Having just been through the process I can tell you that getting a Florida concealed carry permit is not a quick process.  It is easy but it takes time!  I will share with you here what it took for me to obtain mine!

What is a Florida Concealed Carry Permit, or what some call a CWFL?  A concealed weapon or firearm license is a Florida issued license, a lot like a driver’s license.  It allows the owner of this card to legally carry a concealed handgun or weapon in locations otherwise restricted by law.

Florida Concealed Carry Permit

What weapons can be carried in a concealed fashion with this license?  The CWFL allows the licensee to carry a handgun, knives, electronic weapons or devices, billies, and tear gas guns.  That does not mean you can carry others that are not specifically listed in Florida Statute #790.06.  For example, metallic knuckles, throwing stars, and nunchucks are not legal to carry in a concealed fashion.

Regarding municipal regulations, before you can start carrying any variations of these legal concealed weapons, beware.  Florida law allows municipal ordinances to restrict what types of knives, electronic weapons, billies, and tear gas guns you may carry in your area.  However, Florida state law does not allow municipal ordinances to regulate the carry of handguns.

What Constitutes Being Concealed?

If you are carrying a concealed firearm, it must be carried on or about a person in such a manner as to conceal the weapon from the ordinary sight of another person.  However, Florida law also provides that if you are lawfully carrying a concealed firearm, it is not a violation if you briefly and openly display the firearm to the ordinary sight of another person, so long as the firearm was not intentionally displayed in an angry or threatening manner.

If you are in the possession of a concealed weapon then Florida law requires that you have your Florida Concealed Carry Permit and valid identification.  Also, if you have a concealed weapon and a Law Enforcement Officer demands your CWFL, you should provide both your CWFL and valid identification.  Florida law does not require it but it’s just a good practice as you will probably be asked if the situation arises.

Where Can I Legally Carry a Firearm in Florida?

If you have a Florida Concealed Carry Permit here are some places where it is legal to conceal carry:

• In a person’s own home or place of business
• In a motor vehicle if the firearm is concealed but not in a secure case or is readily accessible
• In a motor vehicle if the firearm is in a secured case and carried for self-defense or other lawful purposes.
• Public places not otherwise prohibited by law
• Hospitals that do not provide mental health services
• State and local government property any time a meeting is not occurring
• While engaged in camping, hunting, or fishing
• While engaged in firearms training, testing, or at a shooting range
• Grocery, convenience, or liquor stores which are not posted as prohibiting firearms

I will cover more about the concealed carry laws in Florida in a future post! For now, I’ll cover what you need to get the process started and how long it will take till you get your CWFL.

Florida CWFL License Reciprocity

Getting Your CWFL

There is a simple four step process for applying and receiving your Florida Concealed Carry Permit!

Step One: The simplest and easiest thing to do is find a reputable source for a concealed carry class and sign up for that.  If this takes place at a gun shop that also has a shooting range it makes it easy to fulfill the CWFL requirements because both the classroom portion and the shooting range requirement can be accomplished all in one session.

I took a class at Shoot Straight while we were visiting Fort Myers, FL.  The Instructor is a police officer and current firearms training instructor.  He did a great job with the three-hour class!  His name is Tony Lauer.  He can be reached at Patriot Professional Firearm Training.

I highly recommend going this route!  A concealed carry firearms class will give you all the materials you need to fulfill the requirements to be ready to mail off your completed application to the Division of Licensing in Tallahassee, FL.  Even if you feel you are an experienced gun owner, the class will help you to understand the laws regarding carrying a concealed weapon.

Step Two: Gather all the items I am going to list here:

1. A completed application.  I got mine from the CWFL class.  If you are a more experienced firearms person you can go directly to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and download and application there.  Instructions are there to follow, if you prefer.
2. A certificate of completion from a training class.  This can be any firearms training conducted by a state-certified individual.  It can also be an NRA safety or training course, or any equivalent.
3. You will need documentation of citizenship and residency like a Driver’s License, Passport, State ID, or Voter Registration.
4. A passport photograph.  In my CWFL class, they took the photo for me and gave me two copies to send with my application.
5. A legible set of your fingerprints large enough to ensure the application and fingerprint card lie flat and are not folded or creased.
6. A check or money order for $112 if you are submitting a hard copy of your fingerprints and $70 if that process is done electronically.  I chose the hard copy because it cost $5 to have a local police station to fingerprint me and the electronic feature was a bit more of a hassle and basically equaled the $112 fee.
7. And, if needed, court documents reflecting the final disposition of any arrests.

Step Three: mail the whole packet of documents listed above in a large envelope to the Division of Licensing, PO Box 6687 Tallahassee FL 32314

Step Four: If approved you will receive your Florida Concealed Carry Permit in four to six weeks.  They do say they have up to ninety days to approve or disapprove an application for many reasons.  You want to be sure that when you send it in you have everything included and that it is all correct.  You don’t want to have to go through the process twice!

It took me the full three months to receive my CWFL license!  The Division of Licensing pushed it right to the ninety-day timeline.  And I think I know why!  So many in Florida are applying for these permits that it is taking them that long to process all the applications.  The concealed carry class I took was filled, and all of them on the calendar were the same way.

