Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Smaller RVs

Dear Joe and Vicki: We are in our late-twenties and have one child. Both of us are involved in our careers and enjoy tent camping. Our jobs are such that we are frequently able to take three and four day weekends in addition to an annual three week vacation. We're shopping for a self-propelled RV. Everyone seems to think we should get a large motorhome. What do you think?

Joe: I think you should take a close look at your personal interests, needs and budget. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Who will be going? How often will you use the RV? How much do you want to spend? The answers to these questions should help you zero in on the type and size RV that will satisfy your interests, needs and budget.

Vicki: Yours is an instance where smaller may be smarter. Look seriously at the smaller (up to 24 feet) motorhomes, van conversions and slide-in truck campers. Since you're accustomed to tent-camping you'll appreciate the advantages (sleeping above ground level, screen windows, solid roof and walls) of the smaller RVs and not miss the luxuries (hydraulic levelers, washer/dryer, ice-maker) of the larger motorhomes.

You'll find that smaller RVs have a number of advantages. Most are not much bigger than a full-size car so they are easy to drive and maneuver. They'll take you every place the larger RVs can go and a number of places where the bigger rigs won't fit.

Most smaller RVs are well within the size and weight restrictions that may be posted on roads, bridges and tunnels. You'll also find it easier to find parking space in shopping centers and tourist attractions.

Your smaller rig will fit in all of a campground's sites instead of just the larger ones. And, if you're not towing anything, you won't care if the campsite is a back-in or pull-thru.

Joe: Smaller RVs can be time efficient. You can leave a campground in the morning and visit tourist attractions in a crowded city. Then, because you don't have to return to the previous night's campground to retrieve your RV, you can continue down the road to your next destination.

When you take off for a day trip you won't have to transfer coolers, cameras and clothes from an RV to a car or truck (and hope you haven't forgotten anything).

Less rig means less stuff to load and unload. It also means less vehicle to clean. Because it's less trouble, you'll be more inclined to take that RV on day trips to the beach and quick overnight outings.

And, mid-day at a tourist attraction, you can retreat to your home-on-wheels for lunch, a change of clothes or a brief nap.

Depending upon the vehicle's gross combined weight rating, you may be able to tow a small trailer. You'll have the option of towing a boat, motorcycle or, if your family grows, a tent trailer.

Vicki: A van conversion or truck-camper also provides the financial advantage of being utilized as a second transportation vehicle. It can be used for commuting, taking the dog to the vet, hauling garden supplies and family transportation. By the way, there's nothing like a child to make you appreciate having a bathroom in your transportation vehicle.

Purchase price, vehicle registration fees, insurance, repairs and maintenance will probably be less than that of larger vehicles. At this stage of your life, saving for your child's college education or a down-payment on a house may have a higher priority than having a luxury coach.

Joe: Or, you may prefer a rig with hydraulic levelers, washer/dryer and an ice-maker. In which case ....

Read more about choosing an RV in "RV Buyer's Homework"

Return to RV Know How

=====================================

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Trucker Talk

Dear Joe and Vicki: What in the world are the truckers talking about? We are new to RVing and this is the first time we have had a CB radio. For the life of me, I can't seem to decipher half of what the truckers are saying to one another. Will I miss anything if I don't turn on the CB?

Joe: I happen to like listening to the CB radio while we are traveling. I particularly enjoy listening to the truckers. I consider that prime time entertainment.

Channel 19 seems to be the most popular CB channel for truckers across the nation. They use channel 17 along the west coast and, occasionally, we pick them up on 21. Truckers in the west are not very talkative. You don't seem to hear from them unless they have something to say. East of the Mississippi, however, truckers get real chatty. They talk to one another about anything that comes to mind. Sometimes without even filtering it through their mind. That's the entertaining part.

Listening to truckers is also educational. You gain some insight into their lives and what it is like to move those big rigs around the country. You learn that truckers work long, hard hours. They deal with a lot of pressure, boredom and frustration. You also come to realize that, while most have a professional approach to their driving, there are a few immature hotdoggers out there that have no business pushing 80,000 pounds of steel and cargo down the highway at 65 miles per hour (or more).

I learned a long time ago that truckers use the CB to advise one another of road and traffic conditions. Their advisories, more often than not, apply to RVers as well. If there is a traffic situation that has blocked one or two driving lanes, truckers will radio which lanes are open. This information allows us to change lanes before traffic begins to back up. When there is an unexpected road closure, truckers will broadcast directions to alternate routes. We have avoided time consuming traffic jams on more than one occasion by paying attention to the truckers.

