RV Home Yet?

RV writers- NaNoWriMo or NaBloPoMo

November is a good month for RV writers to jump-start their writing. November is National Novel Writing Month and also National Blog Posting Month.

For NaNo the idea is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. That averages out to 1,667 words a day- actually about an hour to hour and one-half's worth of writing. The idea is to get the words down on your computer without editing. You can get a rough draft of a novel and then later go back and edit another month. This is George's 3rd year and he turns off his spell check, ignoring any errors and just writes.

You can do preparation, if you want. George has his outline done, as well as character sketches. You just can't have any part of the novel written ahead of time. When you reach 50,000 words - towards the end of the month - you submit it for an official word count. You can take a copy of your manuscript, change all the letters to x or z using the find and replace function, and then submit that. If you are worried that someone could steal your idea or want to make absolutely sure no one reads it, scramble it up; you'll still get an accurate word count.

I have to confess. In 2006 I too wrote 50,000+ words but it wasn't a novel. I did essays each day. This year I plan to do something similar.

The reward for completing NaNo is a nice, framable certificate and the feeling of satisfaction of having made a big commitment and sticking to it!

NaBloPoMo provides another kind of discipline. With NaNo you must make a total word count by the end of the month. You could write 24 hours for 5 days and make it. For NaBloPoMo, you must blog every day during November - the word count doesn't matter. Actually you can pick any month to do this, however in November, they will have a drawing for prizes for those who do post every day. Each month they suggest a theme, however, following it is optional. You do have to have a blog, however you still have one day to set one up if you don't yet have a blog of your own. There are free blogs like Google Blogs and Wordpress if you want to start one up. Do a search for "free blogs" and several choices will come up.

So, writers - take advantage of November to get words down on paper. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, or whether you've been wanting to start a blog or post more regularly, November is an excellent month to go for it. Both sites have forums/blogs to get encouragement and meet other writing friends. I'm calamityjaimie on both sites so look for me! George is georgieB on NaNo. Let us know if you are participating! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Today's economy can result in more families on the road

Most people tend to think life on the road is designed only for people of retirement age. The truth is many families live the RV lifestyle. The adults may work on the road as vendors, performers, technicians, sales reps, maintenance, and many more. Especially in these times as jobs are lost, families can opt to reduce their expenses by traveling full-time and working on the road.

When I first started traveling fifteen years ago, I met a wonderful family of four living full-time on the road. The husband's job was seasonal and they decided to travel together so they could be close to each other. They chose not to bring their TV and used dinner time to talk. The family read and played games together before bedtime. The mother said, "I see this life as living in a small house with a giant yard."

I met another traveling couple and their daughter Samantha. The parents had planned to go on the road before they discovered they were going to have a child. They started out when the baby was three months old. "We'll travel until Samantha is ready to begin school," they said. Well, Samantha left the road when she started college! I believe her parents are still traveling.

You can read Samantha's description of her life on the road when she was 13 in our book RV Traveling Tales. A bright and outgoing young woman, Samantha loved being homeschooled. She was able to write her school project report about the Oregon Trail by being ON the Oregon Trail, seeing the original ruts on the road and sensing the experience the pioneers had when they confronted the land 150 years earlier.

This was was all brought to mind when I read about a family of five from Bend, Ore., who sold their house and belongings when both parents lost their jobs and decided to live full-time on the road. The children are homeschooled, the father works occasional jobs, and their mom is chronicling their adventures in a blog. They highlight some excellent resources for other families who would like to travel but don't know where to begin:

Access to homeschooling worksheets at many levels

Multiple homeschooling resources

Communication with other families on the road      

For any families out there who would like the opportunity to travel together, check out the resources above and the Chichen family's blog for information and inspiration. See you down the road.

Safe travels,

Alice

RVing tip: check your flashlights

Check your flashlights if you haven't used them recently. You should have one in the bedroom and one by the exit door at a minimum. Replace batteries if it has been a year or if the beam is weak. At the same time, check your smoke detector(s), carbon monoxide detector and fire extinguishers. We are almost at the end of National Fire Prevention month.

