Let the Computer Navigate with GPS
July 10, 2008 by Chris Guld · 23 Comments
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I’ve had some conversations with fellow RVers that went something like this: “What kind of GPS navigation system do you use as you travel?”, I asked. They responded with something akin to: “I don’t need no stinking GPS to do my navigating! I can read a map just fine.”
hmmm, that got me to thinking. I’ve told many people that I won’t travel without a GPS navigation system anymore, Read more
Of Mice and Laptops
June 12, 2008 by Chris Guld · 1 Comment
We are currently in Branson, Missouri attending the RV-Dreams rally. This is a very computer intensive group because they all got to know each other through the RV-Dreams website and forums. They’ve been chatting with each other online for a year or so, now they get to meet face-to-face and party! So, what do they do? Sit down at a table and get online to the chatroom! Actually, some of these ladies are learning to use the chatroom by joining this impromptu class.
For the last two days, we taught a Computer Boot Camp pre-rally. One of the things we taught is a real quick tip that I thought I’d pass along to the RV.net readers.
By far the majority of computers used by RVers are laptops. Users of laptops have a love/hate relationship with the touchpads that perform the functions of a mouse. If you hate it, it’s probably because the mouse pointer on the screen jumps to unpredictable locations because you touched the pad and you didn’t mean to. You may use an external, USB or wireless mouse so you don’t have to use the touchpad. If this describes you, please watch the video below which will show you how you can customize, or even completely disable, that pesky touchpad. Some computers have a button above the touchpad that will turn it off and on, but most do not.
Chris Guld
www.GeeksOnTour.com
North to Alaska…Virginia to Kentucky
In my book, Guide to the Alaska Highway, I recommend people starting on the East Coast either duck into Canada right away and head west on the Trans-Canada Highway or get on Interstate 80 and head across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. I’m ignoring my own advice on this trip for a couple of reasons.
First, I have some writing to do in southern Indiana, and I-80 runs across the northern edge of the state. Next, I hate toll roads and in most of Ohio and Indiana, I-80 is a toll road. So for the moment I am sticking with I-64, though I did detour a little to the north on I-81 in Virginia and up to Hagerstown, Maryland, before going back south through West Virginia. After yesterday, let me state unequivocally that there is no level ground in West Virginia; it is truly a mountainous state.
The final reason I’m ignoring my own advice is that I just want to see some new country.
“Alaska: RV Adventure of a Lifetime” - How’s the Road?
May 22, 2008 by John Holod · Leave a Comment
The most frequent question we get at our video presentations about Alaska is “How’s the road?” I guess it depends on who you ask.
Nothing disappoints us more than having someone come to our show and say “We were going to drive our RV to Alaska last summer but old Uncle Joe talked us out of it. He told us the road was dusty and dirty, that the pot-holes were so big your RV would go in one side and not come out the other for 5-minutes and it was so bumpy that pieces kept falling off his RV. By the time he got to Fairbanks his rig was in such bad shape he put the whole thing in a small UPS box and shipped it back home!”
What Uncle Joe forgot to mention in his story was the fact he hasn’t been to Alaska since 1948! Don’t listen to Uncle Joe, listen to us. We drove the highway several times last summer, shooting video and working with a Born Free caravan. The road is just fine. You will find some construction on the highway each summer, just like every place else in the country, but the road is basically all paved.
Alaska RV Adventure: DVD’s For Trip Planning
May 15, 2008 by John Holod · Leave a Comment
Thinking about Alaska? By Adrienne Kristine
I was mildly interested in going to Alaska, especially after hearing from a fellow workamper who worked there one summer. She arrived in May and helped the local businesses open for the season before beginning her workamping job. Then she wrote about “termination dust”: the first sign of snow signaling the end of the season and notice to leave.
Recently, I taught at the Life on Wheels in Tucson where I was fortunate to watch an abridged version of John Holod’s trips to Alaska filmed by his company, RV Adventure Videos. After the presentation, I drove home still thinking about what I saw. I was hooked.
“Alaska:RV Adventure of a Lifetime.” - Inside Passage 5
May 8, 2008 by John Holod · Leave a Comment
continued from May 1st…….
You are not allowed to live in your RV while on board the ferry. While staying in your RV home would seem like a good idea we all know that old Uncle Joe would get up in the middle of the night, turn on his propane to cook some eggs, and blow everybody up! Once you drive your RV on board you lock it up and head upstairs to the deck.
You can rent a state room but that will cost extra. You can also sleep out on the deck in a tent or deck chair, but most of us are too old for that. Again I get back to the idea of taking the trip in short hops. Most runs between ports are only four to eight hours. Get off the ferry and spend the night on dry land, sleep in your own bed, eat your own food and then head out again when you are ready.