So, yes, we listen to the CB radio as we drive. It keeps us tuned into the road. And, every now and then, we enjoy a conversation with a trucker who also happens to be an RVer.

Vicki: Truckers have developed their own colorful terminology. It took a while for us to learn what most of them meant.

Many State Police officers and Highway Patrolmen wear a hat similar to the one we see on Smokey the Bear. That's why the terms "Smokey" and "Bear" are used when talking about police officers who patrol the highways.

Truckers seem almost paranoid about the State Police and Highway Patrol and are constantly updating one another about their location. I love the way they differentiate between the various types of "bears". A "full-grown"Bear is a State Police officer or Highway Patrolman. Since one of their primary duties is to police the highways, truckers are particularly interested in the whereabouts of bears. A "County Mountie" is a local Deputy Sheriff. They may or may not be interested in truckers and seem to command a little less respect than the "full-growns." A "Local Yocal" is a city police officer. A local yocal is rarely interested in enforcing traffic laws on interstate highways but truckers keep a wary eye on them anyway. A "plain-wrapper" is an unmarked patrol car. "Polar bear" refers to a white patrol car. A "bear in the air" is a police helicopter or airplane. A "She Bear" or "Mama Bear" is … you guessed it … a woman police officer. And, my favorite, a "Kojac with a Kodak" refers to a police officer using a radar gun.

When a police officer has a vehicle pulled over to the side of the road he has "captured" that driver. A lot of "capturing" activity will bring out the expression "there's bears everywhere" or "they got us surrounded"

Truckers apply their own descriptions to the vehicles sharing the road with them. A "four-wheeler" is a car (seemingly a constant source of annoyance to truckers); "stagecoach" is a bus; "bread truck" is a motorhome, and "draggin wagon" a tow-truck.

And, they have names for their own as well. A "covered wagon" is a flatbed or open trailer with a tarp cover. A "parking lot" is a car transporter. And we have heard truckers refer to their sleeper as a "condo".

They call weigh stations "chicken coops" (a closed coop is cause for celebration). So now you know where the "Chicken Inspector" works.

You've seen those strips of tire tread lying on the road. Truckers call them "alligators". If your wheel rolls over an alligator, it has a tendency to jump up and attack your vehicle. The highway department trucks that remove these road hazards are known as "alligator catchers"

When a trucker warns of a "brake check", he's talking about an unexpected slowdown in traffic (brakelights everywhere). Get ready to slow down or stop.

The "hammer lane" is the far left fast lane. That's where you can put your "hammer" or accelerator down (providing that Smokey.isn't around)

If someone (or something ) is "in the bushes" they're off the side of the road and pretty much out of sight until you get close to them. Bears like to hide in the bushes.

"Yard line" or "yard stick" refers to the mile markers at the side of the road. If something is located at the "20 yard line" it is near the 20 mile marker.

There are a few more terms that I won't mention here. This is a family website, after all. But if you turn on your CB radio and listen to the trucker talk you can hear and figure them out yourself.

So, the next time you hear a trucker call out, "northbound, you've got an alligator in the hammer lane", you'll be able to take evasive action. And if they tell you there's a "Kojac with a Kodak in the bushes at the 32 yard line", it’s your own fault if you get captured.

Enjoy The Journey,
Joe and Vicki Kieva

Read more about RVs, RVers and RVing
Return To RV Know How



=========================================

Trucker Talk


Dear Joe and Vicki: What in the world are the truckers talking about? We are new to RVing and this is the first time we have had a CB radio. For the life of me, I can't seem to decipher half of what the truckers are saying to one another. Will I miss anything if I don't turn on the CB?

Joe: I happen to like listening to the CB radio while we are traveling. I particularly enjoy listening to the truckers. I consider that prime time entertainment.

Channel 19 seems to be the most popular CB channel for truckers across the nation. They use channel 17 along the west coast and, occasionally, we pick them up on 21. Truckers in the west are not very talkative. You don't seem to hear from them unless they have something to say. East of the Mississippi, however, truckers get real chatty. They talk to one another about anything that comes to mind. Sometimes without even filtering it through their mind. That's the entertaining part.

Listening to truckers is also educational. You gain some insight into their lives and what it is like to move those big rigs around the country. You learn that truckers work long, hard hours. They deal with a lot of pressure, boredom and frustration. You also come to realize that, while most have a professional approach to their driving, there are a few immature hotdoggers out there that have no business pushing 80,000 pounds of steel and cargo down the highway at 65 miles per hour (or more).

