Full time RV living allows for such great opportunities to work and visit beautiful locations.  We recently had the opportunity to be back in Colorado.  We took our RV home to Canon City.  A must visit place was the Royal Gorge Bridge Park!

We were in the area to teach a morning business session during RV Mobile Academy’s 5-day RV maintenance tech course.  It is a class designed for RVers to help them better understand their RV and how to fix it when things go wrong.

Royal Gorge Bridge Park

When you visit the Royal Gorge Bridge Park you get a pass for two days.  We were unable to go again the next day so the folks at the park were gracious enough to allow us to visit again a few days later by validating our pass for the week.  Admission is $26 for the two-day pass, but given the facility and the number of things you can do while visiting the Royal Gorge Bridge, it is well worth the money.  Plus, those monies go towards keeping the place beautiful and maintained!

We started our visit to the park by taking the new gondola that takes you across the gorge to the other side where there are several attractions to enjoy.  They have the world’s scariest Skycoaster, the Plaza Theater, the Tommy Knocker Playland, the Elk Park Amphitheater, Eateries, and Spectacular Views.

There is lots of history at the Royal Gorge Bridge Park!  There is a short movie that is played all day long at the Plaza Theater.  It charts the history of the Gorge, how it was developed and the story of the bridge.

Most people don’t realize the Canon City wildfire of 2013 mostly destroyed the Royal Gorge Bridge Park, except for the bridge and a few structures. Most structures in the park were destroyed as well as the gondola and the incline railway.

So, in 2013 the rebuilding began!  Everything has been rebuilt, new structures now stand where old ones were destroyed, and the park has been greatly improved.  It is very modern and a very comfortable place to hang out and enjoy the beauty of the Colorado landscape.

We really enjoyed walking the bridge due to the views and beauty of the Royal Gorge!  In our two days visiting the park, we saw the bridge at many different times of the day and during different weather conditions.  The second day we were there the winds were gusting to 30 mph and made for an exciting walk across the bridge.  It was much like walking on a cruise ship.  Check out this video!

Did you see the bridge move and sway in the wind?  Suspension bridges are designed to do so.  It really freaks people out when they first see this for the first time and experience the sensation while walking across the bridge.

From a high viewpoint structure on the other side of the bridge, we caught a beautiful view on the second day we visited the park.

We found our visit to the Royal Gorge Bridge Park very relaxing!  It is a beautiful place to walk around, play on some of the attractions, and enjoy the incredible views that exist in the Colorado Rockies!  Come enjoy it for yourselves.

Pam, Lindsey, and I wish you happy RV travels as you enjoy this beautiful country of ours!

While out enjoying the full time RV living lifestyle Pam and I spend a fair bit of time at Walmart Overnight Parking spots because we are on the move a lot.  There are many occasions as we are traveling from one RV training location to another that we just don’t have the time to seek out an RV park that is off the beaten path.

The best part about Walmarts is that they are conveniently located right off most major highways.  This makes it a great spot to stop for the night, restock on needed items whether they be food items or other necessities.

We also like that most Walmart’s welcome RVers to stay the night as long as we adhere to a few rules.  Some Walmart’s do not allow overnight parking due to the county or the local ordinances, but most do.

When Walmart Overnight Parking you don’t want to look like you are staying long term: slides out, jacks down, chairs and awnings out, the grill operating, etc.  This is not the intent of what Walmart Overnight Parking was set up to be.  It is for a short rest and then it’s time to move on.  You might also be required to check in with the manager to let them know you are staying in their parking lot.

We see people doing all the things I just mentioned.  Unfortunately, if enough people do this Walmart may have fewer and fewer locations that allow RVers to stay overnight. Some already do not allow truckers anymore due to issues that have arisen with their use of the Walmart parking lot.

Is it Safe?

As we travel about and share our “Wally-docking” experiences we do get questions about the safety of overnight Walmart parking.  Like anything, you have to careful when you are in a strange place and are not completely aware of your surroundings.  Situations can change and safety must be considered at all times.

We have spent the night parked with truckers, other RVers, and car sleepers!

We have stopped at Walmart locations that were on our travel plans, and once having arrived at the location, moved on because we felt it would be safer to seek another location.  We do have other safety measures in place to protect ourselves and our property, but we would rather not put ourselves in that situation in the first place.

In certain situations, we have decided to stay but then decided to not leave the RV, but just rest a bit and then move on.

Some would say that if this is such an issue, why not just stay at an RV park.  Well, truth be known, some of the RV parks we have stayed in were worse than any Walmart parking lot that we have been to!

We have also stayed at Cracker Barrel locations, truck stops, and rest areas.  In the nine years we have been on the road, we have been fine.  We just keep our wits about us and consider all the facts before planning a stop and re-assess once we get there.

We have to say that we appreciate Walmart’s allowing us to stay with them and we are loyal supporters of the Walmart chain.  We pay our camp fees for the night by shopping with them.  LOL!

Walmart Overnight Parking in our RV is a convenient way for us to travel on business, shorten our travel time by not having to deal with campsite registration, hookups, time to get to the RV parks, etc.  It works well for us, our full time RV lifestyle, our business needs, and the ability to keep costs down while logging the miles.

We recently stopped in Fort Stockton, TX on the way to Mesa, AZ.  There must have been thirty RV’s in the parking lot.  Apparently, we are not alone with our choice to spend time at these locations.

