Protect Your Rig from Power Spikes and fires!!!

When traveling from campsite to campsite, from State to State, you never know how the power at the next campsite will be.  Power could be under or over the specified amount for your rig.  Why take the chance of shorting out your electrical components that will lead to a costly repair or even fire.  I protect my rig and family with the TRC RV Power Protector.  The Surge Gaurd 2 is meant to keep over powering electrical grids at pay.  It will not allow more amperage then your rig can handle from hurting the components in your RV.

There are 2 models available from TRC to keep the power at bay.  There is a 30 amp and 50 amp units available.  The upfront investment for the 30 amp is around $275.00 where the 50 amp is slightly higher at $350.00.

The surge protectors shown in this posting are for the portable units, but check out TRC's website for the permanent models that can be installed in your rig.  I prefer the portable models because if I sell my camper and upgrade, I can bring it with me and use it on the new rig.

See you down the road....

Black Tank Sewer Chemicals

I have tested many chemicals for the black tank waste and my biggest complaint was always the odor that was released when flushing the toilet or when the tank started to fill up.  I have mostly used the liquid style chemical treatment and was not happy with the results.  I have switched to using the powder packet style and have had much success with odor control and waste break down.  I have also found that false readings from the sensors have been less since switching to the packet style. 

To use these packets, all you do is drop one in, add some water, and your ready to go.  The chemicals will last about one week in your tank before needing to dump the waste or add another packet.  They are priced around the same as the liquid, but work 100% better.

Click on the link to the right to find these chemicals on Amazon.com or go to your local RV dealer to pick them up.

See you down the road...

Sprint vs Verizion Cellular Internet Access

Internet access is hard to find when traveling on the road.  The best thing to do is to carry your own.  I have tested 2 different carriers for Cellular internet access and have found that Verizon Wireless seems to have the best speeds and up times.  I used Sprint's 4G Overdrive device and found that I could not get faster than 256K on most occasions.  I did have the opportunity to use it in Atlanta GA where 4G is being delivered and was able to get a somewhat impressive 1MB down session.  After months of not being happy with the 256K, Sprint finally let me out of my contract and I decided to go with Verizon's 3G MiFi 2200 device.  On most days I get around 1.5MB down and that's on 3G.  I am anxious to see what kind of speeds will be available from the 4G that is going to be released in Dec of 2010.

As far as plans are concerned, Sprint is offering a 3G 5GB a month for $59.95 and 4G unlimited data.  For Verizon, they offer 5GB a month for $50.00 and 10GB for $80.00.  Verizon has not released any information on the 4G plans as of yet.

Bike Racks to Backup Camera

In this posting I will discuss two important tools that campers always use.  The first is bike racks.  There are many different kind of bike racks available on the market.  Some that connect to a trailer hitch receiver, some that connect directly to the bumper of the RV, and some that use a ladder on the RV to hang your bikes.  Any one of these are great, but from my experience, I think the trailer hitch style receiver is the best option.  It gives you the flexibility to remove the bike rack when not in use or a lot of them let you have your bikes in between your tow vehicle and trailer you are towing.  My 5th wheel has the hitch mounted on the trailer, so I can use that for storage and or a bike rack at the same time.  Check out Become.com for a variety of bike racks available.

The next important tool a camper can have on their tow vehicle or RV is a backup camera.  A backup camera will show you what is behind you when driving in reverse, or getting ready to.  When towing a large trailer, it is important to know what is back there at all times.  This would include small children, animals, and other vehicles.  Another advantage is having a backup camera on your tow vehicle so you can use it for easy trailer hitching.  They make all sizes and mounts available and it can really save you the hassle of having someone directing you or even more important, prevent an accident.  Check out Become.com for a variety of backup camera's available.

Watch out for falling children...

Bunk beds are a great thing for packing the kids in the RV.  Most kids love these style beds, but they can be unsafe.  Most RV top bunks don't have rails on them to protect your kid from falling out.  These Dex Sleeper Bed Rails is the solution.  They simply just slide under the mattress and the weight of the mattress and child on top will hold them in place.  There is also straps that you can use to strap the bed rails to the mattress so they won't fall off when not in use.

I would recommend these to anyone with bunk beds at home or in the RV to protect the little ones from falling out of bed like mine have done.

More Power Please

We do a lot of driving being full time RV'ers and sometimes you just need to take a nap.  I don't like to use loud generators for power when I need it, I use a Vector power inverter.  These power inverters allow me to power a fan when its hot, or even make a cup of coffee when its cold. 

