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Some Bare facts about Bears!
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This past Labor day I was camping with my girl friend and children. We were too late to get into the regular State Forest campground that we like to stay at and were demoted to “dispersed” camping. These are unimproved campsites in a general area. The campsite we picked out of the three we found was very steep, but, after 4 tries, we managed to find a spot for the camper. Night one was uneventful. But the second night we had an uninvited visitor … a Black Bear.
Now, Pam, my designated co planner for camping trips, was a little worried when she heard it and woke me (it generally takes a small to medium-sized explosion to wake me, my snores tend to drown other noises out!). After I quit rubbing my ribs and could breathe, I listened and said yes it could be a bear. When ask what I was going to do, I realized this was a man thing (you know killing spiders, taking out the garbage and chasing off bears). So, I walked over to the door and turned the outside light on and saw… A Bear! To be honest, I thought I would see a raccoon or deer or something smaller. I don’t know who was more surprised, the bear or myself. In the End, the bear was easy to chase off; he turned and ran, and I stuck my head out the door and yelled at him just to make it look good, and he never came back.
Then three days later, I was driving a back road going to look at a house that was for sale and had a mother bear with two cubs on the road in front of me. Mother and one cub went to the right and one cub went to the left. So, for the next few minutes, I sat between them in my truck and watched until they figured out I wasn’t going to hurt them. Finally, the lone cub crossed the road and ran to Mom and all three left, not to be seen again.
Now, what do these two events have in common? Obviously the bear contacts. My step-father couldn’t believe I had seen 4 bear in less than a week and proclaimed I was as lucky as a dog with two… well, never mind. But the fact is most people don’t see bears that often and don’t know what to to when they do see them. Many of them have watched too many Disney movies and think bears are some sort of cuddly animal or have watched too many horror movies and think they are about to die. The truth lies somewhere in the middle of course.
So let me give you some Bare facts about Bears:
- If you are going to be attacked, it most likely will be a black bear. Why, you ask? Well, they are in almost every state, grizzly bears have a very limited range.
- Most people that are attacked have done something, shall we say less than intelligent, like tried to have their child feed the nice bear some marshmallows or gotten between a mother and her cubs.
- Bears like food and if you feed them they will come; however, if you quit feeding them, they will still come and now will be hungry and used to humans. (this is called a campground where everyone leaves their coolers out until the bears are used to eating out of coolers). Leaving food out on the table and going away is just asking for bear problems.
- Only ONE campground in Yellowstone is closed to tents and soft side campers, and that is Fishing Bridge Campground.
- A single hiker moving quietly is more likely to have problems with bears.
- Bears do have comfort zones. So, if you get too close to them and invade that space, they will try to leave. If you have left them no easy exit, they will leave over you.
- Bear spray will work to keep them away but even better than that is to be smart.
So, what can you do to protect yourself and your loved ones from bears? Mostly, it is very easy.
- Stay in your vehicle if you see a bear. Stop and take that picture, but, unless the bear is over a hundred yards away, you are safer in the vehicle. The same for a camper… don’t go out and try to scare them off, stay inside.
- Lights and loud noises will work to scare all but the most persistent of bears off. Loud whistles, banging on pots, yelling, honking your horn.
- Don’t feed the bears. Keep all food and containers in your camper (or vehicle) or in the bear boxes. If you are backpacking, suspend the packs on a rope between two trees well out of reach from the trees or ground.
- When hiking, go as a group and don’t be afraid to make noise in bear country — sing, talk, wear bells. Stay close together and, if you see a bear, bunch up. Three or four people all together look bigger and tougher than one alone.
- Don’t try to get too close to a bear … they are wild animals, and, if you try to feed them, whatever happens to you, you deserve.
- Whatever you do, DON”T get between a mother bear and its cub or cubs. If you find yourself between a mother bear and her cubs, leave as quickly and quietly as you can.
- If you are attacked, try to cover your head with your arms and do the proverbial play dead act.
- They say black bear can climb trees and grizzly bears can’t. Mostly true, grizzlies just push them over; so, don’t rely on trees to save you. Plan ahead and be smart.
Bears are an exciting part of the outdoors. Treat them with respect and intelligence. Binoculars and spotting scopes are the best things for bear watching. Seeing a bear in the wild can make a memory you will treasure forever, like when we saw a Grizzly with three cubs in Yellowstone.
And I’m just going to leave you with one thought: Good bears poop has nuts and berries in it. Bad bears poop has bells and whistles in it and smells like pepper. (Smile)
Your Obedient Servant,
Gary Smith, Jr.
Pet Boarding at Campsites?
One of our visitors mentioned that when visiting the Grand Canyon recently, she was surprised to find that the campsite in which they stayed had animal boarding. She said that it was very clean, had good rates and made it possible for them to go on a train ride that was offered. Does anyone know of other campsite listings that have onsite pet boarding? They thought it was a great idea instead of having to keep their dogs in the RV. They wouldn’t have been able to go on the train ride if the campsite didn’t offer that service.
Let us hear of any other campsites you’ve visited or know of that provides onsite pet boarding!
Happy Pet Travels!
Tom James
PetTravelCenter.com
Innovative RV Lighting. Are L.E.D. Lights Worth The Money?