Pam, Lindsey, and I wish you happy travels!

Lindsey here!  Sorry I have not been writing as much as I have before.  I have been busy traveling because Mom and Dad keep moving our home on wheels every week or so.  Also, they are around so much I can’t even get my paws on a computer to use.

I can’t believe it has been since last May that I have written a blog post on Mom and Dad’s website!

I will have to say that since I had my last birthday I have been a bit depressed.  I am now twelve years old and will be thirteen in July.  My paws are not quite as flexible as they used to be.  I am having a hard time with the keyboard.  And, I need glasses to really see well enough to do my best work!  But Mom and Dad can’t find any that fit my face and meet my fashion requirements.

Mom and Dad are so busy these days traveling from spot to spot helping people find good used RV’s like the one I travel in.  They also help other people to learn how to do the same thing if they desire a similar lifestyle.

I love that I always have a new source of p-mail to check out at all the different places I get to visit!  I leave my responses but I am not always around long enough to check back for the response.  It’s okay though.  I love moving on to the next adventure!

Last week Mon and Dad were teaching an all day class and I was so glad to see them return to the RV in the late afternoons.  But then, all of the sudden the walls were coming in and the jacks were coming up and my house on wheels was headed out of the RV park we were staying in.  I was like, what the heck?

They forgot to tell me on Friday night that we had to be in another state, 1000 miles away by Sunday.  So, I did what every self-respecting Corgi does in such situations, I crawled into my comfy crate and started a wonderful nap while Mom and Dad drove my home on wheels for 325 miles.  I did not see much of them till around 11 pm because I was enjoying my sleep time.

We stopped at a Walmart in Fort Stockton, TX for a short rest before another big drive day.  I was pretty rested so Mom took me for a little walk amongst all the other RV’s that were there.  After that, I was ready to return to my home on wheels and start another good nap with Mom and Dad, on their bed.  Ah, life is good.  My job is to protect and serve!

The next day we were out early and off to a place called Tuscon, AZ.  I had been through there before about six years ago but don’t remember it too much other than sitting on the side of the road with a tire/brake issue.  At least that is what I heard Dad say.

After an eleven hour day of the RV moving down I-10 through three states, we arrived in Tuscon, AZ.  Guess where we stayed?  At Walmart!  Mom and Dad call it Wally Docking.  They love Walmart because most of them welcome RVers to stay overnight and rest a bit before moving on.

We are usually not there too long, just long enough to get some rest and shop for supplies.  I see some people who do the same but it looks like they are staying for an extended stay: slides out, jacks down, awnings and chairs out, and the grill fired up.  Not exactly the intent of what Walmart wants to allow.  I think Dad is going to write another post about this issue.  If people abuse the privilege then Walmart may take away the offer and not allow RV’s to stay overnight.  That would be a shame that a few could ruin it for the rest of us nomadic puppy dogs!

After a little more shopping for groceries, the next morning we were off to our destination of Mesa, AZ.  Mom and Dad did a great job of getting us to our destination on time so we could meet some more great people who want to learn all about the RV lifestyle and how to fix their RV’s themselves.

Dad says eighty percent of the things on an RV are easy to access and easy to fix if you have some basic knowledge about them.  Dad also likes to encourage RVers who spend a fair bit of time in their RV’s to run a small business as a way to fund travels.  It sounds really cool but I have no idea what he is talking about.  I guess I should attend his class.

Well, that’s all for now.  I am pretty exhausted and it is time for another nap.  So, until the next time that I can steal Dad’s computer away from him, happy travels my peeps!

Traveling through Louisiana along I 10 and I 20 has always been an adventure for us. We get asked by other RVers who are traveling along I 10, headed east or west, how is driving I 10 through Louisiana?  In our years of travel, we have avoided I 10 because it has always been really bad.

While traveling I 10 through Louisiana we have had things fall off the wall in our RV, we have had things unscrew themselves and fall off, and we have even had window shades fall down in our previous 5th wheel due to the abrupt bridge abutments that the state of Louisiana just could not seem to get right.

So, due to all these factors we have avoided I 10 through Louisiana for the past five years up until last month!

Pam, Lindsey and I have logged about six thousand miles in the past four months traveling the east coast states and into the southern midwest.  We have been traveling with the Texas RV Professor and the owners of Workamper News in order to assist in helping RV Tech Course students who want to develop an RV inspection business.

In December we were in New Braunfels, TX and our next stop was Florida. Of course, the logical route was to take was I 10.  But with our past experiences of navigating that route we were hesitant to subject the RV to the needless pounding of the terrible roads in Louisiana.

So, I did a Google search to find out what the current conditions are along I 10 through Louisiana.  All I discovered were posts about past and current traffic, but not about the current conditions of the road while navigating that route.  I found a few posts on the RV forums from RVers asking a similar question, but no one specifically addressed what their experience was driving I 10 through Louisiana.

So I am here to share with you what it was like for us to drive along I10 from east Texas alway through Louisiana into Mississipi.

For those of you that don’t know, we are not driving our big truck and 5th wheel anymore but our Winnebago class C RV.  It is a thirty-foot long vehicle and we pull a six by twelve foot cargo trailer.  The gross vehicle weight of the RV is 14,500 pounds.  We had the RV weighed a while back with the trailer attached and discovered we are about a thousand pounds under that gross vehicle weight.