The ferry system does make allowances for pets. If you travel with a dog there will be announcements every few hours letting you know you can go downstairs to walk Fido. I suggest they also rent you a small piece of Astroturf.
PLESE EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION
To be continued next Thursday …. John Holod - RV Adventure Videos
John & Jodie will be leading a Born Free Caravan to Alaska this summer. For more information check out his website below.
John’s personal appearance schedule and videos can be found on his website, where he can be reached via email at www.rvadventurevideos.com
“Alaska:RV Adventure of a Lifetime” - Inside Passage 4
May 1, 2008 by John Holod · Leave a Comment
continued from April 4th …….
On their website, the Alaska Marine Highway System suggests that you make reservations on the ferry six months in advance. We found that wasn’t necessary, unless you were leaving from Bellingham WA. We rode the ferries for over four months while shooting our “Alaska Inside Passage” video and we were never on a ferry that was more than half-full. If you did start your trip in Bellingham (which we don’t suggest for cost reasons) you might need one, but starting in Prince Rupert BC we never did.
Making reservations makes your trip too structured. You never know how long you want to spend in a town until you get there and check it out.
Axle Flips for your Trailer - Flip This !
April 28, 2008 by Mike Steffen · 5 Comments
Howdy !!
Ok you boondocking, wrought traveling, dune busting freaks - you’ve decided to buy the 5th wheel trailer of your dreams, the one that you can pull with your new 4X4 pickup truck. Thoughts of going up into the hills away from the crowds in the campgrounds flow through your mind until your brain hears the sales person saying something about having to flip your axles on the trailer before you can pull it with your truck. “What’s an Axle Flip?” you ask. The sales man explains that your truck is 51 inches high at the top of the bed side rails. The trailer neck is only 52 inches high to the bottom of the neck, which means that the trailer has to be raised by about 4 inches to keep the neck of the trailer from resting on the bed of the truck - an unhappy experience !
Axle flips are becoming more and more common as 4-wheel drive trucks are used to pull fifth wheel trailers. Read more
“Alaska:RV Adventure of a Lifetime” - Tire/Ferry Q&A
April 24, 2008 by John Holod · Leave a Comment
Email any questions about travel to Alaska to www.rvadventurevideos.com
You recommend carrying two spare tires when traveling in Alaska. Do you carry just the tire or do you carry tire & wheel.
Do you carry them in the storage area of your RV or do you carry them in your tow vehicle.
Unless you plan on traveling on a lot of gravel back-roads I don’t think you need two spares. A good rule of thumb is to take one spare for each vehicle you have, one for the RV and one for the tow vehicle for example. I really doubt that you will be unlucky enough have two flat tires before you can get the first one fixed. There are tire stores about every 50-miles or so on the route. Carrying the spare tire will be enough back-up but feel free to include the wheel if you have space. I don’t know about you, but space is always at a premium when we travel. We had Born Free make us a rack on top of our RV for a spare tire.
The Great Lakes - Re-visited!
April 20, 2008 by David Kurtz · 2 Comments
I have to say that when I wrote my Great Lakes piece last week, I was just writing what was on my mind. I didn’t realize that my writing would affect people as it did. Since I did receive positive replies to my article, I decided to write some more about the great Lakes.
One of the responses I received was from a gentleman named Brian from Louisiana. He told me that he and his wife lived in Michigan for forty years and my article had caused him to be home sick. He also said that his wife did some paintings of Mackinac Island and some were displayed in the Michigan Capital building by invitation of the governor. I took a look at the site and wrote back and told him that his wife had really captured the feel of the island. If you get the chance, don’t miss her website dtrart.com. Her paintings are great to view and well worth viewing her website!
One of the things I like about writing is when people know of campgrounds and sites to see in those areas. Many people made some great suggestions, and I plan on looking into some for my own travels.
Of course, the locals know about the Great Lakes Circle Tour, but for those of you that do not know, there is a series of scenic highways around the Great Lakes that are known as the Great Lakes Circle Tour. I have been on many of these highways and plan on traveling on all of them eventually. The Great Lakes Circle Tour is 6500 miles of international road systems and so you can spend quite a bit of time traveling around the Great Lakes! For more information, check out the Great Lakes Commission web site: http://www.glc.org/tourism/
After writing my last article, it was suggested by one reader that I do a lot of ‘Dreaming’ and that instead of just writing about them, I should just go and fulfill those dreams. I can honestly say that I am doing what I can to fulfill those dreams. It is true that I do have a bunch of dreams and I really enjoy writing about those dreams! When I was a kid in high school, I had a dream of getting into computers and make that my career, check! Then, later I had a dream of starting my own business, check! Now, I have many dreams of where I can visit with our travel trailer. I can’t fully say ‘check, but I am trying and will continue to do so.