To know if the added cost for L.E.D. lights is worth it, we will first re-visit an article I wrote in the early spring of this year.
Innovations to interior and exterior lighting for recreational vehicles strive to meet several needs, appropriate for the intended task, within an acceptable power consumption range and to look good, create an ambience. While there are additional requirements, these are probably the most common and apparent to the user. As far as being appropriate for the task at hand, the most common uses are providing light to see in, illumination for vehicle night operation and just plain designer accents. Power consumption for all but the vehicles moving lights, is a concern. Low wattage is required to extend the charge state of a battery, or battery bank, during non-electrical AC support such as shore power or generator. Designer accent lighting can be used indirectly in valances, rope lighting runs, and many other eye catching ideas.
Having adequate interior light for such chores as reading, cooking, etc., requires the use of more illumination. This in turn uses higher wattages resulting in the shortening of the charge state of the batteries. This has led to many coaches being equipped with fluorescent light fixtures for decades. These fluorescent lights provide a great deal of light with far less power usage when compared to incandescent lamps. Also halogen lighting has become very popular, though certainly not a power saver. These provide a bright focused lighting and are usually set up in groups with wattage of 10 or so at 12 volts per unit.
The newest innovation slowly finding its way to the recreational vehicle market is the L.E.D. (light emitting diode) lamp. These draw substantially less power than even fluorescent lights and can today, be found on some models used for tail and clearance lights. Additionally they are showing up in decorative rope lighting. There are many advantages to these types of lamps including a much longer service life than the regular incandescent bulb. Regular lamps generally have an expected life of around 1,000 to 2,000 hours, whereas many L.E.D. can provide anywhere from 30 to near 60 thousand hours or more. In brake light applications, they are noticeably faster to illuminate than traditional units. Also, unlike ballasts, in fluorescent light fixture, there is no R.F. (radio frequency) interference.
Recreational vehicle interior lights have not yet seen these superior lamps. When they do, they will offer a host of benefits. In ceiling lighting applications, where dimming may be desired, the L.E.D.s maintain the same color throughout all settings, unlike the yellowing out that we are used to with current light fixtures..
The only negative is the initial cost. L.E.D.s are expensive. For example, a 120 volt 3″ diameter face spot light, equal to about 80 watts or so, could cost over $50 compared to perhaps $1.99.each.
Looking at my own coach, I find that I have 51 ceiling halogens, each 10 watt. The fixtures are about 1.5″ in diameter while the lamps are the pin plug-in bulb type. There are two light levels achieved by switching them between 12 and 6 volt power. There are L.E.D. light replacements for the mini 12 volt halogen which are part number IMT-ILG4-21LED12VW at a cost of about $20 each.. That would run nearly $1020 to replace all 51 compared to about $1 each for the existing ones or about $51 total. If and when I can locate a fit, around $8 to $12 a unit, I will replace them. This is due to the extremely short life of the plug-in halogen lamps requiring a unit or two every month to be replaced and the challenge to accomlish this as the covers can be difficult to remove. So I could justify say $500 or so, but have a problem with over $1,000.
Decorative designer type lighting is becoming more popular in coaches and trailers of all price levels. Windows and ceilings are lit with rope, indirect and accent lighting. Some of this lighting is of the L.E.D. type as it offers a choice of compact configurations and soft illumination.
In all likelihood, if every light fixture and bulb were L.E.D. in a recreational vehicle, boondocking would benefit as house bank battery power would be extended substantially while the user enjoyed more lighting. The manufacturing cost however, would increase greatly; this is probably why we will not see this happen too soon. The 2009 Cadillac Escalade will be the first domestic made auto to offer L.E.D. headlamps on their top of the line Platinum addition. But, given time, as more applications appear for both automotive and household use, the price will inevitably come down.
Well, since this article was written, I’ve purchased a couple of these L.E.D. lamp replacements and tested them. They were to replace the halogen ceiling lights in my coach. These lights are controlled by a three position switch that is capable of supplying full power for bright operation, low power for a much softer light and of course, off. The lower power position actually supplies only 6 volts, and is wired accross the six volt batteries. The replacement L.E.D. lamps I used cost about $15 each.
The first mistake I made was ordering the white (cool) light output type. These were a vast contrast difference from the more yellow (warm) lamps that are used throughout the coach. I far prefer the more warm look of of the standard bulb and recommend staying with it instead of any whiter types available.
The second issue was it’s inability to dim in the 6 volt mode. L.E.D. lamps are designed for a specific voltage and will not operate at a lower power value. So, when the low setting was selected at the switch, lowering the voltage to just over six volts, the lamp went out. Thus, these L.E.D. lamps could only be used at full power in this particular coach set-up. The coach was an ‘07 Newmar Essex, and this is the way the manufacturer had designed and built the lighting and control. This could be righted by re-wiring the low voltage side to the twelve volt output through a resistor module designed for such L.E.D. applications.
The product itself was certainly not disappointing as far as the illumination was concerned. It was easily as bright, if not brighter than the 10 watt halogen bulb it replaced. All of that with about a 1.3 watt power draw, or one sixth of that of the halogen. This is an ideal product for a boondocking application for a motor home, trailer or boat.
