Networker? Little Miracles will turn your efforts into cash! Ka-Ching!

If you are a networker, Little Miracles is a must have book. You don'thave to spend $20 for this book! Here's a link to get the Kindle eBook version for $9.98. Don't forget to download the free Kindle reader for your device while you are there... Enjoy. If you have this book leave a comment about it.

Protect Yourself!

Be Prepared with these 10 Indispensible Camping Safety Items
Courtesy of Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service from the Good Sam Club

Camping is a wonderful activity that connects us with nature as well as our beloved friends and family. For many of us, life's most treasured memories occurred while out on a camping excursion. However, there are key camping safety tips everyone should keep in mind to help keep unexpected accidents at bay.

Your Camping Safety Checklist:
1.First Aid Kit
2.Dry Matches
3.Battery radio, with new batteries.
4.GPS or charged cell phone
5.Map of the camping area
6.Emergency gear (i.e. flashlight, knife, small hatchet, blankets, water, non-perishable food)
7.Soap, towels, pots and/or pans, plates,
cups, and utensils.
8.A good survival manual
9.Rain protection (i.e. tarp or ponchos)
10.Extra clothing stored in a high, dry place

Being organized and using a checklist when packing for the excursion to be sure you have everything necessary is especially helpful. And should you bring along someone who is new to camping, be sure to discuss general camping rules prior to the outing, stressing camping safety.

Upon arrival at the campsite, have everyone help set up the camp. Then take a short tour around the area. Point out important things such as where the bathroom and showers are, where the ranger station is, and make sure everyone knows the number of your campsite or its location in the campground.

And should you ever need more assistance, RV Emergency Road Service from the Good Sam Club protects you when you either forget or are unable to protect yourself.

Here's to a safe and fun camping year!
Jerry

Save Fuel! Scangauge II

Make the Most of Your Money Spent at the Pump

Courtesy of Good Sam  RV Emergency Road Service


Fuel economy is on every RV owners mind, especially with gas prices on the rise and summer travels on the horizon. Every gallon and dollar counts, and that's why it's important to be informed about ways to get the most out of your money spent at the pump.

Many factors combine to produce the fuel consumption profile for a specific vehicle, including weight, aerodynamic drag, engine and chassis efficiency, and how the vehicle is driven. 

Here are a few on-the-road rules for best fuel economy to keep in mind while traveling:

Maintain the minimum cruising speed that you find tolerable, creating minimum wind drag. 

Operate in higher gears when possible; avoid downshifting until you're using heavy throttle and cannot maintain your desired minimum speed. 

Accelerate gradually, with minimum pressure on the pedal 

Maintain constant cruising speeds; varying speeds wastes fuel.Recently, we've seen a few great gadgets hit the market that help RV owners monitor their rig's fuel consumption. 

Our friends at Camping World offer an ultra-compact multi-function vehicle monitor shows instant and average fuel economy as you drive called the ScanGaugeII. This is just one more way to monitor your fuel consumption.


Although we keep a mindful eye of our gas gauge, there are times when EMPTY seems to creep up on us. Fortunately, the experts at Good Sam offer RV Emergency Road Service, which includes emergency fuel & fluid delivery service for those times when you cut it too close.

No matter how you decide to keep an eye on your gas gauge, make sure you get the most of your hard-earned money by driving safe and fuel-smart this spring and summer.

Red Skelton - The Pldge of Allegiance

Patriotic shot in the arm... Red Skelton and The Pledge of Allegiance definded! http://tinyurl.com/redskeltonpledge

Toy Hauler Accessories

RV Awnings make great funny home videos.  If you don't want to star in your own Abbott and Costello flick, keep reading. I'll also cover tailgate screens and screen rooms.

    Toy Hauler enthusiasts often camp in exposed areas away from the shelter of RV parks and camp grounds. Sand dunes, open water, and playas (dry lakes) do very little to slow the freight-train wind headed straight for your awning. These places also breed dirt devils which, while short lived, can produce very high winds.

                    Jerry's Law: A dirt devil is always headed for..... YOUR RV!

