RV Traveler Email Newsletter #70

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Women RVers tell their stories
Essential reading for women RVers

RV Traveler #70
August 3, 2003

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This issue's email circulation: 56,804

FROM CHUCK WOODBURY
editor, http://www.RVtraveler.com

Did you happen to see any of this year's Tour de France bicycle
race on TV? The Outdoor Life Network did a splendid job of
covering it. The reason I ask, is that if you watched the
coverage then you probably noticed the countless motorhomes
that lined the course.

I had the wonderful opportunity to follow the Tour de France
two years ago as a member of the media, and I could hardly
believe the huge number of RVs along the French roads, and
especially along the Tour de France course. They are most
noticeable in the mountain race stages where one RV is
squeezed in front or behind another, typically only a few
feet away from the race course, lining it like they are
parallel parked.

Motorhomes in France are small compared to ours,
probably 20-24 feet on average, and they are almost all
Class C's with a bed over the cab. Along the 2,000-mile
Tour de France course itself, you seldom see a travel trailer
(called a caravan), but you do see them on the highways and
in the RV parks. They, too, are small by our standards, not
much over 20 feet. I don't recall seeing any fifth wheel
trailers.

The European RVers who follow the Tour de France with
their motorhomes select a parking spot well ahead of the
race start time, and then often wait a day or more for
the action to pass them by, which typically occurs in literally
a minute or so. Nearly all of the race stages go from one
town to another, and so spectators only get one chance to
see the racers as they pass. And after the racers go by,
the spectator traffic going home is so bad that RVers
commonly stay the night and leave the next day.

In the evening, when leaving the finish of that day's race
for the next town for the start the following morning, I
would sometimes backtrack along course of the just-
completed race where I would find "cities" of RVs parked in
fields and pastures far from civilization. There, with
bonfires roaring, dozens -- or in some cases hundreds of
fans with RVs -- would be celebrating the day's race or just
celebrating for the sake of having a good time. It looked very
magical and inviting, but, alas, I was in a car and had
to proceed to my next hotel.

The French countryside is so beautiful and the camping
opportunities so inviting that my "to do" list includes a return
trip to France, where I will rent a motorhome. My hotel on that
trip will roll along with me.

Changing the subject, thanks to the many readers who emailed
me after last issue to point out that the new motorhome I wrote
about that doubles as a boat is not in fact 102 FEET wide as I
said, but 102 INCHES wide. Like I said awhile back, it can be
dangerous being your own proofreader. And for those of you
who missed the photo of this very bizarre new RV, see it here.

Okay, enough. . . on with the issue. . .

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MINI VAN MOM BECOMES MOTORHOME MAMA
On the day that this mild-mannered woman rolled out of her
driveway in her new Class C motorhome she felt like a new
person. As she headed onto the highway, to her amazement,
autos moved out of her way. "I’m feeling like Queen of the
Road," she said. Read more about this woman's introduction
to the RV lifestyle. It's a good story.

SUBSCRIBE TO THESE RV MAGAZINES. Best prices:
Motorhome, Trailer Life, RV Journal, RV Companion, Gypsy Journal
and Pop Up Times: http://www.NewRVer.com/rvmags.html

NEW MUSEUM WITH RV PARK HONORS HOPPY
Men now in their 50s pretty much had a boyhood love affair with
one of the coolest cowboys to ever grace the big and then small
screen -- Hopalong Cassidy. And now, near Wichita, Kansas, the
Hopalong Cassidy Museum has opened to honor the TV good guy
who could shoot from the hip and never hurt the bad guy -- just
knock the revolver right out of his hand. The museum includes
an RV park where a full hookup goes for a modest $20. More.

CATS ON WHEELS
. . . so what is it like to travel with a cat? Some seem okay,
others, possessed with fear, climb up on the screen door and
hold on for dear life. If you travel with a cat or are thinking
about it, then you will enjoy this article on the subject.

2003 Trailer Life Campgrounds and RV Park Directory
Only $13.95. Save 50%. More than 12,000 campgrounds listed!

THE BASICS OF RV AIR CONDITIONING
It's the time of year when we use our RV air conditioners more
than our heaters. Here's a good discussion of the fundamental
principles associated with operating and maintaining the A/C
system of an RV.

