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RVelectricity: Avoid space heater danger: What you need to know – Part 1

Mike Sokol
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RVelectricity: Avoid space heater danger: What you need to know – Part 1
November 2, 2017 / October 2, 2020
By Mike Sokol

This is a special two-part article on a topic that’s not only seasonal, it’s very important to your safety, both in your home and your RV. This is about electric space heaters and how dangerous they can be if not used correctly. Be sure to answer the poll at the bottom of this story where we ask about whether you do or do not use a space heater in your RV.

Close to home

In 2017, in Hagerstown, MD, (my town, in fact) there was a house fire around 3 a.m. which resulted in the death of a mother and her adult son. Her co-workers said the victim used electric space heaters extensively in her house. She must have had a few close calls (small fires?) since everyone seemed to be worried about her using them to heat her house. The fire inspector reported that she had a portable electric space heater plugged into a string of outlet strips, and the wiring was covered in old newspapers. That’s a sure recipe for disaster.

Are electric space heaters really dangerous? Well, don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what safeelectricity.org says about them.

Why do we use them

Portable space heaters can be a quick way to heat up a room. However, they can be as dangerous as they are convenient if used improperly. These heaters cause at least 25,000 home fires a year, along with 6,000 emergency room visits, according to the Harvard University Environmental Health & Safety group.

Approximately one-third of all house fires nationwide happen during the cold home-heating months between December and February. Equipment that is intended to add a little extra warmth, such as space heaters, is the leading cause of these fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Are they dangerous?

So, exactly what can go wrong with an electric space heater that makes them so dangerous, especially in a confined space like an RV? In Part 1, this week, I’ll discuss the issues of current draw and in Part 2, next week, we’ll delve into flammable material issues.

It’s all about the watts, and the amperage needed to make those watts happen. If you remember some of the electrical math I’ve used in the past, wattage is simply volts times amperes (or V x I on this Ohm’s Law chart). That suggests we can divide the wattage of the appliance by the voltage and find out how many amps it draws.

Here are the numbers

A 1,500-watt space heater on a 120-volt outlet is 1,500/120 = 12.5 amperes. And an 1,800-watt space heater works out to 1,800/120 = 15 amperes. And while a properly installed and maintained electrical outlet should be able to sustain that amount of current indefinitely, few home (or RV) owners do routine inspection and maintenance of their electrical outlets.

If you do draw 15 to 20 amps continuously from an outlet, it can begin to heat up. That heating will soon cause the electrical contacts to oxidize and increase their resistance. And that resistance will increase the heating effect, which causes more resistance, which leads to something we engineers call cascade failure. That can eventually result in a char around the outlet itself and a potential fire.

How to know if this is happening? If the outlet your space heater is plugged into feels warm to the touch or has any dark marks around it, then the outlet contacts have been overheated and it should be replaced.

Danger, Will Robinson….

Importantly, NEVER run any electric space heater from an extension cord, especially a light-gauge one. Anything that draws 15 amps continuously needs at least a 14-gauge extension cord, and a 12-gauge cord is way better. That’s a really heavy extension cord for that little space heater. And never put two space heaters on a single outlet or extension cord. As you can see in my video, an overloaded extension cord can reach the boiling point of water easily.

Doing it safely

So what can we do to avoid electrical outlet overload and heat our RVs safely with electricity? First, if you need to use any space heater at all, use it on a low-wattage setting. I think that a 1,200-watt space heater or a 1,500 watt heater set on 750 watts is the largest I would use on a conventional electrical outlet, and even then it shouldn’t be run unattended. And make sure your smoke detectors are operational.

Safer solutions

Second, if you really need that much electrical heat (and it’s certainly cheaper than heating with propane you pay for yourself), then the CheapHeat product is a safe and effective solution if properly installed. The CheapHeat system is specially designed to be able to run continuously as part of your RV’s furnace, and since it’s hard-wired into your circuit panel there’s no electrical outlet in the current path to overheat.

