Cost Effective Weekend RV Fun

Sometimes spending your weekend at home is just plain boring. There really isn’t much to do, but on the other hand you don’t have much of time before the weekend is over and it’s back to work again. How about a weekend RV getaway close to home? Not only can a quick RV trip alleviate the boredom, but it is cost effective too. A 200 mile, or less, round trip from home won’t cost much in fuel, food or campground fees and it might be just what the doctor ordered for some well deserved relaxation and time to recharge. Read more  Read More →

Who is that driving the motorhome?

Over the weekend we started planning for an RV trip we are taking later this summer. It’s about 6,000 miles roundtrip. We are on somewhat of a timeline and I wanted an idea on average of how many miles we would travel each day, based on our schedule. It seems like more often than not we are on a tight schedule, forcing us to put in more miles per day than I would like. I want this trip to be more leisurely when it comes to how many hours you are behind the wheel each day. Admittedly I am one of those people who likes to do all of the driving myself. I just feel better if I know I am behind the wheel. I know my wife, Dawn, is a competent driver (she even has her CDL) but I still prefer to do the driving. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is extremely important that both individuals are capable of driving or towing the RV. You never know when your wife or husband will need to drive the RV and they should feel comfortable and confident in doing so. As we were planning the trip it brought back a memory of a past trip we took in the RV. We were stopped in traffic because of an accident, and had sat in the same spot without moving for at least 30 minutes. I told Dawn that I was going to run back and use the bathroom and if traffic started moving to just get behind the wheel and drive. The boys were in the back bedroom playing X Box. The motorhome started moving about the same time that I came out of the bathroom. Both boys looked up at me with their eyes wide open and... Read more

RV Cooking Show – Grilled Cuban Sandwiches, Cuban Cowboy Caviar & Cortez, FL

If you ask me, there’s nothing better than a warm weather getaway by the beach. Bonus points if it’s a stay in a thriving town with a terrific RV resort, lively dining and entertainment in walking distance, and fresh fish right off the boat. Well, that’s just what I stumbled upon when I pulled into Cortez, Florida. This little town is tucked away on the land side of Anna Maria Island and is often eclipsed by its big neighbor to the south – Sarasota. But don’t be fooled, you could easily while away many memorable days and nights in this West Coast of Florida paradise. In our latest RV Cooking Show –Grilled Cuban Pressed Sandwiches, Cuban Cowboy Caviar & Quirky Cortez Florida – we’ll show you around town and, with a special guest, make a mighty tasty meal. I’m especially excited to bring you Paulette’s Cuban version of an old RV-standby – Cowboy Caviar. Take a look – you’re gonna love it. Don’t miss the “From my RV kitchen” section on my website’s show page – I share many of my favorite Cortez “locals’ haunts” with you. I hope you enjoy watching this episode of the RV Cooking Show as much as I enjoyed making it! Evanne RVCookingShow.com   Read More →

Extended Warranties. Are They Worth It?

So, what exactly is an extended warranty? It is a warranty on a portion or all of a product that starts when the original manufacturer’s warranty expires.  It, as in the original, has a term, usually stated in months.  Additionally there may be other qualifying components such as a maximum mileage or operating hours.  Like the original warranty, it covers repairs or replacements of items that fail, but excludes normal wear, abuse or failure due to lack of maintenance. Extended warranties are offered now on many consumer purchases on vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to a seven dollar electronic accessory.  There are manufacturer, dealer and independent extended warranties available.   These additional warranties, however, come with a price.  Is this extra cost worth it? Well, of course there is no simple answer to this.  While there are many variables, even the same item may support such a need for one person’s application, but not for another’s.  However, making the right choice requires more than just knowing the cost.  You have to know what the service contract includes in full detail. First, who is the company that is offering this?  Generally they would fall into one of the three categories below. Manufacturer: While this is probably the best warranty package, it is generally the most expensive.  Service is usually throughout the country using their dealer network. Dealer: Normally more price competitive, but may be limited to a single point... Read more

