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

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

Gourmet Italian Guest RV Cooking Show

Italian food has become standard fare here in America. It seems everywhere you visit you’ll find Olive Garden or even a Pizza Hut. But look a little harder and you’ll discover establishments serving delicious, authentic, makes-magic-in-your-mouth Italian with recipes passed down from generation to generation. That’s exactly what I found during my stay at Flying Flags RV Resort in Buellton, CA. In fact, I was looking for a celebrity chef to film a show with me. Luckily for all of us, the resort’s manager, Dan Baumann, is a bona fide foodie and had just the man for me – Chef Giorgio Curti of the famous Santa Ynez eatery Trattoria Grappolo. Upon hearing the news I did what every fun-loving RV Cooking Show host would do – planned a party!! But instead of filming in Studio A (our Jayco 5-er) Dan graciously offered a big, beautiful park model cottage. Nice! In this episode – Gourmet Guests – you’ll enjoy the fruits of our labor. Chef Giorgio prepares 3 absolutely amazing dishes for us: a seafood pasta, grilled sliced beef with arugula and a burrata citronella salad. Amazing! And don’t shy away, they only sound fancy and complex. Chef Giorgio specializes in easy and elegant. He made these terrific dishes “rustic” in honor of our outdoor lifestyle. Served up with some fine Santa Barbara County wine – Mosby Dolcetto for one – it was a fabulous feast that you don’t want to miss out on. Sure enough,... Read more

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers This is Part I.  I’d like you to write Part II. “What’s your favorite place in your travels?”  How many times have we been asked that!  Our favorite place for RVing is North America.  I like to say our list of specific places is practically endless. In response to a letter we received last week from Nancy, I responded: Favorite places:  for me, everywhere.  For Monique, everywhere except crossing the Texas deserts and the Great Plains, but she realizes that it helps us appreciate other places.  There is nothing like western Canada and Alaska by RV, but in the contiguous states, so far we would say the Arkansas Ozarks; Idaho and Montana; Key West (military campground); Utah and the Northwest from Northern California upward.  I could go on and list another 10 or 20 favorites, but you’ll find out when you’re on the road.  We like changing scenery — the desert, the forests, the mountains, lakeside, riverside, oceanside.  Monique just interjected:  ”Tell them Bryce Canyon,”  ”The Great Lakes,” “What we like may not be what they like.” I’m now asking you to answer these two questions: 1) What are the favorite places you’ve been? and 2) Where are you going? In the comments section, just list up to five favorites from your travels and up to five places you want to visit. Please be brief.  Just list them … unless there’s something we should... Read more

YOUR DESTINATION ‘WISH LIST’

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers Where to your want to point your RV in 2012? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ For many of us, the holidays are an excellent time to plan for the days ahead when the weather warms up.   Have you thought about where you want to go and how to get there? Envision Spring -- Travel Time Ahead Those of you who use your RV to hop between the homes of parents or to impose on your kids and grandkids in distant states, you have an obvious starting point on your planning. Over the years we have crossed paths with lots of people who travel with a checklist at their side – “We want to visit all state capitals … visit the highest peak in each state … go to a different music festival every weekend … etc.”  Snowbirds will be packing up in two to four months to head north, ready to resume their alter-personalities on solid ground.  The point is, you may soon be on the move, heading for destinations. Here’s our recommendation:  Don’t just look at Point A (where you are now) and Point B (what you want to get to). Think outside the box – or more appropriately off the ribbon of interstate that can get you to Point B the fastest.  We suggest that you route yourself through at least one state park or national park on your way to your ultimate destination. Monique and I are journey folks.  We set our sights on... Read more

DATES AND DEATH VALLEY — PART I

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander*, the Never-Bored RVers This is a two-part blog, beginning with our off-the-beaten path near Tecopa, California, in Death Valley (a mere 85 miles west of Las Vegas) to the China Ranch Date Farm in an oasis among America’s most arid tract of land.  I’ll post Part 2 in a couple of days, describing our return to the Death Valley 49ers Encampment, and I conclude with a golf tale, which I call “Why I’m glad I four-putted the 18th green.” PART 1, THE DATE FARM – For those of you who have never experienced the nothingness of the vast Western deserts, trekking across broad sandy basins lined with jagged mountains holds more interest than you might realize.  Last year we drove and hiked through several unique scenic venues, including the beautiful Artists Palette trail, the Devil’s Golf Course and the lowest point in North America. This year, we pulled out a day early from among the long lines of RVs parked at Furnace Creek for the 49ers Encampment heading for the legendary China Ranch date farm.  It was harvest time, the perfect time to visit.  “What have we gotten Is this really a road? ourselves into?” we wondered as we left the blacktop side road and urged our trailer onto a winding dirt road cut through steep cliffs and serrated hills.  Despite sharp turns on the narrow road, it looked worse than it was. Before long the labyrinth wound past acres of palm trees all dressed in the apparel of ghosts, white-robed spirits... Read more

The aging RVer

I am sitting here tonight comtemplating that in two days I will “celebrate” my 67th birthday.  On this event I am looking at our current and future RVing situation and wondering what the near future holds for this “aging RVer”?? With today’s modern medical advances, 67 is not really “old”, but for certain, I have noticed a difference in my abilities to live the RV lifestyle.  In particular I have become keenly aware of limitation on my efforts to keep the motorhome clean, and polished.  In the past I would spend hours washing, waxing, and meticulously cleaning the coach, taking pride in removing even small spots.  This year the days have flown by and my RV sits in the driveway with a nice even coating of road dirt.  Believe me this is something that in years past, would not have happened.  Yet I simply cannot find time in my day to get the dirt off like I used to.  My thought is that there used to be 24 hours in a day. Now it seems more like 18 or 19.  Obviously this is a reflection of my diminishing energy level and reduced ability to get everything done that I want to do. My brain still works, at least I think it does, but my physical body just doesn’t get things done as quickly as it used to, nor does it keep going as long as it used to.  This situation is of course, a source of great frustration to me, and something I have to live with every day. So, I not only adjust my daily schedule to accomodate my reduced stamina,... Read more

What does it cost to become a fulltimer?

By Bob Difley Almost every new RVer or former weekender thinking about going fulltime asks the question “How much does it cost to live fulltime in an RV?” The answer is, pick any number and you will find someone who says that is what it costs. And they’re right–for them. However, that is probably not the best question to ask. Try rephrasing the question to “I will have a net income of (fill in the blank), will this be enough to cover the RV lifestyle that I define?” And that, of course, implies that you have to first define the RV lifestyle before you can cost it out. What does costing it out entail? This question is very individual, which only you–and your traveling companion or spouse, if any–can answer. So get out a piece of paper or open a  new document on your computer and answer these questions first: Is your RV paid for or will you have to factor payments into your budget? Is your RV old or new? An old RV will require more dollars budgeted for maintenance and repairs? Do you have a residence that will require maintenance or will provide additional income by renting? Are all your financial obligations paid off or will payments–other than monthly usage of credit cards–have to be factored in? Add in health insurance and prescription drug plan premiums, and average monthly co-pays. Add in cell phone costs, a gift budget, hobby costs, and anything else that will be recurring expenses. That was the easy part, numbers... Read more

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