First Class A Motorhome?

Archeological find in warehouse #14 at Pioneers Village

Maybe this archeological find isn't a mastodon, but it is a pretty cool old homemade RV circa 1950.

I spent several hours going through Pioneers Village (it is an exhausting place) and had I not been blogging on rv52.com I wouldn't even have noticed the old beast. It was in warehouse #14 - Pioneer Village calls them "warehouse".

About Pioneers Village in Minden Nebraska

Pioneer Village is located in Minden Nebraska. It is about midway between Omaha and Denver on Interstate 80 and about 20 miles south of the Interstate. It was founded by a wealthy Cornhusker named Harold Warp who invented Plexiglas. In Pioneer Village, they have amassed an incredible amount of STUFF. Just one example (other than the first RV) was that they have the second ever Cadillac ever built. How cool is that? I'm attaching a picture just so you can get an idea of how big the warehouses are and how full they are. Note : many warehouses contain TWO stories...

Pioneer Village - Cadillac after Cadillac

Notes and Writings about the First Class A Motorhome or RV

I have a youtube video which shows you the insides of the RV which I'll embed at the bottom of this post in which you can get a really good look at the inside of the RV.

Interesting notes :

• The stove was a normal home heating stove. Reminded me of my mothers original home.
• I bet there were not too many dump stations OR standardized connectors in 1953 (the first use).
• I got a kick out of the regular home windows.
• I really liked the lap siding.
• When this thing was running, gas was cheap and plentiful and there were not enough cars to make much pollution. I'm thinking gas must have been around $0.25 a gallon.
• I wonder if there are any examples of EARLIER RV's.
• I'm not going to count the Conestoga wagons!

Take a look at the pictures, and where the picture is of the museum placard, I also have typed that up in regular text for you.

First Class A Motorhome RV - Looking at the front

First Class A Motorhome RV - Looking at rear back porch

First Class A Motorhome RV - Drivers side looking from rear to front

First Class A Motorhome RV - Passenger side looking towards front

First Class A Motorhome RV - Letter to Pioneer Village

I'll transcribe Mrs. Wendell's letter to Mr. Warp here :

Oakland, Iowa

May 29, 1976

Mr. Harold Warp
Chicago Ill.

Dear Friend:
What possessed my husband to build this motor home? He had bought the truck new in 1939 when he was in the trucking business. After using the truck for 11 years in the trucking business- he sold the business and the truck was quite old then and he felt he would not get out of it what it was worth and he and I had always like to travel- so he decided to build us a "Home On Wheels". He had no pattern as there was nothing like it on the road or around. He stripped it all down and built it piece by piece--on the fram and 4 wheels. Some people laughted at him and told him that he would not use it to travel in when he finished it. They were surely wrong.

Listed below are the years and places visited in it:
[ content removed for space ]

Wendell and I lived in this house every year from 1960 to 1976 while he attended his steam engine above in Mt Pleasant IA- for eight days.

We estimated we have traveled 100,000 miles in it.

There were no other motor homes on the road when we started out. I believe it was 9 or 10 years before we saw any-- but this is a guess.

In Alaska we pulled off the road south of Fairbanks- to eat some lunch. Some people pulled up in a pickup and smiled and asked us if we were homesteading. We laughed and said "no" we were just having lunch.

At Bryce Canyon Ntl. Park- my husband was taking some people through to see it and was explaining where the motor was and this lady piped up and said "Oh do you mean to tell me these things have motors?" (We figured she must have thought she was in a trailer.)

We were always getting our picture taken. One lady asked us if she could take our picture as the people back home would not believe her if she just told them about it.

It took my husband one year to build it and there are 11 gross of screws in it. The beds in the bed room are 2 full size beds with innerspring mattresses and they are double decked. This whole unit was put on rollers so the beds were easier to make as the whole unit can be pulled out and 1 person get get over behind.

Yours sincerely,

[ Signed Mrs. Edna M. Turner, Oakland, Iowa ]

First Class A Motorhome RV - Pioneer Village Placard

Here is the text of the Pioneer Village placard transcribed :

Wendell Turner Motor Home

The original truck chassis on which the home was built was a 1939 White. The weight of the motor home is 16,000 lbs. The original White engine was located directly below the kitchen table. The engine has since been changed to the present "390" Ford Police special below the rear of the table.

