RVTips4U

RV Travel -- First Aid Tips and Tricks

RV Safety and First Aid

Traveling in a Recreational Vehicle is a great adventure, and lots of fun. Being prepared for different challenges that come up, will make your experience much less stressful. For your RV Safety, there are some items you should always have with you. One of these is a complete first aid kit

It should have:

1. A good assortment of bandages and gauze of various sizes
2. Antibiotic Ointment
3. Cortizone Cream
4. Sterile Wipes and rinse solutions
5. Pain Medicine
6. Tweezers, scissors and a knife
7. Burn and sunburn relief spray
8. Anti Diarrhea Medicine
9. Vinyl Gloves
10. First Aid Guide
11. First Aid Tape
12. Airway Mouth Piece

Many of the RV rallies offer courses in CPR....Priceless!

Being ready in an emergency can completely change the outcome of the situation. Carry flares or triangles, a good fire extinguisher, and at least 1 good flashlight.

RV travel should be safe and fun.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Tips and Information for RVers:
http://www.RVTips4U.com 

Information and Products for RV Travelers:
http://www.badges-r-us.com 
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com
http://www.RockHunterSupply.com

Everyone is talking about the economy these days. It is rough out here on the road, but I don't think we have it as tough as a lot of people. There is no doubt that our expenses are up, but there are a few simple things we have done to make the journey easier. First, we don't drive over 58 miles per hour. This is the best speed for our motorhome. We have tested many speeds. At 70 mph, we get about 6.5 mph and at 58, we get 8.8. That makes it really easy to take our time and go a little slower. Besides the fuel savings, we are seeing more country and are less stressed. 

The second thing we have done, is to not eat in restaurants as often.  This can be hard. Not only is it convenient to eat out, but when you travel to new areas, it is fun to try some of the local flavor. We try to buy local and cook it at home.

One more thing that is helping, is our Passport America membership. It is a 50% off camping club, and we have used it a lot. Some people complain that some places only offer the discount for a couple days, or that popular weekends are exempt, but we find the parks to be very accomodating, and nice. Click on the link above for more information. It is the best $44 we spend every year.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Find out what we're up to:
http://www.LoCoRVCat.com

Information and Products for RV Travelers:
http://www.badges-r-us.com 
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com
http://www.RockHunterSupply.com

RV Tips -- Headaches on the road

This is kind of a personal tip today. We have had a month with some motorhome challenges. We all face them sometimes, and staying calm and handling them is my advice. First, we noticed our antifreeze coolant level going down and kept a close eye on it, and added coolant. The loss wasn't really big, but we were adding about a 16 oz. of cooland every 200 miles. The front of the van we tow and the back of the motorhome were a mess. When we were in Minnesota, we called the Workhorse help line, and they recommended the Cummins shop in Fargo, ND. We watched the levels closely and got there fine. Just a side note. This was the cleanest diesel shop I have ever seen, and they like motorhomes! It seems that we got really lucky on this one, as the large bottom radiator hose clamp had failed and the hose was about to come off. That would have been horrible! Anyway, they got it replaced and we were on our way in a couple hours. Great service!!

Evidently, when the coolant got low a couple times, it caused the sensor to fail. On our Cummins engine, it if sensed low coolant, it shuts down the engine in 30 seconds. Every time we got fuel for the next 1500 miles, we would get a false sensor, and shut down. It got really bad in Tacoma, WA and we once again had to find a shop. This time we went to the International dealer. It was anything but clean, and they don't like motorhomes. They did however get the right part the first time, and got it fixed quickly. Thanks to all that got us going.

My point is...problems will come up. Preventitive maintenance will go a long way, but when you do need help it is out there.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Find out what we're up to:
http://www.LoCoRVCat.com

Information and Products for RV Travelers:
http://www.badges-r-us.com 
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com
http://www.RockHunterSupply.com

RV Tips -- Potty Talk

RV Potty Talk

I know you have all been waiting for this subject. Waste and tank maintenance are a big part of the RV adventure. Proper attention to your holding tanks will save you lots of headaches later.

Your motorhome or trailer has what is called a black tank and a gray tank. The black tank is for sewage, and is connected to your toilet. The gray tank is connected to your shower and sinks. These tanks make your RV self contained. You don't have to use anyone else's bathroom while you are traveling.

