HOW TO: Hang Things on RV Walls using Pop Rivets

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Turn your RV in a playhouse for the kids!

Every kid dreams of having a playhouse - a place where imagination can run wild, ideas can brew and all those special kid things (like twisted sticks and magic sorcerer stones found in the garden) can be safely stowed away from prying eyes of mom and dad! So instead of leaving your RV vacant and sitting in your driveway, why not turn it into a magical playhouse on wheels? We show you how to create a play space that will give the kids a little room of their own and be the envy of the neighborhood.

Firstly, remember that an RV is a recreational vehicle. Vehicles can be dangerous even if they are stationary, which means before letting the little ones play to their hearts' delight, it is important to think about safety. Here are five must do checks:

1. Ensure that you have turned off and disconnected all gas, water, electric, and any pumps that may be in easy reach of sticky little fingers.
2. Scan the space for danger spots that are age appropriate for your kids. For example, hanging blind cords, bulging cupboards that may be opened by a curious child, loose objects that could fall if climbed upon, sharp corners, and small knobs that can easily come loose.
3. Remove or lock away all flammables like lighters and emergency flares, batteries, machinery, ropes and cords, poisonous materials, and other non-edible household chemicals.
4. Affix child safety latches for bathroom and kitchen sink cabinets, doors, and windows.
5. Show your kids how to open the RV doors to avoid pushing on the screen, popping it open, and tumbling out.

Once the RV interior is safe, it's time to have fun creating a cool kid space. This could be a great project for you and your children. Tap into their imagination as you decorate. A wannabe astronaut will need an RV rocket, a tiara-wearing princess must have a four-wheeled castle, and every horse-loving kid needs a stable for his hoofed friends. Here are a handful of bright ideas to turn the RV into a great space for kids:

1. Add a colorful floor rug to make playing on the floor a little more comfy.
2. Use see-through plastic storage boxes, drawers or a storage chest to store toys, artwork supplies, dress-ups, and anything else the little ones love.
3. Make it feel like a home away from home with art work on the walls.
4. Work with your little ones to write a set of "RV Playhouse Rules" that gets posted on the fridge. (For example: All adults must knock before entering!)
5. Get a pair of walkie-talkies for communication from home base to RV.
6. Add a little cookie jar for playtime snacks.
7. Reuse holiday decorations to turn the RV into a magical playroom.
8. Stock the shelves with books to encourage some quiet time reading.

It was Albert Einstein, after all, who said, "imagination is more important than knowledge", so let your kids run away with theirs. Put that RV to good use during the off season and let your kids have some fun with a place they can truly call their own and give them a (safe) place space to think, imagine and play.

Courtesy of CampingRoadTrip.com

How to Eat Healthy While Traveling

It's easy to give up on your diet or general healthy eating plan while you're traveling. Whether the trip is for leisure or business, the constant rush of activities may make it tempting to stop at a fast-food outlet whenever hunger strikes, or indulge in unhealthy snacks or beverages. But if you keep healthy food choices at bay, you may maintain a healthy regimen during your travels with no regrets.

Step 1

Pack your own meal on the airplane flight or mode of transportation of your choice. This provides you with an alternative to eating the expensive and typically unhealthy prepared meals offered through the airline. Bring protein- and nutrient-dense dry food that won't easily leak or get smashed in your bag. Examples include nuts, protein bars and firm fruit, like apples.

Step 2

Drink plenty of fluids during your trip. If you can, choose water over other beverages while you're in transit. Milk and juices are adequate, but avoid soda and an excess amount of alcoholic beverages. Avoiding the latter is especially important for minimizing travel-related health conditions, such as jet lag.

Step 3

Stock your hotel room with bottled water, fresh fruit and healthy snacks like granola bars or fiber cookies. Doing so helps remove the temptation to raid the room's mini bar, and can be indispensable for staving off hunger between business meetings or tourist activities.

Step 4

Avoid fast-food outlets. Though they may be a comforting choice when you're in a new city, these kind of meal options are often high in fat and calories, and more importantly, they may cheat you out of experiencing the local culture. Wherever you decide to eat, focus on meals that incorporate healthy components, like fresh vegetables and lean proteins.

Step 5

Don't forget to eat breakfast. This is usually easier said than done in the whirlwind of a vacation. However, breakfast helps prime your system and prepares you for a full day of activities or business meetings. If your hotel offers a complimentary breakfast, choose a high fiber and protein meal, such as whole grain toast with peanut butter, to give you instant energy and fill you up until lunch. This way you may reduce the temptation to snack in a few hours' time.

