Have you ever considered a rental motorhome for your vacation? If you’ve yet to catch the RV bug, there are plenty of reasons to take your family away in a motorhome or other type of RV. For a start, RV rentalcan take you off the beaten track to beautiful locations far from the nearest motel. Most RVs are more comfortable than an average motel as well (after all, it’s your bedding and towels you’re using), and you never have to check out in a hurry – or lug heavy baggage around. Almost one in twelve families own a motorhome and many of them say the experience has strengthened their family bond.

If you do already own an RV, camper rental gives you the chance to try out a different model or to trial an upgrade before deciding what to buy next. Want to see what all the fuss is about a Damon RV? Take it for a week’s vacation and find out.

If you’re looking to rent a motorhome, you could start with the most popular type – a Class C cabover-style, or alcove motorhome. Most RV rental companies will supply late model year vehicles and all the big brands are usually available: Fleetwood, Damon, Monaco, Winnebago, Holiday Rambler etc.

Perhaps you would like to try a Class A ‘bus-style’, or integrated motorhome, instead.  Most rental motorhome outlets provide vehicles with all the features you would expect as standard: dinette, couches, shower, toilets, heaters, sink, range, microwave, fridge, TVs and DVD units, to name just a few.

Motorhome rentals are not the only RVs available at most rental lots or private camper rental sites. Providing your towing vehicle has the right specifications, you could try out a 5^th wheel or a range of towables, such as tent trailers and toy boxes (for those who want to take their Jet Ski or motocross bike for a vacation too).

Of course, one of the main considerations you need to make before you rent a motorhome is how big it’s going to have to be. If you’re travelling with your partner on a retirement vacation, a compact 19 foot model will be more than adequate. But if you are looking to bring the extended family of seven away, a 39 foot 5^th Wheel might be a better bet. Before you rent an RV, be sure to check out the detailed floorplans that all rental motorhome providers should display. You may be surprised at the extra space that some RVs conjure up, especially if they include slides.

When renting an RV, you will need to produce proof of age and your driver’s license although, in most states, you won’t need to take any special test (though test drive facilities are often provided for you to get familiar with your chosen vehicle).

There are some other important things you will need to consider before you rent an RV. Are you a smoker, do you have a dog that won’t leave your side or are you planning to visit Mexico? Many RV rental lots will not allow you to smoke in their vehicles or travel to Mexico. Pets are sometimes permitted, but usually carry a supplement for the extra cleaning involved.

On the subject of cleaning, camper rental usually requires a deposit against damage or cleaning costs. Make sure you return your RV as you found it to get your deposit charged back.

With more than 400 RV rental outlets nationwide, there is no shortage of options for the full-time RV’er or weekend camper alike.

Now that summer has officially started, it’s time to prep your RV for long trips on the road. If you have been an RV owner for quite some time now, you know that getting your RV ready for summer takes more than just the usual checks. Here are some tips for you to get your RV ready for summer:

Check Under the Hood

If you kept your RV away for the winter, then you must be ready to put in extra work to bring it out from storage. It is very important that you look under the hood to check the engine. By doing this, you can check the oil, coolant, brake fluid and water levels in the engine as well as spot any torn hoses. If you are not confident enough to do this, you can always bring your vehicle to a mechanic…but who needs to spend a lot for a simple check-up? There are DIY instructions for RV engine checkups online you can refer to when carrying this procedure out.

Check What’s On The Outside

As important as checking the engine, you also need to check all the outer systems of your RV. See to it that all your lights are functioning and secure a replacement for busted ones. If you have a rear view camera installed, be sure to also check if it is still operational. Vents and cabinets must also be inspected to clear any nests that insects leave behind.

Checking your tires is imperative. There are air pressure gauges specifically available for RV tires in the market today and if you don’t already have it, it’s best to invest in one. Having a blowout on a trip can be life-threatening so make sure your tires are in tip-top shape.

Don’t Forget the Inside

Batteries should also be checked and maintained. Be careful not to undercharge or overcharge the batteries before setting out.

