|
Mailbox |
Send your letters by EMail to rvtimes@island.net, or by surface mail to 945 Alston St., Victoria B.C. Canada V9A 3S5 |
|
|||
|
Computer problems: Fire Extinguisher: top Spring and summer issues of RV magazines seem to abound with technical tips and how-to ideas, but one item that seems to be overlooked - literally - is the fire extinguisher. I encourage everyone to check that their fire extinguisher’s pressure reading is in the green and that the charge has not become time-expired. Also, some of the older plastic/fibreglass fire extinguishers, especially those subjected to road and off-road vibration, are not now considered safe because of a weakness in the internal design. Remember, the cost of a necessary recharge, probably less than $20, is very small when compared to the cost of cleaning up and de-ordourizing [de-ordorizing [:>)] a smoke-blackened interior. John Plaxton Kelowna BC RVing@ogopogo.com Other RVers sought: top You’ve heard it all before I’m sure, but your publication is a dandy. Let’s see what your readers have to say about this. I am a recently widowed man after 43 years of genuine married bliss. I have a good little trailer and a good big Mercury Grand Marquis to haul it. But, I don’t want to be Lonesome George of the highways! So, is there a good little group in my part of the world (Kelowna BC) who do some neat things from time to time? I’m retired but still able to scoot around very nicely. I’m not a veteran RVer but I’m reasonably handy. Anyone out there? Male, female, or otherwise? David Box 140, 1850 Shannon Lake Road, Westbank BC V4T 1L6 Gold River to Tahsis Great Walk: top June 6, 1998 marks the 21st year of the GREAT WALK, an annual fund raising event sponsored by the Tahsis Lions Club. It takes place on 63.5 kilometres (40 miles) of logging road covering some of the most beautiful and rugged country in the world. Last year over $75,000 was pledged to various charities. Walkers who choose to do so solicit pledges for the charities of their choice; others walk just for the challenge. The GREAT WALK starts at 4 AM near Gold River. The entry fee is $30 if registered by June 5. If space permits, registrations may be accepted at the starting line for $40. If you make it past checkpoint six you will receive a GREAT WALK T-shirt and the coveted Burning Boot Plaque for completing the route. Check out our website <www.greatwalk.com>. The GREAT WALK has all the ingredients for a good human interest story. All it’s missing is you! Hope to see you in June! Jo Ann greatwalk@greatwalk.com RVT new web site: top Looks great Sheila. It was worth waiting for. I particularly like the fact that your web pages are not full of distracting icons, flashing banners, and fluorescent colours. I expected to have a few links to the some (various) advertisers’ websites, but I guess that will come soon enough. Tonight I leave the Internet for a few months; we are leaving for Inuvik NWT on April 19th. Oh yes, don’t forget to read excerpts from “RVing in Mexico, Central America and Panama” at <ogopogo.com/rving> too. John Plaxton RVing@ogopogo.com Furnace problems: top I own an elderly Vanguard travel trailer that is in generally very good condition. Now to my problem: the coach has a “Duo-Therm” furnace in it. Duo-Therm is no longer in business and I need a heat exchanger to repair the furnace or spend close to $1000.00 for a new furnace, installed. I have gone through all of the resources that I could think of here on the Lower Mainland to no avail. I even made several calls to California and Alberta in an attempt to locate the part. No luck! Now, my plea: with your vast knowledge as well as that of the readers of The RV Times is there anyone out there in RV land that can supply the part, direct me to a possible supplier or for that matter repair or reproduce the part for the furnace at a reasonable cost?? I’m quite prepared to pay a reasonable and fair price for the part but I can’t afford the cost of a new furnace. I can be reached by e-mail at the above address, by telephone/fax at 604.985.9595 or by “snail mail” at: Errol Cramer, 3123 Baird Road, North Vancouver BC V7K 2G5. Any help from any quarter will be very greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work with The RV Times; I try to read every issue and always enjoy them. Errol Cramer steamworks@idmail.com Furnaces and Special Someones: top I promised to let you know how things worked out, so here’s the story; I called Wilf Chenuz at RVOABC and we had a very nice discussion regarding my problem as well as the other ills of this modern day world that we live in. Wilf gave me several leads to follow, which I did. Ta-da!! I phoned Bryan Yeates at Langley RV Ltd. who was unable to locate the part that I needed to repair my furnace but he did have a good used and serviceable replacement furnace at a very affordable price. I went out to Brian’s shop the following Saturday. He demonstrated the furnace to me and now it’s history!! Ha-ha, now that the weather is warming up guess what? Is the furnace installed? No. Being human like all of us, I expect that I’ll be installing the furnace as the first snow of winter is falling! I’ve promised myself not to put the installation off that long but...! I’m very glad to have made the acquaintance of both Wilf through you and Brian through Wilf. I will be doing most if not all of my RV bits shopping at Langley RV. One other and completely unrelated thing. I’m seeking a “Special Someone” to share my ramblings and such. Have you ever considered a “I’d Like to Meet You” column? I think that RV Times could be a great place for like-minded people to meet. Errol Cramer steamworks@idmail.com Errol, let’s ask everyone else how they feel about having a Getting to Know You type column. Other singles, what do you thing about this idea? Sheila |
