After years of non-functioning gray tank sensors and black tank sensors that were also acting up–one of the most universal of RV plagues–I stumbled across yet another potential solution to the malfunctioning sensor issue: hydro-jetting, sometimes, and less appealingly referred to as sewer jetting. This solution, unlike many others, actually works in almost all cases. [READ MORE…]
It’s estimated that there are over 600,000 EVs on the road in the USA. So, when was the last time you saw an electric RV? Probably never. Why is that? one has to ask. The short answer probably is that apart from a few camper-van ERVs in development there are none, and that is probably because the batteries would have to be too big, too heavy, and too costly to make for more demanding applications such as Class As and 1 Ton Pickups viable. That may have just changed! A new battery technology may soon make electric RVs more viable, even Class A RVs and 1 Ton Pickup Trucks needed to haul heavy RV trailers. [READ MORE…]
Many people have had the dream to RV around the country in order to take in the sights, visit friends, family, places of historical and cultural significance, satisfy their curiosity or give their children exposure to the world around them in a manner that only traveling can. Some percentage of these people have been waiting for the opportune time to go RVing when finances are better, they have more time or fewer obligations, etc. While I cannot, nor should I try or wish to be the arbiter of when somebody should or should not sample a taste of the RV lifestyle, be it a small or large slice, I have an observation to share and a story to tell that are the wellspring of the title of this article, and why maybe you should RV NOW…[READ MORE]
“…SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO CLEAN AND DEODORIZE GREY AND BLACK TANKS, SINKS, DRAINS AND SENSORS UP TO 500% BETTER THAN CHEMICAL, ENZYME AND FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTS. NO OTHER PRODUCT CLEANS AND DEODORIZES HOLDING TANKS BETTER THAN OXY-KEM®.” Wow…get me some of that! Wait…not so fast! [READ MORE…]
Pretty much everyone with an RV knows what a pain in the keister the piezoelectric stove igniters can be. Though they seldom wear out, they have been widely acknowledged as one of the most problematic, unreliable technologies used in RVs as well as a source of RVer frustration. They require turning a knob and make a loud bang whenever they are used. Everybody knows when the water for morning coffee is being put on to boil because the dang igniter wakes up everyone in the RV. All too often one turn of the knob and one loud bang isn’t enough because they don’t always light the burners on the first crank of the knob. Sometimes they just don’t seem to work at all. Many people have given up on these in favor of BBQ lighters which can be similarly finicky–they too commonly use piezoelectric igniters.
Because these piezoelectric igniters have made RVing cooks everywhere unhappy, including in my RVs, I set out to find a better system. I have! It took a little bit of doing but it was not a difficult modification–I just finished installing an electric spark generator, the type that’s commonly used for gas grills. HERE’S HOW…
I bought my first RV in 2013. Since then I’ve RVed coast to coast a couple times and have made a number of trips months in duration. In all I’ve logged tens of thousands of RVing miles, from near Canada in the North to Mexico in the South, the Pacific ocean to the Atlantic.
All of that required some serious route planning and route planning for an RV, as you probably already know, can be very different than route planning for a car. RVers, except perhpas those with the smallest of RVs, need to be concerned with things that people driving cars never have to think about: weight, length, height, width, road grades, special speed limits, where you’re allowed to drive, where you can travel with propane tanks and where you cannot, etc. [READ MORE…]
It only took four years of being frustrated by the entry door to my RV slamming shut with every gust of wind before I undertook the task of installing an entry door latch on the RV–I don’t like rushing into things. LOL. Well, I just finished installing a latch and boy was it a chore and a half. Who knew there would be so many considerations? It would have been a lot easier had I attached it only to the outside wall of the RV instead of drilling all the way through to the inside, but I thought it would be more secure going all the way through the wall. Here’s how I did it…[READ MORE]
Newhalem Campground (A.K.A. Newhalem Creek Campground) is situated in North Cascades National Park and is located near the tiny town of Newhalem WA. The North Cascades are rugged and beautiful. Their lush green is due in large measure to the abundant rainfall the area receives. Lakes and rivers have a green or turquoise color from glacial runoff. There is a rich history of human occupation in the area dating back thousands of years.
Newhalem campground is heavily wooded and next to Newhalem Creek which can be heard from some of the campsites. It is very green with ferns, mosses, and tall trees. Campsites are well shaded. We felt as if we were in the middle of the forest, which in fact we were, and loved looking out of the windows of our 5th wheel.
We were there during the week in mid-June and Loop C was virtually empty. That said, signs placed on the campsite posts at each site indicated the place was booked solid for the upcoming weekend. Another interesting sign indicated that unreserved sites were free. I don’t recall ever seeing that before.
We enjoyed a number of short hikes up to 4 or 5 miles in length, some quite a bit shorter in the neighborhood of a few tenths of a mile, sometimes on boardwalks. There is hiking for all levels. We also took in the Diablo Lake Overlook which is found at roadside and provided for views shown in the photos below.
More details about Newhalem Campground are included in my Campground Report. [READ MORE…]
Recently I went up to the roof of the RV. I don’t remember why it was that I did, but when I got up top I was horrified to find that the roof was covered by black looking mold or mildew in places. As if I didn’t already have enough problems to deal with!
And so I panicked, thinking that my roof may have been destroyed and also knowing it costs thousands of dollars to have a new one put on a 5th wheel such as mine. Well, the good news is, if you can call it “good”, that I found out from Dicor, the company that makes the EPDM roof membrane that is probably used on most RVs, that their EPDM rubber RV roofs do not support the growth of mold and mildew in terms of providing nutrients for them to feed upon. What this means is that mold and mildew, if growing on the roof, are not so much attacking the roof as they are just living on top of it. So, this means that mold or mildew growth aren’t a major concern when it comes to the overall health of an EPDM roof. Phew! [READ MORE…]
Hummingbirds on Your Fingers – Flying Emeralds – Jewels in the Sky
This article is about the amazing hummingbird—a few interesting facts, a way for RVers to enjoy them up close and personal, and even how to have them eating out of your hand, literally, and unlike so many who abuse the word “literally” I use it literally.
The lead photo for this article is one I took of a male Anna’s hummingbird that has been coming to visit the RV every day. He comes to a feeder suction-cupped to the window just inches away from the dinette table. I used a zoom lens for this photo then cropped in tighter it after it was taken. Unfortunately, the day was cloudy and gray so “Mr. Glisten’s” colors—yes, I’ve named him—don’t pop as they might on a sunnier day, but you get the idea from this larger-than-life photo.
Diane is excited about hand-feeding hummingbirds. In this article I’ll tell you how to get them to eat out of the palm of your hand, and more. [READ MORE…]
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Russ on the Road 