Weekend of October 31, 2009

Issue 402 of RV Travel
Learn about RV camping, RV travel, RV news and much more. This newsletter is funded through sales at RVbookstore.com, the World's Largest RV Bookstore specializing in books and DVDs about RVs and the RV lifestyle.

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Save on Mountain Directories
East & West
Driving into the mountains with your RV? Be careful, there are some nasty grades. Here, in two volumes, are the premier guides to the mountain passes and steep grades of the American East and West -- more than 700 passes all together. You save $5 when buying both these guides together. Learn more or order for only $26.90 for both volumes.

To ensure you continue to receive email alerts for this newsletter, please place the following email address in your own email address book: rvtraveler@topica.email-publisher.com

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Editor's corner
By Chuck Woodbury

Dear reader,

I wrote this essay a few years ago and posted it on our sister website NewRVer.com. It generated many responses from readers. Here it is again, with a survey question at the end that you can respond to if you wish. I call this "The Concept of the Portable House," and it is about whether someone who owns an RV considers him or herself a camper or an RVer:

I think I am finally able to define the lifestyle called RVing, which some people criticize because it's not really camping. What they do not understand is that RVing and camping are not the same, although sometimes they overlap.

Only one segment of RVers are exclusively "campers" -- those who "camp" for a week or two a year. These people generally camp in the summer, often on family vacations. They typically spend their days sightseeing or hiking and their evenings by the campfire. Their RVs, if they have one, are pretty basic and are often rented.

After Labor Day and before Memorial Day, the RVers you see on the road are more often "travelers" than "campers," using their RVs for both transportation and lodging. Their rigs are larger and better equipped than the vacation campers -- sort of "homes away from home" or "homes on wheels."

Sometimes, however, these well-equipped RVers end up in the same national park or national forest campgrounds as "campers" and this is where their lifestyles get misinterpreted.

These avid RVers, in their bigger rigs, are simply living in a portable way. They are essentially living in self-contained, mobile condos rather than in fixed-based houses.

Many of these RVers have simplified their lives. I'm especially referring to the hundreds of thousands of retirees who have sold their homes and moved into a trailer or motorhome. At some point, they had to get rid of a lifetime of possessions. They retained what they considered important -- fishing rods, a sewing machine, favorite books, pictures of the kids and grandkids, and nowadays, a computer.

These full-timers and serious part-timers would never be traveling America in the first place if RVs didn't exist. Without an RV, they would not set off in their cars month after month, staying in a different Holiday Inn each night. To do so would be too much trouble, very expensive, and even exhausting. They might fly off to Europe on occasion, but by and large, they would spend their lives at home.

Today, after climbing on Wyoming's Independence Rock for more than an hour and doing battle with a blustery wind, it was a wonderful feeling to return to my comfy porta-house. When I closed the door behind me, I felt truly at home, even though my street address is a thousand miles away.

I understand the concept of the portable house. It's not the same as camping.

So what are you, a camper or an RVer? Answer here (this week's reader survey question).

* * *
I'm still in California, taking care of family business, still trying to sell my late-parents house in the Sierra foothill community of Grass Valley. This is great home with covered parking for an RV up to 45 feet long. So maybe you'd like to buy it! It's in nice small town in the beautiful gold rush country.

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Get your free
guide to Alaska
No doubt about it, many RVers yearn to travel to Alaska. If that's you, then send for the new, free North to Alaska Guide from Alaska Tourism. Order a printed guide to be delivered to your doorstep or view the online guide immediately so you can start your planning today! Click here.

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WEBCAST ARCHIVE: Watch a 45-minute recording of our live webcast of Oct. 17 with Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor. Gary takes questions from RVtravel.com readers and answers them on the spot. Watch the recorded webcast.

BLOGGERS WANTED
RVtravel.com is looking for bloggers on the topics of RVing Mexico and RVing Florida. Some pay is involved. Candidates must have excellent first-hand knowledge of the subject matter and be familiar with blogging technique. Please no blogs about "We went here and did this." Contact Chuck(at)RVtravel.com for more information. 

