Trailer Sway. Generator’s Fuel And Air. Cemeteries. Decluttering RV. Dinghy's Breakaway Switch. Happy Fourth! Lewis and Clark Celebrate July 4. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams Die.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday”, or RV Day:

How to control trailer sway

“Mark Polk of RV Education 101 demonstrates methods to assist in controlling RV trailer sway.”

“If using the trailer brakes doesn't work, you need to accelerate rather than slow down. The idea is to use the force of the trailer brakes pulling one way while the vehicle pulls the other to help snap it back into place.”

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Stop Fishtailing!   Eliminate Trailer Sway…

“Trailer Sway is the #1 cause of trailer accidents. Only one trailer hitch guarantees to completely eliminate trailer sway — The Hensley Arrow. With our patented converging linkage system, only Hensley delivers the ultimate in towing safety.

By using a simple physics concept, Hensley Mfg. projected the pivot point of the trailer forward and over the rear axle of the vehicle, which is exactly what a 5th wheel does.” Click here to learn more.

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Nasty Fuel And Air - Changing/Cleaning Your Generator's Fuel & Air Filters

Rich Miller's generator was starting to do strange things at idle, but when something was turned on — like the A/C, for example —  it worked great. So what was wrong? Find out what Rich discovered after some research and what he did to fix the problem.

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RV TIPS

“Got an RV generator? Add checking the hold-down bolts to your regular maintenance checklist. All that vibrating can loosen them up.”

“RVers pass by cemeteries all the time. Some of those graves are of famous people. Search for graves of the famous and not-so-famous at this fascinating website.”  Find a grave.

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Fulltimers get help decluttering RV from Rachel Ray

“One of TV's housekeeping and cooking divas, Rachel Ray, recently ran a segment on decluttering a fifth-wheel. Mike and Donna from Arkansas have put their sticks and bricks home on the market and are moving into a Montana fifth wheel.

Trouble is, there new rolling digs resemble Fibber McGee's closet, OK, maybe you can't remember back that far, but suffice to say, their organizational scheme needed a bit more organizing.
Enter Rachel's Conqueror of Clutter, Peter Walsh. In the short segment, Walsh transformed the messy Montana into something a wee bit more useful. You may pick up a few tips by watching this video, or find yourself patting yourself on the back for already having applied them.
Here's a link to the video.”

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Caring for your dinghy's breakaway switch

“Many motorhomers appreciate "four-down" towing: Their towed vehicle (dinghy) doesn't have to be run up on a trailer or dolly, rather, all four wheels of the dinghy are on the ground. Most report it's easier to deal with hitching and unhitching. Typically those who tow four-down have an auxiliary braking system in the dinghy, one that actuates the dinghy's brakes in concert with those in the motorhome. To that end, here are a few reminders about your dinghy's breakaway switch system.”

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On This Day:

Happy Fourth!

U.S. declares independence, Jul 4, 1776:

“In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain and its king. The declaration came 442 days after the first volleys of the American Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts and marked an ideological expansion of the conflict that would eventually encourage France's intervention on behalf of the Patriots.

The American War for Independence would last for five more years. Yet to come were the Patriot triumphs at Saratoga, the bitter winter at Valley Forge, the intervention of the French, and the final victory at Yorktown in 1781. In 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris with Britain, the United States formally became a free and independent nation.”

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Lewis and Clark celebrate July 4, Jul 4, 1804:

“Staging the first-ever Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi River, Lewis and Clark fire the expedition cannon and order an extra ration of whiskey for the men.

On this day in 1804, the expedition stopped near the mouth of a creek flowing out of the western prairie. The men asked the captains if they knew if the creek had a name. Knowing none, they decided to call it Independence Creek in honor of the day.

The expedition continued upstream, making camp that evening at an abandoned Indian village. To celebrate the Fourth of July, Lewis and Clark commanded that the keelboat cannon be fired at sunset. They distributed an extra ration of whiskey to the men, and the explorers settled back to enjoy the peaceful Kansas night. In his final journal entry of the day, Clark wondered at the existence of, "So magnificent a Senerey in a Contry thus Situated far removed from the Sivilised world to be enjoyed by nothing but the Buffalo Elk Deer & Bear in which it abounds & Savage Indians."

The next day, the travelers resumed their journey up the Missouri River toward the distant Pacific Coast. They would not pass by their pleasant camping spot in Kansas again until their return journey, two years and many adventures later.”

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Thomas Jefferson and John Adams die, Jul 4, 1826:

“John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the second and third presidents of the United States, respectively, die on this day, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Both men had been central in the drafting of the historic document; Jefferson had authored it, and Adams, who was known as the "colossus of the debate," served on the drafting committee and had argued eloquently for the declaration's passage.

On July 4, 1826, at the age of 90, Adams lay on his deathbed while the country celebrated Independence Day. His last words were Thomas Jefferson still survives. He was mistaken: Jefferson had died five hours earlier at Monticello at the age of 82.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I went to get Jay, and had our walk down there, as Jay was going with me for shopping day.

This time we stopped in our town, to pay water bills, and pick up some more boxes of deck screws from a little hardware store where they are a lot cheaper than at the big box stores.

In the next town, we went to the health food store, as lots of items are marked down 20% on Wednesdays.

At St. Marks we dropped off the paper recycling, and we each bought a few things, as the clothes were on sale.  Then to the Dollar General as Jay can get cheaper cigarettes there, so he stocked up.

One of our rare visits to Walmart, looking for a canopy, but they didn’t have what I wanted, so they said to try Academy.  Jay had nearly bought some jeans at Walmart, but found the same ones cheaper at Academy. 

Not the right size canopy there, so on to Lowes.  Jay bought 6 landscape timbers that were on sale for 50 cents each, and some sand as he is making a rock garden. They didn’t have the length canopy I needed, so I bought two, then found out that they were green.  I really wanted white to deflect the heat.

It was getting hot, and we didn’t even stop for groceries.

In the afternoon Ray came over and helped me get the Grooming Room ready.  We set up a 4’x4’ puppy pen, with a top, for the weaned 9 week old kittens of Mama-cat “Midnight”, as they are staying here for a few days.