What about the cost? After all it is anywhere from five to ten times more expensive than using the conventional halogen bulbs. Well, first it will out last the halogen by fifty to one hundred times. In fact it will probably out last any rig you use them in. Secondly, if we look at the boondocking application, it is apparent that lighting is the major consumer of stored battery power. By reducing the wattage, or power needed, to one third of what was previously required, less recharge time is needed. This substantially reduces the time the generator is needed to run, which saves on both fuel and genset maintenance. Likewise the lower power draw cuts down on the frequency that the battery bank needs to be recharged. This reduction of frequency may lengthen the life span of the batteries. This is due to the fact that a battery’s life is dictated by the number of recharge cycles. So, I guess with all things considered, it probably is financially practical, even at the high prices they command.
I think we will see more and more of these appearing as standard equipment once the capital cost comes down.
Hoping For A Bright Future - Lug Nut - Peter Mercer
If You Can Drive a Car, You Can Drive an RV
Wow! 33 comments as I sit down to write this entry. You have brought up great questions and many of you have already shared your experiences, support and encouragement to each other. I am overjoyed that there is this much interest in the subject. It will take quite a while to respond to all your concerns and requests so I am grateful to those of you who are offering great advice to each other. For those who want to get started and can’t wait until I cover all the topics, visit RVing Women for excellent information. Also my writing partner, Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak, and I wrote a book on Solo RVing available at our Web site.
In addition to all the options for a good full-time rig that have been mentioned, I suggest you look at the Safari Trek in which the bed is raised and lowered. The advantage is that in a 27-foot rig you can still have a full living room and a fair-sized kitchen area, and at night have a queen-sized bed. I believe Holiday Rambler makes a similar model. I always recommend that you buy used for your first rig so you maintain the value if you discover (which most of us did) that you really want something else after the first few years.
My topic this week is the importance of driving the rig if you are traveling with a spouse. In the 15 years I’ve been on the road, I’ve seldom seen the wife driving, hooking up, or dumping unless the husband was incapacitated in some way. Why? Ask yourself why this is true if you are one of the people who seldom drives. Particularly with the larger motorhomes and trailers, women say they don’t want to, can’t or are afraid to. Then of course there are those who want to, but the husband does all the driving and is unwilling to give up the reins.
I was that wife. We had a one-ton dually pulling a heavy 32-foot fifth wheel. Before we hit the road we had a fairly equal partnership although he did do most of the driving when we were together. But as soon as we started full-timing, I was the inside person and he the outside. I was “allowed” to help at his direction when needed. I was also “allowed” to drive on the open highway when he needed to rest his eyes. After an hour I would see him fidgeting, trying to be patient, asking if I was getting tired. If I said I was fine, he would fidget some more. “Do you need to drive?” I would then ask.” “Yup.”
Then one weekend we were at Death Valley Days celebration. On Sunday morning I left the rig to attend the closing ceremonies. When I got back I found that he had accidentally knocked the still-perking coffee pot all over his legs. We got first-aid treatment, but then it was time to leave. With his guidance I did the whole hook-up for the first time and secured the rig for traveling. I had to drive up the steep road to leave Death Valley and then drive a curvy two-lane road for several hours. I was a nervous wreck. And … I did it!
I became a believer-and so did he. I learned to hook and unhook and did more of the driving after that. And so can you! Please don’t wait as long as I did. Here are some steps you can take:
Take a Driving Course
This is the best way to get started. It’s the unusual husband or significant other who can calmly and courteously teach you. Go to an expert. At the bigger rallies there are hands-on driving courses. The industry leader is Dick Reed’s School. They offer classes in California and Arizona in addition to rallies. RV Training School is located in Branson, Missouri. Or Google RV Driving Schools for more choices.
Buy a Book or Video
Two of the best books for motorhomes and fifth wheels are Drive Your Motorhome Like a Pro by Lorrin Walsh and The Fifth Wheel Bible by Jerry Brown. Lorrin Walsh now has a video available for his motorhome book .
Some General Guidelines
- Always be aware of the additional weight of your vehicle. You cannot stop as fast as a car. Be sure to shift down when going up or coming down a steep hill.
- Know the height of your vehicle for low-clearance bridges and overpasses or roads with trees or wires above.
- Appreciate how wide you must turn so your rear wheels don’t get caught on the curb.
- Go to an empty parking lot and practice turning and backing up. Use plastic bottles to mark your goals. Backing up a trailer is more difficult than a motorhome because we tend to place our hands on the top of the wheel and thus have to think in reverse. To go to the left we have to turn the wheel to the right. Instead learn to keep your hands on the lower part of the wheel. Then you can turn left when you want to go left. Also turn the wheel more gradually.
- Always check a campsite for low-hanging trees, other obstructions, where the pedestal is for electricity, etc., before you back in a motorhome or trailer. This sounds very elementary, but in the excitement of finding an empty site on a holiday weekend or after a long tiring drive, we can become careless.
How To Handle the Spouse Issue
Be clear about why you are allowing this to go on. In my case, I thought I didn’t want to make him mad. But as I look back on it now, I believe I was afraid, and it was easier to go along with it and blame him because he wouldn’t “let me.”
