Readers' Mailbox RV Times #85
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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

	Back to Current Issue Tips and Letter Archive On-Line: Discussion Forum		We have taken some of the most popular topics, and grouped those letters together on the "Tips and Letter Archive" page. There you'll find letters on Gross Vehicle Weight, Insurance, Sani-stations in BC, Maintenance for RVs and Safety for RVs.
	Crossing the 49th: I have been trying to find out what RVers are having checked when crossing to the US or back into Canada since the tightened security. Have you heard of any experiences, or do you know from friends who have gone south? Sure would like to know if it will take three hours to get through, and if every compartment in the rig has to be checked. What should you not take, that you might have taken in the past? I put a note in The RV Times chat room and have had a number of people e-mail me to see what I had learned, but I could not help them. I have checked with BCAA, CARP, RVers and Customs offices with little success. Can you help me? Bill Elkington gelkingt@shaw.ca Bill, The RV Times just received this note from one of our readers that answers your questions: We live in Blaine (I'm a dual citizen and my wife is an American) and cross the border many times per week. You might like to post the following list of websites in your first-rate magazine. They deal with the four main BC border crossings: Huntington (Abbotsford)/Sumas; Aldergrove/Lynden; Pacific Highway (Truck)/Blaine; and the US Customs at I-5 (Highway 5 at Blaine). Above all, the sites offer up-to-date information, plus they also include live traffic cameras. www.aacb.com/bordercam.htm www.borderlineups.com/ www.wsdot.wa.gov/ regions/northwest/ traffic/BorderCams/ If you do not have internet access, you can call any of the three Canadian tax-free duty shops at the border crossings for the most up-to-date traffic reports. In most instances the border line-ups heading south are less than one hour. I have found that these three border crossings most times have the least traffic heading south. Pacific Highway Border (Truck) Crossing: West Coast Duty Free Ltd. 111 - 176th Street, Surrey Phone: 604-538-3222 Aldergrove Border Crossing: Aldergrove Duty Free Shop Ltd. 111 - 264th Street, Aldergrove Phone: 604-856-8867 Huntingdon (Abbotsford) Border Crossing: Huntington Duty Free Shop Inc. 45 Douglas, Huntington Phone: 604-852-1335 I also have found that CKWX radio, 1130AM, broadcasts the latest border traffic hourly. In my opinion, it has the most up-to-date and accurate information. Then again, you can phone the radio station for the latest traffic report. Canadian snowbirds heading south must have either a birth certificate, or a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship, or a Canadian passport. I must also mention that photocopied versions and "certified as true copy of the original" of the aforementioned documents are not acceptable. In addition, a British Columbia driver's license alone will NOT get you across the border, nor will a pictured Canadian Firearms License. Also, anyone travelling south for an extended period of time must have proof (documents) that their permanent home (residence) is in Canada. For specific questions you should contact the Pacific Highway Border Crossing at 1-360-332-8661 (24 hour service). I have a camper on my truck and it gets searched thoroughly each time I enter the US. The border line-up heading south late this evening was about 15 minutes and the Customs Inspectors spent approximately five minutes checking my personal documents and my truck camper. My observations at the four border crossings have been that all the motorists heading south in their motorhomes, 5th wheels, trailers, etc. are included in such thorough searches. I have also observed at times that the border inspectors use drug-sniffing dogs to check the insides of the RVs. As far as taking articles across the border in your RV, I am not aware that there have been any changes as of late. However, I would suggest that your readers drive either to one of the above-mentioned border crossings and park their vehicle on the Canadian side. Then walk across the border to the US Customs Office (less than 250 meters) and ask for the very latest information — at least this way they will get the info from the "horse's mouth." Thank you again for publishing a great magazine called The RV Times. Rein Neem, Blaine WA top Try Victoria: We read your magazine quite often. Would you have any info about RV parks in the Victoria area (preferably not right in town), or how I could access websites or any e-mail addresses? We just bought a 24 ft Titanium, and we may just go to Victoria for the winter if the dollar keeps going down. We usually go south for three months and we will certainly miss that! But hey, Victoria might be quite nice for a change. We live in the Interior but don't like rain much. Oakden gkoakden@ocis.net Greetings to the Oakdens, The RV Times forwarded your request and asked that I send you the info. Attached is a list of all the RV Parks and Campgrounds on Southern Vancouver Island. Any that have a website or e-mail have that information included. Trust this will help with your research. Martin Knight Manager, Fort Victoria RV Park Victoria BC Phone 250-479-8112 Fax 250-479-5806 Web: www.fortvicrv.com e-mail: info@fortvicrv.com SOOKE AREA CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS Pacific Lions Marina, 241 Becher Bay Rd., 250-642-3816, website: www.pacificlions.bc.ca, e-mail: info@pacificlions.bc.ca. Sooke Harbour Marina, 6971 West Coast Road, 250-642-3236. Sunny Shores Resort and Marina, 5621 Sooke Road, 250-642-5731. Sooke River Campsite, 2259 Phillips, 250-642-6076. Pacheedaht Campgrounds, 1 Pacheedaht, Port Renfrew, 250-647-5414. Pedder Bay Marina & RV Park, 924 Peddar Bay Drive, Victoria 250-478-1771, e-mail: pedder@pinc.com. WEST SHORE CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS All Fun Recreation R.V. Park, 2207 Millstream Road, Langford, 250-474-4546, e-mail: patti_gordon@telus.net. Bamberton Provincial Park, north of Victoria on the Malahat Drive, 250-391-2300. Fort Victoria R.V. Park, 340 Island Highway in View Royal, 250-479-8112, website: www.fortvicrv.com, e-mail: info@fortvicrv.com. Goldstream Provincial Park in Langford, 250-391-2300, e-mail: parkinfo@prkvctoria.elp.gov.bc.ca. KOA Victoria West, 230 Trans Canada Highway, 250-478-3332, e-mail: malahat@direct.ca. Paradise Lake