Hand And Power Tools

In our travels and contacts, we meet folks who practically sit on the edge of their chairs as we talk about RV experiences. Sometimes they sigh, because they feel that health problems prevent them from partaking of the lifestyle. Think of the pills, the doctor visits, the therapies. On the other hand, think of sitting at home, dreading the coming of winter, knowing that the dark skies and cold days will chill your bones. Like it or not, the older we get, the more most of us struggle with health issues. Does that mean the RV lifestyle is out of reach?

Granted, some have health issues that really do “ground” them. But on the other hand, some who’ve taken the plunge and worked around the obstacles have found that RVing, far from being out of reach because of health problems, has actually helped them have a more positive outlook on their problems, and in some cases, actually decreased their health problems.

We’re moved to comment on this, as yet another RVer with a chronic and serious health issue has been profiled in the media. Years ago, Harvey Wells found out he had kidney trouble. He managed to work his way through it, but things got worse, and in 1988 Harvey had a kidney transplant. Life was pretty good, until 2006, when the transplant failed, and Harvey found himself making three times-a-week visits to a dialysis center. Dialysis appointments definitely put a hang-up on any RVing for Wells and his wife. Harvey reports that while the dialysis kept him alive, it also left him tired and worn out.

Two years ago the picture changed. Harvey got a portable dialysis machine for his own use. Rather than head off to a regional center for his sessions, Wells plugs into his home machine six times a week. More sessions per week, true, but each of those sessions was shorter than when he had to go into a center. And now for Harvey, his “home” sessions are where he parks it. That is, Harvey, his wife, and two grandchildren are now engaged in a cross-country motorhome trek, seeing sights, hitting football games, and spreading the news about his new freedom. He adds, doubling up the number of dialysis sessions per week has actually helped him feel more energetic.

Yes, it took some planning, and no doubt a lot of cooperation with doctors, but Harvey is having a ball. Other friends of ours too, are looking to getting out on the road. An older couple, he who struggles with internal issues that mandate twice monthly injections at the doctor’s office, and she who doesn’t ever know when her energy level will leave her needing the comfort of home, are now preparing to make a snowbird journey to the southwest. By working with his doctor, the gentleman has secured the necessary medications and the training to self-administer. For her, having the motorhome with them is unlike traveling in a car and “moteling it.” If her strength departs her, their own motorhome being readily available simply means staying put “at home on the road,” taking it easy until her body feels ready to go again. And with the clear days of the southwest, we’ll wager easily that her “up days” will probably far outnumber the “down days” she’s struggled with before.

Don’t let the pains and problems of health cause you to think that RVing is out of the question. Question your doctor, tell them what you’d like to do, find out if there’s a way. You’d be suprised how many doctors recommend travel to a healthier climate when the possibility exists.

photo: R&T DeMaris

Filed under: home/family on September 30th, 2009 | No Comments »

One of the worries that came to us when we first considered the fulltime RV lifestyle was this one: How can we ever can fresh foods? Home canning and preservation was important to us, as we were “country folk” at heart, and in practice. Can you combine home canning and the RV lifestyle? It’s possible, with a bit of clever thinking and careful planning.

First, consider your RV kitchen. What’s really required for on-the-road canning is a lot of what’s required in a sticks-and-bricks environment: Lots of hot water, a range top you can control, and counter space to park jars while the cool and seal. We’ve found our standard six-gallon RV water heater to have sufficient capacity and recovery time to handle the rigors of home canning. The LP gas range, while it may not have as high a BTU output as the “home” equivalent (hence taking a bit longer to reach “temp”) was handy, as controlling pressure in a pressure canner is predicated by the burner. A gas burner is so much more variable than an electric range, and faster reacting, too.

A couple of other considerations? For us, during canning time, we simply resign ourselves to eating outdoors, or eating in the living room. We dedicate the dinette table to cooling jars. The one snarl you may find: Canning and boondocking don’t lend themselves to simultaneous performance. You need a LOT of water for canning, and there’s a lot of waste water generated. This can quickly outstretch the capacity of your freshwater and  gray water holding tanks. And canning on a hot day is a nasty business without air conditioned comfort–putting up in an RV park or campground with full utilities is a real necessity for canning.

But think of the advantages: You can go to the source of FRESH foods, be they vegetables, fruit, or even seafood. Pick up your produce or products, return to camp, and you’ll have some of the freshest canned foods available–oh so much better than you’ll ever buy at the store.

