Woodall's Monthly Tips and Wisdom

January 2008

Welcome back from the holidays, everyone!

To start the New Year, we'll look at the mystery behind campground pet policies and restrictions. Moving on, RV Tech will tell us all about energy efficient ways to stay powered with 12-volt battery-using products and appliances. Our travel destination takes us to old and present-day Princeton, NJ. And then, we learn all about the Superbumper. Pay attention, tow vehicle owners!

Finally, if you're looking to attend an RV show in the near future, visit www.mid-americarvshow.com to read more on this upcoming show in Kansas City, MO. Have fun and enjoy!

Ann
Associate Publisher

Associate Publisher

Tell me what you think!

Issue Contents

	Pursuing the Pet–Friendly Campground
	RV Tech
	Princeton, Past and Present
	Personal Travel Journal
	Cooking on the Road
	Superbumper
	Printer Friendly Version

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Book of the Month

Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're over 50

People over 50 often travel farther, for longer periods of time, and more extravagantly than anyone else. Don't you think that by now you deserve to get the most from your dollar... and for your age? This book is a guide to all the perks and discounts you are entitled to now that you are 50. Complete with telephone numbers and web addresses, you will be able to find the BIGGEST bargains, BEST deals, and BOLDEST vacations of your life. There are hundreds of amazing discounts that can save you a fortune on everything from golf to trips and tours all across the U.S. and abroad. Learn about shopping opportunities, breaks you can get on legal or government matters, and exciting things to do at no cost at all.

Order Today!

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RVing With Your Pet
Pursuing the Pet–Friendly Campground
By Julee Meltzer

When we had an ordinary life and resided in a regular house – dogs weren’t really much of an issue. Like most dog owners, we kept them fed, took them for their walks, made sure they had their shots, and gave them the occasional bath. In short, the fact that we lived with a bunch of animals was, for all practical purposes, inconsequential.

So when we first became full–time RVers, we wondered what it would actually be like to live in a motorhome with two large dogs and a small band of stray cats, would it be similar to living in a regular house – or would there be a whole new world of unwritten laws and unstated rules? Do today’s RV parks and campgrounds gladly accept dogs or do pet owners face an endless gauntlet of questionable rules, arbitrary restrictions, and strict policies?

As the risk of sounding like a lawyer, the answer generally depends on where you are, the type of dog you own, and the motivation of the person setting the facility’s pet policy. When we were doing research for one of our books, we asked several campground owners about the wide range of pet policies that exist today. Based on their responses along with our own experiences, here’s what we’ve learned so far:

Campgrounds that ban pets are rarely responding to pressure from unprovoked dog attacks, escalating insurance premiums, or a growing public preference for aggressive breeds. In fact, if you research documented dog attacks, you won’t find a single incident at a campground. According to the owners we interviewed, RV parks and campgrounds have never had much of a problem with dogs. Their biggest nuisance–related challenge is excessive alcohol consumption. So then why do some campgrounds ban pets altogether? The answer is painfully simple. The types of people that stay in their facilities don’t want dogs around.

Read More

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RV Tech
Looking for 12–Volt Stuff?
By Alan Lidstone

The demand for 12–volt products and appliances that draw power from 12–volt batteries keeps increasing. Most 12–volt products are provided by well–known reputable manufacturers and distributors with similar warranties and prices that are slightly higher than those of comparable 120–volt AC products.

The energy efficient 12–volt products that are widely used by boaters in the marine environment are increasingly popular with tail–gating parties at the stadium, beach, and elsewhere, and popular with dry camping RVers who prefer not to rely on generator or shore power.

They are also invaluable and popular with anyone relying on solar or wind power for dependable, power–efficient products and appliances for home, RV or boat use. Anyone considering a cabin in remote areas with no electricity or wintering over in Quartzite, AZ appreciates the increasing number of 12–volt products available.

Read More

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Destined to Travel
Princeton, Past and Present
Where the Ivy League university and local community are closely intertwined
By Lisa Halvorsen

An intriguing history stretching back to the pre–Revolutionary War era distinguishes what is known as Princeton – both the New Jersey town and the university. Here, visitors will find themselves steeped in the events that helped shape our country.

One of Princeton’s primary attractions is its university of the same name. First established in Elizabeth, N.J., in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, the school was moved to its current location a decade later. At its sesquicentennial celebration in 1896, it was renamed Princeton, after the township where it is located.

Four U.S. presidents had ties to this university, including James Madison and Woodrow Wilson, both of whom are Princeton graduates. Wilson also was a Princeton professor and university president, as well as the governor of New Jersey, before serving as U.S. president. Grover Cleveland moved to Princeton and served on the university’s board of trustees after his second presidential term ended.

Cleveland is buried in the Princeton Cemetery along with other prominent people, including U.S. vice president Aaron Burr, Butterfield 8 author John O’Hara, and three Civil War generals. Public tours are offered occasionally by the Cemetery Committee, and maps indicating the location of famous graves can be obtained at the cemetery for self–guided tours.
John F. Kennedy attended Princeton for one semester before transferring to Harvard. Princeton also claims Albert Einstein as one of its own. The scientist received an honorary degree from Princeton in 1921 and was affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton beginning in the 1930s.

Read More

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Mark… My Words

Mark

Hi Folks. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and are looking forward to a New Year of RVing! Keep those questions coming!

Hi Mark,

We have a Montana 5th wheel, kitchen in back left corner and sink in the island. For the longest time, whenever I open the drawers that connect with the island or the doors under the sink, my nose was accosted with a wretched smell. The stick on deodorizers did nothing to lessen the smell. Then my husband got down and looked into the cupboard. Seems the manufacturer vented the gray water tank to the inside of the cupboard, and topped it with a cover that had holes in it. He checked the bathroom vanity and found the same arrangement! I do not know how many states allow plumbers to vent into the dwelling, and I would hope that the building codes in Indiana do not allow it in RVs. What can we do?

Thank you,

Marlys Thomsen

Hi Marlys,

—Because RVs generally lack an easy way to vent sinks installed in cabinets, many manufacturers use one–way plumbing vents. These are essentially a one–way valve, and when they are working properly, they should prevent tank odors from entering the RV. They employ a spring and a diaphragm and should only allow air into the plumbing system to vent it when water is moving through the drain pipes to the tank. The diaphragm is supposed to shut and prevent any back flow of fumes from the tank from entering the RV. Assuming that’s what you actually have under the sink, I suspect that you either have a faulty valve or some debris is keeping the valve’s diaphragm from seating. The valve itself should unscrew from the pipe. Remove it and have a look–see. The problem may be obvious. If not, you can find those vent valves at many plumbing stores and home centers. They are sometimes referred to as a “cheater vent” and are used in homes as well as RVs when conventional vent piping isn’t possible.

Read More Questions

Do you have a question for Mark?
Please submit your question via email to woodalls@escapees.com

Please remember, material will be edited. Because of the large volume of material and correspondence submitted, individual replies will not be possible, nor can we acknowledge receipt of your material. Selected questions will be answered in future issues of the Woodall's Wisdom newsletter in the Mark, My Words column. The Mark, My Words column also appears in Escapees magazine, a bi–monthly publication of the Escapees RV Club. For more information visit www.escapees.com/magazine

Submit Your Question

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My Trip Journal

Follow along with RVers and travelers just like you by reading their trip journal. We've selected the best websites of people who have traveled in North America. These travelers have agreed to let us feature their website. Take a look.

View this months featured personal website, Ron and Jane 2007 or browse other locations.

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Camping Blooper

We were on our way back from Nova Scotia heading to Ontario Canada. We do not like taking the main roads, and when we were in New Hampshire on one of the back roads we came across a sign telling us about a low bridge ahead. As we are in metric and the bridge is in feet and inches my wife started to do the math… well she was wrong and we lost the satellite dish, roof air unit and the roof needs replacing.

We have now bought a new calculator.

Ron Woodall, Woodstock, ON

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Cooking on the Road
Fried Egg and Spam Sandwiches
Molly Chappellet

Over the years, Spam has become a staple in Molly’s traveling pantry. She keeps a couple of cans handy for quick easy dinners and she highly recommends using good quality wheat berry bread and chili sauce. The ones listed below are time–honored family favorites. A glass of Chappellet Chenin Blanc is all that is needed to round out this tasty little meal.

two servings

One	12 oz can Spam
2 tbs	vegetable or olive oil, or butter
8 slices	Orowheat “wheat berry” bread
4	large eggs
	Mayonnaise to taste
	Chile sauce to taste, preferably Seyco Old Fashioned
	Lettuce leaves

Cut the Spam into thick slices.

Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet over medium–high heat. Add the slices and fry until golden on both sides. Remove the Spam slices from the pan and blot with paper towels.

In the same pan, add the eggs 1 at a time and fry, breaking the yolks with a fork as they cook. Do not overcook.

Lightly toast the bread slices. Spread 1 side of 4 toasts with a generous layer of mayonnaise. Spread the remaining toasts with the chile sauce. Layer the Spam slices, eggs and some lettuce leaves on top of the 4 mayonnaise toasts. Cover with the remaining chile coated ones and serve immediately.

For more great recipes & campsite cooking tips, visit Woodall's Camp Cooking!.

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Gadgets & Gear
By Bill Siuru

Superbumper

Most tow vehicles are driven around not towing anything most of the time. The receiver hitch is bare, or covered by a receiver hitch cap. Jim Mohr and his company, Mohr Manufacturing, has a much better use for the receiver hitch when not towing – the Superbumper.

Unlike cars, there are no bumper collision standards for pickups, SUVs or minivans. Incidentally, since the 1983 model year, it has been the 2.5–mph bumper standard rather than the previous 5–mph standard.

Called "3–in–One," this handy device combines a trip computer, digital gauges and scan tool. In the trip computer mode, the display shows average and maximum speed, driving time and distance, maximum coolant temperature, engine RPM, fuel used, trip fuel economy and distance, time and fuel amount to empty.

Read More

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