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See books, DVDs at bottom of newsletter
We've moved many of the ads for books, eBooks and DVDs at RVbookstore.com to the bottom of this newsletter. So please check them out. We have the world's largest selection.

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DID YOU MISS LAST WEEK'S ISSUE? If so, read it here.

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Wal-Mart Atlas & FREE Bonus
"No Overnight RV Parking" Directory
Order the popular Wal-Mart Atlas and receive the "No Overnight Parking" Directory for FREE. SAVE $9.90! Most Wal-Marts permit a free overnight stay in RVs. The Wal-Mart Atlas provides driving directions to more than 4,000 Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs. It lists which stores sell diesel, have pharmacies, and provides store GPS coordinates. The "No Park" Directory lists more than 350 stores that DO NOT allow stays! Learn more or order.

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READ BACK ISSUES OF THIS NEWSLETTER: Click here.

Get the latest RV news headlines at Twitter.

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Outhouse peeper pleads guilty
A 49-year-old Pittston, Maine man pleaded guilty earlier this week to charges that he climbed into an outdoor outhouse where he then watched people using the bathroom. The charges are in connection with a Memorial Day incident where a man was seen climbing out of a pit toilet at the Hastings Campground in New Hampshire. In 2005, Gary Moody pleaded no contest to trespassing for hiding in a U.S. Forest Service outhouse, also in New Hampshire.

RV snowbirds get low in New Mexico
Tucked in the southwest corner of New Mexico is the lowest elevation in the state, which, statewide, averages 4,700 feet. This quiet corner is also where you will find the warmest winter weather, the area around Deming, Silver City, and Las Cruces. State parks and campgrounds are abundant, and many RVers think this winter snowbird roosting spot is the state's best kept secret.

How to bowl in a campground, any campground
So let's say you love to bowl. But how do you do it in your favorite campground? Not many bowling alleys out there. Well, believe it or not, you can, indeed, bowl at any campground, anywhere, anytime. It won't cost you a penny and you don't need to haul around a bowling ball. See how in this short, but entertaining (and enlightening) video

Florida RV park reservations up–or is it down?
A mixed bag of news comes out of Florida as RV park owners in the Sunshine State stir their tea-leaves, attempting to predict what the snowbird season will bring. According to the “official” word of the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, announced mid-month, RV park reservations are up. But is that true? Maybe. Read more.

DID YOU KNOW?
Two-thirds of RVtravel.com readers dream in color all or most of the time. Only seven percent report that their dreams are almost always in black and white. See the actual survey results and read the comments.

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New eBooks at RVbookstore.com
Order now and read within a few minutes

RVing Alaska: Insights and Observations (Joe and Vicki Kieva). $9.95
Winterizing and Storing your RV (by Mark Polk) $12.95
The Snowbird's Guide to Quartzsite (by Russ and Tina De Maris) $11.95
Boondocking: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America's Public Lands (by Bob Difley) (Great deal!) $7.95
RV Bookdocking in Southern Texas (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95
RV Boondocking In Arizona (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95
RV Boondocking in New Mexico (by Marianne Edwards) $16.95

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"What you need to know in as few words as possible."

Wholesale shipments of RVs to retailers were 17,400 in September, a 13.0 percent increase from the same month last year.

Vermont State Parks had its best attendance this season in seven years. Despite the rainy and cold early summer more than 360,000 people made day visits to the parks this year, up from 322,000 last year.

An article in the Detroit Free Press profiled a shady practice by a few RV dealers to not pay off loans as promised on traded in RVs. "Car-niting" leaves buyers with loans to pay off on both their new and traded in RVs. Although not paying off the outstanding loan when required by a purchase agreement is illegal, consumer experts say prosecutors rarely charge dealers with a crime, forcing consumers to sue to get their money back.

Two coyotes attacked and killed 19-year-old Canadian songwriter Taylor Mitchell while she was hiking in Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. Mitchell was recently nominated by the Canadian Folks Music Awards for Young Performer of the Year. Coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare.

