RV Education 101 March 2009 Newsletter

EDITORIAL BY MARK

Hi Everybody,
Re-setting our clocks for daylight savings means we're that much closer to warmer weather, longer days and new RV adventures. I am always kind of bummed in the fall when the clocks are set back and darkness falls on us sooner each day. I think springtime will do all of America good this year. It will help get our minds off of some of the more serious issues at hand and let us start thinking about lighter issues, like travel, fun and the lazy days of summer.

I for one am really looking forward to our first RV trip this spring. Doing my spring preparation on the RV, blow the dust off everything and head down the road. If you're planning to prep your RV for another camping season , but could use some help on just what to check, I posted my spring preparation checklist on my blog at RV Net.

In case you missed it I recently started a new free video series titled, Mark's RV Garage. These episodes will cover things like product installations, RV care & maintenance and other topics of interest to RVers. Our first episode, on Improving Fuel Economy, went over quite well with over 1,100 views last week. If you have any suggestions or ideas for upcoming episodes of Mark's RV Garage write to me at Mark@rveducation101.com and let me know what they are.

Another part of using and enjoying our RV is maintaining it, so we get many years of trouble free service from it. One area of the RV that requires routine care and maintenance is the exterior. The exterior of your RV is constantly exposed to harsh elements like the sun and UV rays. Extending the life of your RV's exterior is the topic for this months feature article and a new RV Garage episode. Be sure to check them both out in this issue.

So what are you waiting for? Shake the cobwebs off your RV, go over it with the spring prep checklist and head out on short shakedown RV trip to make sure that you, your family and your RV are ready for another great camping season.

Happy Camping,
Mark

RVING WITH MARK POLK ~ Feature Article: Extend the Life of your RV’s Exterior

If I said it once I said it a hundred times, RV’s are a major investment like your house or automobile. To protect your investment and get many years of reliable service and use from your RV there are certain measures you need to take. One important measure is maintaining the exterior of your RV.......

Read the Rest of the Story at my blog

Arm Yourself with Qualified RV Buying Information, Before you Buy Your RV! ....
Q: Should I Rent an RV Before I decide to Buy?

Mark Says: Some people are cut out for the RV lifestyle and other people aren’t. You might get caught up in the excitement at an RV show, or in the thought of traveling the country in an RV and purchase one on impulse, only to find out it’s not right for you. The golden rule is, if you purchase an RV you have to use it! So how do you know if RVing is in your blood? It’s easy! Rent one before you buy one. Find a local RV dealer, RV Rental Company, or a campground that offers rental units and try it out. The cost of renting an RV is significantly less than buying, especially when you discover you don’t really like it. You can rent RV’s for a weekend or for several weeks at a time. Don’t confuse not liking RV’s with not understanding how to use the RV. A trip can be ruined if the rental company does not spend enough time showing you how everything operates. If you decide to rent an RV before buying one check out our RV training videos before you rent. It will make your rental experience more enjoyable and you will know for sure if RVing is right for you.

Insider's Guide to Buying an RV -Printed Book By: Mark Polk
Published by RV Education 101 - 2007..108 pages
Owning an RV is meant to be fun. Making the wrong buying decisions can make it miserable rather than fun. If you follow the steps in this RV buying guide you will be on your way to an enjoyable RV ownership experience for years to come. Learn More

Insiders Guide to Buying an RV
This version is an INSTANT Electronic E-BOOK

RV Buyers Survival Guide
Another good RV buying resource delivered as an E-BOOK

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RV Q & A by Mark Polk

*NOTE: At Mark's discretion, material might be edited to suit a wide audience. Due to the large volume of material and correspondence we receive, individual replies might not be possible, nor can we acknowledge receipt of submitted material. Selected questions will be answered in future issues of our RV Education 101 newsletter and on our site. Thank-you for your understanding.

Q.1.I just bought a class A motorhome and am wondering how & where to carry my LP tank for my collapisible gas grill. They said I can't run it with the onboard tank and it would be behind the rig anyway. Previously, we stowed it in our pull behind trailer and only traveled short distances. Now we want to travel further and sure don't want it inside with us. I don't see any signs of them on other rigs so please advise a newbie "where" do I put it?

Mark Says: There are propane tank adapter kits like the Extend-A-Stay propane kit that allows you to connect a hose extension to the onboard propane tank so you can connect gas appliances like a grill to it. They work very well and you don't need to transport additional LP bottles with you. Try looking for it at www.campingworld.com

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Q.2. What do you recommend, regarding the refrigerator and air conditioner, for a travel trailer that is only used a couple times a year for only a couple weeks per use? It is stored inside with no exposure to weather the remaining time. Should they be run occasionally?

Mark Says: Neither require any type of routine exercise. I personally would check the operation of each at a minimum once annually (every spring) just to make sure they are operating properly.

You can check the refrigerator in one mode, like electric, for proper operation and then turn it off (and with the doors open) allow it to return to room temperature then check it in the gas mode.

Something else to consider is to periodically have the refrigerator flue and baffle cleaned to keep it in top operating form in the LP gas mode.

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Mark's RV Garage

Some of our RV Video Tips are designed to provide basic RV information for new RVers and some of the future RV Video Tips will cover more advanced topics. If you have any ideas for future topics you can email me at Mark@rveducation101.com

This RV video tip is: "RV Exterior Care"

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RV Poll
Every month we include a poll on RV related issues. The poll remains on our RVUniversity.com site until the next poll is posted in the following newsletter.

Last months poll "Will a hybrid RV chassis really make a difference in your RV buying decision?"
75.23% said: No.....
24.77% said: Yes

This months poll is "Do you check your RV tire pressure before each trip?"
To participate in the poll look on the left hand column of RV University towards the top

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RV NEWS BITS WORTH READING!

Fleetwood exits travel trailer market, will focus on motorhomes ...

Dutchmen Manufacturing, Inc. Introduces the Denali SuperLite ...

NuWa - Maybe back in business? ...

15 More Campgrounds Flying KOA Flag For First Time This Spring...