You will feel empowered once you learn to drive. Know that there are many people out there who have taken the step and overcome their fear. As for your spouse, you know what works best. With some, you can just be logical about the possibility of an emergency situation where you would need to take over. With others, you can be assertive: “I am doing this.” A few will be persuaded by financial necessity: “Do you know how much it would cost if we had to hire someone to drive the rig if, God forbid, something happened to you?”
Use whatever it takes-cajoling, tears, assertion, but DO IT!
Next week, I’ll write about working or volunteering on the road to reduce expenses. After that, the topic will be how to choose a rig.
Enjoy your travels,
Alice Zyetz
Consumer vs Pro lenses
When the owner of a DSLR decides to purchase a new lens, one question often arises: “Is it worth paying 2 - 3 times the amount for a ‘Pro’ lens verses a ‘Consumer’ model?” The kit or consumer lenses that come with new digital cameras are far better than many of the pro lenses manufactured five to ten years ago. The software used to design the latest versions of lenses as well as the glass and coatings used to control flare & provide color correction have improved over the past few years to the point that even the least expensive lenses match the abilities of most consumer DSLR sensors.
So, why pay more? An example - the AF-S DX VR 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G IF-ED Zoom-Nikkor pictured on the left is a popular “kit” lens that is available with the purchase Nikon D200, D300, that if purchased separately lists for $899.00 with a street price of around $650.00. Expensive, but a very good quality lens that has over 11X zoom range, Vibration Reduction, fast Silent Wave focusing (the focusing motor is built into the lens so that you can use it with Nikon’s D40, D60, etc, cameras that do not have focusing motors built into the camera body). Nikon also makes the AF-S VR Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF lens pictured on the right, with a list price of $1,700.00 & a street price around $1,625.00.
The advantages of the “Pro” lens:
- The 18 - 200 lens is a variable aperture lens while the 70 - 200 is an f: 2.8 at any focal length. At 200mm, the 70 - 200 has a two stop advantage. No only does this allow faster shutter speeds, but it can provide a shallower depth of field, helping isolate the subject from the background, it provides a brighter viewfinder, and faster autofocusing. Speaking of faster autofocusing, the better build of the lens also helps speed focusing.
- Although subjective, I feel the VR (vibration reduction) is better, although it does not claim as many improved stops (3 vs 4 for the 18 - 200mm).
- The 70 - 200mm is a full frame lens (although the review at dpreview finds fault with this lens on full frame cameras) so if you decide to switch to a full frame digital camera or want to drag out an older film camera, it will still cover the full frame.
- A last advantage is the optics are better. Nikon is willing to spend more time, research & quality control building a $1700.00 lens than on a $700.00 lens.
As to disadvantages, and there are a few:
- The 70 - 200mm lens is much heavier. Although the VR makes it a useful hand held lens even at 200mm, you are going to get tired of holding it over long periods of time.
- Another disadvantage is the more limited zoom range. All things being equal, decreasing the zoom range of a lens increases the quality, however if your want to cover the same total range as the 18 - 200mm lens, you are going to need at least 2, and maybe 3 pro zoom lenses. They are available - for example you could purchase an AF-S Zoom-Nikkor ED 17-35mm f/2.8D IF (an excellent lens) & an AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED to cover the same range, but together these two lenses are going to cost you another $3200.00! Again, all three of these lenses are considered some of the best available in their focal lengths, but we now have a total investment of $4900.00, vs $700.00 for the 18 - 200mm lens.
- The time it takes to change lenses to obtain the focal length you need for a shot, and the dust that will end up on your camera’s sensor during the lens change are both disadvantages.
- A disadvantage of both the 18 - 200mm & the 70 - 200mm lens is they are both “G” lenses - they do not have aperture control rings so the cannot be used with manual cameras. This is not a problem with any DSLRs, or owners of modern film cameras, but will be if you want to use either lens on an old F2 or other manual camera.
- If you are trying to be subtle, is isn’t going to happen with the 70 - 200mm lens. Although smaller in the photograph above, it is a big lens - 3.4″ X 8.5″ vs the 18 - 200mm at 3″ X 3.8″ at 18mm. Although I don’t often do “Street Photography” if you do you will rarely get a chance for natural images with the 70 - 200mm on your camera. If you bring your camera to a concert or other performance, you will be pegged as a pro, whether or not you are, and often not allowed to bring the lens into the venue. You may get away with the 18 - 200mm lens since it is not much bigger than a normal lens.
I can speak from my own experience - I have the advantage of working with all 4 of these lenses, and, in fact own all but the 24 - 70mm, which is available when I am taking photographs for our local theatre department. I purchased the 18 - 200mm after the 17 - 35mm & the 70 - 200mm, a bit backwards from the typical order of things. I use the less expensive lens on occasions where I know there will be plenty of light, changing lenses may be difficult or impossible, and situations where I’m uncomfortable exposing the more expensive lenses (or the insides of my camera) to the surroundings. For example, the 18 - 200mm zoom is great on a sandy beach. If I’m going out for a jog, I’m unlikely to take along 6.9 lbs of lenses (the combined weight of the three f: 2.8 lenses), but occasionally I am willing to put up with the 19.8 oz weight of the 18 - 200mm. It is also a great “walk around” lens - I take it when I want the camera along, but have no planned photographs.
