Safe Holiday Travel Tips

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our E-mail Digest or RSS Feed. We will then send you the stories that are posted each day in an e-mail digest. We use a service called Feedburner for delivery of these emails. You will receive an e-mail from Feedburner after you subscribe and you must click on that email to activate your subscription. Thanks for visiting and enjoy all the information! RV.Net Blog AdminForty thousand people in the United States die each year on the road! With the peak RV travel season here I thought this would be a good time to discuss getting to your RV travel destination safely. Getting there can be half the fun, as the saying goes, if you take a few precautions to make your trip safe. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

Narrow Victory for Energy Bill in the House

By Bob Difley The energy bill that passed the House on Friday will no doubt antagonize a lot of people around the country, mostly those from industrial Midwest, farm, and southern states whether Republicans or Democrats. All the Republicans and 44 Democrats that voted against the bill warn that we are in for economic disaster, that carbon caps will raise energy prices forcing more manufacturers to move to China where there are no caps, and to other countries that do not limit greenhouse gasses. They also contend that energy costs will rise to consumers, jobs will be lost, and the country will sink into such debt that it may ruin the country. On the other hand, those who voted for the bill, all Democrats, feel that this climate legislation would begin to tilt the equation of energy policy in the US. It would cap greenhouse gas emissions for the first time in US history, boost production of renewable electricity sources, create investments in clean-energy technology, create thousands of jobs, and help free us from the grasp of foreign oil producers and their hold on the nation’s economic and foreign policy. You know that it is going to result in higher energy costs, at least in the near future. Fuel prices will rise, affecting our RV lifestyles. But it may also mean that we will buy smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles, and install renewable sources of energy on our rigs, like solar and wind, and maybe boondock more. I guess it all comes down to whether: You think that... Read more

Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park

Today we may not think of Nebraska as being the Wild West, but there was a time when the Cornhusker State was the very edge of the frontier. Indian fighters, gold prospectors, outlaws, lawmen, ranchers, and settlers all passed through and spent time in Nebraska. One of the most famous Old West names associated with the state was William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the flamboyant buffalo hunter, Indian scout, and showman. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

The RV Trivia 4 - Destinations and Attractions

The Lug_Nut RV Trivia Challenge 4 is focused on destination attractions.  Many you have probably heard of, but do you know where they are located?  Well, we are about to find out.  Get a pencil and paper so that you can record your answers as you go through it.  You will then be able to check your answers against those displayed at the very bottom.  Be sure to share your score and any other comments you may have in the comments section following the answers. So, give it a go!  Happy Travelling.     1) If you wanted to RV to an area, in North America, where you might be able to see crocodiles in the wild, where would you go?  A) South California B) South Florida C) There are no crocodiles in North America 2) If you were at Dollywood, what town would you be in?  A) Los Angeles, California B) Las Vegas, Nevada C) Branson, Missouri D) Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 3) If you were at the “Four Corners”, which states would you have to be in?  A) Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico or Utah B) Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico or Colorado C) Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama D) California, Nevada or Arizona 4) Travelling and camping in the Cabot Trail requires you to get to what Province in Canada? A) Ontario B) Quebec C) British Columbia D) Nova Scotia E) New Brunswick 5)   No vehicle over 21 feet long is allowed on this scenic mountain road called Going-To-The-Sun Road.  This is a toad road for many of us.  Where is this famous road?  A) Whistler, British Columbia B)... Read more

Extended-Stay Maintenance Checks

Normally when you plan a trip in your RV you conduct some type of pre-trip checks to make sure the RV is properly prepared for travel. When it’s time to leave the campground you perform these checks again for the return trip. But what happens when you find that perfect campground or RV Park and stay put for extended periods of time? Do you conduct routine maintenance checks on the RV to make sure it is in a safe and operable condition while it’s parked? Most likely you do, but if not here are some extended-stay maintenance checks to consider performing. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

New Converter and Charge Wizard upgrade!

Progressive Dynamics Converter 9160 and Charge Wizard Project After getting tired of adding water to my batteries and them never getting an actual full charge I decided on a change. After research I found that many 5′ers and travel trailers come with a “less expensive” basic converters. Many do not manage the charge to your batteries well in that when you are plugged in they constantly charge your batteries and never give them an actual full charge. In addition the constant charge means you have to often check and ad water to the batteries. With the Progressive Dynamics 9160 Converter combined with the Charge Wizard you get great DC power management along with proper battery charging and maintenance resulting in a managed charge to your batteries and less water loss. The install went pretty smooth and here is a link on such a project. A must see! The Charge Wizard is fantastic and you can read more on it here. Below are some pics of what I bought and installed. The new reconditioned converter and new charge Wizard were approx. $225 delivered to my door. This along with 2 new Trojan SCS 150 batteries I have plenty of power (over 200 amp hours) and my batteries are well maintained. Batteries were approx. $120 each. The batteries are fully charged in about 2 hours with my Honda 2000 generator. What a big difference in battery and power management! A couple years ago I spent nearly 6 weeks on a dry camping trip to test everything while I was dealing with a family... Read more