Campground perspective

Do campgrounds actually welcome the use of the CheapHeat furnace system? At first blush you may think not, since it does cost them more in their monthly electric bill compared to everyone heating with propane. However, they really DON’T like electric space heaters simply due to the risk of fire.

So, if you plan to heat your RV electrically, then do it correctly with a hard-wired heating system that’s designed from scratch for the job. Also, I think that anyone installing a permanent electric heating system should consider upgrading their twist-lock shore power inlet to a SmartPlug, which has 20 times the contact area of an RV traditional twist-lock inlet.

A 10-second poll

Please take this short poll showing if you use a portable space heater in your RV. (It may take a few moments for the poll to load.)

Join me next week for Part 2, where I’ll discuss various technologies for space heaters including coil, ceramic and oil filled. Are any of these technologies more efficient or safer than the others? Tune in next week.

Let’s play safe out there….

Mike Sokol is an electrical and professional sound expert with 50+ years in the industry. His excellent book RV Electrical Safety is available at Amazon.com. For more info on Mike’s qualifications as an electrical expert, click here.

For information on how to support RVelectricity and No~Shock~Zone articles, seminars and videos, please click the I Like Mike Campaign.

##RVT968

What is it?

RV Staff
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4
What is it?

Have you figured out what’s behind the tube of ChapStick, or do you remember those handy little gadgets?

We’ll give you a hint:

Yep, it’s a vintage rotary phone dialer.

You’d insert the “ball” end of it into the hole for each letter/number and dial. It was probably to save fingernails or protect recent manicures. Maybe it just made dialing easier if someone’s hand was shaky or, like the phone company said, “Careful dialing means better service.” Were these precursors to stylus pens, used on touchscreens these days? Similar, but not quite.

Of course, there are probably those in our audience who wonder what that black thing with the curly cord on it at the top of the page is. But we won’t go there …

Thanks to Tom Hart for sending these photos to us, and challenging/jogging our memories.

##RVT968

Meet your fellow RVtravel.com readers, October 3, 2020

Emily Woodbury
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Meet your fellow RVtravel.com readers, October 3, 2020

We asked RVtravel.com readers to tell us about themselves. Here are a few responses.

We, Dave and Candy, live in central Iowa near our children and grandkids. We have been camping a good portion of our marriage, from a tent to truck camper to vintage Airstream to newer Airstream to fifth wheel and now back to a new Airstream. Obviously we love camping but nowadays it’s glamping. We now take a few 2-3 month trips with longer weekends thrown in between.
What I have found so sad is watching new owners trying to set up and having no clue what they need to do. I wish dealers would give parking instructions and hook-up instructions before letting new RVers drive off the lots. We saw numerous examples this summer of people struggling to park, level or hook up. Some were receptive to help, but some were not. Taking an hour to “park” by backing into a pull-through was difficult to watch. I find many more rude and inconsiderate campers now than through the years.
We hope to continue camping for many more years, but we never know what will come down the road and what our limitations will be.

From Wynnie Konkle. My husband, Brian, and I camp all over Vancouver Island from May to October. I do all the driving and backing our 17-foot, 1970 Skylark trailer into lovely camping spots on the island. Will continue this gypsy lifestyle for as long as possible. I am 70 years and my husband is 75.

From Cheryl Lumley. I joined Mike Lang 5 years ago and absolutely love the lifestyle. We have a 38 ft class A. We belong to an FMCA chapter in the PNW. Through the chapter, we rally monthly March to November, mostly in Oregon, and finish the year with a Christmas party. In mid-October, we head to Mesa, AZ, where we purchased an RV lot in Mesa Spirit RV Resort. I spent 50 years in Tucson, so enjoy being closer to family and friends. We are wondering what the season will look like this year due to the virus and will miss our Canadian friends. We have added a pair of parakeets to travel with us. They are rescues so not tamed or trained at all.