However, we are at near maximum rating for the rear axle.  So, we are about a thousand pounds light on the front axle but close to the maximum on the rear axle with the fluids aboard that we need to travel comfortably. Why did I bother explaining that?

Well, the more overloaded you are while traveling over rough roads the more damage you can do to your RV!  So, you can see my concern here when I consider travel routes on roads that I know in the past have been a disaster: I 10 through Louisiana, I 40 through Oklahoma City, OK, I 40 through Little Rock, AR, etc.

Here is another factor to consider when traveling on poor roads: the faster you go the worse the pounding will be!

Pam and I keep our speed between fifty-five and sixty miles per hour.  Most times during our travels we are not in a hurry.  We allow plenty of time to get where we are going. So our recent experience on I 10 is based on all these factors.

As soon as we left Beaumont Texas and headed east through Orange Texas, the road was pretty rough.  Once we got past that section in into Lake Charles the roads were not bad at all.  Due to a late start, we only planned to get as far as Baton Rouge that day.  Even the bridge section east of Atchafalaya was not as bad as I remembered it with the rhythmic up and down motion of the RV.

The rest of our trip was uneventful.  We were surprised at the overall conditions of the roads and how much better they were than we remembered five years earlier.  You see, we have avoided I 10 through Louisiana for that long!

The next day we headed further east out of Baton Rough looking to head to Gulfport, Mississipi.  We left I 10 and took the northern route along I 12 as opposed to taking the southern I 10 route around New Orleans.  This route was acceptable as well.

It was not long after that we were out of Louisiana and into Mississipi.

Our take away from the two-day drive headed east along I 10 through Louisiana was that it was no worse than anywhere else in the country and there were spots that were better than most.  We did take I 20 headed west through Shreveport a few weeks earlier and that was terrible!  We had to reduce our speed down to forty miles per hour in spots so we would not beat the RV to death.  I was afraid of what I was doing to the suspension!

So, if you are headed east and need to use I 10 through Louisiana, I think you will find it acceptable.  If you do, please share your experiences so we can keep this post up to date so other RV travelers can be in the know.  As I said, I was unable to get a real good description of what it was like to travel this route in an RV, so I hope this will help our fellow RV travelers!

As we head back west in a few months, I will give an update of that as well.

As a side not, if you are traveling using a smartphone to access Google Maps, please be sure you have a safe way to view your phone.  Pam and I use a windshield mounted holder that has performed wonderfully.  As we travel about I no longer have issues seeing my planned route clearly and I don’t need to take my eyes off the road.

If you prefer a professional GPS unit, you must check out this device by Rand McNally.  It features:

• RV-specific routing – Get customized routing for your RV, or switch to car mode
• Millions of RV POIs – Find RV parks and campgrounds, and explore places to visit with Rand McNally Editors’ Picks
• Wi-Fi® connected services – Check weather and fuel prices along your route, access Traffic Everywhere
• Advanced and improved lane guidance – Be prepared for what’s ahead, whether you’re approaching a turn or heading through a complicated intersection
• Toll costs – View estimated toll costs and compare routes without tolls
• Lifetime Maps – Get updates as long as you own the RVND™
• Includes device Learning Series

Happy RV Travels in 2017!

Update March 2017:  We just traveled West on I-10 through Louisiana.  The roads were mostly fine except for Beau Bridge.  The concrete road was old and rutted.  We reduced speed to 45mph and did okay, but it was rough.  We were traveling at full load so the roughness was an issue.

As we got out of Louisiana into west Texas, Orange was pretty bad, too, for just a brief section of highway.

Pam and I are now entering our ninth year of full time RV living.  It is surprising how quickly that time has gone and the many miles we have traveled.  Are we tired of it? Absolutely not!

We have been to many great places and made wonderful friendships on our many journeys.

When we started out we never dreamed that our path would take us in the direction that we are now pointed in.  Early on we had a vision of what we wanted for a full time RV lifestyle.  We knew that we wanted to run a business on the road and use that opportunity to travel to many places and enjoy the tax benefits.

We have made a business out of helping people to better understand their RV, educating them about the full time RV lifestyle, and how to be sure they are not purchasing a money pit when buying a used RV.  We do that by providing RV inspection services.

We find that so many new RVers, both new and experienced, still don’t really understand how their RV works.  I get questions both online and in person about issues that arise and problems they are having.  You can visit this post to see evidence of that.

The questions and self-diagnosis indicate that there is so much confusion when it comes to understanding the major systems of an RV.  Let’s face it, RV’s are complicated, and when things go wrong it helps to know where to look so you can save yourself money and time getting things back to normal.

Can you find this information online?  Sure!  Google searches can help you diagnose a problem if the information found is correct.  Unfortunately, there is a lot of incorrect information shared by well-meaning individuals.

This may lead to more problems. You have to check your sources before undertaking an RV fix shared by another RVer.

So what can you do if you want to be able to correctly fix most of the issues you will have on the road?  Can you learn the basics even though you may feel you don’t have the skills to do so?

Yes, you can!  I have seen many folks come through a five-day course, either in person or online, and gain the confidence and experience necessary to fix their RV when things break.

