RV Home Yet?

Oh, my aching back- no more

RV beds- not always the most comfortable. Back in 1992 when my late husband and I began travel in our '89 Pace Arrow, we had a 3 or 4 inch covered-foam mattress that rested on a board. The longer we slept on it, the worse my back and hips felt in the morning. It got so I could barely get up.

In 1993, my mother passed away, leaving an almost brand new mattress with pillow top. It was wonderful. We wrestled it into the Pace Arrow. It was too big! RV mattresses are usually smaller than a regular bed of that size. The next year, RV friends showed us the air mattress they had purchased specifically for their queen RV bed. We lay on it. What a difference.

That next January, at the Big RV Show in Quartzsite, we saw the same company selling air mattresses with models that fit an RV bed. Whoopee! We ordered one at the show. After we got it installed, we did have to remember to let the air out when we went up in elevation but otherwise, it was the answer to my prayers.

Fast forward to George. He already had an air mattress in his New Horizon 5th wheel. Thank goodness, though on the whole, standard RV mattresses are much better now than the one that came in our Pace Arrow.

However, now RVers have a choice. Sealy Posturepedic is partnering with Dometic to bring quality mattresses to RVers. According to the press release:

The exclusive mattress line will feature the Sealy Posturepedic 600 DSx Plush Euro Pillow Top RV mattress available in 72-inch by 80-inch king, 60 by 80 queen, and 60 by 75 RV-queen sizes. Similar to the recently launched Sealy Next Generation Posturepedic, all RV mattresses will feature the CoreSupport Center, Titanium DS innersprings, LiftRight Surround handles and StayTight foundation.

We are hooked on our air mattress, but it is nice to know that RVers can get a top-quality, more-traditional mattress in their rig if they prefer. For full-time RVers, it makes all the difference. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Have Prius, will RV travel!

Now this is a hoot! Maybe you wouldn't call this RVing, but it is a pop-up trailer simplified. A Prius, with a low GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) could tow this and you could get you outdoors in a recreational vehicle - perhaps a litte more sheltered than a tent on the ground.

The product is designed to appeal to "'gear heads'— those outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate well-designed mountain bikres, kayaks, backpacking or rock climbing equipment," rather than the typical RVer. It's a hybrid! Read more about it at Asheville's CitizenTimes.com

Whatever floats your boat!

Decent beds in small RVs

George and I would love to get a smaller RV. However, a complaint we have had, and obviously many others, is the bed in Class C RVs and campers. They can't be walked around because there is no room to do that. Instead, one person has to crawl over another to get in and out and making it is a real treat. Now an RV Daily Report article tells about an Australian who has come up with a configuration that involves movable furniture and a sort of Murphy bed that solves this problem. It converts a living room into a bedroom. You can go to the website and watch a video that shows how it works.

There is still one problem. We had looked at the Safari Trek where the bed lowers down from the ceiling and the main problem for us is that we don't always go to bed and get up at the same time. The person who is up while the other one is asleep has nowhere to sit. There are always tradeoffs, so for most RVers who want a small RV, the dual use is probably outweighed by a more accessible bed and getting to travel in a smaller RV. For part-timers or full-time RVers with a homebase, this could be very nice.

How long will it take to hit the United States? I'm sure a few years, but I eagerly await its arrival! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Wheelchair Accessible RV - it's about time!

While updating Retire to an RV I found out that Play-Mor no longer build units customized for handicapped individuals nor installs wheel chair lifts in their trailers. They were one of the few RV manufacturers to build units for handicapped RVers.

Fortunately, Walters Travel Trailers in Ohio has introduced the Freedom Traveler H to fill that gap. It comes with a spring-loaded wheelchair ramp, handicap stool, double stainless steel sink with knee hole below, and a modified shower for wheelchair-bound RVers. There is also more space between the beds to accommodate a wheel chair. See the complete list of features and photos.

Thank you Walters- your trailer will indeed mean freedom for many! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

 

Have mobile salon will travel

Now there is a mobile hair, nail and makeup salon available for purchase. It gets a little convoluted, but Jeri Cady, in partnership with BusWest- has sold the first traveling salon for $119,000. It was specially outfitted by Quality Coahces in Ontario, CA. You can see a slide show of the finished result (the first 8 photos.) It looks quite snazzy! I first saw mention of this at RVDailyNews.com.

Cosmetologists must be licensed in the state where they practice so this would not be a good solution for traveling the U.S., but it could be a nice way to earn money where you were licensed. It would open up new markets.

If you have an idea for a traveling business, perhaps you could work with a company like Quality Coaches or BusWest to build an RV with a combination business/living quarters to use while you travel a larger network - to shows, or to clients who need your services yet would appreciate the mobile approach. Never be afraid to think outside the box! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Review: Microsoft Streets & Trips

Jaimie and I were provided with a copy of the new Microsoft Streets & Trips (2011 maps) for evaluation. All I can say is “wow!”  I've been using the same program for years for trip pre-planning to find a decent route for our RV travels. I'd print the maps and try to refer to them while driving my truck and trailer...a sometimes impossible task without stopping to verify the route.  My old laptop was a clunker, slow and prone to blank screens, usually at the worst possible moment.

