RV Traveler Email Newsletter #72

Not signed up to receive this? Sign up now!

Subscribe Now!

Sign up right now! Easy as pie! And we keep your email address private forever and ever!

If you have a problem with this form, please send a blank email here and you will be subscribed.

Campground Guide for King-Sized RVs
Expanded 2003 edition

RV Traveler #72
August 17, 2003

SAVE 50% AT
700 RV PARKS!
Click Here

SHOPPING FOR AN RV EXTENDED WARRANTY?
The Good Sam Club's Continued Service Plan covers your coach,
engine, appliances and accessories in your new or used
motorhome, trailer and even tow vehicle! Get an online quote.

On this date in history in 1890 Ralph Teetor was born. When he
grew up he invented cruise control.

This newsletter brought to you by
Beginners Guide to RVing
Free Campgrounds of the West
RV Bookstore
RV Links
RV Jokes

Sponsors
Camping World
Explorer RV Insurance
RV Trader. Buy or sell an RV

This issue's email circulation: 56,902

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

As I write this, much of the Northeast including New York City
is without power. Those residents who are managing to get
home arrive to find them dark, with no air conditioning, no
working appliances and in some cases, no running water.

Once again, I am reminded of the RV-angle to this — of those
lucky people in New York, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Toronto
and elsewhere who have an RV parked in their driveway. I
imagine at this very moment there are plenty of dinners
being cooked in their RV kitchens. In a big emergency like this
one, an RV can come in mighty handy. If the outage should
continue for days, food stored in the ever-warming home
fridge can be transferred to the RV where it will stay fresh.

Sometimes when we travel by RV, we can be oblivious to
the power situation in the outside world. Once, on a very
stormy night, I was holed up in a State Park campground
along the Northern California coast. To save a few dollars,
I had taken a non-hookup site. It was raining and the
wind was howling, but I was cozy as could be in my little
motorhome — my first one, actually. It was tiny, 18 feet
long, but it had everything necessary to live fully self-
contained for a few days. One thing it did NOT have,
however, was a decent bathroom. I hope whoever designed
its toilet later took up a different occupation. Its design
was — and please excuse my bad pun — a real stinker.

And so, I would use public restrooms as often as possible.
That night in the California State Park campground, I waited
for a break in the nasty weather, and with my umbrella and
flashlight in hand, made a beeline to the restroom.

I was surprised to find it pitch black. I flipped a light
switch but nothing happened. It was after Labor Day —
past the prime camping season — so I figured the park was
just trying to save a few dollars. There were, after all, only
a few campers that night. Still, I was upset and felt that I
had paid good money to stay, and the least the state of
California could do was provide lighting when I was
dealing with my urgent calling from Mother Nature. "I will
speak to the ranger tomorrow about this," I vowed.

The next morning, the ranger arrived at my front door to
collect his money. "Nasty night," he said, and I agreed,
and then prepared to unleash my anger at being forced to
do my duty by flashlight. "You guys really ought to
leave the power on in the restrooms," I said, with
remarkable politeness. The ranger smiled. "Didn't you
know?" he asked. "The power was knocked off last night
by the storm. It was off for miles around."

Well, I was relieved to know it was, in fact, Mother Nature
and not the Governor who turned off the power. And later in the
day, I realized that if I had never used the public restroom that
night, I would have never even known that the power along the
North coast was knocked out. In my little home on wheels, I had
my own power system — a deep cell battery — and everything
I needed to live my life normally was on board and had worked
perfectly (bad toilet being the lone exception).

If this week's big power outage affected you or somebody you
know, and if you or they used an RV to help deal with it,
would you please email me about your experience? My address
is outwest@seanet.com . I'll print highlights from your letters on
the RV Traveler website and provide a link in this newsletter.

GOOD SAM EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE
Protects you, your spouse, AND all children age 25 or younger
(living at home or attending college), your RV, AND all household
cars, SUVs, minivans, and pick-ups! Only $79.95!
HOW TO WEIGH YOUR TRAILER OR FIFTH WHEEL
How to do it, short and sweet:

BUYING A CONVERSION VAN?
If so, here's where to find the manufacturer of van, sport-utility
and pickup truck conversions made in the United States. Search
by company name or type of vehicle.

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

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR RV FRIDGE PERFORMANCE IN HOT WEATHER
Here's a long discussion involving many RVers about improving
performance from an RV refrigerator during hot weather.

DO YOU RV IN FLORIDA?
Subscribe to the free Florida RVer email newsletter. Read the
current issue or sign up.

RENT A MOTORHOME DOWN UNDER
Here's a directory of RV rental companies in Australia.

HOW TO SAFELY PULL A "TOAD" BEHIND YOUR MOTORHOME
Although a towed vehicle can ease getting to a grocery store
or nearby destination, towing an additional vehicle behind a
motorhome brings with it a slew of different problems if not
done properly and safely. Get advice here about how to
practice safe towing.

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

WHAT'S BEST: GAS OR DIESEL-POWERED MOTORHOME?
You've found the motorhome of your dreams and just one
question remains: gas or diesel? Most Class A manufacturers
now offer at least one model with a diesel pusher engine,
forcing the question of which type is best for you?

HOW TO BECOME A FULL TIME RVer
Gene and Linda Rusco describe the process of taking a very
early retirement to travel full-time in 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.

CAMPGROUND IS POPULAR UFO LANDING AREA
When Larry Read and Elizabeth Norris bought their Oak Knoll
Campground four years ago on Southern California's Palomar
Mountain, they had no idea the site had a reputation for
attracting visitors from far away -- very far away. It turned
out that the site had a following of believers who considered
it a prime landing spot for UFOs. And while the visitors so far
have been Earthlings with RVs, some people believe other
creatures in flying saucers may be on the way. Read more.

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

TOWING THE LINE
The 2003 Dodge 2500 and 3500 Ram trucks provide serious
power for RV enthusiasts.

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

WHAT YOU 'THOUGHT' YOU KNEW ABOUT YOUR CAR OR RV
Here are some automotive misbeliefs put to rest. They apply
equally to automobiles and motorized RVs.

WOW! A TWO STORY MOBILE HOME
Did you know that Fleetwood builds a two story, double-wide
mobile home that averages 2,012 square feet in size? The
spacious house is delivered in four pieces with an average
sales price of $100,000. Read more.

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.

MORE RVs EXPECTED ON THE ROAD
If you think that getting a campsite is tough today, don't expect
much relief in the years to come unless the campground industry
gets busy adding new facilities. Factory-to-dealer deliveries of
RVs are expected to record the third-highest year in a quarter
century as baby boomers continue to drive up sales, according
to a forecast for 2003. University of Michigan researcher
Dr. Richard Curtin is predicting RV wholesale shipments this year
will reach 304,500 units. This would be comparable to 2002
levels, when 311,000 units were shipped.

Best-selling books and videos about RVing

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

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

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.

The RV Traveler newsletter contains links to sites on the Internet
that are owned and operated by third parties. It is not responsible
for the availability of, or the content located on or through any
such third-party site.

PRIVACY STATEMENT:
We never sell or share any information about our readers or customers with any outside party.