A California business magazine reported last week that the owner of the Affinity Group, the publisher of Trailer Life and Motorhome Magazines and the owner of the Good Sam Club, is in serious financial trouble. Pacific Coast Business Magazine wrote that the company has missed interest payments on more than $114 million in debt for nearly two months, that Standard and Poor has given its bonds junk status, and that between 2007 and 2008 the company swung from a $6.3 million profit to a $125.3 million loss.

Bob Olson, the top executive at Winnebago Industries Inc., said on Thursday he's not sure how high motorhome industry production will rebound once the market recovers, but said he is confident it's nearing a turning point after five years of falling sales.

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NEW
ARRIVALS
at RVbookstore.com
Check 'em out. Good stuff.

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Is a pop-up RV for you?
Many who come to the RV lifestyle come by way of "retiring" from tent camping. They love the out-of-doors, but tenting has reached a point where it isn't as much fun as it used to be. Many former tent campers transition to RVs by way of a "pop up camper." You may hear them referred to as "tent campers" or "fold out campers," but the concept is generally the same: A small, low profile trailer, that once at camp, expands and unfolds. Read more.

Blue Ox BedSaver hitch accessory ensures against truck damage
Good and bad things happen when you “drop” a fifth wheel trailer. Bad: damage to truck and RV, embarrassment when family and friends see what happened, plus potential injury. Good: you become great friends with technicians and insurance companies. The Blue Ox BedSaver prevents all this.

Shut down Arizona rest areas force motorists to "rest" elsewhere
Most of Arizona's rest areas were shut down last week. So where are motorists headed for a rest break. RVtravel.com blogger Russ De Maris checked out the scene and filed a report.

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By Jim Twamley
Professor of RVing

Save money by doing your own generator maintenance
RV generators are great because they allow you to run all your electrical stuff without being hooked up to shore power. It's not uncommon for RVers to pull off on a lonely roadside, fire up the generator and use the microwave to make lunch. Here are some tips, plus a video, to help you maintain your generator, and avoid premature service issues.

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Awning Shade expands
your living area
List $39.99. Now only $19.99
Easily create a cool, comfortable, private patio. An Awning Shade expands your private RV living area for a tiny price. Your existing patio awning suddenly becomes the foundation for a whole new room. Plus, you can see out but others can‘t see in! It slips quickly and easily into your awning‘s utility slot with standard awning light hangers. The awning shade does NOT include anything to attach to your awning. For a shade with hardware, at a discounted price, please use item #RVT103). Learn more or order (and see our other specials).

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Birdwatching on the RV Road
RV can do double duty as "birdwatching blind"
Birdwatching is a perfect activity for RVers. One way to take advantage of your RV for watching birds in the wild is to use it as a "blind," much as a hunter would, only using binoculars or a spotting scope instead of a rifle. Read more.

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Stop the Shaking!

with the Steadyfast Trailer Stabilizing System
Performance, quality, and ease of use makes Steadyfast the most effective fifth wheel and travel trailer stabilizing system. Learn more here. 

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Spare tires for your RV?
It's not the most pleasant thought: Having a flat tire on your rig. And many new RVers are surprised when they find a lot of motorhomes don't even have a spare tire. What's going on here? Here's the inside scoop on RV spare tires.

Will Snowbird Capital Quartzsite be packed this winter?
There's a lot of collective breath holding in the RV snowbird capital of Quartzsite, Ariz. How will this season work out for snowbirds, vendors, and the town? If the past is the predictor, what happens right after the Thanksgiving holiday is usually the tell-tale for the rest of the season. At this moment short term visitor areas around the edges of the town have LOADS of space for more RVers. Read more.

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Ask the Doctor

Dear RV Doctor,
I recently bought an older motorhome. It's in excellent condition but is beginning to show a little oxidation in the paint. I want to do whatever is needed to preserve both the beauty and the value of the coach. Is it okay to take it through a truck wash? Or will that be too hard on the window seals, antennas, satellite, etc? Or, is it better to hand wash the coach? Does it need to be hand buffed or just waxed? Are there any special products that absolutely need to be used and also products I should not use? --Vicki Perkins

Read Gary's response.

