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

RV Consumer Magazine February 2012

The February issue of RV Consumer Magazine was just released by RV Education 101. In this issue we discuss RVing with pets, aftermarket RV products, RV owner maintenance mishaps, snowbirds and much more. All of this great RV information is just a click away. If you haven’t heard of the magazine it is a digital magazine, in a flip-book style format, delivered online by subscription. It is free of charge and your e-mail address will never be sold or used for anything other than delivering our RV e-newsletter and RV Consumer e-Magazine. For up to the minute RV news and information take a minute to subscribe and start receiving these information packed e-publications right now. Both “RV University this Week” e-newsletter and “RV Consumer e-Magazine” are loaded with useful RV information and knowledge on RV products, RV how-to topics, RV reviews, RV destinations, RV videos and other general RV information. Our goal is to be your premier provider for RV information and assistance through various RV educational outlets. If you are experience trouble with the CAPCHA code (prevents SPAM) while signing up for the newsletter please send an e-mail to Dawn with Newsletter sign-up in the subject line and we will get you signed up for the magazine: dawn@rveducation101.com Happy RV Learning. Mark Polk RV Education 101 RV University  Read More →

Solving The RV Foggy Window Syndrome

Almost all motor homes have thermopane-type dual glazed windows that act as insulation and prevent interior condensation. Between these pieces of glass is a dry air that will not form moisture when subjected to temperature changes. However, all that changes when the seal between these two glass pieces become compromised and develops a leak. I use the term “When” in lieu of “If” because over time most, if not all, will suffer this failure. Over time it is subjected to movement, vibration, altitude pressure variances and of course, the harsh temperature changes and environment conditions. There are 4 or 5 glass manufacturers that all the RV builders use, so no matter which brand of RV you have, all will eventually fail. So, what do you do when foggy windows strike? You could replace them at the RV maker’s factory or authorized dealer. But that can be very costly. The preferred method, however, is to have them repaired or actually refurbished. There are several companies that offer this type of service and may well do a good job. One such company, located in Hudson, Florida, SunCoast Designers, specializes in this field. They offer a number of 50 amp, water equipped RV sites as well as an on-site dump station. The process is far more involved than I had imagined. They remove the window(s) from the coaches while they are sitting in the serviced lots and then plastic seal the hole(s) temporarily while the window refurbishing takes place. Inside the plant,... Read more

ENHANCING YOUR VISIT

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers If the title of this blog were really what it’s about, most people wouldn’t bother opening it, but I’ll try to make it worth your time to read on. Arriving at The Getty in L.A. A few days ago we visited the J.P. Getty Museum in Los Angeles.  In addition to being housed in a true work of modern art, and in addition to having free admission, this is a place to see if you’re in the area.  But that only touches on “the where,” not “the what” that this is about. “The What” is actually two-fold.  It’s about expanding any museum experience, and it’s about my wondering, “Why is the photographic art on the walls ‘art’ and my photography just photography?  Let’s take them one at a time. Whenever Monique and I visit a museum of any kind, whether it’s high art, classic cars or American natives history, I try to engage the docents or guards in conversation, asking, “What shouldn’t I miss in this room or in the museum?”  When I first started doing this, Monique was skeptical … until she heard the kinds of answers it elicited. “If you look closely, you’ll see the artist’s lover in the purple swirl.”  Or “It was Smith’s earliest work, so there are inconsistencies that show how her artistry developed,” or “It’s here because the curator wants it here.  Makes no sense to me.”   I laughed when I heard something close to that at the Getty. How DID Claude Monet See... Read more

New RV Consumer e-Magazine

There is a brand new digital magazine available for the RV consumer. RV Education 101 owner, Mark Polk explained, “I have been entertaining the thought of a consumer driven RV e-magazine for some time now. We published a trial issue last December to test the waters, and it was well received. At the time my thoughts were to publish the e-magazine quarterly, but with the level of interest the first issue received we made the decision to distribute the magazine monthly.” The new publication is titled RV Consumer e-Magazine. It is a digital magazine in a flip-book style format that is delivered online by subscription. It is free of charge and your e-mail address will never be sold or used for anything other than delivering our RV e-newsletter and RV Consumer e-Magazine. For up to the minute RV news and information take a minute to subscribe and start receiving these information packed e-publications. Both “RV University this Week” e-newsletter and “RV Consumer e-Magazine” are loaded with useful RV information and knowledge on RV products, RV how-to topics, RV Reviews, RV destinations, RV videos and other general RV information. Our goal is to be your premier provider for RV information and assistance through various educational outlets. If you are having trouble with the CAPCHA code (prevents SPAM) while signing up for the newsletter, send an e-mail to Dawn with Newsletter sign-up as the subject, and we will get you signed up: dawn@rveducation101.com... Read more

How to Get FREE eBooks (for Kindle, Nook, iPad, etc.)