Campground in Langford, 2960 Irwin, 250-478-6960. Thetis Lake Campground and R.V. Park, 1-1938 W. Park Lane, 250-478-3845, e-mail: thetislake@home.com. Weirs Beach Resort in Metchosin, 250-478 3323, website: www.weirsbeachrvresort.bc.ca, e-mail: office@weirsbeachrvresort.bc.ca. SAANICH PENINSULA CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS Beachcomber R.V. Park, 3290 Campion in Central Saanich, 250-652-3800, www.beachcomber.com. Island View Beach R.V./Tent Park in Central Saanich, 250-652-0548, e-mail: virginia@island.net. McDonald Provincial Park, just north of Sidney and near the Ferry Terminal at Swartz Bay, 250-391-2300. Sidney Spit Provincial Marine Park, on Sidney Island just off shore from Sidney by the Sea, 250-391-2300. Popeye's Campground, 7591 Jimmy Road in Central Saanich, 250-652-6539. Tsartlip Land of Maples Campground, in Central Saanich near Butchart Gardens, 800 Stelly's X Road, Brentwood Bay, 250-652-3983. URBAN CORE CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS Maple Bank R.V. Campsite, 250-384-0441. West Bay Marina and R.V. Park, 250-385-1831, website: www.westbay.bc.ca, e-mail: info@westbay.bc.ca. Renfrew Recreational Retreat, 2-3690 Carey Road, 250-475-6211. GULF ISLANDS CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS Cedar Beach Resort-Campground, 250-537 2205, Salt Spring Island. Lakeside Gardens Resort and R.V. Park, 250-537-5773. Ruckle Provincial Park, 250-653-4115, Salt Spring Island. Salt Spring Island R.V. Park, 250-537-1038. Shady Willows Resort and Campsite, 250-537-2956. top Square Dancing: I would like your readers to know about us; we are the Star Promenadors Square Dance Club from Richmond BC. We meet every Monday night from 7:45 to 10 pm at Minoru Sports Pavilion, 7191 Granville Ave. in Richmond. Our caller is Brent Mawdsley, a young fellow who can really call a good dance. Brent is a very popular caller and does quite a bit of calling in the US. Our level of dancing is mainstream; we want to give our beginners a place to dance what they have learned and a place where people can dance at a good level. We always welcome visitors and enjoy meeting new people. Beginner's classes will be starting on January 9, 2002 at 7:30 pm. For more details, please call Shirley and Don Dodge at 604-277-5081 or John and Cora May Lewisch at 604-278-6150. Love to hear from all you square dancers. Thank you for letting me tell all your readers about our Square Dance Club. Cora May Lewisch lewisch6150@shaw.ca top Ford trouble: I have an intermittent problem with my 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis that Ford has been unable to correct. I am hoping that one of The RV Times readers may have had the same problem and can help me find a solution. Occasionally, when my transmission is shifting and the torque converter is locking up at speeds of about 54 to 74 km/h (32 to 45 mph) the whole car will shake like you have run over several small speed bumps or been bumped by another vehicle. My local dealer has replaced the transmission once and the torque converter twice and done every possible test they can think of without identifying or fixing the problem. The car never acts up when being test-driven for short distances. Some days it will take at least 50 miles of driving before it will happen. Ford has refused to authorize any further testing and has placed a note in my file that they will fix the problem when I can identify the cause. I have contacted over 25 dealers in BC and Alberta — none of them have ever heard of this problem. I can't believe my car is the only one that has ever had this happen. Has anyone out there experienced this type of problem, and can you help me to identify it? Bill Storen 604-858-0072 Chilliwack BC Bill, In today's modern cars there are many things that must happen at the correct time if everything is to operate properly. I like to break them down into the electrical aspect and the mechanical aspect. Newer vehicles are heavy into electrical and computer controls that tell the mechanical controls what to do and when. Trying to determine a problem in these areas requires expensive equipment and properly and adequately trained personnel who know how to use it. You have already had the transmission and torque converter changed. I consider that the mechanical aspect and because it hasn't corrected the CAUSE of the problem I would assume the cause is not mechanical. Transmission shift points are all controlled by computer/electronics and if these are faulty it could be intermittent. Here is my suggestion to try isolating the cause of the problem, and prove my theory. Use the transmission lever to accelerate through the gears when driving at all times, just as if you were driving a manual shift car. In other words, start off in low, change to second gear above the normal shift point, change to drive above the normal shift point, etc. If driving in this manner prevents the jumping problem, then it means the problem is electrical not mechanical. (What you have done is override the computer control points for shifting.) If this is true, then I would attempt to see if a Ford dealer will install an analyser unit in your vehicle. This unit monitors every condition taking place while you drive. Using the transmission lever as automatic, drive until you get the jumping condition and then head back to Ford where they can withdraw the information that may determine the cause of the problem. These portable units are expensive and damage prone and require a lot of hooking up before they will work, so not every garage has one but I believe it will be the only way that may get you back on track. Sure hope this is some help to you and good luck. Bob's Concerned top Confused and frustrated: Well, this seems to be a common subject, but no less troublesome for those of us who are starting to shop for a 5th wheel. Like most people, I want the best bang for my buck, so here are the questions: I have a 1994 Chevy C1500 or K1500 350 5.7L engine, 3-speed automatic and no idea of the gear ratio. The fellow who owned the truck before us had a 5th wheel, but I have no idea what size. What can my truck haul safely? We thought we would look at 5th wheels a few years old, new but not brand-new. We thought no slide-out would keep the cost down as well as the weight. There is only two of us, so how much room do we need? And what is a DSI water heater? And why is the pricing so weird from one dealer to the next dealer for the same year and size trailer? Any help your readers can shine on us would be