TPO Roofing. Lock Lube. Stick LEDs. KOA Boot Camp. Squeaky Slides. Traffic Accident? Fire Extinguisher. Nat Pk Phone Towers? Sabbath Changed. Pres Nixon and Pearl Bailey. Terry to Vet.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday”, or RV Day:

Not all TPO roofing is created equal

The following was provided by the Dicor Corporation

“In 2011, some RV manufacturers started using new formulations of TPO (thermoplastic olefin) roofing material that has come into the RV marketplace. To stay on top of the situation, Dicor tested some of these new formulations against sealants currently available on the market.

We found some TPO roofing membranes are not chemically compatible with on-the-shelf lap sealants. When these sealants are used on some new TPO membranes, bloating and disfiguration of the membranes results. This is mostly a cosmetic problem, and does not reduce the performance of the roofing material or sealant, but it's something you probably want to avoid.

If your RV was built in 2010 or earlier, you needn't be concerned. But, if you have purchased a 2011, 2012 or later RV model, and you need to do repair work that involves resealing the roof membrane, you should determine if your roofing is TPO or EPDM.

Important Notes:
•If your roofing is EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer), indicated by a colored top and black bottom, you can confidently use Dicor Lap Sealant.
•If your roofing is a solid color all the way through the membrane, or if it has a fleece backing, it is TPO.
•If your TPO has a fleece backing then regular Dicor Lap Sealant will probably be the right choice.
•But if your TPO does not have fleece backing then Dicor Ultra Sealant System should be used.”

_______

An easy way to lubricate the locks on your RV

Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor, explains a very easy way to lubricate the locks on your RV doors and outside compartments.

CLICK THE VIDEO TO SEE THE TIP

_______

Light up your RV with magnetic LEDs

“I was in WalMart the other day with my camera and spotted these LED lights. Who else but yours truly would remove these from the packaging and risk arrest by the security guards? I do it for your readership, of course.

The lights come two in a package and are magnetized so you can easily use them hands free. I’m thinking that if you have a metal plate in your head you could just use this instead of the strap on kind of LED light. How convenient is that?

Each light has an on/off switch on the case. They are sold under the “Bell” brand and are powered by 4 “AA” batteries. They are sold as truck bed lights, but they have bountiful potential applications for the RV lifestyle, and two for less than $15 is not bad.

Bell has many other products, most related to 12-volt power, at its website. Many of them would come in handy for RVers.” By Jim Twamley
_______

KOA is looking for workkampers, and says it has scheduled a Work Kamper Boot Camp for March 20 in Branson, Missouri. Work Kamper members can attend free, non-members pay $20 but get a night of camping and free lunch. Learn more.

_______

How to get rid of slideout squeaks

“Many an RVer has been driven to distraction by a squeaky slide out. There's just something jarring to the nerves about this noise, perhaps it's the same affliction that hits us when fingernails are drawn across a chalk-board. What's to be done to exorcise those squeaks?

Photo: Wear marks on slideout arms. R&T De Maris photo.

First, with your slideout extended, take a close look at the slideout support arms. If you spot any "wear marks," it's a good indication of a primary source of nasty noise. Grab a can of spray-on dry lube. Shoot the wear marks thoroughly, then using a clean, dry cloth, wipe down the excess. Dry lube sprays are preferable to "wet" lubes as they are less likely to attract dust and dirt. You'll also find it useful to shoot the "teeth" on your slide out mechanism, if you have any.

Other anti-squeak tricks include ensuring that the squeak doesn't emanate from contact between the slideout seal and the sidewall of the slide. With the slide extended, wash and dry the sidewalls, then apply the appropriate wax for the wall surface.”

_______

Sleep better: “If you absolutely cannot get your RV leveled for the night, be sure to position it so when you are in bed your head is higher than your feet. It will feel a lot better when you sleep than if your head is downhill.”

“It's a good idea to carry an extra length of hose and a heavy duty extension cord for those rare instances when hookups may be too far to reach otherwise. Keep the extension short as possible and check how many amps it will support before using. Too small a cord could cause a fire.”

“Closet space is limited in many RVs. The weight of the clothing hanging on the rod can cause it to fall, damaging the ceiling or walls. As part of your fall or spring cleaning, remove hanging items, decide whether to keep or donate, and determine if the clothing can be folded instead. Measure your closet dimensions. Plastic storage bins will stack inside your closet and eliminate the need for hangers. Put a fabric softener sheet or sachet in each bin. Place seldom-worn clothing in the bottom bin and stack the others on top. You'll make better use of the space you have.” --Adrienne Kristine

_______

Traffic accident? Your cell phone camera can save the day

“Traffic accident overtake you? First, make sure everyone is safe and that medical assistance isn't needed. Then there's the big paper exchange. Do you know the whats  -- and hows --  of information exchange?

It's a snap -- literally. Most cell phone cameras have a high enough resolution to make recording paperwork images a natural. And when your adrenaline is pumping after an accident, there's less likelihood of forgetting something or having the "trembling hand syndrome" leave you with notes that you can't read.  

Here's the stuff you want good, close-up photos of:

Driver's licenses

Vehicle registrations

Proof of insurance cards

License plates

Business cards (if available) of accident witnesses.

And of course, accident scene photos. They should include:

Damage to vehicles

Vehicle positions

Weather conditions

Skid marks

Other unusual things having a bearing on the accident, say construction zones, detours, road hazards, and the like.