    It's 2 am, you were sound asleep, but now you've been awakened by one of the pleasures of RVing, the sound of the wind blowing through nearby trees. Then it dawns on you, the awning is out! You have two choices; take the awning down in the middle of the night or wait until morning to see how it faired. 

    An RV Awning exposed to a 12mph wind can be experiencing total forces in excess 4,000  pounds. This may not be enough to flip your RV, but may certainly tear the awning off, with an excruciating and expensive sound. If you suspect the wind is coming, take your awning down, NOW!

    By far the best protection for your awning in the wind is to take it down. Since not all of us are Johnny-on-the-spot, here's two items that can help save the awning until you can get it down.  This is not an excuse to leave the awning up and go fishing instead.

     First you'll need a set or two sets of Awning-De-Flappers™.  I use two on each side. They are great at controlling that annoying light wind flap (not to be confused with the mother-in-law flap). 

    Second are RV Awning Tie Downs, you'll need to get two. Get good ones with nylon straps, spring tensioners, and screw-in anchors. A good night’s sleep may rest on your choice.

    This is my checker-board RV Awning by A & E. It is made of very heavy vinyl reinforced with polyester strands. While tough enough for most uses, a better material is acrylic fiber, such as Sunbrella®.

 

Tailgate Screens

    Or, how to keep the bugs out when you are using that great big opening at the rear of the Toy Hauler as a picture window. Generally there are two types, those that connect to the RV via hook & loop and those that connect via zippers. My preference is for the more stable zipper style.




 

Add-On Screen Rooms

    Want to get the most out of that big ol' ramp while staked out at your favorite playground? You can easily turn it into extra living space, great for entertaining or just enjoying the ultimate picture window.

Pictured is an Xtend-A-Room™ by Dometic. Now you have a great place to kick back and watch the action or revisit the days adventures. After all relaxing is the name of the game.

Jerry's Law: You will always have more friends wanting to visit than you have chairs for, let them know it's BYOC (bring your own chair.)


 

These and many other accessories can be found at:
 Camping World - RV & Camping Experts Since 1966

RV Insurance and the Toy Hauler

Here is what you need to know when buying RV insurance. Why you need insurance and what’s available. I will touch on the special needs of the Toy Hauler, from the industry we love to dislike.

    RV Insurance should be on your check list of things to investigate when choosing a Toy Hauler. While a trailer may not require much of an insurance investment, a Motor Home will be quite expensive, and the cost will vary substantially depending on your driving record.


 

Special needs of the Toy Hauler include:

·         the added risk of fire (onboard fuel tank)

·         contents coverage (toys are good theft targets)

    Having an onboard fuel station increases the risk of fire and the fuel tank will magnify the intensity of that fire if should one start. Make sure your insurance carrier is aware of this. There is nothing worse than having a claim denied because the carrier was not, properly informed of the unique features that your RV has.

Jerry's Law: Protect Thyself and Thy Toys from loss.

Do not make the mistake of assuming that the contents of your Toy Hauler are fully insured just because you have a policy for the RV. There are usually dollar limits on the loss of contents in an RV. And worst of all your Toys may not be covered at all. Again, see Jerry's Law above. Be sure your carrier knows what you needs are.

    In addition to the usual coverage, make sure you have theft coverage, as many of our toys are highly sought after by thieves. Many a playground vacation has been ruined by the theft of our treasured toys. Why add the grief of knowing they were not insured?

    I’d look first to my auto insurance policy carrier for an RV insurance policy. In my case State Farm. My agent knew my situation and quickly covered my insurance needs with very minimal fuss.

    If you have special needs or have that big bucks unit to insure, I strongly recommend that you shop around. Many of the best carries will give free online quotes. I know they can be a pain to fill out, keep in mind−the more you save the more you PLAY!

    Another way to go is joining an association that offers insurance at a discount to their members. I would hint that you should choose only big names, a couple that come to mind are the Good Sam VIP program and theFamily Motor Coach Association (FMCA). They’ve been around a long time and will likely be there when you need them.

    The bottom line? Make sure your %$$ and your toys are covered.

