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Send your letters by EMail to Sheila@rvtimes.com, or by surface mail to 488 - F Bay Street Victoria, BC, V8T 5H2
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We have taken some of the most popular topics, and grouped those letters together on separate pages. This is called the "Tips and Letter Archive" page.
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| Happy with trailer:
We really do enjoy your publication. Our last trip was of three months duration; 16,200 miles, most of them in Canada. We would like to sing the praise of our new trailer, a Citation built by General Coach in BC. Our travel is always off-season and we looked for something that would be comfortable on the Alaska Highway in winter. More Canadians should know about this product. Eva Beeks Trailering Workshop May 26, 2001 - Merritt, BC The Merritt RCMP Highway Patrol are sponsoring a one day trailering seminar/workshop Saturday May 26th, 2001 at the Merritt City Hall complex located at 2185 Voght St, Merritt, BC. Merritt is located approx 3 hours North of Vancouver, BC on Highway 5 which is also known as the Coquihalla Highway. Areas of inspection will include: Gross Vehicle Weights Inspections will be conducted by RCMP members and ICBC Compliance Officers. Some instruction on brake adjustment wil be given as well as explanations of relevant Provincial Legislation. Please pass on the invitation to your members, employees, and any other interested parties. For further information please contact Cst. G.W. Gaucher via e-mail or by telephone at (250)378-4262. Please stop in if you are passing by. The 26th is the Saturday following the May long weekend. Website Stats for the week March 24-30/01: Sheila, there were 2100 individual readers of www.rvtimes.com this week (8800 per month), 965 of which were from Search Engines (new readers), reading 2.5 pages each, on average. There were 19,000 "hits" this week (80,000 per month) although "hits" are a meaningless statistic - each reader is generating about nine hits. Trevor Inkpen Re Tax Relief Province, RVT 80 page 51: Hi Bob, When looking for a province to reside in, taxes are only one consideration. You should look at all aspects including, medical insurance coverage, residency requirements for that insurance, licensing and vehicle registration requirements, sales taxes, to name just a few. All the provinces have websites where you can find most of the information and I would suggest, if you have an idea what areas you might like, comparing the info on those sites. At the moment as far as I can recall, the two best were Alberta and Ontario. particularly in regard to medical coverage and residency requirements. Hope that gets you started in the right direction. If you have any further questions let me know. Jim Lister Response to Tax Relief Province? RVT 80 page 51: Bob, the answer is straightforward: pick Alberta. Also, Medicine Hat is the locale there with the best weather. Murray J. Jackson Fantastic Fan Co.: We want to send kudos to the Fantastic Fan Company. This company has a FANTASTIC product and they stand behind it with their service and repairs like no other company we know of. Sheila, I think Al and yourself can attest to their quality product and the people of this company. Brooke & Linda Williams Linda & Brooke, You are very correct. We needed a part, gave the company a call and within a few days the part arrived, with no charge attached! Incredible. Sheila, RVT publisher Encouraged by article: I read with great interest your article in your January/February 2001 issue, by Dennis Nystedt, called "Life’s Journeys". I was encouraged by the article and the approach Mr. Nystedt had with his challenge to drive a vehicle. Today with our new technology, we the disabled are able to do the things we once only dreamed of. We can enjoy the thrill of travelling with an RV. To quote Mr. Nystedt, "The sun is not setting for me but is rising; where it will take me I do not know,....". Thank you for printing an article that shows we should never say can’t. Leroy Mickelson Mr Doug Ramsay: It is with regret, we announce that Mr. Doug Ramsay, founder of Meridian Mobile Mfg, passed away suddenly on Sunday, April 8th. Doug’s son, Tom Ramsay, carries on the RV tradition with Meridian RV Manufacturing. The RV world wishes to extend deepest sympathies to Tom, Sherry and family. Looking for new homebase: My wife and I are currently living permanently in a very pleasant and comfortable RV park near Ladysmith BC (RONDALYN RESORT) where we have a park model unit. Although this is a great place to live at present, there is always the chance that re-zoning may change the atmosphere and tranquil quality of life. Should we be forced to relocate, I am not aware of any other resort parks either on the Island or the Mainland that accommodate this type of living that has access to a clubhouse, swimming pool and hot tub, 5th wheel storage etc. Anyone aware of any