Don't take risks when you take your photos, keep out of the way of traffic, and make your information exchange as quick as possible -- reduce the likelihood of yet another accident. Contact your insurance company and let them know you have photos of the pertinent information. And it's always wise to upload (or electronically transfer) your photos to your home computer for safekeeping.”

_______

Do you know your RV fire extinguisher? They are not all created equal

“Mac McCoy, Mac the Fire Guy, discusses RV fire extinguishers. The one that came with your RV is typically not sufficient. Some RVers buy another, but is it the right kind? It may, in fact, be toxic. This is excellent advice.”  CLICK THE VIDEO TO SEE THE TIP

_______

Be safe if a tire fails:

“If a tire goes flat as you're driving down the road, get out of traffic as fast as you can — the farther away the better even if you have to wobble a ways on the deflated tire. It's better to ruin a tire than the rest of your life after you get smacked by a big rig. Do your best to park on a level spot. Put the vehicle in park if you have an automatic transmission or in gear if you have a manual shifter. Then fix the tire or call for help.”

_______

National Parks: Will cell phone towers be coming soon?

Cell phone tower disguised as a tree.
Coming to your favorite National Park?

“In a move that will no doubt deeply stir emotions, Yellowstone National Park managers are giving consideration to allow a new cellular communications tower in the park. Presently cell phone and other electronic device users have little or no access to the wireless world from America's first national park, but that could change.

Do you want electronic ring tones to spoil the quiet of your park visit, or do you find yourself feeling unplugged if your iPad gives you blank looks for want of an Internet connection? Read more.”

_______

On This Day:

Sabbath is changed from Saturday to Sunday, Mar 7, 321

Sunday was named after a Sun God.

“Saturday is the seventh day of the week.  It was Roman Emperor Constantine who changed it from Saturday to Sunday.

“Constantine decreed (March 7, 321) dies Solis—day of the sun, "Sunday"—as the Roman day of rest”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus  Because he was a sun worshipper.”

“Sunday rest legislation goes back to Emperor Constantine, who by A.D. 321 had already sided with the Catholic Church. He decreed in that year, "Let all judges and all city people and all tradesmen rest upon the venerable day of the sun."”

Exodus 23:12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest: that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

Leviticus 23:3 There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.

Mark 2:27 Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

It was a man who changed the Sabbath, not GOD.

_______

Pearl Bailey and Richard Nixon serenade a White House audience, Mar 7, 1974:

“On March 1, 1974, in addition to handing up criminal indictments against seven former high-ranking officials in the Nixon administration, a grand jury in the District of Columbia named the president himself as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Watergate cover-up. The drumbeat of bad news was growing louder by the month for President Nixon, as was talk of his possible impeachment. But in politics as in entertainment, the show must go on, and though engulfed in a scandal that would soon bring his presidency to a disgraceful end, Nixon still found time to provide piano accompaniment to the legendary singer Pearl Bailey at a White House dinner on March 7, 1974.

"President Nixon and Pearl Bailey, performing as an impromptu 'Dick and Pearl Show,' momentarily upstaged Watergate, the energy crisis, troubles in the Middle East and the economy Thursday night," raved the Washington Post, the very paper whose investigative reporters broke the story of the Watergate scandal. It was at the end of her scheduled solo performance before the attendees of the Midwinter Governors' Conference that Ms. Bailey invited the president onstage and coerced him into taking over at the piano. "You don't play as well as I sing," she joked, "but I don't sing as well as you govern." After he played a few bars of "Home on the Range," Ms. Bailey interrupted, "Mr. President, I wanted to sing a song, not ride a horse." "Wild Irish Rose" and "God Bless America" went over much better, and between the president's game spirit and Ms. Bailey's famous combination of beautiful singing and lightning quick banter, the performance was judged a great success. The Washington Post quoted California Governor Ronald Reagan calling the evening "absolutely tops," and Vice President Ford saying, "I laughed so much I cried."

This was not the first time Pearl Bailey had performed for the president. She was a longtime friend and political supporter of Nixon's, and was given the honorary title "Ambassador of Love" at a White House performance in 1970. Nor was this the first time that Richard Nixon had publicly played the piano. Like Harry Truman before him, Nixon was a competent amateur pianist, and even a bit of a composer. While his performance with Pearl Bailey on this day in 1974 may not have been filmed, those who are curious about Nixon's musical talents can check out his 1963 television appearance on The Jack Paar Program.”

_______

Yesterday:

Terry, the ‘new’ old cat, spent a comfy night on my bed, but he sneezed a couple of times.  That is the first sign of URI, Feline Upper Respiratory Infection.  A lot of cats that are confined in shelters, vets, and rescues get it.   I took his temperature, and it was slightly elevated.  This needed to be nipped in the bud right away, before it settled in his chest and he got really sick.  Even his little nose is red, like he has a cold, which is what it really is.  It didn’t take Terry long to find the best cat seat in the house, at my bathroom window.  All cats love that spot.

 

 

 

 

 

I spent most of the morning going through My Pictures, filing some, and deleting many.  I had taken way too many pictures of Prime and other foster animals over the years, so I just kept the best ones.  Resizing some made even more space in my computer, too.

In the afternoon, I loaded Terry into his carrier and drove back to the vet where I got him. We had to wait a little while, but it is a clinic so first come, first served.  The vet examined him and gave me some meds, antibiotics, appetite stimulant, and some CatSure, like Ensure, I suppose.  He wasn’t keen on that stuff!

Terry was very happy to be back home today.