I took this step almost three years ago and I have yet to have to call an RV technician to come and fix my RV!  Other fellow RVers we know have not done the same.  They have wound up calling for service because they could not identify and resolve the problem themselves.  They have shared with us their costly stories!

Can you learn enough with the proper materials to be able to fix eighty percent of the problems that arise in your RV that are easy to access and easy to fix?

Can this information also be helpful to you when purchasing an RV?

If you would like to know more, leave me a comment in the area on the upper right of this web page and I will get back to you with more information.

Where Have We Been the Past Few Weeks?

Pam and I have been hanging out in the Atlanta area.  This past week we were working with a Level One NRVIA Certified RV inspector to help him gain his Level Two credentials.

We have been parked inside at the RV Loft in Marietta, GA.  Howard and Heather Hoover, along with Casey Boyle offer enclosed and outdoor RV storage at their facility.  They also offer ancillary services: RV repair, RV inspections, detailing, fluid sampling, dump holding tanks, etc.

If you have a need, they probably can help you solve your problem!

We have seen a few folks stop by that needed a short term storage solution while visiting friends and family in the area.  They were not able to stay in their RV with their family so they stored it for a few weeks at the RV Loft.

If you are in the area and need their services, you can be sure you will be taken care of!

Winter Plans

This winter we have plans to be in Florida and Texas as we will be teaching NRVIA classes in both locations.  As we head towards spring we are looking forward to heading back out west for more of the same!

Pam and I hope you have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Heber Springs, AR – HMRVI Corporation just completed a two-day event at the annual NRVIA Conference.  Owners Howard and Pam Jaros are delighted to share the stories their business, as well as others, have had on the lives of RV owners.  Howard says, “I am working hard to let RV buyers know that certified NRVIA inspectors are available nationwide to help clients to be sure they are not buying a money pit!”

Many stories were shared during the two-day event.  For the people that were there as well as those that joined via a live stream, Howard reported that he could not help but get emotional over the services that the NRVIA is providing to its client and the lives that are touched because its certified RV inspector members care about their clients and their industry.

One such story relayed during the event was shared by one of its Star Award recipients.  A few months ago, he had the pleasure of being able to assist a new RV buyer with her first RV purchase.  Now, this RV was not going to be just for occasional use, but to go live the full time RV lifestyle.

The client had the presence of mind to seek out help with this purchase and luckily she found the NRVIA.  She found an certified NRVIA RV Inspector in her area and he was contacted.  The Inspector did not know the buyer’s plans until he started asking pointed questions.

He asked her, “You told me you are buying this RV for full time RV living.  How long have you been doing that?”  The client responded, “including today, two days.”  He then asked, “how much experience do you have with RV’s?”  The client responded, “including today, two days.”  The RV Inspector explained at that point that his two to three-hour inspection was now probably going to require more time.

He then asked one more question before beginning to start his work of evaluating the RV for this eager client.   She just wanted to be sure she was not buying an RV that would be riddled with problems that would require more money to resolve and that she was unaware of.

Looking at this towable RV and the Toyota she was going to pull this R-Pod RV with, He asked, “how familiar are you with towing an RV?”   She said she had never towed an RV before.

The Inspector now realized that the RV inspection was not just about trying to discover potential problems with the RV but more importantly educating this new RV buyer on the things she needed to know to be able to enjoy her new RV.

So, what should have been a three-hour inspection turned into six hours because he spent the time with his client to be sure she not only found the right RV but that she knew how to use its complicated systems to enjoy the new lifestyle she wants to live.

The moral of the story, the RV was purchased due to the confidence that was built because of the comprehensive RV inspection report created by the RV Inspector, and the client was better educated about her new RV home so she could hit the road knowing she was traveling in a competent and safe RV!

Know This Before You Hire an NRVIA Inspector!

Before choosing an NRVIA inspector, be sure to interview them to discover their RV industry experience.  I would suggest you search for an inspector with these qualifications:

1. They themselves are an RVer with several years of experience living and traveling in an RV.
2. For best results, two years of experience as an RV inspector or proof of knowledge base.
3. For best results, twenty-five premium RV inspections are under their belt.
4. For motor homes, delve deeply into their experience with them.  Motor homes are much more complicated than towable RVs and require a higher level of experience inspecting them.
5.  Ask for a sample report for the class of RV that you are looking at.

If you would like to tackle a full-blown RV inspection on your own, check out my discussion at this link.

For more information about the NRVIA please Click Here!

Pam, Lindsey and I left Florida to travel north to escape the active hurricane season and to attend to some business matters.  Here are some of the things we witnessed and experienced.

What it’s like to be at the Hershey RV Show

The Hershey, PA RV Show is held in September each year.  Most recently it has been located at the Giant Center Sports Arena which is located right next to the Hershey World and Amusement Park.

It is a great location that is easy to get to and park at. The only issue that may be encountered is on days when twenty thousand people attend and you don’t arrive at the show early enough!  The automobile traffic can make for a bit of a wait while trying to get parked and gaining access to the show.

Here are some pictures we took to give you a sense of the size of the show and what you can see there.

Hershey RV Show Observations!

Pam and I had one main purpose for being at the show, and that was to help educate folks on the full time RV lifestyle and ways to make money while doing that!  We shared ideas with hundreds of people on ways to earn income while on the road, even the idea of working with the NRVIA helping other folks to avoid buying a money pit when at an RV Show!