To empty the holding tanks, you need a sewer hose connected to the large pipe in your water bay. It will have a large pipe and a smaller one coming down into one large pipe where your hose is attached. The larger pipe is your black tank and should be emptied first, followed by plain water being flushed down the toilet. Then the gray tank should be emptied.

Note: If you are camped in a campground for an extended visit, DO NOT LEAVE THE BLACK TANK VALVE OPEN. This will cause all the liquids to drain out of the tank, and all the solids to accumulate. This is bad. Most people use some sort of chemical in their black tank that breaks down the waste and paper. Avoid treatments that contain formaldehyde. The are harmful to dump stations and the environment. Use an enzyme based treatment instead. 

Always use RV toilet paper as well. Leave the Charmin and other  fluffy papers at home. RV toilet papers are made to dissolve.

We usually add about 5 gallons of water to our black tank, along with our chemical each time we empy it. This will slosh around and clean the sides of the tank while we are driving and help keep the tanks clean as well. Believe me, preventative maintenance is vital.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Find out what we're up to:
http://www.LoCoRVCat.com

Information and Products for RV Travelers:
http://www.badges-r-us.com 
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com
http://www.RockHunterSupply.com

RV Tips -- Weight

Having your RV weighed and knowing the weight on each tire, will allow you to determine if you are overweight. For your safety, this is valuable information and paying attention to this could save lives and money. Here are some definitions for abreviations commonly used.

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) means the maximum permissible weight of
this motor home. The GVWR is equal to or greater than the sum of the
Unloaded VehicleWeight plus theNet Carrying Capacity.

UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) means the weight of thismotor home as built at
the factory with full fuel, engine oil, and coolants. The UVW does not
include cargo, fresh water, LP gas, occupants, or dealer installed
accessories.

NCC (Net Carrying Capacity)means the maximum weight of all occupants
including the driver, personal belongings, food, fresh water, LP gas, tools,
tongue weight of towed vehicle, dealer installed accessories, etc., that can
be carried by this motor home.
(NCC is equal to or less than GVWR minus UVW).

CCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating)means the value specified by the motor
homemanufacturer as the maximum allowable loaded weight of this
motor home with its towed trailer or towed vehicle.

RV travel should be safe and fun.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Tips and Information for RVers:
http://www.RVTips4U.com 

Information and Products for RV Travelers:
http://www.badge-r-us.com 
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com
http://www.RockHunterSupply.com

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Every year people die from Carbon Monoxide poisoning while sleeping in their RV. This is the gas emitted from your engine exhaust. It is also emitted from your generator exhaust.  Please be safe. Check your exhausts for leaks and make sure your tail pipe is in good condition. Also make sure you are exhausting away from camping areas.

Carbon Monoxide is colorless and odorless. If you are sleeping, and overcome with carbon monoxide, you will probably not wake up. Turn off your generator at night if at all possible. If you must run it, make sure your system is in good repair. Here are the symptoms of carbon monoxide:

Dizziness, Vomitting, Nausea, Muscular Twitching, Intense Headache, Throbbing in the Temples, Weakness and Sleepiness, Inability to Think Coherently.

If you or anyone in your party experiences any of these symptoms get to fresh air immediately. If the symptoms persist get medical attention. Shut the generator down and do not operate until it has been inspected and repaired by a professional.

RV travel should be safe and fun.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Tips and Information for RVers:
http://www.RVTips4U.com 

Information and Products for RV Travelers:
http://www.badge-r-us.com 
http://www.RVSafetyExpert.com
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com
http://www.RockHunterSupply.com

RV Tips -- Mail Service

We travel full time, so we know a lot about getting mail. We also run a business, so we do a lot of mail order. To receive our mail we use a mail forwarding service out of Emery, South Dakota. It is www.myhomeaddressinc.com  if you are interested. There are many good services nationwide. We are very happy with the service we get.  Here is how it works. Our mail gets sent to our South Dakota address. We try to plan a week ahead to have our mail sent to us. We determine where we will be and get the zip code for that town. We try to pick small towns with only 1 post office. Cities can get very confusing and run you all over town for your mail. It is sent to us personally, addressed to general delivery, in the town we are going to. We always have it sent Priority mail and can count on it being there in 3 days. Once it took 4 days, but that is rare. So we call My Home Address and they put all of our mail for the week in a priority mailer and send it to the town we specify. We go to the post office and show id to get our mail.

