I’ll Tell You Where You Can Go!
Tim R. Enright
Have we finally gotten to the point where we are letting computers tell us all where we can go? I do have to admit that when it comes to mapping out a RV road trip, there isn’t a handier gadget than a GPS device. Gone are the days of laying maps out on the hood of our cars and stopping at gas stations for directions only to forget if the guy at the station told us to turn right or left at the red house with the little white picket fence in the front yard.
The GPS device has changed the way we travel. You may, however, want to take the machine’s advice with a grain of salt. They have been known to outright lie. We once ended up on a small winding dirt road towing our 5th wheel through the hills of Vermont because the GPS told us it was the way to go. I think these little map-in-a-box devices get some sort of thrill getting us to drive down roads that we would otherwise never go down on our own.
My wife and I usually map out our trip in advance using a software program like Microsoft Streets and Trips. This allows us to map out where we travel on each leg of our journey and how long we will be staying at each site. From this we can create a traveling timeline of places. The software also gives us an idea of the fuel costs, road construction and times of the day we may be traveling though large towns with heavy traffic.
As we are traveling we put the points we are heading to into our GPS unit. The GPS shows us turn by turn how to get to our destination. We can also find gas, food and rest stops along the way. With our unit we can also find campground information. This allows us to pull over for the night when we find an unscheduled area where we would like to stay.
Love ‘em or leave ‘em, GPS is here to stay. I could never go back to unfolding a street map again. I certainly don’t know anyone who can fold those maps back up the way they were when they were purchased anyway.
Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2010
All Tied Up
Tim R. Enright
I have been searching for a way to keep my RV hoses and cables bundled. I have been using large wire tie wraps. These work ok, but don’t last very long. I have spent quite some time looking in several stores for replacement tie wraps large enough to bundle my hoses. It seems to be a hard item to locate.
In my quest for replacement ties, I came across an item called the Cable Clamp. This item is just what I needed. It is a simple design. You just clamp it onto your hoses or cables. You then press the release button to unclamp it. They come in a variety of sizes to fit most needs. The Cable Clamp makes a storing your gear much easier. I couldn’t possibly think of going back to the bread wrapper styled tie-wraps.
Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2009
Secure Your Fifth Wheel Hitch
Tim R. Enright
If you have a fifth wheel trailer and want a way to secure it while you are away, then check this out. Purchase a chain with links just large enough to get a pad lock into them. Make sure it is long enough to wrap around the hitch pin a couple of times. Make sure you get one made of a material that is rust resistant. Now after wrapping the hitch pin with your chain, just secure it with a pad lock.
But then again there is another solution. They do make a device created specifically for this purpose. It is called a King Pin Lock Sleeve.
Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2007
Bob Bonker
Tim R. Enright
How many times have you run into the awning support arms on your RV? You know, those rods that hold up your awning. If you are like me you can honestly say more than once. It is like when small children get to that critical height and start running into the edge of the dining room table that they use to be able to walk so easily under. You just don’t seem to be able to see things that are just above your eye level and yet still shorter than the top of your head. On the other hand, people do tend to look down and watch where they walk.
This is why I adopted this little guy whom I affectionately call “Bob Bonker”. He is my little bird on a stick. I found him at the local department store in with the other seasonal lawn ornaments.
He spends his time in the ground, just below the spot on the awning support that now displays my forehead dents. He just loves it there and I just love seeing him there. How could anyone miss seeing him? So take my advice and go out and adopt one of Bob’s friends right away. It will save you a lot of headaches, literally!
Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2007
Had a new spray-on bedliner installed. After looking over all of my choices, I decided to go with Line-X.
The liners I looked at were all created differently. Some were soft, some soft, some thick, some thin. All the spray on choices adhere to the truck bed. The plastic slide in liners would allow moisture to build up in between the liner and the bed.
I think I made a pretty good choice in going with the Line-X. It looks real nice. I had to pull and reinstall the trailer hitch. But it was worth it. Got the truck done just in time to let the guy doing it go and get some green beer for St. Patty’s day.
Bought a new 3000 watt Honda generator today. This thing is really quiet. I was told that a 2000 watt would work everything except the airconditioning unit. My wife talked me into the 3000 watt model, so we could power everything. She didn’t have to do much convincing. 
The honda brand is very dependable. Everyone who I have talked to that owns one says that it is the only way to go. The model EU3000 is a bit larger and heavier to handle. It is still the quietest generator in the park.