We are Carol & Dan O’Brien of Basin, Wyoming. Just this past spring 2020, we came off the road after being full time for 20 years. We found a small town that we love and the people are welcoming. We traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada workamping along the way for all of our full-time years. We have so enjoyed our travels and meeting wonderful people along the journey. Our advice to anyone thinking of full-timing is to do it before life gets away from you. Our motto has always been: “What a Long Strange Trip it has Been”. It sure has been an adventure.

From Gene Bjerke. I spent most of my adult life involved with sailboats. About a dozen years ago my wife and I took a trip around the U.S. in a minivan. Along the way, we began to wonder about doing it in an RV. As part of our “research,” I looked at a crewmates Roadtrek 190. As soon as I stepped inside I said, “This looks like the cabin of a sailboat. I can live with that.” So we rented a Roadtrek from a dealer in Ohio and tried it out for twelve days. We, of course, made all the newbie mistakes but it convinced us that was the way to go.
Over the next couple of years, we acquired a used Roadtrek, a used Pleasure Way, and finally a new diesel Roadtrek in Florida. We spent some time touring Florida, then headed west. In Mobile, my wife fell and suffered a serious injury. A month later I drove the RV back to Virginia with her ashes.
The following year was very difficult. I had to sell the house; I did not clear enough on the house to pay off the Roadtrek. Despite sound advice, I chose to keep the Roadtrek and try full-timing. That didn’t actually happen. After several months, I made a connection with a woman who had been a family friend for many years and who was currently single. Now we live on a farm and travel as much as we can in the Roadtrek.

From Mike and Judy Pupek. Hi! We are a happily retired coal miner and registered nurse. It’s the second marriage for both of us, giving us a total of 5 children, 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Prior to our marriage in 1999, my children and I camped every summer starting out with a pop-up, then a small travel trailer and now a 30’ Class C motorhome. My hubby had never camped prior to our marriage. Over the 21 years we’ve been married, I’ve slowly convinced him that RVing is awesome! Last year we took a month-long adventure across the U.S. He loves it so much now that, for the first time, we are wintering away from the gray, dreary days in SW PA and snowbirding in sunny Florida!! Yahoo! A dream come true for me!!

From Charlotte Lloyd. We moved into our motorhome Dec 2004. We worked our first Workamper job winter of 2005. Enjoyed traveling the country meeting all fellow RVers. In 3/2008 my husband was diagnosed with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease at age 60. We settled in Richland, WA, 2013. I finally had to place him 2 years ago but I still live in the motorhome.
He is in the late stages of AD but who knows how long he will live. If I am still able to do it, I hope to still travel after he is gone. I still live in the motorhome because it is paid for and cheaper than renting an apartment. Yes, I am one of those long-term tenants that Chuck often writes about taking up space in an RV park.
My advice for people which was given to us when we were in our 40s: If possible, do not wait until you are 65 to live your dream. If we had not taken their advice we would have not even had the 5 years we did to live our ‘golden years dream’. We were always able to find workamper jobs that paid enough so we could pay our bills and travel to the next job since we had no other income. In 2010 we decided to ‘play’ snowbirds by going to Arizona for the winter. I always wanted to go to the Quartzsite RV show – glad we did. It was a fun winter, good memories.

Meet our readers from last week’s issue.

We’ll introduce you to more RVtravel.com readers next week!

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Please tell us about yourself by using the form below. Include a photo, too (of you, preferably, but your RV will do).

My two favorite black tank dumpin’ gadgets

Tony
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My two favorite black tank dumpin’ gadgets

By Tony Barthel
Dealing with the black tank is one of the least enjoyable parts of the RV lifestyle. When a product comes along that makes the process even a little bit friendlier, I’m in. As such, two Camco products have really made my black tank dealings less miserable and have taken some of the frustration out of parts of this process. 