locations of this type of accommodation, and if so could they be so kind as to forward me the list and web site addresses if they are available? Lorne & Sharron Vallee PocketMail: This winter we purchased Pocketmail while RVing in the Tucson area. Loved it right from the getgo, but did have interruptions in transmitting on some payphones in Yuma. I cursed the antiquity of the communication system in the States, and cursed the jet noise, and then decided that their radar was jamming the phones! Breathed a sigh of relief when we crossed back into BC. Imagine my letdown when the two and only payphones in the Aldergrove RV Park wouldn’t let me send or receive! Oh No! I spent a week walking to the payphone on the corner. Then we got The RV Times and read Peggi and John’s tip on page 51 about blocking out the "white" noise with a shirt. Well, I grabbed a hand towel and rushed right out to the park phones, and it worked! Another tip that I have to offer on Pocketmail: Use the "memo" to store recipes. Pocketmail really is the greatest thing since sliced bread for keeping in touch. We can’t understand why it’s not sold in Canada. George and Vickey Davis Appreciation: I presently own a 1996 Winnebago Spirit on a Ford E-350 chassis, powered by a Triton V-10. We have experienced good service from this unit over the last 35,000 kilometres. However, about six months ago I noticed a defect in the construction, which was of a fairly major nature. I asked our local Winnebago dealer, Triangle RV Centre in Sidney BC, to examine it. They had the Winnebago representative look at the unit, and he in turn, after closely examining it, declared it to be a major manufacturing defect. At this point Winnebago contracted Triangle RV Centre to effect the necessary repairs, which they have done in the most efficient and forthright manner. After Triangle RV Centre reassembled the unit, we used it for a week and had no discrepancies to report. Both Winnebago Industries and Triangle RV Centre have my appreciation for handling that in the manner in which they did. M.W. Blaanw Looking for advice: We are thinking of taking the northern circle tour which goes from Prince George west on Hwy 16, then north on Hwy 37 to Upper Liard, then back to Prince George on Hwy 97, then home to Vernon. Not having been in that part of the country before I’d appreciate any advice or info on roads, RV parks etc. I drive a 24 ft Class C motorhome with a Ford powerstroke diesel. We are members of the RV Owners Association of BC, so if anyone is planning this trip this year, with stops for fishing, I’d be glad to hear from you. Matthew Pearson Winter in Baja : First off, let me say the same thing you have heard a million times, thanks for the wonderful magazine. I am one of the many who talked briefly with Al at the Tradex Sportsmen’s Show in March. My wife and I just returned from our 6th consecutive winter in Baja and we talked about what a super place it is. When you and Al go there, hopefully next winter, please take a minute to find Conception Bay on a map of Baja. Conception Bay is on the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula about 2/3 of the way down and about 20 km south of the town of Mulege (Moo-le-hay). Here is a photo of my wife Bev and our friend Claude Leclair standing beside our Palapa. For 60 pesos a day ($10 Canadian) you can park your rig along side a palapa and sit 10 metres from the beach. If you hike up the hill behind the beach area you get this spectacular view of Coyote Bay. Mexico Highway 1 is just to the right of the picture. The water here is so calm that Conception Bay is often mistaken for a lake by newcomers. About half of the licence plates in this photo are from B.C. So ... Al, you guys would love it. Warm sunny weather, good fishing (I highly recommend taking a canoe or inflatable or small car-topper to fish from) and best of all, no problem for allergy sufferers. The town of Mulege is super friendly, provides purified water in 20 litre containers and the grocery store shelves are stocked with anything you may need. Directions are easy ..... follow I-5 south to Tijuana, then #1 south to Conception Bay. Gord Denham Mainland listings: We just received The RV Times for March/April and saw that you had a listing of Sani-Stations for Vancouver Island. We cannot find a listing anywhere for one on the Mainland. We are in Richmond. Does anyone know of one close by for public use? We just bought our 5th-wheel last July and want to get ready for this coming weekend to go away. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Love The RV Times and all the great articles in it. Maureen & Bob Rollinson Maureen & Bob, I do not have one for the Mainland but if anyone can send me one, I would like to publish it along side the Vancouver Island listing. Sheila Tourond, Re Relocating help: Re Susan Goddard’s question in your March/April issue, page 9, about where to live in BC when you have asthma. In most cases, dry climates are the best; very few need damp climates. Osoyoos or Oliver BC are best bets. My town, Ashcroft, is also very good. We have quite a few people with asthma problems who have moved here. It is also an inexpensive place to live. I moved here last October from northern BC. I have had the best winter for a long time. I don’t have asthma, just arthritis. Our winter temperature has an average of –4° to +4° with nearly no snow. Jack Taylor Happy Customer: In March, as we were heading home when about 150 miles out of Las Vegas the drive line on our truck began to make bad noises. We tip-toed in to Vegas, and as soon as I had our rig parked and unhitched, I consulted the yellow pages to decide where I’d go for repairs to be done. I noticed the small display ad of "Dan’s Driveline Repair" (5650 Duncan Dr., Las Vegas) and decided that might be a good place to try. I arrived at Dan’s at 7:30AM on March 19th, and as soon as she arrived, I explained my situation to Karen, the young lass who co-ordinates the shop activities. Although they were booked up to Wednesday of that week, she very kindly squeezed my job in first thing that morning and by 10:00AM I was on my way back to the camp-ground. The rear u-joint on our truck was worn out, and since that one was "kaput", the mechanic asked whether I’d like the other two replaced at the same time, to which I consented. The whole job was $130.00, which I thought to be very reasonable under the circumstances. As I waited for my truck to be repaired, I over-heard Karen as she talked to other customers. I was absolutely amazed at her encyclopedic knowledge of drive-line parts. I’m sure that if I my tow-vehicle had been a 1950 Frazer, she would have known exactly which u-joints it needed. It turns out that she is a fully qualified mechanic herself, having worked in the shop for a number of years before moving to the front desk. She’s good! If you are ever in need of drive-line repairs while in Las Vegas, I recommend Dan’s for the job. Vic Stobee RVing in Vancouver: I live in Vancouver BC and drive a 24 foot Class C as my primary vehicle. I park it on the street in front of my house. Technically, this is illegal, but the police don’t enforce the regulation unless someone complains. There are several RV parks near Vancouver, but none right in the city. Driving an RV downtown is not a big problem but finding parking is quite challenging. Twenty-four feet is a bit much for a standard parking space, so the only hope is to get at the end of a row. This is almost impossible, as there are very few street parking spaces left downtown; everyone uses parkades (multi-floor parking lots). The bus service works well and costs $1.25 each way. Dallas Hinton |
PocketMail tips:
Here are a few more extra tips about the PocketMail service. We discovered that some cell phones users who can be manually switched to analogue format can pick up email on Pocketmail. One thing about technology is it constantly changes. The Sharp TM-20 is no longer being produced. A new style unit called the Audiovox PM-32 will hit the market in a few months. It is the REPLACEMENT of the Sharp TM-20. The PM-32 will operate similar to the TM-20, cost will be the same, but this newer version will also work with digital cell phones as well as provide information services. Unfortunately the organizer portion will not be a feature of the new PM-32. PocketMail is still a most outstanding form of contact. Peggi & John McDonald Type to buy: I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your website. I have great hopes of joining the RV community later this year. I will be retiring, selling my home (which is way too big), and purchasing an RV. I am a little worried though and wonder if your readers can help. I am a single woman and know nothing of RV’s other than what I think I like. Do your readers have any recommendations as to the kind of motorhome that would be better/best for someone on their own? What are the easiest to handle — I know that a trailer or 5th wheel is not an option as I do not do reverse really well with a trailer. What would be the recommended features that an RV should have? I am also curious to know if you have run any articles of RV travel submitted by women who have travelled on their own and the challenges they have faced. Lynne Ray Hi Lynne, How about talking with the group called RVing Women at rvingwomen@juno.com They may be able to make a few suggestions. Sheila Tourond Surcharge for towed vehicles: I am mightly disturbed by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks’ logic to impose a surcharge on towed cars camping in Provincial Parks, in our particular case, a 1992, 24 ft Class C motorhome conveying tow persons, and towing a small car. Can anyone tell me how the 50% increase in the camping fee for a towed vehicle allays the ministry’s concerns regarding "wear and tear, maintenance and conservation" in our Provincial Parks? For day trips, commuting, shopping etc. does the Ministry prefer large recreational vehicles