RV University this Week
Your weekly source for interesting
RV articles, tips, tricks, video clips and advice
From the Industry Leader in RV Education:
RV Education 101
U of RV Journal #53 – February 14, 2010
“To me RVing represents spirit, excitement, a sense of adventure, exploration and discovery; but doing it all in comfort.”
~ Mark Polk
BY MARK
Hi Everybody,
I hope everybody had a good Valentines Day!
With a short break in the weather last week we stayed busy filming and trying to get caught up on some video projects. Then on Friday night we had our first snow of the season. We had about 5 inches of accumulation which doesn’t compare to other parts of the country, but was significant for this area. It was fun to see kids everywhere making snowmen, having snowball fights and searching for the smallest of hills to sled and slide down. Needless to say it didn’t last long, by Sunday afternoon most of it was gone, except for the well built snowmen.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article on driving motorhomes, and the need for the co-pilot to feel comfortable and confident with driving too. I received a great deal of responses to the article, so I decided to follow up with an article offering some tips to help improve your driving skills. These tips are from our driving DVD, and I would like to thank Lorrin Walsh, co-host and author of Drive your Motorhome like a Pro, for his contributions.
For those of you who tow trailers we included a couple of articles on dealing with trailer sway in this weeks newsletter.
PS
Enjoy the Winter Olympics
Until next week, plan your trip, travel safe and enjoy your RV experiences. Remember, getting there is half the fun!
Mark
Polk’s Top 7 Tips for Improving Your Motorhome Driving Skills
I always thought I was a good driver, but even old dogs can learn new tricks. I enlisted the help from a professional driver and book author Lorrin Walsh……. Read the article
Trailer Sway, What it is & How to Control it
An important factor in controlling sway is the amount of tongue weight applied to the hitch ball, and how that weight is distributed to the tires on the tow vehicle. …….
Read the article Part 1
Check out this week’s poll: “RV Campground Reservations” To participate in the poll, look on the left hand column (here at RV University) towards the top
BY Mark Polk
Mark’s RV Quick Tip #1:
Tires and load range designations on tires have changed over the years. It used to be a 6-ply or 8-ply tire, and you knew the higher the number the stronger the tire. Now they use a letter to designate load range and tire strength. To help simplify this you can take the letter for the load range on the tire, determine what number it represents in the alphabet, and multiply that by two, to determine the strength of the tire. It sounds much more difficult than it is. If your tire is a load range “D” that is the 4th letter in the alphabet. 4 X 2 equals 8 so a load range “D” tire is equivalent to an 8-ply tire in strength.
Mark’s RV Quick Tip #2:
After you unhitch your trailer at the campground, remove the hitch head or trailer ball mount from the receiver and secure it if it doesn’t have a locking mechanism. Not everyone at the campground is honest. It will also protect your shins and children from getting hurt when playing around it.
Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard?
Please watch this very important video. It may save a life….ABC News went undercover and found retailers selling aged tires
as brand new. …..
Statistical Surveys, Inc. Recognizes Fleetwood RV as Top-Selling Class A Motor Home Manufacturer in 2009
Fleetwood has been recognized as the number one Class A motor home brand for 22 of the past 23 years. ….
…with Mark
Q.
Hi Mark I purchased the maintenance DVD. Where is the coach battery usually located?
Mark Says:
That’s a good question. RV manufacturers basically put them anywhere there is room. A lot of times they are located under the entry step as you enter the coach. Sometimes they dedicate one of the outside storage compartments for the auxiliary batteries. I have seen them placed under the coach (very difficult to work on) and I have seen them inside the RV. If it is inside, it must be in a compartment that is vented outside.
***
Q.
We have an Itasca Latitude and wish to sanitize the fresh water tank when
I de-winterize in a couple weeks. I have watched your short video on this procedure, but am unsure of how to get the diluted bleach solution into my
fresh water tank. I do not have an opening that I can stick a water hose
into to add the mixture as shown in your video. Do I put the diluted bleach
solution into my fresh water filter canister (with filter element removed)
and then flush it into the fresh water tank in this manner?? I would certainly appreciate your response.
Mark Says: I am guessing that you fill the fresh water holding tank by connecting to the city water and then use some type of diverter system to fill the water tank. If so, then it should work by adding the solution to the filter canister (less the filter) or I have heard of individuals who actually pour the diluted solution directly into the end of the hose and then hook the hose up, turn the water on and fill the tank.
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Drive Your Motorhome Like a Pro DVD
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When most people were taught to drive they were just taught the hows and not the whys. Teaching the whys, or the mechanics of driving gives you the tools and skills you can apply to any vehicle or any driving situation.
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Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitch Work and Backing
DVD
Take the time to properly educate yourself about trailer towing, weights, hitch work and backing. Let us teach you some tips and techniques to make towing much easier. How to properly match your tow vehicle to a trailer, learning the terminology, proper and safe hitch work is a must. Demonstration is shown on a travel trailer with a fifth wheel hitching portion demonstrated on a fifth wheel. Mark Polk has been an expert witness in a few legal cases, where people were paralyzed and killed. The common factor in these cases involved improperly matched tow vehicles and trailers. Don’t depend on automobile dealerships and RV dealerships to always give you 100% accurate information. Do your homework before purchasing a tow vehicle and trailer.
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Share your thoughts & experiences with other RVers and Campers
RV Links:
16 RV Single DVD Titles in our Library
Drive Your Motorhome Like a Pro
RV Awning Use, Care and Accessories
RV Safety Features, Tips and Tricks
EZ RV Add Ons and Must Have RV Products
Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitch Work & Backing
Motorhome Towing
RV Campground Basics
Marks Recommended 10 minute RV Essential Items
Deep Cycle Battery Care & Maintenance for RV’s and Boats
Money Saving DVD Sets Available
Travel Trailer / 5th Wheel Training DVD Sets
14 RV Instant Download E-Book Titles in our Library
The Original Checklists for RVers
Winterizing and Storing your RV
THE RV BOOK now available as an ebook
The Three Primary Systems of an RV
Insider’s Guide to Buying an RV
Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitch Work & Backing
Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance
RV Safety Features, Tips and Tricks
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About us:
Our goal with RV University This Week is to provide you with helpful
information to make all of your RV experiences more enjoyable. I left my
position as an RV Sales and F&I manager in 2000 to start my own company, RV
Education 101. We produce educational videos, DVDs and e-books on how to use and
maintain your RV. The reason I left my job was due to my concern about the lack
of educational and safety awareness material available to the RV consumer, in
other words, you. We are a small company. My wife Dawn left her position in RV
sales to help start the company and is our Sales and Marketing Director. We
currently have a 35-foot Class A motor home. We have two boys, Tyler 13 and Josh 19, both avid RVers and two dogs, Gracie and Buck. Gracie is the good one. If
you would like to learn more about us and RV Education 101 feel free to visit
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