While there, we did have time to spend looking at what the manufacturers are introducing for the 2017 model year. There is no doubt that high-tech gadgets continue to creep into the RV industry adding more bells and whistles that seem to attract the attention of eager buyers.

While walking through one full time 5th wheel model, I even noticed that they placed a smartphone charger in the kitchen island countertop. It is little things like this that can almost sway a potential buyer to purchase this model over another.

There are many more considerations other than these things that are way more important, but the RV manufacturers know what gets people’s attention!

When counseling potential RV buyers we tell them not to fall in love with floorplans and glitter, but pay attention to construction and quality of the RV build over the superficial stuff!  Sure, those things are cool but pay attention to what really matters, and that is the overall quality of the RV and how it’s built!

RVs rolling down the road experience the equivalent shock, that of an earthquake.  So, how it is built will greatly affect how long it will last when used for full time RV living.

Certainly, an RV show such as the Hershey RV Show, or any others that occur across the country, are a great way to get exposed to many different RV manufacturers and products that benefit the RV experience.  Pam and I have attended many RV shows and that helped us to find out what RV we really wanted.

We are firm believers in buying a used RV, getting it inspected, and saving a lot of money over buying a new RV.  We figure, let someone else pay the depreciation on it.  If the RV is thoroughly inspected and it checks out with no major issues, it can be a much smarter purchase than buying new.

But, if you have to buy just exactly what you want, then buying new may be your only choice, and buying at an RV Show could save you money due to the RV Show deals the manufacturers offer.  That is as long as they have what you want.

What We Did After the Hershey RV Show!

Pam and I just spent two weeks at Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, PA.  The RV park is just a mile away from the Gettysburg battlefields and visitor center.  We were able to walk from the campground right to the heart of the battlefields with little effort!

The day we went the weather was beautiful, not too warm, and it was not too busy.  Given it was late September, we did see buses with kids visiting as part of school tours.  Other than that we were able to see most visitor exhibits with unobstructed viewing.

It is hard to fathom what took place back in early July of 1863 till you see the scope of the area in which the conflict came to its final head!  The three days from July 1 – 3 really were a turning point in the Civil War.

I am not a history buff, but the Civil War really came to life for me as I was actually there and able to see all the names of men who died for a cause they believed in.  North or South, it did not matter!  They fought bravely, and as ordered!

Here are some photos of some of the things we saw.

We hope to see you out on the road living the full time RV lifestyle soon!!

Evacuating From a Hurricane

One thing we have to deal with when visiting Florida and staying along the Gulf Coast is Hurricanes!

In our almost nine years of full time RV living, we have had to evacuate from the RV park we were staying in twice! A few days before the Labor Day weekend made it number three!!

We had been watching this tropical depression for almost three weeks as it was looking like it was going to be headed into the Gulf of Mexico.  Towards the end of August, it passed the Florida straights and started its turn towards the Florida panhandle.

Having been hanging around Florida for almost thirty years, we have learned to pay close attention to these storms and heed the advice of the reporting agencies.  These storms are highly unpredictable, and if asked to evacuate it is best to do so!

The great thing about an RV home is that it is easy to do just that!

Once Hermine was a day out, and it was going to make landfall just a bit east of us, we decided to move the RV northwest about eighty miles and hang out at a rest area along I-10.  Since we were on the northwest side of the storm the effects were not as severe as those on the southeast side!

It was easy for us to make preparations to evacuate! I hooked up our trailer, disconnected our services, pulled the slides in, raised our leveling jacks, and away we went!!

There are benefits to full time RV living!!

Purple Monkeys and RV Travels

So what is a purple monkey? A good friend of ours coined the phrase and uses it in his RV tech courses to describe seemingly troublesome RV problems that appear to have no simple solution, but can be easily rectified if you understand the big picture.

A purple monkey sits on your shoulder representing a big hairy problem that appears to have no easy fix.  That monkey laughs at you and tells you that there is no solution to your problem!

Now, of course, there is no monkey on your shoulder!  It is just you talking yourself out of being able to diagnose and fix the problem due to a possible lack of knowledge and frustration.  You see, most of the issues that arise in the use of an RV are easy to access and easy to fix, well eighty percent of them anyway!

Let’s Focus on Electrical Problems!

Your RV has three electrical systems that all work in harmony to provide for the needs you have in your RV.  If one of them fails, it is likely that another will be affected.

The image above represents the harmony between the 12-volt electrical RV house battery system and the 120-volt electrical system.

For example, if your RV has 120-volt power but the 12-volt system is not functioning as it should, the AC units, the RV refrigerator, the water heater, and the furnace will not work.  Why is this you ask?  Because they are controlled by a 12-volt circuit board that tells these units how to operate.

These are some of the more common questions I receive on a daily basis.  Understanding RV electrical systems is very important when diagnosing RV electrical problems, but most RV owners don’t have this knowledge.  Do you see how a big purple monkey could be laughing at you if these issues arise when you are traveling in an RV?

Our Recent Purple Monkey

Pam, Lindsey, and I were headed up to the Hershey RV Show in Hershey, PA.  It is billed as the largest RV show in the country.  We were there last year too.  I would have to say the claim is true because of the amount of RV’s that are displayed at the show.