The fuel capacity is 80 gal. of gas. The water capacity is a 30 gal. tank located under the back porch. A 50 gal. septic tank is located under the rest room. Propane gas capacity was 95 lbs., which was used to operate the refrigerator, fireplace heater, and gas burners located no the top of the fireplace. A 5 gal. propane gas hot water heater was used to heat the water.

Here is a video embedded of the first Motorhome :

Space Saving and Convenience Tip : Electrical Outlets for the RV

Here is a simple way to get more outlets that doesn't look too bad

No - we are absolutely not drawing too much power... I think.

But this story isn't about drawing too much power, its about how you can get more convenience outlets for your RV (or anywhere else for that matter).

How did Sheri get those outlets to stay on the wall?

Two or three months ago, after using the strips for about a month, I really took notice of the Power Strips that were SOLIDLY stuck to our walls in a couple of very key places. They were on the walls very solidly. They were SUBSTANTIALLY better located and more convenient than the power outlets placement in the RV.

What amazed me is how well fastened to the wall they were. Additionally, I detected no use of power tools, screwdrivers, or hammers. The job was fastidious! How did Sheri do it? Read down.

Sheri's Power Strips Used as Excellent RV Conveniences

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

Sheri's use of double sided hanging strips

When I asked here about it, she brought out these little double sided strips from 3M called the Command Brand Hanging Strips. She puts two of them on the back of a power strip and it holds it great.

Read past this to find out some good things about this and how to make it work for you. Also why do WE need so many plug-ins? Why isn't this a big problem for the RV?

Sheri's Adhesive Used for Sticking the RV Power Strips

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

Why more outlets isn't necessarily a power problem for our RV

First, this isn't a big problem for the RV power, because I've been reducing power from lighting greatly by using LED lights ( click to see some articles on LED lighting).

Secondly, the things we need plug for do not take much power. In a single night we might have the following items needing power in our RV ( Macmini, MacBook, iPad, Nexus phone, Blackberry Pearl, Color Nook, 2 B&W Nooks, Bluetooth keypad, Netbook, and a camcorder). I'm pretty sure that I've freed up enough juice from the lights to charge most of those items with very little extra battery. This does explain why we need so many plug-ins though, doesn't it.

Identifying the best places for power strips in your RV

You've got to use your RV a little. Once you use it a little, you'll know where to locate the power strips. Once you locate them then you add lots of convenience to your life. Sheri uses a power strip in the bathroom to put a couple of chargers for trimmers so they are ready all the time. Then there are still two plugs left (just like the outlet), but in a far more convenient location.

RV Propane Tanks, Sizes, and OpenRange RV's big change

Four Fives is better than Two Sevens - Don't understand? Read on!

One thing I REALLY, REALLY like about our OpenRange 399 BHS is that we have FOUR (4) twenty pound or 5 gallon propane gas tanks instead of the usual RV complement of two (2) seven gallon tanks.

The main reason I like the smaller BBQ style tanks is that I can get them virtually anywhere. Now I've seen complaints about people saying "I do not want some old greasy BBQ tank in my RV" and I can agree with them, but generally, most of the tanks I get have been just fine. The convenience far outweighs the possibility of a dirty tank. I think I can summarize the convenience of the BBQ tanks in one picture :

Self Serve 20 pound / 5 gallon propane tanks (home depot)

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

So, while the rest of you are driving around looking for someone to fill your propane tanks, I simply go to Home Depot with a credit card at any time of the day and get propane from their self-serve kiosks. I can also get these at almost any store in the world (Walgreens, HEB, Randalls, etc.). The convenience factor is incredible.

The other reason I like having 4 of the 5 gallon tanks (4.7 gallon actually, but allow me to round, ok?) is that our RV carries 20 gallons of propane when full, and I refill after using 10 gallons. If you have the standard RV complement of two 7 gallon (30 pounds) then you have 14 gallons of propane and you refill your bottle after using 7 gallons. That means I'm making less refill stops. Yes, I have to haul around two smaller/lighter tanks each refill, but that is no big deal. Also, the 20 pound tanks are easier to lift.

