Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Welcome friends to another episode of RV tips And Trips.
Today we are going to talk about “Finding an Easy Solution to a Broken RV waste Tank Valve”
My RV has 3 waste tanks. One is a black tank and the other two are gray tanks. One is for the kitchen sink and the other one is for the bathroom sink and shower.
The problem is with the kitchen tank valve. It got stuck in the open position. Over Time the valve did get more difficult to operate until finally, it seized. When I tried to close the valve by the handle the metal rod bent. The rod passes through a bushing which then connects to a cable which then goes to the valve. There is no way to straighten it out. So now it won't pass through the bushing. So besides replacing the valve you would also have to replace the cable assembly with the new handle. The valve itself is not located near the valve handle. This means I would need to open the underbelly of the trailer to get at the valve.
I called keystone to ask where the location of the valve is. They said it can be as far as 100 inches from the handle. I then asked them if they could give me a diagram of the plumbing but they denied me. They said that information was “proprietary”. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. I really didn't feel like just arbitrarily cutting open the underbelly to trace out where the cable goes.
So I decided to get a valve that just connected to the outlet pipe temporarily, this way I could close off the outlet. I got the Valterra Twist on waste valve.
What an easy way to solve a problem that could be a headache. I guess I was pretty lucky that the valve got stuck in the open position rather than closed.
All three tanks share the one common outlet. So I drain the kitchen tank first by opening the add-on valve first and leaving it open till I have finished emptying the other tanks and then closing it when I'm done.
It was a simple and cost-effective solution to the stuck open kitchen valve. It really has worked out well and who knows? Maybe I will eventually replace the actual valve.
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Welcome friends to another episode of RV tips And Trips.
Today we are going to talk about
Being Prepared For Emergencies While Living full Time in An RV!
With all sorts of possible catastrophes looming can you be prepared while living full time in an RV? let’s face it, there are many things going on right now such as Weather, worldwide supply chain issues, trucker issues, food recalls, and possible low crop yields due to fertilizer shortages. You also have fuel prices going through the roof and possible diesel fuel and DEF shortages. DEF is Diesel Emission Fluid. It is used on all diesel trucks since 2010 to reduce emissions.
Did you know that in Washington state the gas stations are adding a digit to the price per gallon to accommodate a possible $10 per gallon price? Wow! There are a lot of things going on right now.
So it does make sense to be prepared for these iffy situations.
Let’s take a look at what we can do as full-time RVers.
We need to store as many food staples in our rigs as possible. But weight is a problem for us RVers. Your best bet is to store food that is powdered or condensed.
Emergency food kits are one option but very pricey. So it is a lot more cost-effective to build your own food kit. It’s easy and way cheaper.
Minimize canned goods as much as you can but you will still need to keep some. I like having canned potatoes, tomato sauce, condensed milk and condensed soups.
Pasta and rice and beans are also good items to have on hand. I like the Knorr soups because they come in a lightweight package. They are in a powder form so they are very lightweight.
You can also grow your own herbs. We keep a few herbs in small flower pots. They are compact and fairly lightweight.
Fresh water will be needed to be kept on hand. I have two 5-gallon water jugs of purified water. I refill them at water stations and at Walmart. This is for cooking and drinking only. I have a Rechargeable pump which makes dispensing it very convenient.
Some sort of water filtration system will possibly be needed as a backup.
Power generation is something else to consider. Power interruptions can happen during storms. Yes even at RV parks.
We have both a solar system and a gas generator. We have a pure sinewave inverter to run our electrical appliances off our batteries. We recharge the batteries via our solar or by running the gas generator. But if gasoline is in short supply then solar will be your best option.
Keep some cash on hand because banking interruptions are possible in certain emergencies.
As being RVers we are mobile. So if it’s winter then stay in the south. Summer, you may want to move to higher elevations to stay cool.
I always keep my gas tank full. If the power goes out gas stations can’t pump gas. Also, there is a shortage of gasoline-qualified truck drivers, causing intermittent fuel shortages.
Being prepared really doesn’t cost you anymore. You will always have food handy for a rainy day. Just watch your expiration dates and be constantly cycling food through your stock.
Like the old Boy Scout motto
“Always Be Prepared’
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Saturday, January 12, 2019
We got A 5th Wheel
In our travels, we ended up buying a pre-owned 2017 Keystone Laredo 5th Wheel. It has definitely improved our quality of life. It gives us a lot more room and feels more like living in a small house. It also makes my wife much happier being on the road. We traded our old Keystone sprinter in on it.
If you would like to see it take the tour right here.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Free Camping At "Casino And Hotel Resorts"
We had a great time at Dover Downs Hotel And Casino. They are located in Dover, Delaware. I found them on the free campsites.net App. When we pulled in I went inside and found the security desk. I asked if we could stay overnight and they said sure and told us where to park. We were the only RV there. Because it is located so close to the ocean the evening was nice and cool. They have an excellent buffet. Dover Downs is a famous horse race track. So during race season, RV parking is not permitted. As a courtesy, I always try and spend some money at these places. So we ate and then gambled. I ended up leaving there with $150.00 of their money, nice. It always good to get paid to stay somewhere.
