See Your National Lands--For Free

This Saturday, September 29th, RVers (and others) can get free access into any area managed by the US Department of Interior. And with a little bit of your sweat, you can get a free pass for a day's visit later. See the full story on RVs in the News.

Walmart Camping Draws Mixed RV Park Owner Reaction

It's certainly a subject of controversy: Staying overnight in your RV on a Walmart parking lot can raise the hackles of local RV park owners who feel, 'You're stealing my livelihood.'

The Coulee News out of West Salem, Wisconsin recently ran a feature piece on the practice, interviewing a couple of fulltimers--and taking comments from RV park owners. We found the responses of those park folks to be interesting, not necessarily filled with the vitriolic, rabid rhetoric so often put out by the commercial crowd. All in all, a nicely balanced piece that you might enjoy reading. Find it on the Coulee News site.

The comments of the fulltiming couple, Dan and Linda Rowland, regarding "parking lot etiquette" always bear repeating and enhancing: Don't litter, keep the lawn chairs and the barbecue left on the racks, and don't abuse the privilege. Lot's of us enjoy "Camp Walmart," and as we all mind our manners, it keeps the welcome mat in place.

Is it Safe Out There?

Many of those new to the RV lifestyle are concerned about safety. They read about crimes and wonder--how subject to the criminal element are folks in RVs? If you sit around the campfire, sooner or later there's some sort of RV "crime story" bound to come up--but if you push your source for specifics, it often seems things seem to get vague. Yes, we have heard of actual incidents where travelers have run into trouble--but in reality, it's a very RARE situation.

RVs are pretty hard to break into, compared to the common home. After all, in the dark of night, a big old house presents a lot of places to sneak in. Your little old RV is so small if somebody breaks a window, it's sure to wake you up. Burglars don't want to let you know they're coming.

Too, robberies most often involve planning: The neighborhood mini-mart. The bank. The liquor store. Somebody's home known to have valuables or lots of dough. By our transient nature, as RVers, we're a whole lot harder work into a well planned robbery effort. That, and for some reason, a prevailing view of RVers is that we all carry sawed off shotguns around, begging for chance to "make my day."

We'll leave the thought of toting a weapon up to you, but there are a few tips that can make your RV experience more secure. First, use common sense. Don't open your door to anyone (particularly at night) who you don't know. Don't park your rig in neighborhoods infested with "tagging" graffiti. Keep your doors locked. Leave the hitchhiker for somebody else to pick up. If you do stay overnight in a "rest area," use your own bathroom at night, rather than presenting yourself as an easy mark as you wander up to the public one.

We all have a "sixth sense" about danger. We've had experiences on the road where we just felt that, "Something isn't right here..." and we heeded it: We picked up and moved on. After years of roving about in our RV, we can honestly say that's only happened less than a handful to times, and we've never had any real trouble out there.

Thinking About Fulltiming: In the Galley

If you're considering the switch to fulltime RVing and already have RV experience, you know that the RV galley is a whole lot smaller than the one "back home." But for those jumping into the lifestyle without having experienced the "joys" of the micro-sized RV kitchen here's a tip:

Before you make the switch, determine what you "really" need to cook in your new lifestyle. Now, can you stuff all of it in a single kitchen cabinet in your land-based home? Physically try it! Now maybe your new RV will have more cupboard space than that single "home kitchen" cabinet, but then again, it's often a fair shake to size things up. Seems like a lot of RV manufacturers seem to think that folks who use RVs must "eat out" a lot--they galley cabinets on many new rigs are just plain minuscule.

Looking for a Southwest Fulltiming Base? Watch the Market

Some fulltimers or fulltime wannabes feel more comfortable having a "fall back" position: A piece of property or another home where, if and when they need to, they can go and get off the road. Many snowbirds and fulltimers have found the desert southwest an ideal place for their home base.

We've watched the prices of land and homes in Arizona skyrocket over the last few years, but it seems that 'the fat lady has sung.' A real estate agent friend in Lake Havasu City tells us that the market has definitely taken a hit--many real estate sales folks are taking on second jobs to support themselves while the market holds its breath.

We have to agree with many that greed got the better of the market. People bought properties, many holding them only for a short time, then put them back up on the market looking for huge profits. For a while, it worked. But the whole game has come to a screeching halt. In Quartzsite, Arizona, we've watched real estate signs go up all over town--and stay up--until the desert sun has faded the lettering, or disgusted owners have simply taken them down.

What do the pundits say? Real estate insiders tell us that if you're thinking about buying southwest property, hold onto your cash for a while. They don't look to see things turn around until the presidential election. Meantime, like the Burma Shave advertising representatives used to say, "A minute of your patience," "A moment of your time," "Pardon me buddy," "But can you spare a dime?" Roll up those Versachi shirt sleeves fellas, washing dishes ain't good on real estate salesmen's cuffs.

Fulltiming Pastimes: Critter Identification

One of the happier sides of boondocking is getting out where the wildlife is. Face it, RV parks just don't attract most critters--unless they're in the form of cockroaches, invading ants, and garbage can flies.

