Thursday, May 2, 2013

Stuck RV Slide-Out. Weight Rating. WWOOFers. History Lover? Hitch Clunk. GOAL Method. TV Antenna App. Sanitize Water Tank. 12v. Jensen TV. Lou Gehrig. FBI. Osama bin Laden.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday”, or RV Day:

How to hand crank a stuck RV slide out

“Stew Oleson shows you how to hand crank a RV slide out when it's jammed in the out position. It's a bit of work, but with your owner's manual, a wrench and a few minutes of time, you can get it retracted back into your coach so you can travel again (maybe to the repair shop.)”

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Buying an RV? Cool down and escape buyer's remorse

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“An RV shopper and his wife had in mind a new toy hauler. They'd done their research, they knew what they wanted. Once on a dealer's lot, things got a bit thick. A different toy hauler caught their eye, and soon, they'd plunked down a $6,000 deposit, signed off on the contract and a delivery date was scheduled. Then, back home, the couple realized that in their split second decision, they had made a big mistake. The RV he'd just bought turned out to be way over the limits of the towing capability of his pickup truck.” Read more.

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Volunteer on a working organic farm

farmer“Blogger Rene Agredano writes about WWOOF, which stands for "World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming." Formed in 1971, WWOOF connects volunteer workampers and interns with organic farmers from around the world. The volunteer WWOOFers learn about farming practices in exchange for free accommodations and hands-on experience. Perks like farm fresh food are usually part of the deal too.” Read more.

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Are you a history hound? If so, good news!

National Park Service

“If you're a history loving RVer, here's 13 new spots to add to your "must visit" list. The National Park Service has designated a baker's dozen of new, national historic landmarks including an Alabama bridge that was the site of “Bloody Sunday” during the civil rights movement, a 400-year-old historic district showcasing the influence of Spanish culture in Puerto Rico, the home of author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, and a historic stadium used by Negro league baseball teams in 20th-century segregated America.” Read more.

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Got a clunk in your fifth wheel hitch?

“A new fifth-wheel owner was a bit disconcerted when he would hear clunk noises while driving his combination. Is it a problem?”

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Use the GOAL method to back up your RV

imagesCA2NW7E7 “For many new RVers, the greatest challenge of the new lifestyle is backing up the rig. Even experienced RVers can tell you that backing into a campsite is perhaps the most stressful part of an entire trip. With the GOAL method, things can be a bit easier.” Read more.

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Adjust your RV's TV antenna with a smart phone

“Antenna maker, Winegard Company has a new wrinkle. A free mobile app that makes it fast and simple to set the elevation on its Carryout Anser portable satellite TV antenna.”  Read more.

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Tech Tips from Mark Polk

“Possibly the most important step you can take is to keep the RV fresh water system sanitized. At a minimum you should sanitize the system every spring, when you take the RV out of storage, and any time you notice stale water or an odor. It’s really quite simple to do. Watch my video to see how easy it is.”

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“To help prevent cooking odors from becoming permanent odors in your RV make sure you turn the range exhaust fan on whenever you are cooking, and it's a good idea to open a window, too. To maximize the efficiency of the range exhaust fan, keep the filter clean. On some RVs it is necessary to go outside and open the range exhaust fan door so the cooking odors actually vent outside. Check your RV owner's manual for more details concerning maintenance and operation of your range exhaust fan.” Tech Tips from Mark Polk

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How to install a 12v. Jensen TV in an RV

“Mark Polk with RV Education 101 demonstrates installing a Jensen LED illuminated LCD 24 inch TV in a Recreation Vehicle, and explains why it is the perfect match for use in an RV.”

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Fire Safety Tip from Mac McCoy
“A pinhole-size leak in a radiator or heater hose can spray antifreeze on hot engine parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol concentrate and water. When the water boils off, the remaining ethylene glycol can self-ignite at 782 degrees F. During your monthly fire inspection, check all hoses for firmness, clamp tightness, and signs of leaking.” Learn more about Mac and fire safety.