I learned a long time ago that truckers use the CB to advise one another of road and traffic conditions. Their advisories, more often than not, apply to RVers as well. If there is a traffic situation that has blocked one or two driving lanes, truckers will radio which lanes are open. This information allows us to change lanes before traffic begins to back up. When there is an unexpected road closure, truckers will broadcast directions to alternate routes. We have avoided time consuming traffic jams on more than one occasion by paying attention to the truckers.

So, yes, we listen to the CB radio as we drive. It keeps us tuned into the road. And, every now and then, we enjoy a conversation with a trucker who also happens to be an RVer.

Vicki: Truckers have developed their own colorful terminology. It took a while for us to learn what most of them meant.

Many State Police officers and Highway Patrolmen wear a hat similar to the one we see on Smokey the Bear. That's why the terms "Smokey" and "Bear" are used when talking about police officers who patrol the highways.

Truckers seem almost paranoid about the State Police and Highway Patrol and are constantly updating one another about their location. I love the way they differentiate between the various types of "bears". A "full-grown"Bear is a State Police officer or Highway Patrolman. Since one of their primary duties is to police the highways, truckers are particularly interested in the whereabouts of bears. A "County Mountie" is a local Deputy Sheriff. They may or may not be interested in truckers and seem to command a little less respect than the "full-growns." A "Local Yocal" is a city police officer. A local yocal is rarely interested in enforcing traffic laws on interstate highways but truckers keep a wary eye on them anyway. A "plain-wrapper" is an unmarked patrol car. "Polar bear" refers to a white patrol car. A "bear in the air" is a police helicopter or airplane. A "She Bear" or "Mama Bear" is … you guessed it … a woman police officer. And, my favorite, a "Kojac with a Kodak" refers to a police officer using a radar gun.

When a police officer has a vehicle pulled over to the side of the road he has "captured" that driver. A lot of "capturing" activity will bring out the expression "there's bears everywhere" or "they got us surrounded"

Truckers apply their own descriptions to the vehicles sharing the road with them. A "four-wheeler" is a car (seemingly a constant source of annoyance to truckers); "stagecoach" is a bus; "bread truck" is a motorhome, and "draggin wagon" a tow-truck.

And, they have names for their own as well. A "covered wagon" is a flatbed or open trailer with a tarp cover. A "parking lot" is a car transporter. And we have heard truckers refer to their sleeper as a "condo".

They call weigh stations "chicken coops" (a closed coop is cause for celebration). So now you know where the "Chicken Inspector" works.

You've seen those strips of tire tread lying on the road. Truckers call them "alligators". If your wheel rolls over an alligator, it has a tendency to jump up and attack your vehicle. The highway department trucks that remove these road hazards are known as "alligator catchers"

When a trucker warns of a "brake check", he's talking about an unexpected slowdown in traffic (brakelights everywhere). Get ready to slow down or stop.

The "hammer lane" is the far left fast lane. That's where you can put your "hammer" or accelerator down (providing that Smokey.isn't around)

If someone (or something ) is "in the bushes" they're off the side of the road and pretty much out of sight until you get close to them. Bears like to hide in the bushes.

"Yard line" or "yard stick" refers to the mile markers at the side of the road. If something is located at the "20 yard line" it is near the 20 mile marker.

There are a few more terms that I won't mention here. This is a family website, after all. But if you turn on your CB radio and listen to the trucker talk you can hear and figure them out yourself.

So, the next time you hear a trucker call out, "northbound, you've got an alligator in the hammer lane", you'll be able to take evasive action. And if they tell you there's a "Kojac with a Kodak in the bushes at the 32 yard line", it’s your own fault if you get captured.

Return To RV Know How

=========================================

Friday, August 6, 2010

Laundry and Lunch Stops

Laundry

Dear Joe and Vicki: We're getting ready to retire and the idea of RV travel is very appealing. This may sound silly, but how often and where do RVers do their laundry while on the road?

Vicki: That's a valid question. You're not the first to ask. Would you believe, we've talked to people who minimize their laundry by taking their old, ready to throw away clothes with them on a trip. After they wear them, the clothes get tossed in the trash!

Here's what the rest of us do:

Take enough clothes for about a week or so and plan on doing laundry about once a week. If you're going to be gone less than a week, you won't have to worry about doing laundry at all.

Unless you're lucky enough to have a clothes hamper, a large, mesh laundry bag works well in an RV. The laundry bag can be stored in the shower or tub. When the bag gets full, you know it's time to do the laundry!

