RV Pets and Owners

One of the great joys of RVing is being able to bring our beloved pet along with us. Maggie May is a two year old Labradoodle, and she is a pistol. She loves to play with her vast collection of toys, be cuddled, go on walks, play fetch, and play in the water. She adores camping, so I can’t imagine going camping without her.
Which brings me to the topic of rules for pets and their owners, whether mandated by the park or not. The most important rule of pet etiquette deals with pet waste. Now my wife and I have always taken great care to pick up Maggie’s messes and dispose of them properly. It really frustrates me to see some folks out there think that the pet rules don’t apply to them or their pet. The last thing I want to step in is a pile of dog poo when I am going on a walk, especially when it’s such an easy thing to take care of in the first place. Pet poo baggies are light weight, hardly take up any room in your pocket, and are easy to dispose of. I have also found that plastic grocery bags work really well too.
Leash rules are there for a reason too. I love to let Maggie run free, but will do so only in a area that specifically allows it. There are many pet beaches and trails in Michigan…all you have to do is look or ask. The leash rule keeps your pet and my pet under control, especially if they meet up and want to get into a tussle. Some children and even adults are frightened by dogs, so keeping Maggie on a leash and under control is very important to those around us (even though she is a sweety).We know that Maggie is not perfect. She barks like any other dog,, but even more so because she has been bred to be a hunter. However, my wife and I work hard to keep the barking under control so it is not bothersome to our neighbors.
So please abide by the park’s pet rules out of respect to our fellow campers and to the park itself. I want to be able to bring Maggie May with us on every camping trip and not have to worry seeing a sign that says ‘No Pets Allowed!’.

 

Snow RV Pulling

I had the unfortunate opportunity several times to have to pull our fifth wheel through the snow. It wasn’t planned by any means. My wife and I decided to head all the way down to Georgia one October several years ago so we could get away from the cold weather here in Michigan for our annual fall camping trip.

We were staying at Black Rock Mountain State Park when we were hit with 4 inches of snow over night. I had to climb onto the roof to push the snow off of the slide-outs with a broom. Then I had to carefully latch the fifth wheel onto the hitch. I was afraid of slipping and sliding while I was latching on; luckily, I had no mishaps. I was also glad I had four-wheel drive on the truck. I slowly pulled out of the campsite, and started to head down the mountain. Lucky for us it was just slushy wet snow, but that still didn’t help my wife who was white knuckling it whole way down the mountain. I still have finger indents on the truck console to prove it! So much for the idea of traveling south for warmer and nicer weather in the month of October. We later found out it was warmer up in the northern part of Michigan!

Another time was just this last October. We decided to end our fall vacation at Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland. We decided to take route 77 so we could easily hook back up to the expressway. On the day we had to head back home it snowed again on our route. It was higher up in elevation. How beautiful it was to see the ground and colored foliage of the trees covered with a blanket of snow. Again I had to put the truck in four-wheel drive, and slowly head back down the mountain.

I found that if you just take it easy, slow down and drive just like a cautious truck driver you shouldn’t have any problems. Now it does help by having a lot of practice driving back and forth to work during the Michigan winters. But pulling a 32’ 13,000 pound fifth wheel behind you on slippery roads does take a little getting use to. In both instances, I didn’t have to contend with road salt. Otherwise, I would have had to stop and rinse off the undercarriage of the fifth wheel. I have seen the damage done to units that weren’t taken care of right away. Salt can cause the undercarriage to rust very quickly and can damage slide-out mechanisms. 

So for those of you who encounter unexpected snow on the roadways, please drive carefully and allow plenty of room for stopping and starting. Hopefully you won’t have to contend with road salt, but if you do rinse off the undercarriage as soon as you can to prevent rusting.  In addition, be sure to have you trailer brakes adjusted properly. You don’t want the brakes to lock up and cause your unit to jack knife on slippery roads. And if the slippery roads make you too jittery, just sit tight.  The good thing about unseasonal or unexpected snow is that it doesn’t take very long to melt on the roadways.   Safe travels!

 

The Dreaded Phone Call

It’s the dreaded phone call. Your dad is in the hospital. Being over 1200 miles away makes you feel completely helpless.  I love the fact that my parents are really enjoying their life. Going where it is warm for the winter and traveling all across this great and beautiful country of ours.  

Ever since they have become full time RVers, I noticed for the first time that my parents are relaxed, and getting the most out of life. They travel all over the the country so they can visit friends and family. They go to festivals, and most of all they come to help out family members when they can. They stayed at our place and sacrificed allot of their summer one year just so they could help out and get things prepared for our daughters wedding.  