One more note worth mentioning is that I keep two of the four tanks on all the time, not one at a time. The valve system in the RV will show the pressure in one tank, but take propane from both. I always keep two ON and two OFF so that I know when to refill. When one side goes empty, I disconnect them, then open the other side so I'm basically flipping sides all the time and never run completely out.

The OpenRange 399 BHS has 2 tanks on the drivers side and two tanks on the passenger side pictured below :

RV passenger side dual 5 gallon propane bottles

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

RV drivers side dual 5 gallon propane bottles

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

Finally, I'll show the differences between the OpenRange 20 pound / 5 gallon bottle and the more standard for RV use 30 pound / 7 gallon bottle. These are here really for reference since I explained earlier why I like the OpenRange setup.

20 pound / 5 gallon RV propane bottle

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

30 pound / 7 gallon RV propane bottle

From RV Park and Campground Review videos, RV basics, and travel stories with Sheri and Marlan

The Right RV for the Job can MAKE you MONEY!

Went to a car show at the Travis County Expo Center near Austin recently. It was more of a swap meet for car people than a car show and it attracted every type of vendor and patron imaginable.

While we were there, I snapped a few pictures of a Toy Hauler RV ( this was a Keystone Toy Hauler ) which was being used as a real business tool. I've no real opinion on the business that the toy hauler supported, but the concept makes a great deal of sense.

First, having an RV lets you follow the "show" circuit, attending different events and making sure you are there, present, and making sales where the people are. The idea that you don't have to commute back and forth or worry about hotels seems smart to me.

A toy hauler can haul anywhere from 2000-5000 pounds of payload depending upon the unit. So if you can fit your inventory neatly in the garage (which comes in all sizes), now you can take your inventory with you and even have stock shelves if you wanted. Since the garage can be air conditioned, you could use the area for foods - not really for COLD or FREEZER storage, but "keep in a dry cool place" type things.

Since the RV has a really large awning, you can make a nice 'front area' for your customers and yourself where you can conduct business. Keep in mind, toy haulers have outside TV's and speakers so that you can integrate multimedia into your sales concepts.

Since the toy hauler is a fifth wheel, you'll also conveniently have a vehicle (the truck) available for you to run errands or other trips.

What caught my eye about this toy hauler was the paint job (or wrap). This really finalizes the work package and makes this Toy Hauler a lean mean selling machine.

And at night when it is all said and done, you can make your inventory safe, get a good nights rest right on the site, and be there the next morning without any commute.

Drivers side view of a business use RV

Passenger side view of Toy Hauler used for Business

Super HOT Wheels for RV Parks...

Check out this article on tricked out golf carts in Florida...

"The cart-friendly design stretches far beyond this hub. Trails lead directly from the Villages to big chains like Target, Staples, and Starbucks, which line the nearby highways. Instead of parking lots crammed with minivans or SUVs, I see fleets of golf carts, often parked two or three to a spot."

Hypothetically speaking... what if our cities become denser and more compact - the roads optimized to smaller commuter cars while trucks have truck-only routes and then intercity, interstate transport becomes something else altogether.

You can't discount the whole tiny house (and I think RV's are part of that) concept and not start thinking about transportation. If everything shrinks down - completely different cars make a bunch of sense. Speeds change. Concepts around safety change.

Maybe these retirees aren't just being odd - maybe they are completely in front of something brand new?

Toilet Paper Holder : Really?

I'm reading the feature lists on lots of different RV's. It seems that a key part of marketing your RV is to have a list of basic features that looks impressive. Here is a Jayco Class C's list of features.

I find the following items listed as features :

Toilet paper holder

Towel holder

Towel ring

I have to wonder are these really even worth mentioning? I mean really, a toilet paper holder? Even if you DIDN'T have one in your RV, you could install one from Home Depot for about $5.

As I'm doing these reviews, I'm finding it difficult to really list distinguishing features and those little lists make it more difficult.

I'd love to have your input but I'm finding the key features typically are  things like RV type, length, fuel type, number of axles, some smaller features (black tank rinse), an add-on or two (generator), some configuration items (bunkhouse), and number of slides. After that, the number one differentiator seems to be the brand - since brand determines fit, finish, attention to detail, look and feel, and other things that seem to hinge around the idea of style. For example, a 32 foot Airstream with a generator gives you a pretty good command on what the unit might be.