Just so you know, some of the larger RVs offer a built-in washer and dryer as optional equipment; a convenience worth considering if you plan on being on the road for extended periods of time.

You will find Laundromats everywhere, even in the smallest towns. Some even have showers. Many commercial Laundromats will do your laundry for you. There is a charge, but it just might be worth it to you. Drop off the clothes, go sightseeing, pick up the clean, folded clothes and you're on your way.

Most commercial RV parks have coin operated washers and dryers. Campground laundry rooms are not only convenient, they're great places to exchange travel information with other RVers who are doing their laundry.

If you're planning to use the laundry room in an RV park, you might want to check out the facilities before registering. You can go on to another campground if the facilities, equipment and cleanliness are inadequate.

Here are some tips for making laundry day easy while traveling:

Become a fanatic about saving quarters. Experienced RVers have found they can’t have enough quarters. 35mm film canisters make excellent containers for quarters (if you can still find them). Each canister will hold $7.00 worth.

Always have your own supply of laundry products. Don't depend on the vending machines that sell soap, etc. in laundry rooms. Sure as anything, just when you're trying to do laundry late in the evening or if you're in a hurry, the vending machine won't work.

Buy small or medium size containers of laundry supplies. Those large economy-size boxes and jugs are difficult to store and awkward to carry.


Use a detergent that works in cold water. Hot water may not be available.

Always, always check the inside of washers and dryers before using them. You never know what someone might have left in there.

It's always a good idea to clean the dryer's lint filter before using it. That will make a big difference in the time required for drying.

If you will be ironing clothes while traveling, you'll be happy to know that many of the
RV parks have started putting ironing boards in laundry rooms and they may even loan you an iron. You'll probably want to carry your own iron just in case.

Joe: Personally, I'm in favor of the throwaway clothes idea!


Enjoy the Journey!

===================

Lunch Stops

Dear Joe and Vicki: When we only had brief vacations we got into the practice of being destination minded and traveling long distances every day. Now that we are retired we can't seem to break the habit. Our travel days are exhausting. How do other RVers get off the road?

Joe: Our motto is "Enjoy The Journey" One of the things we do to make our daily travels entertaining is to find an interesting place to have lunch.

The only prerequisites are that it have a reasonably level place to park our rig, and offers free or nominal admission. We typically plan on spending a couple of hours.

Here are samples of the places we have taken our lunch breaks.

Community parks or playgrounds make great places to stop for lunch if you are traveling with children. It gives the kids something to look forward to during the morning, they can work off their pent up energy and they learn how to meet other kids. Sometimes the combination of lunch and exercise will result in a nap (theirs, not yours).

Factory outlet malls seem to be located along every interstate highway throughout the country. They give Vicki something to look forward to, release our pent-up cash and definitely result in me taking a nap.

Vicki: The smokejumper base off I-90 in Missoula, Montana, offers tours conducted by Forest Service firefighting smokejumpers. After listening to their first-hand accounts of parachuting into forest fires I found myself walking away muttering, "and they love it!"

Bonneville Lock and Dam on I-84 east of Portland, Oregon has underwater windows that let you watch the salmon negotiating the fish ladders as they migrate upstream.

Natural Bridge north of Roanoke, Virginia on I-81 offers a pleasant stroll along Cedar Creek to a natural arch. The spot where George Washington, father of our nation, carved his initials in the limestone wall can still be seen. I guess this also makes him the father of our graffitti "artists."

Wall Drug Store in on I-90 in Wall, South Dakota has become a famous stop for tourists. You'll see their entertaining roadside signs for miles in every direction. In addition to gobs of parking space (including a sign requesting aircraft to park at the airport), Wall Drug offers food, western gear and lots of gifts and souvenirs. It's still a drug store, too.

Presidential Libraries make good lunch stops. There usually seems to be plenty of parking. But some are so interesting we found ourselves spending the better part of an afternoon viewing the exhibits.

Check out small town museums, old U.S. Army cavalry forts and Spanish missions. They're usually pretty quiet and provide insight into the history of our country.

Our favorite lunch stops are the places that offer factory tours. We have tasted wines in California, toured lumber mills in the northwest, watched them make steel and assemble automobiles in the midwest, toured textile mills in New England, visited cigarette factories in the south and sampled beer in St. Louis.

Try stopping for lunch at places that look like they may be interesting. Stop at a few that don't look interesting (you may be surprised). In any case, get off the road, look around and ...

Enjoy The Journey!

Return To RV Know How

=========================================