The Tampa RV Supershow that occurs in Florida, in January, is a much larger venue but they don’t have the number of RV’s displayed as at the Hershey Show.

We have been plugged into 120-volt shore power for most of the summer except for occasional one-day trips.  Our 12-volt batteries are the originals in our 2013 model year RV.  I religiously check and fill the battery cells with distilled water at the first of every month.

In my experience, if these deep cycle batteries are used on a regular basis, and maintained, they are probably good for five years.  So, ours should be in good shape for a while longer.

Now, when we boondock (staying in the RV overnight without the availability of shore power, water, and sewer services) we put more of a strain on the house batteries because they are not being charged unless we drive the RV or run the generator.

In our motorized RV, when driving the RV the engine alternator charges the house batteries.  When parked, and the generator is running providing 120-volt electrical power to the RV, the RV’s converter charges the batteries

Thursday night, after a day of driving from Atlanta, GA to Statesville, NC, we overnighted in a Walmart.  One of our friends calls that Wally-docking!  LOL  Walmart is one of our favorite places to boondock because we can shop and have a convenient place to stay for a night.

As usual, we ran the generator for the evening while we prepared dinner, watched TV, ran the AC unit, and kept the batteries charged.  Once we went to bed we turned off the generator (for safety reasons when it comes to the possibility of CO gasses entering the RV through open windows and vents).

That night it was still a little warm inside the RV so I ran the 12-volt vent fan in the bedroom to draw in the cooler air. It ran most of the night. Usually, no big deal! With the upper sixties temperatures outside the RV, it was very comfortable and we had a good nights sleep.

As I do every morning, when I checked the house batteries, the voltage on the control center was reading 11.8 volts. Hmmmmm!  That is lower than I usually see for other times when we have done the same thing.

No big deal!  Time to turn on the generator again so we can make the morning coffee and do the other things we needed to do that require 120-volt power.  I pushed the button to auto-start the generator and nothing happened!

Uh oh!  I knew there was not enough voltage in the house batteries to start the generator.  Okay, what next?  The chassis batteries were showing a strong charge so I used the battery boost button on the dashboard to bring the house battery voltage up to 12.3 volts.

That should have been enough to start the generator!  I tried it again and nothing, the generator would not start!  The purple monkey was starting to really laugh at me!

Okay, what next?  I decided to drive for a while and see if the alternator could charge up the house batteries even more so they would be strong enough to fire up the generator. After all, one must have his morning coffee!!

Usually while driving the RV, I get a house battery voltage of about 13.8 volts as the engine alternator is charging the batteries while the engine is running.  But on this Friday, that was not the case! The purple monkey is now roaring with laughter!

12.3 volts should be enough to start the generator.  But at the interior control panel, the button used to start the generator at the electronic control center was not working.  The auto-start process would start and error out. I know that the generator only needs 12 volts to turn over so something else must be going on.

So, at this point there appeared to be several purple monkeys having a good laugh at me!  But, since I have skills in these areas as an RV inspector and teacher, I know there are other things I could try.

A generator has two places where it can be started.  In the case of my generator, I can also start it right at the generator by removing the cover and using the internal start switch.  But, before doing that, there are also other reasons why the generator might not start. In this case not likely because it was running the night before.

However, a double check is always a good idea.  An RV generator will not run unless it has at least a quarter tank of gas.  We filled up the night before so that was not the issue.  The other reason it may not start is that there is an issue with the level of the generator engine oil.  I checked that and it was fine!  I just changed it!

So, after having driven for an hour or so, we pulled into a rest area and I removed the cover for the generator, checked the oil and pushed the start button.  It fired right up!  Hmmmm!  Why did it not start from the inside?

From what I can tell, the electronics froze up.  Once the generator was running, all appeared to be well.  With the generator running the converter was now charging the house batteries and we were able to run the RV fridge on electric as it had not been run since the night before (we don’t use propane systems while driving).

During travel on Saturday, all seemed fine!  I do suspect the house batteries were weakened compared to what they were a year ago.  Once we got to Hershey, PA and were boondocking some more, the batteries could no longer handle the usual load.  So, we replaced them!

I bought two new ones, pulled out the old ones, cleaned the cable connections, and hooked up the new batteries.  It is a very easy thing to do as long as you pay attention to how they are connected before you remove the old batteries!

Knowing how your RV works, understanding its systems, and remaining calm when issues arise is the key to keeping that purple monkey caged!  Most times it just takes considering the evidence and using your knowledge about your RV to come up with a solution to the problem.

If you are new to all this, how can you bring up your level of confidence so you can handle the purple monkeys when they show up?

Remember that eighty percent of the problems that arise in an RV are easy to access and easy to fix!  This is what I learned from the Texas RV Professor, Mr. Terry Cooper!  He offers a five-day hands-on RV tech course that teaches both RV owners and RV technicians the basics so you can handle the kinds of issues I described above!

He teaches it around the country and also offers a live stream for folks that just can’t make the live class.

I attended this class back in February of 2014 prior to launching my RV inspection business.  As a full time RVer, I knew some things but I did not know how much I did not know till I attended Mr. Cooper’s class!

If you would like to know more about how you can up your game, you can visit rvtechcourse.com.  If you decide to take the class, please tell Mr. Cooper and Evada Cooper that Howard and Pam sent you!  They will take extra special care of you!!

