For “tRaVersing”, or RV day":
Caring for RV circuit breakers
Shore power breakers & low voltage fuse panel.
“When an RV circuit breaker goes on the blink it can be a bit of a mystery for RVers. Here's a short look into the world of these voltage interrupters.”
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“How to inspect your roof for leaks
If you haven't inspected for leaks lately, or are thinking of buying a used RV, a leak check should be on your To Do list.
That doesn't mean you should expect leaks, just that your home on wheels comes under a lot more stress than a stationary structure. Leaks can be very insidious — that is, they may not be noticeable until significant damage has been done. Read more.
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Do 5th wheel trailers have a higher tire failure rate than other RVs?
“Owners of heavy fifth wheel trailers seem to have a higher tire failure rate than other RV owners, at least that's what our RV tire safety blogger Roger Marble might conclude from his letters from owners of these RVs. Here's a question Roger received from one owner about increasing the size of his tires from 16 inches to 17.5 inches. Read the article.”
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Dealing with RV dual tires
“Thinking about upping your ante in the RV world with a rig that has dual tires? One-ton pickups can pull a lot of weight, and plenty of motorhomes have dual tires. Not only do dual tires mean you'll be buying at least half-again as many tires for the rig when you "re-tire," they also require special attention throughout their life. Let a "single" tire get a little low, you run some risks. Let your dual tires get low, they can actually rub 
against one another and cause damage to themselves. Read more.”
These one-piece formed stems are advertised at duallyvalve.com
From me: But you are better off, and safer, to use the "dually" curved one piece metal stems that replace both valve stem and extenders. Go to a large truck stop and get them fitted cheaper there.
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Do you spray disinfectant on the water faucet?
“Why you should.
Connecting an RV to full hook-ups at a campground isn't hard, but if you've never done it before, this quick tutorial will get you started. Even if you're an RV veteran you might pick up a quick tip or two. For example, do you spray disinfectant on the water spigot before you connect the hose? If not, think about one of the last things you do when disconnecting -- rinse out your sewer hose. Of course that means the RVer who last used the site probably did the same thing! Thought provoking, right? Read more and watch a video.”
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Bill's Hints Fresh water hose
"When done with your fresh water hose, coil it up and screw the ends together tightly to keep out bugs and dirt while it is stored. Flush it thoroughly before use." From Trailers Made Easy.
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Water-saving showerhead for boondockers
Submitted by Bob Difley Products for recreational vehicles.
Green-focused RVers know that fresh water is a finite source and should not be wasted indiscriminately.
With Camco's water-saving, ergonomically-designed, handheld showerhead, boondockers can pause the water flow for taking "Navy showers" (rinse, pause, soap, un-pause, rinse), greatly reducing the amount of water used--and wasted.
The showerhead features four spray patterns from a drenching rain to a gentle massage and can be found at Amazon for $12.67.”
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Best places to see fall colors in National Parks
“The National Park Foundation has released its “National Parks Fall Foliage Guide” for 2012. It lists many parks with exceptional fall colors, although the group notes there are many more not included. It advises park visitors to visit nationalparks.org to learn more or to share their own photos of fall foliage in the parks.
The list includes information about region-specific flora as well as estimated timing on the peak of colors: http://www.nationalparkvisitor.com/2012/10/best-places-to-see-fall-colors-in.html
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Arresting run-away RV paper rolls!
Dan4th on wikimedia commmons
“Do your RV journeys result in unrolled toilet paper or paper towels? Keeping these rolls from de-rolling can be a bit frustrating, and wasteful if the products end up contaminated. Here are two different approaches to keeping those rolls in place:
Use a common spring-loaded clothes pin to pinch the product together. For example, pull back a two or three layers of the runaway paper and pinch the clothes pin onto the stuff.
Want something a little more on the do-it-yourself edge? Pick an appropriate diameter plastic bottle, cut it to length to cover the width of the offending roll by whacking off the bottom and the top of the bottle. Now make a lengthwise cut to split open the bottle and secure it around the roll. Two-liter pop bottles may be just the thing for this task.
This latter suggestion may even prevent feline paper attack syndrome.
Or, you can just squeeze the cardboard tube into an oval before you slide it on the roller. You can still pull off the paper, but it won't start whizzing off the roll as you trundle down the highway.”
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Discount Camping Clubs: All comments are negative
“The list of dissatisfied customers who joined the RV Super Pages or the Ultimate RV camping clubs continues to grow. Both "clubs" are advertised heavily on the Web and promise half price camping. We have yet to see one positive comment from RVtravel.com readers about either club. Based on this response, we urge RVers considering a membership to read these comments first.”
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The lesson here is just stick to http://www.passportamerica.com/ the original 50% OFF discount camping club, $44 per annum.
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When buying an RV, think about how you will use it
”If you really like to get away from it all and go camping in the backwoods you will be limited to what size RV will work for you -- in other words, shorter is better: a pop-up trailer, truck camper or hybrid might be your best choice.
On the other hand, if you are planning to travel cross country and not spend much time in any particular spot, a motorized RV might make more sense. Read about other options.”
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Why RV? Here's a "statistical" perspective
“Some statistics about RVing that show why it is so popular
Here's a quick look at some statistics about RVers that are pretty darn interesting. For example, did you know that RVing couples develop stronger bonds with each other than non RVers: when surveyed, that's what 68 percent reported. Read more.” I guess the family that plays together, stays together!