ESSENTIAL READING ABOUT RVing IN ALASKA AND CANADA
Alaska By RV, Western Canada By RV, Eastern Canada By RV:
http://www.RVbookstore.com/howens.html. And don't forget the
2003 ALASKA MILEPOST DIRECTORY. If you are headed to Alaska,
Yukon Territory, BC, Alberta or NW Territories, this 55th edition
guidebook is essential. Get info or order.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BACKING YOUR RV
RV expert Mark Polk, writing on the KOA website, offers
comprehensive advice about how to back up an RV.

RANDOM CAMPING TIPS
Here are a bunch of random ideas about camping and RVing.
There is a lot of good information here.

WOMEN RVers: RVing isn't just for guys. Read more.

GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT BUS CONVERSIONS
You'll find helpful information at this website tailored to the
unique needs of RVers who convert busses into motorhomes.

HISTORY OF RVing
Here is a brief story with pics about the history of RV camping.

HOME VIDEOS HELP NEW RV OWNERS LEARN TO USE THEIR RIGS
RV Education 101 presents home videos on how to operate everything
on an RV. The VHS videos are very useful to anyone new to RVing.
Read more, view a Quicktime video clip, or order at:
Class A motorhome video
Class C motorhome video
Trailer/5th wheel video
Pop Up Trailer Video
Winterizing Your RV

ALL ABOUT RV AWNINGS
An RV awning is one of those must-have accessories that
at 3 a.m., with a howling wind, you wish you didn't have.
Who can remember the half-dozen or so steps required to
lower the thing under these conditions? Have you ever
awakened after a midsummer overnight thunderstorm
and your awning is sagging alarmingly? Have you ever
tried to empty the doens of gallons of water that collected
in that sagging awning ? Well, if this has happened to
you, then you might enjoy reading this article, where you
can learn how to avoid future problems.

RV FINANCING. GET A QUICK QUOTE
Financial Underwriters Network provides exceptional customer service
and exceptional interest rates. Get a quick online quote and caring service.

EBIKES ARE GREAT FOR RVers
RVers who don't travel with an extra vehicle for local
sightseeing or errands can gain a bit of freedom by bringing
along a lightweight electric bicycle on their trips. Ebikes are
perhaps the best overall choice -- lightweight, sleek and easy
to handle. Read about this nifty, non-polluting vehicle.

HOW FRESH IS YOUR RV's FRESH WATER?
The RV doctor will tell you.

Best-selling books and videos about RVing

SURVIVAL OF THE RV SNOWBIRDS
A classic guide about "boondocking" (RVing on the cheap)

HOW TO GET PAID $50,000 A YEAR TO DELIVER MOTORHOMES

2003 RVer's FRIEND
Learn what services America's truck stops offer RVers. Best Seller!

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION LAKES GUIDE
Learn what to see and do at 250 lakes in the West and Midwest.
Most of these areas have low-cost campgrounds. Only $7.95

RV BUYERS SURVIVAL GUIDE (Also available as an instant ebook)
Buying an RV? You must read this first. Written by an ex-RV
sales manager who reveals all. Read this and save big money!

VIDEO: ROCKY MOUNTAINS BY RV
Visit Yellowstone, Tetons, Glacier and Rocky Mountain Nat. Parks

HOUSEHOLD POWER FOR PENNIES WITHOUT A GENERATOR
If your RV does not have a generator and you have modest
needs for household power, a small, plug-in power inverter
may be the answer and save you from paying for electrical
hookups. These small devices plug into your RV's 12-volt
socket (once called a cigarette lighter) and then allow you to
plug in a 110 device to the other end. Inverters can be used for
powering a small TV, radio or computer, charging batteries
or running a fan. And best of all, these small, portable
devices normally cost less than $50. Read more.

THE MAN WHO WAS TURNED INTO A SHOE
If your RV travels take you through Rawlings, Wyo., be sure
to stop at the local museum where you can see what remains of
a hapless crook named Big Nose George, the only wild West
outlaw to be turned into a shoe. That's right, a shoe! Read the
story I wrote after my visit.

ALL ABOUT CLASS A MOTORHOMES
Advice for Class A buyers about rig selection, getting a good deal, and
how to inspect a rig before taking delivery.

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