VIDEO: Alaska Flood – Emergency Airstream Repair!

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 Admin In 2012, we towed our Airstream on a 14,000 mile road trip. We traveled 5000 miles from Alabama, exiting the United States from Montana, branching through Alberta, and then along the Alaska Highway through British Columbia, and the Yukon, all the way up to the Alaska border. Then we drove around the Alaska interior (visiting Tok, Fairbanks, Denali, Palmer, Wasila, Anchorage, Homer, Portage, Seward, Glennallen, Haines, and Skagway) for another 3000 miles. Then we towed down the Cassiar Highway through British Columbia another 3000 miles to California. Then we made our way home over the course of another 3000 miles. According to our odometer, it was about 14,000 miles from start to finish. “Wasn’t that trip hard on your rig?” you may ask. Indeed, it was a bit hard on our rig. Although we never suffered a major catastrophe to our Airstream, nor did we emerge unscathed. (Our truck did suffer a catastrophe; more on that subject later.) Of course the general assumption is that the widely feared Alaska-Canada Highway (also known as the “Alcan”) is hell... Read more

Using MovieMaker for your Slideshows and Videos

How many of you have a camera that takes video.  A bunch, right?  Now, how many of you ever put that video together with pictures and music and made a movie that you can enjoy showing to others?  Not so many, huh? Let’s give it another shot OK?  Windows MovieMaker 2012 is really quite simple if you take it slow.  Don’t try to import 2 hours of video and edit it down to a 5 minute movie right away.  Start by learning how to do slide shows with your pictures.  Windows MovieMaker is a free program from Microsoft, it is part of what was called Windows Live Essentials, now it’s just Windows Essentials.  If you don’t already have it,you can download MovieMaker here.  Even if you do have it, check the version, it was upgraded and improved in August of 2012.  It is now version 2012. Import the pictures with the ‘Add Photos and Videos’ button Drag the pictures into the order you want Set your timing.  Each picture can have it’s own duration, or you can select all the pictures and enter the duration for all of them.  The easiest way to select all is with the Ctrl-A shortcut.  If you don’t set your own duration, the default is 7 seconds – much too long. Set your transitions.  Same thing, you can do them one at a time, or all at once by clicking ‘Apply to All’.  Transitions are on the Animations tab. Just hover over each one and you’ll see what it does.  Once you click it, the selected picture will show a gray triangle on its left side indicating... Read more

VIDEO: How Do Astronauts Go to the Bathroom?

Note: We’re currently exploring Alaska (shooting a feature length documentary about our journey). In the wake of Neil Armstrong’s death, here’s a look at our visit to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, in which we answer the pressing question: “How do Astronauts go to the bathroom?” Don’t forget to wink at the BLUE MOON this weekend! Also, if you are interested in LLH and our travel antics, we encourage you to visit and “LIKE” our Facebook page. Like us! Really like us! The author's ebook about RV camping can now be borrowed FREE in the Amazon Kindle Lending Library (for Amazon Prime members using real Kindle devices). Even if you don't have Amazon Prime, it's only $2.99!  Read More →

RV 101® What to do After the RV Trip?

Copyright RV Education 101 When you return from a trip and you’re not going to use the RV for a while you need to drain the entire water system to prevent it from getting stale and musty. You can start by draining the water heater. If the water heater has an electric mode make sure it is in the “off’” position before you drain the water heater tank. It’s a good idea to turn the breaker for the water heater off, so the switch doesn’t accidentally get turned on with no water in the tank. Now go to the outside compartment where the water heater is located. The drain plug, or petcock is normally located in the bottom left hand corner or bottom center. Remove the plug and open the pressure relief valve on top of the water heater to assist in draining. (See Caution below) If you have a Suburban water heater you will need to remove the anode rod with a 1 -1/16 inch socket to drain the tank. The anode rod is designed to help prevent corrosion and protect the tanks steel lining. Corrosive elements in the water will attack the rod rather than the tank. Inspect the anode rod every time you remove it to drain the tank, and replace it when 3/4 of the rod is consumed. Atwood water tanks do not require an anode rod and use a nylon drain plug because the tank is made of aluminum. Caution: Never drain the water heater when it is hot and/or under pressure. Turn off any water going to the RV, to include the water pump, and open a hot and cold faucet to relieve water pressure. Allow... Read more