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This hum is driving me crazy! - Radio noise exorcised!
“Recently, Rich Miller, the Wanderman, replaced his motorhome's entire entertainment system including re-wiring all the video and audio lines. But there was a problem afterward: a hum whenever he watched the TV or listed to the radio. Well, this turned out to be unacceptable to this avid do-it-yourselfer, so he set about to fix the problem. And he did! Learn how.
“I really believed the entire RV was wired properly. Be careful what you believe! It Was Not True! I pulled everything out of the right side entertainment compartment and found, to my horror, that the outlet the power strip was plugged into was actually a cut-off, UN-GROUNDED, el-cheapo extension cord. Someone had cut off one end and wired it into a grounded outlet box. Obviously, this is a BAD practice.”
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On This Day:
Indians attack transcontinental railroad survey crew in Utah, Oct 25, 1853:
“On this day in 1853, Paiute Indians attack U.S. Army Captain John W. Gunnison and his party of 37 soldiers and railroad surveyors near Sevier Lake, Utah. Gunnison and seven other men were killed, but the survey party continued with its work and eventually reported its findings to the United States Congress.
Gunnison was a West Point graduate who had led several previous topographical surveys before being assigned to conduct this survey of potential railroad routes across central Colorado and Utah. Gunnison's mission was only one of four surveys dispatched by the U.S. Congress in an attempt to break a sectional deadlock over which route the proposed transcontinental railroad should follow. The whole idea of a transcontinental railroad was jeopardized by a bitter dispute between northern and southern politicians, with both factions stubbornly insisting that the line should have its terminus in their respective regions. Congress hoped that by turning the question over to the impartial and scientific surveyors of the topographical corps, a clearly superior route would emerge and break the deadlock.
Following Gunnison's death at the hands of the Paiute, his lieutenant, E.G. Beckwith, assumed command. Beckwith eventually found a potential railroad route through Weber Canyon in the Unita Mountains and discovered two feasible passes over the northern Sierra Nevada. The survey also provided valuable information on the geology, flora, and fauna of the West and set a high standard for subsequent explorers to follow. However, the results of neither the Gunnison/Beckwith survey nor any of the others succeeded in breaking the deadlock in Congress. Since no clearly superior route emerged from the volumes of maps and data gathered, the decision remained a political rather than scientific one. The issue would only be settled after the southern states seceded from the Union, leaving the matter in the hands of northern politicians.”
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United States invades Grenada, Oct 25, 1983:
“President Ronald Reagan, citing the threat posed to American nationals on the Caribbean nation of Grenada by that nation's Marxist regime, orders the Marines to invade and secure their safety. There were nearly 1,000 Americans in Grenada at the time, many of them students at the island's medical school. In little more than a week, Grenada's government was overthrown.
The situation on Grenada had been of concern to American officials since 1979, when the leftist Maurice Bishop seized power and began to develop close relations with Cuba. In 1983, another Marxist, Bernard Coard, had Bishop assassinated and took control of the government. Protesters clashed with the new government and violence escalated. Citing the danger to the U.S. citizens in Grenada, Reagan ordered nearly 2,000 U.S. troops into the island, where they soon found themselves facing opposition from Grenadian armed forces and groups of Cuban military engineers, in Grenada to repair and expand the island's airport. Matters were not helped by the fact that U.S. forces had to rely on minimal intelligence about the situation. (The maps used by many of them were, in fact, old tourist maps of the island.) Reagan ordered in more troops, and by the time the fighting was done, nearly 6,000 U.S. troops were in Grenada. Nearly 20 of these troops were killed and over a hundred wounded; over 60 Grenadan and Cuban troops were killed. Coard's government collapsed and was replaced by one acceptable to the United States.
A number of Americans were skeptical of Reagan's defense of the invasion, noting that it took place just days after a disastrous explosion in a U.S. military installation in Lebanon killed over 240 U.S. troops, calling into question the use of military force to achieve U.S. goals. Nevertheless, the Reagan administration claimed a great victory, calling it the first "rollback" of communist influence since the beginning of the Cold War.”
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Yesterday:
We usually go shopping on Wednesday to beat the crowds, and to go to St. Marks Thrift Shop, as it is only open Wed – Sat. Jay was working in Houston, but Wednesday shopping has became a habit, so I went alone, as that is when I start to run out of fresh veggies and fruits.
My main purpose was to get more kitten milk for little Miss Priss, the kitten. Next time, if there is one, I will get the large canister of the powdered kind, ($14) that you mix up yourself, as she has already gone through 4 cans of the pre-mixed, at $4.25 a can. I hope I can wean her off the kitten milk soon.
I also stopped at my insurance agent’s office. I wondered why they had such a high value on my house, and the premiums on it. I don’t think it would sell for that. The insurance lady has a scale in her computer that they go by. She asked me a lot of questions about my house, and put the answers in her computer. I found out that to replace it, it would cost $20,000 more than it is insured for, at today’s rates. So much for that!
I didn’t go to any thrift shops, just to Krogers to get some bananas. Often they have the organic ones marked down to half-price. But I still came out with $35 worth of groceries yesterday.
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