In part one of this article, I introduced some of the Florida concealed carry laws.  I addressed the places you can legally carry a concealed firearm, the crimes which may be justified to use deadly force when defending yourself, how your conduct will be measured once you do use deadly force, and when can deadly force be used.

For those of us who live the full time RVing lifestyle, having the ability to legally carried a concealed weapon gives us that added level of comfort. However, with that comes great responsibility!  If called upon to actually pull the trigger and use deadly force, one has to be aware of the concealed carry laws in Florida as well as its reciprocity states.

In this post, I will talk more about when you can legally use deadly force and when should you stand your ground.  These are very important topics when you carry a concealed weapon!  So, please take Florida concealed carry laws seriously.  When the time comes to pull out your weapon you must be aware of the ramifications and the laws you will have to deal with!

Law of Self Defense

Deadly force may legally be used in Florida:

• When a person has a reasonable belief that deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves.
• When a person unlawfully and forcefully enters or entered a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle.
• When a person unlawfully and forcefully removes or attempts to remove you from a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle.
• When a person has a reasonable belief that a deadly force is necessary to protect themselves from the imminent commission of a forcible felony.

What would be an example of some of these crimes: murder and manslaughter, kidnapping and sexual battery, robbery and aggravated assault, carjacking and aggravated battery, and home invasion robbery and aggravated stalking.

Law of Defense of Others

Deadly force may legally be used in Florida:

• When a person has a reasonable belief that deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to another.
• When a person unlawfully and forcefully enters or entered a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle.
• When a person unlawfully and forcefully removes or attempts to remove another from a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle.
• When a person has a reasonable belief that deadly force is necessary to protect another from the imminent commission of a forcible felony.

What would be an example of some of these crimes: murder and manslaughter, kidnapping and sexual battery, robbery and aggravated assault, carjacking and aggravated battery, and home invasion robbery and aggravated stalking.

What about a trespasser on private property?

If you are going to protect your property because a trespasser has entered, don’t shoot!  Deadly force is not legally justified!  Florida statutes allow for a legal use of force, but not deadly force to terminate a trespass or interference with property.

Now if the trespasser commits or attempts to commit arson, burglary, aircraft piracy or any other forcible felony, then Florida law provides that you are legally justified in using deadly force to defend your property or to terminate a criminal trespass.

The Castle Doctrine

The “Castle Doctrine” is the popular name for a legal philosophy that every person, as the “King” or “Queen” of their home, never has to flee the castle before using deadly force against an intruder.  Florida’s version of the Castle Doctrine can be found in Florida Statute #776.013.

Use of Deadly Force Under the Castle Doctrine in Florida

If you know or have reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or act is occurring or had occurred, and you use deadly force when someone unlawfully and forcefully enters or is entering your residence, occupied vehicle or dwelling, or someone unlawfully and forcefully removes or attempts to remove you from those, the Florida concealed carry laws give you legal presumption that fear of imminent death or great bodily harm was reasonable, and deadly force was legally justified without a duty to retreat.

If you have no reasonable escape route Florida concealed carry laws allow you to stand your ground with no duty to retreat and meet force with force!

What are the parameters of this situation?

You have no duty to retreat and have the right to stand your ground if:

• You are not engaged in unlawful activity
• You are in a place where you have a legal right to be
• You have a reasonable belief that deadly force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

What should you do after the gun goes bang?  Invoke your legal rights!

Many countless man and women have sacrificed their lives and fortunes so that we Americans may have legal rights.  Don’t waive those rights!  If you are involved in a shooting, you may need every legal right available.

What Should You Do After Bang?

• Make sure the threat has been controlled
• Call 911!  Just give your name, location and the nature of the emergency.  Do not discuss what happened as the call is recorded and it can be used against you in a court of law.
• Return the firearm to safe keeping!
• Call Your Lawyer!  Don’t miss this step!  Be prepared!!
• When the police arrive, comply with all commands in a non-threatening manner, keeping your hands clearly visible.  The police do not know who the good guys and the bad guys are when they first arrive.
• Inform the police that you have been a victim of a crime.  State to the police: “I wish to invoke my right to remain silent, and I want to consult my attorney before making any statements.”  Your freedom, liberty and fortune are at risk, so invoke your right to remain silent and your right to a lawyer.
• Make no statement to anyone about the incident; wait to talk to your attorney!
• If asked to accompany law enforcement, comply, but make no statements.
• Do not make jokes or cute remarks and say nothing, even if you believe you have done nothing wrong.

Summary

If you know the Florida concealed carry laws and you abide by them, you will be ready to decide whether or not to use deadly force!

Thanks to the folks over at US Law Shield for their assistance in compiling the information that I have shared with you!

Recently I posted an article on my website about the process for getting a Florida Concealed Carry Permit.  I would like to expand upon that discussion and talk about understanding Florida concealed carry laws.

When you are full time RV living it is especially important to know what the laws are regarding carrying a concealed weapon and what can happen if you feel you are in a situation where you need to act!

Given that Pam and I travel to many different locations around the country it is even more important to know the laws and how they can differ from our domicile state of Florida!

