Thursday, January 31, 2013

LED Lights. RV Safes. Get Online. CC when Towing. "Montana LLC"? Landing Gear. RV Fridge Level. Pvt. Slovik.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday” or RV Day:

LED Lighting for your RV, by Dometic

“Mark Polk with RV Education 101 http://rveducation101.com/ demonstrates how easy it is to add LED lighting to the exterior of your RV using LED light kits by Dometic. You have your choice of the Dometic 7-Color LED Light Kit, Lateral Awning Arm LED Light Kit, Universal LED Light Kit or the Add On LED Light Kit. Add a splash of color to your RV.”

Superior Lighting for RVs    ”Dometic's LED lighting products extend the fun of your RV. Add the LED light strips to your awning, steps, hatches and more, so you can keep enjoying your RV even when the sun goes down. All of the light strips can be trimmed to create custom lengths that fit your RV. Most light strips come with a remote control with dimmer features. Some even let you control the color of the lights! Add some light and fun to your RV today!” http://www.dometic.com/enus/Americas/USA/RV-Products/Lights/
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How to create a secure hiding place for valuables in your RV

“There are many places to create ‘out of sight’ hiding places in your RV. It's difficult to steal something quickly when a burglar doesn't know where to look. One common ‘hideout’ is a small container buried inside food packages such as coffee, cereal, sugar, rice etc.

Another is to buy a product that looks like a common household item, but is actually a safe. BrickHouse Security, for example, has a simple and affordable solution that's as discreet as it is clever. Its hairbrush/safe is the last place someone would look for your valuables. It looks like a normal hairbrush. But, instead, the brush opens up to a hollow compartment. It's a good place for a valuable ring, or maybe a few $50 bills for an emergency.

Other ideas:

Screw bottle lids to the hidden underside of a cupboard, place valuables in bottles and attach to the lids. This method is time-consuming to find when in a hurry.

•Install, hide or camouflage a fire-resistant safe, or use a hollow ‘California style safe’ that resembles cleaning products/spray cans with a false bottom. When stored with other cleaning supplies, finding the ‘safe’ takes too long.

•Store valuable papers in the freezer – it’s the last place to burn.

•Attach a storage tray behind the plate of an electric plug-in socket assembly. Install to resemble a ‘plug-in.’

•Areas behind a false panel, or under a drawer make a great large secret hide-away.

But the bottom line: use caution and common sense to keep your RV secure.”  By Peggi McDonald and Chuck Woodbury

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Furnace Tip:

Your furnace works less when

“On cold nights, some RVers believe that if they cover up or shut the vents except the one in their bedroom that they will save propane and be warmer. Bad idea. When you do this, the furnace can overheat, and it will trip the high limit safety switch. If this happens too often, eventually the limit switch will burn out and the furnace will shut down. The rule of thumb is to always leave no fewer than three vents open at all times.” And keep cats off them!

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Chuck Woodbury provides a tip about getting online while on the road.

“McDonald's, Tim Hortons, Dunkin' Donut ... lots of good locations to get FREE WiFi.”

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What about cruise control and overdrive when towing?

2New RVer asks: “When towing a travel trailer, can you use the cruise control? What about an overdrive transmission? These are questions that can puzzle new RVers -- and even some veterans. Here are some thoughts.”

 

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Save big money buying an RV with a "Montana LLC"? Read this first.

but you're not purchasing

“Considering the purchase of a high-value RV? Want to save a bit of money on sales tax and registration fees? Why not form a Montana LLC -- Limited Liability Company -- and buy your motorhome sales-tax free, and benefit from really low vehicle registration fees? A good deal? Depends. But be careful. You could get in trouble. Read more.”

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Maintain and troubleshoot fifth-wheel landing gear issues

Many fifth-wheel owners take their front landing gear for granted -- until it doesn't work right. A little preventative maintenance can stop problems before they start. Here are some maintenance suggestions, and a few trouble-shooting ideas if it's too late.”

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How level must an RV fridge be when NOT operating?

Dear Gary,
“I understand it is recommended that RV refrigerators be level when operating, but how far "off level" can we keep the RV without damage to the refrigerator when the refrigerator is NOT in operation? I notice you recommend slightly off level for winter storage.” --Pete S., (Redwood City, CA)     Read Gary's response.

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Nearby smokers are a problem. What to do?

imagesCAPQ3HFCDear R.V. Shrink: 
”Could someone share with me the proper protocol when you have neighbors who smoke? I'm allergic to smoke and for some reason, most of the smokers stand outside to smoke...I guess so their RV doesn't smell of smoke. However, it's right outside our windows and the smoke comes in. Consequently, we have to shut our windows to keep the smoke out. I realize that this is MY problem but the only solution I see is for us to move to another site...and hope another smoker doesn't park next to us. This doesn't happen very often but when it does it sets allergies in motion and we are forced to use the AC to keep cool.” --Nick O. Tine    Read the Shrink's response.