We RV campers love our eReaders. Many of you have purchased my own ebooks, and for that I am grateful. Long Long Honeymoon – Living Large in a Small Tin Can has been ranked one of the top 20 books in Amazon’s Travelogues section. The book is doing well on Nook also. Of course the almost-but-not-quite-free price ($2.99) won’t dent anyone’s pocket too much. VIDEO: How to Get FREE eBooks A wise philosopher once said, “the only thing better than cheap beer is free beer.” So let’s talk about ways to get free beer — err, free books — for your ereader. Free ebooks are much easier to find than free beer. One of the simplest (if not the best) methods to find free books is to search your eReader store. But instead of searching for words, search for numbers: “0.00.” We illustrate this method in our video. The “0.00″ trick may not retrieve every free book in the catalog, but you’ll get a hearty supply of material from the likes of Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens. Put these books on your eReader and your IQ will automatically jump 10 points. The greatest authors of all time... FREE! There are also some free trashy romance novels (for those of you who are into that sort of thing – you know who you are). Note that these may actually drop your IQ, so if you’re reading NASCAR Hotties Part IV, it’s best to also download a copy of Great Expectations. Ironically,... Read more

YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT ALASKA CARAVANS

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers Barry and Monique, “Just received our Trailer Life Magazine and thoroughly enjoyed reading your adventure in Alaska.  How about some advice.  How do you find a wagonmaster, will he provide caravan info, if not where would you look.  Would appreciate any info that you could supply. Thank you Carol” OUR RESPONSE: Carol, Thanks for your note. We went to Alaska with Adventure Caravans led by Ken and Carole Adams.  They did a great job of keeping members of the group informed and on schedule, with lagniappe (Cajun talk for extras), like inviting the mining train fiddler to Caravan Members Joined with Local Musicians entertain us at the campground with two fellow musicians.  When you browse for caravan companies on the Internet and read what different companies offer, for those you make contact, I would suggest asking questions about the personalities of the wagonmasters.  Some folks like a very structured tour; others, like us, want lots of opportunity to explore on our own at our own pace. Adventure Caravans, and probably most of the other companies, have a daily blog for each caravan written in turn by each of the members of the group.  You might ask for the URL for some of those to sample how things were going on the trip. We had almost-perfect weather for most of our 58 days, but take into account that outside forces cause changes and disappointments.  On our way up to Alaska we crossed paths... 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

Let’s Talk NOOK !

Let’s Talk NOOK ! Recently I wrote an article about the Amazon Kindle (one appropriately if unimaginatively titled Let’s Talk KINDLE !). The crux of my essay was that e-readers are the best thing to hit RV’s since flush toilets. There are many e-readers available for your purchasing pleasure. One of the most popular rhymes with “book.” Why did I choose to focus on Kindle? Conspiracy theories abound. Am I biased? Have I loaded up our investment portfolio on AMZN? Or am I merely an Amazon fanboy who wears Jeff Bezos pajamas? Nah. While I may be a bit of an Amazon fanboy, I wrote about Kindle because Amazon is currently KING KONG of the e-reader world. Yes, if recent sales figures are to be believed, Amazon is now perched on a skyscraper high above E-Reader Metropolis with Fay Wray sitting on its lap. Or is that Jeff Bezos in a dress? Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in a dress? This is wrong on many levels. Anyway, with Kindles selling faster than mouse ears at Disney World, it’s good to be King Kong. But if there’s a pesky swarm of biplanes on the horizon, it’s the Barnes & Noble NOOK. The author's book on his wife's NOOK. The Nook is a series of e-reader devices sold by everyone’s favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore behemoth. These range from inexpensive e-ink readers (Nook Simple Touch) to more robust tablets (Nook Color & Nook Tablet). You can buy Nooks online, in 90,000-square-foot bookstores, in shady back alleys,... Read more

7 Step Process to a Wise RV Buying Decision

Buying an RV is a major purchase decision. We don’t take the decision to buy a house lightly, and buying an RV is no different. You need to do your research and be well informed to make the best buying decision possible. Let’s take a look at my 7 step process to a wise RV buying decision. Step 1: Try before you buy This is perhaps the most important step of the process. It can be difficult to determine if an RV is right for you if you have never used one. Plan a weekend or week-long trip and rent an RV to try it before you buy. Renting an RV can be a good indicator to gauge if an RV is in your future. Another option is to spend a weekend at a campground that rents RV’s already set up on site. My only caution is that you don’t confuse not liking RV’s with not understanding how an RV works. If the rental dealer doesn’t give you a thorough orientation of the RV, or offer an instructional DVD you should consider purchasing a RV training DVD prior to renting the RV. Knowing how everything on the RV works can make the experience much more enjoyable. Step 2: Attend an RV show RV shows, like boat shows, are intended to introduce the new model year RV’s and to help disseminate RV related information to the RV consumer. RV shows are usually scheduled during the slower time of the year, the winter months, to help jump start the selling season. RV dealers from miles away will bring their wares to these shows. For the buyer RV shows put everything you need to see and learn about... Read more

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