VIDEO: Talk RV Camping with Country Music’s LONESTAR

As fans of our “Long Long Honeymoon” Facebook page learned this morning, we have a new video interview with Keech Rainwater, the drummer of the country music band Lonestar. Lonestar is currently celebrating its 20th year. For more than two decades the boys from Texas have been cranking out radio-friendly country hits. Songs like “Amazed” and “What About Now” have led the band to huge success. Together they have toured the world. Click the pic to "get hitched" back stage with country music superstars LONESTAR. But when they aren’t touring, at least one member of the band likes to go RV camping! Here’s a link to our post with the video: LET’S TALK RV CAMPING WITH KEECH RAINWATER OF LONESTAR Be sure to LIKE our Facebook page to stay in the loop for more RV camping posts. Just click on Sally for more info! Like us! Really like us! Enjoy the video and have a great weekend!  Read More →

TRAVEL CHANNEL’s: MEGA RV COUNTDOWN

TRAVEL CHANNEL’S: MEGA RV COUNTDOWN High Noon Entertainment, the producers of Cake Boss, Heat Seekers, Bang for Your Buck and Food Network Challenge is thrilled to be producing a no holds barred special for Travel Channel that takes an inside peek at America’s most tricked out, pimped out and over-the-top RVs. From the converted school bus to the Boatorhome and everything in between, America’s Craziest RVS is looking for the most outrageous vehicles and the people who own and design them. Want to share your recreational vehicular creation with the rest of America? If you can drive it and sleep in it, we want to see it! All interested vans, buses, campers, trailers and their owners are welcome to apply. Please contact us at rvshow@highnoontv.com Watch as we feature your favorites voted on by viewers at http://www.travelchannel.com/ Source: High Noon Entertainment Press Release Mark Polk RV Education 101 RV Consumer RV101.TV  Read More →

Free RV Video Training Site – RV101.TV

Mark Polk with RV Education 101 recently launched a new RV video site called RV101.tv where RV owners & enthusiasts can learn more about their RVs. Polk explained, “For more than a decade we have been helping educate RV consumers with our RV instructional DVDs, books, online TV series and free video clips. Our you tube channel alone has had over 1.1 million video views. Recently I realized that we had over 100 RV related videos uploaded to our You Tube channel, but if you were searching for information on a particular RV topic it was difficult to locate.” To fix the problem Polk decided to launch a new RV101.tv video training site. The new video site is easy to navigate and find exactly what you are looking for. At RV101.TV you will find a large selection of RV how-to training videos organized into over 20 specific RV categories. When you are searching for a particular RV topic you just click on the RV video training category and a listing of all available video titles within that category will come up. The RV101.TV site is a great place to learn more about your RV and you can subscribe to be notified by email every time a new video post is added. Polk added, “We also offer a free monthly online magazine titled RV Consumer E-magazine that is packed with great articles and RV how to information. To subscribe to the E-magazine visit http://rv101.tv/or www.RVconsumer.com. When it comes to learning about your RV the easy way RV Education 101 has you covered.” Happy... 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

VIDEO: the Queen Mary 2 in ROUGH SEAS!

On LonglongHoneymoon.com I have drawn an analogy between boats and RVs. Boats and RVs have a lot in common. Fiberglass, galleys, and water tanks come to mind. Many avid RV travelers are retired. Same goes for boats. But there’s one key difference: manufacturers don’t build gigantic RVs (“cruise RVs”?) that simultaneously accommodate thousands of people. I think we can all agree that this is for the best. Imagine the potholes 1200-foot long motorhomes would inflict upon our already Swiss Cheese roads. Parking would also be an issue. With with boats it’s a little different. They do build huge ships to accommodate thousands of people, and it all works pretty well. Here’s a short video I shot on one such boat last week. It’s also our Christmas card to the world. Yes, last week Kristy and I completed a transatlantic crossing (from Southampton, England to New York) aboard RMS Queen Mary 2. Those of you with a fondness for the golden age of ocean liners will appreciate this ship. The QM2 offers a travel experience that harkens to the past. Our seven night crossing included four nights of formal dining and events (coat & tie for gentlemen, nice dresses for the ladies). The trip also included a route that passed within 80 nautical miles of the RMS Titanic, and a couple of storms cranking out 30-foot swells and winds at gale force 10. Although this video isn’t the most technically RV-centric in the world, it is about travel, and I thought you... 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

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