We’ve found that canning smaller containers, pints, makes the most sense for us. We store our empty or full jars in appropriately sized plastic storage containers. For big rigs with basement storage, it’s easy to keep both the completed work and the canning gear. For ease of work, water bath canning (fruits and acidic vegetables) is much, much easier than pressure canning, but yes, you can successfully pressure can “on the road.” Of course, you do well to take the “normal” safety precautions when canning on the road–have your pressure canner gauge checked at the start of the season; toss out any questionable canned goods (jar and all!), and above all else, enjoy the fruits of your labor!

photo credit: thebittenword on flickr.com

Filed under: home/family on September 5th, 2009 | No Comments »

Not all of us have satellite TV, or on-demand movies in our RV. But nonetheless, most of us enjoy an occasional unwind in front of the TV with a new movie. Imagine pulling off  the road at the end of the day, and having a fresh video of your choice at hand in less than half a minute. Better still, say you want to see it again, but you’ll be 300 miles away at days-end tommorrow. It wouldn’t be a problem if you could simply return that video at your next stop. And add the icing on the proverbial video cake–you’re only charged a buck to rent the video.

Maybe it is a brave new world out there. Red Box Video challenges the concept of movie rental stores by putting a kiosk in every Walmart.  OK, not in every Walmart, but in lots of Walmarts across the country, and in places like McDonald’s fast food joints, and Albertson’s grocery stores. What doth Red Box offer?

* $1.00 a night DVD rentals (just add a buck a night for each additional night you keep it)

* Reservations on the video of your choice by Internet (your movie waits for you)

* Around 200 new titles per kiosk, and new titles added on every Tuesday

* Returns at ANY Red Box kiosk, regardless of where you originally rented the movie.

We were afraid that “new releases” probably meant we’d never find anything we wanted. But popular “older” titles like Lawrence of Arabia are actually up for rent as well. And if you’re traveling with the younger set, there are plenty of family class videos available–chuck one in the DVD player on those long stretches and don’t worry about the, “Are we there yet” chorus.

How does it work? You can either run up to the video kiosk and choose from whatever titles you see displayed, or run up redbox.com on the web and pick out a video you’d like to reserve. Either way, at the kiosk you’ll swipe your credit or debit card and the machine pops the video out of a slot. On return, simply hit the “return” key and follow the instructions to have your video verified and checked back in. Here’s the catch with reserved videos. Your card is changed when you make the reservation, and if you don’t turn up at the appointed kiosk by 9:00 pm that evening, your “reserved” DVD can be checked out by anyone else–and you’re still charged the rental fee.

For a redbox location near your RV, go to redbox.com, and be prepared with either a zip code or city and state.  Now, if they can just add fresh popcorn with your choice of butter and salt, maybe this concept would be perfect!

Filed under: home/family on August 27th, 2009 | No Comments »

While the camping season is winding up for most of the nation, now is the time for RVers interested in hosting next year to get their oar in. As an example, South Dakota is currently looking for RVers willing to camp host in no less than 50 locales throughout the Mount Rushmore State.

Like many states, South Dakota doesn’t require a “full season” commitment from its volunteers. Maybe you’ve got someplace you need to be in mid-summer–outside of the Midwest. Happily, you can indicate which months you’re available, and the parks folks will see if they can work your schedule. Interestingly, the state says they have particular need for hosts on the “shoulder” months: April and May or September and October.

Want more information on the ins and outs of state campground hosting? Here’s a shameless pitch: Check out our book, Camp Hosting USA at the the RV Bookstore. On sale now at 35% off the list price. Wow! And for more details on South Dakota campground hosting, check out the state’s web site.

host photo: South Dakota State Parks

Filed under: home/family on August 21st, 2009 | No Comments »

One of the tenets of the “Gospel of Fulltime RVing” could be, “We don’t have to go anywhere in a hurry.” When ‘home is where you park it,’ we find most fulltimers say they don’t have the stress and pressure that other folks do. This is often reflected in their travel pace–which is typically slower and more measured. Along comes a study that suggests fulltimers who practice the slower pace of life on the highway may live longer.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health say that the 1995 repeal of the federally mandated 55 mile-per-hour speed limit has resulted in a much higher incidence of traffic fatalities. You might recall that in the oil-starved 1970’s, Congress enacted a law that cut down on fuel consumption. From 1974 right up to 1995, “double nickle” speed limits were the rule throughout the nation. Lead author of the study, Professor Lee Friedman writes, “During the first year there was a drop of almost 17 percent in fatalities after the speed laws were reduced to 55 miles per hour.”

And since the law was repealed, and states have been allowed to use their own judgment on freeway speeds? “Over the 10-year period following the repeal . . . there were approximately 12,500 deaths due to the increased speed limits across the U.S.” Making a comparison to the tragedy of the September 11 terrorist attacks that took 3,000 lives, Friedman says, “That tragic event has led to a whole new foreign policy. We estimate that approximately 12,500 people died as a result of a policy to deregulate speed enforcement–four times what happened on September 11th-and yet changing the policy to reduce speed limits may be very difficult.”

