Outing for Lexington Owners: We are the proud owner of a Lexington B+ RV and are wondering if anyone else would be interested in a campout for Lexington owners. We could meet at a central spot on Vancouver Island, say Nanaimo, sometimes this summer. We thought it would be great to see the Lexingtons together. Let us know if you are at all interested.
~ Bill & Denise Keeler,
bill_keeler@telus.net

Black Water Chemicals: I would like to know what’s the best chemicals one should be using in their black water tanks, also I have heard that you should use a deformer in your grey water.
~ Trevor Mitchell,
Trevor.Mitchell@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca

Trevor, During my many years of RV experience, I am always hearing from consumers that the product they use is the best. Another customer will come in later and say their product is the best. Word of mouth and trial and error is a great resource for determining which products will satisfy your needs. Please note though to stay away from any products that contain formaldehyde. This is a known toxin and not recommended for sani-dump stations and extremely hard on the environment. Since last season, I myself have been using the TST Orange Power. This product is 100% biodegradable and features 7-day odour control, safe for septic tanks, and breaks down waste and RV tissue. Usage is only 2 oz. per 40 gal. holding tank capacity. Remember with black water tanks that the water seal in the bowl is the only guard you have from odours coming up. If this seal does not hold water, have it replaced at your local RV dealership. As for gray water, yes there is a formulation designed entirely for grey water tanks. Gray water tanks seal the odours from the tank to the sink by means of a p-trap. What will happen during travel is that these traps become empty of water allowing odour to come out. A TST gray water odour control will eliminate odours, and help prevent grease buildup. Please note that both of these products are “RV CAMPGROUND APPROVED”. Cleaning and maintenance of your holding tank system is a must.
~ Steve Joyce, Parts & Service Manager for Jubilee RV, Kamloops, BC

Visa Cards and Debit Cards: With reference to Credit Cards requiring Zip Codes in U.S.A. RVT 128, page 16. Bob Hoogstin’s system does work, and to reinforce his letter, consider the following random postal codes. V9Z-0N6 becomes 90600, T1V-0A3 becomes 10300, R6A-0T9 becomes 60900. In other words, take the numbers out of your postal code (zero is a number) and add two zeroes. This system works with Visa, but I can’t guarantee it applies to MasterCard, American Express or any other credit card. Gone are the days of having to present my credit card, and inform the clerk that I wish, for example, $40 in gas, only to find that $33.25 filled the tank, resulting in cash back or a credit to the credit card. Secondly: Debit cards are now acceptable in most large department stores in Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. (Montana was too cold en-route back to Canada to investigate its use.) In particular, Wal-Mart will also give cash back up to $100 US per till visit. This is most refreshing in that there is no transaction fee for using the debit card in Wal-Mart, unlike using an ATM and being charged both for the transaction and again by the bank being used.
~ Robin & Glyn Hethey, High River, AB

2009 Denman Island Home and Garden Tour: The Denman Island Home and Garden Tour could no longer resist the lure of the Spring garden, and we are inviting all RV Times readers to join us! In 2009, for the first time ever in its 18 years, this very popular tour will be held May 9th and 10th, just in time for Mothers’ Day, rhododendrons, columbines, tulips and spring vegetables. Enjoy the relaxed, friendly atmosphere of this quiet Gulf Island, while discovering ten stunning and inspiring properties. Savour the vibrant colours, fragrance, form and design embodied in each of the unique home and garden landscapes on the tour. This is your chance to speak with the creators of these living works of art – about the process of building, house design, horticulture, self-sufficiency and the sometimes-humorous trials and tribulations of island life. Wander through profusions of blooms, stroll past tranquil ponds and waterfalls, and marvel at mature production gardens. See homes that combine West Coast contemporary architecture with locally-sourced, hand-crafted materials. Visit a spectacular heritage farmhouse on a working sheep farm, and the custom-built Denman Island Chocolate Factory, with its breathtaking view. Five new sites keep the tour fresh. All proceeds support the Denman Conservancy Association in its efforts to secure land for conservation. The Tour runs 9:30 – 5:00 p.m. daily. To find the ticket outlet closest to you and for more info on the tour, see www.denmanconservancy.org/
gardentour/. You can also RESERVE tickets by calling 250-335-2918 or e-mailing denmangardentour@gmail.com.
~ Laura Busheikin, Denman Island Home and Garden Tour Press Coordinator