On the other hand, I tend to do quite a bit of low light photography, often working with subjects that don’t stand still. I have found the 18 - 200mm very difficult to work with, both because of the slower aperture forcing the use of shutter speeds too slow or ISOs too high, and slow or even non functioning autofocus under low light. If you must work under those conditions, particularly if you can talk someone else into paying for the lenses, the faster pro lenses are by far the better choice. If it is your money, it is a tough decision. I guarantee you will miss images with the slower lens that you could have captured with the pro lenses. Of course, you will also probably miss images while changing the pro lenses, but all in all, the faster lenses are necessary for many types of photography particularly when you can plan ahead for the proper focal length choice. It is a little similar to the switch from point & shoot to DSLRs. Everyone using a point & shoot camera has missed a shot due to shutter lag and found the move to DSLRs eliminate most of the problem.
One possibility - in many cities it is possible to rent pro lenses. They are also available for rent using the internet from companies such as LensProToGo, or Pro Photo Rental. If you have a one time need or simply want to see for yourself the differences between a “Consumer” lens & a “Pro” lens, this is a good solution. One warning - check your bank balance. Once you have used a pro lens under difficult lighting conditions, you will want to own it. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!
Global Warming Solution: Green Cement
By Bob Difley
For the first time in 2006 China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions surpassed the US emissions—by 8%–making China No. 1 in world CO2 emissions. The study also showed that, “In the 1990-2006 period global fossil-fuel related CO2 emissions increased over 35%.”
I’m sure it comes as no surprise that the emerging mega-nations of China and India present enormous challenges to efforts to slow down and reverse the amount of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere, a major contributor to global warming. One of the major contributors to China’s CO2 emissions is its building of a new coal-fired power plant each week. EACH WEEK! And each plant emits more CO2 than that saved by all the hybrid vehicles on America’s roads. Depressing statistics.
And unfortunately, that’s not all. A CO2 molecule can travel from Beijing to our west coast in less than 24 hours, so even though California has mandated that state-wide emissions fall to 1990 levels by 2020, will it make any difference? Will all our efforts at finding alternate energy sources be in vain if we are showered with CO2 from nations as flagrant as we are—even if we decide change our ways? Do as we say we’re going to do, not as we have done.
One man who claims to be on the verge of the NEXT BIG THING, the game-changer that will take a big bite out of worldwide CO2 emissions is Brent Constantz, the one they call Cement Man.
About 2.5 billion tons of cement are manufactured every year—nearly 50% of it in China, where they are building roads and buildings in a mad frenzy as they charge forward into the world economy. But the manufacturing process of cement produces one pound of CO2 for every pound of cement made. And China has made it perfectly clear that they are not going to slow down their progress for the environment.
But Cement Man has the answer. He has a patent pending for a procedure that encapsulates the CO2 during the manufacturing process into the cement itself, making it Green cement (not the color green, of course). Zero CO2 emissions. Cement manufacturing worldwide contributes about 5% of the Earth’s total CO2 emissions. A worthy reduction if all cement plants produced Cement Man’s cement. And the best part is, he claims that it will cost only $100/ton–compared to $110/ton for regular cement. A win-win situation.
An even better part is that he claims that the cement will also sequester an additional half-ton of CO2 which he can pull from the smokestacks of power plants. If his cement plants were built right next to power plants, a half-ton of CO2 would be bound into every ton of cement made next door. The same process could also be used to make a different aggregate—the sand and gravel that goes into cement and asphalt—that would sequester even more CO2 from power plants.
You can follow the progress of Cement Man, who by the way has attracted the interest of Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, and money from venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, and his company, Calera Corp. at his Web site. And if you’re thinking he’s just another crack-pot, he has 200 patents in his name, is associate consulting professor in Stanford’s Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, and has created and sold three other companies before founding Calera.
How hard are your credit cards working for you?
Why talk about credit cards on an RV forum? Well, you’ve got a lot to gain, that’s why. Please read on…
This is my first post here on blog.rv.net, so before I begin, I’ll give you a little information about me: My name is Craig Mirabella, and I live around a cluster of seaside towns in beautiful California. I have a marketing background that spans various industries, from Rving, financial services (credit cards, lending), entertainment, publishing and insurance. Plus, I like to write – I have my own personal blog, as well as a blog about credit cards. So, naturally, when I was invited to be a blogger here, I jumped at the opportunity to provide useful and thought provoking content for you readers here at blog.rv.net, while keeping my subject expertise at least somewhat relevant to you, the RVer, but more importantly you, the consumer.
Just a quick note: While I hope (and intend) to be a regular here, my rather busy schedule often prevents me getting around to my hobbies (like writing blogs), but I commit to you that I’ll do my best, and I’ll keep my posts truthful and unbiased.
Anyway, let’s begin. Forgive the following lengthy post, but it’s an important one! As my first topic today, I’m choosing to ask you to ask yourself some very important questions about your finances and, more specifically, your credit card habits, and I hope to open a few eyes to the “goldmine” that can be had just by continuing to do what you do every day. Some of this is basic information you’ve heard before, but other info should be new (and hopefully useful) to you.