Also, do you know where your emergency exit is and how to open it? Are you relying on your partner to know and get it open? Each of you should be able to open it and get through it.

While in Big Bend National Park where George was volunteering, the sun heated up the door and would not let us unlock it. The 5th wheel has only one exit. The emergency exit is a window in the front of the 5th wheel- still a long ways off the ground. (It's on the other side of the rig.) Since I'm smaller, I agreed to be the one to exit. I also wanted to be in a position so I could push off once I was partway outside and not fall on the ground. Ouch! The metal window frame hurt. I made it but my hand and stomach were scraped. We were able to get the door open with both of us working it - me from the outside.

 Plan your exit in case of a fire. Make sure all your emergency equipment is still there and in working order. In fact, check your outside emergency kit: hazard warning, flares, etc. When did you last look? Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Campfire solution - keeping the backside warm!

 Friday night we visited friends Rob and Pam boondocked in the Tonto National Forest near Pine. We've been able to get in several visits while they are in the area.

Rob grilled chicken and Pam steamed broccoli and asparagus plus made a large salad - all thing we can have on our "eating plan." (It's working - so far George has lost 20 lbs, and I have lost 8.) Dinner was delicious!

George and Rob set up their telescopes. George brought his smaller one (pictured). Once it got dark we looked at several objects - Uranus, Jupiter and 4 of its moons, Venus and the Andromeda galaxy. Though they had picked a fairly open spot, trees did interfere with locking in on a few objects. And - it was cold!

We put the telescopes away and Rob started up the campfire- in a carefully prepared area since the woods are very dry there. We did the Minnesota twirl, as George calls it, spinning around almost like the hoki poki - put your front in, then your back in - to warm up. Then we played the chair dance where we moved our chairs forward and backward as the fire warmed when logs were put on and then cooled off.

Finally they shared their solution. Pam got out enormous pie plates she had saved from Costco purchases. Rob got out a long,skinny shovel. As soon as there were some nice coals, Rob shoveled a few into a pie plan and slid it under my chair. Instant warmth! My entire backside heated up to a toasty temperature. (Photo)

There are some caveats:

• Don't do this under a plastic chair. A canvas seat works well. Keep an eye on the web ones.
• Use a pan, not the ground.
• Make sure the ground is cleared. Take precautions that no coals or sparks fall on the ground where there is any vegetation.
• The coals do cool off so if someone is nice and volunteers to do coal duty, that will keep the other person/people warm. (They'll stay warm shoveling coals and emptying them back into the fire.) Thanks Rob!

Next time you get a large pie plate, save it. Then when you have a campfire and conditions are right, give this a try. On a cold winter night, I'm sure you'll love it. (You may have to draw straws to select the person to use the shovel - or promise them something really nice!) Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

RV business- can you deduct your RV or your travels?

I was recently asked -again - if someone using their RV to travel to do business could deduct expenses and depreciate their rig. I'm not an accountant so be sure to check with your tax professional for your own situation before moving ahead if you it looks like you have some deductions.

You can take some deductions in many cases. However, for many of them you must have a homebase  elsewhere and not be a full-time RVer. If you live in your RV full-time, the IRS considers you an itinerant taxpayer, and thus not eligible for depreciating your RV and some other deductions.

If you have a homebase, you can certainly deduct the business portion of your mileage. You might also be able to depreciate your RV if it is used exclusively for going to shows or other business.

You could open yourself for an audit. A full-time RV friend deducted a percentage of her rig as a home office. She was audited. Her RV is rather small and her space wasn't used exclusively as an office so the percentage was knocked way down and much of the deduction was disallowed.

