September 2007 Hello, In this month's issue, Travel Tech helps us all out with tips for becoming handy around the RV, we take a close look at the bright lights & boardwalk in Atlantic City, and look at some options for RV Rack Systems. Ann Associate Publisher Associate Publisher Tell me what you think! Issue Contents RVing with Cats – A Primer RV Tech City of Fun & Games Personal Travel Journal Cooking on the Road RV Rack System   Printer Friendly Version Book of the Month 600 Festivals is just that – a book that features over 600 festivals across the United States. Broken down by region, you can easily find festivals in your own backyard or someplace you’ve never visited before. These festivals are a great help when you can’t decide where to go for a weekend getaway or even an afternoon of fun in the sun.. Ever wonder where the Bagelfest is held? Or maybe a weekend of Jazz at the Reno Jazz Festival is more your style. Find these types of events and more in this great resource. Order Today! Camping Blooper Attack of the Maple Tree I was impatient to clear the roadway as I was backing into a campsite with our 39 ft. Winnebago. Cars were waiting for me, so I was watching my mirrors carefully as I backed up, with my wife on one side trying to help direct me. Our coach is equipped with a rear camera and a nice color monitor on the dash, that, had I been looking at it, would have shown the fast approaching tree clearly in the center of the screen. Fiberglass does not bend well, so that tree attack cost me about $1500. Jerry Jansen RVing With Your Pet RVing with Cats – A Primer By Julee Meltzer During the last few months, we have received a number of requests regarding information and advice on the subject of RVing with cats. Since there is very little likelihood of a book being published on the topic of RVing with cats, I've put together a brief primer on this dubious practice. Let me start out by stating that RVing with cats is nothing like RVing with dogs. Practically every RVer takes their dog with them these days. As a result, there are books on the subject and they even show a dog in one of those slick "Go RVing" ads seen on TV. Furthermore, RVing with cats is often so unpredictable and weird – you'll probably wonder why anyone would consider traveling with them in the first place. Our first excuse is that we're suckers for strays. In other words, all of our cats were originally homeless. Our second excuse is that we secretly like cats but don't quote me on that. At any rate, here's what I know so far. Step One – Getting Your Cats Used to the RV If your cat is new to RVing, you'll need to get them accustomed to your RV. This is normally a simple task with a dog but with cats, you're up against 30 million years of psychic baggage. In a nutshell, all cats begin with the assumption that every RV is filled with dangerous forces that have to be found and eliminated. It doesn't matter whether you travel in a refurbished 6–foot trailer or a brand new million dollar luxury motorhome – all RVs contain dangerous forces that must be exorcised. These typically include evil spirits, invisible aliens, cat–eating monsters, shape–shifting dogs, cat–sucking vacuum cleaners, silent predators, and exploding mice. Hence, when a cat first enters an RV, they will invariably perform a room–by–room search to rid the RV of these treacherous forces. If you have more than one cat, you may even hear them shout out "clear" as they declare each section safe. It takes most cats at least 24 hours to purge an RV of all its imbedded demons. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, older Airstreams seem to take a little longer. Read More Back to Top RV Tech Can You Fix It? By Alan Lidstone One of the goals of all RVers is to carry a tool box, but never have to open it. Unfortunately, since RVs are essentially rolling homes, loaded with the conveniences that make traveling and relaxing more fun, we have to be prepared to "fix" something that is not working quite right, or not working at all. Carrying the right tools, spare parts, and batteries can help to avoid a service call or visit or the need to buy a replacement product. It's important for RVers to consider what may be needed to keep the RV happy and keep everything on or in the RV working properly. For starters, make sure you have the Operation and Maintenance documents for the RV and all the systems and equipment in the RV when you are out on the road. Besides operating information, the documents and brochures usually provide excellent trouble–shooting steps to take when the equipment is not operating properly. Also, make sure you have the necessary information to contact emergency road service providers and extended warranty or continuing service plan providers. Read More

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Destined to Travel City of Fun & Games Beaches, Boardwalk and Casinos – Atlantic City has it all. by Lee Barnathan Even if you have never visited Atlantic City, N.J., it may have captured your imagination for decades. The street names in the game of Monopoly are taken from this tiny resort town on Absecon Island. The 1972 movie "The King of Marvin Gardens" was filmed on location here and conveys the feeling of the pre–casino/post–glory–days' limbo the city was mired in at the time. The Oscar–nominated 1981 movie "Atlantic City" reflects the city at the dawn of its casino–driven rebirth. A popular Bruce Springsteen song, "Atlantic City," depicts a young couple's escape to the city. Watch an episode of "Friends" and catch a reference to Atlantic City. "The Simpsons" lampooned it once. The Miss America Pageant was held here from 1921–2005. And fans of saltwater taffy know it originated here in the late 19th century. Today, Atlantic City might be associated with Donald Trump, who owns several hotel/casinos and other buildings, and taped many of his "The Apprentice" shows here. So for all those who might feel "Trump–ed out" at the notion that Atlantic City is simply a gambling mecca on the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic City Convention and Visitor's Authority (ACCVA), wants you to know it's a complete resort destination. Read More