In the RV I have two 12 volt marine batteries connected.  With that configuration I have the Vector power inverter hard wired directly to the batteries.  I can than take extension cords and plug my fan and other appliances into the power inverter and have instance DC to AC power.

These power inverters are cheaper than purchasing a generator and not to mention, you don't need to be fuel in it to make it work.  The batteries in the RV are charged when you connect to the camp power, so the rig is the fuel charging station at the campsite you end up at.  You could even install a solar charger changing the charging from the electric at a campsite to the sun overhead.  I find that I can get a week out of the batteries without charge and running around 500 WATTS.

Happy camping and see you down the road.

Stop Please...

When pulling a heavy RV such as a travel trailer or 5th wheel, it is important to be able to stop when needed.  The weight of that trailer behind you will push you if you don't have the right brake controller installed. 

I have tried multiple brake controllers over the year and have found that there are only 2 that I would trust with my family riding shotgun.  Those would be the Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller and the Tekonsha P3 electric brake controller.  These brake controllers are what is called proportional meaning that it will sense the rate of the tow vehicle, the incline, and speed traveling.  Based on those metrics, the controller will apply pressure to the electric brakes in your trailer.  The combination of the electric trailer brakes and the tow vehicle brakes will help you to stop within a safe distance and will feel as if you have control, and not your trailer.

The difference between the P3 and the Prodigy is the display.  Both function the same, but the P3 has a graphic interface with text as opposed to the Prodigy that is based only on the voltage display of the electric trailer brakes.  I personally use the P3 and enjoy the easy read out.

Be sure when purchasing your controller, that you purchase the correct wire harness so installation is Plug N Play.  You should have no need for a trailer service company to install this device for you if you purchase the easy to use wiring harness.

Clean That Dirty Rig!!!

One thing about being on the road full time is the amount of dirt and road grime you pick up while driving from State to State.  You wouldn't believe how dirty the roads are the beautiful USA!

I have found this great little invention to help me keep my rig nice and clean.  The Camco 43633 RV Wash Brush has an adjustable handle so that you can collapse the unit when not in use and extend it for those high out of reach areas.  You connect your standard garden hose to the brush and can control the water flow right from the handle.  This makes it much easier to pre-soak and rinse since its built into the tool you are using to spread your soap.

I used this on my 35' 5th wheel, and doing the roof and all four sides took me about an hour to clean.  Considering the size of the vehicle, I think that was super fast as opposed to the way I used to do it with a garden hose, sponge, and bucket method.

Lighting the way...

When I'm camping I like to see what going on in the dark.  These lanterns are so bright, you will think its daylight at your campsite. 

I use 2 of these and hang one on each end of my awning with bungee cords.  They can also be set on a table with the included base that turns the propane tank into a stand. 

These lanterns are great for when grilling in the dark, playing board games, or even just hanging out and talking with your family and friends.  You can find the mantels at any Wal-Mart or other store where they sell Coleman products. 

The brightness is adjustable with a turn knob style switch and the mantles are very cheap to replace.  The lantern uses a throw away type propane cylinder and these tanks last for hours.  I have been using the same tanks in mine for about 4 weeks at about 2 hours per night.

The price is very reasonable for the amount of light and performance you will get with these units.  There are more expensive models out that ranging into the $50.00 mark, but I don't see the benefits of those units over this one.

Reese 5th Wheel Slider Hitch

When I first started pulling a 5th wheel I was overwhelmed by the amount of options I had for towing this beast I was planning on purchasing.  I wanted a name brand that knew would hold up to the abuse and needed the slide features since my truck is a short bed pickup.  Didn't want to smash out the back window when backing the rig up into tight spots.  After weeks of research I found the Reese Towpower 30056 from their Pro Series line.  This hitch has the name I wanted, the tow capacity needed for pulling my 12K lbs monster, and the best price in these series hitches.  I have had the hitch installed in my truck for almost a year now and it still looks and performs as it did the day I installed it.

That's right...I installed it with the help of a friend of course.  The hitch took about 4 hours to install and is one of the easiest installations I have ever done when it comes to hitches.  The kit comes with universal mounting rails and all hardware needed to do the job right.  Once the rails are installed, the rest of the hitch is installed by rods and pins.  This is great because when you are not using the hitch, the hitch can be removed freeing back up all that cargo space that was lost.  The only thing that stays in the truck permanently is the rail system.  I have pulled over 10K miles with this hitch, checked all the bolts, and none have even come close to loosening up!  I plan on doing my entire cross country trip on this hitch and will never worry about break down or heavy wear.  There has been no sing of either of these concerns in the 15K miles I have gone so far!