Secure all the cabinet doors and drawers inside the cabin. You don’t want things falling off while you are on the road. Also, see to it that all the other equipments inside the RV are functional. Clean the airconditioner and double-check the smoke, gas, and carbon monoxide alarms.

Also, inspect all the hoses on board your RV. Water leaks can be destructive and repairs can be quite costly so don’t simply ignore wayward hoses or small leaks.

One of the major concerns of RV owners is the holding tank maintenance. No one wants to live in a stinky RV so see to it that you stock up with basic disinfectant, toilet papers, and cleaning products.

Drive Away!

Upon complete check up of your RV, you can now start packing and get ready for a fun-filled adventure on the road. Be sure to take everything you need without overloading your RV. Remember, the lesser weight, the more mileage you cover.

De-winterizing your Motorhome Water System usually comes around as a task in the spring time. This simple process of de-winterization is basically the removing all traces of the RV antifreeze that (you hopefully) used to protect your water system (so you didn’t crack your pipes or water heater!).

Here are the quick simple steps:

1. Put several gallons of water into the fresh water tank.
2. Turn on the on-board water pump, and open a cold water tap.
3. Allow the water to flow for several minutes.
4. Connect the water hose to your city water supply inlet. Turn on the supply.
5. Open all taps one by one and allow the water to flow for several minutes.
6. Flush the toilet several times.
7. Now open the water heater bypass and fill the water heater with fresh water.
(You may want to allow a few gallons to flow through the water heater, then let it drain completely before re-installing the water heater drain plug)
8. Run water through all the hot water faucets.

That’s it! Pretty simple and painless, and you saved your RV Water System from damage and costly repairs.

UPDATE: Thanks for everybody’s interest – this RV sold!  If you are interested in selling your RV, click here and post it in our free classifieds.

A friend of mine has determined that he would like to sell his 1990 Fleetwood Bounder Class A Motorhome for a smokin $6700.  Lock, stock and barrell this coach comes furnished with everything you need to hit the road (Wish mine had!).  Silverware, plates, small appliances, mixing bowls, cookware – already in the cupboards and drawers.

Just bring your clothes and imagine how much money that could save you!  (In this economy, who doesn’t want to save cash?)

Interior is in good condition except for about two spots that had some water damage. The leaks were repaired and there is no water getting into the coach, but there is a stain on the ceiling around the TV antenna and some slight damage on the passenger side “A” pillar.

This motorhome has been stored outside (in El Cajon, CA) for most of its life but now resides in Arizona and the finish is oxidized. It needs some elbow grease to bring the finish back up to a shine. The chrome is all good, and the decals are mostly intact with some minor peeling. There is minimal rust underneath Aside from the external finish, this coach needs very little work to be considered very good.

Check out the pictures below.

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Detailed Specs:

• 1990 Fleetwood Bounder 34C
• Self-contained Class A motorhome
• Date of manufacture: Feb 1990
• 36,550 actual miles since new
• Drives very nice
• Cruises easily at maximum legal speeds, even on moderate upgrades
• Chevrolet 454 engine, runs great
• K&N air filter
• Maintenance records
• 8 cu. ft. gas/elec. refrigerator
• 6 gal. gas/elec water heater with DSI
• 6.5 KW Onan generator
• 2 roof air conditioners
• 2000W inverter
• 2-6v house batteries (need replacement)
• Electric step
• Hydraulic leveling jacks (4 point frame mounted)
• 4 tires on rear axle brand new 12/31/09
• Front tires new Dec 2006 (less than 3,000 miles)
• Leaf spring rear suspension with air bag ride levelers
• Coil spring front suspension with air bag ride levelers
• 15,000 lbs. GVWR
• 19,000 lbs. GCWR
• Class 3 receiver hitch
• Bicycle rack for 2 bikes included (hitch mount)
• 4 tire covers included
• Sleeps up to 6
• Twin beds in rear bedroom
• Couch and dinette make down into beds
• Undercounter coffeemaker
• 4 burner propane cooktop
• 16″ propane oven
• Microwave oven
• 30A shore power hookup

UPDATE: Thanks for everybody’s interest – this RV sold!  If you are interested in selling your RV, click here and post it in our free classifieds.

