By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Not every snowbird has a rig that’s portable. Every year, thousands set out from their stix-and-brix homes in the cold north and head south by planes, trains, or automobiles. Waiting for them at the other end, their trusty, but perhaps more-or-less permanently parked RVs. After enjoying a wonderfully warm winter season, it’s time to head back home again. But what about the RV? How can you lay-up your RV for a hot summer on the desert?
Here are some thoughts from RVers who are in just this situation:
Humidity: Your rig may not do well sitting in the proverbial “valley of the dry bones.” Wood trim, cabinets, and paneled walls may react badly to too much of a good thing. Gather up a good number of five-gallon pails, fill them up with water, and distribute them throughout the RV. The evaporating water will tend to raise the humidity inside the rig, thus helping wood not dry out so badly. Some folks put a few drops of bleach in their buckets of water, but we’ve never been convinced of the need. And if a bucket should develop a leak, bleach water on the carpet is not a good thing.
It’s not a bad idea to take a few minutes at least once a season to treat those same wood products with an appropriate oil-containing wood treatment. Most simply wipe on with a rag, dry down, and wipe off the excess.
Sunlight: Old Sol can make a proper job of burning things up with UV rays. Outside, be sure to thoroughly cover your tires. Industry folk tell us that tires are best preserved when blocked from all light–so dark (black) covers that fully wrap around are best.
Inside your RV, textiles like furniture fabrics can also fade (or worse) when left in the sun. Even colorful curtains, supposedly meant to compete with the sun, can come out the loser. We’re big fans of reflective bubble insulation. The stuff comes on a roll and is basically a sandwich of thin plastic “bubble wrap” between layers of aluminum foil. Cut it to fit the windows tightly. We use a marking pen and write which window the piece belongs to so when we need it next time, it’s an easy fit. Not only does it keep out those nasty UV rays, it also does wonders for keeping things much cooler.
Some folks like the idea of keeping a roof vent or two cracked open to keep excess heat from building up. In our long-term rig, we have a Fantastic Fan with a thermostat that runs the lid up and turns on a vent fan when heat gets to be too much. It also has a rain sensor, so when the monsoon rains roll through, it shuts the lid down to prevent water from getting in the house. But as far as keeping “manual” roof vents open, we’re not to keen on the idea. Not only are they open when the rains hit, if a dust storm blows through, there’s no pressure from a fan blowing out of the house to prevent the dust from getting in.
Other things you’ll want to keep out are unwanted critters. In the desert southwest, ants are a major source of irritation and damage to any sort of foodstuffs you might leave behind. We’ve found that scattering bay leaves on cupboard shelves really does tend to send them scurrying elsewhere. Speaking of foodstuffs, if you keep your power on, you may find that tossing jars of sugar, flour, and other food items normally kept in the cupboards into the fridge (set “low”) will help preserve things. Be sure to use air-tight containers. Canned foods and sodas don’t do well left in the heat–keep ’em cool, or prepare to give the stuff away.
We’ve also found that cheap plastic “glassware,” may actually blister. Don’t know if it’s a health hazards, but it sure is ugly. Unless you want a “conversation piece” when you serve drinks to company, stick with glass.
A few simple measures will make your return to your RV come fall a lot happier.
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First, what’s a ‘sliding hitch’? Specially designed for short-bed pickup trucks, a sliding fifth wheel hitch temporarily allows the actual hitch to slide farther back in the bed of the pickup—the “maneuver” position. This is helpful when making really tight corners–as when maneuvering in or out of a camp site. With the hitch “forward” in the truck bed, in the “tow” position, a tight corner could actually cause your trailer to impact with the truck cab–not a happy situation.
Sometimes referred to as mini- motorhomes, Class C units are built on a van frame. While the front of the van is kept, you can expect a much wider body behind. A giveaway that you’re looking at a Class C motorhome is the “over the cab” sleeping area. Typical lengths range from 21 to 35 feet, with new prices starting at $43,000 and topping out at over $200,000. Depending on size and interior arrangement, you’ll find Class C motorhomes that sleep as many as eight.
You probably don’t think about the seat on the throne, lest you’re seated on the throne, and the seat isn’t too neat. What can you do about an uncomfortable or worn out RV toilet seat? In many cases, simply replace the durn thing.
Many RVers take to the road when retirement takes them out of their daily beat. Some just travel to see the countryside; others may want to “keep their hand in,” by doing part-time work. Still others who aren’t in need of cash but still want to actively “do something,” follow up on volunteer opportunities that RVing makes possible.
Some older ones may recall a time when a travel trailer might be called “A-frame trailers”(for the shape of the hitch frame up front), or “bumper pull trailers” (for how they attached to the tow rig). No matter what you call them, travel trailers come in a wide range of sizes, layouts, and of course, price ranges. Ranging from 12 to 35 feet, you can expect new prices to run from $8,000 to nearly $100,000.
While the industry prefers to term this special kind of travel trailer as a “sport utility RV” or SURV, we’ll have to bow to the people: toy haulers they are. With living accommodations like conventional travel trailers, toy haulers put a wall up at the end of the living quarters and reserve the rear end of the trailer for carrying ATVs, motorcycles, sand rails and the like. It’s like having a mobile garage. The rear wall drops down to allow you to roll your toys in and out of the RV. We’ve seen folks who have turned their toy hauler into a “shop” for their business, working on the road in the garage area of their rig.
A favorite among those who take long vacations or even live full time in their RV, the fifth-wheel trailer is a specialized unit requiring a pickup truck or specialized fifth-wheel pulling unit. The name comes from the manner in which the RV attaches to the tow vehicle. A special fifth-wheel hitch resides in the bed of the pickup truck, attaching to the fifth wheel kingpin on the trailer. By design, the “fiver,” as some dub a fifth-wheel RV, is built with a raised section up forward, giving you, in a sense, two stories. Many manufacturers put a bedroom area in the upper section, while a few place the living room aloft.
Considered by some to be an entry-level towable unit, the pop-up, or what the industry calls a folding camping trailer, is a lightweight and inexpensive tow-behind that many families enjoy. As you might think, a folding camping trailer folds up or down, giving it a very low profile in the wind. They are commonly equipped with canvas or nylon sides. It’s like sleeping in a tent — but up off the ground. Plenty of fresh air, with some added conveniences.
These non-motorized units don’t tow behind you — instead they slide into the bed of your pickup truck. These distinctive RVs are a favorite among those who really want to get off the beaten path. They’re hardy, yet at the same time, comfortable. If you want to tow a horse trailer or a boat, a truck camper is a natural because you can have your RV and tow your stuff too.
My husband and I get along just fine while traveling, until he panics. When he becomes lost or confused as to which way we should turn, it suddenly becomes my fault. He thinks I should have read his mind, known he was going to become confused, and be able to give him instant directional help.