RV Friendly Service Stations: We are new to the RVing world. I have been trying to find a publication, website or any information that will give me a list of service stations (gas, sani-dump, etc) that are RV friendly. RV friendly meaning they have easy access in and out, as well as what they offer in the way of services.
What I’d like to find is something (publication, etc) that will give me a list of service stations by route (ie Hwy 1 or Hwy 3, etc) that I can access when traveling, rather than trial and error. Presently subscribe to your magazine Sheila, and fine it very informative.
~ Wayne Holmes,
wfh3344@shaw.ca

Wayne, In my experience, most folks with large RVs use the truck stop gas stations which usually welcome RVers. Plus many truck stop stores sell books showing where other welcoming stations. For dump stations, check out John Clarke’s free website, Sanidumps.com. Happy RVing.
~ Sheila Tourond, Publisher of The RV Times

Insurance on the RV: We just found out that our ICBC insurance is null and void if we live in our RV on our own property. If we have our RV parked in an RV park, and don’t own the land, then we are insured. We were given the incorrect info for several years and not until we changed insurance providers last year did we discover this.
~ Elly Zozman,
bruznelly@hotmail.com

Free Date Shakes: Bernie Klashinsky’s story about growing dates in the Coachella Valley was very good. (Jan/Feb RVT 127, pg. 24.) I was amazed at how labour intensive that industry really is when I first heard the story. I would like to add a little postscript to Bernie’s story. If one continues east along Highway 111 from the Shield’s location to a point further southerly from Indio towards Thermal, one comes upon the Oasis Date Gardens (59-111 Highway 111, Thermal Ca. www.oasisdategardens.com). The Indio Visitor Information Center located at the intersection of Jackson and Indio Blvd., gives out coupons that can be redeemed at Oasis for free date shakes. While you sip the free date shake you can browse through their little store and you can even have lunch in their little cafe. Oasis also has a display of the kinds of dates they grow which one can taste, and one can buy dates to take home, etc., as Bernie mentioned in his article. After you’ve finished shopping at Oasis, you should continue further southerly along Highway 111 to point just beyond the Bombay Beach turn-off and you will see signs announcing that you’ve reached the famous Fountain of Youth Spa (1500 Spa Road, Niland, CA). This is a really amazing place to “snowbird”. If you were to try to take part in all the activities offered at “FOY” you would tire yourself out completely. You must pick and choose! To do a little electronic tour of FOY, go to www.foyspa.com and look around. My wife and I have wintered at FOY a number of years and have always enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Meanwhile, Sheila, keep publishing your fine little magazine. It is one of the best.
~ V. A. Stobee,
vastobee@gmail.com

Heartland RV Owners’ Rally: We would like to invite all RV Times readers who own a Heartland RV to come to the 2009 BC Heartland Owners’ Rally being held June 17-22, 2009 at Kettle Valley RV Park in Rock Creek, BC. The campground’s website is kettleriverrv.com. Their reservations number is 1-888-441-2225 and their email is krrv@uniserve.com. This is located in the beautiful, historic Boundary district of southern BC. We have booked 10 sites and a few more could be made available. A golf game will be organized.
You have to book your site by June 1, 2009 or the sites will be let out to the public. Just mention the BC Heartland Club. Everyone is welcome. Even our neighbors to the south will be welcomed with open arms, just ask JP Morgan. Also, on June 24-28, the BC Good Sam Samboree will be in Midway BC, just 9 km. away, so you can continue having lots of fun for a while longer before you head off to discover more of BC.
~ Rand Lutman, Delta, BC,
rblutman@yahoo.com or
604-946-2701

2009 RV Samboree in Midway BC: All Good Sam Chapter Members, Good Sam Members at Large (any member of the Good Sam Club), and interested RVers reading this magazine are welcome to attend this year’s Samboree at Midway BC, June 24-28th. This year’s theme is “The Tacky Tourist” so get to Value Village or your local thrift store and get some tacky clothes. Prizes are for those judged the tackiest. There will also be games, entertainment, cards, golf and lots of other fun stuff. You can get more information and register at www.bcsams.ca and click on 2009 Samboree. If you would like more information about the Samboree or the Good Sam Club or any of the Good Sam Benefits please contact me at pdaybcsams@gmail.com or 604-536-2423.
~ Paul Day, BC Provincial Director, The BC Good Sam RV Club

Unusual RV: I found this picture on the web at http://craziestgadgets.com/
2008/05/25/motorcycle-motorhome.  Has anyone actually seen it in person?
~ Bill Sveinson, White Rock, BC

180 Day Rule? I am hearing of what people refer to as the “180 day rule.” I am assuming that it has something to do with my Canadian benefits, medical/dental, OAS, CPP and maybe my pensions, if I were to travel over 180 days outside of Canada? I was also told that I cannot just buy a motorhome and go traveling freewill for two or three years. I will need a residential postal address in Canada. So even though I am retired and free to travel, I cannot. Is that what I am learning?
~ Richard Fladmark, rfladmark@hotmail.com