Get your paper mail while you’re on the road. Have it “electronically” forwarded!

If you’ve ever hit the asphalt ocean for any period of time you know how hard it is to keep up with the paper mail while you’re gone. Unfortunately you can’t hitch up your mailman and bring your mail along with you. More often than not the first “welcome” you receive after arriving back at home is a big tub of mail from your local post office.

Of course, the problem with this is that inevitably there’s always a few critical, time sensitive pieces of mail that have been molding away while you were gone along with overdue bills! What to do?

Here’s your answer: Earth Class Mail – RV Mail

Earth Class Mail is a service that, in a nutshell, does the following for you:

1. Receives your paper mail at their secure facility
2. Let’s you know via email when you receive your mail
3. Allows you to scan, shred, recycle, or forward your mail

All through an easy to use web browser interface.

As we’ve found, you rarely need actual paper copies of your mail. We were pretty surprised by this. It’s a very freeing experience. If you do need a copy of a certain piece of mail you can have it forwarded to you on a case by case basis.

We found a great review to share with you of one person’s experience with Earth Class Mail

I’ve been using Earth Class Mail since the beginning of August 2007 for all my business mail and some of our personal mail. At first glance this service seems awesome. The premise of having all your mail go to a secure processing facility to be processed for access at anytime and from anywhere is very appealing to anyone who spends anytime working from a remote location or traveling. What’s more, I reasoned, it’s a lot cheaper than using the USPS mail forwarding service…

Full Article here

Right now Earth Class Mail is offering some great coupons
2 months FREE on 2-yr plan – plus $25 Activation Credit (use code: RV-TWOFORTWO)
or
First Month of service FREE plus Waived Activation Fee on 6 Month Membership! (use code: RV-GLOBAL)

Let us know what you think about the service. We think it’s pretty cool and perfect for the avid RV’r as well as anyone who want to keep paper mail from filling up their mailbox.

Cleanliness Space is next to Godliness in your RV

Today I want to share with you my thoughts on our RV shower. In our case… we don’t use it… well, not in the typical sense. Some RV’ers do use their showers and some do not. We happen to be of the mind that if the place we are staying has hot water we don’t have to pay to heat up… by all means why not!! Plus there are 5 of us in this 24 ft space.. and trying to shower is beyond comprehension in here to me. It would definitely be worthy of America’s Funniest Home Videos to say the least.

When we moved into our RV, we looked at the shower, and realizing the potential of that unused space I decided to turn it into storage! You could easily go cheap, and use blocks and boards, or even a couple of empty crates turned on the side… Or you could splurge and go buy some shelving that would fit the dimensions you need.

We went half and half. We had one of those silver fake metal shelving units that go behind your toilet (in a stick house of course) with the two shelves for towels or whatever. It fits perfectly in our shower space. We have about 12 inches left on each side. Then in the middle on the floor of the enclosure, I put a big block. On top of that block I then carefully balanced my storage bins. These are regular white plastic storage bins that stack on top of each other. You can find them at your local Target or even Walmart.

They fit just right under the towel shelves. I used the block to raise them up enough so the lip of the bottom shelf was even with the shower enclosure otherwise it would block the bottom bin.  I then used one of those travel bags you can get at Walgreens, to store our hair stuff and combs and brushes and such… Its the kind you would normally hang on the back of the door, but we have it hanging on the shower rod. 

 
I also have a pretty Dallas Cowboy Blue cloth shower curtain hanging there. When we have company coming.. I can close the curtain and it makes it look all matchy with our bedspread and curtains, like we planned it to be color cordinated…(we did of course..)
  

Now I use the two top shelves for our towels.. and then we use the bins for extra clothing. My hubby had no room to put his socks or shorts into and these bins worked perfect for that! You could use them for just about anything though.

My kids tease and say we are so redneck (I think frugal is a better suited word)… but you could do so many different things with this sort of project. I like to have colors I find pleasing… but it has to be cost effective and functional (which is as inexpensive as we can get without settling for bad quality)! So now that I’ve shared my shower with you, tell me… what are you doing with your shower? =)

One question that seems to pop up quite often on the various forums is how to secure pictures to the wall of your RV.