RV Shows, your Wintertime RV Fix

In late November we took our last RV camping trip for 2009. We had a great time and when we returned I cleaned the RV, winterized it, and prepared it for storage. When I closed the garage door behind me the reality sank in that there would be no more RV adventures until sometime this coming spring.  It’s always a bit depressing to park the RV with no plans to use it for two or three months. It’s sort of like when football season ends, or your favorite television program ends, and you need to wait several months for the next season to begin. What I discovered can help you through these rough times is to attend some RV shows. You might need to park the RV for awhile but that doesn’t mean you can’t think about RV’s, look at RV’s, or plan the next trip in your RV. RV shows offer the avid RVer a fix to get through the wintertime RV blues. You don’t need to be in the market for a new RV to attend an RV show. It’s a lot of fun to just look at all the new RV models coming out and to dream a little bit. If you’re not shopping for an RV just be careful and keep reminding yourself that you’re only there to look. With all of the excitement, not to mention a good salesperson, it’s easy to make a hasty buying decision. There is a lot of ground to cover at an RV show and a wealth of information available. RV shows aren’t just for RV dealers to showcase their new products. RV shows are a great source of information from knowledgeable representatives on every aspect of... Read more

All roads lead to the 2010 season in Quartzsite

By Bob Difley Even RVers in the West who haven’t yet learned the value of solar panels or spent a single night witehout hookups have heard of Quartzsite. And some oldtimers have yet to visit however, but the saying goes that if you are an RVer, you will visit Quartzsite at least once before you retire your horses to pasture. It is an experience near the top of the RVer’s lifetime To Do list. Quartzsite’s wide open desert with plentiful camping possibilities on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land lures hundreds of thousands of snowbirds to the weather-friendly desert in winter. Most RVers call this kind of camping boondocking, i.e. “in the boonies” though in Quartzsite, you could end up as crowded as a hook-up campground. But the beauty of it is that the choice of where and how sociable you want to be is yours. The options include groups of friends circling the wagons much like the early pioneers did on the Oregon Trail. Though the pioneers chose this method mainly to protect themselves from marauding Indians, today’s RVers seek social camaraderie instead, putting tables, chairs, and a communal campfire in the “hub” of the circled wagons. You can choose to camp in close to town and have neighbors, or move further out and have your group area all to yourselves, a definite advantage if you are nudists or practice strange rituals or ceremonies. Several hard compacted dirt roads lead off into the far reaches of the LTVAs where campsites... Read more

Young Fulltime RVers – Keep or sell the house??

Dreams, goal setting, and action plans play a starring role at the turn of the year. You may be considering the full time RV lifestyle. Good for you! If you are a home owner that’s a piece of the puzzle that must be in place before you hit the road. In this short Young Fulltime RVer video I’ll share with you a few questions to ask yourself when pondering this issue.  Happy New Year everyone! Be safe and dream big!! Evanne www.RVCookingShow.com PS – Explore the Young Fulltime RVer page for more fulltime insight.  Read More →

RV Cooking Show – Crockpot Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving

Holiday greetings, friends,   Poof! All of a sudden we’re coming into the busy, busy winter holiday season so I’ll make this brief. Do the words “RVing” and “turkey” in the same sentence have you shaking your head, thinking “can’t happen”? Well think again! In this episode of the RV Cooking Show host Evanne Schmarder shares her little turkey secret…the crockpot. Moist, tender, and easy. Take a look at Crockpot Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving, we think you’ll agree…it’s delicious!! We’ve also got some goodies in the Thanksgiving archives: Try Mom’s Famous Cranberry Sauce…folks in 18 countries over five continents did and gave it a thumbs up. I’d always been on the lookout for an easy and elegant sweet potato recipe…well, here it is. No video – just a text recipe – but worthy just the same. Go a bit “rouge” yourself this year with one of our wacky but delish recipes…Trash Can Turkey for the adventurous or double the sauce recipe, use turkey breast instead of chicken, and crockpot a Trailblazer Turkey. Question: do you track your RV travels? I’ll share my method in this RV Cooking Show episode and have blogged about it around the RV Cooking Show virtual campfire – our blog. Check it out here. May I take a moment to say that I’ll be counting YOU, our loyal viewers, among my many blessings this year. Happy thanksgiving to you and yours. Most sincerely, Evanne and the RV Cooking... Read more

Debunking Portable Air Compressors

I think most RVers understand the importance of maintaining proper tire inflation pressure. The problem is if you wait until you’re on the road to check tire pressure the tires are too hot for correct evaluation. Checking the inflation pressure when you stop to refuel doesn’t make sense; you will get higher pressure readings and if you let air out the tires they are underinflated when they are cold. Another problem is when you are at the campground, and you want to check the tire pressure, there is no available air support to do it. Read more  Read More →

RV Educated? Calculating Propane Usage

 Did you ever plan an RV trip to a remote area and wonder how long the LP gas in your LP cylinders or LP tank would last? If so there is a way there is a way to roughly calculate propane usage.  Read more  Read More →

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