See you down the road!

Maxxair vent covers

I have been using Maxxair vent covers for years and highly recommend these to anyone with an RV or trailer.  These covers can save you from unexpected rain storms when you are either sleeping or not at the camper.  Water has to be the Kryptonite of campers and these covers are the solution to protecting your asset.   It is nice to be able to leave the vents in the RV open and not have to worry about the rain coming in. 

These vent covers are very easy to install and are made of a hard plastic material that will not fade in the sun and can stand up to most weather conditions. 

I have 3 vents in my 5th wheel and have them all covered.  I would rate these as and A++ on the easy of installation and the performance of this great camper saving product!

Need More Storage??!!!

Like most of us that camp, we tend to bring more than we can carry, or even need.  My family and I have recently been living fulltime in our 5^th wheel and find that storage is a hot commodity.  With only 350 SQFT of living space for 6 and one outside storage compartment, it is very difficult to find room for the sewer hoses, water hoses, and other things that you wouldn’t want to store with your folding chairs and kids toys.  On our 5^th wheel we have a 2” trailer hitch receiver installed on the rear bumper.  This comes in handy to add storage to your rig without taking up extra space.  If you don’t have one of these nice receivers installed, any welding shop should be able to fasten one on for a fair price and as you will see, it is worth its weight in Gold.

There are many different style trailer hitch racks that can be purchased.  They make ones that fold up when not in use, have siding so you can strap cargo down, and ones that are completely flat with a metal mesh bottom like shown in the image above.  The kind that I purchased is the one like in the image above because I needed the ability to mount a cargo box to the rack.  This gives me the ability to have more covered weather proof storage. 

The cargo box that I recommend is one made of hard plastic with little or no metal parts.  This will keep the latches, etc. from rusting in the weather.  Once you find a box that you like, place the box on the rack where you would like it mounted and mark with a chalk on the bottom of the box where you will drill the holes.  Depending on the size of the box you may want to drill 6 – 8 mounting holes.  Once the holes are drilled, place back on the rack and use 2 washers (1 per side), a lag bolt, and 1 nylon nut to mount the box to the rack.  Once the box is mounted, find yourself a nice weather resistant lock and load it up with stuff that you will use to connect your RV at the campground, or other outside stuff.  This will help keep your basement and inside storage clean.

Marshall Gas Control Indicator

Most of the RV’s on the road today tell you everything you need to know about liquid, battery, and power levels with the RV’s on-board sensors.  The one thing that is most commonly missing is how much propane you have left in your tanks.   This is an important need to know especially if you’re camping in cold weather.  What would you do if you ran out of propane in the middle of the night and your family had no heat to keep warm?  With this simple solution, you will always know when your primary tank is out of fuel and you are running on your secondary / reserve tank.

My 5^th wheel has (2) 30 lb tanks.  I know exactly when I need to refill the primary tank by an amber light that comes on when I automatically switch over to the second tank.  In order to accomplish this modification your RV needs to be equipped with a Marshall 250 series 2-stage LP regulator or similar model. 

Dump your waste the right way!

First off, let me say that this is a wonderful, innovative product that will change the way RV’ers dump waste from the black tank!  This product not only dumps the waste, but makes clean up and storage a dream.  SewerSolutions is powered by water from any garden hose and uses a much smaller 3/4" hose to transport the waste from your RV to the parks sewer system.   The pump uses a water jet to shred the waste and then pumps it through the transport hose and away from your RV.  Smell is greatly reduced due to flooding the waste with water at the same time the waste is being pushed away from the RV.  The water jet can then be turned and used to flush water up and into the RV black holding tank.  This helps to clear out any leftover paper or waste that may remain in the tank.  Once this process is done, you can either remove the system from your RV or you can connect a plug that is supplied to continue using as at full hookup sites leaving your gray tanks open.

Cleaning is simple since the water just forces all the waste out of the pump and hose creating an automatic cleaning system.  The hose is small, so it is very easy to coil up and store away tightly.  We all know how RV storage can be limited.  This leaves such a small footprint compared to the standard 3” hose, that alone this makes the product worth a look.