Love to have your ideas.

RV Cool - This makes me want to live in a garbage truck

One of the neater home-spun RV's I've seen. I like the 'stealth' concept (sneaks up like a garbage truck). All of the appliances and furnishings look to be first class.




If you like a link instead : Living in a garbage truck

A Lady, her shoes, an RV : what to do?

It only takes about 10-15 pairs of shoes to create a space problem in an RV.

I probably just talked about 47,000 women out of living in an RV didn't I?

Sheri has quite a few pairs of shoes. Storing them in the RV basement isn't an option. But storing them in the closet uses up too much space and there isn't enough space for more than about 5 pairs of shoes.

We have found that you really need to think outside the box for space savings. Sometimes thinking inside the box isn't too bad. We have had great success with a spring loaded shower caddy for the rv shower. It has really helped a great deal in the bathroom.

We did find a 'back of the door' shoe rack. When we tried the shoe rack, we found there was not a place in the bedroom where the rack would go. We found that when the bedroom door opened, it would not open all the way.

So we put the shoe rack on the back of the bathroom door. We have the picture attached here. It does narrow the hallway, but it isn't a very big inconvenience. I sometimes secretly pretend I'm in an old WWII submarine. Too geeky?

Anyway, here is the rack being used. Send me some of your space saving pictures! Or, put your space saving ideas in the comments and feel free to link back to your site.

Shoe rack used to save space in an RV

rv52 : a year of blogging about RV's and RV park's

Sheri and I have been blogging for a whole year on the subject of recreational vehicle's and the RV lifestyle. We don't profess to know everything - you can't - ever - let alone in a short amount of time. But we've learned a great deal, made some mistakes, and tried to pass on our experiences to you. We try to write LESS about us, and more ABOUT RV's, RV parks and things that you can use. I just don't think our personal lives are that interesting, but what we learn might be, especially if you are new to owning an RV.

We have almost 300 articles on the rv52.com web site (297 to be exact). I can only summarize a tiny, tiny handful here. We try to write them so that they are not too dated, so I'm thinking that there is something here you can use if you just browse around a little bit. Don't be shy about leaving a comment or sending me an email.

So as we look back on 2010, these are some of the things we wrote about that you might find interesting...

* One of my more creative moments spoofing closed minded people who just think they need to consume lots of space and money.
* My BEST video on an RV Park (better editing -was not a drive through)
* My WORST video on an RV Park

Here, I'm trying to pretend I'm Rick Steve's, but we stayed at a really neat B&B south of Austin and I think this video gives you a good idea of the neat New Tracks Cabin.

We did buy a new Open Range 399BHS fifth wheel and provided video of the unit, told you what we learned about buying an RV, and also provided a long list of online documentation for the Open Range 399BHS.

* We shot 100's of RV Parks. You can find them by clicking on my "drive through review" tabs. I put some of the more Austin-centric RV park videos on a DVD.

We gave some little hints and articles about the things we find out along the way regarding the RV lifestyle:
* Shower organizers, among other things.
* What happens when you leave your grey water tank open too much... gnats, flies, and more.
* What happens when you don't tie down your awning - you have to get a new awning...

We even found some really neat lawn art in a small Nebraska town - Mason City.

We tailgated for the first time using our older RV. That was fun.

Well, this is a tiny, tiny, tiny smattering of 2010. I hope 2011 shapes up to be just as interesting!

RV Lifestyle : College Station Texas : Nebraska versus A&M

[ We'll update this post throughout the weekend of the game. ]

Hello fellow RV'ers. Sheri and I took Puma down to College Station Texas for the 2010 Big 12 regular season game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Texas A&M.

This is the first time we've taken Puma off of 'life support'. We don't have a generator so we're going to try to do it all on the battery.

Getting to College Station Friday night with the RV :

From Austin, we took 620 North, then Toll 45 to Toll 130, then Texas 79 to Milano, 36 south, 21 north, 47 south right into College Station.

Keep in mind we did this at quittin' time Friday. There was NO traffic to speak. It was an easy trip. When we got to College Station, we stopped at a convenience store and filled our fresh water tank. No we didn't disinfect, which you should, but we're not going to drink the water from the tank. We brought fresh drinking water separately. When we go back on city water, we'll flush the lines. Feel free to post comments on that concept.