The Toy Hauler Motor Home – A Recreational vehicle review

With a Toy Hauler Motor Home you can have it all; luxury; your toys; and the ability to tow another ride. If it were me, I’d just tow more toys along…Like that airplane I’m going to built someday…Sorry I got sidetracked there for a moment.

    My experience with our, now replaced, Motor Home is that it was a big league gas hog. While newer models get OK gas mileage, add 1000 pounds or more of toys, and maybe a dingy (towed vehicle), that mileage goes to heck. A diesels pickup will help with the mileage, but you’ll still have to pony up at the pump. Thanks to some marketing genius, diesel fuel currently costs more than gasoline.
 
   The loading ramp of a Motor Home is often steeper than you would find on a trailer. To solve this some models are equipped with Tommy Lift® style ramps, (think elevator). Loading is as simple as rolling your toy onto the lowered ramp and then raising it using the electric control panel, the roll them into the Toy Hauler Motor Home and secure.

    The ‘ole Motor Home was not the most precise handling ride on the parkway, and worst of all your are stuck at the playground without other transportation.  (Unless, of course, you wife followed along with her car.) Personally, for me, I like having the pickup detach from the trailer so I can explore, run to town for groceries, or visit the local casino, without having to take everything with me.

    However, if you own a Toy Hauler Motor Home, your passenger can get up, wander back to the kitchen, and have lunch ready by the time you find a safe place to stop.

    Many of the features you can find in the 5^th Wheel Toy Hauler can be found in the Toy Hauler Motor Home, thus making them one of the best choices for the “park and party” crowd.

My Toy Hauler Adventure

OOPS!! So how do you spell “stuck?” Well, here’s our Toy Hauler Puller stuck in about 8" of Central Oregon Alkali Clay Mud. If you've ever experienced this stuff you'd know that 8" is plenty of mud, for getting stuck. Of course that boat anchor of a diesel engine didn't help much.

Let’s back up a few hours and revisit the chain of events that lead to our undoing.

We left Bend about 11am for a day of Geocaching in the High Desert of Central Oregon. An adventure of this type only requires a few basic supplies. Typically we carry Geocaching gear, a GPS, and lunch.

Some 50 miles into the desert we began our quest for the first cache. We began to notice small patches of snow hiding behind each Sage bush. But we thought nothing of it since it had snow the week before. This should have been our first clue as to the upcoming chain of events.

After leaving the gravel road onto a side road, which was little more than a cow path, we encountered a bit of slippery mud. (Chain link number two.) We kept going, after all what’s a little mud on our big o’ Dodge Diesel Pick Up.

You are probably wondering about our truck and how set up it was for off-roading……… NOT! Our truck is a 2005 Dodge Ram Diesel, 4X4. It had the stock highway tires, in other words the tires weren’t worth a cow patty in the mud. (Chain link number three.)

We spun and slid our way through three Geocaches. The sun was out; it was warm, with light winds. It was the perfect day to be out and about.

Having successfully completed three caches, we were off to place a cache of our own. Our route took us down yet another slippery muck laden road, just like the others. No problem, been there-done that. (Chain link number four.)

As the road deteriorated we just poured on more power and speed…slipping, sliding, splashing, and laughing…hysterically. You know the kind of laugh that makes you ignore what’s going on around you.

In a nut shell, things got deep and serious real quick. Finally (at chain link number five), we decided it was time to turn around and get the “muck” out of there. In the process that big heavy Diesel found some deeper and softer spots amongst the sage and came to an ominous stop.

First we tried rocking the truck to get up and out of the holes, no joy. Fine, I’d just jack up the corners and put brush under the tires until we were back at ground level then just drive out. It was time to inventory our available resources. 1-factory car jack, 1-cooler, 1-set of steps used to load our dogs, and 1-set of tire chains. Yup, we were really prepared for this!

The jack was nearly useless and I destroyed the cooler lid using it as a base for the jack in the soft mud. After three hours of jacking here there and everywhere we had the chains on one side of the truck and the steps under on rear wheel. That should do it………NOPE!! :( This muck is so slimy, even though the tires with the chains hooked up the others just slowly spun in place.

With the sun setting and the temperature near freezing it was time for plan B, like there ever was a plan. About the time that we thought we should be calling someone, our cell phone rang. (Oh, by the way, a cell phone is an emergency device you should never be without.) A friend from work was calling and asked if I’d be interested in going ATV riding the next day, to which I politely declined and offered to let him come and rescue our sorry butts in the morning instead. Now 4x4 people are an awesome lot, which get their jollies by pulling each other out of whatever precarious situation they find themselves in. He accepted.

We had plenty of fuel, blankets, a 12-volt electric blanket, 1 energy bar (dinner), and lots of water. By now though, I was covered in sticky mud and wet, so we spent the rest of that evening drying out in the truck and playing Hang-Man. What you see below is about 3 hours worth of this game that we haven’t played in years!

The morning sun rose on another gorgeous High Desert day. Between the coyotes and having to start the truck every few hours to stay warm, we didn’t get a lot of sleep, but we were none the worse for wear. We called our rescuers to confirm that they were indeed on their way, and after few more games of Hang Man we heard the rattle of an oncoming diesel headed our way.

Using a chain and a quick tug our truck was freed of the mud’s slimy paws. My wife was driving and I’d told her that if the truck would move just keep going until she hit high ground. With the hammer down and muck flying, off she went. She kept going, and going, and going…………… Now it was time for our rescuers to get themselves turned around. No go! They soon realized that they would have drive backwards for a quarter mile until they reached higher ground as well.

And that’s the story of how a Toy Hauler Puller and 4x4 offroad ‘wanna-be’ learned some valuable lessons. Such as street tires suck in the mud, one energy bar does not a dinner make; car jacks are for changing tires not getting self rescue.

Since we will continue to explore off the beaten path I decided to outfit the truck with a few items for self-rescue. Our big o’ Dodge diesel pick up is now sporting “new” Toyo M/T tires with the claws to either get us through the mud or get us stuck big time. A “new” 9500-lb Warn winch, for when the tires have reached the limit of their grip. As well as, building a gear locker to house a shovel, high lift jack, chains, snatch block, gloves, jack pads, tree straps, and anything else that can help me get unstuck from the next big stick!

As the saying goes “Stuck Happens”!

The Recreational Vehicle Cover - 11 RV Cover Insights

An RV Cover keeps your RV looking sharp. While the other guy is busy washing his RV, you are heading for the playground to enjoy yours. Here is what to look for, materials, and care.

Please, do not just buy a tarp and toss it on your RV. Not only do they have exposed metal grommets and bungee hooks that will scratch; they also trap heat and moisture. Adding insult to injury the tarp is itself abrasive to the finish on your RV. Getting in and out of a tarp covered RV is a real pain. And be considerate, after all, your neighbor probably thinks a blue/grey tarp looks like crap. Get the real thing, you will not regret it.

Features to Look For:

Breathability: The fabric must breath! A free exchange of inside and outside air will prevent ugly things from happening. Escalating heat can be reduced by opening vents under the breathable cover. Without breathing trapped humidity and moisture will lead to mold and mildew, possible rot in the walls, and odors. These are all problems a good RV Cover can avoid.

Water Repellant: A pet peeve of many RVers is water. Stains and infamous black streaks are its calling card. A good water repellent cover acts a lot like Gortex ®; it sheds water and allows trapped water vapor to escape.

Finish and Paint Friendly: When the wind blows (and it will) an abrasive cover will damage the finish of both painted and unpainted surfaces. The villains here are two fold the fabric, and the fasteners. Look for non-abrasive fabrics such as Block-It®, PolyPro III Fabric ®, Sunbrella® and SFS Aqua-Shed®. Fasteners must be plastic/nylon, protected metal or not in contact with the finish of the RV.

UV Protection: If the fabric is to survive the extreme abuse of the sun, it must have a lofty UV Rating. A cheap, unprotected fabric will meet its demise in short order under the relentless sun.

Construction: Wind and nasty weather can wreak havoc with a poorly made cover. Reinforced wear points, double stitching, and load dispersing straps can add years to the life of your Toy Hauler Cover.