lumbering through camps swarming with children, pets, pedestrians, and paraphernalia, rather than smaller less-polluting vehicles? Is this not in conflict and a contradiction to the Ministry’s professed concern for less wear, tear and maintenance and more conservation? What of a utility trailer containing a motorcycle? What of a motorcycle hung to the rear of a rig? How does a towed vehicle contribute more to "wear and tear" and less to "maintenance and conservation" than a boat hauled on a trailer? Is a towed vehicle more of a nuisance and a peril than the above, or simply the group, hit upon this year for a disparate collection of monies? A 50% increase in any domain is outrageous. Edward Dye Canadian Tow/Brake Requirements: Can you please tell us what are the latest Canadian laws that cover braking requirements for towing a car behind a motorhome? We are planning a trip to Canada late this summer. We currently do not have any type of braking system on the car while towing and would prefer not to add one. Our motorhome is a diesel pusher and we do not exceed the GCWR limitations. As far as we know, they are not required anywhere in the USA. Please clarify what the requirements are. C Wright Suzanne & Cullen Wright: The website (www.island.net/~cihp/brakes.html) is a reproduction of the brake requirement for motor vehicles in BC. Please have a look, and if you have any questions after reading it, please let me know so that I can respond. I am guessing from your message that you live in the United States. Your nearest AAA office has a nice publication called the "Digest of Motor Laws" that you can purchase for under $10, even if you are not an AAA member. It contains basic information for all states and provinces in North Amercia and I use it as a reference. The AAA web site (www.aaa.com) may work for you to find information on the book. It did not work well for me, but that’s another campfire story. Constable Tim Schewe Which wax to use? I have just bought a 1992 Little Bigfoot in excellent condition and am quite willing to keep up its beautiful shine. The trouble is I am very confused as to which wax to use! As spring is fast approaching and I would like to start her first waxing. I’d appreciate anyone’s advice in choosing a wax! (I live in a rather rainy climate...Vancouver... and my trailer lives outside). Lori Henry Lori, You don’t mention whether the finish is aluminum or Fiberglas so I will go on the assumption that it is Fiberglas. If it is not faded or bleached out from the sun I would recommend you look at a product called "PROTECTALL". This is a very easy liquid to spray on and WIPE OFF. No hard rubbing or polishing. It does have a petroleum base and require that you reapply a couple of times a year. It helps to retain the shine and repel water, rain, etc. (Do we ever get rain in Vancouver?). The other thing I like about it is you can use it on any surface, glass, plastic, chrome, metal, etc. If the finish on your unit is faded then you are going to have to get a Fiberglas renewing cleaner/polish. Again, PROTECTALL has a good one but there are others on the market as well. Visit your nearest RV supplier and see what they recommend and don’t be surprised at the cost of the products, they are not cheap. Bob Martin Info needed: I was surfing the net and read an article about RVing in Mexico. Apparently it’s quite the chore getting through...do you have any information on Mexico? We hope to RV there in February or March of 2002. Dear Gg, Going to Mexico is getting easier all the time. Presidente Fox is encouraging tourists and camposinos to cross the border and thus he is trying to make it even easier than before. That is, ¡no hassles! You should have no problem, just make sure you get a tourist card for six months duration for all Mexico. Then you can go anywhere you like. Also get insurance for a year ... it costs the same or less than insurance for two-three weeks. Let your province vehicle insurance know you will not be in Canada and USA from ?? to ?? approximately, then get a rebate when you return to Canada/USA. Make sure your driver’s license doesn’t expire while in Mexico. Don’t overstock on spares, although a second tire spare might be worthwhile. We get only PLPD and pre-paid lawyer service ... there are fewer accidents in Mexico than in USA or Canada. Total cost less than CDN$120. Such insurance is not for everyone though. We don’t bother with medical insurance because we’d pay USA. Please check out www.ogopogo.com/rving. Why are you waiting so long?? (:>) February and March are excellent months to visit Mexico, weather wise, usually. John & Liz Plaxton Lube, oil, and filter normal maintenance: I have a 28ft Triple E Class C motor home with a Ford 460 motor. I am confused about normal 5,000 km maintenance. I live in Trail, BC and because the dealerships are small and have no room for motorhomes, I have been going elsewhere for servicing. Before I went across Canada, I took it to a truck repair shop