|
top
Cardlock Query:
I have read several articles in The RV Times that mention Pacific Pride cardlocks. Can anyone please let me know how I can become a cardholder? Do I need to be a business?
Bob MacIntosh
bmactosh@axionet.com
Bob,
They are on the Web at:
http://www.pacificpride.com/ You should be able to find the answers there.
Bill Sveinson
RVT Assistant Editor
top
Re: Cleaning Tank Gauges with Denture Tablets:
On page 12 of RVT #76, under heading "Checking Inside Duals" there is a comment to you re holding tank gauges and denture tablets.
Like others, we are having troubles with gauges that give incorrect readings, and we are interested in how to use denture tablets to unscramble our holding tank gauges.
Neil Williams
nnawilliams@PocketMail.com
top
Re: Cleaning Tank Gauges with Denture Tablets:
Someone told me about reading in The RV Times that denture tablets can be used to clean the sending units in RV holding tanks. We camp out a lot in the summer, and have a wand for the black tank, but cannot clean the sending units in the gray tank. Do you have any information on this?
Stewart McLeod
Brackendale, BC
stewart@mountain-inter.net
top
Re Denture Tablets effectiveness:
Since my letter appeared in The RV Times I have had quite a few E-mails asking for details.
The denture tablet information came from a phone call from a local man whose name and address escape me.
I did try it in my tanks, adding three or four tablets, (I was desperate!) to a gallon or so of water in the black water tank. I let them work for a couple of days but after dumping, the tank gauge still read 3/4 full.
So I'm sorry if I misled your readers.
Probably the only way to clean out the tanks is to use an internal spray, but I don't like connecting a water hose to any fitting that is connected to the black water tank.
For now I'll watch the toilet and when the tide rises sufficiently near the top I'll know the tank is full.
Ray Spokes
rays27@vtechworld.com
top
RV College in the Okanagan:
I just thought I would write to suggest to all that they attend next year’s RV Owner’s Lifestyles Seminars at the College in Kelowna. This year I went and had a wonderful time, met lots of RVers, learned many new things about how to do everything for, and with, my RV.
Course selection is so good that it is difficult to decide which ones to take. There are courses on everything from selection of an RV to solar systems, Baja trip planning, insurance, brakes etc.
These seminars are ideal for anyone who is already Rving, or thinking about it. Next year’s sessions are already scheduled for June 23-25, 2001.
Bob Ashton
Kamloops BC
dragon57@bc.sympatico.ca
Contact information for this course:
E-mail: acohoe@okanagan.bc.ca
Phone: 250-862-5457
Fax: 250-862-5469
Web: www.ouc.bc.ca/trades/rv/rvlife/news.htm
top
Are Magnifiers Safe?
I have a question for your readers regarding the small rectangular magnifying stick-on viewers that one places on the rear window of the motorhome to help see what is directly behind.
My husband had these on the vans where he works and one of his plumber’s trucks exploded. The investigators determined that the magnifier caused such intense heat, that it caused some of the chemicals in the plumber’s van to ignite.
I was wondering if there had been any incidents with motorhomes? I would appreciate any thoughts or experiences.
Kim Smith
New Westminster BC
kasmith@istar.ca
top
Custom interior for older RV:
I’ve been looking at RVs and I really like the idea of an RV lifestyle. However I really don’t like what I call the "plastic" nature of the interiors.
I’ve been a woodworker for more than twenty-five years, and it occurs to me that I might have a much more satisfying experience by getting an older reliable RV with a trashed interior and rebuilding it.
I’m interested in a Class A about 24 feet long, and wonder if your readers can recommend a brand that has proven very reliable to use as the foundation of such a project. I wish to fit it out in an Arts and Crafts style.
I would greatly appreciate any mentoring from your readership.
Richard Best
rgbest@netcom.ca
top
Discover the Okanagan:
I had to smile a bit when I read the glowing stories about Climax and Val Marie, Saskatchewan, as homes for RVers. Having spent thirty-plus winters on the prairies before discovering the promised land, I have to wonder what these folks do when they can’t go south to escape.