First, I want you to identify yourself as one of the following types of customers - You either a) carry a balance on your credit cards (you’re known to the credit card companies as a “revolver”) b) pay your credit cards off in full every month (you’re known as a “transactor”), or c) refuse to use credit cards (I don’t know if the credit card companies have a name for you, but let’s assume they call you the “ignorer”. Then, read the section below that applies to you:
READ THIS IF YOU ARE A “REVOLVER” AND CARRY A BALANCE ON YOUR CARDS EACH MONTH: If you carry a balance, you’re not alone – roughly 60% of Americans are floating in the same boat as you, and if you’re like them, it’s likely because you can’t pay your balances off in full. As a result, you’re constantly getting hit with more and more interest charges each month. If this describes you, there are a couple of things you can, and should, be doing:
• Dip into your savings to pay off your bills. Your credit cards are probably charging you an average interest rate somewhere between 10% and 20%, possibly more. However, the money in your money-market account is only earning ~3%. So, if you leave money in your savings when you could be paying off your credit card debt, you’re only costing yourself money each month (the difference between your credit card interest rate and your savings interest rate, multiplied by your credit card debt).
• Apply for a new card. Ok, now you’re thinking “this guy is crazy”. But, rest assured, I’m not! There are literally hundreds of credit cards out there which will allow you to transfer your old credit card balances to your new card (up to your new credit limit amount) while taking advantage of ridiculously low APR rates – sometimes even as low as 0% for 12 months or more! But, of course, there’s a small catch - these transfer deals often come with small fees for the balances transferred. Just make sure you will save more money on interest than you’ll spend on the transfer fee. If you do this, make sure you search out a card that ultimately offers an interest rate as low as you can find – such cards likely won’t offer rewards programs because these programs are often partially funded by higher interest rates. Also, if you do this, don’t use this new card for purchases while you’re paying down your transferred balance. Why? The reason is simple. Credit card companies usually will apply any payment to the transferred balance (or the balance with the lowest interest rate first) so that they can charge you more interest on your other balances, like purchases and cash advances. While you’re chipping away at the transferred balance, the purchases and cash advance balances don’t get any smaller! So the simple solution is to use your other cards for purchases – just be careful not to get yourself back into deep debt. Better yet – try getting in the habit of paying your bills off in full each month!
• Take advantage of balance transfer checks. Most credit card companies will often send “promo-rate” checks to you to entice you to transfer your balances from your other cards to their cards. As with above, the same rules apply – you’ll likely see some type of transfer fee, and your balances will be reduced on the lower-interest balances first, so try to avoid racking up additional charges on the card to which you transferred your balances. One more word of advice here – be sure to pay your minimum balance due (or more, if you can afford it) each month. If you’re late at all, your bank may cancel your low rate and give you an interest rate that scrapes the stratosphere!
READ THIS IF YOU ARE A “TRANSACTOR” AND PAY YOUR CREDIT CARDS OFF IN FULL EACH MONTH: First off, congratulations. You’ve avoided the pitfalls of credit cards and, more importantly, you’re in control of your finances. Therefore, you deserve a reward! What kind of card(s) do you have? If you’re like 72% of Americans, you’re carrying a card that offers some type of reward program – cash back, airline miles, merchandise, hotel stays, etc. and so forth – there are hundreds of rewards cards out there, all designed to reward your loyalty for using a particular credit card. If you’re not carrying a rewards card, either get one or go get your head checked because you’re costing yourself serious loot. With that said, now, I’m going to teach you how to maximize your rewards:
• Make sure you have a card with a rewards program that matters to you. Believe it or not, there are a lot of card holders out there who have rewards programs, but never take advantage of them. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s just plain stupid! Why? Because there’s so many different types of programs out there, there’s bound to be one that will peak your interest. If you don’t like your current rewards program, find one that interests you and start paying yourself back with everything you buy. Since you’re an RVer, maybe you want to get rewarded with free gas, free camping or free RVing memberships. There are a few excellent card programs out there for you – the important thing is to find the ones that will allow you to maximize your rewards.
• Using two or more rewards cards is OK (and often beneficial). Provided you’re paying all of your bills off on a regular basis, it’s OK and often very beneficial to use two or more cards to make sure you’re getting every penny back. Since many cards will offer different quantities of “points” or “miles” back for particular types of purchases, figuring out how to maximize your “point return” is relatively simple – you just need to DO THE MATH!
To know if a particular card is right for you, there are two numbers need to calculate. The first is your “earn rate” and the second is your “burn rate”.
For your earn rate, take a look at the average percentage of money you spend in each of your reward categories, and determine your “weighted average” earn rate. So you can more clearly understand what I mean, follow the example below of my own personal spending over the past three months and how my “earn rate” differs by the type of credit card I use.
In the first chart below, I assume that I’m making all of my monthly purchases on a credit union rewards card, which gives me 2% back on groceries, 5% back on gas, and 1.25% back on everything else I buy. When I take into consideration my spending habits, I’m effectively putting 1.76% of my charges back into my pocket by way of rewards (this assumes that one point earned equals one penny, which is a general rule of thumb for most programs):
CREDIT UNION CREDIT CARD
Expense Category Rewards Value % of Total Spend
Supermarket 2.00% 18%
Gas 5.00% 10%
Hotel 1.25% 30%
Airfare 1.25% 15%
All other 1.25% 27%
Average 1.76% 100%
The next chart below assumes I’m making all of my monthy purchases on a popular hotel rewards credit card, which gives me 5% back on my hotel stays, 2% on airfare purchases and 1% back on everything else. Given my spending habits, this card returns me 2.35% of my total charges back into my pocket…
HOTEL REWARDS CARD
Expense Category Rewards Value % of Total Spend
Supermarket 1.00% 18%
Gas 1.00% 10%
Hotel 5.00% 30%
Airfare 2.00% 15%
All other 1.00% 27%
Average 2.35% 100%
HOWEVER, if I were to use each of my cards only where I get the most “bang for my buck”, I can earn an average of 3% back on all of my purchases combined!