Laws Regarding Select Places in Florida

Is it trespassing if you see these signs?  Florida law is at best silent with regards to whether these types of signs give a CWFL holder legal notice that their entry would be trespassing.  At this time there does not exist a reported court case on this issue.  But, if you have an actual notice that the property owner has advised you not to enter or to leave their private property because you are carrying a gun, and you fail to leave, you are committing an act of criminal trespass.

Parking Lots: business owners can’t prohibit you from lawfully keeping a firearm locked in your vehicle in a business’ parking lot.  Schools, prisons, nuclear plants, companies engaged in national security, companies licensed to make, use, or store explosives, or places where firearms are prohibited by federal law are not included in this parking lot provision.

Bars and Restaurants: it is a crime to carry a weapon into any portion of an establishment licensed to serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.  You may not legally carry your concealed firearm into bars, taverns, and the bar area of a restaurant.

Airports: you may not carry your firearm in any portion of an airport terminal under Florida law.  This includes both the secured and unsecured areas of the terminal.

State and National Parks: CWFL holders may legally carry in both state and national parks in Florida.  But, you can’t legally carry a firearm in any federal government buildings such as the museum or ranger stations located in national parks.

What Kind of Trouble Can You Get Into?

Florida concealed carry laws state there are misdemeanor crimes and felonies.  How can the improper use of a concealed weapon get you in trouble?

Misdemeanors:

• Open carry of a firearm and displaying it in an angry or threatening manner. This would be a 2nd-degree misdemeanor crime.
• Exhibiting a firearm in a rude, angry, careless, or threatening manner, but not in self-defense.  This would be a 1st-degree misdemeanor crime.
• Knowingly discharging a  firearm in any public place, paved road, or occupied premises; recklessly or negligently discharging a firearm outdoors on property used primarily as the site of a dwelling or zoned for residential use.  This would be a 1st-degree misdemeanor.
• Aggravated assault: an intentional threat to commit an act of imminent violence with the use of a deadly weapon without an intent to kill.  This is a 3rd-degree felony.
• Any occupant of a vehicle who knowingly and willfully discharges a firearm from a vehicle within one thousand feet of any person.  This is a 2nd-degree felony.

Felonies:

• First-degree murder in a premeditated killing of another person is a Capitol Felony.
• Second-degree murder is the unlawful killing of another person resulting from a dangerous act committed by a person with a depraved, reckless disregard for human life.  This is a first-degree felony.
• Manslaughter is the killing of another through negligent acts.  This is a second-degree felony.
• Then there is aggravated battery which is intentionally causing great bodily harm against another, or using a deadly weapon during the commission of the battery.  This is also a second-degree felony.
• Maliciously shooting into a dwelling, building, or a mode of transportation.  This too is a second-degree felony.

What is the punishment for these Crimes?

• A Capital Felony is death or life imprisonment.
• A First-Degree Felony is imprisonment not to exceed thirty years, or when authorized by the statute, up to life in prison.
• A Second-Degree Felony is imprisonment not to exceed fifteen years.
• A Third-Degree Felony is imprisonment not exceeding five years and a three-year minimum prison sentence if a firearm is involved.
• A First-Degree Misdemeanor is imprisonment not to exceed one year.
• A Second-Degree Misdemeanor is imprisonment not to exceed sixty days.

Florida law provides an additional aspect to the sentencing of individuals who possessed or used a firearm during the commission of a felony crime. Florida Statute #775.087 outlines felony elevation as well as minimum sentence durations.

When it comes to your use of a weapon, your conduct will be measured by the Reasonable Person Standard.

If you use deadly force with the reasonable belief that deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, then you may have legal justification for your actions!

What is Reasonable?

The law will judge your use of deadly force using the reasonable person standard.  That is to stay, would a reasonable person under the same or similar  circumstances agree that to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, deadly force was necessary?  This reasonable person standard is the law’s attempt to make the concept of what is reasonable an objective test.

The law does not focus on whether you believed deadly force was reasonable, but whether a reasonable person would consider it reasonable. If the legal system of a jury trial determines that a reasonable person would agree that to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, deadly force was necessary, then you were legally justified in using deadly force.  

However, juries, judges, and prosecutors are human beings, and people can have vastly different ideas of how a reasonable person should act under any given circumstances.  This is particularly true if asked to decide whether or not deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.

When is it Not a Crime?

If it comes time for you to use deadly force, you must have justification for the act.  Legal justification is a set of circumstances that the law says is a valid excuse for a person doing something that would otherwise be a crime. As a general rule, it is illegal to shoot someone, however, if the shooting is done under a particular set of circumstances like self-defense or in defense of others, the law states a person is excused from or is legally justified.

What is Deadly Force?

Florida law defines “deadly force” as a force that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm.  Discharging a firearm is considered a use of deadly force.

Florida’s laws regarding when the use of deadly force is legally justified is based on a perpetrator’s commission of what is called a “Forcible Felony.”  A Florida Statute lists these crimes as: murder, manslaughter, sexual battery, aggravated assault, carjacking, home invasion robbery, robbery, burglary arson, kidnapping, aggravated battery, aggravated stalking, aircraft piracy, treason, unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb, or any other felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against an individual.

Wow, that’s a lot to digest!!

I will continue this discussion in part two of this post.  I will look at when it is legal for you to use deadly force and more on what will happen when you do!  

Please check back to catch “the rest of the story!”

Thanks to the folks over at US Law Shield for their assistance in compiling the information that I have shared with you!