Okay, now outgoing mail. We send a lot of packages. Most of our badges go out 1st class in a padded envelope. It is easiest to go to a window and have the clerk process them. Some post offices have an automated system in their lobbies that work pretty well. For everything over $4.00  we use Priority mail.  WE NEVER BUY A READY POST BOX!  All the priority boxes are free from the post office and if they don't have them you can have them delivered to you directly from USPS.com. You can also get a login for USPS and buy the postage online. If you do your priority online, you get delivery confirmation free. There is a charge for it if you go to the Post Office. You pay by credit card and print a shipping label on you r printer. It is easy.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Just For Fun:
http://www.LoCoRVCat.com 

Information and Products for RV Travelers

http://www.badges-r-us.com
http://www.engravednamebadges.com
http://www.TirePressureSafety.com
http://www.RVSafetyExpert.com
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com

RV Tips-- Refrigerator Tip

Your RV Refrigerator

It is almost summer again, and time to get your RV ready for the season. Along with the other inspections, open the access door the the rear of your refigerator and check for any webs or other dirt or blockages in there.
Pre-Cool your RV Refrigerator, and the food going into it. Your RV refigerator is efficient, but not fast. By pre-cooling items, the refrigerator won't have to work as hard to get to operating temperature, and your food will stay cold.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Just For Fun:
http://www.LoCoRVCat.com 

Information and Products for RV Travelers

http://www.badges-r-us.com
http://www.engravednamebadges.com
http://www.TirePressureSafety.com
http://www.RVSafetyExpert.com
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com

RV Tips -- Keep your Drinking water Safe

"Don't drink the water"
This is often a phase you will hear if you are traveling into Mexico. The water you put in your RV is really important every where, not just in Mexico. RV Parks get water from cities, private wells, and who knows where.  First you need to use a drinking water safe hose. They are usually white, and shouldn't be used for anything else. Common green garden hoses were not designed for drinking water and can transfer chemicals and contaminants to your tank or RV water system.

It is also recommended that you use a filter. There are many different kinds and are subject to personal preference. We use a 2 canister filter system on our white hose coming into our motorhome that filters all the water, and then we have a separate filter for our kitchen sink for the water we drink. We also carry bottled water for drinking, as some areas water just tastes bad to us. RV travel should be safe and fun. We got our filter system from Ken and Paula at K & P Enterprises. They are extremely knowledgeable and carry all the filters you need. Like, us, they are full time RVers, but call them, and they  can send you the right filters anywhere. Their number is 206 369-7724.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Just For Fun:
http://www.LoCoRVCat.com 

Information and Products for RV Travelers

http://www.badges-r-us.com
http://www.engravednamebadges.com
http://www.TirePressureSafety.com
http://www.RVSafetyExpert.com
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com

RV Tips -- Critters in your Coach

This is kind of a gross topic. Actually, it probably isn't common, but is something to be aware of. Yesterday, we discovered a dead dove in our awning arm. We have an automatic A&E awning, that works very well. The wind sensor brings it in when the winds get gusty. It is a really nice feature. Anyway, evidently a dove had built a nest inside the arm when the awning was out, and the wind came up and sent it in. I can't imagine that the bird didn't fly away when the awning started moving, but it didn't. I got squished in the arm, and what a mess to clean up. We didn't find it for several days, and it even had bugs in it. The smell was gross.

The day before, we were walking around the RV park where we are staying, and some people were trying to bring in their slide out. Another dove had built a nest on top of their slide, under the slide topper, and they had to get a ladder and a broom to get it out. While this poor man was trying to clean up the mess, the dove was dive bombing him on the ladder! Be careful!

On a similar subject, this is the time of year, when many people get their RVs ready to use for the summer. Be sure to check all the outside orfices for critters. We have seen many nests inside access doors. Hummingbirds like to build nests inside the exhaust vents for your furnace. Also mud daubers and wasps etc. can be  behind your refigerator or up by your propane tank. Be sure to inspect your rig carefully.

RV travel should be safe and fun.

Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
Maximizing Your RV Experience

Tips and Information for RVers:
http://www.RVTips4U.com 

Information and Products for RV Travelers:
http://www.engravednamebadges.com
http://www.TirePressureSafety.com
http://www.RVSafetyExpert.com
http://www.RVPressurePro.com
http://www.Propane-Campfire.com