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Mark… My Words Hi Folks. I hope you're taking advantage of the remaining summer season to travel in your RV… All too soon we'll be talking about winterizing again. Thanks for all your questions, and keep 'em coming! Dear Mark, I just read your response to Vic from the August 17 Tech letter about running two air conditioning units on 30 amp shore service. In your response you said it maybe better to convert the A/C to 50 amp service. I would like to know how hard and how expensive that would be to accomplish. I have the same situation with a 2004 gas Bounder with 30 amp service. The A/C distribution box is a 30 amp box feed with only two wires and a ground wire. I would assume a new distribution panel would need to be installed and a new three–wire service run from the A/C entrant plug connection. Also, the generator would have to be rewired since it has a two–wire circuit to the distribution panel and a separate two–wire circuit to the second air conditioner. Thanks, Mel Mel, A bunch of other folks asked similar questions… I guess the summer heat and the large number of 30A rigs with two air conditioners is helping to stimulate interest. You are correct in your assessment of items that will need to be modified or replaced. You can purchase the 50A RV distribution boxes from a number of RV parts sources, and also the 50A power cords and connectors for the shore power hookup. You may need to replace the transfer switch for your generator with one that will be compatible with the new panel and wiring requirements. Once the new panel is installed, it's just a matter of connecting the AC circuits to breakers in the new distribution panel. I think it goes without saying that this not a modification that should be done by the average RV owner. A qualified electrician or RV technician should do the conversion. There may be significant costs involved as well. I would expect a conversion like this to cost between $400 and $1000, depending on how much you have to pay for labor. One place to ask about conversion opportunities and costs would be the factory where your RV was built. 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, Fish RV Travels 2006 & 2007 or browse other locations. Back to Top Camping Blooper Attack of the Maple Tree I was impatient to clear the roadway as I was backing into a campsite with our 39 ft. Winnebago. Cars were waiting for me, so I was watching my mirrors carefully as I backed up, with my wife on one side trying to help direct me. Our coach is equipped with a rear camera and a nice color monitor on the dash, that, had I been looking at it, would have shown the fast approaching tree clearly in the center of the screen. Fiberglass does not bend well, so that tree attack cost me about $1500. Jerry Jansen Submit Your Camping Blooper

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Cooking on the Road Sloppy Joes with Summer corn on the Cob zak pelaccio At most summertime picnics, cookouts and gatherings, Sloppy Joes are the ultimate treat, especially for children. Here is Zak's own twist on the classic sandwich. six servings 5 bacon slices 1½ lbs. ground beef 1 onion, minced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 carrot, minced 3 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup ketchup 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 2 bay leaves 1 pinch chili flakes or more to taste   Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 6 hamburger buns, lightly toasted 6 ears of corn, shucked Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the bacon slices and cook until some of the fat renders and the strips are crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the ground beef and brown, stirring and breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and carrot and lower the heat to medium. Sauté the vegetables, scraping the bottom of the pan, until lightly browned. Break the bacon into small pieces and return to the pan along with the ground meat. Add the tomato paste, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, bay leaves and chili flakes and simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the corn, cover and cook for approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat. Pile the Sloppy Joe mixture onto the toasted roll bottoms and cover with the tops. Serve with the hot corn, butter and salt. For more great recipes & campsite cooking tips, visit Woodall's Camp Cooking!.

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RV Rack System for Carrying Bikes and Kayaks By Bill Siuru RV Rack Systems and accessories by RvRaxx LLC are designed specifically for campers, RVs and SUVs. The basic RV Rack can be fitted with several optional accessories the company sells, making this a very versatile rear rack system. The product comes in two basic versions, one for campers and travel trailers that are equipped with a standard 4–inch, square bumper. The other design is suited for RVs, motorhomes as well as SUVs equipped with a 2–inch, Class III receiver–type hitch. With the appropriate accessories, both racks can carry up to six bicycles or two 10–foot–long kayaks. The RV Rack System has two adjustable arms that can be raised or lowered using a simple one–handed, cable locking mechanism. Each set of arms is designed to accommodate three bikes, weighing up to a total 80 pounds. Read More

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RV Buying Tip Acquire and verify the seller's address, phone number and e–mail address. Match the address to the title to the RV, and if they don't match, be sure you know why. Also, match the down payment address to the verified seller's address. Always question if they are different. More info & photos   Featured RV 2007 Forest River Salem Price: $38,995 Description: Fiberglass exterior fifth wheel toy hauler with power bed and super slide out …continued   Yr Make Model Length Price 2004 Monaco Windsor 40 $164,900 2007 Dutchmen Northshore 31 $29,991 2007 Safari Simba N/A $172,907 Powered by

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