So, that is what it will take to get the job done!  I hope you found this information useful!  As a full time RVer, being able to legally carry a concealed weapon is of great importance to me and my family!  The crooks are armed, and so should I.  It is important to know the laws and be ready should the time come to not let someone else take your life!

As my CWFL class instructor said with great emphasis, “don’t ever LET someone else take your life!”

Good luck as you begin the process and continue to investigate all the considerations required when you decide you want to carry a concealed weapon in public places!

Howard, Pam and Winston (the fur-kid)

Should an RVer be concerned about RV gas mileage? Should you care about how far your RV can go on a tank of gas and how many miles per gallon you get?  Is there a better way for you to improve your results at the pump?

I am more concerned about taking it easy on my RV than I am with fuel economy!

Like a car, the harder you push your RV the worse the RV gas mileage will be.  It does not matter if it is a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.  Driving an RV at 70 mph will consume more fuel than driving it at 60 mph.  Most RV’s are big boxes that are not aerodynamic at highway speeds. The faster you go, the higher your fuel consumption, and with exponential results!

I have read statistics that state that for each five miles per hour that you drive over fifty miles per hour, you can expect to spend and additional seven to fourteen percent more dollars at the pump!  I am not advocating driving at fifty miles per hour on interstate highways!  But, fifty-five to sixty miles per hour is safer and more enjoyable!

What other factors can decrease your RV gas mileage!

• Not using cruise control.
• Excessive acceleration from a stopped position.
• Improper tire pressure.
• Not keeping the maintenance of the RV up to date.
• Excessive idling.
• Carrying too much weight

Why would using the cruise control be a good idea when on long stretches of flat roads? Well, first off it makes it easier on the driver as focusing on maintaining a constant speed is eliminated.  Secondly, using the cruise smooths out the accelerator input during longer periods of travel and helps cut down on fuel consumption.

Racing to the next stop with your RV while driving in city traffic can cost you a lot! Accelerating at a quarter to half throttle can save you some fuel. Studies have shown that moderate braking and acceleration can save you as much as thirty-one percent in fuel consumption compared to a more aggressive driving style.

What about your RV tires?  Can tires that are under-inflated be a problem for your fuel economy?  Of course!  But not only that but for your safety too!  Tires that are under-inflated, or over inflated, can be a condition that will lead to a blowout!  But, back to the reason you don’t want your tires to be soft when talking about wasting fuel is that it will lead to modest levels of increased fuel usage when they are under-inflated.

Regular engine service and tune-ups can increase your mileage by as much as twenty percent.  Don’t ignore that air filter! And, ignoring that check engine light can waste almost forty percent of your fuel dollars.

Running a gasoline engine while stopped for longer periods can waste gas! Tests performed on a ten-mile course and ten stops each at a mile, for two minutes, revealed a nineteen percent increase in fuel usage compared to turning the engine off for each of those two minutes stops. So it’s up to you when you feel you are going to be stopped for more than a few minutes if you want to run the engine or turn it off.  In the summer time, I would rather leave the engine run!  I would rather spend the fuel dollars and be comfortable.  But, this is food for thought!

Okay!  I am going to reference a little high school physics on the issue of carrying too much unneeded weight in your RV.  Newton’s second law having to do with force, mass, and gravity can be considered here when it comes to using more fuel due to excess weight.

Have you ever noticed that a heavier vehicle going down a hill picks up more speed than a lighter one?  Have you ever noticed the runaway truck ramps in the mountainous regions of the United States?  What about that same vehicle trying to climb a hill?  Would it not take more fuel to reach the top than if it was much lighter? Sure! That’s Newton’s law in action.

Therefore, the more weight you carry, the more fuel it is going to take to get to your destination!  For example, do you need to travel with a full tank of water if you are going from one RV park to another?  A tank of fresh water can weigh three to eight hundred pounds depending on its size.  The same is true for your black and gray water tanks.

When traveling in your RV, only have on board those things you need if you want to save on your RV gas mileage!  Pam and I are amazed when we see what people have in the bins of their RV’s.

Most of these issues apply to gas powered RV’s as they react differently to load than does a diesel powered RV.  But some of these issues apply to them as well!

Lindsey, our four-legged fur kid, wanted us to throw this image into this post.  She’s a real comedian!!

In Conclusion

Pam and I drive our gas powered RV with care!  We are cognizant of how it is loaded, tire pressure while traveling, what fluids we have on board when on the move, and while on the road we drive it like an RV, not a sports car!

Given that our Ford chassis is always near its maximum recommended loaded weight, we have a big concern about the powertrain lasting if we are not careful about the way we drive it.  The transmission is the biggest concern.  So we accelerate slowly to take it easy on the engine and transmission and thereby save a little on our RV gas mileage as well!

We wish you safe and enjoyable travels as you venture out in your RV! Hopefully, you are enjoying the full time RV lifestyle too!!

When it comes to RV fire safety, you must take the necessary steps to be prepared! We learned this one the hard way and almost lost our RV and all we owned!  It was because we were relatively new full time RVers and trusted the advice of others without checking the facts.

It was an RV trip back in May of 2010. Pam and I were coming out of Wisconsin after visiting with her Dad and brother’s family. We were just about to cross into Illinois and decided to stop to fuel up.