RhinoFLEX RV Sewer Fitting Wrench Set

The first is the RhinoFLEX RV Sewer Fitting Wrench Set. Essentially this is simply a two-piece plastic wrench that goes around your sewer hose fitting and provides enough leverage to make sure that it locks properly in place. 

Using the two handles on the sewer fitting wrench, you grab the sewer hose where it comes together and use this product to lock it in place. I have found a wee bit of bar soap on the fittings also helps to encourage these pieces to come together without gumming them up nor causing any other damage. 

Camco sewer hose wrench

Bending over and trying to convince two pieces of a sewer hose to lock in place is not how I want to spend my last day at camp and the darned hose always seems more reticent if the night before was spent with friends around the campfire who share my love of craft beer and feel that I should try all the varieties that were brought. 

Rather than practicing the words my mother warned me not to say, this simple two-piece wrench snicks the hose fittings together so I don’t have a larger issue to deal with.

You can buy one for yourself here. 

Camco RhinoFLEX six-in-one sewer cleanout plug wrench

The second is the Camco RhinoFLEX six-in-one sewer cleanout plug wrench. This is another simple plastic wrench but is designed to convince the sewer cap at the campground that you really do mean business. Essentially it has six different fittings molded into the ends of the wrench enabling you to open sewer caps of all sizes. 

Camco sewer wrench

I have found that sand and other grit gets into these sewer caps and while a plumber’s wrench would certainly get this job done, this simple lightweight Camco wrench does just fine and doesn’t weigh down the black tank tote in my camper by much. This is one of those tools that I use very infrequently, but when I need it I am thrilled that it’s aboard. 

I was recently teaching an RV 101 class at Clear Lake Campground and loaned my sewer fitting wrench set to a fellow camper. She had had trouble getting the two lengths of her sewer hose to seat well, which had resulted in one of those situations you don’t want on YouTube. These simple plastic wrenches got the job done and she was a happy camper with zero unfortunate spills. 

Since the wrench set is so lightweight, it doesn’t add much weight to your sewer contraption box, but it certainly does the job well and is quite handy. 

It’s also clear that the folks at Camco are either avid RVers or are listening to RVers, as these simple, lightweight but very usable tools are just a few of the things I have in my RV from Camco that just make the whole experience a little bit more pleasant. I also feel a little bit better about buying them since they’re made in the USA. 

You can get one of these wrenches here.

##RVT968

Casino RV camping, October 3, 2020

Nanci Dixon
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1
Casino RV camping, October 3, 2020

Updated weekly

This week our RVtravel.com readers and Facebook friends had some great advice and also a few warnings about casino camping and gambling to pass along.

Casino gambling

These tips are not as much about camping as they are about gambling:

Good advice from Edward H., “Before ever entering the Casino. Take out your ID and 2 $20’s (from your wallet). You will thank me later!”

Sean F. jokes: “Casinos… Where you arrive in a $50,000 RV and leave in a $150,000 Greyhound (bus).”

Gambling tips

It is helpful to remember that casino gambling is a game and is designed for the house to make a profit. Jane Kenny has some helpful hints in her book, “Casino Camping”. Decide how much you are going to spend and stick with it. She also mentions that the longer you play, the more the odds are in the casino’s favor. Shorter sessions mean you walk out with more of your “bankroll”. As long as you can stay disciplined about the money you intend to spend and the time you are going to allow, you win.

Casino camping safety

On a more serious note, here’s a warning from Mike M.: “We have been full-timers for over four years and the only time we have ever had anything stolen from our rig was when we parked overnight at a casino. It has happened twice so we avoid overnighting at casinos.” For more on casino camping safety, read this.

Noteworthy casino camping spots

Carol C. posted: “The Mill Casino in North Bend, Oregon. We usually pay $25 a night. Dry camping for $15 a night has access to showers and laundry, plus security checks. Great central location for hiking, birdwatching, fishing, Bandon Old Town, Coos Bay Art Museum and lots more.”