Picture Hanging at 60 MPH
Unlike our art work at home, a simple nail in the wall won’t do the trick as our walls in the RV are hurtling down the highway at 60mph with all the resulting bumps and swaying.  A simple trick that I’ve used successfully for many years is to secure the lower corners of the picture frames to the wall with “Museum” or “Earthquake” putty available online and at most home improvement stores. A small nail to hang the picture and support most of its weight is pushed into the luan wall.  A nail or brad 1/2″ or 3/4″ is more than enough as the putty will also adhere the frame to the wall. The broader the head the better to keep a good grip on the frame hanger.  Needless to say, these applications are for reasonably small picture frames, which scale wise are appropriate for our RVs.

Putty your pictures on the Wall
The putty comes in “sheets” and you simply pull off what you need.  It has the consistency of warm taffy, so it is easy to work with.  

 
Roll a small ball of the putty and place on the lower corners of the back of the frame.

 
Hand the picture on the nail and light press the lower portion of the frame into the wall.

If you step back to admire your work and find that the picture is crooked, simply pull the lower part of the frame away from the wall, and reposition it.

Very Putty Pictures!
The simple addition of family pictures or artwork from your travels is a rich addition to making your home on wheels truly “yours” and unique.  If you decide to remove the pictures for resale, Museum putty is non staining and a small bit of filler will restore your wall to its original condition.

One of the most asked questions I get is how to paint interior walls on an RV. As most interiors come from the manufacture in stark white, it is only natural for one to want to personalize their RV and one of the best ways to do that is a coat of paint. That being said, you have to ask yourself if this will affect resale value, make the RV interior feel “smaller” or if you will tire of the color. All of these are valid questions that need to be addressed. Full timers with their RV of choice (i.e. their permanent “home”) are more inclined to tackle this project.

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Using the same techniques to paint hard surface laminates, like Formica, you can apply paint to a vinyl coated wall and have excellent results. While the following steps may seem time consuming, they are all relatively easy, because there is much less actual wall space to paint than in a S&B home.

The first step is to make sure the walls are clean of any grease or oils that may have accumulated over the years. The best product for this would be TSP. It will break down any type of oils and make for a clean palette. The most important part of using TSP though, is to make sure, after you have wiped down the walls with it, that you thoroughly rinse the wall with clean water. Failure to rinse the TSP off, could result the primer and paint coming off in “sheets”! If the walls are new or clean, you could skip the TSP step.

The second step is to “break” the gloss surface of the vinyl. Using a “fine” grade of sandpaper on a sanding block will do the job. Apply light pressure, being carefull not to actually sand down past the layer of vinyl into the luan!

The third step is to remove any dust from the sanding, using a “Tack” rag. These can be purchased in the paint department at the BBS (Big Box Stores) or at any hardware store.

The next step is one of the most time consuming, but the most important one for a professional looking end result: taping. Using blue painters tape (I haven’t tried the new green tape that is supposed to be better) carefully mask off the areas that won’t be painted. Many manufacturers use “gimp” the vinyl round beads that cover the seams at the corders and separate the wall from the ceiling. While it might be a pain in the tail, mask off the gimp at the wall-ceiling junction.

This will give a more professional result, and keep any stray paint off the ceiling if the paint “bleeds” through the tape. Also make sure to sand these gimps that are going to be painted, because paint doesn’t like to stick on them.

To give the paint something to really grip to, using an oil based primer is the next step. While it is tempting to use the latex version of “KILZ” or “BINZ”, everything I have read and have used specifies Oil Based primer. While it is harder to clean up after, the oil based primers are necessary for proper bonding. One note about these primers. Most stores will tint your primer so that it will be easier to cover with your final choice of paint color. The problem with this, is you may find yourself missing areas when applying your final paint, mistaking the primer for an area you have already painted. This wouldn’t be bad with a solid color as you can just go back over it when you catch the miss after it dries. But with any type of “faux” or ragging techniques, it can be a critical mistake. While most of these primers say that they dry within 30 minutes, let the primer cure at least overnight for a good bond.