 I came across an article at CNNMoney that might help. Tom Ochsenschlager, vice president of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, does say you need to keep good records. And, he also advises seeing a tax professional before you purchase your RV if you are counting on being able to deduct it. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George Bruzenak: Using an RV to travel to shows. Alice with her Lazy Daze at the Gypsy Journal rally and Jaimie and George's Lance camper at an Escapade.

Build your own RV!

If you have the space, time and tools, you could build your little trailer! Watch Bruce Osborn build his teardrop trailer.

I know, it's pretty small. Not exactly a full-time rig. If you're looking for something for weekends or the satisfaction of building something yourself, this could be a good project. Less expensive than purchasing one brand new.

If you'd like to purchase a set of plans, one vender is DesertTeardrops.com. Another is TeardropPlans.com. A Google search will turn up others.

 Owners of these little rigs like to show them off at gatherings all over the country. Here is one listing of events. Last year we encountered this teardrop trailer at a campground in Nebraska and spoke to the owner and son. They were on their way to a gathering. We admired his work.

George is over six-feet tall and could never comfortably fit in  one, but he is tempted to build one. Hmm.. maybe we could both fit inside overnight. It's a thought! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George Bruzenak

What were they thinking? RV dump and drag

Payson, Arizona at the junction of highways 260 and 87 is a crossroads for many RVers making their way between Phoenix and the national forests above or even to Interstate 40. We have a Giant gas station on Highway 260, heading east out of town up to the Heber, Showlow and Holbrook areas that has a free dump station with three stations. As you might imagine, it is well used.

Recently Giant opened another station on the north end of Payson in the corner of the Home Depot parking lot on Highways 260/87 heading towards Winslow or Camp Verde. They have one dump station. It was not, however, designed with RVs in mind.

RVs are practically guaranteed to scrape in two places - if they dare use the dump at all. You can see in the photo that there is a big drop to the drain that is right in the path of using the dump and getting out.

When you exit the station, situated at the top of a rather steep slope, and merge with the Home Depot lot, there is an abrupt change.

Scrapes mark both locations where RVs have driven in either direction.

Did they think about RV design when they put in the dump? Apparently not. Unless you have a tiny RV you'll risk damaging your rig.

I doubt there is anything the company can or will do at this point. At least the other Giant is still available. I recommend going to that one and not hassling with the Home Depot location. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

PERKS - the new retirement

Traditionally, people have relied on a combination of employer pension, Social Security and personal savings for a secure retirement. That model isn't working as well these days.

John Nelson, a retirement researcher and lecturer and developer of the Retirement Well-Being Model, says a five-prong approach is now needed in an interview at Forbes.com. PERKS is the acronym. P is personal savings, E is employer plans, R is real estate or residence for most people, K is keep working, and S is Social Security.

In addition, he advises to take good care of your health and to simplify life. You don't really need all that "stuff." Sounds like an advertisement for full-time RVing!

Full-timing is an excellent way to simplify. Where in your RV do you put that knickknack? What do you need that fancy outfit for? Or 20 pairs of shoes? In an RV you can stay in a national park or national forest or on other public lands where your recreation is practically free.

Full-timing along with working or volunteering is the "K." You postpone drawing from retirement funds and maybe even add to them.

Working on the road or volunteering reduces expenses plus can give you some cash in the case of a paid job. If you like the outdoors, there are plenty of jobs in or right near public lands. Like a little more excitement? Right now in Arizona, hiring is taking place for spring training. Or work a NASCAR race or at Disney World or an amusement park like Adventureland.

How does working or volunteering help you save money?

• When you work at an RV park and some other places, you usually get a free or low-cost RV site.
• Volunteers at federal or state public agencies normally get a free RV site.
• You may get other perks such as free or reduced-cost propane, meals, laundry.
• When working in tourist areas, you could get free admission to area attractions.

These are but a few of the many benefits. For more, see my book, Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road. But, in the meantime, it could help stabilize your retirement. Think about it. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Halloween and Winter Holiday deadlines are fast approaching!

We have two special announcements today.

