| From FullTimeRVer.com Fulltime RVer Newsletter Issue 20 of the best email newsletter for full-time RV enthusiasts and others who want to be. An alert for this issue was emailed to more than 30,000 RVers. DVD tells what it's like to be a full-time RVer Anyone who is thinking of traveling full-time with an RV will have his or her questions answered in this wonderful 90-minute DVD. Interviews with dozens of fulltimers as well as experts on the lifestyle. Learn more or order. Editors at the Wheel by Russ and Tina De Maris It began with a slight smell in the o'dark hours. Shortly before sunrise it manifested itself in sound--a soft tapping that we weren't accustomed to. When Russ bailed out of bed and struggled into shoes, our neighbors across the desert were out wandering about, looking heavenward. It was a strange phenomenon after all -- rain. Those in the Sonoran Desert areas have gone a long while without it. In nearby Phoenix, it had been 132 days since any measurable stuff fell. It's funny how you can take things for granted. Up in the Northwest where we spent many years, a week without rain would be considered a real nice break. Down here on the desert, you'd have thought the Good Humor man had driven into a neighborhood stricken with an ice cream drought. Doors on RVs flew open and stayed open. Five gallon buckets were pressed into service as catch basins at the downwind edge of awnings. Equipment left out in the open was hastily covered. That's one thing about fulltiming. You have time to
travel the country and taste the diversity that the land provides. And
down here, as long as you can occasionally remember where your
windshield wiper switch is, you're doing well. Don't miss this: In tomorrow's RVtravel.com newsletter: -- An update on Laughlin, Nevada's decision to boot RVers from casino parking lots. -- Do RVers really need another half price camping club? THE DIGITAL RV Learn everything "digital" as it relates to an RVer: Connecting to the Internet, setting up a mini stereo system, managing digital photos, mastering GPS and more. Order or get more info. DO YOU PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE? HOW ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S, TOO? Last year California State Parks sponsored guided canoe tours of the Brannan Island Delta area. The program caught on in a big way, and now the state needs more volunteers to help with this year's program. Volunteer canoe tour guides get training in canoeing, first aid, CPR, resource interpretation, and in tour leading. If you have the urge and ability, you'll need to be available to attend four training sessions that begin March 12 and run through April 2. For more information, give Ranger Mike Whelan a call at (916) 777-7705, extension 3. 2006 Campground Directories and other new RV guides From Trailer Life, Woodalls and other publishers. Check 'em out. Fulltime Feedback--The Fulltimer Survey This issue's Survey Question Many of the RVers we've talked with have mentioned that it seems like the "snowbird" populace just isn't "staying put" this year. We'd like to know about your travel habits. OUR QUESTION: If you traveled to the warmer areas of the country this year, will you leave, or have you left, the area earlier than usual? Answer here. You can also purchase a device in many RV part stores
that slips inside the hose, then pries the end open. We like this handy
plastic tool and found the few dollars we spent on it well worth it.
"I started going through each state's website some time ago, but it's a long and difficult process. I was interrupted and haven't finished the project yet. * * * You really have to dig for the information on some state's websites. It would probably be easier to just send out 50 emails, one to each state. But that has potential pitfalls as well -- your reply may come from some clueless clerk who doesn't really know the answer and just says NO, like the guy on the Capital One commercial. * * * I've a long way to go to complete the list. I won’t be able to start the full-time life until I retire in July 2008 (860 days to go)." -- FM FM included a list of "does" and "does not," to which we added the information we've received from other readers as well. States that DO provide a discount to federal pass holders: States that DO NOT provide a discount to federal pass holders: BP of Coral Springs Florida, adds: "Florida does not
recognize the federal Golden Access card; however, they still offer
disabled Florida residents a 50% discount off camping fees. It's a
great deal camping beach front in the Keys during high season for
$14/night. And the state parks are much nicer than the commercial parks
in this part of the state. Make reservations through ReserveAmerica."
. . . eBook lists Wal-Marts that DO NOT allow overnight stays. Only $4.39. From a reader: "Just finished reading Issue 19 of your great newsletter, but found one point that needs to be cleared up. You spoke of replacing a window near a door with plastic to keep someone from breaking in and reaching through to open the door. "I had to break a window out of our motorhome to gain entry while in Montana one year. I was heading back home to central Texas and stopped at several RV shops and glass shops to have it fixed. Very expensive proposition. I asked about a temporary fix with plastic, and every shop refused to even think about it. It is against the law in at least Montana, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas to use anything but tempered automotive glass in any window on a motorized vehicle." --JP Representatives from the Recreation Vehicle Industry
Association (RVIA), the RV manufacturing trade group, confirm JP's
observations. Actually, federal standards only require approved glazing
in motorhomes. However, non-motorized RVs are a different matter.