appreciated. Signed: Confused & Frustrated! Larry and Elaine Townsend Prince George BC Larry and Elaine, The selection of a suitable 5th wheel that your truck will be capable of pulling is probably limited to a maximum of 24 to 26 feet in length. Engine size, transmission type, number of drive wheels and rear end gear ratio limit the weight capability. As you mentioned in your letter, the rear end ratio is the item you do not know. The only resource that I can direct you to is your local Chevrolet or GM dealer. Take a copy of your truck's serial number in and ask the service person to check on the vehicle-build specifications. This will include the rear end ratio as well as any information about a tow package if it was equipped with one. Trailer prices vary greatly from dealer to dealer based on many factors. If you have the time to attend some RV shows where several dealers are participating you will begin to get a very good idea of the features and floor plan that will work for you. Living in an RV for a week at a time will dictate a different trailer than perhaps spending three months at a time. Options such as air conditioning, awnings or a microwave oven can have a large bearing on the price differences that you will see in the marketplace. A very good way for first-time buyers to relieve some confusion is to rent the type of RV that they are thinking of buying. Spending a few hundred dollars could save thousands of dollars and the frustration that goes along with buying the wrong RV for your needs. Good luck with your research. Wayne Carsience Service Advisor Candan RV Center Langley BC top Invaluable RV book: A reader was asking about sani-dumps in the southeast US (Southeast sani, RVT 84, pg 14). There is a book called RV Guide to Free Overnight Parking, compiled and written by Tom Lindenfelser. It lists, by every state and major highway (going north, south, east and west), what rest stops have dumpsites, which side of the highway they are on, and how long you can stay, etc. It also lists, by state and highways, which truck stops (1,771 of them), are RV friendly, many of them having sani-dumps. I've found out that if you fuel at one of them there is no charge for dumping, and you can overnight free in any of them. They can be noisy because of the 18-wheelers coming and going all night. However, with our falling dollar at 62 cents, and most US campsites around $24 US plus, what do you think? If you are self-contained do you really need a full hookup for overnight? It also lists America's best camping values, and they are not talking about joining some multi-dollar RV outfit. It lists 1526 state parks, 310 Corps of Engineer Projects and 333 free dump stations. Also, we have found, without searching for them, many unlisted dump stations, especially coming in or out of smaller towns and passing by fairgrounds, parks or rodeo grounds. They are just there and free. Keep your eyes open or ask. The book I have cost about $15 Cdn, was published in 1997. For the last five winters we have wintered in Baja plus touring the US southwest, and then from BC to Nova Scotia and back again through the US. Using this book when travelling and staying free overnight in mall or factory outlet parking lots of various types (as they are quieter than truck stops or highway rest stops) has saved us hundreds of US dollars. We have always asked permission, never been refused, and never have had any hassles at night — ever. Note: I'm talking about overnighting like this when travelling. Camping is another thing. I don't know if it is still available or if this is still a valid address, but this was it — RV Guide, 2420 N. Knoxville, Peoria, IL 61604 or phone 1-800-475-0094. We are at cecandc@shaw.ca if we can be of any further assistance. Lastly, to you wannabes, six years ago we asked in The RV Times for advice on going to Baja Mexico. The response was fantastic, overwhelming and absolutely invaluable. Thanks Sheila, and thank you to your generous readers. Curt and Cec Usherwood cecandc@shaw.ca Curt and Cec, The RV Guide is still available, but only by mail. Send a cheque for $15.95 US to the Peoria Illinois address noted above, and they will ship the book within a few days. Lori Masse Editor top The Oasis: The breeze came off the ocean, gentle and warm; the sky was sunny and the beer was ice-cold. On a recent visit to Puerto Vallarta, we rented a car and went searching for the local RV sites. Our trip took us north to a little town of Bucerias in the state of Nayarit Mexico. We were actually looking for a campsite that friends of ours had stayed in, when we thought we spotted it. Quick, turn right, the sign says it is only a mile or so up the road (remember we are in Mexico —so just how far is "or so"?). Well, after about a mile through the village then onto a dirt road, which goes by the local school, we look at each other and think, "We must have missed it." Just then we see ahead an official-looking sign of some sort. It would be a shame to come this far and not find the place. Looking at the odometer, it showed a mile or so . . . and we were there. When we turned into the park, our first impression was, "Look at this place! It is beautiful." One of the first things you see is this very large, beautiful tree dominating the centre of the campground; perfect for sitting under and sipping a few cool ones, dreaming the days away. It was a little oasis; the grounds were clean and sites were well-spaced with full hook ups, all set amongst palm trees. There was a laundry room, washroom facilities and a pool that was naturally heated by the sun. We got out to look around. Ted, one of the owners, took us on the grand tour. (The "boss," Sandra, was in town getting supplies and we are very sorry to have missed her.) Originally from Manitoba, Ted and Sandra basically said, "had enough," came south, and developed this beautiful RV Park. First stop on the tour was the cool outdoor bar and restaurant area, where yes, the beer (Pacifico) was ice-cold. There are a couple of nice fully self-contained cabins to rent. This a perfect place to relax — quiet and very peaceful. If you're interested and thinking of RVing to the PV Mexico area, you might just want to check this oasis out. Give Ted or Sandra a call. Better yet, e-mail them, it's cheaper: tedpenner@lasparotas.com. This will also give you a chance to ask what the name of the tree is; I've forgotten. Too many Pacificos, I guess. We own a 30 ft 5th wheel called "Yeah Baby!" so if you see us, drop in and say hi or give a honk. Bob