We're setup @ Lot 50 and we're about 500 yards from the stadium. It is a good walk, but not too bad. We get to park in 4 parking spaces. It was a trick getting Puma in. Definitely travel trailers are the hardest rigs to get parked. She isn't perfectly level, but not too bad.

First Night :

Bought a 6 pack of beer, shared 4 of them with friends (guess I'm not a hard core partier like some of the tailgaters).

Had two friends stop by. Then while I was outside a RED suburban pulled up with a travel trailer. It was an old Nebraska friend that I worked with in Austin. Jim and I talked and had some scotch until 12:45 AM. Boy was I tired.

One downside to tailgating : At 4:30AM in the morning some IMBECILES starting playing that moronic game where you throw a beanbag into a board with a hole in it. They were acting like it was the Olympics. Not to mention they were loud and obnoxious. [ Please Lord do not let them be Huskers. ]

Update - They were Aggies [ hee hee ].

Game Day :

Roamed around and met other tailgaters.

Food and drinks were the watchword for the day!

One thing we did notice : The Honda generator stands out in the tailgating crowd. It is amazingly quiet. I also noticed that the Yamaha generator was quiet. Rumor has it that the LP gas generators run you out of LP really quickly and are less convenient to get fuel easily. One more generator note - several people had two Honda 2000's instead of one 4000 which I think is a cost thing.

Having your 'bed' with you (the RV) is really cool. We took a Saturday nap! We're a few hours from game time so things are really starting up! One other thing - we don't even have to worry about bed bugs!

As the day progressed, we got a little tired so we went back to Puma and took a nap. How cool was that.

We headed for the game later that day and enjoyed a wonderful football game. Would have loved to see the beloved Cornhuskers win, but that was not in the cards.

Heading Home on Sunday : Since we had a travel trailer, there was NO WAY (in my opinion) to get our of our parking spot without other folks moving first. We just didn't have enough turning radius.

The good thing is that even though pull out deadline was 2pm, most people were out by 10am. We pulled our fresh water drain so we could be lighter. I don't think we used more than about 15-20 gallons which are now in the gray/black tanks. We elected to drive home with the 20 gallon load (about 160 extra pounds).

We were worried about battery capacity, but we got the slide in just fine and found we had only took the battery down about a 1/3 (third). Not sure how accurate the gauges are, but I do think we had plenty of battery.

All in all a great first trip for dry camping. So, even if you don't have a generator, don't be afraid to go camping on your battery. You can do lots - you just can't have air/heat or TV. But those are survivable. Happy tailgating!

RV Basics : The Bedbug Advantage with an RV : Bring your own House

As I was reading this article about the bedbug infestation in New York, I couldn't help but think, wow, I sure want to tow the RV most anyplace close that I might normally have simply rented a hotel room. I love the idea that I can sleep in my own bed and not potentially bring pests home to my bed because I stayed somewhere else.

I wonder if this will help boost the RV industry a little - or maybe no effect. I don't have a big opinion. But I could honestly see how this would actually completely kill the idea of even going to bed and breakfasts, or staying in cabins at state parks.

If so that means vacationing in an RV or staying in your own tent is the best viable solution for keeping from getting contaminated.

Here is a humorous thought : Are all of us RV'ers actually germophobes?

RV Basics : More on RV Buying OR your mini-RV buying guide

Sheri and I have bought a new RV. I thought it might be useful to look at some things we have done and learn both from our victories and well as our mistakes.

First, I'm going to list a few points that at least tell you how Sheri and I think and I don't think anything has dissuaded us from our beliefs. But with these beliefs you can probably plan out your buying a little bit better.

• Do not pay list. Do not even pay close to list. It surprises me how many people won't get very much off of the list price (evidenced by anecdotal info found on craigslist and other sources).
• Even after you buy, expect to stay in unit nearby the dealer, then turn back in for another week or two of warranty work. You must build this into your buying plans.
• An RV on the lot SHOULD (I found a dealer in Louisiana who did not want to try to deal) command a lower price than one to be ordered. Why? Because of tied-up capital. Because it won't be 100% what you want.