Douglas R. mentioned a casino he liked: “Isleta Casino in Albuquerque, NM, has well-kept full-service RV parking at a moderate price. It’s just off I-25 but down a hill so traffic noise is negligible, although trains pull through occasionally. The casino itself is a van ride away, and you can get into Albuquerque on a train. The local airport is only a couple of miles away. The property abuts two large ponds ideal for an evening stroll. Fishing is catch and keep; an Indian license is available in the nearby camp store. The park is sure to be full during Balloon Fiesta week, usually the first week of October. We’ve stayed there twice.”

And if you are enjoying the fall colors and the crisp nights, Frank B. has this to say about a casino in Wisconsin; “In Wisconsin, there is a really nice RV park built on the Ho-Chunk Casino property. Ho-Chunk can be found in Baraboo, WI (Yes, home of the Ringling Bros. Circus). Last I was there, $29/night with full hookups, fire ring and shuttle service!” Editor’s note: We have stayed at Ho-Chunk several times and liked the RV park and the casino.

Stopping at a casino, or a casino camping newbie?

American Casino Guide provides not only information on casinos, it has a gambling primer on slots, video poker, blackjack, craps and other popular casino games and RV, hotel, restaurant information.

Casino Camping Guide to RV-Friendly Casinos is also a great guide.

Join our Facebook Group Casino Camping for more casino information. Post your favorite spots too.

Read last week’s Casino Camping here.

Tell us about casinos you like that other RVers might like. If you have any tips or secrets about casino “camping,” tell us those too, please!

Campground crowding. Discussion for October 3, 2020

Emily Woodbury
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Campground crowding. Discussion for October 3, 2020

Updated weekly

More people than ever are taking up RVing. These newbies have determined that RVing is the safest way to travel in our pandemic times. The result is campground crowding like never before. In this weekly blog, RV Travel readers discuss their experiences. Maybe we can make some sense of this and find ways to work around the problem.

Here are a few observations from our readers.

55+, PLEASE…

Children are loud, there is no denying that. Children on wheels in an otherwise peaceful campground? Deafening. Reader Bob Seitz writes, “I too am seeing more newbies in federal, state and private parks which I visit every year. There are more kids also with tons of bicycles, scooters, skateboards and other toys. A lot of the newbies are not considerate campers and don’t seem to care about their fellow campers. I intend to try to stay in 55-plus parks more often and hope more parks will change to 55-plus in the future.”

REMINDER! SEND REMINDER EMAIL!

Now isn’t this a good idea… (But we must add… Who the heck forgets about their upcoming camping trip??) Brenda Young informs us, “We are staying at more RV resorts because the federal and California state parks have been closing unexpectedly due to the pandemic and now wildfire risk. We usually make our destination reservations 6 months to the day in advance. Yes, there are empty campsites when the online system says the campground is full. The federal reservation system is trying to improve the situation by sending reminder emails a week ahead of the reservation.”

This is Brenda’s nice setup

“CONSIDERING SELLING MY RV”

Michael McCracken is considering selling his RV out of frustration over the lack of vacancies in RV parks. Would you ever consider selling yours over the same frustration?

Michael writes, “I see no change in the no vacancy issue in RV Parks in the future. I have been full-timing for 7 years. Way too many RVers for the number of parks and they just keep buying. Obviously not many research the problem before they purchase an RV or they fall for the dealer sales pitch. The park in Northern Arizona where I have spent the last 6 months completed a new section with 50 new sites to their existing 153 sites. A month after opening the new section, it was full. Very frustrating situation for both new and old RVers. I don’t plan on traveling far from my home state of Arizona in the future. I have been considering selling my RV.”

OWNERS’ CO-OP, ANYONE?