and paid $80 for a lube, oil, and filter. I then had it serviced in St. Johns, Newfoundland at a Ford dealership and paid $30. Then I took it to an independent in Edmonton and again paid $30. This spring I took it to another truck repair place in Trail and paid $150 (2hour labour charge). What are other people paying? I know they have to get into the console, but is that so much more labour??? Pete Pete, Sheila asked me to respond to you. We don’t do automotive servicing at Langley RV Ltd. other than hitch and towbar related work. Instead we concentrate on the RV part of the coach. However we do have a local service facility that does our automotive repairs and maintenance and generally on a Ford chassis Class C motorhome, you should expect to pay between $40.00 and $60.00 depending if it is carbureted or fuel injected, which dictates the ease with which the air filter can be accessed for changeout. If the fuel filter also needs changing would affect the cost of the service. When you get to a regular tune-up, be forwarned that it is quite difficult to change the two back spark plugs and some shops have been known to conveniently "forget" to change them. The truck repair facilities you have visited probably not only charge out on a flat rate basis, but also likely pay their mechanics on a flat rate basis. Usually a good tech can beat the flat rate and increase his earnings, whereas a smaller one or two man shop will very often build a loyal clientele by only charging for the time actually spent on the job. My recommendation would be to establish a relationship with a smaller independant shop that you have been referred to by other satisfied customers and stay with one shop for all your servicing needs. Brian Yeates, Langley RV Ltd. Mr. Pete Young, While I do not have a Class C motorhome, I had the same experience with my diesel truck. Six winters ago I took it into the Chrysler dealership in Yuma and was charged $90.00 (US) for an oil and filter change. Back home, later that spring, I had the same service done at a Central BC Chrysler dealer and was charged $90.00 (CDN, of course). Naturally, as you know, there’s quite a difference in value between the two currencies. Later still, I had the service done at an independent shop in BC and it came to about $82.00, as best I recall. After that I’d buy oil in 20 litre bulk pails ($28.00), and filters separately ($12.00 each) and do my own servicing for about $28.80 plus tax . Canadian Tire accepts the old oil for free for recycling. Later, I switched to synthetic oil and run for thousands of kilometres until a test laboratory analysis tells me when to change it; but that’s another story. The issue is, that shops will charge "whatever the traffic will bear". To reduce costs, it is best to do the servicing oneself. Murray J. Jackson Fish Smell: Anyone out there have any ideas of how to get rid of a strong fish smell in the freezer in an RV? Ted Bartrim Hi Ted, John and I are at an RV America.com Rally in Apache Junction AZ and the ‘Share a Tip’ seminar tonight covered this same topic. Several of these suggestions are in my book but the ones that surfaced tonight from other RVers may also help. They offered a choice. Try it first with the fridge turned off. 1) Place a layer of BBQ charcoal briquettes on a newspaper on the freezer floor, close the door and leave for at least overnight and maybe longer. 2) Roll up newspaper and close the door and also leave it for an extended time. 3) Place a container of dry non formaldehyde black tank granules in the freezer and leave it in the freezer overnight or longer. 4) Of course placing a container of baking soda in the freezer after the smell has dissipated may also help to keep it fresh. The reason it is so difficult to rid the freezer of bad odours is apparently the lining of the freezer is not a complete seal and the supporting foam lining is very porous. These ideas should help but the RV tech moderator suggested if this doesn’t eliminate the smell then maybe a new fridge is the next line of defense. Peggi & John McDonald rvliving@direct.com Ted, I know of no sure fire way to eliminate strong odours of any kind from the fridge, whether from fish or thawed meat, etc. You could try washing the compartment with a strong solution of baking soda then leaving an open saucer of coffee grounds in the compartment or a charcoal filter made for this purpose, but if the food juices have managed to get into the foam insulation that is injected into the fridge walls behind the plastic panels, you probably will not get rid of the smell except by changing the fridge. Brian Yeates Ted, Take out all the shelves and bins and wash them thoroughly in hot soapy water. 1) Check underneath (drip pan) to be sure nothing dripped down and that’s where the smell is coming from. 2) Mix three parts vinegar with one part water in a spray bottle, spray inside (empty) and close door. A couple of hours later, check. If it’s okay, wipe down with paper towel. 