To the right: The RV Doc answers a question about a refrigerator problem.


Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor is a well known RV author and the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry's most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD Do It Yourself RV Care.

Sign up to receive Gary's free email newsletter. Great tech tips twice a month. Your privacy assured. Never any spam. Just the informative newsletter.

Bargains at RVbookstore.com
Low, low prices. Save up to 80% and even more!
RV books for less than $3.00

This Week's Reader Survey
Do you consider yourself a "camper" or an "RVer?" (read editor's essay above before answering). Answer here.

American's largest RV Consignment Dealer
Buy or sell your used motorhome, diesel pusher, fifth wheel, or travel trailer hassle free at PPL Motor Homes. PPL is the largest RV consignment dealer in the USA, selling over 18,880 consigned RVs since 1972. Visit the PPL website.

 

Bella Terra RV Resort
A Lifestyle You Can Call Home
Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, the # 1 rated Class A RV resort in the Southeast is the perfect Oasis to enjoy Fall, Winter and Spring. Call NOW and ask about our SNOWBIRD SPECIALS (certain restrictions apply). Also inquire about special pricing incentives on the few remaining Phase I lots! Be sure to mention promo code RV Travel. Call (866) 475-7746 or visit us at BellaTerraRVresort.com.

Recent RV recalls

FMCA:
The best club for motorhome owners
If you drive a motorhome you should join the Family Motor Coaching Association, the largest and best club exclusively for motorhome owners. Many benefits including rallies, local chapters and thick monthly magazine. Special new member price of $35. Click here to learn more or join.

Check out these RV Travel Forum discussions

Need advice on car hauler to be towed behind our Trek
I am looking to purchase a flatbed hauler to be towed behind our Trek motorhome. It will be used to carry a historic sports car to races and sports car events. We now tow a small toad pickup truck 4-down with no problems, but I have never pulled a car hauler before (we live in California), and would appreciate any advice on purchasing such a device from out of state and getting it registered in CA. If anyone has a flatbed for sale that would accommodate a 12-foot long car, I am in the market.

DirecTV reception in Mexico
When I travel to Mexico (Baja for now), how far SOUTH will I expect to receive my DirecTV standard definition signal with my normal 18" dish? Will it help to increase the dish size for Mexico travel? Any other experienced Mexico traveler input regarding DirecTV and XM radio reception?

Emergency cell phone
We are going to Arizona from Alberta very soon and intend to buy a phone in Minot, North Dakota. What is the best type to buy? We only want one to use for contacting the Good Sam Club if we have a breakdown. Is it possible to get a phone for that situation?

Western USA RV trip July/August - UK first -timers seek advice
We're a family of 4 from the UK (2 kids ages 6 and 8) lucky enough to have 6 weeks in the U.S. next summer. Our ideal would be to drive down the coast to Big Sur, then visit Yosemite, cross over to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and then drive up through the Rockies visiting some of the national parks (including Yellowstone and Glacier National Park) before returning the RV. Are we being too ambitious with this route in 6 weeks? In the UK travelling in July and August means you have to book campsites months in advance (particularly for popular destinations). Is it the same in the U.S.?

What is the best way to store motorhome batteries?
1. Should I leave the power on with the shore line or
2. Remove the chassis/house batteries and bring them into the house or
3. Attach a battery tender to keep the batteries charged? Is this possible?

Interesting Forum:
Truck Campers: Read all about these very cool type of RVs. Ask a question or leave a tip for other truck camper fans.

The RV Kitchen

Cookbooks for RVers: Big selection at RVbookstore.com.

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Battery Watering System
Saves Money, Time & Labor
Maintaining proper water levels in your battery can add years to its life. Coil n' Wrap's system does the job easily, without removing the caps each time!  To receive a 10% discount on the battery watering system, type RVtravel in the discount code box in the checkout section. Watch the 80-second video to see how the system works.

Trivia
Kentucky is the number one cigarette smoking state in the USA, where 28.6 percent of the population smokes. Utah has the lowest percentage of smokers at 9.8 percent.

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How To Buy An RV
and Save Thousands!
This book offers a lot for a bargain price. Written by RV insider Don Wright, it provides a wealth of information about buying an RV. You'll get insights into RV buying here that you will not find elsewhere, and for only $12.95. Learn more or order.

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Random RV Thought
If you are in no hurry to get somewhere, stay put on days when your driving would involve headwinds. You'll get far better fuel mileage when the wind dies down, and even better mileage if you wait for a tail wind.

Find Free RV Campgrounds
"Don't pay to stay!" Visit FreeCampgrounds.com and find more than 1,700 free and inexpensive places to stay in the USA in an RV. Stretch your RVing budget by staying at these freebie locations.

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Bill's Hints
"If you get any kind of shock or "tingle" when you grab the door handle of your RV while standing on the ground, UNPLUG your power cable. On rare occasions campground power is found to be improperly wired. In wet weather, it could prove fatal." --From Motorhomes Made Easy.

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eBooks: INSTANT READING!
With eBooks you don't have to wait to read your book. Just place your order and your eBook will be delivered almost instantly to your email inbox. These eBooks are written by RV experts and delivered instantly in PDF format.
RV Awning Use and Care
RV Care and Maintenance
Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance
The 3 Primary Systems of an RV: LP Gas, Water & Electricity
Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitchwork and Backing
RV Check-List
I Have A Convection Oven in My RV. Now What?
Frugal Shunpiker's Guide to RV Boondocking In Arizona
The ABCs of Pop Up Campers
Boondocking Tips - More Fun Without Hookups
Complete Guide to Dinghy Towing
The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing
A Collection of RV Tips
Boondocking: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America's Public Lands

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Bumper Snickers
Even if the voices aren't real they have some good ideas.

Books and DVDs
about Route 66
at RVbookstore.com

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Worth Pondering
A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. --Robert Frost

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Finance your RV at RVfinancing.com
RVfinancing.com is THE largest online RV financing company. Lowest rates nationwide. Visit its website or call 1-888-929-4424. Toll-free 24-hour recorded RV financing tips at 877-905-0060. Endorsed by RVtravel.com

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READ BACK ISSUES
of this newsletter: Click here.

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2009 Next Exit Directory
Essential guide! Learn what you will find at every Interstate highway exit: gas/diesel, campgrounds, truck stops, casinos, stores, malls, hospitals, factory outlet stores, parks and more. This is a best-selling directory year after year. Learn more.

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DVD shows how to drive a motorhome
Learn how to drive a motorhome the right way -- and the safe way -- from RVer/tour bus driver Lorrin Walsh. In this 67-minute DVD, Walsh and host Mark Polk show you everything you need to know to confidently drive a motorhome. This should be essential viewing for novice motorhome drivers, but even experienced RVers will learn a great deal as well. Save 10% on this at RVbookstore.com. Learn more or order.

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How to Buy An RV
Advice on DVD from the Better Business Bureau
Join host Chuck Woodbury and other RV experts as they explain how to buy an RV. This 50-minute DVD was produced for consumers by the BBB to help them avoid making buying mistakes. Learn to choose the right RV at the right price and avoid heartaches caused by a bad decision. Learn more or order.

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DVD:
Towing Behind Your Motorhome
Learn how to tow a vehicle behind a motorhome in an easy to understand way. RV expert Mark Polk shows you everything you need to know. Special low price at RVbookstore.com. Learn more or order. 

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Save on Mountain Directories
East & West
Driving into the mountains with your RV? Be careful, there are some nasty grades. Here, in two volumes, are the premier guides to the mountain passes and steep grades of the American East and West -- more than 700 passes all together. You save $5 when buying both these guides together. Learn more or order for only $26.90 for both volumes.