According to the RVIA, plastics can be used in these in all but about
10 states which specifically rule out their use. Apparently this is
because passengers don't typically ride in a moving trailer. Owners who
retrofit their RVs should make themselves aware of local laws if
planning on using Lexan or any other non-auto glass material. -- Editor
Many RVers have found they can "make up" for the lack of interior space in their RV by taking advantage of space outside the rig. Naturally, the weather has to cooperate if you're out in the open, but there are ways to work around that. A surprising number of fulltimers take advantage of "add-on rooms" of various designs. Some add an "Arizona room" to their awning: By adding walls to the space under their rolled out awning, they have a fairly weather- resistant area close at hand. Others put up freestanding structures. Think in terms of "vendor canopies," a 10 x 10 "tent" with four walls and weather-tight roof. Others go even bigger, putting up 10 x 20 "portable garages" purchased at shopping clubs and hardware stores. There are many advantages to these outdoor spaces, but perhaps the most attractive is the ability to rearrange space. Today you may put up card tables and entertain a dinner group. Tomorrow the tables may be put away, saw horses put up in their place, and you'll have space for a special woodworking project that you wouldn't want to perform in the RV -- well, you surely wouldn't want to perform it in the RV if your wife knew about it, would you? One group we know of used its "garage" space as an ersatz classroom, setting up several rows of chairs for students. The flexibility is great. If winter threatens a chill, some have been known to set up catalytic heaters inside, leaving enough opening for ventilation. Or by rolling up one side wall and putting a fire pit just outside, a cozy space can be had even if a little drizzle threatens. Fulltiming doesn't mean an ascetic way of life. You
can really take it with you -- you just need to give it a little clever
thought.
This is really great for those times when you find a
great "sale" at the grocery store or at a produce stand. Our own
resident chef has gone so far as to "can" chickens when the price was
right and the facilities were available. Now we can "pop open" a quart
of chicken, add some noodles, veggies, and top off with "Bisquick" for
home style chicken 'n dumplings.
Wind Power Shows Its Muscle Perhaps the most popular wind turbine in use by RVers is manufactured by Southwest Windpower. Its "Air 403" is a lightweight unit, tipping the scales at less than 15 pounds. Don't let the size deceive you, however: in a 28 mile-per-hour wind, the 403 puts out 400 watts of juice, and over 800 watts at 40 mph. "Bus nuts" can rejoice as the turbine can be set to produce power at 24 volts; the rest of us will be happy to get ours in the standard 12- volt variety. How does the price factor stack up? A couple of years ago prices ran in the $600 range; today street prices on an Air 403 have dropped to the mid $400s. That works out to a little over a dollar a watt -- pretty terrific if you frequently dry camp in areas of regular wind. We've found a combination of wind and solar makes a good combination for us. We winter on Arizona's Sonora desert and spend a lot of summer in the Pacific Northwest. Even in Arizona, when the sun doesn't shine -- albeit rare -- the wind often blows. In the Northwest, coastal camping is often cloudy, but the offshore breezes keep the batteries in good charge. Wind power does call for greater creativity when it comes to installation. Southwest Windpower's rigs are built to sit atop a 1 1/4" piece of steel electrical conduit. Our first foray into mounting our turbine had it on a six-foot mast, stepped directly onto our rig's roof. A couple of guy wires were required to keep everything steady. When we changed rigs we used a two-piece mast, the top part was a 1 1/4" conduit, which telescoped into a larger piece of conduit, stepped on our trailer's bumper. On arrival we'd lower the mast, telescope it out, bolting the two pieces of mast together, then push it back into position, locking it into a bracket just below roof level. Some RVers have used similar systems; others have set theirs up on really tall masts, guy-wiring them and catching winds 30 or more feet aloft. That's great if you stay in one place for a long time, but impractical if you move around frequently. Today we use a telescoping mast that allows us to crank up our turbine on arrival. When we leave we crank the turbine down to roof level and secure the blades. Since power regulation is internally controlled, wiring is fairly straightforward: Two wires from the turbine run to a switch, which allows the thing to be shut down if desired. From the switch the wiring runs up to a fuse and into the battery bank. For more information on wind power and other boondocking subjects, read our book RV Boondocking Basics. IS YOUR DOG AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE? Lest you think this is some form of low (to the ground) humor, hang on. City officials have actually contracted with the local garbage company to test out a new system of collection carts and bags in a park popular with pooches. Dog walkers simply scoop the poop with a biodegradable bag. The whole works is later moved into a special device called a methane digester. Inside the digester, little microorganisms break down the canine castoffs, producing methane, a flammable gas that will be used to fire an electrical producing turbine. Puts a whole new spin on the thought of "solid waste disposal." Perhaps the RV industry could capitalize on this idea. Imagine burning your holding tank stack gasses as an adjunct to LP. Do you travel with a dog? Read Christy Power's weekly column at RVtravel.com. If you don't have direct experience, use a functional resume. List qualifications categories at the top instead of a chronological listing of your jobs first. For example, if applying for a front desk/reservations position in a campground, you could list "Customer service," "Handling money," "Computer experience." Under each you would briefly describe your capabilities and experience. Below this section, list employment experience for ten years plus any other applicable jobs, then in a "Remarks" section, list relevant hobbies and organizations. During your interview, rather than say "I worked as...." say, "I have worked in customer service in several positions." Emphasize your positive qualifications to get the job. Jaimie Hall is the author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road.
