RV University This Week 02/14/2011
- Monday, February 14 2011 @ 01:47 pm UTC
- Contributed by: RVED101
RV University this Week
Your weekly source for interesting
RV articles, tips, tricks, video clips and advice
RV Education 101
U of RV Journal #90 - February 14, 2011
“Creative activity could be described as a type of learning process where teacher and pupil are located in the same individual."
~Arthur Koestler
by Mark Polk
Hi Everybody,
I hope you had an opportunity to watch the first episode of our new online RV how-to show. If not, it's available at our RV Consumer site and on our You Tube channel. Thanks to all of you who commented on the show and for sending your questions in for the mailbox segment of the show.
I want to take a minute to explain our preliminary plans for the show. New episodes of Mark's RV Garage will be available for viewing every two weeks. We will post the new episodes on Mondays, and the show will replace our weekly e-newsletter on weeks that a new episode is available. We will continue to distribute our e-newsletter during the off-weeks.
Right now we plan to produce and release 8 episodes, covering a 16 week time period. At that point we will take a break while we work on future episodes.
Episode number 2 will be available for viewing on 21 February and all episodes will be archived HERE for easy retrieval and viewing.
Until next week, plan your trip, travel safe and enjoy your RV experiences. Remember, getting there is half the fun!
Mark Polk
**REMINDER! Like the RV Education 101 Facebook page. We post helpful RV information often and would also appreciate feedback, tips, RV related photos and comments from you!
Safe RV Drinking Water Over the years I have written numerous articles about water filtration, water quality and sanitizing your RV water system. There are lots of reasons to be concerned about the water we drink, especially when it comes to RV’s. Traveling in an RV means you camp at different destinations and don’t really know anything about the quality of the water you are using or drinking. It seems like every day you hear more and more about what is in the water we drink and how it can impact our health. I have always been an advocate for filtering the water in our RV and I am always on the lookout for the best possible method for filtering water........... Read the article
Watch a quick preview of our next episode:
Check out this week's poll: "
When did you start RVing?"
To participate in the poll, look on the left hand column (here at RV University) towards the top
Park Service seeks public's help in finding missing woman
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking the public’s help in solving the mystery of the missing Indianapolis woman whose disabled minivan was found Monday night in the
parking lot at Mt. Baldy..........
Big changes likely at state parks
No Utah State Parks will close in the foreseeable future and $1.5 million of restricted funds will likely be appropriated in the next fiscal year to help ease the pain of a projected
$3 million loss of general tax dollars.........
APPEAL REJECTED: City of Kennewick Must Pay $3.5 Million
KENNEWICK -- KEPR has new information on a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the city of Kennewick. A judge ruled Thursday the city must pay up. This case dates back four years when operators of the Columbia Park Golf Course began talking about
bringing in an RV park........
In Midst of Down Economy, RV Sales Jump
Increasingly more families seem to be turning to the Recreation Vehicle as an
affordable way to travel.........
by Mark Polk
Mark's RV Quick Tip:
How much LP gas does the RV hold? Is it enough for how you plan to use the RV? LP gas is used for the range and oven, the refrigerator in the gas mode, the water heater and the furnace. The furnace will consume more propane than the other appliances. On pop-ups and travel trailers, LP gas is stored in bottles or cylinders on the front of the trailer.
There are two typical sizes. Twenty pound bottles (like on an outdoor grill) are used on pop-ups, and the taller 30 pound bottles are used on travel trailers and fifth wheels. A pop-up usually comes with one 20 pound bottle. An option that is available on some pop-ups is to add an additional 20 pound bottle. This works well if you do some long term camping in a pop-up. Travel trailers and fifth wheels usually come with two 30 pound bottles which is adequate for most types of camping.
Motorhomes have LP tanks permanently attached to the vehicle chassis frame. These tanks come in all different sizes and this is what you need to check if you plan to do some extended camping away from where you can get more LP gas. Some tanks are small, about the size of one 30 pound bottle and others are much larger about the size of four or more 30 pound bottles.
LP gas can be measured in pounds or gallons. One gallon of LP gas weighs 4.26 pounds. To give you some idea of how much LP gas you have a 20 pound cylinder holds 4.7 gallons and a 30 pound cylinder holds about 7 gallons. Make sure the RV has enough LP gas for how you plan to use it.
RV Education Crossword Puzzle
This play and learn crossword puzzle is "RV Electrical Savvy".
Have fun, play and learn.
...with Mark Polk
Q.