On the other hand, farther away from civilization, the more likely you are to find yourself in amongst plants and animals who prefer the quieter side of life. Having a camera to record their appearance is great; a pair of binoculars is good for closing in on those that keep their distance. But we've found having a field guide that helps us identify and learn more about this wildlife a real boon.

You don't need a guide that's elaborate or expensive. We've found that many national park visitor's centers have inexpensive field identification guides tailored to the region. We picked up one small "pocket guide" to desert life and it's proved to help us identify and learn more about the fascinating lives of hot, dry country dwellers

Young fulltime RVers: They're out there!

Most fulltime RVers are in their 60s or older. Most are finished with their careers, have money in the bank, and have decided that living in a home that can change location is more stimulating than living in one that stays put all the time. But what about the younger full-timers? Yes, they are out there -- not in big numbers, but their ranks are growing. In this two-minute video, fulltime RVer Evanne Schumarder reflects on "starting young" and asks other young fulltimers to get in touch.

Route Planning: How to Find Attractions

The joys of fulltiming include having a bit more time and ability to see the world and its various attractions. But how do you find "stuff" to see on the road?

One of the best "guides" we've found are the AAA auto club's "TourBooks." While a lot of the guidebook is dedicated to the evaluation of hotels and motels--not something we need to worry about--there are also great sections devoted to attractions, both natural and "commercialized." These are laid out alphabetically by city in the various states covered in the guides. For example, we're currently planning a route through Utah, so we're falling back on the Colorado & Utah TourBook to help us find stops we want to make along the way.

While the TourBooks are free to AAA members, since we've started RVing we haven't found AAA membership to be as attractive as it once was, as we don't like their "no change flat tires on trailers" road insurance policy. How do we get TourBooks? We've found we can often bum last year's copy from friends who are AAA members, and we've also found that many used bookstores and yard sales have them at reasonable prices.

Man Does Not Live By Bread Alone---Get WIFI Too

With apologies to the Master Teacher, you can have your cake, eat it, and get your internet connectivity, too. Across the US, a major franchise of bakery/coffee shops has sprung up, offering some pretty good things for RVers.

There's so much ado about Starbucks, but face it, not everybody likes that high octane breed of "coffee" that they brew up. And having to pay for internet connectivity, why that's "grounds" for divorcing from the Starbucks mermaid. Enter Panera Bread, the company that as the wife says, "Makes coffee that doesn't taste like lye water."

We dropped into a Panera outlet a few days ago. She had coffee, we shared a "Cobblestone Muffin." Great big flavorful confection full of raisins and cinnamon, wow! Our friends downed coffee and a delectable bowl of soup, but you could have a choice of "wholesome" sammies, made from a wide selection of Panera made-there breads. And bring your laptop because the internet is free! Yep, Panera Bread bakeries across the country offer free wifi connectivity and a good cup of java without costing you your firstborn.

Custom Bag Maker Saves Space and Frustration

On the back of our bathroom door we have a homebrew "bag dispenser." When we come in from grocery shopping, all the leftover plastic bags get stuffed in there, and as we need them we can pull them back out. That's great when you need a grocery store sized bag. But what if you're looking for something a bit smaller, or conversely, a lot larger?

Enter Knot-a-Bag. Yes, it's a bag dispenser, but one with a twist: Pull out the length of bag you need, cut it to length on a safety trimmer, then "knot" the bottom of the bag to make your bag "to order." How big a bag can you beg from Knot-a-Bag? All the bags have a 24" circumference, and by starting with a fresh roll of the replaceable bag material, you could conceivably build a bag about 32 feet long. That's a lot of catfish.

Planning on hiking and bringing back trash or treasures? The device will clip on your belt or pocket so you can take it with you. With a $7.50 price, it may be the answer to your custom containment needs.

Fulltimers in Hot Water

Adjusting to the fulltime lifestyle includes many different areas of life. One of them is hot running water. Sure, you have a water heater in your RV, typically its a six gallon job, while your old land-based heater was probably 40 or 50 gallons. All is not lost, most of you won't be doing piles of laundry, so the biggest adjustment will be showers.

First, think "Navy Shower." You get in the shower, turn on the taps and adjust the temperature. Rinse off. NOW turn the valve on the shower head to turn off the flow of water, without turning off the mixing valves. Soap up, stick shampoo in your hair. Water back on, rinse off. For some this just isn't satisfying, but with the "necessities" taken care of, now you can flip the valve open and 'drain the tank' without fear of running out of hot water with shampoo on your dome.

Some fulltimers who have "pilot light" water heaters rarely allow the main burner of their heater to come on. They simply leave the heater set on pilot when in warm climates, and let the pilot light heat the water in the tank. By so doing they reduce the amount of LP used, and don't suffer the "blowtorch" noise of the main burner, popping off anytime day or night. Those with an electronic ignition often simply "turn on" the heater a few minutes before needing water, then shut it off when they're through.