I love doing things with my dad such as building a pole barn to store our RV and some of our belongings. My dad even built a loft and some shelves in the pole barn. I realized a little time back that we always seem too busy building and doing things that we never seem to have the time to go fishing, or canoeing. I am extremely grateful that we were able to get some camping time together last year. But it never seems enough.

Parents going to Florida

So I made a vow to make sure I take some time this coming summer when my parents come back from Florida to actually go fishing, canoeing, bike riding, etc. Anything but work related stuff.  And I made that promise when they left our place this last fall to head out on their next adventure. Then came the dreaded phone call.

This time I feel I got very lucky. My dad is doing better and has been released from the hospital. It looks like he is making a full recovery. I am making sure this winter I am going down to their place in Florida to visit my parents. To see their place and all the hard work my dad did. And I will definitely make sure that nothing gets in the way this coming summer to prevent us from doing the relaxing and fun things I mentioned earlier. Life is just too short!

 

RV Water System Winterization

This is always a sad time for me.  It means that the camping season is over, and I will have to wait five or so months before the weather turns nice again. Unless of course you are one of the fortunate ones that go south before the weather turns cold. If you intend to store your RV through periods of sub-freezing weather, you will need to winterize the water system and if you don’t, damage to the water system components will occur.

Here are a few steps you need to do to your water system so it is ready to endure the cold winter temperatures.

First you need to level your unit for good drainage. Make sure your waste tanks are empty. See previous blog article. Turn your water pump off. Open all the faucets, including the outside shower if you have one and remove the drain plug on your water heater. Also open the water heater tank pop off valve to minimize the risk of an air lock and allow for fast complete tank drainage. Open all low point drains on the water lines along with the valve or plug on your fresh water tank. When all lines and tanks are drained, close your low point drain lines and turn the water heater bypass valves to the bypass position, usually vertical to the floor, and close all faucets. Don’t forget about your shower head faucet. If you forget to close your low point drains like I did during my first water system winterization, you will quickly go through a gallon of RV Antifreeze and it will all end up being on the ground! If your water heater tank does not have a by-pass kit, you can purchase one from our parts store. www.modernrv.com  Otherwise you will go through approximately 6 to 12 gallons of RV Antifreeze just to fill the water heater tank!

Next locate your water pump winterization hose. Shut the valve below the hose that goes into the fresh water tank. Open the valve to the winterization hose and place it into the RV Antifreeze bottle. Turn the pump on, then go to the faucet farthest from the tank and open it until RV Antifreeze flows out and appears non-diluted. Make sure to do both hot and cold faucets. Close the faucet and follow the same procedure at each faucet, (including the toilet) till RV Antifreeze flows non-diluted from each, including the outside shower if you have one. When complete turn your water pump off, remove the RV Antifreeze pump hose and turn off the hose valve. 

Make sure you fill the p-traps (sink drains etc.) with approximately 1 cup of non-diluted RV Antifreeze. If you do not have a RV Antifreeze pump hose located on your pump you will then need to manually pump the RV Antifreeze in usually through the outside fresh water hose connection.  If you are concerned about extreme cold temperatures you may want to blow the water lines out with low pressure compressed air before you pump in the RV Antifreeze. Don’t just rely on blowing the water lines out with compressed air and call it a day. It is highly recommended that you use RV Antifreeze through out the water system.

The RV Antifreeze hand pump and RV Antifreeze can be purchased in our parts store. www.modernrv.com/Parts.html Be sure to use a good RV/Marine Antifreeze with superior corrosion inhibitor. This will protect the pump and drain seals.

If you don’t want to hassle with all that, then feel free to contact our service department at: service@modernrv.com

 

camping trips

No, I didn’t fall off the face of the earth. A few of you have wondered what happen to the blog. So here I am typing again. My wife and I are doing what we really love to do, and that is camping. We took a wonderful trip in our fifth wheel to the UP of Michigan. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has always felt like we are in a different world, or at least a different state. There is so much to see and do. And the folks are so friendly. The scenery is incredible, and we actually had nice sunny weather!

Camping in northern Michigan

Then we decided to go on a trip to the northern woods of Lower Michigan. We thought we would beat the color tour crowds and go a little early this year. So we latched on the fifth wheel and drove up to the Leelanau Peninsula. There never seems to be enough time to do everything you want to do. We wanted this trip to be relaxing, but at the same time do some site seeing, etc. We went on a wonderful wine tour, checked out two Indian Casinos, and actually had a great time at the Harvest Festival at Leelanau State Park.

The color here in Michigan is now changing, and fall is truly setting in. We have one more RV trip to go on before we pack it in and prepare for this winter. I did replace our antenna head unit on our fifth wheel. I will tell you more about that in the future and let you know if it was worth it.