Our 5th wheel RV had a Norcold refrigerator that when we traveled, we left the propane on to keep it cooling.  That is what we did when we rented RV’s!  That was the advice we were given by the rental agencies.  In fact, one rental company told us to not touch the propane tank.  So we didn’t!  We just left the tank valve turned on all the time.

We pulled into a Flying J truck stop to get some diesel fuel.  We had to use the truck lanes due to the dual tanks on the Freightliner truck.  Driving through some of those truck stops can be a challenge due to the heavy ruts from the weight of the trucks and the compressed asphalt due to hot weather.

We pulled into a fuel lane, filled up, and decided to stop for a bit to take a lunch break. So I made my way through the maze of the rutted parking lot with the 5th wheel doing a bit of side to side swaying, and we found a place to park.  We were nestled in between a few trucks, but we had enough room to get out.

As I usually do after traveling with the truck in hot weather, I let it idle for a few minutes to give the turbo time to cool down.  I was sitting in the truck, and Pam went back to open up the RV.  I was logging mileage and doing some mid-trip checks.

Pam opened the door to the 5th wheel while I was still in the truck and I heard the words no RVer ever wants to hear or see, “Fire!”  She screamed loud enough to attract my attention and that of those around us!

I immediately ran to the street side of the RV and shot off the propane tanks.  I don’t know what made me do that, but I did!  I have never been a big fan of propane usage in an RV due to its volatility!  I shut off the tank and ran to see what was going on in the RV.  The fire extinguisher was at the door, and I was ready to do battle!

The RV was filled with smoke!  The fire was at the propane stove.  When Pam opened the door, she saw the stove was on and heard the clicking of the piezo ignitor.  Since I had just turned off the propane, the flames had stopped, but the stovetop cover was still smoldering as it took the brunt of the flames.  The fire had started to work up the side wall of the kitchen slide.

We got the burnt stovetop cover out of the RV and the horrible smell that came along with it!  The trucker next to us heard all the commotion, and he told us he was ready to get the heck out of there!  We had just caught this in time!  Had we not stopped for a break, the RV, and the truck would have been a goner.

Once a propane fire starts, it takes only a few minutes for it to engulf the entire RV, especially at highway speeds!

So what happened?

Remember me mentioning the rutted parking areas at the truck stop?  Well, apparently during the side to side swaying while moving the 5th wheel after fueling up, the plates in the cabinet above the cooktop fell out and hit the controls knobs.  It turned one knob to full propane usage and the other to the engage the piezo – a one in a million chance! We had never had any issues with the cabinet doors before!  After that we did decide to bungee them closed during travel!

So, one cooktop burner was going full blast and burning the Corian cooktop cover creating a toxic gas and a lot of heat build up.  We had a wood bowl on top of that cover held in place by a rubber mat.  That burned as well as part of the wood bowl.  That is how hot the cooktop cover got!

This all happened in a matter of two minutes.  Again, imagine if we had not stopped! Now, what if I was traveling with the propane tanks turned off?  Would that have been a better idea?

Now that Pam and I have been out full time RV living for eight years, and teach people how to be RV inspectors, we are a lot wiser and have more of a mindset towards safety!  We have attended lots of RV shows and rallies!  At one of these shows, we met a gentleman named Mac McCoy.

He has been a firefighter for more than three decades.  He was the fire service training coordinator for the State of Oregon; he has a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science and Masters in Fire Administration.  Since 1999 he has lived full time in his RV and traveled the country talking about RV fire safety.  He is one source I would highly recommend you listen to when it comes to this subject!

If you get a chance to catch him at a local rally or RV show.  It would be worth your time to attend his seminar!  He always has lots of RV fire safety items and information that can help you be prepared for a possible RV fire!

Here are several things you can do to keep safe while traveling in your RV, both on the road and while parked!  You can find more of these from Mac at macthefireguy.com. Tell him Howard and Pam sent you!  Here are some of Mac’s recommendations:

• Driving with the propane system on can add danger to you and your RV if you are involved in an accident or have a fire.  We learned this one the hard way!  It was almost catastrophic!   Most people leave the propane system on to keep the RV refrigerator cold.  The fridge will stay cold for eight hours during travel if you leave it closed.  As Mac says, “shut the propane off at the tank when traveling in your RV!”
• You should have at least three fire extinguishers in your RV!  One should be in the kitchen area, one in the bedroom, and one outside the RV in a readily accessible storage area.  Everyone in the RVing family should know how to use it and where they are!  You also want to be sure you have the right extinguisher for the fire you are fighting.
• Have a plan of action before a fire occurs!  Think about what you would do if you have an engine fire, a refrigerator fire, a cooktop fire, or an electrical fire.  Do your research so you can avoid any of these types of fires from happening!
• Know your escape routes out of the RV!  Be sure your emergency windows work and know how to use them.  Imagine having to get out of the RV during a stressful situation.  Be prepared to get out of the RV quickly and how to best do that.
• Test your safety systems monthly, or a least before each RV trip!  Check the smoke detector, the carbon monoxide detector, and the LP gas detector to be sure they go into alarm.  If they are older than five years, and they don’t have an expiration date on them, but a manufacturer date, replace them with recommended RV application units.  Those from the home improvement` stores are not the best for RV’s!
• The first rule of fighting a major RV fire is to save the lives of the RV occupants first and property second!  Get everyone to safety first before attempting to extinguish a fire.  Only after everyone is safe should you attempt to put out a fire with the devices you have accessible in the RV!
• Something people don’t consider when the RV is parked at a campsite is to have an extra hose hooked up or a quick disconnect on your water hose.  If your RV, or a neighbors RV, becomes involved in a fire it may make the difference in being able to save or protect your RV from further damage.