Any readers on the Internet? Jim Chamber’s article: top The article “Emergency Planning: Toad/Tow Vehicle and Rig” by Jim Chambers (page 19, Issue 59 Sept./Oct. 97) was important advice. Many would not think of it. I hope many of your readers have followed his advice. (Hate to bring up spelling but shouldn’t the “Toad” be “Towed”, otherwise one will have a frog in their vehicle and not their throat!) I have a few comments/concerns about being so free (liberal) with so much information ... especially leaving it in the vehicle that can be broken into, or stolen, reasonably easy. - Would not recommend printing, or distributing/passing out, anything with your home address and phone number on it. If you meet individuals who you want to meet again, or keep in contact with, they can make a note of same. - Do make up a few cards for Emergency Information which can state your RV make and type, license/plate/tag number and have lines for “Parked At” and telephone number of the private park. - Definitely would not leave it on the dash. Both persons should carry it in a plastic card holder ON THEIR PERSON. It will go with one whether conscious, unconscious or dead and not be left for access by the untrustworthy ones in our society. - Ditto the “Police Emergency Information”. Do not leave it in the glove box. Again, carry it on your person. In fact, depending on the area we have camped in or have had to leave the truck/camper for many hours, I take the vehicle registration/insurance documents with us with copies in a locked file cabinet at home. For many years I have carried a bunch of business sized cards in a plastic envelope on my person, separate from the wallet. The cards contain the information recommended by Mr. Chambers and all our credit card numbers (and contact numbers if lost ... both the one for the registry for all our cards and the individual card owner’s numbers), health, membership numbers, etc. and who to contact back home (relative, neighbour, friend) ... and only their name and phone numbers (no addresses). We exchanged keys (driveway gates and building) with one of our neighbours many years ago, both for security and insurance reasons and our relative knows that the neighbour has our keys. It is better to carry that information on your person than leaving it for ready access by a smash-and-grab twit. It is really unfortunate that one must be distrustful of strangers but that’s the way our society has evolved from the lack of responsibility and the introduction of so-called “rights” of individuals has eroded the feeling of being secure of person and possessions. I keep thinking of the woman and her son from Victoria that were befriended by an individual in Thailand and were found murdered. That individual was subsequently charged and convicted. Many individuals can turn on the charm to appear friendly and interested/concerned about you, only to gain your confidence. Think Alan Eagleson (s/b Egoson). Bert (and Pearl) Newman bnewman@axionet.com Unhappy camping experience: top We have been RV’ing for only three years. However, we travelled across Canada to Quebec, down the Eastern Seaboard (thank heaven for those BCAA TRIP Tickets) to Florida, then across the southern states and up the West Coast to home; 9,000 miles or so. We were very brave, as we had only been one night in the 5th wheeler before we left. We certainly learned a lot along the way. Since then we have been over to the Island twice and up to the Interior twice. Trailer Life magazine is our second “Bible”. So last year (late August) we journeyed again up to Vernon - stopping at Kelowna - Lakeside Camp - Ugh! When we made reservations - they wanted our VISA number (OKAY!) and said we’d be charged $50 if we showed up or not. I thought, gee at $32 per night and $2 for pooch - the write-up must be an accurate description of Campsite Luxury! Wrong. The pull-thrus (a big misnomer) accommodated 25.5’ fiver but not the truck, which had to be squeezed alongside. There was no room to sit beside the unit. There was privacy with hedges on each side. We couldn’t believe the minuscule space. We had planned on 3 - 4 nights - not a chance! An insult, we have no problem paying extra for the dog, most that do charge have decent runs. Well, for the $2 per night we had to take her off their property and across the street - Hello!!! By the way, there is a huge walk to THE LAKE! and because we expected to entertain our daughter and grandson in THE POOL, imagine our outrage when the sign said “No one in pool other than Registered Guests”!! We stayed the two nights that we had paid for in advance and then we were out of there!! Maybe they can get away with it because they ARE located in town! Who knows. Did we miss something here? One thing we have learned in our travels - we check out THE BOOK AND KOA listings and then we stop the unit and go and check out the sites first. Now that we feel a little more seasoned we do try and stay where we have been before. We certainly have never regretted our decision to RV and look forward to many more excursions, with all the discoveries awaiting us. PS: We have re-read Enjoy Yourself - It’s Later - etc. by Young Jim Chambers and laughed again and again. We have xeroxed and read and sent it to friends - Just Great (Is that because it’s true?)