 

Courtesy of USA Today

 

HOW TO: Organize an RV Basement

A Squeaky Clean (and Green) Camping Machine

Tips for Green RV Cleaning

There’s good news and bad news when it comes to cleaning the inside of your “home away from home”. The good news is that RVs are compact – usually no more than a few hundred square feet in all. The bad news is that our RVs are “fun machines” – found in the pine-sappy woods, on the sandy seashore or in the dusty desert. And the fact of the matter is, your RV is made of lightweight, chemical sensitive materials – unlike a stick and mortar home and requires non-toxic, gentle cleaning agents and techniques.

Let’s take a walk through the camper…

Floors:

The bottoms of our shoes tend to bring the outside in. Consider instituting a house rule – no shoes inside the rig. Provide a rug at the entrance for wiping and a nice spot alongside it to “deposit” shoes. Vacuum carpeting, wood and linoleum often – more so than in a house. Wipe the wood or linoleum down frequently with a damp cloth to remove dirt and food spills. Clean your wood or linoleum with a very weak mixture of Mop’n Glo or something along those lines.

Sinks/Showers-Tubs/Toilet:

Never use an abrasive cleaner such as Soft Scrub in your RV’s sinks, showers-tubs or toilet. The chemical can damage your tanks and scratch the finish. Instead use a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar. You’ll get a surprising swell of bubbles and a clean fresh fixture every time.

Consider using a disinfecting wet wipe to clean the toilet seat, lid and sides. I also use this on the floor around the toilet.

Accordion shower enclosures will also clean up well with the baking soda/vinegar mixture. If you have an actual curtain, consider taking it down and laundering according to directions. 

Bleach is another no-no. It can degrade the seals around your tanks – causing an unpleasant and messy problem.

Stovetop:

Clean your stove top after each use to remove spills and other food messes. Remove the stove top plate from the appliance at least twice a year and wipe out any crumbs, spills, etc. with a damp, lightly soaped cloth. Rinse well.

Polish the enamel coated metal with regular white toothpaste to shine and remove stains and marks every so often as well. Apply with a soft, damp cloth in a circular motion and wipe residue with a clean damp cloth.

Clean your aluminum mesh filter element above your stove top (in the range hood) frequently to remove grease buildup. Do so by soaking it in warm soapy water, swishing back and forth to dissolve the grease. Don’t scrub the filter as this may damage the screen. Rinse thoroughly under clean water and dry completely before replacing.

Woodwork/Cabinets:

Many campers have solid wood cabinet doors and veneer (vinyl-decal-wood) cabinets. A few times a year it’s a good idea to orange oil your solid wood doors. Not only does it restore the luster it smells delightful, too.

Wiping the veneer down with a damp cloth will keep them dust and fingerprint-free. Be sure not to orange oil the veneer – it may cause it to deteriorate and fade (and it doesn’t do anything for it anyway).

Window Sills/Frames:

Chances are you’ll have your camper’s windows open a lot. Remove dust and dirt by vacuuming the frames and sills often. Use a disinfectant wet wipe to clean any stubborn dirt or budding mold (from condensation).

Blinds:

Clean metal mini-blinds by removing, spraying with a cleaner such as Simple Green, scrubbing gently, rinsing and chamoising to remove water spots. Cloth blinds should be vacuumed frequently to combat dust.

A/C Filter:

Keep your A/C chilling by frequently removing, washing and drying the foam filter. Not only will in tax the unit less, you’ll have better air quality as well.

Furnace Vent:

Vacuum the louvers on the furnaces return air vent often. Remove the vent cover and vacuum the furnace area to remove dust and dirt – making your furnace safer and more efficient.

Just like your house, give your rig a thorough cleaning every so often and it’ll be a pleasure to travel in.

 

Courtesy of Camping.com

Saving Money on a RV Camping Trip

Travel of any kind can be expensive. Experienced RV travelers already know that there are savings to be found in traveling in an RV as opposed to flying and staying in hotels. However, traveling in an RV is still an expensive option. There are a few ways to make these travels even more budget friendly.

RESEARCH

Start by spending some time researching RV sites and campgrounds. There are many options for budget camping. You can use the RV park finder and directory here on Camping.com. You to search for sites by state and region. In addition you can read about the site, learn about the options and amenities, and even read guest reviews. Not only are these helpful in finding a spot that fits your needs, but you can also take advantage of the online reservation system for many of the RV parks listed. You can save some by determining how much you will spend on sites ahead of time.