Our expectation is that your ceiling price is 25% of MSRP of the unit with the equipment you want to purchase. Most important question is : what is list? Also, I think 25% off in a $130K unit is easier than in a $45K unit. What do YOU think? Post your ideas.

Now, I'll list the ordered list for the buying sequence we used.

1. Determine the type of unit you want to buy and why (we needed a bunkhouse fifth wheel).
2. Know your financial limits (our budget precluded a class A, size needed precluded travel trailer, etc.)
3. Know what you believe are to be the BRANDS you want to use to narrow your search further. Typically, factories will employ a quality standard across their models, so going with brand saves time. It isn't a guarantee, but it gives you something to go upon.
4. Know the options you truly want/need. We went round and round on double pane windows in an RV. The dealer was convinced that they were not important, but our RV neighbor was - so we got them. If they would save us $20/month for 6 months per year, and perhaps extended the life of our air conditioner by 3-4 years AND reduced the overall noise in the RV by running the air 25% less often, then they are probably worth it. So we went with them.
5. Narrow down to the units you want. It is very time consuming to get good pricing, so if you have more than 2, this is going to get hard.
6. Call dealers, near and far. Wherever possible, see if you can get the manufacturers list price sheet. That is a HUGE help in selecting options and negotiating. If you call dealers near the manufacturer you can calculate the freight charges.
7. Try to get a dealer close to where you will be most of the time. We went 3.5 hours away, so that is a little bit far from Austin, but I think it will be fine.
8. While at a dealer - when you are close to the end - absolutely be willing to leave and go to lunch and take a break. Buy on YOUR terms. Stretch it into two days if you want. Take your time. Stay in your game plan.
9. If you are equipped with excellent purchase knowledge, do not be afraid to say "we will buy at this price with these options today." Again, it is ok if you get flak to go for a Starbucks break. 
10. Buy the RV. Arrange for a nearby try-out after purchase.
11. Live in the RV for at least 2-3 days (this is the step we are at now).
12. Find as many warranty things as you possibly can. Get RV back into dealer repair bay ASAP.
13. After warranty fixes, then you can take it home.
14. We have an RV so we will need to transfer items from old to new.
15. Sell the old RV.

How did we do in buying our RV?

We did get a list price sheet, and we believe we got our fifth wheel at 30% off of list so we would consider that a victory. I cross checked that with a guy in our RV park who had a unit from the same manufacturer. He got his for about $3K less (and was proud of his deal), but his was 1 foot shorter, and had two less slides so that would account for quite a bit of difference. 

On the bad side, we switched brands AT THE DEALER which I would consider to be an RV buying mistake. However, when we went into the brand we originally intended to purchase, we were shocked at the visible feel of low quality - for example - the floors bowed when we walked on them. Still, I was uncomfortable getting out of our game. A post "buyers remorse" web-check and call to another dealer indicated that we did truly get a substantially better unit with incredible positive feedback on the web AND that we were within our 25% off metric. Also the research/learning we expended on the intended unit was absolutely useful with the new brand as well. The unit was also already on the dealers lot and honestly, bunkhouses probably aren't 'hot sellers' with the general RV crowd.

Miscellaneous notes on RV buying:

I have a friend who corroborates this story - told to me by the RV sales person. Both believe that selling outright is better than trading in. The advice we got was to use NADA guides - find the base price for your model (less options), pick the lower price (you get two, high/low) and then add a couple thousand dollars and put on craigslist and it will sell within a week. A week - really? My friend listed his ad 3x (a week per listing) and on the third time, it sold within 24 hours of listing. Anyway, that is our plan. I'll update everyone on how that goes.

When we were looking for helpful information, we decided to purchase a buyers guide on RV's. The reason is that there are so many brands - how can you compare - and the second reason is that MOST people - love the RV they have - that is not a perfect rule, but certainly one I've noticed. We purchased a buyers guide from JR Consumer and it seemed very well done.

When you are selling your RV, you can consult several sites, but I think that the NADA Guides site has a certain 'air' of authority that other sites, like rvt.com, might not. We are using it to sell our Puma.

I hope this help. Post your buying stories on comments. I'd love to hear.

RV Interest : The home made fifth wheel

One of the neat things about youtube is that it gives you suggestions on videos that you might like based on what you have looked at before. As you can imagine, I get quite a few RV related suggestions. One that I watched today was really exceptional. Its a video of a fellow named Chad who has built his own RV. According to his web site the RV was featured in Popular Mechanics.