Hey, here’s a thought from Brenda Odom: “As wagon master of our club, getting multiple sites during the same period has been impossible. Several members have health issues and need FHU sites, doubling the difficulty. We simply cancelled 2020.
“As a couple, planning trips has been difficult and time-consuming, but doable. The real dilemma is when staying longer than 5 nights – weekends are prime time, especially in-state/fed parks and rec areas. We love staying in one area a week or two, then moving on, but our MO has definitely changed this year. Our next month’s trip has Fri. nights in one place, Sat nights in another – and Cracker Barrels in hot demand!
“Add price increases, discounts disappearing, overloaded highways, new owners all cutting teeth at the same time, and we are seriously talking about finding our own acre or two.
Anyone interested in an owners’ co-op?”

“A MOTEL COULD BE CHEAPER…”

“Many difficulties finding a place to stay for several nights at a time. Making reservations for say 4 nights someplace you have never been previously is difficult. What happens when you get there and you don’t like the place? Costs have climbed to the point that a motel could be cheaper and they make the bed – I know all the points, trust me. I’ve only been camping since 1966. Tour companies have ruined many spots, in my opinion, dropping 30 or more people at the same time at a viewpoint. Those people act like they own the place as they paid for the bus trip. Most RV parks pack people in like sardines in a can trying to get as many dollars per square inch as they can.” —Stanley Twerion

We hear you, Stanley. We hear you.

MORE THOUGHTS ON FLORIDA…

Ever thought about snowbirding in Florida? Reader Dan Hilton offers some advice: “A great number of resorts along the Florida Gulf Coast have been sold out for the ‘winter season,’ January through March, for the last 6-7 years.
“These parks will have from a few hundred sites to as many as 500 sites and many will have permanent park models. They usually will not allow junky RVs or sites.
“Many snowbirds return to these same parks year after year. They get to know the local area and make many lifelong friends. To guarantee their site for the next season, the park will require a deposit of $500 to $1,000 starting in early March to keep their same site starting the next January. These resorts also keep a set number of sites for transient RV travelers that can be reserved for a few days to a few weeks or first-come, first-served. You will pay through the nose for the sites in season.
“If you want to try the Florida Snowbird lifestyle, I would suggest that you make your reservations starting in July. Like any campground the longer you stay the daily rates can come down dramatically. In the off-season, you can probably get a site any day of the week.”

Read last week’s column on Crowded Campgrounds.

Some questions for you:

• Are you finding more and more campgrounds booked up? Or are you having no problem finding places to stay?

• If campgrounds continue to be crowded and RVing continues to become more popular, will it affect how or when you RV?

• Do you have any tips or secrets you’d like to share about finding campgrounds that aren’t as crowded?

Please use the form below to answer one or more of these questions, or tell us what you’ve experienced with campground crowding in general.

Name
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload

For couples: Do you or your partner snore?

Chuck Woodbury
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For couples: Do you or your partner snore?

Okay, this could be considered a stupid question. But we’ll ask it anyway because after asking the readers of this newsletter more than 2,000 questions through the years, most all of them not stupid at all, we’re entitled to ask something that is more about curiosity than a true need to know. Okay, maybe a little silly, but…

Truth be told, a lot of people snore. Hey, there are a lot of RV parks out there where the RVs are packed so close you can hear a neighbor snore. We say this from experience.

So what’s your situation? Does one member of the household snore like a champ and the other not at all? Or do you both snore at impressive decibel levels?

Remember, it may take a few moments for the poll to load, so stand by. The wait will be worth it, we guarantee it!

 

Video: RV smashes into vehicle-killer underpass

Chuck Woodbury
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Video: RV smashes into vehicle-killer underpass

This is the 158th crash on this low bridge since 2008, and the second last month. On Sept. 22, a fifth wheel trailer being towed by a pickup truck lost its air conditioner and other equipment as it passed below the legendary bridge. The driver apparently ignored the posted low clearance sign and the overhead warning light. The result is not pretty.

The driver didn’t even stop for the red light.