Back in the early Sixties, we discovered the Okanagan/Similkameen, where it hardly ever goes below zero, the sun shines around 300 days a year (Keremeos) and precipitation (rain and snow together) averages less than 19 inches a year.
We are now happily in residence at SunKatcher RV Co-op on the beautiful Similkameen River, where we can stay 12 months a year if and when the time comes when we’re grounded. It’s the friendliest place you can imagine, and has developed far beyond anything we envisioned when we came here six years ago. We still pay the same maintenance that we paid then, too!
Why not come and have a look at what we are so proud of? That goes for all you raincoast folks or northerners, too. We, or one of our friends here, would be glad to show you around.
Bill and Norma Titheridge
Keremeos BC
top
Travel Advice Needed:
I am going from Edmonton to Vancouver, then down I-5 as far as San Diego, then through to Santa Fe and return to Edmonton, beginning in September, and taking about six weeks or less. Never having done a trip farther than Tofino, this is a grand and glorious adventure for me and I really need some advice.
Can anyone tell me what is the latest time I should come north to Edmonton through the mountains in October without hitting snow in the mountains in the US? I will be coming north via Salt Lake City. It seems that lots of people get caught going south in October or north towards home in the spring.
Does anyone know of a good route to take avoiding Los Angeles mega highway traffic going south from San Fransisco to Carmel and San Diego?
Joan Williamson
Edmonton AB
jbwilliamson@home.com
top
|
|
top
Mobile Communications:
Pocketmail looks like a small electronic organizer with a adjustable acoustic coupler. You can type your messages into the unit and then go to any telephone and dial a 1-800 number and receive and send your messages. The service costs $9.95 US per month for unlimited use. We have now been on the go for one month, and I did not miss any messages. My e-mail provider forwards all messages and keeps a copy in my account until I dial in from my computer.
I tried to purchase the unit in Canada, but no luck. I had to get it shipped from USA. The unit was $109.00 US. It took 19 minutes to set up and I was off to the races. Check it out at: http://www.pocketmail.com/
Fritz and Riki Peyerl
fpeyerl@pocketmail.com
top
Dumping in a Septic Tank:
Help please. I have recently purchased a house with a septic system. If I dump my RV black water tank into the septic tank, will the RV tank deodorant (it’s not a formaldehyde type) stop the septic system from working properly?
Peter Brooke, Nanaimo BC
peter@sei-ind.com
top
Tool for Vents:
Here is a homemade tool for opening or closing the hard-to- reach vents in trailers and motorhomes. I have used this tool for many years, and I thought that I would share it with other RVers. It is made to fit on the crank handle of the vents.
I cut a slot in the end of the threaded part 1/2 in. wide and 5/8 in. deep to fit snugly on the crank handle. I got the pipe from a local hardware store.
John Dunning
Nanaimo BC
top
Getting Propane in Yellowstone:
My wife and I recently made a trip to Yellowstone, which was excellent in all ways, with one small exception. I tried to get my propane tanks filled at both service stations in the park that have propane, but they refused to fill them because the tanks were "Canadian," and all the capacities etc. were in metric units. They were either unable, or unwilling, to make the conversion, and consequently we had to wait until we left the park to fill up. Luckily, we had enough to keep the fridge etc. working. Once we left the park and went to a private station, we got filled up without any problem.
The moral of the story is: make sure you are topped up with propane before going into the park!
Peter and Olwyn Malone
Brentwood Bay BC
Pmalone@ii.ca
top
Fridge Odour:
We have tried everything we can think of to remove the milk smell in our van fridge (bleach, vinegar, ammonia, baking soda, Nature’s Miracle). HELP! It still stinks!
We are planning our holiday later this month, and I’d really like to leave that odour behind! Any ideas anyone can give me on this problem?
One other problem we have is mildew(?) on the strip that goes around the roof on our van. Anyone know what will remove this?
Elke Kelly
White Rock BC
c.h.e.k@home.com
Dear Elke,
Here is one I heard of that is supposed to work.
