The RV Radio Network

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Renting a motor home is an excellent way to find out if you really enjoy taking to the road in a mobile home. Driving an RV isn’t difficult, but it is different, and The American Association of Retired Persons has produced an excellent book on RV driving, which many of you will want to read. It’s called Safety in RVs, A Moving Experience, and is available free from AARP (arep).

Remember, you don’t have to be retired to read this book.

There are hundreds of national rental outlets and local RV dealerships that offer RV’s for rent, but, don’t forget to check out your local newspaper classified for rentals. When you rent, you can go to a great campground, and enjoy all the amenities from swimming pools to golf, or you can go Boondocking.

Boondocking is the practice of pulling off the highway and staying at free locations from big box store parking lots – where you must ask for permission and you shouldn’t stay more than overnight – to national and state parks, or beside a river, just off the highway.

For many RVers, boondocking is a fun way of life.

Chuck Camroux
www.rvminute.com

Technorati Tags: driving a motorhome, motor home rental, renting, renting a motorhome

It is important to understand that the driver of an RV is the pilot, and takes responsibility for the safety and security of the vehicle and its passengers. The passengers are responsible to assist in any way they can such as watching for road hazards, assisting with backing up, and preparing for travel.

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On our RV RV Minute radio show, we travel to all the areas of North America where we can enjoy the beauty of the land. Here are three of the byways of South Carolina, where there’s so much to see, plus we head to New Mexico and follow the Rio Grand River.

If you travel with kids, you do need to do a little planning to keep them busy. You also need to stop at regular intervals and let them get rid of some of that built-up energy. Depending on the age of the children, they may not have the same appreciation for the scenery and history of your trip, so keep them busy, and you’ll enjoy the trip more. 

Now let’s explore three of South Carolina’s byways – the Ashley River Road, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway and the Savannah River Scenic Byway.

Have you got your camera ready? 

The Ashley River Road is only 11 miles long, but it’s a wonderful journey into history and culture of days gone by.

The Cherokee Foothills Highway is breathtaking with rivers that plunge hundreds of feet, rugged mountains, and the hills and escarpment that that the Cherokee Indians called “the great blue hills of God”. This road is a South Carolina RVing must do.

Finally, the Savannah River Byway, along the western edge of the State, takes you through the Hickory Knob State Park, and Sumpter National Forest. 

Now let’s go further south to New Mexico and take our RV along the Rio Grand River from the Mexican border to Santa Fe.

As we journey along the Rio Grande, traversing the low-lying flatlands of the south, to the soaring peaks of Northern New Mexico, the views from your RV can be breathtaking. Along with the Sangre de Cristo range, 35 miles distant across the Rio Grande valley, the Jemez Mountains form the southernmost tip of the Rocky Mountains which stretch over 2,000 miles north into Canada. 

You’ll need your camera because your friends will want to savor the beauty of the desert, the majestic mountains, and of course the shrubs and cacti that dot the landscape all along your trip.

There’s plenty of Campgrounds and New Mexico State Parks to stop and stay awhile too, so don’t be in a hurry. If you love cities, they’re all around you too. Cities like City of Santa Fe, America’s oldest capital city; Las Cruces New Mexico, Los Alamos New Mexico with a population under 20,000, the beautiful Albuquerque and Truth or Consequences with its desert and river makes for a wonderful visit.

Then again, your will probably want to see Sitting Bull Falls and the Carlsbad Caverns.

New Mexico is a great, fun place to visit especially in an RV with your family right there with you. I know, I’ve done this trip, along with thousands of RVing miles across America and Canada. It’s the only way to go!

Travelling with propane is common among RV’ers, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Here’s some advice from the RV Minute radio program.

You should have your motor home, travel trailer or fifth-wheel propane system inspected each year by an RV dealer or a licensed propane gas supplier. The technician will check the system for leaks and proper regulator settings, inspect the valves and fittings and certify that tanks are free from rust and dents.

Any damaged equipment should be replaced immediately. You should also inspect the various propane-operated appliances in your RV, including your refrigerator, stove, furnace, lanterns and other devices. Be sure that the supply lines connecting these appliances to propane tanks are the correct length and properly installed, with no supply lines rubbing against sharp edges or corners.

And, a very important tip - install a Propane Leak Detector, and check it each time you use of your RV. If you suspect your RV’s propane detector isn’t working properly, replace it with a new one immediately.

Another important part of RV safety, and many will say that tires are the most important safety item on your RV. So, how good are your tires, really?

Most RV’ers don’t give much thought to the age of their tires. We all check for proper air pressure, obvious tire wear or visual problems, but did you know that tires over 5 years old should be checked for age wear and probably should be changed even if there is lots of tread left.

I once bought an RV and drove it from the sellers place to mine, a little over 1,000 miles driving at full highway speeds. At home I had to have it safetied to get a license and they found 3 of the 6 tires had parted tread. Who knows why I made it home. They looked very good, had less then 10,000 miles on them, but they were 7 years old and had sat in the sun most of the time.

I learned that tires should be right at the top of your safety check list and should be checked carefully and stored properly. More attention needs to be paid to the age of the tire. There’s a code on all tires that tells you when the tire was made, even where it was made and every RV’er - in fact everyone who drives - should know how to read the age of the tire details on the sidewall.

Also, never buy, or let a tire shop put tires on your vehicle until you approve the date of the tire. If the tires have been sitting on the shelf for six months or a year, you lose a whole year of use, if safety is your concern.