Richard, Here is the ruling for being out of BC as far as BC Medical is concerned: The rule is you must physically be in BC for more than six months. This means you can be out of the province for up to six months less a day every year. Within a FIVE-year period you are allowed to be out of BC for up to TWO years at one time. YOU MUST NOTIFY BC MED PRIOR TO LEAVING THE PROVINCE FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS. Once you have returned to BC for a period of more than SIX months you may then travel out of BC for up to six months again.
~ Barrie Cartmell, Cartmell Insurances Services Inc., Chilliwack, BC

Missed a Good Bet: Sheila, we look forward to picking up your magazine every two months, and enjoy the letters and articles very much. In the January/February edition, Anita Fownes wrote about her BC/Alberta trip (Revisiting Alberta, pg. 44), which was very interesting and informative, but I think she and Ron missed a good bet by turning to go to Kalso (one of my favourite places) instead of spending a night at the Municipal Campground at New Denver on Slocan Lake. This campground is located over the bridge and a few yards down the highway from the Nakusp to Kaslo turn-off. We have been going to this park at least once a year for 20 years. There are tent sites, water and electricity hookup sites, as well as sites with no hookups. There are plenty of short day trips to take from the park as well. The Nikkei Centre at New Denver is a wonderful, thought-provoking “museum” of the lives of the Japanese people who were interned there during World War II. Some of the houses, etc., and a Japanese garden have been incorporated into the site. New Denver also hosts a big Garlic Festival at the park in September. We take different routes to get there: through the Monashee as Anita and Ron took; up to Revelstoke and across the Arrow Lakes from Shelter Bay to Gelena Bay and south to Nakusp; the Connector to Kelowna, over the Monashee to Nakusp; or the Salmo-Creston route (Hwy 3) to Castlegar, along Slocan Lake to New Denver.
~ Gayle Helgesen, Victoria, BC

Customer Service? On a recent trip I broke down just outside of Benson, Arizona. I pulled over to fix a flat on my trailer and when I tried to start my 2005 Ford F 350 diesel it would not start. It turned over real well but would not fire. I was subsequently towed to the Cochise Terrace RV Park in Benson AZ and later to Lawley Ford in Benson. The majority of the work there is truck repair and especially diesels. The day after I was towed, they called me and said I was good to go that they had to replace batteries as one had a dead cell and could not be charged. Total bill for two batteries and an engine analysis was $620 US. They also reset the computer. Assuring me the truck had been repaired I went out on a day trip to Bisbee, AZ some 70 miles away. After a couple of hours touring the town I went back to my truck. Once more it would not start and had to be towed back to Lawley Ford. They knew the symptoms when it would not start before yet still charged me for this engine analysis. I subsequently called my dealer in White Rock, BC and told a service advisor my symptoms over the phone. He told me right away that I had a high-pressure oil pump leak. He did not need to do an engine analysis to figure it out. Again I called Lawley Ford and the service advisor told me that they were checking it out. They had to order a couple of parts, which would arrive the next day. Clinton, the service advisor, told me that they had done at least 20 such repairs for oil pump leaks in the recent month. Hmm. . . why not check out mine then? The bottom line is that I was without my truck for two weeks. An eight-hour job, according to White Rock Ford, took this dealership two weeks. The engine was under warranty still so I can only assume I was put on the back burner. I did not get things going until I complained to Ford Canada and the General Manager of Lawley Team Ford in Sierra Vista, AZ. I wanted to post this to your magazine so that no one else makes that mistake in the area. If I had to do it all over again I would have had it towed to Tucson. At least I was broken down at a great RV park. The people at Cochise Terrace RV Park went out of there way so that I did not have to change sites. This is a beautiful RV park that accepts Passport America. They let me have the Passport America rate of $23 a night for the duration of my stay. I strongly recommend this RV park. It is very close to Karchner Caverns Park as well as Tombstone.
~ Rick Chodat, Surrey, BC

Dimming Lights Problem: Some years ago in Needles California, a friend had a power problem in his motorhome. The voltage was so low the fridge could not run, and of course the 12 volt lighting. We found the converter was not putting out the required voltage, so we disconnected output wiring from the converter and hooked it up to a 12 volt battery charger and that ran the system until the converter could be replaced.
~ D. Engebretson, Quesnel, BC

Mr. Engebretson, Usually what people will do is purchase an automotive style battery charger and connect it directly to the RV battery with the clips provided, eliminating the need to wire it directly to the converter. As always when doing a home repair, take precautions to ensure the correct insulated wire connections are used and the charger is secure.
~ Steve Joyce, Parts & Service Manager Jubilee RV, Kamloops BC

Green Discussion Missing RVers: I’ve been enjoying reading The RV Times for the past year or so, esp. the letters. As an RV’er, I try to read up on RV issues and pay attention to what’s happening in the industry. However, it seems to me that there is something missing from the general discussion. Lately the whole world is talking a lot about climate change, environmental issues, peak oil, over-dependence on fossil fuels, etc. We hear a lot about how automakers need to focus on more fuel-efficient vehicles, or vehicles that don’t use fossil fuels at all. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, all electric, etc. seem to be the wave of the not too distant future. What I don’t hear anything about are vehicles that are able to tow trailers, or have motorhomes built on them. Obviously there will always be a need for commercial transport, but what about the public, especially those of us who tow multi-thousand pound trailers? I realize that we will have to pay more to continue with certain lifestyle choices, but will suitable tow vehicles even be available at some point in the future? Is anyone building a hybrid power truck that can tow an 8,000 lb trailer? I’d be very interested in hearing more about what is happening in this regard. Perhaps a few people in the automotive or RV industry could weigh in with what they may know about future trends. I know we can still buy trucks today, but what about 10 years from now? 20 years? 50 years? And what will they run on? I’d love to see more discussion on this.
~ Jeff Nelson, Salmon Arm BC, jeffwnelson@shaw.ca

Moisture Condensation Problem: We have a 2007 27E Arctic Fox travel trailer. We are having a problem with moisture condensing under the foam mattress on the part of the plywood underneath and above the front storage unit. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, what did you do to resolve it? I have tried various things and cannot stop the moisture. I am wondering if putting some insulating foam board under would help?
~ Aileen Pickard, aileenpickard@gmail.com

Aileen, I went on-line and had a look at the 27E floorplan. By the looks of it there is a pass-thru storage in the front of this trailer model. Many times this storage compartment is neither heated nor insulated. When moisture comes in contact with a cold surface condensation will occur. You need to make a thermal barrier between the two. Rigid insulation is great for this application as it is easy to work with and fit into place. After installation, be sure to tape off all seams or joins to prevent any cold air from penetrating. As we are not a dealer for Arctic Fox, I would suggest you contact your selling dealer to see if they have a different idea of how to fix your problem.
~ Steve Joyce, Parts & Service Manager, Jubilee RV, Kamloops, BC

More on Charging Batteries: Thanks to Peter Brooke (RVT 128 pg. 18) for the information on solar panels. From memory I’ll suggest a few additional things about lead-acid batteries and charging from other sources. Batteries vary in their internal resistance. That and variations in voltage characteristics determine the rate at which they will accept a charge and the voltage drop during discharge (thus which batteries in mixed combinations deliver more current initially). Peter took steps to balance voltage outside the batteries by varying wiring resistance and presumably ensured the batteries within a series-connected pair were the same brand, model, and vintage. I think the usual % capacity measurement devices can only be approximate because battery voltage characteristics vary with alloying elements used to enhance some aspects of performance, such as rate of water loss. Vehicle charging systems vary in detail design, with avoidance of over-charging being one factor, especially if lower-voltage chemistry or AGM/recombinant batteries are used (as they are more sensitive to overcharging late in the charge cycle), and considering that optimum charging voltage varies with temperature. Some are partly temperature-compensated, lacking actual battery temperature measurement as offered with one marine-oriented system (www.Ballmer.net). Thus batteries may well be charged to less than full capacity. Also beware that the standard old charging isolators, intended to protect the starting battery from depletion, depend on diodes which have significant voltage drop across them thus auxiliary capacity is effectively reduced. Some designs avoid diodes by sensing voltages and/or current direction and controlling with relays or limiting current to the auxiliary battery, but selection of one requires thinking through functionality as many are designed for specific marine system architectures different from common automotive practice. I have not looked at converters for RVs to see how sophisticated their charging and switching might be – the optimum is multi-stage charging with temperature sensor on the battery, to get full charge without excessive deterioration of the battery.
~ Keith Sketchley, Saanich BC, 250-216-3966