Finally it is time to apply the paint. What color paint you use is strictly a personal choice. The rules apply in the RV just like in a traditional home. Dark colors will make the room look smaller. That’s probably one of the reasons manufacturers use white walls, lots of mirrors, and brass. Sorry, but that look just makes me think, motel room. But that’s just personal taste. The darker colors, make for a richer, homier look to your RV. IMHO

Another thing to consider is the finish of the paint. In our fulltimer rig, in the living room area, I used Ralph Lauren’s “Suede” paint. This is a faux finish, requiring a special roller and a two step process. While the end result was spectacular, a flat finish is not the most practical for RV use. If there is just the two of you, it would be fine, but pets and/or grandchildren have taken their toll in a couple of years, so I’ll need to be redoing it. An egg shell or semi gloss finish is more practical in an RV. I just finished the bedroom using a Ralph Lauren “antique leather” paint that I used before, and it has the egg-shell finish and is a more practical application as it can be damp rag cleaned. This is again a two step finish using “stipling” brushes. If any of these “faux” techniques appeal to you, buy a quart of the base and glaze and by a 2×2 piece of drywall to practice on. They have a real “wow” factor when finished.

Finally, when removing the tape, be mindful that while using latex paints are wonderful for cleaning, that word “latex” also means that the tape will have a tendancy to try to take some of your wall paint with it. I use a razor knife to carefully score the paint between the tape and the wall for easy removal. And while the paint may dry in just an hour or two, it won’t fully “cure” for a week or two. I realized this when I wanted to see how well the paint bonded to the vinyl the day after I painted. I ran my fingernail over the wall and was shocked to see the paint had come right off! After touching it back up, I left it alone for a week or two and had no more problems with adhesion.

For too many years, manufacturers have given us a wall paper border running throughout the RV and called it “style”. Maybe leaving the walls white is just an invitation for us to use our imagination. Good luck with your project!

The Elemental Essence of Debris Elimination
If you’ve recently changed out your RV carpeting for a hard surface floor, you may find yourself doing a lot more sweeping!  It’s surprising how much sand and soil came off your shoes, then hid in the pile of the carpet.  But with hard surface flooring like a laminate, or vinyl, or in our case the TrafficMaster Allure vinyl planks, there is no place for that soil to hide, and ignoring it is not an option.  Not only is it obvious, it can scratch the flooring and dull the surface.  While no one wants to be a slave to the broom and dustpan, I have found an inexpensive way to make clean up chores a lot easier.  A product called the VacPan (http://builtinvacuum.com/inlets/vacpan.html)  is a toe kick plastic face plate that hooks up to a central vac system.   By simply sweeping the dirt and debris within a few inches of the opening, you kick the lever with your toe and it’s sucked away!  No more looking for that elusive dustpan, bending over, or chasing that little line of dirt that eludes the edge of your dustpan.

   Now you’re probably saying: “Well that’s all well and good, but I don’t have a central vacuum system!”  Well, neither did I, so I went low tech (read cheap) and built one.  I started looking around at garage sales and scored an Oreck Portable vacuum for $5.  Basically, any brand of portable vacuum will do, so long as it has a hose attachment.

Installing the Central Vac
Knowing that there is a lot of wasted space behind drawers in most RV kitchens, I pulled a large drawer out below my oven and found a void that was about 10″ deep.  The hardest part of this project was finding power for the vacuum and this was accomplished by tapping into a 120v line that was running nearby. (Note:  If you are uncomfortable with working with electricity contact a licensed electrician to put in an outlet.  But there goes the “cheap” part of the project!)  There may be an outlet in your basement that your converter plugs into that could be used.  After wiring in an outlet, it was just a matter of cutting out a place in the baseboard for the Vac Pan assembly, securing the vacuum and connecting the two.  To wire the vacuum to the VacPan, I simply removed the on/off switch on the vacuum and connected a set of wires to the VacPan.  I used heat shrink on these connections.  I used zip ties to secure the vacuum in place.
 