The bridge is in Durham, North Carolina, and is nicknamed the Can Opener.

And now that you have seen this crash, in the video below watch dozens more at the same location — trucks, RVs, etc.

Be sure you know the height of your RV and don’t even attempt to try to pass below any underpass or bridge or through any tunnels unless there is plenty of room to spare. And if you don’t know the height of your RV, get a tape measure out immediately and measure it, and don’t forget to include air conditioners and any other objects that extend the actual height of the rig.

If you travel in unfamiliar territory, we highly recommend you carry along the Motor Carrier’s Road Atlas, which lists all low bridges and tunnels on American highways. The 2021 edition is available here.

##RVT968

Newmar recalls some motorhomes for tire stem danger

Chuck Woodbury
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0
Newmar recalls some motorhomes for tire stem danger

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling more than 350 model year 2021 Canyon Star and 2018-2019 Ventana motorhomes built on chassis supplied by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). The tire valve stem extension for the inner wheel may come in contact with the outer wheel rim opening and become damaged.

Remedy
Newmar will notify owners, and DTNA facilities will repair the vehicles, free of charge. The remedy for this recall is still under development. The recall is expected to begin November 17, 2020. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300. Newmar’s number for this recall is 20V-529.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

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While you may not own one of these RVs, if you know someone who does be sure to tell them. RVtravel.com posts recall notices like this as they are issued. Read all recent ones by clicking here.

Not signed up for the free RVtravel.com weekend newsletters? Published online since 2001. Sign up here.

##RVT968b

Hilarious video about DIY face masks… what could go wrong?

Emily Woodbury
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3
Hilarious video about DIY face masks… what could go wrong?

This hilarious viral video has made its way around YouTube and earned itself nearly 11 million views. Kay Pruitt shows you how to make your own face masks in this DIY tutorial gone wrong… whoops!

If you’ve been wanting to know how to sew your own face masks, give this a watch. And if you want another laugh after you finish this one, watch her other DIY-gone-wrong videos on her channel here.

We think you’ll get a good chuckle out of this. Click below to play.

Instant Pot Cookin’: A fresh taste on a Southern dish

Nanci Dixon
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1
Instant Pot Cookin’: A fresh taste on a Southern dish

By Nanci Dixon
I just plain love my Instant Pot™! I love collard greens too. If you haven’t had collard greens before, this is a flavorful, easy way to try them. Collard greens are part of the kale and broccoli family and, just like kale, contain mega-amounts of vitamin K. In fact, one serving contains 388% of the daily value of Vitamin K! Collards are also loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, calcium and vitamin B6. And the best part is, they taste good!

Before the Instant Pot, cleaning and cooking greens was a long, time-consuming process. The Instant Pot takes the two to three hours of boiling time down to a mere 19 minutes! I have eliminated the traditional ham hock in the recipe to cut cooking time, fat, and calories, substituting with any kind of smoked polish, sausage, or brats I have on hand. I have tried without meat and they just don’t have the richness of flavor that meat adds, particularly if the meat is smoked.

Ingredients

• 2-3 bunches of fresh collard greens (2 bunches if the leaves and bunches are big, 3 bunches if small)
• 2 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil)
• 1/2 lb bulk sausage, smoked turkey, pulled chicken or 4 fully-cooked polish, smoked sausage, brats sliced (I used turkey Italian sausage out of the casing). Add as much or as little meat as you like. It is for flavoring – the real star is the greens.
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 scant tsp red pepper flakes

Cleaning and cutting the collards

The most time-consuming part of the process is cleaning and cutting the collard greens.

First, rinse well, shake off the leaves. Fold the leaf. Pull on the stem and tear out. Some people keep the stem in but I find the stems are too tough and don’t cook at the same time as the leaves.

Next is simply taking a bunch of the stemless leaves and cutting across the width and depth. Try and cut it into large two to three inch squares. No need to be precise.

