Becoming or Finding a Mentor

If it hadn't been for Marv, the man who sold my first motorhome to me, I would have made some really stupid rookie mistakes. He was the one who showed me how to light the catalytic wall heater safely, insisted that I purchase a short water hose and a heat tape to wrap around it, told me about a heater blanket for the holding tank and gave me a great deal of information, most of which I didn't appreciate at the time.

When you park in a cold climate during the winter (10 to 0 degrees F for several days), you learn quickly how to adapt. Adapting your RV takes a bit longer to learn and if you make a mistake, bad things happen: your holding tank will freeze. That means no flushing the toilet nor taking a shower until the tank thaws.

Marv also spoiled me with the improvements he made. The queen-size bed that pulled down from the ceiling over the cab had been reinforced and locked into place. The two couches in the back were made into a double bed and by lifting the mattress, a large storage area was found under the bed. The rear suspension was strengthened so a 100-gallon propane tank could be welded to the special frame. Marv had worked on the engine so it ran on gasoline or propane. I had a 900-mile range before I would have to fill either the gas or propane tank.

Be patient and remember how you learned. Everyone is different.

Teaching other women the tips and tricks of RVing is not only gratifying, it helps you learn more about what you might have forgotten. If you're a newbie, ask for help. If you're an experienced RVer, share what you know. It's a great learning event for both of you.

Good Winter Reading

The weather is cold, dreary and you can't travel--in your RV. How about taking a mental vacation with a good winter read?

RV Traveling Tales is a collection of stories from 52 women RVers by Jaimie Hall and Alice Zyetz.

Also by Hall and Zyetz is The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing available as an eBook or on CD. If you're a solo woman RVer, you'll find some great information shared by other solo RVing women.

If you're seriously considering the full-time RVing lifestyle, you must have the bible of workamping: Support Your RV Lifestyle! by Jaimie Hall.

Shameless plug: to accompany the above, look for Frugal RVing or Pinching Pennies without Getting Bruised and Other Advice from the Road by Adrienne Kristine available as an eBook.


All books and eBooks are available at the RV Bookstore.

Liz: RV Travel Forum--RVing Woman

I am a happily married (just celebrated 10 years) woman who loves travel and is extremely outgoing. (My DH says he cannot turn his back without finding me talking to a stranger).
We were full-timing (my preference) but due to property/renter issues, we are wintering in our house on the Space Coast of Florida. Spring will find us on the road again. I insist on our spending at least one night each week in the bus which I consider my real home.

How we became RVers is a little more of a story so please bear with me (did I mention I like to talk???).

We were both working in the space program and happily riding our Harleys to work and all over the state, camping both coasts as well as the Keys. Then we were sideswiped by a car. The ensuing physical changes (DH lost a leg below the knee, has pins and plates in his wrists and in his pelvis) required our letting go of that form of travel. We began thinking of ways we could continue to camp. The next thing was that we found, again due to the motorcycle accident, my wonderful engineer husband had lost a large part of his ability to work with numbers. Not conducive to engineering. He had to take an early retirement. We decided to grab the time we have left to get on with what we wanted to do rather than what the rest of our family and friends thought we should do; re: our desire is to camp and to travel. His physical limitations prohibit the tent camping we were used to. The best choice was to purchase a motorhome.

Another segment of our desire to travel is that we are both recovered alcoholics who are very actively involved with AA. We want to visit as many meetings across the country as possible. We have started a map on his laptop marking each meeting we attend with the address and contact info. We can share that with members from our home group in Florida as well as with other travelers. I don't know if you want to include this info but I don't mind sharing it. The stigma of addiction prevents too many from seeking help.

And here are a couple of photos.

Now, don't you wish you had not posted the request for info?

PhatLiz