BLENDED CARDS (MAXIMIZED)
Expense Category Rewards Value % of Total Spend
Supermarket (Credit union) 2.00% 18%
Gas (Credit Union) 5.00% 10%
Hotel (Hotel card) 5.00% 30%
Airfare (Hotel card) 2.00% 15%
All other (Credit Union) 1.25% 27%
Average 3.00% 100%
So, you see, just by understanding your rewards, and by being smart about how you use your cards, you can really maximize your return on your shopping needs!
Now when it comes to redeeming all of these points you earn, you need to be equally as careful to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth, because points ARE money! The way to “beat the house” so to speak is to maximize your “burn rate” – the rate at which you spend your points - try to redeem your points for something that makes your points more valuable than one penny each . Typically this will be done by redeeming for something that is related to your card’s program, like hotels, or airlines. Consider the different options to redeem 25,000 points and the inherent point value for each option:
• 25,000 points for an airline ticket that you’d otherwise pay $400 to buy. This translates to a value of $0.016 per point – pretty good!
• 25,000 points for a $200 gift card at your favorite merchant. This translates to a value of only $0.008 per point (4/5 of a cent) – terrible! This is only half the value of the airline ticket!
• 25,000 points to get a popular brand digital camera that you could buy in any store for $175. This translates to a value of $0.007 per point (7/10 of a cent) – downright pathetic!
The obvious choice above is to buy the airline ticket – you’re getting the most value for your “money” and you’re burn rate is lower. As a general rule of thumb, I always try to redeem for the best deal – in my case, it’s hotel rooms with my hotel card (which gets me a value of about $0.02 per point) and cash back with my other card ($0.01 per point). As long as I’m getting a penny or more, I know I’m doing OK.
READ THIS IF YOU ARE AN “IGNORER” AND REFUSE TO USE CREDIT CARDS: Let me guess – you probably have oodles of money sitting under your mattress, and you recycle paint cans into planters. You probably also think that credit cards are evil and represent everything that’s wrong with the economy. But did you know that by NOT using credit cards, you’re actually costing yourself money?? Now that you think I’m off my rocker, just keep reading, and you’ll understand the errors of your ways…
First, you are the most responsible type of consumer there is. You only buy stuff when you have the money for it. You probably write checks for everything or use a debit card/check card that pulls the money directly out of your account when you’re buying something.
I commend you for your financial responsibility, but you need to open your eyes. If you haven’t read the section that says “READ THIS IF YOU ARE A “TRANSACTOR” AND YOU PAY YOUR CREDIT CARDS OFF IN FULL EACH MONTH”, you need to go read it – now. Don’t wait. Every penny you continue to spend using checks and debit cards is costing you big.
Since you’re so responsible, you’re certainly responsible enough to manage using and paying for a credit card – so, instead of using checks and debit cards, just open up the best rewards card you can find (check www.indexcreditcards.com for over 1,200 cards to suit your needs) and use that card for EVERYTHING you buy – you’ll rack up rewards so fast that your head will spin, and you’ll never worry about carrying a balance. I do this faithfully, and as a result, I’m able to take my family of four on great vacations to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico and more each and every year at some of the best hotels for the small sum of $0. That’s right – free vacations every year (that even includes airfare), just because I use my card for everything I already have to buy (including business expenses). And, since I opened my card account 4 years ago, I’ve paid exactly $0 in interest because I pay my bill off in full every month.
So, I encourage you to go find that card of your dreams – the one that’s going to give you the things you want – whether it’s airline tickets, free camping, hotel rooms or just plain cash back – just remember, use your cards wisely (reread how to maximize your earn rate) and make sure you’re getting your “money’s worth” when you’re redeeming your points. With a little effort and attention, you can really benefit from the right credit card program!
Until next time,
Craig Mirabella
RV Cooking Show – Key Lime Pie & Key West, Florida
Labor Day may have come and gone but we still have plenty of fabulous camping (and potluck) weather ahead. In my quest for an endless summer I’m delighted to share this episode of the RV Cooking Show – Key Lime Pie & Key West, Florida.
It’s unbelievable how much there is to see and do (or just to enjoy lazing about) on a 4×2 mile island but…there it is. I’ll take you to just a few of my favorites on the island, let you in on a little known National Park, and share much more – including links on my website – www.RVCookingShow.com. We’ll then take our taste buds on a magical tour with this easy and delicious Key Lime Pie recipe – direct from Nellie & Joe’s. I’ve found this to be a potluck winner – if it can make it out of the camper in one piece or at all!