 

Directions

1.) Clean and cut collard greens according to above instructions, set aside
2.) Add oil to instant pot and set to sauté
3.) Add chopped onions and meat. Sauté until onions are soft and meat browning

4.) Add garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes

5.) Add greens to Instant Pot, push down in pot if needed

6.) Mix chicken broth with red pepper flakes and vinegar
7.) Pour over greens, stir slightly
8.) Set Instant Pot to manual/high for 19 minutes
9.) Quick-release when done

Serve with cornbread to soak up the liquids for a fresh taste on a traditional southern dish.

##RVT968

New Orleans: So much to see and do – even during pandemic

Julianne G. Crane
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New Orleans: So much to see and do – even during pandemic

By Julianne G. Crane

The Helis Foundation Enique Alferez Sculpture Garden (THF)

Writer’s Note: During the COVID-19 pandemic, RV Short Stops is highlighting places that can be safely experienced from the road or in an outdoor public space such as a park or college campus. If you know of cities with outstanding public art collections, or unique places, please let me know so I can feature them.

New Orleans is more than just Bourbon Street. There is so much to see and do in New Orleans, even during the pandemic, that it makes one’s head spin. New Orleans City Park is one of the country’s oldest and most beautiful urban parks in the United States. It covers 1,300 acres of gardens, walking paths, cultural venues, sculpture gardens and lagoons.

Although access is limited in City Park during the pandemic,  the New Orleans Museum of Arts is now open for 50% capacity, Wed. to Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The five-acre outdoor Besthoff Sculpture Garden features 90 sculptural works by international artists and is open Wed. to Sun., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Click here for admission and guidelines.)

‘Spider’ by Louise Bourgeois and ‘Restrained’ (rear) by Deborah Butterfield on the grounds of the New Orleans Museum of Art’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden (NOMA)

Another special attraction in City Park is the New Orleans Botanical Garden, which has developed since the 1930s. The garden holds 12 acres of colorful flowers, greenery and art. Within the Botanical Garden is the Helis Foundation Enrique Alferez Sculpture Garden, which celebrates the history, influence and work of Mexican-American New Orleans artist Enrique Alférez (1901-1999) in the 8,000-sq.-foot sculpture garden. (Click here for admission and times.)

Walk through the largest grove of ancient live oaks in the world.(CityPark.com)

The 150-year-old City Park has the largest grove of mature live oaks in the world – the oldest trees are estimated to be between 600-800 years old. New Orleans oak trees are deeply historic and breathtaking fixtures with some roots dating back to long before the city’s founding.

Corridor Pin, Blue – Corridor Pin by Coosje van Bruggen and Claes Oldenburg, with Untitled bronze (NOMA)

If you go:

New Orleans City Park:
5 Victory Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70124 (Directions)
(504) 488-2896
URL: neworleanscitypark.com
For the latest information on City Park COVID-19 information, click here.

Hours: City Park is “open to the public daily from 30 minutes prior to official sunrise until 30 minutes after official sunset, at which time all persons must vacate City Park premises.”

Free parking lot near Botanic Garden

A free parking lot is conveniently located near the Botanical Garden and just across the street (Turner Lane) from the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. It is large enough to hold hundreds of vehicles including buses, RVs and vehicles.

Located at: 53 Dreyfous Dr., New Orleans, LA 70119

According to the New Orleans Tourism Website, “[F]or those of you who are currently admiring New Orleans from afar, we encourage you to explore all the ways that you can bring New Orleans into your own homes, from streaming concerts to one-of-a-kind recipes that will transport you to all of the places you’ve missed the most. And when it comes time for you to return, whether that’s next weekend or six months from now, we’ll welcome you with the same excitement and warmth that we always have.”

— Julianne G. Crane
Read more of Julianne’s RV Short Stops posts here.
Read more about the RV Lifestyle by clicking on RVWheelLife.com

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