Sewage treatment plants: Many municipal treatment plants allow RVers to dump their tanks at no charge. Check out the municipal listings in the white pages, or call the city clerk's office to ask for a phone number. State parks: Nearly all state parks have dump facilities, and while they’re primarily offered for those staying at the park, some will allow you to dump your tanks for free, or for a small charge. The same holds true for a lot of other government campgrounds. Truck stops: As truck stops are becoming more and more RV friendly, dump stations are becoming more common. Many Flying-J truck stops have dump stations near their RV fueling islands. County fairgrounds: Some of these have dump stations at the grounds or nearby. Once again, make a phone call first. Fraternal clubs: Elks and Moose lodges sometimes have RV hookups for members. Please! Wherever you use a dump station, use it
properly. Don't ever dump your tanks without using a sewer hose, and be
sure to hose down any spills. Many dump stations have been closed
because of knuckleheaded abuse. Let's keep them open! RVers Guide to Dump Stations, $11.95 at RVbookstore.com Howard and Linda Payne kicked away from the corporate lifestyle last year and started fulltiming in their RV. Along the way they built a tremendous website that's far more than a simple "RV blog," but shares their philosophy of why they left the "big money" behind. For full-time wannabees, there's a section on finances that helps you analyze your needs and abilities to make the full-time lifestyle your own. Personal campground reviews, recipes, and a photo gallery round out their site. It's slick and has plenty of help for those considering the lifestyle. Check out RV-Dreams. Got a website you've found you think others ought to see? Drop us an e-mail and let us know at ftrveditor@yahoo.com.
That's right, your friendly neighborhood Post Office stands ready to give you "cash back" for purchases at no extra charge. Everybody needs postage stamps, so you're not really "paying" for your cash -- you're just investing for your future mailing needs. On a related note, many credit unions around the
country have "no fee" ATM machines. These are not limited to credit
union members, most anyone can use them. We have found a few that do
charge a fee, but information about those fees is posted on the machine
itself.
The idea behind geocaching is that someone will hide a "cache," usually a small container with various trinkets inside. The geographic coordinates of the cache are published on a website, along with a few hints to help locate it. Players use their own GPS unit to track down the cache, take a trinket, and leave one of their own. Most geocaches also have a logbook inside that allows the finder to leave "proof" of their find by signing in. Geocaching is a lot of fun, and depending on the location of the cache, can provide a bit of physical exercise. Since GPS units are small, they take up very little space in the RV, and "prizes" to be left in a cache likewise are small and lightweight. To learn more, check out "Geocache!" Got an RV hobby you enjoy? Share it with us at ftrveditor@yahoo.com
"Always be nice to your children: They are the ones who will choose your rest home." --Phyllis Diller
Truck Stops Love RVers! The 2006 RVers Friend is HOT OFF THE PRESS. It lists every Travel Center in the U.S. and Canada and the services each provides RVers. Learn which offer overnight stays, dump stations, Internet access, propane, ATMs, or other services. Learn more or order for only $12.95 Resources Huge directory of links to the best RV websites. News and information for beginning RVers. RV Tech Tips: Get tips and tricks from an RV Technician. FulltimeRVer is copyright 2006 by RVbookstore.com. Our Headquarters: RVbookstore.com, 170 W. Dayton Street, Suite 103, Edmonds WA 98020. The email addresses of subscribers of this newsletter are never sold, rented or otherwise shared with outsiders. We are members of the Better Business Bureau. We respect your privacy. We are sponsors of the 2006 Life on Wheels Conferences, and are proud to be commercial members of the Escapees. © Copyright 2006 by RVbookstore.com |