Access When Covered: Without a doubt you will need to get into your RV when the cover is on. Zippered panels offer easy access. Remember that only Toy Hauler specific Covers will offer a ramp panel to load and unload your toys without removing the cover.

Warranty: These can range from 2 to 6 years. The biggest factor in warranty length is the quality of the fabric. You get what you pay for.

Care and use of your RV Cover:

Protect it: Before installing a cover give your RV the once over for any sharp or pointed things that can damage the cover fabric. You can protect these areas with extra padding. Pointed areas could be covered with a slotted tennis ball.

Clean it: A clean and dry RV is a happy RV. Pay special attention to any debris that might cause abrasion when the cover moves in the wind.

Secure it: The cover should move as little as possible once installed, this does not mean a snug fit, which will limit moisture from escaping. Use all available securing points on the cover.

Dry it: The cover must be thoroughly dried before storing it. Remember all of the ugly things that can happen when moisture is trapped in the RV? Those same issues apply to the cover. You must protect you investment in the cover; Dry IT!

Clean it 2: A clean cover is a long lasting cover. Clean it occasionally with light dish soap. Avoid using brushes on the fabric as these will damage its UV, water repellency, and breathability qualities. And will most certainly lay waste to your warranty.

You have a major investment in your RV. Protecting it with an RV cover is not only wise but a time saver. Time saved by not having to wash it as often or repairing the roof or seams, is time saved for the more important things. Like RVing!

How to Buy a Used Toy Hauler on eBay - Basic Used RV Buying Tips

eBay is a excellent place to find a Used Toy Hauler. To get you started here are some helpful tips on shopping eBay for your next Toy Hauler. I've bought and sold on eBay for several years now. Recently I sold our motor home through the services that eBay Motors provides. Open communication with seller made this a very smooth and successful transaction. I have a 100% feedback rating which, I hope, qualifies me to give my thoughts on buying your next Toy Hauler on eBay.

The content of this article is based on my experience. Your experience on eBay or any other auction site is beyond my control. Use this information as a guide only. Please read and understand eBay policies before placing any bids. eBay has excellent help online for the auction challenged. Use it to smooth the way to a successful auction win.

* Read, Read, and Read Again! Read the "description" carefully. Take notes of anything you have questions about. Then follow through and ask the questions, either by phone or via the "ask the seller a question" link on the listing. Remember the seller is under no obligation to volunteer information about a used Toy Hauler.

* Look very closely at any pictures: If you don't see enough detail in the pictures of the RV, ask for close up photos of areas you are concerned about. If you can accept large files via email, tell the seller you would like high resolution images that have not been altered for email delivery.

* Used RV Inspection: In many cases you can make arrangements with the seller to have the Toy Hauler inspected by a third party. An RV dealer or mechanic is often used and they will usually charge for their service. Cheap insurance for your peace of mind. However an inspection is not always feasible. In that case arm yourself with facts, ask questions and get more pictures.

* Research the market value of the Used Toy Hauler: Know the value of the RV and how much you are wiling to spend. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in a  bidding war. The only one who really wins in a bidding war, is the seller. Set your max bid; if bidding goes above your max, stop bidding and look for another vehicle to bid on.

* Deposits are common practice: Deposits secure your interest in the Toy Hauler and confirm to the seller that you are serious. These can be handled in a number of ways, but are often done via Pay Pal or escrow service. You might want to sign up for Pay Pal before shopping on eBay.

Things to consider before and during the bidding process, not after!

* Ask this question of the seller: "If you could replace or repair any one thing on the Toy Hauler today, what would it be?"

* Bidding: Do not bid early, wait until the last minute. Bidding early only serves to drive the price up.

* Contact the seller: Arrange to communicate via private email with the seller. This way the information you gain is not shared with other bidders, your advantage.

* Delivery: Ask if the seller will deliver or meet you part way with the Toy Hauler. This will often help in making your decision whether or not to bid. Research and knowledge are your allies when considering a purchase from an auction site. Spend the time now and avoid the regrets later.