 

Rear Stabilizer Jacks

Manual Jack

For some time now I have been getting  questions regarding rear stabilizer jacks for our travel trailers and fifth wheels. There are several types out there. The manual type jacks, where you crank them down. Electric power jacks,  you just push a button. And the heavy duty screw type or hydraulic jacks.

Hydraulic Jack

The heavy duty type, like you see on motor homes and may are available on high end fifth wheels can be used for leveling the coach. Some are even automatic. You still have to be cautious because you can twist the frame.

Electric Jack

The electric power jacks are good for stabilizing the coach. They are not design for leveling. You do have the convenience of pushing a button or buttons, and the jacks come down and stabilize the unit. They are generally stronger than some of the manual jacks out there. These type jacks run on a 12 volt power source.

The majority of the fifth wheels and travel trailer  have the manual type rear stabilizer jacks. These type jacks require you to manually crank down the pad for stabilization, not for leveling.  Before using the rear stabilizer jacks  make sure you pick as level a site as possible to park your unit. Most of the time the sites we love are never level. So to combat the problem we use planking under the tires on the low side of our fifth wheel. There are wheel ramps, Lynx Levelers, etc. out on the market if you do not like the idea of planking.

Here are some basic steps for parking your RV. Level your RV as much as possible by using planking, etc. under the low side of your unit if necessary before unhitching. Always use wheel chocks when parking your RV. Unhitch the trailer from your tow vehicle and level from front to rear with the front jacks. Lower the stabilizer-jack on the lowest side of the trailer first, checking for and “fine tuning” level conditions with the jack. Once the side-to-side balance of the RV is obtained, lower the jack on the opposite side to secure level position. When you are leaving and putting the jacks back into traveling position be sure to snug the jacks up tighly so they will not vibrate down while traveling.

Stick On Level

We also installed a stick on level to the side of our unit. I do not like to drill holes on the exterior walls unless absolutely necessary. The stick on works really well, and does a nice job of telling us when the RV is level from front to rear. You can also purchase and install a larger level for the front to determine if your unit is level side to side.

 

Black tank, gray tank, and fresh water tanks…….

…..now comes the black tank. The most dreaded tank in the service department. I can smell it when I walk in the door to the dealership. I know instantly what the service department is working on. For starters, this tank has to do a lot of work. This tank, if used correctly must contain the odors, break down toilet tissue, and most of all break down the solids us humans leave from our behinds.

First thing, make sure the black holding tank valve is closed. Even when you are connected to a full hook-up campsite, this valve needs to be closed until you are ready to drain the tank. I strongly recommend that initially you put at least 3 to 4 gallons of water into this tank either by flushing the toilet or using a  jug or pail. Then pour in your waste chemical, liquid or tablet (both work very well).

RV drain valves

If you don’t add enough water or chemical to the tank as recommended, the solids will sink to the bottom of the tank. This will cause the solids to build up and not dissolve correctly.
Another reason to keep the black tank valve closed is to prevent it getting clogged up with tissue and solids. If the blockage is allowed to dry out, you will have a major problem which could lead to some serious service work, and could even require replacing the black tank itself. This is why it is so important to leave the black tank valve closed while in use!

Next, don’t drain the tank until it is at least 50% full. If you need to drain it before then, first fill it up to the half- full level. Doing this will cause the liquid to rush out of the tank quickly, bringing along the solids and tissue. This is why there is a large pipe line from the tank to the valve.
A great trick that will help maintain a cleaner sewer hose is to close your gray tank valve, and let this tank fill up as much as possible before you drain the black tank. Drain the black tank first, then close your black tank valve and open your gray tank valve. The soapy water will rinse the hose for you, making it less stinky and messy.

Be sure to use RV toilet paper! This type of tissue dissolves with the proper chemical, making it

Black tank nozzle hook-up

 much easier to drain the tank. If your RV has a built in black tank nozzle, be sure to have the black tank drain valve open before using it. I have heard about mishaps where the valve was left closed and the tank overflowed through the vent pipe on the roof or through the toilet. I sure would not want to be the one to clean up that mess!
Hope this helps, and eliminates some of the fear of the infamous black tank.

 

Black tank, gray tank, and fresh water tanks…….

…..almost all RVs have them. Even some of the pop-up trailers out there will at least have a fresh water tank. Those of us that have all three can really take the advantage of camping with the convenience of home. When you are not camping at a full hook-up site, these tanks will become that much more important.

Fresh water fill

The fresh water tank is used, you got it, for fresh water. I always drain mine after a trip. The water can get quite nasty if left in the tank for over a period of time. Our parts store sells products that will freshen and deodorize this tank. You can add a tablespoon of bleach to a 40 gallon tank, and this will disinfect the tank. Don’t use more than that, otherwise the water will taste like bleach, and it is not good for your water pump and drain valve seals. Be sure the vent tube is not blocked while you are filling this tank. You don’t want the fresh water tank to collapse or rupture while filling. You do not have to use this tank when you are hooked up correctly at a full hook-up campsite.

