Severe Weather When RVing

This weeks storms in Colorado carried a lesson for RVers.

There was but one fatality in the Tornadoes that ripped across the Colorado this week... and that one sad loss... was an RVer. While the rest of the RVers in the RV Park took shelter in a cinder block / concrete Bath / outhouse... Mike Mansfield made the fateful decision to try and outrun, what they are now calling, an F3/F4 Tornado... His RV was no match for the power of that storm....

If you are caught out on the road... or in a park... take shelter from the storm... just about anywhere... except... your RV.

If you are on the road... Pull over... get out and lay down in a depressed ditch location... or crawl into a culvert... anywhere that offers shelter from the wind and flying debris. Your High Profile RV is NOT the place to be. If you are in a park... there is generally a concrete building of some sort... a bath house, an outhouse... A service shed... pack in there... it's the safest place around...
If you see a big, bad, thunderhead... up ahead... why not pull over and fix a snack... take a nap... do pretty much anything... BUT... drive on through that storm... Why take the risk?

If you're caught in a blizzard... turn your furnace down a bit, and conserve propane... make sure the exhausts of the furnace and the refrigerator and any generators remain clear (you don't want to trap carbon monoxide in or around the rig)... assuming, someone knows where you are... they'll coming looking soon enough... If you have cell service... or satellite... even better! :-)
Flooding is a pretty much common sense thing too... get to higher ground if you can... abandone the RV if necessary... Don't drive your rig off into raging creeks! What may look, not very deep, often conceals a great big hole that you'll find as soon as you pull into the water!... Find another way.

No reason to get paranoid and fearful... but think about what you would do now... while things are calm... then... if the &%$# should ever hit the fan... you already have your options thought out... and all you've got to do is pick the one that fits the best.

Source Credit: RV-Boondocking-the-good-life.com

Five reasons why gas prices shouldn't cancel your summer fun

Everyone seems to be complaining about the high cost of fuel causing them to cancel their summer vacation plans. Carol White, co-author of the book Live Your Road Trip Dream, says, "I don't like the higher prices, but if you take a realistic look at it, it's something that most of us can deal with."

Did you cancel last year's plans? According to AAA, gas prices have increased an average of $.56 a gallon since this time last year. Let's go crazy and say it has been $.75 a gallon in your area. If your summer trip is 1,000 miles long and your car gets an average of 23 mpg, your fuel will cost $32.60 more this year than last. One dinner at home instead of eating out before you go will save that much. Is $32 any reason to cancel your vacation?

What does it really cost? When you add up all the expenses of a vacation, fuel only counts as about the second or third highest expense. Typically food and lodging will cost more than fuel. If you need to cut back, consider RVing or eating more meals in, or renting a slightly less expensive lodging.

How can you afford to RV? According to a study done for the RV Association, RVing is still less expensive than piling a family of four into an airplane and hotels for vacation. Using a similar example to the one above and a typical mid-size RV fuel economy of 12 MPG, the additional fuel cost for RV fuel this year would be $62.50. This is easily off-set by the lower cost of campgrounds vs. motels, resorts or cabins at your favorite destination.

What about family bonding? One of the best parts of taking a road trip or an RV get-away is the extra time you get to spend with your traveling companions. In the close quarters of automobiles, RVs, campgrounds and motels, a family has the opportunity to enjoy old-fashioned fun like cards, board games, campfires and more. It really is fun talking to your kids. Ditch the electronics just for the week and see what might happen.

And the final reason you shouldn't let fuel get in your way? You and your family deserve the time together and the time away. Have everyone work together to be able to afford the extra cost of gas. Go on a Starbucks-free week, check for the best fuel prices, just say no to an evening at the movies, or take a pass on that cute new pair of shoes and you will have the added money to cover fuel. Don't let the "psychology of price," rather than real price get the best of you.

Have fun and enjoy your summer vacation.
Source Credit: RVtravel.com article written by Phil and Carol Wright

A Mothers Day Campout

Trees, streams and adventure make Mother’s Day camping a popular trend and can help your family save money also. She might even appreciate being whisked away to a private get-away in the woods. Keeping her weekend picture perfect, however, will require some dedication and maybe a few suggestions.

Location
Be sure to choose a campsite, marina or resort that doesn’t require reservations but also has plenty of wide-open space to sprawl around in. Perhaps even going into designated “back woods” areas outside your city would be best. Check your local state or county preserves to find safe, awesome areas and conduct a Google search for more info.

Packing the Goodies
Besides the usual emergency kit and other camping necessities, be sure to pack things that will make Mom’s weekend more pleasurable. Pack her some mosquito repellent, Calamine, pillows, treats, blankets, lotion, face cream, chocolate, books, gifts, nail care, tissues and whatever else your Mom likes.

Sneaky Sneak
Be sure that Mom is unaware of where she’s headed off to and pack the car while she’s distracted or away the day before. You already know she loves the great outdoors but a surprise will definitely liven the atmosphere! And since you are whisking her off in secrecy, be sure to pack her necessities: clothes, boots, tooth care, face cloths, socks, etc. Lastly, make her comfortable on the trip with magazines, water, snacks and her favorite tunes.

Lather, Pamper, Repeat
Keep all of the things you’ve bought her and packed for her nearby. It will be yours and the family’s task to make sure she has everything she needs at all times. You or Dad can also create an itinerary and give her the “full treatment” before taking her on a scheduled day of hiking, sight seeing and other activities, depending on the location you’ve chosen.

Gifting Mom
Gifting Mom should never be stressful, so start by relaxing. Besides, three square meals a day and a camping trip are already an amazing gift! If you still need to buy something for Mom and she hasn’t been hinting for anything specific, here are some ideas for gifts that won’t break the bank and will make her weekend better:

Dainty earrings
A collection of great looking tank tops for summer
Gift certificate to her favorite spa
Sandals

Last but not least, keep your spirits up all weekend and be sure that the kids do, too. A camping weekend for Mom is an great idea but she will need rest, quiet and harmony. Keeping the young ones busy with games and activities is also a helpful idea.


Have a great camping weekend!



Credits: The Camping Guy

Spring Has Arrived

And not a minute too soon. This weekend I am towing my Sprinter travel trailer up to Munds Park where we’ll leave it for the summer. My sister and brother-in-law are also taking their trailer up this weekend. We have plans to camp in adjacent park spaces for the weekend. Spring and summer camping begins.

We will storing our trailer there at the Munds Park RV Resort all summer. The nice thing about that is the trailer is at the top of the hill regardless of where we want to camp. We can drive up to Munds Park, hitch up the trailer and scoot over to Williams, Flagstaff or Morman Lake. No tough towing up the mountains every time we want to camp.

If you happen to be up at Munds Park this weekend, stop by space 33 and say hello. I’ll give you a Sun City RV cap. My wife and I are celebrating our anniversary and may just have a Kool-aide standing by.
Colby

Motorhome Blonde Joke

A blonde goes into a coffee shop and notices there's a 'peel and win' sticker on her coffee cup. So she peels it off and starts screaming, 'I've won a motorhome! I've won a motorhome!' The waitress says, 'That's impossible. The biggest prize is a free Lunch.?' But the blonde keeps on screaming, 'I've won a motorhome! I've won a motorhome!' Finally, the manager comes over and says, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. You couldn't have possibly won a motorhome because we didn't have that as a prize. The blonde says, 'No, it's not a mistake. I've won a motorhome!' And she hands the ticket to the manager and HE reads...
"W I N A B A G E L"

Okay, I know that was a little cheezy but thought I'd do something a little different. haha

Have a great week of RVing!
Colby