and Brenda Trombley Courtenay BC top		Flimsy bumper: I have an almost-new Class A motorhome. I have been making enquiries around the Vancouver area, without success, to find out if anyone installs a protective bumper on the front of these motorhomes. Would you have any info on who might do this work? The front end of these vehicles look nice, but they are as flimsy as a piece of cardboard. There is absolutely nothing in front of the engine, and to just touch anything causes horrendous damage. If you have any information on this I would appreciate hearing from you. William W1926o@aol.com William, The only after-market bumper we know of is one made out of Plexiglas and is strictly for cosmetic reasons. I guess one could go to a truck accessory store and get one of those "bush bars" installed, but I think that would look terrible and could even limit the access to the RV's engine compartment. Marcel Desjardin Travelhome, The RV Marketplace William, This sounds like a very expensive custom job. First, I would check with Hi-lite Truck Accessories in Surrey. Otherwise, you would need to talk to a top-quality body shop where they are used to custom building and fabricating vehicle components for street rods or vintage cars. Either way, it's going to be VERY expensive. Good Luck! Brian Yeates Langley RV Ltd. top Keeping cool: I have been reading your magazines since Issue 1, and I find them all to be full of info that is valuable to us all. I have a problem that I need some help with. The air conditioner in my 5th wheel works great, but it produces water that runs all over the floor. Because of the large amounts of water, we quite often have to tolerate the heat rather than be flooded out. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Roy Andrew julie_andrew@telus.net Roy, The rooftop A/C does produce water as a normal function of operation, but this should not show up inside the coach as the roof air is designed to shed this by-product (water) onto the top of the roof. Usually when water shows up inside, either the drain holes in the A/C pan have become plugged, the A/C to roof gasket has failed, or the catch pan in the A/C has failed. As you didn't indicate any water leakage during rain, I would suspect the problem is either the weep holes or the catch pan, both of which are accessible by removing the shroud on the top of the A/C and making the necessary repairs. Any good RV repair facility should be able to handle this for you. Brian Yeates Langley RV Ltd. top Travelogue praise: I am not one for writing letters to publishers, but in this case I thought it was a necessity. I picked up my copy of The RV Times in Sidney and noticed an article (part 10), about travelling from Sidney to PEI. I live in Sidney, and wanted to get all the information I could about the trip. I was disappointed when I discovered I only had the last leg of the Kalshinsky's adventure. I immediately went to The RV Times on the web, and was planning to write an e-mail to find out how or where I could acquire the other nine parts to the trip. Low and behold, it was available right on your website! It is now all printed up, and we can enjoy reading it; my wife and I can plan our trip across our great country. I am impressed with your magazine, your web page and the wonderful articles that your readers write. You have got another loyal reader of your magazine, and already I have called one of your advertisers to get a quote for some seats for my RV. Keep up the great work, and keep those 10 out of 10 stories and articles coming! Lew Wright lewwright@shaw.ca top Add a slide: I continue to enjoy your magazine. I especially look forward to the letters section as I have learned a lot about RVing! (We've only been at this for six months now.) We have a '93 Itasca Class A, 31 ft. We would like to know if it's feasible to add a slide-out on it, and who would be able to do the job. I realize this will be around $10,000 or so, but we figure it would be cheaper than buying a newer one. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Claude, Val and Tucker Claude, Val and Tucker, I have seen only two "after-market" slide-outs installed. Both jobs were done in the US, and both cost a lot more than $10,000. Both owners said they would never do it again. You could tell the slides were not factory installed, and quite honestly, they looked sort of weird. I can't see spending that kind of money on a '93 RV; you would never be able to recuperate the cost. Marcel Desjardin Travelhome, The RV Marketplace top Low-down on four-down: I just heard that if I want to tow my '96 Voyager minivan four-down, I can add a reservoir above the transmission with one quart of extra fluid. When I am ready to tow, I would open the valve and allow the fluid to gravity feed into the transmission. When I start the vehicle to drive it, I would then close the valve when the fluid returned to the proper level. Any idea if this works or where I can find out about it? John Shearnon@aol.com John, Years ago there was a company that made a product based on this principle for towing automatic transmission cars behind motorhomes. There were at least as many warranty-related problems with this device as there were kits sold. The company, needless to say, is no longer in business. My advice is to stay with the Remco lube pump for this vehicle if you want to tow it on all four wheels. Brian Yeates Langley RV Ltd. top Nice place, nice people: We are new RVers, and took our first trip a few weeks ago. Did a shake-down cruise from our home in Kelowna through the Kootenays (new territory to us) and back via Osoyoos/Penticton. We had a great time, despite poor weather, so we should enjoy RVing even more in good weather. We saw a letter in a recent RV Times re showers in RV parks (Park washrooms, RVT 80, pg 10), and we have to tell you about Cherry Tree RV Park in Penticton. It was absolutely immaculate — absolutely wonderful. There were free showers — free hot, hot, spotlessly clean showers, bathrooms and laundry areas. Also, a clean and neat rec room with books, puzzles, games etc. The park is run by a warm and friendly young couple — doing a good job — originally from Port Coquitlam. Just thought they deserve a pat on the back, and I hope we find more places and folks like them. Jill Cripwell jilarn@sprint.ca top Gas stabilizer: Since we are not leaving until sometime in the new year, I wish to put some gas stabilizer in my tanks. I picked up some from Canadian Tire to find when I returned home it was only recommended for two and