Place a cake pan in the lower part of the fridge and fill with Aqua Chem toilet chemical. Close the door and leave in place for 48 hours. The time is important to give the chemical a chance to do its job; otherwise it won’t work.
After the 48 hours, remove the pan of chemical and loosely fill the fridge with crumpled up newspaper. Close the door and leave it closed for 24 hours. In effect, the chemical absorbs the smell and the papers absorb the chemical.
If they have a freezer compartment, and the smell is there also, then follow the same procedure.
Jim Lister
jim.lister@sympatico.ca
top
Monitoring Tires:
This is a tip for those wanting to monitor low or flat tires on their 5th wheel or travel trailers, while driving, in order to avoid doing damage to the tire and unit.
Use muffler clamps that fit over the axle and lengths of 3/16" spring steel round stock. Mount a muffler clamp just inboard of the spring hanger at each wheel on the trailer. Cut the round stock so you have at least 2" protruding through the top of the clamp. Allow 1" or better clearance from the rod end to the road. For highway driving, this is just the ticket. Off road, you will get an indication every time you hit a pothole, speed bump, etc., but this will tell you it’s doing its job. The sound you get is a high pitched squawk, similar to a pheasant call. You can adjust the distance from the rod end to the road by loosening the clamp and sliding the rod up or down.
I’m sure many RVers will find this small fix helpful, and it will make their RVing a little less worrisome, as it has for me. By the way, you can hear this squawk over everything!
John O. Erickson, Comox BC
Johno@mars.ark.com
top
A Small RV?
I own a 1999 VW Golf, a 4 cylinder car. I don’t want to sell this car because I bought it just recently and really need it for my long drives to work. A truck or bigger vehicle would kill me on gas prices!
I always dreamed of buying an RV trailer, but a couple of shops I’ve been to told me that my car is too small. I had given up on the idea of buying an RV until today when I was driving out in the campsites. I saw a rather tiny RV that looked like it was completely made of aluminum. The manufacturer was "Trillium" or something. I am sure now there must be small RVs out there that have enough space for one person and could be towed by a smaller vehicle.
Chris
Deev@excite.com
Chris,
The Golf is not suitable for a regular travel trailer, but there are tiny trailers available that it can handle. There may be warranty issues that you should check out with VW before you get a trailer for your Golf. Boler and Trillium are some brand names to look for. There are enthusiast Web sites at:
http://www.geocities.com/bolerama/ and http://www.geocities.com/trilliumtrailer/
A friend of mine from Winnipeg visited me in Surrey some years ago with a Boler trailer pulled by a VW Rabbit Diesel. (Rabbit is the old name for the Golf in North America.) He said he didn’t have any trouble in the mountains.
Bill Sveinson
RV Times Assistant Editor
top
|
|
top
Re: Lessons Learned! RVT 75 pg 34:
I recently got a reply from Norm and Judy Miller regarding their stolen motorhome. There is a little extra information that didn’t surface in their article. After the Carlton/Ottawa police put it on their computer, that was the last the Millers ever heard; their motorhome was gone forever! The police told them that their unit was probably picked up by a tow truck, so the ignition bypass was irrelevant. BCAA confirmed that the only way the unit could have been taken was by tow truck. The Millers also said that they only heard of one other RV being stolen, and it was also in the Ottawa area.
The conclusions I would draw from this in addition to those in the Miller article (other than, "Don’t go to Ottawa!") are:
1. Try to avoid returning and leaving your motorhome at the same public parking lot on a daily basis. It would soon be obvious to a gang of thieves you were gone for the day and give them lots of time for the towing operation.
2. Consider getting one of the new GPS locators installed that is connected with a police search system. An RV would probably be re-painted and sold, not totally stripped for parts, so it could be located by a GPS beacon.
3. If you don’t have a "toad" or a bike or a scooter, maybe local transport from the campground is available, or even a cab ride is better than a lost home.
4. Don’t get paranoid, enjoy the great RV life and remember an RV and contents are really only things, inanimate objects, and can be replaced.