3) Sometimes kitty litter will remove odors. 4) Set a dish of warm white or cider vinegar inside and close door. 5) Try a pot of boiling water with some cinnamon and cloves, inside, door closed. 6) Go on the internet search engine and enter smelly refrigerator and search for ideas. Phil Philcox, Florida Hello Mr. Bartrim, Regarding the odour from your freezer. Our research and customer feedback has revealed a few techniques. If you are continuing to use the freezer, place a box of baking soda in the freezer, which absorbs odors well. There are also odor absorbing blocks which can be purchased at most dept. stores which are also effective. We have found that even filling a small bowl with charcoal can help to absorb odors rapidly. If you can empty the freezer you should clean down the inside with an "enzyme" based cleaner which will work to neutralize the bacteria which are causing the smell. Enzyme based cleaners and deodorizers can be purchased at any janitorial supply store. Otherwise you can wipe it down with vinegar. The acid effectively kills bacteria and/or fungus. To freshen it all up when you are finished help you can put a little vanilla poured on a piece of cotton and place it in the refrigerator. It will also eliminate odors from some of the stronger cleaning supplies you may have used. Hope these suggestions will help you out in your case. Martin Knight, Victoria BC |
Previous Issues' Letters:
Info on Baja: We have been subscribing to your magazine for the past three years or so getting information about RVing. We have now both retired and have purchased our first motorhome, a 30' Maverick. What we would like to hear from any of your readers is information on going to the Baja in October or November. Is there anyone who can give us tips on the do’s and don’ts. Also, is there anyone who would like to caravan down there with us at that time? We don’t have dollars to join a Caravan group, but I understand it is better to go with someone the first time in case of difficulties or problems. We will be purchasing the book by the Church’s but Chapters did not have a copy when we went in yesterday. Any assistance would be appreciated. We are going to start by going up Island and then in June to Vanderhoof/Drumheller/return to Gabriola. We have purchased the book about parking lots etc. from Husky Camper. Can anyone else suggest MUST books for the road that will be helpful? Phyllis Nygaard Hi Phyllis Although John and I have been on the road fulltime for 16 years and we travelled Mainland Mexico for seven winters, it has been several years since we went into the interior. Unfortunately we have not made it to the Baja as yet. Since I am composing this off-line on my PocketMail device I will only be able to direct you to the right places to find the info you require. On the Web Links page on our website www.rvliving.net there are several links covering Mexico Travel. There is also a few Caravan Companies listed. Meadowlark Tours is based in Saskatchewan. Their tours are priced in Cdn$ plus they limit the amount of units in each caravan. Their link is also on our Web Links page. The comprehensive book by Churches that you are looking for is most likely available on Amazon.com. There is also a direct link banner to Amazon on our webpage. You asked about other books that may be helpful. Amazon has many How-to books under rvs, RV’s, RV Living, RV Travel, Recreational Vehicles, Use of Recreational vehicles and many more. For info, my book Spirit of the Open Road is featured on an informative book page on Amazon as well as on our site. Many RV books are also be available at Husky. When you are on www.rvliving.net don’t forget to download my first ‘ebook’ — it is FREE and loaded with basic information about the basics of RV Living Facts, Tips, Hints and More. Ebook Volume One compliments but doesn’t replace the mega amount of How-to info in Spirit Sorry I can not give you specific web pages and I do not mean to be promoting our site so much but that is why we put our webpage together. We wanted most info to be available in one spot.... www.rvliving.net is frequently referred to as the information site for the International RVer. Phyllis I sure hope this information answers your questions. If not please feel free to drop us a note again either by email or more preferably on our ‘RoadLinks Forum—Ask a Question Board’ on our website. That way our answers benefit everyone. Take care and Happy Travels — Catching the RV Spirit is such fun! Peggi & John McDonald Paid showers: I enjoy your magazine and look forward to each issue. I particularly pay attention to the "Dear Sheila" portion. You can certainly pick up a lot of information from other people’s experiences. I would like to comment on the subject of park washrooms that was brought up in your March/April issue by A & E Rempel from Abbotsford. I totally agree with their comment about paid showers. I have traveled in Canada and the USA and the only place you can find coin-operated showers