Again, have a plan of action for many possible situations!  Don’t think it won’t happen to you!  If you are prepared and have taken the necessary steps to avoid an RV fire, chances are you will be enjoying your RV for many years to come!

Baroo!  Hello again to all my furry and human followers.  Lindsey the full time RV living Corgi here with my latest and greatest Bark Report.  Mom has been seeing lots of stuff on human Face Book about RV Slide Out Problems.  Since I hear Mom and Dad talking about these issues I thought I would share my four-legged perspective on some of these issues.

Did you know that there are a few different kinds of slide out rooms on RVs?  Well if not, I can tell you there most certainly are.  (Dad’s a big help here since he examines these rooms during the RV inspections that he does.)  The slide rooms can be cable, hydraulic, electric drive, or something called Schwintek.  Each can have their own set of problems.

Common to all these rooms is overloading them.  When you get too much stuff (or fat corgi’s) on them, they have to work harder to move in and out.  Or maybe they won’t work at all.  We did that once in one of our first RV trips.  Dad had to go outside and push on the slide out to help it come back in.

If slide outs are overloaded they may not come in evenly.  Thus, you might see that the top is flush with the RV and the bottom is out a couple inches or so. We’ve have seen RVs going down the road like that.  Not good!

You know those really big buses that have the heat running through the floor?  True story.  One guy had so many people in his RV for his seminar business that it bent the slide rails for the full side slide out room.  Basically, he had too many people sitting on the couch and in the dinette area.  Not only that but due to excess weight in the RV, the heating system running underneath the tile floor was damaged.  He had to have the slide out rails and flooring repaired!

All these slide rooms have this big rubber seal around them.  Dad says they are called bulbs (not tulip!) and sweeps.  They are supposed to be right against the RV sidewall to keep water and bugs out.  Proper maintenance on them is needed so they can do their job.  303 Aerospace Protectant is really good for this application!

Sometimes a slide room can get out of alignment.  If you drive your RV, it will happen. All those rough roads and the twisting of the frame, or sometimes even extending them without the jacks down.  Each RV manufacturer will recommend how it should be done on their RVs.  One cool Tech man showed Dad how to adjust ours when we had that big fifth wheel.  And he had to do it several times.  Easy-Peasy.

Next are the slide room roof and seams.  Mate, you need to keep those maintained as well!  Check the sealant around all the seams and edges to be sure to keep that water out.  This corgi is not a fan of water, especially inside.  Water comes in and then you can get that nasty black stuff growing.

Be sure to check the underside of your slide rooms too:  be sure there is no rust on the screw drive that could be impairing its operation, none of the electrical cables are hanging up on anything, the seals are in good condition, and that no rollers are missing.

If the slides are hydraulic, it is a good idea to keep an eye on the hydraulic fluid supply in the fluid reservoir tank!  Also, keep an eye out for leaks!

On the cable type slides (you will know these by the two cable wires top and bottom on each side of the slide room), after a period of time, the cables can tear the rubber seal. Be sure to keep an eye on that too.

There is also a slide system called Schwintek, the one that has the bars on each side of the room at the top and bottom. We have these on our full time living RV!

Okay, another true story.  You know those RVs with the slide room in the rear of the RV?  On this one RV, when this slide room extended, it just kept going and going and going! Literally.  Like the Energizer Bunny.  

It was a Schwintek slide system that is supposed to stop when it feels resistance from the RV sidewall.  Well, the rear cap joints were not sealed, water got in and rotted the wood.  The slide out wound up falling out the back of the RV!  Talk about a room with a view.  The lesson here, always be checking your sealant and seals around your slide rooms.

So you get to your campsite, push the button for your slide room and nothing happens. Hmmm you say.  Now what?  Lots of the motorized RVs require the emergency brake to be on to extend or retract the slide outs.  Some may even require that the seats be moved forward.  

If your slide out rooms are not functioning it may also be a good idea to check your batteries. If the house battery got shut off or there is not enough voltage, they won’t work.  And still other RV’s may require that the jacks be down before the slide outs will operate.  Get to know your RV.  It will save you from some frustrating moments!

When retracting your slide rooms, be sure to check that nothing is in the way of the room as it comes in.  You could rip off a seat, get something stuck underneath which could damage the rollers, break something, or rip off a cabinet door. Always use your slide room locks when traveling if they have manual ones. Slide outs can work their way out as you drive if they are not secure.  

Same goes for extending them, if you have slide room locks. Make sure they are released.  If not and you try to slide out the room, you could seriously damage your side wall.  Oh and check outside for enough clearance as well. Nothing worse than extending right into a tree, a post, a bin door, or your significant other.

Okay, it is time for me to sign off and sign out and catch some zzz’s. Until next time….

Lindsey out 

Hello Everyone and Happy Springtime greetings!

Depending on where you are in the country it either still feels like winter or perhaps like summer!  The weather in the United States has been a bit goofy so far this year!