Happy Travels,
Evanne
Picasa 3: The best gets better
Picasa is the best software you can have on your computer for managing all those digital photos you take as you travel! I say that because it does everything you need to do:
- Transfer photos from camera to computer
- Organize your photos on your computer
- Make them look better with simple editing tools
- Single-click easy to email, print, or make a free website
- Backs up all your photos to CD/DVD
It does all this fast, easy, *and* it’s free. What more could you ask for?
Well, people have been asking for the ability to print text on top of a photo, they’ve been asking for a way to print multiple photos on one page and manually place them on the page wherever you want. Or how about better slide shows?, or editing out blemishes on peoples faces?, or tighter integration with your web album?
All these things and more are now included in the new release of Picasa called Picasa 3. It’s in Beta, which means they’re at the end of the development stage but not quite finished. When you use Beta software, it’s always recommend to make a backup of your system first. Picasa 3 is only available for Windows. The Linux version is 2.7 and there is no Macintosh version … yet.
I’ll write more about Picasa 3 once I’ve worked with it some more. Meanwhile, watch this video about the greatly improved Collage feature. I’d love to hear from any of you that do scrapbooking. How does this compare to what you’re using now?
If you have any problem viewing that high resolution one, below is the Youtube version:
Chris Guld
www.GeeksOnTour.com
Computer Education for Travelers
Hey Ranger! Pocohontas Meets Hollywood
Have you ever visited a location because it was featured in a movie or TV show? Almost any Chamber of Commerce would be thrilled at the potential tourism traffic that can result from their town’s “stardom,” but fame can sometimes be a mixed blessing. A good example occurred a few years ago when Hollywood decided to bring Pocahontas to the big screen.
Just in case it’s been a year or two since your last American History class, here’s a quick review to set the stage for this story. Jamestown, located in what we now call Virginia, was the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. In May 1607, three shiploads of adventurers landed at Jamestown. Virginians like to point out that was thirteen years before passengers aboard the Mayflower arrived at a place named Plymouth.
Jamestown is now part of Colonial National Historical Park. Among the key players in the early history of the site were some names we all studied in school, including Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. When Hollywood came calling in the 1990s with plans for a movie about Pocahontas, the park staff had hopes that the resulting film would help tell this story in a way that would capture the interest of a new generation.
Well, capture interest it did, but artistic license was alive and well when the film began showing all across the country. For the next year or so, the beleaguered staff at Jamestown had their patience sorely tested by zany, movie-inspired inquiries. After all, if people saw it on the Big Screen, it must be true!
Jamestown is located on a flat, swampy island barely above sea level in southeastern Virginia. The mix of tidal marshes and wooded areas give the island a special beauty of its own, but the terrain has about as much elevation variation as a slightly warped tabletop. As a result, the film’s depiction of dramatic cliffs and waterfalls resulted in some rather confused visitors to the actual site, who understandably just couldn’t seem to find those scenic features they’d seen in the movie.
Perhaps some of you have felt a tinge of envy for those who get to spend their working years at a historic icon such as Jamestown. If that’s the case, put on your imaginary ranger uniform and take a stroll with me right on the same island where Pocahontas herself once walked.
It’s a warm and steamy summer afternoon and you’re tempted to take off that traditional, flat-brimmed Stetson hat and fan your damp brow, but that would be bad form, because here comes a nice family with a question for the ranger. A quick glance at their red, sweaty faces confirms that mom, dad and their 6-year-old have spent quite a while roaming the grounds, and it’s obvious that they have a question. Well, probably several questions.
Dad is clearly frustrated and glances down at his young daughter. “Hey, there’s a park ranger! Why don’t you ask her your question, because she’ll certainly know the answer.”
Well, smile and brace yourself, because you can make a pretty good guess about what’s coming next.
“Ms. Ranger,” implores the little girl, “we’ve been looking all over, and we can’t find the talking tree anywhere!”
It’s true that the real Jamestown does have a lot of trees, but none of them are the movie version of a centuries-old mystical spirit who lived in a very ancient tree. When the Hollywood Pocahontas needed some advice or a little encouragement, she’d head for this talking tree.
While you’re pondering an appropriate answer, your little visitor tosses in a follow-up: “And by the way, we also haven’t seen the talking raccoon.”
There’s probably a logical answer to that one, but not one you could use with a first-grader. I’ll have to confess that I didn’t see the movie, but according to reliable sources, in one scene this talented raccoon hides atop a moose.
With the possible exception of a few residents of zoos, moose are not found in southeastern Virginia, preferring instead more northerly locales. That probably explains why this particular raccoon is now missing in action.
As soon as filming of the movie was finished, the movie moose undoubtedly headed back for a place with a climate that was much more moose-friendly than the Mid-Atlantic coast, and the talking raccoon must have gone along for the ride. Uh-oh, here comes another group, so I’ll just leave you with this family to answer their daughter’s questions. As an aspiring ranger, I’m sure you’re up to the task.
Meanwhile, I suspect the latest arrivals will have a question or two about the mystery of the missing waterfall. Maybe it’s hiding behind the talking tree.
Jim Burnett
Life - it’s an adventure…. Find something to smile about today!
This story is adapted from the book Hey Ranger 2: More True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from the Great Outdoors © Jim Burnett and Taylor Trade Publishing, used by permission.
