All the Stuff You Need to Know About RVing by Dr. Ronald E. Jones and Robert G. Lowe
Rob also began RVing at an early age. “I was a kid in the ’60s when my parents bought their first trailer,” he recalls. He and his wife have traveled in a motorhome since 1989, and he currently drives a 2009 American Coach Allegiance when he’s not working.
While the book wasn’t designed to be a technical guide, it does contain technical information. “We vetted everything,” Rob shares. “I contacted manufacturers, got their service manuals and distilled them to get the information used in the book.”
Every subject imaginable is covered. From co-piloting and electronics tips to chassis maintenance and wrinkle-free laundry, the book is a gold mine of information. There are even sections on traveling outside of the country, on boondocking and on winter camping.
When asked what the most important section in the book is, Ron smiles. “Sewage. Definitely sewage. Not doing it right can ruin your whole trip.”
Rob feels the section on towing and braking is important, too. “There is still a lot of misinformation about what is required,” he says. “We give an overview of types, a chart of brands and a complete list of questions so you can go to a parts department and ask the right questions.”
Both encourage RVers to educate themselves about electricity. “Knowing what’s going on with the power system and how to control it is important,” Rob notes. “It used to be about changing a light bulb. Now, one wrong move and you can blow out everything. It can cost thousands to fix. People don’t realize what can happen if they plug in wrong."
They also warn that there is a lot of erroneous information online and that do-it-yourselfers need to be very careful about what they believe. “The Internet is the access portal, but it’s not a quality filter,” Ron says. “It’s like a library — just because they get new information doesn’t mean they take the old material off the shelf.”
Ron and Rob facilitate seminars based on the book and love sharing their experiences. “We have such a wonderful audience,” Ron says. “It’s a fantastic group of people we’ve built relationships with. That’s what keeps us going.”
All the Stuff You Need to Know About RVing is $24.95 and available at www.Amazon.com or through Ron’s website at http://aboutrving.com/bookstore.php
Tips from All the Stuff You Need to Know About RVing
When camped at a site where there is fresh water, fill up your white tank and use it for your daily needs instead of using the hose from the water source. This prevents low tank levels from getting stale, which can cause an odor.
Change your RV tires every five to seven years, regardless of how much tread is on them. To find the date your tires were manufactured, look for the four-digits next to the letters DOT on your tires. The last two digits indicate the year and the first two digits tell you what week in the year. So if your stamp says 2409, they were made in the 24th week of 2009.
Save money by purchasing toilet paper that is safe for septic systems. Although specific brands are labeled for RV use, they are usually more expensive. What’s important is the paper’s ability to break down easily. Those rated safe for septic systems are fine to use in your RV.
Before entering a fuel station, turn off all LP (liquid propane) gas appliances at their source. Many RVs have a re-igniter system that can produce dangerous sparks if you just turn off the LP and not the power.