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“When using holding tank treatments remember you can vary the dose to some degree based on the sensitivity of your own nose.” Bill's Hints —From Motorhomes Made Easy

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Random RV Thoughts
”When selecting a campsite on a very windy day, try to position your RV facing into or away from the wind. The wind will have less of an impact and keep your rig from rocking as much.”

“Card games are cheap entertainment. In the campground a deck or two can provide hours of fun without the use of extra power. And when not being used, they take up virtually no storage space.”

“You can save a lot of money by buying general hardware and household items instead of buying comparable supplies packaged especially for RVs and RVers.   I don't have mixing bowls in my RV. Instead, I use saucepans. This cuts back on weight and saves cupboard space. It works quite well; the handle on the kettle makes it easy to hang on to it.”

“Instead of storing extra washcloths in a linen cabinet, I use them as cushioning between stacked kitchen items. They quiet rattles and prevent chips and scratches when used between nesting bowls and saucepans.”

“When in bear country -- which is most everywhere in the national forests where the best summer and fall boondocking campsites are -- clean up completely after cooking, especially after your evening meal. Do not leave food scraps on the barbecue or in the fire pit. Clean all cookware and put away. Put food wrappers, paper plates, and disposable containers in a trash bag inside your rig, along with all food items. Put ice chest inside also.”

“RV vacationing is very different than full-time RV living. Full-time RVing is not full-time vacationing. Expecting it to be sets you up for major disappointment.”

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On This Day:

Gehrig ends streak, May 2, 1939:

“On May 2, 1939, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig benches himself for poor play and ends his streak of consecutive games played at 2,130. "The Iron Horse" was suffering at the time from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), now known as "Lou Gehrig’s Disease."

Gehrig began to experience symptoms of ALS during the 1938 season, but doctors initially struggled to diagnose him. He played the first eight games of 1939, removing himself mid-game after being congratulated for a routine play at first base. He sat the next day, ending his streak at 2,130 games played. He never played again.

On July 4, 1939, the Yankees held Lou Gehrig Day at Yankee Stadium. With over 60,000 fans in the stands and his former teammates there to honor him, Gehrig was overcome by emotion, and his legs shook from his developing paralysis. Gehrig stared hard at the ground, unable to speak, until his longtime manager Joe McCarthy and teammate Babe Ruth encouraged him. Then, in gratitude for his great career, and knowing he was dying from an unknown disease, he said: "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."  Lou Gehrig died on June 2, 1941, with his wife Eleanor by his side.”

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End of an era at the FBI, May 2, 1972:

“After nearly five decades as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), J. Edgar Hoover dies, leaving the powerful government agency without the administrator who had been largely responsible for its existence and shape.

By the time Hoover entered service under his eighth president in 1969, the media, the public, and Congress had grown suspicious that the FBI might be abusing its authority. For the first time in his bureaucratic career, Hoover endured widespread criticism, and Congress responded by passing laws requiring Senate confirmation of future FBI directors and limiting their tenure to 10 years. On May 2, 1972, with the Watergate affair about to explode onto the national stage, J. Edgar Hoover died of heart disease at the age of 77. The Watergate affair subsequently revealed that the FBI had illegally protected President Richard Nixon from investigation, and the agency was thoroughly investigated by Congress. Revelations of the FBI's abuses of power and unconstitutional surveillance motivated Congress and the media to become more vigilant in future monitoring of the FBI.”

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Osama bin Laden killed by U.S. forces, May 2, 2011:

“On this day in 2011, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, is killed by U.S. forces during a raid on his compound hideout in Pakistan. The notorious, 54-year-old leader of Al Qaeda, the terrorist network of Islamic extremists, had been the target of a nearly decade-long international manhunt.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went for our walk down at Jay’s when we went to pick him up.  A little Chihuahua dashed up to Misty, barking it’s silly head off, and scared poor Misty.

Jay and I got a bit more done on my front porch roof extension.  It is getting closer to summer, so I will be glad when I have some more shade.

We had a bit of excitement.  An unoccupied travel trailer down the road caught fire and fire trucks from here and the next town came to fight it, before it set the woods behind it on fire.

We have had enough rain that it is keeping the grass and plants green, but now we are expecting a cool spell for several days.

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