Since our last full time RV living Winter update, Pam and I finished up our series of teaching RV inspector training classes at Lazydays campground in Seffner, FL.  Since then we have been visiting different RV parks around Florida and sharing our thoughts about them on rvparkreviews.com.

We have also been doing RV inspections and trying to fill in the gaps for inspections as calls come into our toll-free number.  Some inspection locations we have been able to travel to and help out and others were just not feasible given the clients location relative to ours.

Last summer we traveled the northeast of the United States teaching in different locations.  We had a great time doing that, but this summer we are going to stay in Florida as we need to be near aging parents who are going to have needs, very soon, I am afraid to say.  We all have to deal with these situations sooner or later!

Having spent many years in Florida we have discovered that the best place to be in the summer months is the Florida panhandle.  The beaches are beautiful and if you are in close proximity to the beach, it tends to be cooler as the gulf breezes off the water help out.

So, we are situated in a very nice RV park that is just a mile from the beach as the crow flies.  The area we are in tends to be busy this time of year as everyone from Alabama and Georgia come south to spend some time at the beach.  It is affectionately known here as the Red-Neck Riviera!

However, the beaches are some of the best in the world with the white sand and turquoise water!

Living in Florida during the summer months, one can’t help but wonder when the next hurricane will strike the state!  We are now outside of the ten year record setting season of 2004 and 2005!  Wilma was the strongest storm to hit Florida as a strong category three hurricane.

For the 2016 hurricane season, the prediction is for there to be fourteen named storms of which eight will be hurricanes and three of those will be major storms.  The prediction is for this to be the most active season since 2012.  Here in Florida that year we had one close call but not a major hurricane landfall.

The Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico look suspect this year according to weather.com and the weather underground!

The average is for a major hurricane to strike Florida every seven years.  Given that statistic we are overdue!  That is why we like the panhandle of Florida as opposed to being down in the peninsula.  At least we can head in a one hundred and eighty-degree direction in order to avoid a serious storm.

Pam and I have spent a night in our full time RV living 5th wheel during a tropical storm.  I can tell you that is something we never want to repeat, and that was only sixty-five to seventy-five mile per hour winds!  These storms are not to be messed with!  When we are told to get out, we do!  So far we have evacuated for two storms.  That one storm I mentioned earlier formed so fast we could not get out.  We just had to hunker down and ride it out.

So, if this is going to be an active hurricane season we will be prepared!

As we travel to different parts of the country we always keep aware of possible weather issues.  In the midwest tornados can pop up at any time.  The first thing we ask when checking into a campground is what to do if that tornado siren goes off?

These are just things you have to do when you are living the full time RV lifestyle!

I have to laugh!  Pam and I are sitting here watching Go RVing on the Travel Channel.  There are two thirty-somethings who have been on the road for eleven months in a class C RV that is bigger than ours.  They are looking for a new RV with more space and a formal dining room.  What a laugh!  I think that is called a house!

She is in a new forty-five foot long 5th wheel toy hauler RV saying, “oh I really like the ceiling fan!”  What?  Is that really that important?  What about the truck you will need to pull it?  What about driving that sixty-foot behemoth that you have never driven before?  What about all the other important mechanical items that really matter when it comes to full time RV living?  Should you really care about the curtains and the ceiling fan?

I wish RV salesman would have some integrity and bring up the issues that would really help their clients!  I hate to see people being mislead just so some salesman can make his commission!  Purchasing the right RV for full time RV living is a major decision and that choice can either lead to a long and enjoyable full time RVing experience or send people back to the sticks and bricks!

That just my opinion anyway!  It’s my website so I can express it now and then!

What do you think?  What changes would you like to see made in the RV sales and buying experience?  Perhaps if we get enough feedback I can get the word out to the dealerships so things can get better!

Please feel free to express your thoughts below!  We look forward to hearing from you!

Blessings,
Howard, Pam, and Lindsey

One thing is for sure when purchasing an RV; you need to do your homework!  If you are unsure of what you are getting yourself into, please seek the assistance of a professional!

What I would like to share in this post is a few stories about RV buyers that have been saved from purchasing a money pit because they took the time to slow down the sales process and seek some help in evaluating the RV they were interested in purchasing.

Most people who purchase an RV start out an RV show or at a dealership. This is mainly because there is a large selection of RV’s available to look at. This is a good place to start an RV search for either a new or used RV.  But you have to know what you want in an RV, or you may get a good salesperson who will get you excited about something that may not be what you want.

I am an advocate of purchasing a used RV over a new one for two reasons. First, let someone else take the hit for the first two years of depreciation!

The second is, if you buy an RV that is two years old or older, you will save yourself the headaches that come from the issues that commonly need to be repaired because of factory mistakes.  Our friends who have purchased new RV’s have had issues up to two years after their purchase.

You can even find a good used RV that can be ten years old or older!

The thing to keep in mind when purchasing these used units is to realize that there is a great need to have a professional review the overall condition of the RV.  Then all the RV’s essential systems can be evaluated for proper function.  I have discussed a list of recommended items to be checked in another post on this website.

RV Horror Stories

As an RV inspector, I have seen some very unusual situations that have come up during the inspection process!  Because my clients had the foresight to seek out the counsel of someone more knowledgeable about RV’s, they were able to avoid buying a money pit!

The internet has become a very popular way for people to find an RV!  They can be found nearby or in another state.  We have clients who contact us and ask us to inspect the RV prior to them making a trip to see it themselves.  This can save them lots of time and money because the RV they see online is not always in the same condition when viewed in person.

Whether the RV is at a dealership or it is a private sale, the photos shown online never tell the whole story.  We saw this recently for a private seller.

The potential new owner found the RV online and contacted to have an inspection done on the RV.  Most of the RV systems were in working order, but what was not obvious to the untrained eye was an area of water intrusion that was hiding behind some cabinets.  It all stemmed from a roof penetration that could have been easily missed if not for the inspection process!

These are the kinds of issues that will lead to damage to the RV and repairs will cost in the thousands of dollars to repair!  Would it not be better to know this before the sale as opposed to after?

Another client was interested in a class A diesel motorhome that was the make and manufacturer that he preferred.  He did his research, found it out if state and through an online source.  It had the chassis and engine type he wanted, according to the manufacturer specs.  He made the wise move to order a third-party unbiased inspection of the RV.  He also ordered fluid analysis to be performed on the motorized components of the RV.

The inspection was done as ordered and in addition to the RV being completely modified from the roof to the interior, the Cummins engine that he wanted turned out to be a Caterpillar!  Had he known that ahead of time he would have never even considered the RV!  But, he was delighted with the outcome of the inspection because from all that was uncovered it saved him tens of thousands of dollars in not buying a mistake!

Another client found a two-year-old unit that was parked in Florida in an RV garage home. Again, it was only two years old and apparently garaged its entire life, other than when traveled in.  The potential buyer ordered premier level inspection on the unit including fluid analysis on the engine, transmission, and the generator.

The seller was not pleased that an inspection was being performed on his pristine unit, even though he wanted to get it sold.  He questioned about why is the buyer inspecting this beautiful unit!  There was nothing wrong with it, according to the seller!

On the day of the inspection, a leak was noted underneath in the bin area under the kitchen.  It was dark in the garage, so the unit was moved out into the driveway where more light was available to check the chassis and undercarriage visually.

Now, the onboard water pump was left on during this moving process.  Once the RV was started up and pulled out into the driveway, water started gushing out of the storage bay under the kitchen.  It was quickly observed and the water pump was shut off!

Now, what if the inspection was never ordered and the RV was purchased and somewhere down the road, during a trip, that happened?

The client was still interested in purchasing this particular RV but only after the leak between the interior flooring and the storage bays was fixed!  The estimated cost of the repairs was in the thousands of dollars due to the tile flooring in the RV.

These are just a few of the kinds of things we see when RV buyers order a pre-purchase inspection.

Are you looking to purchase a used RV?  Do you want me to help you so that you don’t wind up buying a money pit, or even worse, an RV that you did not want?

You can contact us, and we will coach you through the process!

If you would like to tackle a full-blown RV inspection on your own, check out my discussion at this link.  If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, you may have the skills to save time and money by following my advice!  I have trained over 1,300 people to be RV inspectors since 2010.

Best wishes as you look for your home on wheels!

When it comes to budgeting for the full time and part time RV lifestyle, applying methods that lower the average RV park fees can add up the savings over the course of a year!

Pam and I use multiple methods to cut our average RV park fees, and we would like to share some of those with you.  These savings come by searching out RV parks that offer online discounts, using camping clubs, and by boondocking at various locations to save on RV park fees.

$20 Average RV Park Fees for Us!

We spent the first three months of 2016 in Florida.  Now, anyone who has spent any time in an RV in Florida, in the winter, knows that RV site fees can be expensive.  Why?  Supply and demand!  Everyone wants to come here to escape the cold in the north.

That means that finding an RV site for a three month period can be nearly impossible if you want to be south of Tampa.  When you call an RV park for a February stay, you may get laughed at!  Some of you may have experienced this yourself.  In fact, Pam has been on the other end of the office phone in several RV parks and had to tell potential RV park visitors the bad news!

So how did we just average $20 per night staying in Florida RV parks in the busiest months of the year?

The first thing is we don’t stay in the same place for months on end.  We have in the past, and depending on the park, the nightly rate can wind up averaging more than twenty dollars a night by the time you pay taxes and electric usage!

Since we are so mobile, and it requires little effort to move about, we find that Florida RV parks always keep transient sites available for folks like us. And you know the good thing?  They offer deals for those RV spaces!

Since January, most of the places we have stayed offered a $99 a week rate.  You can stay for one week and come back the next month and use the discount again.  One park told us if we came in the last week of the month, we could stay two weeks at the $99 per week rate.

How did we find these parks you ask?  We started the year off at the Tampa RV Supershow.  We find that many of the Florida campground owners attend the show as vendors, and they offer specials to get transient visitors to their parks.  Pam collected all kinds of information on these places and then researched them online to see if they would suit our needs.  Then we use rvparkreviews.com to get the real story on RV Parks and campgrounds.

Now, because I have a monthly engagement at Lazydays to teach an RV inspector class, I do have to be mobile.  When we spend a week there, the nightly rate is close to fifty dollars a night!  So how do we knock that down to bring our average RV park fees to the twenty dollars range?  We boondock!  This is the act of parking in approved areas that do not provide RV services: water, sewer, or electric hookups.