“WOW, I could see this as an issue for many and wouldn't it be nice if parks had "non-smoking" areas to park at for people that the smoke really bothers. I'm allergic myself, so I totally understand.”

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What is a park model RV or recreational park trailer?

to the trailer park model

“Recreational Park Trailers or RPTs are designed to be used as temporary living quarters for recreation, camping, or seasonal use. In many cases these seasonal cottages are taken to a vacation spot, set-up and left there. This can be in an RV park, resort area, or a tranquil location in the mountains or on the coast, usually within a few hours drive from the owner’s residence. RPTs come in various designs but are normally one of two types. Read more.”

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Bumper Snicker of the week
"I love to give homemade gifts. Which of my kids would you like?"

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Periodically, check your RV's stock of flashlight batteries. And make sure you have a couple of flashlights aboard your RV. They come in handy in dark campgrounds and can be life savers in emergencies. It's also a good idea to carry a battery-powered radio. Even better is a radio that operates after it is briefly hand-cranked.

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On This Day:

The execution of Pvt. Slovik, Jan 31, 1945:

“On this day, Pvt. Eddie Slovik becomes the first American soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion-and the only one who suffered such a fate during World War II.

Pvt. Eddie Slovik was a draftee. Originally classified 4-F because of a prison record (grand theft auto), he was reclassified 1-A when draft standards were lowered to meet growing personnel needs. In January 1944, he was trained to be a rifleman, which was not to his liking, as he hated guns.

In August of the same year, Slovik was shipped to France to fight with the 28th Infantry Division, which had already suffered massive casualties in France and Germany. Slovik was a replacement, a class of soldier not particular respected by officers. As he and a companion were on the way to the front lines, they became lost in the chaos of battle and stumbled upon a Canadian unit that took them in.

Slovik stayed on with the Canadians until October 5, when they turned him and his buddy over to the American military police. They were reunited with the 28th Division, which had been moved to Elsenborn, Belgium. No charges were brought, as replacements getting lost early on in their tours of duty were not unusual. But exactly one day after Slovik returned to his unit, he claimed he was "too scared and too nervous" to be a rifleman, and threatened to run away if forced into combat. His confession was ignored-and Slovik took off. One day later he returned and signed a confession of desertion, claiming he would run away again if forced to fight, and submitted it to an officer of the 28th. The officer advised Slovik to take the confession back, as the consequences were serious. Slovik refused and was confined to the stockade.

The 28th Division had many cases of soldiers wounding themselves or deserting in the hopes of a prison sentence that might protect them from the perils of combat. A legal officer of the 28th offered Slovik a deal: dive into combat immediately and avoid the court-martial. Slovik refused. He was tried on November 11 for desertion and was convicted in less than two hours. The nine-officer court-martial panel passed a unanimous sentence of execution, "to be shot to death with musketry."

Slovik's appeal failed. It was held that he "directly challenged the authority" of the United States and that "future discipline depends upon a resolute reply to this challenge." Slovik had to pay for his recalcitrant attitude, and the military made an example of him. One last appeal was made-to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander-but the timing was bad for mercy. The Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes forest was resulting in literally thousands of American casualties, not to mention the second largest surrender of an U.S. Army unit during the war. Eisenhower upheld the death sentence.

Slovik was shot and killed by a 12-man firing squad in eastern France. None of the rifleman even flinched, firmly believing Slovik had gotten what he deserved.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I had our walk down at Jay’s, when we picked him up to go shopping.  It was very windy, and I was glad that I had put Misty’s coat on her.

We went to a couple of thrift shops, but mainly to Angelic to donate the monitor that had gone sour on me.  They have someone who fixes them, and then they can sell it.  One less item to clutter up my house.  While I was there, I bought another large monitor, ($40) as I didn’t like using my spare one, as it is only 15”.  When I bought it, I thought it was great, but after having used a larger one, it wasn’t so great after all.

We were wrapped up in coats buttoned up to the top.  Some places it was even hard to open doors on such a windy day.

3 comments:

Dizzy-Dick said...

Don't you just love this weather? One day it is 70 the next it is freezing and back and forth.

Gypsy said...

My i-Mac has a 23-1/2" screen and I find that it's too big. I have to move my head constantly rather than move only my eyes, to take it all in. My new MacbookPro is a 13" because I couldn't afford the 15", which is a perfect size for me.

LakeConroePenny,TX said...

Thank you for your comments, DD and Gypsy.

DD: That's one thing to like about our winters, it does't stay cold for very long, and we get nice sunny days in between the cold ones.

Gypsy: Maybe it was the way my smaller monitor was set, but I had to keep on scrolling sideways to read the lines. Also it wouldn't stay at a comfortable height, and made my neck hurt. I think it makes more difference when it is a desktop, rather than a laptop.

Happy Tails and Trails, Penny