four cylinder engines (mine is a 454 Chev). Can you tell me what I should use and perhaps where I could purchase it? Rob Newell New Westminster BC Rob, I think you may have slightly misread the instructions on the bottle, it probably reads two and four cycle gas engines. The stabilizer will work the same for any gas engine as it stabilizes the gas to reduce deterioration in the fuel and fuel storage tank. If I am not mistaken, you can pick up gasoline stabilizing additives at any marine supply store such as Steveston Marine in Richmond or in Langley. Brian Yeates Langley RV Ltd. top Maritime rentals: We were reading your article on Go-West R.V. Centre in BC (Go West RV celebrates 20 years of excellence, RVT 74 pg 33) and wondered if you can recommend an RV Rental centre on the east coast, in terms of attitude, quality of service etc. We are from the Ottawa area and until our retirement (2005), the Maritimes are more accessible. We are planning to rent an RV for a week this summer to visit all of Nova Scotia. As suggested in The RV Times article, we are renting a different RV every summer until the day of the purchase. Norma and Louis Huot Aylmer Quebec huotl@sympatico.ca Louis and Norma, You can inquire with us, since we are affiliated with a company in Toronto. I do believe that the GoRving and RVDA of Canada websites list all rental companies throughout Canada. Irene Sturzenegger Go-West Campers Int. Ltd. rental@go-west.com or info@go-west.com top Floating casino? At a recent gathering I overheard someone discussing the sale of one of the taxpayer's Fast Cats. They thought it would be a good solution to the traffic problem to and from Whistler. The info came from an article in The RV Times (Fast Cat Sold, RVT 84, pg 60). I stopped at Lordco in Nelson, and picked up a copy of the magazine. I howled with laughter when I read the article. John Allen missed an important element in the imaginary deal. He should have had the sale conditional on having a casino in the city of Port Douglas. Mr. Allen is to be commended for his sense of humour. We look forward to Mr. Allen's humour gracing the pages of The RV Times more often. Dolph Aubert obear.one@telus.net top Victoria vagabonds: Wanted: Enthusiastic campers with RVs living in the Victoria area. Our group meets every long weekend from May to October at various campsites on Vancouver Island. We range in age from young families to senior citizens, and enjoy the times together. During the weekend we play various games, have a potluck supper on the Saturday night, as well as a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. Anyone interested or wanting more information please contact Dave Woodley at 250-478-9254. Gerry Clement President, Vagabond Trailer Club Victoria BC top Need a toy box: We are recent newcomers to the RV world of "Gray Nomads." We purchased a Class A in May, and completed our first trip of 20,000 km from July 1, 2001 to October 1, 2001! We tow an enclosed motorcycle trailer, so we have a total length of 42 feet. Now, here's the question: we noticed a 5th wheel at one of the parks with an enclosed toy box for the Harley called a "Patio Hauler." We would like to explore changing our set-up to this, but have had no luck in finding any information on these RVs. Do you know of anyone who sells them in Canada? Second question: we are planning to drive to the Baja from Vernon, BC in mid-January. We have heard the roads are in very bad condition after the big storm. We have purchased John and Liz Plaxton's book, RVing in Mexico, but it doesn't cover the area we are looking into. Do you know anyone who would have current info on this area? Also, we are looking for information from people who ride/tow Harleys in Mexico. Sylvia and Bob Dilworth Vernon BC s.dilworth@shaw.ca Sylvia and Bob, I have forwarded your question about Baja to Mike and Terri Church. They are authors of Traveler's Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja. Their website is www.rollinghomes.com. Graham Gore, who writes for The RV Times, says he would not venture to Baja without Mike and Terri Church's book. He also suggests you buy a map called Mexico Tourist and Road Atlas by Guia Roji. Check with Chapters if you have one nearby, or go to Amazon.com on-line. Also, take a look at this website: http://www.peoplesguide.com/index.html. Go to Baja Updates, the button is in the middle of the page partway down. RVers have been e-mailing in with current conditions. The Patio Haulers are available at Woody's RV: www.woodysrv.com/patiofifth.htm. We also have an advertiser called Midtown RV that builds similar units, they are near you in Penticton: 250-492-5705. Lori Masse Editor top Sharp Pocketmail: There was an article in our local paper by Peggi McDonald about using a Sharp TM 20 connected to Pocketmail to send and receive e-mail when she is travelling. We had also heard about this from friends who live in the US. I have been checking the stores trying to find who sells the Sharp TM20 and have not been able to find any store locally in Kamloops that sells them. Could you advise me where she purchased hers? Doreen Lay delay@mail.ocis.net Doreen, This is the third request for info I received since Monday! I posted my answers on our RoadLinks Ask a Question board on our website at www.rvliving.net. The Sharp TM-20 has been replaced with the Composer but everything else is the same. The price is also the same, but the Composer even works with a cell phone. Most stationary stores such as Staples, Office Max, etc. in the US sell the Pocketmail devices. Some RVers in large RV parks also sell them —they advertise with signs in their windows sayings things like "E-mail in your pocket" or "E-mail without a computer." As far as I know, you still cannot buy these devices in Canada, but I think they are now available on their web page. Go to www.pocketmail.com and order on-line. Pocketmail does not have a general info 1-800 number, but you can call them long-distance at 1-925-454-5066. You may also try 1-800-762-5386 — but it is designed for new customers only, it possibly won't work if you simply want information. Hope the info helps, if not ask again; please let me know how you make out. Peggi and John McDonald, RV Lifestyle Consultants Authors of Spirit of the Open Road Check out www.rvliving.net to download FREE ebook(s). top Shopping: I live in Ladner, BC and am hoping you can give me some suggestions as to where to search for a used travel trailer. I have tried the Buy & Sell, smaller publications, local newspapers, the internet and dealerships. Although there may not be the best selection of trailers at this time of year, it is probably the best time to buy if you can find one. I think that going through a dealership is the worst scenario due to their mark-up and GST. Am I wrong? Would the US be worth a try, or are there no deals with the exchange and similar pricing? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. Terrance Trytten cindy.trytten@syreon.com Terrance, The most important thing when shopping for a trailer is to decide exactly what you want from the get-go and shop for ONLY that type of trailer. This will give you a good idea when comparing units. As for a buying from a dealer or from an individual, that is your choice, but remember that dealers are licensed and you have recourse through government agencies if you get a lemon. As a dealer's representative, I can relay to you many, many sad stories of people who bought privately to save seven percent only to spend a lot more of their savings to make their purchase roadworthy. The Americans are buying all types of RVs in Canada because of the low Canadian dollar. You will pay up to 30 percent more in the US for a similar trailer than in Canada. Marcel Desjardins TravelHome, The RV Marketplace top Fridge frustration solved: I had five years of frustrating intermittent propane operation of the Dometic 3-way fridge in my Bigfoot camper. After changing the module at $180, then having the ground modification installed, $35 or so, then another module in less then a year (that was done under warranty) and all the cleaning and adjusting etc., nothing had changed. It still had "check light" come on, sometimes in two days, or even in two hours. It was not at all predictable. These repairs were done at three different RV service places in three different provinces that were recommended to me by the Dometic service department in the US. The last straw came last winter when, as usual, we were south of Mulege, Baja in the desert on the beach at Naranjos. I had the camper off the truck for four months. I used the solar panel for power and the fridge on propane was more ornery then ever. Everything had been adjusted, cleaned, burnished and voltages measured. It would not stay on for over a day. The closest RV Dometic service was a 1,000 km drive north in San Diego. While deciding whether to pack up and head north for another possibly forlorn go-around, a friend on the beach mentioned that a repairman from Wahoo RV Center in Cabo had sorted his fridge out and suggested I call him. After a few faxes of "try this or that," he said it was my module (again, or still). He also said he had a replacement that would work and he was on his way to the US in a few days, and would come by the beach, which he did. Out of his van window he handed me a small box, said, "That's $120 US, and if you have any trouble fax me," and roared away. I installed that module in about 10 minutes and it has never, never quit since. That includes 3-1/2 months in Baja and the trip home. We have also been on three trips this summer and fall. It works like it is supposed to. Here is the kicker — it has a three-year warranty, versus one year for Dometic. There is a built-in temperature adjustment for fixed-temperature fridges. If gas operation fails, it will try to restart every 30 minutes until gas operation is restored. There is surge protection for transient pulses or ground bounce. It is easy to install, no wiring kit. Best of all, it is available close by, from — and I'm not kidding about this name— Dinosaur Electronics, PO Box 1263, Lincoln City, Oregon. 97367 Phone 541 994 4344 or fax 541 994 2796 or check www.dinosaurelectronics.com. Curt Usherwood cecandc@shaw.ca top Great response: Thanks so much for the Margaritaville article (Welcome to Margaritaville, RVT 84, pg 55). I have had a great response from my ad; I knew the magazine had come out when a man drove up from Puerto Vallarta with it in hand, wanting to see our park. It looks like this will be a successful year and we are looking forward to it and more years. Carole Thacker La Penita Trailer Park, Puerto Vallarta top		Previous Issues' Letters: RV Times 84 Nov. Dec. 2001 RV Times 83 Sept. Oct. 2001 RV Times 82 July August 2001 RV Times 81 May June 2001 RV Times 80 Mar. Apr. 2001 RV Times 79 Jan. Feb. 2001 RV Times 78 Nov. Dec. 2000 RV Times 77 Sept. Oct. 2000 top Bricklayer's update: The Bricklayer's Report (RVT 84, pg 45) is from Gerard Hoffnung's (the author) speech on Speech Day in December 1958 to the Oxford Union, which was broadcast by the BBC. This speech included the marvellous The Bricklayer of Golders Green and other stories. It is available on tape from the BBC Radio Collection/BBC Worldwide; through this medium we've shared it with many of our relatives and friends over the years. I think credit should be given to whom it is due, and perhaps you'd pass this along to your readers. We recently retired and are taking up RV travel again. Your RV Times is a much-appreciated source of information and we look forward to each issue. Olive Sansom Vancouver BC top New Mexican area codes: Mexico has changed all their area codes as of November 17, 2001. To find the new area codes, go www.telmex.com. Click on English Section. The next page is the English Version. Click on Area Code Directory. You now have a search engine, and can enter the name of the state and city; it will find the new area code for you. There is also a toll-free number for the Mexico Tourism Board in the US: 1-800-446-39420. (It is an unusually long number, but it works!) These helpful folks will send you info on anything you need to know about visiting Mexico. Lori Masse Editor top Get your regulations here: I read the letter in the November/December issue of The RV Times regarding towing regulations in BC (Towing regulations, RVT 84, pg 14). Our website is a good source of information on traffic law in BC, and I would like to encourage your readers to visit it. If the information you require is not there, please feel free to use the webmaster link below and I would be happy to fill in the gaps. Constable Tim Schewe Webmaster Central Island Highway Patrol Parksville BC www.island.net/~cihp top Rental advice: As an alternative to flying, my husband and I want to rent an RV for about eight or nine days for our end-of-year 2001 trip to South Carolina. We moved to Kingston Ontario this February, and love it, so Kingston is our return destination. Info regarding purchasing RVs is plentiful on the web, but renting