1) Halloween is the deadline for submissions to our book, Choosing the RV Lifestyle: Real People, Real Choices.

2) Winter Holiday Specials. Read more about bargains for gift-giving (to yourself and your loved ones).

Halloween Deadline October 31

Jaimie and I want your input. You don't have to be an experienced writer, just be passionate about RVing. We are exploring the RV lifestyle and the decisions people have made about the various aspects of RVing and how it compares to reality. We'll cover a variety of topics such as affording it, choosing a rig, life on the road,how you spend your time, and insurance. We'll also be discussing changing gears--going full-time, getting a homebase, getting off the road, not traveling as much.

We will credit your contribution unless you prefer not to do so. In the author's bios you can mention your Web site, blogs, or published works, if applicable. Each contributor whose input is used will receive a copy of the e-book. We will give a small payment after publication and some sales.

If you would be willing to share your knowledge, please download/copy the guidelines at http://www.rvlifestyleexperts.com/pdfs/CHOOSING%20THE%20RV%20LIFESTYLE%20guidelines.pdf

Deadline is NEXT WEEK.

Winter Holiday Specials

Starting today through December 31, you will get FREE media shipping (to U.S. locations) on orders of 3 books and/or CDs OR total purchases of $35 or more. Also, if you purchase Jaimie's outstanding book on working, Support Your RV Lifestyle, you'll receive the companion CD for FREE as long as supplies last (a savings of $5).

Safe travels,

Alice

Cruises - take a break from RVing or work on one

It's hard to think that a full-time RVer on perpetual vacation (ha!) would want to take another type of vacation like a cruise. Maybe it's the appeal of all that food and not having to cook or clean, if only for a few days. It's a change of pace.

Pay
One way to take a cruise is through the Escapees RV Club. It has cruises among their offerings in their HOP (Head Out Program) for members. Round up some RV friends and go. Or get your own group together. Often you can get a free cabin if you book a certain number. You could have the freebee cabin or split the amount between your friends. You might also find a last-minute discounted deal on the Web.

Working on board a cruise ship
If you can't afford a cruise and thought working on one would be a fun way to make money, reconsider. Unless you are hired as a professional, you earn slave wages, work long hours and rarely see the light of day. If you need more detail than that, read "Why Americans Fail at Sea."

Bill, my late husband, and I did meet a young woman working at the Grand Tetons, who had a job lined up on Cruise West, a small cruise line that went to Mexico in the winters and kayaked among whales among other things. Her job did sound like fun. It wasn't a kitchen or housekeeping job. When I called to check, they would not take couples on the same ship. Apparently that could cause problems or disrupt their dormitory-style housing. So that was out.

Cruise lines do "hire" people to present classes on board to passengers. My understanding is that you then pay a nominal fee per day for your passage but not full fare; the difference is your "pay." You could give a talk, teach a class or even be the golf pro on board. Single fellows are hired to be dance partners for women who are traveling alone. That could be fun if you like to dance!

Earn a free cruise
Probably the best way to earn a free cruise (or almost) is to work for one of the cruise companies in their shore or land operations. If you work for Princess Cruises or Gray Line in Alaska during the summer, you can earn a cruise. When I last checked it was 1000 hours. That would be two seasons for most seasonal workers. In Skagway, Bill worked for Princess as a shore rep, assisting passengers in getting to the right bus for their shore excursions and then collecting the vouchers from the bus drivers so the company would be paid. He enjoyed doing that, though he didn't work enough hours for a cruise.

Another couple who worked in Skagway for Princess a few years later also enjoyed their time. She worked as a shore rep, he drove one of the Princess buses. A good bus driver makes excellent tips in addition to the hourly pay. Cruise West also has land-based positions.

So, if you get the urge to cruise and can't afford it or don't want to pay full price, you have options. Just remember, cruising isn't as glamourous as you might think, especially if you're still picturing the "Love Boat," that old TV favorite. But a cruise could be nice for a change. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak