Tips for saving fuel in a Motorhome

No matter the length or engine type of your Motorhome, try running the generator while doing long drives. Don't be afraid of putting a few hours on your generator - it's designed to go 2000 hours or more. By using the generator to power only the house A/C, you will save fuel overall and have an equally pleasant drive.

Gas Prices Affecting RVers?

We're not going to stop vacationing because we need family time...

The same discussion repeats itself frequently... I'm going to post it here to try and get some feedback. This is how I see it>

** Are gas prices affecting the sale and use of RVs? **

Let's break this out - figure the basic costs of a weekend away for a family of 4 - there's hotel costs (basic rate + extra per additional person), meals (restaurant or at an attraction), and gas or airline costs to get everyone there.

The RV alternative is RV Park charge (per RV rather than per person), groceries and gas to get the RV and family there. Even with fuel prices up, an RV Vacation still saves 50 - 75%! With the increase in gas prices, a vacation 200 miles away on average will only be approx. $25 more than last year... Twenty-five dollars... Should $25 stop you and your family from escaping the stresses of life in these harder times? In my opinion, my health and the quality of family time is worth the additional $25.

The cost savings of the same vacation by RV as in hotels makes vacationing more of a reality for most families. More often than not, these RV vacations end up being more comfortable, more relaxing and more enjoyable, especially with little ones along.

So, NO, gas prices are not affecting the sale and use of RVs. Pleas e-mail me for more information.

Hidden Treasures

Today I had the pleasure of selling a beautiful fifth wheel to a wonderful family. He taught me about an RV Campground called 49er Ranch. (http://www.49rv.com/) It's located just North of Columbia, CA. There are a lot of things to do... but best of all it sounds like the perfect place to get away and do absolutely nothing! Check it out if you're going to be in the area...

Thanks again!!!

Hot Water Heater Sputtering Issues

I found this tip to be quite helpful and wanted to pass it along:

To avoid sputtering from the hot water faucets:

Purge the water through the hot water tap that is farthest from the hot water heater. Then pull the test lever on the safety valve to insure that the tank is full.

After the SYSTEM is full (that's good flow without air gaps at all appliances), turn off the water at the city source or pump, then pull the test lever on the safety valve. This will create an expansion bubble in the tank that will help keep the safety valve from releasing from expansion as the water is heated. This only works if the hot water outlet is below the expansion bubble.

Afterthought... -- Why do we call it a hot water heater? Do we heat hot water?

State Laws for towing RVs

I am frequently asked about the laws regarding the lengths for towing in various states. From what I've gathered, the law in California states 65 feet as the maximum length on a Class C drivers license (that's Class D for my Arizona buddies). Longer than that requires a non-commercial Class A drivers license.

That means you can have your truck hooked to your fifth wheel and be towing your favorite water toy, as long as the entire length does not exceed 65 feet. I also understand that our favorite play places, such as Pismo, has extra law enforcement set up right now to ensure that we all follow these length requirements.

There is also some question as to the "passengers in the fifth wheel while driving" scenario. Keep in mind you must have "clear, open communication" between the driver and the passengers in the fifth wheel. OPEN is the key. That does not mean cell phones, hand gestures or flare guns. :)

If anyone has any information about other states, we'd appreciate learning more. Especially for all of our West Coast states. Thanks!

Digital TV vs Analog TV while RVing ...

I met a very nice woman today at our Manteca RV Dealership.  She, like many folks, was trying to understand her upcoming television viewing options.  There seems to be a bit of confusion as to our options. From what I can gather, the equation is basically a three part problem:

Digital Provider + Hardware (Satellite &Receiver) + TV (analog TV's require converter boxes)

The easiest solution, although complicated sounding, is to subscribe to DISH Network or Direct TV. As for hardware, you'd either need to have a dish installed on the roof of your coach or use a portable dish.  That's just for starters.

The other part of this equation is your actual TV set. Don't panic. If you own an analog TV and don't want to spend the money to upgrade it yet,  the government is offering two $40 coupons toward the purchase of two digital-to-analog converter boxes. For more information about this program,  you can visit the National Telecommunications & Information Administration website:

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon

I hope this helps!

Northern California RV Parks and Campgrounds

I'm trying to put together a list of California RV parks and campgrounds. If you know of, or learn of, some good places please let me know so I can include them in this blog. I'll start in the local Central Valley area and hope to expand throughout Northern California. Thanks!

California Campgrounds.org: http://www.californiacampgrounds.org/
Tower Park Marina & RV/Campground: http://www.towerparkresort.com/
French Camp Resort and Golf Course: http://www.frenchcamp.com/