is sparse. If this trip is successful, we're thinking about buying — probably a Class C vehicle — within the next two years. Can your readers give us advice about renting? Kathy Craig kdcraigrn@earthlink.net top Tow dolly: I am looking for a dolly like one my dad used many years ago for towing travel trailers without the load of the towed vehicle being on the hitch of the towing vehicle. As I recall, the dolly had two small tires that may have been mounted on a swivel mechanism; the dolly was mounted to the tow vehicle hitch then the trailer was attached to the ball on top of the dolly. Richard Ramsey barbara007@earthlink.net top Excellent service: My husband Bob and I are first-time RV owners. We purchased our 1981 Pace Arrow from Tri-Crown RV in Salmon Arm, and we want to thank the owners, Bert and John, and the staff for all their excellent advice and patient explanations for us first-timers. They have also done some renovations and winterized our vehicle. We recommend them to anyone who needs help or service; they are great. Bob and Corinne Marineau Chase BC top Plaxton praise: I just read John Plaxton's article about Boya Lake (Boya Lake Provincial Park, RVT 84, pg 54). We visited the park in August; his descriptions were great, and brought back memories for us. Keep up the good work John! We loved Northern BC, NWT and the Yukon. Six months on the road this summer and never a dull day. What a great country we live in! See you down the road. Roger Wilson randawilson1@aol.com Help for leg cramps: I read your RV Times and very much enjoy it. Ann Landers recently had an article on leg cramps. The advice to cure cramps was to unwrap a bar of soap and put it in your bed, near to your legs. I thought some of your readers may be able to utilize this cure; don't laugh until you try it! Gordon Mac Donald gmaci@telus.net top Unique website: As a retired senior and RV owner, I have assembled a website of information that may be of interest to fellow RV owners and travellers. The site is at www.netidea.com/~oryerbrj. It is clean and free of viruses. Have a good day and happy RVing from one senior to another. Return comments appreciated. R Johnson oryerbrj@netidea.com Nelson BC top Moving pictures: I want to thank you for the article Video on the move (RVT 80, pg 49) by Stan Ward. Based on the down-to-earth information contained in this issue, I was able to purchased a new high-quality Hi8 Camcorder for less than half the price of a digital with comparable good picture quality. James B. Willenbring Jackson Missouri top GPS website: I was reading in the November/December issue (GPS advice needed, RVT 84, pg 8) Jan W. Ihmels' request for information about available GPS maps. Readers with similar interests might try looking up www.freshtracksmaps.com for their needs. They appear to list the information that many people are looking for. Einar Carlsen carls@citytel.net top Making a choice: We are thinking of joining Choice Camping Inc. Would any of your readers have any information — good or bad experiences — with this organization? John Cull jac@telus.net top Keeping in touch: Just a quick note from the Livingston Texas area, en route to Mexico and Central America — again. The east Texas/Tyler/Livingston/Conroe area is absolutely gorgeous right now. Green is everywhere, with both deciduous and pine trees. The daytime high varies from 85 F to 72 F and nighttime lows vary from 48 F to 65 F, always with a very slight breeze. What a pleasant surprise; my idea of Texas was a land of huge, flat, empty prairie, as seen in the movie Giant. The price of gasoline is fabulous, 97 cents US per gallon in Coldspring. That little town is having a gas war because the usual price varies from $1.12 to $ 1.35 per gallon. For the snowbirds, you might like to know about our "own" Canadian home page — http://www.canada.com — that provides Canadian news and also free e-mail service. I've been using it now for almost six months and I'm very pleased with the service provided. Your readers should also check out http://www.slingshot.com. This service provides pre-paid internet access via a 1-800 number or by local telephone numbers. The 1-800 numbers cost about five times the price of local calls, but at worst it costs $5 US per hour. Not bad and very handy for people with portable computers. Anyone can get prepaid CDs at Staples and some Radio Shack stores. A free trial is offered from their website. The 1-800 service is good in the US and Canada. To all your readers in Canada, Liz and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and that 2002 will be as good or better. John Plaxton rving@ogopogo.com top Re-certify to refill: I enjoy your magazine, each and every issue. Would you elaborate on the re-certification of propane tanks? Is the only requirement for re-certification simply installing a modified valve? This seems to be the understanding according to local propane dealers where I have gone to refill portable bottles. I have seen both fixed and portable bottles and tanks mounted in unshielded locations in the path of road debris and mud, etc., and covered with rust and dents. Surely these tanks should be removed for inspection in addition to valve replacement. I worked in aircraft maintenance for years and all pressure-vessels were subject to pressure (hydrostatic) tests as part of the re- certification procedure. Eldon Morton Edmonton Alberta Eldon, Contrary to what is commonly believed, re-certification of LPG tanks involves much more than simply updating the service valve on the bottle. The correct procedure includes close inspection for dents over a specified size, damaged foot or collar rings, and excessive rust. It is the responsibility of all attendants to visually inspect all LPG tanks every time they are refilled for the same potential defects, as well as leak-testing the newly replaced valves on freestanding tanks. Hydrostatic testing is done on each tank at the time of manufacture and is not required for the duration of the usable life of the tank unless a flaw or defect is suspected in one of the tank seams or other weld points. I hope this helps to answer some of your concerns. For further information you could contact the Ministry of Labour — Gas Safety Branch. Brian Yeates Langley RV Ltd top RV roof leak repair: The best product I have used is called Snow Roof Systems. It sticks like the proverbial feces to a blanket and it lasts. You can use it on tin, aluminum, plastic, or fiberglass but I am not sure about rubber roofs. The amazing thing is you use water