Propane Filling Problems: Last week, while towing our trailer, we stopped at Nanoose Service Station to refill our small 10 litre propane bottle. We use it with our barbeque. The young man who came to fill the bottle said he was nervous, and asked us not to watch him. We walked off a little way. When he was done, he kindly placed the bottle in the back of the truck, and said the charge was $8.75. When we went to light the barbeque later that night we found that the bottle was empty! It was never filled. As it happened we were close by at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. I went to buy propane at the local Esso station just outside the park boundary at the top of the hill. The guy there said the 10-litre bottle would only hold four litres, and charged me $4. I was in no mood to argue. Supper was waiting. About a week later we returned to the Nanoose Service Station, and asked to speak to the manager. We were told he was away! But the guy on duty immediately gave us a full cash refund out of the till, without asking to see our receipt. He said, “Oh, it’s OK, I’ll take care of it.” Sometimes it seems we all really need to be on guard when buying propane. Recently, while buying gas, we saw a commercial roofer getting two 40-pound propane bottles filled. After paying, he went back out and weighed his bottles. They were both ten pounds light. Big row inside the station! Last year I bought two brand new tanks for our trailer. I particularly asked for new tanks. They were not, but were refurbished. All shiny and new looking, but not brand new. I should have checked them at the time, but I trusted the salesman. Some of these tanks cannot be taken into the States. Be careful when buying tanks. Another thing to watch for is this. Sometimes, as in Lake Louise, there is not a service station that sells propane in bulk. If you run out of propane you have to leave your empty tank with the station, and swap it for one that is filled, as far as you know, since there is no way of weighing it. The tank you leave behind may be nearly new, and the one you receive may be almost stale dated. I do not mean all this to sound negative, nor do I want to create the impression that we are unhappy people. We love retirement, we love our truck and trailer, and we can never get enough of the beautiful camping life. I have been meaning to write for a while about propane problems, and last week was the last straw. I mean these things as a “Word to the wise” so we may all learn from one another.
~ Bernard Mays, Port Hardy, BC

City Bylaws: On our return trip from Yuma Arizona we arrived in Kennewick near the southern border of the state of Washington in the late afternoon. We had planned to stay overnight on the Wal-Mart parking lot, but after finding Wal-Mart we found that the lot had signs saying “No Overnight Camping”. We did have a chat with the store manager and were told that the no camping rule is a City Ordinance.
~ Rudi & Louise, Sorrento, BC

Went for a Walk and Saved $1,000! While at the Chilliwack Humdinger RV Show, our Norcold fridge quit. We had a very helpful technician from the Show look at it and Don Brown said we probably needed a cooling unit that would cost about $1,000. I freaked out! Where were we going to get $1,000 before we leave on our next big book tour June 1? Back home we went for a walk where we met up with a buddy of Dave’s, Rick Woods who is also an RV’er. He asked the usual question of us, “Any big trips planned?” We told him about our northern trip this summer but that our fridge had quit. Rick told us about his experience with their fridge breaking down while on the road but his would’ve cost $3,500. Before he put out that kind of money he turned to his trusty Trailer Life RV Manual by Bob Livingston for help. It recommended: “If you have a Norcold fridge, take it out, lay it on its left side for 1.5 hours, then sit it back up for an hour before turning it on.”
Hubby Dave figured, what the heck, got nothing to lose and hauled it out of its spot with great difficulty. Once it had been back upright for an hour he plugged it in and we went for a walk. When we got back home I ran in the trailer, stuck my hand in the fridge and started to crow, “It’s working!!” Our walk and talk had saved us $1,000! I understand Dometic fridges take a different technique but it’s sure worth a try. In business we call it networking; in a social setting we just call it shooting the breeze or swapping stories, but it’s amazing what we learn from talking to others. For months we’ve been asking everyone we come in contact with for information about the far north and as a result have tons of info. This June we’ll be taking our infamous “Boo the Menopausal Van” on a the Great Northern Tour for four months all the way to Inuvik. Our dream is to be flown into Tuktoyaktuk to do a travel show and sell books there. A prize bottle of blackberry wine is labeled for Tuk and waiting to be shared with someone while standing by the Beaufort Sea on the momentous occasion. Maybe we’ll take more walks, talk to more people between now and then to make that dream come true.
~ Barb Rees, dreambg1@shaw.ca

Barb & Dave, In the RV industry the fix you are trying to do is called Burping. What has probably happened is that you have a blockage inside your cooling unit. RV refrigerators work off an evaporation process and have no compressors like a household unit. If the evaporation process is compromised due to a blockage, the refrigerator will stop its cooling process. The burping of a fridge is only a temporary fix as all you are doing is freeing up the blockage. Once the blockage gets stuck again, no more cooling. If I were you, I would certainly replace your fridge locally, rather than on the road thousands of miles away.
~ Steve Joyce, Parts & Service Manager, Jubilee RV, Kamloops BC