! PPS: The RV Times - our RV’ing Bible! For such a small magazine to be so informative is a treat! Pat and Gordon Harding Secret Cove |
Motorhome swap in New Zealand: Re: How to Enjoy Time in New Zealand: top As a New Zealander and a member of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association, I read with interest John and Julie Hick’s article on campervanning in New Zealand. (See page 44 in Issue 61.) John and Julie are to be complimented on capturing some of the spirit of our country in a well thought-out and balanced article. However one aspect of the sub title “Campsites” was of some concern. Like campgrounds the world over, costs have increased and discounts are not always available, nor are they always up to the standard that overseas tourists have come to expect. The New Zealand Automobile Association will supply affiliated members with a Camping Book with all the motor camps and their ratings. Don’t count on being able to find freedom or off-road overnight parking. County authorities are becoming increasingly concerned about roadside pollution and areas which were free for off-road parking are no longer available unless the motorhome has a Self Containment Certificate (bring everything you need, take away everything you don’t). The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association has set up a directory of approved off-road sites (200), members’ properties available for overnighting (300), and discounted motor camps, together with a complete list of Dept. of Conservation camps, ranging in cost from $5 - $15. The Association is happy for RVers swapping motorhomes in N.Z. to make use of the Directory; a wonderful way to meet the people. The bi-monthly Association publication will carry an advertisement for motorhome swaps free of charge. Address: New Zealand Motor Caravan Association 4/81 Great South Road, Takanini, Auckland. Walter and Shirley Gibbs nzmca@xtra.co.nz Festival notice: top We are sending you a notice of our festival to include as a part of your publication. We are practicing snowbirds with a 23' Class C motorhome, and enjoy your publication. RED RIVER WEST Metis Cultural Festival July 10, 11, 12, & 13th 1998 Bright Angel Park, Cobble Hill BC This is the first annual Metis Cultural Festival to be held on Vancouver Island. Our primary goal is to promote awareness of the rich culture of the Metis People. This event is for families of all cultures, to see our craft, history, games, listen to our music, our dances, foods and customs. We ask that this event be drug and alcohol free. One of our biggest attractions will be a historic hunting camp, with teepees, tents, Red River Carts, tools, and dress. The events will be Voyageur games, fiddle music, historic skills seminars, entertainment, traditional foods, craft tables, historic displays, story telling, a golf tournament, and a slow pitch ball tournament. The location is about 1/2 hour south of Duncan on Vancouver Island BC. There are campsites and RV parking on grounds (sites $8 per day, no hook-ups) . Motel and B&B in Cobble Hill and Duncan. We are extending a special invitation to the Cajun people to participate. Bring your fiddles, music and families, you will probably find some cousins in the Metis. To reserve your craft table or campsite, please register soon with a $10 deposit. Further updates and posters will be sent out mid April. For further information or to volunteer, call Trish at 1-888-632-9450 or Richard Larson , coordinator for the RED RIVER WEST METIS CULTURAL ASSOC. 130 Park Drive Salt Spring Island BC V8K-2R7 Phone and fax 250-537-5755 E-mail: larson@saltspring.com
Was there an error in last issue’s BC Question of the Month? top Two folks wrote in to say that the number moulded in the tire sidewall is the maximum amount of PSI (pounds per square inch) that you should put in any tire, car or RV, not the minimum that Bob suggested. And that if the weather temperature is really hot, or if you are driving a long distance, a bit less than maximum is better, as air pressure in a tire builds up with hotter operating conditions. So I asked Bob to clarify this point for us, thinking perhaps others may also not understand it. Sheila, RVT publisher rvtimes@island.net |
|||
|
|
|||||
HOME || CURRENT ISSUE || BACK ISSUES || MAILBOX || EVENTS || HELP || CLASSIFIED & ADS || NEWS || FEATURES
All contents © 1987-1999 Sheila Jones Publishing Ltd. 945 Alston St. Victoria BC Canada V9A 3S5 Email
Web page www.rvtimes.com/index.html.