But if Friedman thinks federal mandates should rule again on freeway speeds, he isn’t alone. This week the American Trucking Association (ATA), an interest group for commercial truck drivers, made a repeated call for federal a back-down in speeds. Rather than calling for 55 signs, however, the ATA says they think a national speed law of 65 miles-per-hour would enhance safety for the traveling public.

photo courtesy California Highway Patrol

Filed under: home/family on August 6th, 2009 | No Comments »

We love the RV lifestyle. When traveling there’s usually plenty of relaxation and beauty that lifts the spirits. But summertime brings it’s hazards, and RVers are not immune to problems related to the season. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while enjoying the hot season.

Hydrate: Dehydration. Heat stroke. Heat exhaustion. Heat cramps. None of them sound fun, and most can be prevented. If your travels take you to hot weather, be sure to prepare. Keeping plenty of water in your system helps. Health experts advise if you don’t have kidney problems that drinking a pint of water an hour if you’re outdoors and exerting yourself. Don’t make alcohol part of your liquid intake, it simply accelerates dehydration.

If your compaion (or yourself) seems confused and they’ve been out in the sun, get medical help.

Watch out for heat related pain. Cramps are brief muscle cramps that happen during work or excercise in the heat. Calves, thighs, abdomen, and shoulders are particular targets.  Exhaustion happens when your body can’t maintain its normal functions because of fluid loss. Heavy sweating, intense thirst, dizziness, nausea, and a pulse either rapid or weak are signals of danger. Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency. As water and salt dwindle in the body, body temperature rises substantially. A body temperature over 104 is a sure sign, although it can happen at lesser temperatures; disorientation, confusion, even coma can result. Call 9-1-1 for help.

Keep safe by keeping cool! Stay in air conditioned areas where possible, and take to the shade if outside.

Suntan Danger: Sun exposure can lead to skin burns, heat rash, even cancers. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when possible. Wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater. Keep your head covered. Apply sunscreen every two hours if you’ve sweated, been swimming, are in the wind, or at high altitude.

Thanks to the US Aif Force for the illustration

Filed under: home/family on July 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »

By Brian Oliver, guest blogger

Embarking on a weekend’s camping excursion prompts all but the most dedicated wilderness backpackers to gather enough outdoor camping supplies to dutifully provide for a large army brigade for an entire month. Piece by piece, each item of meticulously selected equipment is loaded into the car or van, such that nobody other than the packer herself could manage to repack the vehicle should the contents need to be removed. Insanity, fun, and adventure ensue as the family, neatly squished into car seats between piles of camper’s trappings, pulls slowly out of the driveway, back bumper almost scraping the pavement from the rear-heavy load generously bestowed on the much-too-small-for-this-task automobile. This, my friends, is the magnificently wonderful amassing of outdoor camping supplies that is the utter essence of what it means to be a dedicated recreational family camper.

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Filed under: home/family on February 24th, 2009 | No Comments »

By Brian Oliver, guest blogger

If you have never associated RV parks and Walt Disney World with one another, you are like millions of unaware Americans who do not realize that it is entirely possible to enjoy all the luxury and delight of a family vacation to Walt Disney World without the crippling expenses that send you spiraling into debt because you cannot afford some fun for your children. My friends, I will let you in on the not-so-little secret that it is entirely possible to do Walt Disney World (the right way) on a dime, and staying in RV parks is by far the best way to go about it.

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Filed under: home/family on February 21st, 2009 | No Comments »

By Brian Oliver, guest blogger

Campgrounds in South Dakota may not sound like a luxurious vacation, so why is it that so many crazy parents tote their picky yet loveable children along for family road trips to just that destination each and every year? It could be that though the campgrounds of South Dakota aren’t exactly like sleeping on the beaches of Maui, there are enjoyable family experiences tucked snuggly in the Black Hills where you least expect them. Trust me, grab your kids, make sure they have their portable DVD players, and promise, no pinky swear, that they will have the time of their lives on your family vacation!

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Filed under: home/family on February 20th, 2009 | No Comments »

By: Melanie Mann, guest blogger

Going on an RV Park vacation by yourself or with your family in your sturdy reliable RV can be a well deserved exciting adventure, but, as in any adventure, it is important to plan ahead and be prepared before you hit the road. Listed below are some tips to help you make the most of your RV Park vacation experience.

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Filed under: home/family on February 19th, 2009 | No Comments »