Pros & Cons
The only downside to this arrangement is changing bags.  We’ve been using the system for over a year now, and haven’t needed to empty it yet, but since we are not fulltimers yet, we can’t judge how often it will be necessary.  The plus side is that it does not take up precious basement storage like conventional central vac systems.  And since it is so easy to use, you will find yourself using it more often than dragging out the broom/dustpan combination.  The kids like it so much, you may have to limit how often they sweep the floor!

Many folks and a few manufacturers are coming around to the practicality of hard surface flooring throughout their RVs. Inevitably, the carpeting in most trailers end up soiled, stained, or matted to the point that no amount of vacuuming or shampooing will bring it back to its original condition. The best you can do in this circumstance is have it professionally cleaned, but that can be expensive, if you can find someone to deal with the smaller confines of an RV. Hard surface flooring can be the answer for active RVers, or those who feel carpet is just not practical in the woods. While there are many solid woods, laminates and stick down tiles out there, I have found a product sold by Home Depot that is relatively inexpensive (about $1.70 a sq. ft) easy to work with, looks good, and wears very well. The product is called “Allure” by TrafficMaster and is now available in over 20 styles, from barnwood to bamboo, oak to cork, and many, many others. When I installed mine, there were only 3 choices, Oak, Hickory and Dark Cherry. The success of the product is evident by the wide varieties now available. I’ve had the product down in our 5th wheel living room now for about two years and find it is easy to maintain, and has survived temperatures from 18f to 98f with no ill effects. Another benefit is that it is virtually waterproof. And we all know that plumbing issues can be a part of RVing!

The product itself comes in 6″x36″ “strips” that have a glue strip along the long edge. One on top of the strip and another on the bottom. You lay your first course by cutting off the bottom glue strip and putting the remaining piece against the wall. Then, stagger the next course by laying the bottom of the glue strip over top of the glue strip on the first course. This process sounds complicated until you open a box of the material and see how it is manufactured.  Cutting the material requires a sharp utility knife. To cut , just score it, and snap it. Cuts along the length of a strip are a little more time consuming, but there are few of those type cuts.

The benefits of this product are, easy clean up, easy installation, and it is a “floating” floor. As the pieces are glued to each other, there is no need for adhesives and spreaders. The product itself is about an eighth of an inch thick, so it is very forgiving with regard to the subfloor. On my install, I had to remove a small section of oak parkay in the kitchen area. As I pulled it up, I inadvertently pulled up some of the subfloor. I patched it with Fix-It-All and after 2 years, there is no sign of the subfloor repair bleeding through.

I was concerned about my furniture sliding around, so we bought some area rugs to place under the chairs and our kitchen table, but everything else seems to ride fine. One of the best investments I made was a “VacPan” (http://builtinvacuum.com/inlets/vacpan.html) that is basically a little trap door that you install on a kickplate that sucks floor sweepings into your central vac system. If you don’t have a central vac system, you can make a “poormans system” like I did for about $60. That’s a column for the future!

Some hints for a good installation:

• Floor Prep:
  • Allure is remarkably forgiving unlike traditional sheet vinyl that reguires ardous floor prep. In fact if you can’t remove the pad staples, just beat them down flush and the strips will hide it. No subfloor joint patching is necessary.
• Acclimating the product:
  • Make sure you have the product open and in the RV for at least 48 hours prior to installing it.
• Installation temperature:
  • Try not to install it in excessively cold or hot room temperatures. I did mine at about 65 degrees and have found no expansion problems. I have heard from others that installed it in very hot and cold temps and had the seams separate.
• Roll the seams:
  • Once you put the glued edges together, they really stick!! So get it right and get it tight the first time. But do yourself a favor and rent a linoleum roller for the job. It won’t cost much and the seams will stay put!
• Room for expansion:
  • Leave at least an eighth to a quarter of an inch around the perimeter to allow for expansion. Quarter round on the perimeter will hide the gaps.
• In heavy wet areas:
  • Run a bead of silicone around the perimeter to prevent excessive moisture from getting under the strips.

I’ve had several guests mistake Allure for Pergo or real wood and have found that it has an advantage over these products in that it is lighter (less weight to haul around) and will not swell if exposed to moisture. If your carpet is getting grungy and it’s time to upgrade, consider vinyl planking. We did and have not regretted it!