Now, MS S&T includes real-time GPS locator, spoken directions, revising the trip on-the-go without the previously necessary internet connection, voice-prompted directions (now I can argue with my old GPS and MS S&T!), redesigned navigation full-screen navigation pane, and a view on your laptop similar to what you would see through the windshield of your vehicle. The program feels like a new program completely, even though the visual interface is almost identical.

The new version includes many of the tried-and-true features of the previous versions: preferred road types, start-stop times, construction updates (requires an Internet connection but are free), average speeds, fuel management etc. With fuel prices climbing with no apparent end in sight, it makes sense to do a lot more trip planning, not only to suggest a route that might save you money, but the program will give you a realistic fuel cost estimate.

Installation was easy. Pop the DVD into your laptop reader and it's seamless. No problems were noted on my netbook.

We are planning a trip from northern Arizona to northern Minnesota for later this summer. I plugged in the GPS “dongle” supplied with this version of MS S&T, used the position it found in under two minutes as the starting point, then used the map navigation to find our friend's house in Minnesota as the end point and calculated the route. I played with that route, adding other stops and recalculated the trip route.  It took only seconds for the program to suggest a route. There's a lot that previous users will recognize, making transition to this new program easy.

The only downside to a laptop program is that a co-pilot is a necessity. In addition, if you wish to use the laptop and MS S&T live while driving, you would probably need a way to power your computer for the trip. The program comes with a supplied extension cable for the GPS “dongle” so that it could be mounted high on the dash in view of satellites while the PC remains usable for your co-pilot.

All-in-all this is a winner, both as an upgrade from an older version and for the new user. George Bruzenak

Folding laundry basket from Martha

If you are a full-time RVer, you may not have had occasion to go into Home Depot recently. I did last week for a workshop on organizing your space for creative people. Writers, beaders, other artists and crafts people often have a problem confining the tools of their trade to a small space and finding things when they need them. I learned that Martha Stewart has a whole line of items for storage- from cabinets, to closet organizers to small organizing tools.

One is perfect for RVers. It's a folding laundry basket. Actually I have had these for years. I believe I purchased mine at WalMart. However, a couple have broken and I have been wanting to find a replacement. Martha's come in a nice aqua blue and brown- her theme colors.

These are stupendous for not only laundry but for carting things from one location to another. If you are not a full-time RVer, they are great for hauling things to and from your RV. When you are not using them, they fold up flat and take up much less space. You can store a current project in one, keeping papers or supplies together until you complete it. Then fold it up, put it away.

On laundry day, or when you are going to use them, get them out from behind the couch, a storage bin or wherever you hide them, pop them into position, and you're set to go.

Thanks, Martha! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Pay-as-you-go HD satellite TV for RVers

This sounds like a good deal for RVers- enjoy satellite TV as you travel in your RV but with service you can stop when you don't need it. If you are a part-time RVer or stay put for several months and have an alternative source of television programming, you can stop the service. If you travel out of range of the satellite, like to Alaska, you can turn off the service. There are no contracts or long-term agreements.

This service is offered through Pace International, a national authorized distributor for DISH Network. You purchase the receiver outright, pick a programming package, then call an 800 number to activate and start your service.

See their website for more information or call (800) 444-PACE (7223). It's nice to have more choices in the RV lifestyle. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Top travel apps for your mobile phone

Gripd identified four travel apps they say head the list in a recent press release found at RV Daily Report. I'd say that two are particularly useful for RVers.

Weatherbug-It is the largest network of professional weather stations in the U.S. so should be an excellent source of up-to-date local travel conditions.

Waze - is a social mobile application that enables drivers to build and use real-time road intelligence. The service includes constantly-updated road maps, alerts on traffic and accidents, and data providing users with the fastest route to get to wherever they need to go. Map and traffic updates are automatically collected and generated as users drive with Waze activated, but drivers can also actively report and update other users with what's happening on the road.

You can check the other two - you might find them useful as well.

Oh, and don't forget to either have your navigator do the checking or pull over. Don't be a distracted driver!

If you have other favorite apps, please share them with us. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

TX couple not taking it sitting down...

A Beaumont couple is suing Peterson Industries, the manufacturer of their Excel Limited 5th wheel because of an alleged defect in the slideout. According to the Southeast Texas Record, the couple "paid $5,393.73 to repair a masonite leak and a hole in the slide out of their Excel Limited RV." While in the shop getting repairs, they learned that this was a common problem in Excel 5th wheels. They requested reimbursement for the repairs but the company refused.

The suit allege violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, breach of warranty and breach of implied warranty against Peterson.

Though I don't have a current copy of the RV Consumer Group's rating, a common defect or problem is the type of information you could find out before purchasing an RV by looking at their materials. You can also find a user group for many makes and models of RVs on the Internet- often at Yahoo Groups. Joining a user group can alert you to both positive and negative things about a particular make of RV. Not all problems can be avoided, but you can make a better choice by doing research before making a purchase. 

I also commend the couple for pursuing the matter. This, unfortunately, is the only way manufacturers are going to correct defects.

For more information on choosing an RV, take a look at my Webinar on this topic, co-sponsored by Workamper.com. You watch the recording of the live Webinar plus receive handouts, articles and resources. See the Workamper Education page. Choose RV Lifestyle and then the session on Choosing an RV. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak