos Pueblo National Historic Landmark. This is the same spot where Spanish explorer Coronado passed on his search for Quivira, one of the legendary “Seven Cities of Gold” in 1540. Unfortunately, when Coronado found Quivira, he found no gold. And it was even more unfortunate for El Turco, the Indian slave that told of the gold and led the the expedition there, who was promptly strangled. In this, the 12th annual photo contest, entries came from all 50 states from both amateur and professional shutterbugs. Next year’s contest particulars will be posted in the spring on the National Historic Landmarks website. You can see the contest photos on the National Park Service’s website. National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. A National Historic Landmark may be a historic building, site, structure, object, or district. Fewer than 2,500 historic places bear this national distinction. Working with citizens throughout the nation, the National Historic Landmarks Program draws upon the expertise of National Park Service staff to identify and nominate new landmarks and to provide assistance to existing landmarks. Check out my website... Read more

Should the government sell off our public lands?

By Bob Difley Suggestions are circulating around congress during these times when state and federal governments are finding it difficult to meet expenses that government should sell off “excess” government property to raise the necessary funding to continue to operate. Some of this excess property has been identified as public lands–national forests, wilderness areas, and desert lands now owned by us, the citizens of this country. Others consider this approach as short-sighted, citing the fact that once they are sold off they will never again become public lands available for our recreational use. The sales of these properties would also result in job and revenue losses in the surrounding communities, as many tour operators, rafting companies, fishing supply stores, fishing equipment manufacturers, camping supply stores and manufacturers, hunting supply stores, and other outfitters would have to shut down and lay off employees. And, of course, it would also mean diminished land for use by RVers for camping, boondocking, and sightseeing, and shut down the revenue flow we RVers spend in local communities for supplies, restaurants, and other services. This fact has been clearly demonstrated when various states started closing down state parks and the surrounding communities took and big economic hit because the visitors to the area suddenly vanished. RVers, hunters, and anglers would be especially affected, as in some cases they have already been by the implementation... Read more

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