This is interesting to me on a couple of levels. First, I think it is a really cool project, but secondly, I've noticed that the RV's are built, more like a home building process than a manufactured product. I've always been surprised that they use many home construction techniques and materials. I'm not saying that is wrong, but given the control they could have, I am continually surprised at the use of standard plywood and other very normal building materials. The really strong side of this is that it makes it so you actually CAN remodel, paint, and repair many, many parts of an RV by going to a Home Depot.

Anyway, enjoy the video. I know I did. My hat goes off to Chad.

RV Lifestyle : A Vacation from our Vacation

We're leaving today to visit Nebraska (family lives there). As we do this, I'm left with a few thoughts relative to the RV that I suppose many of you have as well. Some are questions. Maybe if I write them down it will help some readers, or perhaps help us on our search for solutions and answers to life questions, big and small.

• We decided NOT to take the RV on our 3 week trip and instead went in a car. Probably because we live in the RV full time, but at least 1/2 of our trip we'll be staying with family so when we calculated the costs, it was more expensive and troublesome to use the RV.
• We've been living in the RV for some time now... With the slide out. Just because we WON'T be there for 3 weeks, should we pull the slide in? Or leave it out? Should we look like we are still there? Or look like it is uninhabited? I don't expect there is a right answer - just opinions - which is all most people have to offer. Never crisp data. Usually it goes like this : "I do it this way and that is the right way. I have no empirical evidence other than I'm personally happy with my technique so YOU should accept it on gospel that my way is the best way." Welcome to the internet. One guy actually had a story of the cost and difficulty of replacing an axle which was thrown by not greasing the wheels. That was pretty convincing and I would say that counts as empirical enough for me. One guy actually put a small camera on a stick and put it in his black tack. That is pretty convincing as he looked and provided evidence. 
• Now that we live with less, other than the value of the RV itself, we have NO contents of any real value. Some clothes and pots and pans. Computers are now portable so we take them with us. So what we leave behind in the RV doesn't really require anyone checking. We just don't have much. That is really comforting.
• Everywhere we stay, we'll have more square footage than the RV. Usually when you vacation it is the other way around.
• How low/hot should you leave the thermostat? That is related to the fridge. We probably have about $30 worth of food in it. Should we just throw it out and turn all electric off and save another $50 (net $20)? We probably won't. We'll keep power on, keep the fridge cold, and set the thermostat to 90 F. That is probably illogical, but that is what we'll do.
• We'll turn off the water and the propane.
• We've been on one 20 gallon tank for propane for over TWO MONTHS. That is really cool. 

All for now.

RV Mini News : Geico Amazes

You might find this list of RV insurance companies useful when you are looking for insurance. Perhaps you might already have insurance with one of them and its nice to know you can simply add your rig to your policy.

I wrote earlier and mentioned that we insure Puma the RV with our Geico insurance. But I thought I would regale you with a little tiny story about Geico...

When I tried to DROP Mr Big from our Geico insurance policy recently I could not do it from the web. The buttons simply would not work. I tried it from Firefox and Safari. Frustrated  I called in and made the adjustment. As a footnote to the call I mentioned that the website was not working and they should look at it. More or less simply venting.

Well, about 2 business days later I received a phone call from Geico explaining that because there is an RV on the policy, it has to go through a manual quotation process and that the web doesn't work because of that. They apologized for the problem, said they understand what is going on, and that they have plans to automate the quotation process soon.

I was pretty impressed. Geico listened and called back. Kudos to the little gal in their Dallas call center who took the initiative. I hope Geico is nice to her.

RV Lifestyle : List of Ways RV's are Green and Ways to Improve

I love living in the RV so far. It represents so much of what I believe is 'right' and 'true' to do in this world. Philosophically, it is completely against the consumer-ish mindset that seems to be prevalent. It is about less=more, small=big. I thought I would list some of the ways RV's are green and also a second list on how RV's can be better.