RV Cooking Show Celebrates Dad Grillside

Hello campers, In honor of fathers everywhere I must say that this is the “manliest” RV Cooking Show to date. Our travels take us to the North Dakota Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. To this day, its harsh beauty continues to inspire. TR arrived in North Dakota ready for big game hunting. Instead, what he found near the Little Missouri River was a buffalo herd decimated by commercial interests. His experiences in the wilderness began to solidify in his mind the need for conservation, which he pursued notably in his Presidential years.  The National Park named in his honor is remarkable and not-to-be missed. When we return from a busy day of exploring we’ll make an unbelievable meal fit for an outdoor-loving president and especially Dad. The not-your-average-backyard Grilled Panini Burger and steak fries in this RV Cooking Show episode will make you swoon. Red pepper aioli, prosciutto ham, and manchego cheese make this burger so flavorful. The crispy, grill-marked fries add a special touch to this delicious dinner. Do Dad a favor, pick up the ingredients and make him a Father’s Day meal that he can sink his teeth into! Have a look-see for yourself… And there’s more…we’ve gussied up the recipe section of the RV Cooking Show website (where you can print all of our delish recipes) - I think you’ll like it, posted some terrific articles on our RV Cooking Show blog, and have been Tweeting and Facebooking like... Read more

After-Trip RV Maintenance and Storage – Part 2 – Bernice’s Tips

As a continuation of my post last week, here are some additional tips and tricks that you can use after an RV trip to keep your rig looking its best and to maximize your efficiency. If you cover your RV, protect the cover from sharp corners by adding suitable padding at those places. Tighten the cover tie-downs snugly with rope but so as not to put excessive strain on the tie-down eyelets, which will cause them to tear away from the materials around them. Every so often disconnect the battery terminals and clean them. Corroded battery terminals can keep your engine from starting or operating properly. Sometime on the trip home, it’s time to start your “To Do” list of tasks for when you get home. The list will keep you focused and prevent you from trying to do everything at once. At the top of the list should come calls to friends and family to let them know you are home safely. The laundry will wait. Unloading the RV will be easier if you organize as much as possible before you get home. The last morning on the road, change the sheets on the bed and gather towels and other laundry in a big plastic trash bag or pillow case. Fill plastic grocery bags or tote bags with newspapers, trip brochures, cosmetics, and audiotapes so these and other loose items will be ready to carry into the house. Sometimes after a long period of disuse, and RV’s furnace won’t start because its microprocessor board needs to be reset. Try... Read more

Step One in an RV Makeover

For over 16 months now I have lived full-time in my Lance Camper. 48 States and an odometer pushing 70,000 miles gave me a personal best. With a wee bit of celebration in mind, and to kick off the Summer of ’09, I wanted to treat myself right so I turned to Thetford. There is something about a porcelain toilet. Now, if you’ve never spent a year and a half on a factory installed plastic one, you’re probably thinking, “it’s not all that big of a deal.” Well, for me it was time for an upgrade, and a state-of-the-art one at that. Now when Nature calls I’ll be answering with a new toilet. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

Installing a 3″ dump valve in a blue tote, life made easy.

This blog pretty much goes hand in hand with my last blog titled “Boondocking and Dry Camping Solutions here. A real money saver and effortless dumping! Dry camping has become such a breeze for me with the purchase and use of the macerator pump as I simply pump my tanks into my two blue boy totes. I have a 22 and 15 gallon type giving me a total of 37 gallons I can dump each trip to a dump station. Of course the benefit of this is you never have to hitch up go to a dump station, return and re-setup the trailer, and so easy. My problem was when at the dump station I would have to get up into the bed of the truck and lift the heavy totes up to dump them. With my bad wrist this was becoming a chore. I had decided to invest the money ($250 or more) to buy a 32 gallon tote with the dump valve on it so all I had to do is hook the hose to it, pull the valve and done! Rinsing with the same method this also eliminates you having to tow the totes through a campground to the dump station as well and especially if the dump station was off site and a mile or two away. After speaking to a Rob, owner of Morro Bay RV and Marine he suggested I just put the valves in my 2 totes instead of spending all that money on a new tote. $45 worth of parts and a little time saved me about $200 or more! Some people ask why my totes are in the back of my truck in the first place. Hey to me it’s all about making life on the road as easy as possible. Here’s a pic of my 22 gallon tote before... Read more

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