COOK YOUR OWN FOOD

Another great option you have when RV traveling is having your own kitchen. One of the biggest expenses while traveling is eating out for every meal. Of course you can still enjoy eating out at local restaurants, but you can be much more budget friendly by reserving eating out as a special occasion. Not only do you save money by cooking your own meals you can take the opportunity to enjoy local flavor by seeking out a farmers market, which is also a great activity to enjoy. Although you have limited space in your RV for food supplies, you can make sure you keep some staples and shop in bulk as much as possible since it reduces costs.  Find great recipes at CampingCafe.com

LOW COST OR FREE ACTIVITIES

Try enjoying actives that have little or no cost. Many recreational activities that allow you to explore your destination are also free. Research some great places to hike and if you brought your bikes look for some great biking trails. You can learn about the flora and fauna in the area by using free wifi when you can find it and looking up the local species. You can also enjoy taking plenty of digital photographs and much more.

Many other activities sometimes do have a minimal cost, but often you can find days when the entrance fees and costs are discounted. Museums will often have days with no entrance fees. Other attractions also have days with discounts, which is a great way to save money and enjoy all of the destinations you have been wanting to visit.

HAVE FUN - MAKE FINDING NO OR LOW COST ACTIVITIES A FAMILY CHALLENGE

There are many ways that you can enjoy RV travel on a budget. With a little research it is easy to find free and low cost activities wherever you go. You can save money by cooking in and planning ahead. Budget travel might take a little more effort, but often you will find that you enjoy some fantastic activities that you may not have tried otherwise.

Courtesy of Camping.com

Have an older RV or trailer and wish you could see where you were going when backing it up? Here's a great tutorial on how to add a back-up camera to your RV or trailer!

Last Days of Summer Camping Tips

As the days of summer vacation wind down its the perfect time to take one last family summer camping trip. Here are some ideas and tips to help you make the most of this camping trip.

Plan The Trip
The very best way to make sure you have an excellent final camping trip of the summer is to plan in advance.  The final days of summer before school starts are a popular time to take camping trips and vacations, so find a campground with available campsites before you head out.  

Choose the Type of Camping
You will need to determine what type of trip you would like to take, so you can find the best spot to enjoy your summer camping trip. Perhaps your family loves to mountain bike, maybe you would prefer to go to a local lake, or maybe your family likes to take backcountry backpacking trips. Whatever your families passion is, it requires a bit of preparation to determine the best locations for your camping trip.

Last Minute Tips
If you cannot plan in advance and just want to get away for the final weekend before school starts, think about looking at local campgrounds. Start by choosing a nearby destinations, everyone knows of a local lake or other spot that can be a fun getaway close to home. At Camping.com you can search for campgrounds by state or even by distance from a nearby landmark or address. In addition, you can also reserve certain campsites online, making it much simpler to ensure that you have a spot.

By staying close to home you have the ability to enjoy a nice relaxing getaway, without having to worry about the extra planning that is required for a longer trip. You don't have to plan to take days off work, and can spend relatively more time at the destination rather than traveling to the destination.

Be Prepared
Once you have reserved your campsite you will need to make sure you have all of the necessary supplies. Check all of your camping gear, especially if you have not used it all year. Make sure that your tent, sleeping bags, cooking supplies and other camping gear are in working order. You will also want to make sure to pack enough food for the duration of the trip. It's always more fun to stay at the campsite, rather than seeking out a grocery store because you didn't pack enough dinner supplies. 

Camping Food
Make the most of the last days of summer by packing supplies for your families favorite campsite meals. Maybe your family loves tacos, or hamburgers and hotdogs, S'Mores. Be sure to bring all of the supplies to make your favorite meals.

Try Something New
You can also make the most of your last days of summer by researching some of the fun activities near your camping destination. If you visit a lake, maybe you can go kayaking or canoeing, many lakes offer rentals for gear. You can find trails that are appropriate for your families combined level of experience. Knowing these options in advance will allow you to take the time to enjoy the activities rather then spend precious time planning the activities.

Be sure to pack all of the supplies you will need, including sunscreen, first aid supplies, bug spray and all of your personal camping gear, clothing and any recreational gear that is appropriate. You don't want to have a problem because you forgot an essential item during your last summer camping trip.

Final Words of Wisdom
The very best way to make sure you can enjoy all the time you have during your last camping trip is to come prepared with knowledge of the area, a reserved campsite, any necessary gear and a good attitude. With a little bit of planning you can have a fantastic camping experience at a site near your own home. You will be surprised by how many new things you discover near your own home, and you don't have to worry as much about travel times, leaving you the ability to sit back, relax and enjoy your last days of summer.

Courtesy of Camping.com

Honoring those lost on 9/11

Today we take the time to honor all those brave men and women lost on 9/11/2001. We will never forget.

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Watch this video to learn about fun, fabulous free things to do while on the road. Then there are some quick cooking tips on how to make steamy stuffed banana boats on the grill!

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When was the last time you check your RV’s tire pressure? Here are some pointers to help extend the life of your tires and help prevent premature tire failure.