There are great free places to stay!  You just have to research and find them!

What we found worked great this past three months is that after leaving Lazydays, and we had three weeks before having to return to the next class, we boondocked a total of seven days.  We then spent the other two weeks in RV parks that were offering winter deals!

We also use our Passport America discount club card to get fifty percent off nightly RV park fees.  Most of the RV parks in Florida that offer these deals are limited in the months of January, February, and March!  Deal hunting requires a lot of research at the Passport America website.   You have to find what days of the week RV parks are offering discounts and what the black-out dates are.

Some will not even offer the Passport America discount during the Florida winter season!  But others will offer unlimited stays using the fifty percent discount.

We stayed at one of these RV parks in February.  They offered an RV site for $17.50 per night.   It was a nice park, old, but nice.  I think the main reason for offering the discount in February is that the park is located right next to railroad tracks, and a double line of them.  All day long, and in the early and late hours, trains come through.

We knew this was the case because we read reviews about the RV park and that some people could not tolerate the train traffic.  What we did was to ask for a spot in the corner of the park furthest from the train tracks.  The owner was able to accommodate our request.  We stayed for a week, and the train noise was not too bad!

Being able to save money on your average RV park fees, if that kind of thing matters to you, all boils down to being flexible.  If you don’t care too much about your exact location, and you are willing to move about, there is money to be saved and nice places to visit while doing so!

If you want to check in below and leave a comment, please feel free to share your experiences!

Happy winter camping in Florida!

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Baroo!  Welcome to all my furry and non-furry followers.  Lindsey here with my latest Bark Report.  

This time, I am going to Bark at you all about RV Newbie Tips.  Mom and Dad get lots of questions from people who have never had an RV, and I want to help them out because they are so busy trying to help fellow RVers!

Everyone seems to make the same mistakes even when warned by veterans.  Dad says sometimes it’s just a learn by doing, but other times you can avoid some expensive mistakes if you take heed of a few of these tips. 

RV Newbie Tips

The first thing that is super important is to know you can’t drive your RV like a car.  You have to remember that it is a really big thing that is not a sports car.  It takes longer to speed up, longer to stop, you have to take corners slower and sometimes wider, and watch the potholes and railroad tracks.  

Dad has been surprised by some railroad crossings. I thought I was going to lose my choppers from the tooth-jarring experience.  Scared me barkless with the sudden rattling of everything inside.

Hey, watch the driveway aprons when entering parking lots.  Some of them can be quite abrupt.  It is best to try to take it at an angle to avoid scraping (technical term, bottoming out) the hitch or rear of your RV.  It can bend the hitch pin if too severe or damage the undercarriage.

I need to remind you to be kind and not to cut off someone on the road either.  It’s just not nice.  Gives RVers a bad rap.  Not only that but you could cause an accident if you cut them off too close.  You’re in an RV for the adventure.  

Slow down and take the time to check out the scenery.  To be a nice RVer, when traveling on single lane roads, if you can, pull over somewhere to let traffic pass.  The locals will think better of you.

The next thing is your stuff.  Just because you have lots of storage places doesn’t mean you can fill everything up to max. By manufacture specs, they tell you how much weight you can carry.  Don’t exceed it.  It can cause tire failure among other things. (See Dad’s cool articles on tire safety.)  Been there, done that, not good.  

Your RV is not your sticks and bricks.  You just can’t take everything with you, be it to live full time or even on vacation in your RV.  Pack only what you need for the vacation.  Your entire wardrobe or kitchen doesn’t need to come with you on vacation.

I love Dad’s favorite saying. He calls it an “RVR,” Repair Vehicle Regularly. BOL!  If you drive it, it’s going to need repair.  Even if you just let it sit somewhere, it will require fixing at some point.   Mom says it’s like a mini earthquake rolling down the road.  

We had things in our Fifth Wheel that just disappeared after one trip, never to be found again.  Towables seem to get more of that action going on back there than a motorized.  At least with a drive one you can listen to it or see it as it happens.

Next, on the hit parade, I want to bark at is cleaning.  You may think that you are uber clean, but I’m here to tell you it’s not enough.  No matter how clean you think it is, your RV will still require constant cleaning.  A clean RV equals less chance of those disgusting, nasty bugs to find their way in.  

Plus, remember you are constantly going in and out in all different places (sand, grass, leaves, water) which will come in on your feet.  Mom is constantly sanitizing the kitchen and floor for any bits of food or crumbs that I happen to miss on the floor.  She even wipes my puppy paws every time I come in.  Gees!

Big DON’T is dumping food down your sinks.  It all ends up in your tank which can cause a whole bunch of problems, foremost messing up tank sensors.  It’s hard enough to get them to read accurately without dumping grease and food down there.  Go easy on the toilet paper.  Count to 10 every time you flush and use septic safe brands.  

TP likes to stick to the walls of the black tank or clog it.  You could get a nice poo pile in your black tank.  Dad adds this new green stuff that got our black tank sensors working again!  Check out Dad’s article about a great flush out your black tank!