Ways RV's are Green or Environmentally Friendly

• Living in an RV, you simply buy less stuff.
• Black water tanks make you conscious of your waste.
• Small hot water heaters make you take shorter showers.
• Small space is smaller to heat.
• Small space is smaller to cool.
• Smaller refrigerator/less storage = more fresh food / more fresh purchases / more local consumption.
• You can move closer to your work so you can drive less.
• Small space means small outdoor space means less 'land footprint' required.
• RV dwellers tend to be outside more (less air conditioning)
• DC voltage system lends itself well to LED lighting
• Small space with windows on both sides means it is easier to get get a breeze through.
• Built in furniture means you don't buy furniture and big things - not filling up landfills.
• Awnings are naturally part of the RV experience and they keep things cool so you use less air conditioning.
• People tend to cook outside more w/ an RV meaning that the heat from cooking doesn't require the cooling to counteract.
• RV hot water heaters are really easy to turn on/off lending themselves to simply turning off and saving energy.
• LP Gas bottles make you THINK about saving LP Gas so you don't have to fill them up so much.

Ways RV's can improve their Environmental impact

• RV's seem to use lots of plastics which I'm not so sure are great materials for the environment.
• RV's don't seem to have great insulation which I think is a problem.
• RV's seem to be subject to the sunlight and get awfully hot. There has to be a way to make them even more able to reject the sun's heating ways.
• RV's black water system may encourage too much water usage to keep clean and waste water.
• RV's black water system probably ought to be more sophisticated - too many people putting chemicals in the black water to keep clean. Maybe the gray water could be pumped into the black to re-use the gray to flush the black out?

Those were some things I was thinking about. What about you?

RV News : Texas ROT Rally

The Texas ROT Rally was last weekend (June 12).

The ROT Rally is held mainly on the VERY east side of Austin at the Austin Expo Center. Our RV Park is on the VERY west side of Austin. They couldn't be further apart. But the really good motorcycle riding is in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin.

Our RV park filled up to probably at least half capacity for the ROT Rally with some really interesting people. This is important for a couple of reasons 1) If you need a place to bring your RV next year (2011+ ROT Rally) then you could book La Hacienda RV Park and Resort. Just know it is on the opposite side of town. The second thing to know is that in some ways ROT Rally occurs everywhere in Austin - not just at the Expo center.

Here are some notes :

• Our RV motorcycle temporary neighbors had a travel trailer like ours but we estimated about 8 people were living in it. We think they travel around to rallys.
• Tattoos are really popular. One guy had so many you could not see his skin anymore.
• I've learned about a new kind of bike called a Cafe Cruiser.
• I don't see that those handlebars that are WAY in the AIR could be very comfortable and could be really bad for a long trip.
• One guy designed a motorcycle and you had to WEAR the gas tank because he thought the tank detracted from the bike. That is a bad idea on so many levels I could not begin to start.
• The biker crowd did not cause any trouble at the park at all. Nothing to report - which is great.
• I saw a toy hauler RV that had the best name : War Wagon
• Lots and lots of bikers all had a woman on their bike with them. Definitely a couples thing. Some guys look like they might have lots of trouble acquiring that.

Anyway, that is my little notes about the effect of ROT Rally on my little limited world. I think you can search the web for the real scoop from real attendees.

RV Did you Know : RV Motorhome Hall of Fame

While perusing the internet during a lunch break, I ran across a reference to the RV/Motorhome Hall of Fame. It never occurred to me that such a thing might exist so I did a Google search and lo and behold...

This page on old RV's in the museum is pretty interesting - but the page takes a LONG TIME to load. It is a page of the inventory of old RV/MH. Kind of cool to see all of the different types. They were missing the conestoga wagon (the first travel trailer).

I didn't put in a label calling this a destination, but maybe it is a destination. It is close enough to Major League Baseballs Hall of Fame, so maybe you could do a Hall of fame tour. If you are passing by on the interstate it might be a fun afternoon diversion.

Here is a hall of fame you probably didn't know about : http://www.essortment.com/all/nationalmuseum_rlzm.htm

Anyway, I thought this would be a fun post. Enjoy.

RV Interest : 1969 Dodge Travco

When videoing an RV park near Georgetown, Sheri and I ran across this BEAST! I looked it up and I think it is a Dodge 1969 Travco. I found an entire site dedicated to Travco line of motorhomes. Anyway, this looks like a classic. Not sure what the towbar is all about, but I hope you enjoy this VERY short video.