Hi Mark - I enjoyed the first episode of your new Internet show. It offers a
nice cross-section of issues that are important to RVers whether they are
relatively new or have been doing it for years. I had a question regarding
tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). In this first show you mentioned
the importance of maintaining your tires. I have to say that one of the first
things I bought was a VIAIR system that could reach the tires on our
trailer, and I check my air pressure religiously. I have been looking at
buying a TPMS. There are several brands that are mentioned. I was
wondering what are the most important attributes you should look for when
buying a TPMS. For example, I noticed that some require metal valve stems
to hold their sensors. Are these better than those that can be used with
rubber valve stems? Because I have a travel trailer, should I purchase a
repeater given that the monitoring unit in the truck cab is more than 25
feet from the trailer tires? I hope this will be of interest to others.
I hope your "Go for the RV Gold" program is doing well.
My best, Mike
Mark Says:
Good to hear from you, and I'm glad you liked the first episode.
Any time you add weight to a valve stem it's recommended you replace the rubber valve stems with steel to support the additional weight. I have seen where valve extenders on tires cause a rubber valve stem to leak. The rubber stems may never leak, but then again one may leak at the worse possible time.
I plan to do a segment on the new show about TPMS. I use a Tire Minder TPMS. I also got the booster (amplifier) because of the distance to tires on the vehicle we tow behind the motorhome. It works well. I did notice every once in a while it seems to pick up a wireless signal in the area, which can cause the monitor to react, but I guess with all the wireless signals out there these days this is to be expected.
It's really nice to have the capability to check the tire pressure from the drivers seat whenever you like, and to know you will be alerted in the event of a problem with one of the tires.
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RV Links:
Own a motorhome?
Membership in FMCA brings with it a wealth of benefits and services
— all specially designed to meet the needs of motorhome owners.
The value of these benefits and services far exceeds the cost of the annual dues.
Benefit highlights
RV Insurance-Consignment Coverage: In today’s economy more and more RVers are looking at consignment contracts with RV dealerships as an option to sell their RV. The typical RV insurance policy may not provide coverage for your RV while it is in the possession of an RV dealership; in fact, many policies specifically exclude coverage for RVs being sold on consignment.......
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Camping/RV Battery Chargers- BatteryMINDers® are the new generation of SMART, pulse type "computer-on-a-chip" chargers, that safely charge and maintain all size / type / brands of batteries including starter, deep cycle and sealed types including AGM “dry” made by OPTIMA, ODYSSEY, EXIDE, INTERSTATE, et al. They do all of this without ever overcharging, no matter how long they are left on charge – days-weeks-or even months. Dubbed the chargers with "brains," they are the first to fully-automatically reverse the primary cause of early battery failure known as "sulfation". Sulfated batteries once considered beyond recovery can now be brought back to long-term useful condition. Certain models of BatteryMINDers® can more than double the useful life of new batteries.
The Itasca Reyo® made a splash last year as the first full-size Class A coach built on the nimble Mercedes-Benz® Sprinter chassis. For 2011, the Reyo adds a third model to take full advantage of the improved fuel-economy and power of the Mercedes-Benz turbo-diesel engine. A whole new Class A revolution continues to grow. Join in the fun today with your very own 2011 Itasca Reyo.
Whether you are brand new to the RV experience or a veteran of the traveled road, learn step-by-step, all the facets of RVing - from the obvious to the “I never realized that”... Go HERE to find out....
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Money Saving DVD Sets Available
5th Wheel Training DVD Sets
Travel Trailer Training DVD Sets
Class A Training DVD Sets
Class C Training DVD Sets
17 RV Single DVD Titles in our Library An Introduction to RV's
Pop Up 101
Travel Trailer 101
Class A Motor Home 101
Class C Rental / Owner
RV Awning Use, Care and Accessories
RV Safety Features, Tips and Tricks
Winterizing & Storing your RV
EZ RV Add Ons and Must Have RV Products
Tow Your 5th Wheel Like a Pro
Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitch Work & Backing
Drive Your Motorhome Like a Pro
Motorhome Towing
RV Campground Basics
Marks Recommended 10 minute RV Essential Items
Deep Cycle Battery Care & Maintenance for RV's and Boats
RV Care and Maintenance
15 RV Instant Download E-Book Titles in our Library
The Original Checklists for RVersWinterizing 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
RV Buyers Survival Guide
Trailer Towing, Weights, Hitch Work & Backing
A Collection of RV Tips
Pop-Up Basics 101
Dinghy Towing
Deep Cycle Battery Care and Maintenance
RV Awning Use and Care
RV Safety Features, Tips and Tricks
RV Care and Maintenance
RV Campground Basics
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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 http://www.rveducation101.com
RV University This Week © Copyright 2010 Mark J. Polk, except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide. Reprint only with permission from copyright holder(s). All trademarks are property of their respective owners. All contents provided as is. Advertisers are solely responsible for ad content.
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Happy Camping,
Mark & Dawn
RV Education 101
150 Bay Ridge Rd
Harrells, NC
28444-8896
910-484-7615
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