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DVD: Travel Trailer/Fifth Wheel 101
If you just bought a travel trailer or 5th wheel trailer, you'll need to know how to operate it. The onboard systems -- electrical, water, LP gas and waste -- are often confusing to new owners. This one hour DVD from RV Education 101 provides an excellent understanding of how a towable RV's systems work and how to operate them safely.Learn more order.

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Guide To The Firearm Laws of the 50 States
RVers who travel with a firearm may not know that what's legal in their home state may be a felony in another. This 2009 guide explains current, specific gun laws for every state. Don't cross a state line with a gun without knowing the laws! Learn more or order.

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2009 Trailer Life RV Parks & Campground Navigator CD-ROM
America's most popular RV campground directory is now on 2 CD-ROM disks. The user friendly interface provides the ultimate RV travel planning software for the U.S. and Canada. This is the best CD-ROM RV park and campground directory. Retail price: $59.95. Now 38% off -- only $36.99. Learn more or order

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Learn how to
RV in your Retirement
Anyone who is close to retirement or who recently retired and is planning to spend all or part of their time traveling with an RV will find much useful information in "RV Retirement." Learn more or order.

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Dog Friendly's
Campground and RV Park Guide
This is a jam-packed, well-researched directory of campgrounds, filled with detailed information, about where you can camp with a dog in the USA and Canada. Learn more or order.

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RECENTLY ARRIVED!
2010 Rand McNally
Motor Carriers' Road Atlas
RVers who drive big RVs can travel with peace of mind with this truckers' road atlas as their guide by avoiding low overpasses and roads where a big rig could get in a pickle. Learn more or order.

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A best seller
Fifth Wheel Bible
This is the first book devoted to fifth wheel travel trailers. It covers everything about these RVs: Buying, towing, operating and enjoying them. Learn more or order.

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Trailer Life RV Road Atlas
Besides showing highways and other roads, this large-format road atlas shows more than 10,000 campgrounds, plus RV service centers, tourist attractions and 1,600 state parks, plus a special Tech Tips section. Learn more or order for only $15.96. (Cover price, $29.95).

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On the Go! Microwave-Convection Oven Cooking
This terrific spiral bound microwave-convection cookbook explains what combination modes mean, cooking utensils, racks, preheating and much more. The recipes are simple and have minimal ingredients making this the perfect cookbook for RVers and those at home who are also on-the-go. Learn more or order for only $9.98.

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Complete Guide to Full-time RVing
Thinking of becoming a full-time RVer? This is THE guide about how to do it. From dreaming about the lifestyle to living it, this fabulous resource has all the answers. This should be required reading for all aspiring full-timers or those who are new at it! Learn more or order!

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Fulltimers:
Where to make your home base
For would-be fulltimers, which state to establish an official home base is critical. Picking the wrong state can result in paying thousands of dollars extra each year in taxes or RV registration fees. Don't let that happen to you! The best-selling Choosing Your RV Home Base, published in 2009, is an essential planning tool. Learn more or order.

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Special low price!
2009 Trailer Life
Campground Directory
This is the biggest selling directory of RV parks and campgrounds. If you travel by RV you need this! Check out our special low price. Don't travel without this essential guide. Order now

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Senior Citizen
Discounts Guide
This annual directory for 2008-2009 will save you a ton of money. Learn about thousands of senior discounts throughout the USA. Most are not publicized elsewhere. National and local businesses are listed.Learn more or order.

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Organize your RV life and travels
This very handy CD-rom will help you keep your RV life organized. It includes 12 full-featured organizing and accounting software programs designed exclusively for RV owners -- keep track of expenses, phone and email addresses, recipes, your rig’s maintenance, medical information and more. You’ll feel safer with your personal information secure in the Virtual Information Safe. Reg. $24.95. Our price $22.46. Learn more.

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2009 Big Rigs Best Bets Campground Directory 
If you drive a king-sized RV, this directory is for you. The authors provide details about 1,100 RV parks throughout the USA and six Canadian Provinces that welcome long motorhomes and towable RVs. This should be an essential resource for owners of large RVs. Learn more or order