Bren Tufts, Coquitlam BC
thebrenner@usa.net
top
Re: Diesel vs Gas RVT 76 pg 14:
I couldn’t wait to get home and dash off this e-mail after reading The RV Times.
I completely disagree with the answer you received to the question "Diesel Vs. Gas". DON’T BUY A GAS TRUCK.
I contemplated buying the Dodge V10 and the Cummins. I did the math on the cost of fuel, mileage, capital cost etc. and am so glad I bought the Cummins. Murray Jackson failed to include the beating you will take when you trade or sell that gas guzzling V10 if you can find a buyer.
Consider where fuel prices have gone in the last year. People have had a big wake-up call on fuel prices, and any gas guzzlers will be avoided like the plague.
Another factor is understanding the torque curve, and not just the torque rating, of an engine. A diesel makes torque all through the RPM range, where the gasser makes its torque at high rpm, which means it has to rev like hell to get the same pulling power. Why do all commercial trucks pulling heavy loads have diesels? They are the only way to go.
When I decided to try a diesel I rented one for a week-end. The first thing my wife said was, "Is that the noise we have to listen to?" After owning it for a few weeks she doesn’t even think about it. I have asked her if it still bothers her and she says, "No way, I’m used to it." If you have ever lived by a busy road you know that after a while you get used to it. You will appreciate the POWER, and the great mileage, in addition to the great re-sale value.
Get a diesel and watch Home Improvement. You will start to think like Tim "The Toolman" Taylor and actually enjoy the clatter of a REAL engine, the mighty CUMMINS.
"CUMMINS MAN" (Brian Betts)
Nanaimo BC
Waitin4u@home.com
top
Inexpensive Overnighting:
There is an inexpensive way to travel down south on I-5. Join the RV Overnighters. Enrolment costs $29.95, but you can then stay the night for only $5.00 at about 80 shopping centres and factory outlets in 40 states.
Considering the high cost of gas, insurance, currency exchange and campground fees, this saving might be enough to encourage happy campers to travel more often. I think our Canadian shopping malls should utilize their empty parking lots in the same way for the sake of their business and the convenience of the RVing public.
Check out RV Overnighters at www.overnighters.com, or call 1-941-575-3500 for more information.
P. Hui
Burnaby BC
top
Re: Barkerville RVT 76 pg 26:
I was very disappointed in this article in your last issue, having just returned from Barkerville BC. Our impression was exactly the opposite to that of Mr. Plaxton, even though it rained most of the time we were there; but hey, it was only June.
We camped in a BC Parks campground that was quite adequate, with flush toilets and showers and a dump station across the highway. We missed the discount for seniors, but it was still only $15 per night. We got two-day passes for admission to Barkerville, and we needed all of that time.
We decided to tour the facility on our own, and we thoroughly enjoyed the old buildings and the stores we could enter. We even had our photos taken in old-fashioned garb. We knew the courthouse was still closed, but "Judge Begbie" held court in the Methodist Church. Now, there was a man who had things under control! Because he had no cases to try, he gave everyone a brief history of justice in the area, and put up with no nonsense from the audience!
We also attended a water wheel where "James MacKenzie" and his engineer were soliciting backers to proceed with their exploration for gold. However, when they actually "found" some gold, we were quickly evicted from their premises.
We attended a presentation of "Wheeler Dealers," an excellent one-act musical play, followed by an excellent dinner at one of the restaurants. We were very fortunate that they could squeeze us in, as they had a tour group booked.
At the bakery, we partook of some delicious sourdough bread and some yummy pastries. We also had lunch at another excellent eating establishment.
There was also a Chinatown tour which we missed, but people who took it said it was excellent.
There are little incidents occurring on the streets from time to time throughout the day that are quite amusing.
I believe that the secret to a successful trip is timing. We checked on the Internet, learned that the park would be in full swing after June 17, and planned our trip accordingly. In my opinion, you need at least two days to see everything in Barkerville.
I hope people will not be discouraged from going by the negative comments in that article.
Grace Everett
Vernon BC
top
|