is in Canada. I have run across them in Saskatchewan as well as Alberta and BC. Even the solution that is suggested by the Rempels (push button timers – especially 20 second ones!) is an annoying situation. I do use the shower facilities in an RV park and over the years I think I have become somewhat of a connoisseur of fine showers so to speak! In fact, I rate each park and make note of it on a one-to-ten basis, and number one consideration is their bathrooms. I have stayed in three different parks on Vancouver Island that have some sort of control on their showers. The first one has a price of a loonie for an eight-minute shower. The shower head at this particular park was so high above my head, that by the time the water reached me from a poorly designed showerhead, I was standing in the middle with nary a drop on my head. The second park had the same price for a shower, but you could not control the temperature of the water and it was turned to a very uncomfortable level of warmth — I felt like a partially boiled lobster after a bout in that one. The third park did not have paid showers, but the bathroom was unheated, had the showers on a timer and you could not set the water temperature. At my request the water temperature was willingly turned up a fraction. The intriguing thing about this shower house was that the timer was placed on a wall outside the shower stall. The time I use to take a shower is of a duration that was suited to this timer, but I would hate to be someone who takes a little longer, the timer runs out, the water stops, and you’re all lathered up. To continue your shower, you would have to either pray someone is standing outside and can give the timer another crank for you, or you would have to get out of the shower, open the shower door, reach across to the wall that is about a yard away from the shower stall, and give ‘er a crank your own wet, soap self! I swear that the people who design these configurations have never stepped into a shower and used it themselves. Maybe this is just a plot by the park owners to discourage people from showering in their facilities? I must admit that after good many years of RVing, I have a tendency to travel through the States from say British Columbia to Saskatchewan. I find that the US park owners on the whole are much more oriented to serve the tourists and their parks are much more user friendly than many of the ones I have encountered in Canada. Sad but true, from my viewpoint. Carol E. Martin Flat tires? I am planning a trip up the Dempster Hwy to get a photo of me at the Arctic Circle. I already have one of me at three equators and the Tropic of Capricorn. When I was camped on the Dempster in 1975, in a borrow pit on the Ogilvie River about 200 km up, we used to have a lot of trouble with flats on our truck tires. This was because the fill in part of the gravel road had chert (flint or same stuff used to make arrowheads) in it and it would cut into the tires. Some people carried four spares. Is it still a problem, or did highways find a better source for gravel? How far between service stations after KM 0 at the start of the Dempster Highway. I would be pulling a small 5th wheel. Bill Farion Dear Bill, Your message was forwarded to me by Sheila. We have driven, biked, walked, flew and sailed over the Arctic Circle, all within three weeks, and all within mainland Canada. How? Please checkout www. macktravel.net to see how the last two can be accomplished. We did it my booking passage on the cruise ship MV Norweta that sails from Yellowknife via the MacKenzie River to Inuvik and back, twice a summer. It’s not cheap, but it is unique, and enjoyable. I consider the downriver trip better than upriver because there is more time to stop and see things. We drove to Inuvik, sailed upriver to Yellowknife and flew Canadian North back to Inuvik and drove back to Dawson. DUSTY!!! Re: Did you have trouble with tires going flat? No. The amount of shale used now is very little. Whenever I saw a portion of the highway that looked darkish grey, I’d slow down to about 30-40 km/hr. Also I’ve been told that to prevent flats due to pointed rocks, drive on bald tires. That way, the rocks can’t get stuck in between tread ridges and then work their way up and through the tread and inner tire. There are two service stations only, one at Eagle Plains (almost exactly half way to Inuvik, that is, ~350 km) and the other at Fort MacPherson (about 100 km north of Eagle Plains). The Fort had the lower prices by five cents or more per litre in July 2000. Make **absolutely certain** that the front of your 5th is protected from rocks kicked up by your truck. I’ve seen fronts of vehicles wrapped in heavy carpet and others with plywood walls. If you don’t offer great protection, after 700 km of gravel highway, the front will look like it went through a severe prairie hailstorm. Bill, also check out the Great Northern Arts Festival dates. Usually it starts on the third Friday of July and lasts