for cleanup of spills and the tools used. The application is a three-part procedure and you must use their contouring seam tape (CST-100) that embeds into the first step for strength and to take the flexing that occurs going over the road. The last step is a white overcoat to reflect the sun that has UV resistance. It is easy to do, so it can be a do-it-yourself project. Totem Building Supplies has this product and probably other retailers who sell roof repair products. Don’t be scared off by the one-gallon US can sizes because you’ll find it very useful around the house or cottage also. Ed Stremecki Edmonton AB top They did it again: We wrote a letter to The RV Times in August of this year (Excellent Service, RVT 82, pg 22) recognizing excellent service and you were kind enough to print it. We didn't realize how many people read your magazine. We have heard back from numerous readers. Having said that, we have to send a follow-up letter about the same dealership. West Coast Motor Sports & RV, based out of Nanaimo BC, did it again. As we mentioned before, they provided not only excellent sales, but also service. We had a problem with our furnace thermostat this summer and were in a pinch. We spoke to the service technician explaining the problem. He advised he was going to be in the area of our campsite on his days off and he agreed to attend and repair the problem, saving us valuable time and effort. This type of dedication to "the customer" is rare and almost unheard of in this fast-paced world. This gesture did not go unnoticed. In October of this year, we returned to the dealership to return an accessory that had been loaned to us. We saw a 25-foot Wilderness on the lot; it was newer and larger and better suited the needs of our family. My wife and I met with the sales staff and once again negotiated an excellent deal. They provided a discount on the newer trailer as well as giving us a high value for our trade-in. It was a win-win transaction with a personal and friendly touch. We must add — the bulk of the transaction was done on a Sunday. This day was the only day suitable for my wife and me. The salesman once again sacrificed his time off, as the dealership was closed, in order to accommodate our needs. In closing, we feel compelled to once again pass the above excellent sales and service information on to your many readers. The dealership in question is not huge in size but always seems to have a fantastic selection of new and used units. They value the customer to a level we have not seen in a long time, they value their merchandise and they value their service, bar none. We will once again continue to enjoy our RV experience knowing full well they will be there to help. Trish and Dave Cusson Port Alberni, BC top Love those truckers: I recently completed a cross-Canada journey towing my 5th wheel from Surrey through the Maritimes, into PEI, then into the US. After visiting relatives in the Boston area, my wife and I completed our journey by driving west across the US as far as the Manitoba border. We then connected back up with Hwy 1 for the remainder of our trip home. I put on a total of 15,000 km in just over five weeks. The reason for this letter is to commend the drivers of the big rigs I came across on my trip. On several occasions, while passing them, they would blink their high beams to let me know when it was safe to pull back in front of them. This was especially useful during the two or three days we had of extremely wet road conditions. In Wisconsin I saw a semi on an on-ramp heading for the freeway. I changed lanes so that he would be able to merge on the freeway without slowing down. There was no traffic at the time, so it was an easy decision to make. As I passed him and pulled into the slow lane, he blinked his lights to thank me. A short time later he was now in the fast lane and was overtaking me. At this moment another semi was starting to enter the freeway from an on-ramp. It was clear that I would have to slow down for him to merge. At this point I looked to my left and there was the same semi driver that I had yielded to, blinking his lights for me to change lanes into the fast lane, thus avoiding the other merging semi. I pulled into the slow lane and allowed the courteous semi driver to complete his pass. As he went by me he looked down at me with a big smile on his face as we exchanged waves of appreciation. Believe it or not this made my day. To the professional truck drivers out there I thank you. The courtesy you displayed made my trip all that more enjoyable. Thanks, Sheila, for letting me share my story. Rick and Nancy Chodat Surrey B.C. top RV price guide: I e-mailed you about the availability of Canadian RV price guides, and you suggested I contact Janet at the RVDA, which I did. This morning I had a reply from her. She states that there isn't a guide for Canadian pricing, and that I should check out a couple of dealers selling similar vehicles to determine if the unit I am interested in, elsewhere, compares favourably in price. This seems to be a rather hit-or-miss way of going about buying an RV. It seems the dealer can dream up a price out of their head, double it, and see what happens! My next move is to get to ICBC, and ask them how they would value an RV in the case of a write-off. It appears at this time that Canadian buyers of second-hand RVs are being "soaked" by the dealers, and the current trading practice is not in the public's interest. It might be an interesting exercise if you were to put an article in your publication asking readers for their comments about this issue. I would be interested in reading the replies. What I have now done is obtained a valuation for a similar unit in the US using NADA Guides on www.NADAguides.com, and converting the US price into Canadian dollars. I made my offer to my local RV dealer accordingly. I now await their reaction to my offer. David T. Jones Vernon BC davidmaureen@telus.net David, The scenario you describe about retailing is what reputable dealerships try to avoid. The Kelly Blue Book is a guide that banks, lending institutions and a lot of RV dealerships use as a guide for valuating RVs. And I emphasize that it is simply a guide. The book cannot rate the interior of the unit; even the smell of a unit will dictate its value. Dealers are driven by competition — period. As far as getting "soaked" by dealers, soaking people will not bring repeat business and that's what all reputable dealers strive for. Marcel Desjardins Travelhome, The RV Marketplace top