The gray tank is for your waste water. This waste water usually comes from your sinks and

RV waste tank drain valves

showers. Our parts store sells products that will deodorize this tank. Just keep a eye on the level gage so your tank doesn’t overflow. You will need to drain this tank when full into the appropriate container or dump station. Some units have more than one gray tank which will allow you to go quite some time without dumping. You will need to hook-up your drain sewer hose to the outlet drain opening when you are at a full hook-up campsite.

I will discuss in my next blog the correct way to take care of the famous black tank!

 

Tire pressure and blow outs

TIRE AIR PRESSURE……

…is probably one of the easiest things to forget. I always stress to my customers when they are picking up their new or used RV the importance of checking  tire pressure. Sunlight alone does enough damage, but add under-inflated tires to the equation? That is definitely scary.

I have seen the damage done when tires blow out. Some folks get lucky, but when they don’t, damage can run in the thousands of dollars.  What a sad way to start or end a trip! Now granted, not all tire damage is done by incorrect tire inflation pressure. Road hazards, over loaded RVs and old tires are some of the other causes of blowouts.

If you are not sure what pressure to inflate your tires, check on the tire sidewalls. The manufacturer will have the recommended tire pressure there for the maximum load. Most units provide the recommended tire pressure and size on the exterior tag of the RV. Of course they are

Manufacturer Tire Tag

 assuming you will not overload your rig. You must take into account the average life span for a RV tire is five years (that is, if you keep them covered up and out of the sun). Severe weather checking or cracks in the sidewalls can also cause  a blow out or flat. In addition, you need to inspect your tires for any road hazard damage, don’t take chances! If you are not sure, get your tires inspected by a qualified tire center or store.

I am speaking from experience. I thought I could get six years out of my tires, buy was I so wrong! I didn’t have a blowout, but it was close. We were on our way up to the U.P. of Michigan, and a car that was passing us waved and pointed back towards our fifth wheel. I immediately pulled over, and I was sure glad I did. The driver side tire was smoking, almost ready to blow. I had to let it cool down even before I could take it off and replace it with our spare. We limped into a state park, and the next day was consumed by purchasing and installing a new set of tires. Definitely something I didn’t want to do on our already too short of a vacation trip!

RV tires

I recommend keeping your tires covered up and out of the sun when not traveling, and checking your tire pressure on your RV along with your tow vehicle before every trip. Some of the problems associated with RVs not pulling very well are contributed to incorrect tire pressure on the tow vehicle itself. If you are not sure how much your RV weighs after you loaded it up, take it over a truck scale, which are usually around ten bucks. You will probably be surprised how much your RV weighs loaded after it is up for a trip.

Unfortunately, I do not currently travel enough to wear the tread out on my RV tires, but you can bet I will purchase new ones at the five year mark. Unless of course, they are damaged before then. And every RVer should not be without a tire gauge. Safe travels!

 

Overnight RV Parking

I find it quite disturbing when I read more and more often that cities and townships are banning over night parking at commercial establishments. Not only are they taking away certain rights for the establishment that allows it, they are taking away my rights to.

I know there are a few out there that abuse the use of overnight parking, but there are a few of us out there that do not. My wife and I like to get a jump start on our trip when we go out to visit our daughter and son-inlaw who reside in Washington D.C. So early in the morning I will  latch onto RV and pull it to work. Now this lets us leave straight from work and get a jump start on our trip. So I will drive late into night and into the early morning. We tried to get into campground at 2 in the morning, but most are closed up. There are usually no sites available, or the gates are closed. So my choice is to stay at a Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lot.

Cracker Barrel in Morgantown WV

 

We pay the establishment back by having breakfast or buying some supplies and give our thanks to the manager when possible. After that we take off early in the morning and go to our destination which is a campground. We have never abused the right. There is something about driving late at night which allows us to make great time. It has to do with less vehicles on the road, and less construction going on. It’s usually just the truckers and us on the road. I know they are trying to do the same thing and that is get to their destination quickly and with out incident.

Now if I knew that most of the campgrounds had quick pull thru parking spaces for us late night arrivers and early morning risers I would have no problem paying a small fee for the use of that site. No hook-ups would be fine since it is for such a short time frame. But I find this not to be the case, so I am pleading for these cities and townships to hear the other site of the story. And I would hope that the establishments would request for the abusers to leave after a one night stay. That I understand and have no problem with. I can also see why the campground owners get frustrated with the abusers staying at these establishments for long terms and losing their business to them. Maybe they don’t want those type of campers in their campgrounds anyways.

I just thought I would give my two cents worth for the other side of the story.