until Sunday evening of the next weekend. Try searching for GreatArt or Inuvik. MV Norweta usually arrives in Inuvik during the GNAF. If you make it, say Hi to the organizers, Marilyn and Tara, for us please. And ask them to send us a copy of one of their advertising posters. John & Liz Plaxton Problem with company: Congratulations on your great magazine. I would just like to comment on an article on your website at 68europe.html. One of the companies mentioned might lead some of your readers into trouble. That company is Rail-A-Car. When I shipped my car from Halifax to Toronto, the car radio was stolen. I filed police reports immediately and forwarded all the paperwork to Rail-A-Car. Rail-A-Car initially said they would pay for it, and on their instructions I obtained three competing quotations for replacement — which I have to say is quite a time-consuming and tedious process. Four weeks later, on the day that Rail-a-Car were to forward an authorization for the repair to Kromer Radio, head of customer service Patrick Stubbard was ordered not to do so by Rail-a-Car owner, one Gerry Giovannetti. At that point the transportation insurance I had paid for myself was no longer valid. Had they been up front about their intention to stiff me I likely would have been able to claim for the missing radio (three months old $400) myself. While making inquiries about my missing radio, I had the occasion to talk to a number of people in the shipping business in Halifax. Rail-a-Car is known for taking shortcuts with customer vehicles. As most of the other recommendations from Larry and Diana on your web page are glowing, it might lead your readers to believe the same concerning their experience with Rail-A-Car, which I noticed was in fact uncommented. Judging by my own experiences as a customer and those of former Rail-a-Car employees, that could be a grave mistake. Alec Kinnear PS. I can understand your desire to give your readers a contact company to make their own expeditions easier. An alternative company — apparently much larger and a great deal more helpful — is Searail. In fact one only needs to check out there website http://www.searail.ca/ as opposed to http://www.railacar.com which has only registered the domain but not put up any information for their customers. Searail toll-free 1-800 282-9892 Halifax mailing address: Searail Auto Port 1000 Main Road Incidentally, only after my bad experience with Rail-A-Car did I learn about some of the other companies (CN unfortunately had put me directly onto Rail-A-Car and I thought they were a monopoly/CN subsiduary, normally I am more careful), I had the move of my car quoted by Searail and another company. The results were surprising — what cost me more than $800 with Rail-A-Car would have cost about $500 with Searail. So not only do you save yourself a lot of abuse, you also save money. Lemon Law: I would like to know if Canada has a lemon law (for RVs) as the US has? Mabel Harris Mabel, The answer is no. All products sold in BC (whether manufactured in the US or Canada) must meet Canadian standards. These are among the highest in North America. Prior to purchasing an RV, the Consumer should do their homework. It is important that the Consumer be aware of who they are buying from. One of the first places to check is our website at www.rvda.bc.ca. It includes a complete list of Dealers who are members of the Association. Our members have agreed to abide by the Association’s Code of Ethics, and part of this includes good customer service. The Consumer should also check with the Better Business Bureau as well. Once they are actually prepared to sign a contract to purchase, the Consumer should read the paperwork very carefully to ensure that everything that they agreed to is included. This may save them problems in the future. If a problem should arise, contact the Dealer immediately. It is also a good idea to follow-up in writing, any conversations with the Service Department. If this is done and the problem is not resolved, and the Dealer is a member of the RVDA of BC, the Consumer can contact the RVDA of BC. They will be asked to put the complaint in writing and forward it to us. Upon receipt of this information, we will contact the Dealer who will also respond in writing. Once all the information is gathered, the Ethics committee will review it. In most instances, it does not even go this far. Often the Dealer is unaware that there is a problem, and once he has been made aware of it, it is solved. In addition, if the Consumer does not wish to use the Association, then they can lodge a complaint with the Consumer Service Office in their area. For the closest office, call 1-888-564-9963. If I can be of any further assistance, please give me a call. Janet Marwick, 604-270-7744 Looking For: I’m trying to track down info or location of an RV manufacturer with the LAWSON brand name. I know they have made a 33 ft trailer. Ed Judy |
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