We also stayed at Del Lago Hotel And Casino In Waterloo, NY. I couldn't find any free places to camp on our apps so I figured we would drive until we came across something. we were driving down I90 west in upstate NY when we saw a billboard for Del Lago casino. I had Cathy look them up online as I drove. She got the phone number and called them. She asked if they allow overnight RV parking. They said, of course, no problem. So we got off the Thruway at exit 41. They told us to park in the back by the buses. We were once again the only RV there. we got ourselves situated and went inside. We got ourselves the players cards. By doing so they gave us a buy one get one free buffet coupon on our player's card. The food was the best we've had so far. A fantastic value for $20. They also gave us a chance to win casino money. When you first insert your player card into a slot machine it brings up a spinning wheel. You hit the spin button to win casino money. Cathy hit $6.00 which she played and promptly lost. I won $5.00 and played it on one bet. The $5 bet won me $30. I ended up playing most of that evening on their money. They did allow us to stay a second night. I ended up breaking even on the gambling after all was said and done. We ate two dinner buffets and a breakfast buffet on Saturday morning. Food was all excellent.
All in all casino parking can be a great way to reduce traveling cost's if you are careful about your gambling. I have gotten pretty lucky and have turned a small profit overall in the last month. Watch the videos for more information.
Until next time, Happy Camping!
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Monday, April 2, 2018
Travel trailer Vs Fifth Wheel
I think that's a great question but there's no real easy answer for it. I'm perfectly content to stay in the 30-foot travel trailer, we have a Keystone Sprinter 26rb Which has one slide out has an outside kitchen and to me, it's perfectly comfortable. Its dry weight is only 6900 pounds. Fully Loaded takes us up to about 8,500 lb. It's an easy pull for my 3500 gas pickup truck. We are currently living in ours full-time. But the trailer being only 30 feet long, we can still get into most of the national parks and it's not very difficult to find places to camp otherwise. You start getting closer to 35 ft the amount of available campsites decreases. The plan is to use the travel trailer for a year to see how things go and then maybe move up to a fifth wheel. Why would we do that? Well, the floor plans of the fifth wheels tend to be nicer. Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of a fifth wheel versus a travel trailer.
More stable to tow. Part of the trailer weight is placed over the rear axles of the truck. This makes it more maneuverable and easier to backup, so it’s much less prone to sway. The floor plans tend to be nicer. The bedroom typically is isolated from the rest of the trailer like a real bedroom. That has a lot of appeal to my wife. Fifth wheels tend to feel more like an apartment rather than a trailer, giving it a more homey feeling. Also, the fifth wheel when hooked up to a tow vehicle is not as long for the same length trailer as a travel trailer because part of the trailer is over into the pickup bed. That shortens the overall length of the whole rig. So with the travel trailer being 30 ft long, and the truck being 20 ft long, the overall length of the rig is 50ft. Whereas with a fifth wheel, five or six feet of the trailer resides over the pickup bed so the overall length then becomes 45 feet for the rig making it a little easier to manage when towing and maneuver. Beware of 5th wheels that are labeled half ton towable. I think with a lot of the fifth wheels you'd be hard-pressed to tow them with a half-ton pickup truck. Fifth wheels do tend to have a lot more basement space. that's an important factor to consider if you're going to live in your trailer full time.
Fifth wheels are a lot taller than a travel trailer. It gives you the feeling of openness because of the high ceilings. Also, with such high ceilings, that tends to put more things out of reach. So that can be an issue if you're a little bit on the shorter side or vertically challenged. I think with such high ceiling it's it's a waste of space that you're trying to either heat or cool. But it also creates a lot more wind drag when towing worsening your fuel economy. you also have to be more mindful of low bridges and. Most fifth wheels are over 13 feet tall where is travel trailers tend to be about 10 to 11 ft tall.The height of the trailer can become a hindrance when trying to travel down Forest roads. There is a lot of overhanging trees that could cause a problem. A few years back I saw an older gentleman with a fifth wheel at Glacier National Park campground. He was driving through the campground loop when a branch from a tree that spanned over the road punctured a hole right in his roof. I can imagine that put a damper on their vacation. It also May limit you as to what gas stations you can pull into if they have low roofs. Fifth wheels also tend to be a lot more expensive than travel trailers. Travel trailers can give you a lot of bang for the buck.The fifth wheel equipment in the back of the pickup truck tends to make a lot of rattling noises when you're driving down the road so that might be an issue for some people. You also have to consider your tow vehicle.The 5th wheels tend to be heavier and I would definitely recommend going to a heavy-duty truck if you going to get a 5th wheel.There are quite a few 5th wheels out there that are labeled half ton towable but it is really stretching the imagination. A combination of half ton truck with the 5th wheel is marginal at best with a lot of these.To me, a 5th wheel that's 9000 or 9500 pounds dry weight is not Half ton towable.
So to answer the question how much space does two people really need and if you're going to live full-time in it or not. To me 30 feet is plenty but the wife would like something bigger. Bigger means more stuff course. But she could change her mind in the future after we've been doing this for a while, only time will tell. So if your budget is tight then a travel trailer may very well be the way to go. Personally, I like the fact that I can park this trailer almost anywhere. I think the 30-foot size fifth wheels are more or less just a waste of money. You start to see a real advantage with the fifth wheels when you get into the 30 ft plus.
Hope this at least gets you thinking about your actual needs and wants. Until next time, happy camping!