Mom loves paper towels.  She wipes everything down before washing dishes. And easy does it on the dish soap.  You waste a lot of water if you have to constantly rinse the sink out to get the “bubble bath” down the drain.  Clue. If it bubbles back into the other sink before going down, too much.  If Boondocking, all that rinsing is water from your fresh tank.

Next, I want to bark at you about is noise.  (Hey, Dad, I get it!  He says I bark all the time. Corgi on duty!)  Keep it at a reasonable level.  RV walls are thin. If you can hear people outside, they can hear you inside. 

Which brings up another point.  Don’t arrive late.  Those big old noisy diesel engines with their beep, beep, beep back up sound does not make for a good neighbor.  Plus it’s harder for you to get situated in your site without incident.  And you don’t want an incident, especially after dark. 

Do you all realize that RVs have something called a Power Booster button? This needs to be on to receive over the air channels.  Remember to also choose TV ANT (or Cable) on the box. Scan your TVs at each campground -option typically found on your remote menu button.  

Dad loves the Jack antenna they are now using on RVs.  It has lights that tell you where the best signal is for your antenna before you scan.  We had replaced our batwing one with one of these bad boys when we had our other RV.  GRRRR-ate! 

Before I bark off, make sure you are level on your site for your RV Refrigerator.  If the gunk (that’s a technical term) in the coils can’t flow, it can cause overheating and major problems, if not now, down the road. (Get it, down the road?! I do crack me up sometimes.)

So on that note, time to catch my daily snap.  As always, any questions, or if I’ve missed anything, Bark at me below.  Until next time,

Lindsey out. zzz zzz

The Importance of RV Tire Maintenance!

In parts one and two of the importance of RV tire maintenance, I discussed air pressure based on actual RV loading, regular visual inspections of your RV tires, tire pressure monitor systems, what to do with RV tires that are stored or sit static for months during full time RV living or storage, DOT codes on tires, and a discussion on when to replace RV tires.

In part three of this article, I will address tire dressings, possible causes of abnormal tire wear and selecting replacement tires for your RV.

Applying RV Tire Dressings

There are many opinions about what to apply and what not to when it comes to tire dressings!  Most people seem to like to have their RV tires shine.  Sure, it looks good but most of the products people apply, including RV dealerships, only appear to attract dust and dirt.

I have done lots of research on this topic!  I had Michelin XRV tires on my Freightliner medium-duty truck.  I checked with Michelin, and they sold a product that was water-based and contained no petroleum distillates or alcohol.  These seem to be the big offending ingredients in tire dressing products!

The product Michelin used to put their name on was 3-in-1 Tire Shine.  I bought a few bottles, and it did a good job of keeping the tires black, but not shiny!  It was a water-based UV protector.  For some reason, they stopped making it.

When I needed more of that product and found out that Michelin no longer sold it, I did get a tire dealer to tell me that 303 Aerospace protectant was a close formulation to the Tire Shine.

I am a believer of applying something to tires to aid in the UV protection.  I used the Michelin Tire Shine and then the 303 Protectant on my Michelin XRV tires for six years. Those tires had no sidewall checking and looked as good as the day I bought them when I traded the truck.  They could probably have been used for a few more years according to the Michelin tire specialists.

When my current Michelin and Chinese trailer tires start to get that brownish color to them, I apply the 303 Protectant, and it brings back the black color to the sidewalls. They do not have a shiny finish to them, just a deep black color!  And, it does last for a while.  I usually clean and apply this product to my tires once a month.  We do move our RV frequently, so that helps out as well.

Abnormal Tire Wear

RV tires, if maintained with the correct tire pressure for the measured load, should normally wear with even tread wear.  Of course, tire rotation, if recommended by the RV manufacturer can also help to assure even wear.

If abnormalities start to show up in your RV tires wear pattern it might be necessary to check with the motorhome chassis manufacturer for alignment specs that could assist a certified tire dealership in correcting possible issues.

According to Michelin, a feathered wear pattern on the front tires typical indicates misalignment (toe-in or toe-out)  Sometimes a radial tire will not have this wear pattern unless the toe condition is severe. Instead of the feathered edge wear, the tire will be worn on the inside or outside shoulder, which could be confused with camber wear.

On a three-axle RV, a skewed rear axle and tag could cause feathered edge wear on one shoulder of one front tire and feathered edge on the opposite shoulder of the other front tire. To correctly diagnose a tire wear condition, the motorhome should have the alignment checked on all wheel positions.

Michelin also refers to camber wear, also known as edge wear, which wear shows up on the inside or outside shoulders of the tread. Wear on the inside edge of both tires may be due to negative camber or toe-out, a misalignment. If only one tire shows edge wear, check for worn kingpin bushings, bent or worn steering components, or excessive positive camber.  For solid beam axles, excessive camber can result from axle overload.

Michelin publishes that if correct pressure and proper alignment are both continually maintained, tire rotation may never be needed.  However, in other cases, tire rotation may be needed to help even out wear patterns caused by alignment, underinflation, or free-rolling wear problems.

Selecting Replacement RV Tires

The most important decision an RV owner can make is the replacement of its tires when they are beyond their useful life.  The replacement tire decision can be because of the tires age or that the tread is worn off.  Remember that I stated earlier that the National Transportation and Safety Board recently stated that tires that are six years old should be replaced.

Of course, it is best to consult a certified tire specialist when it comes to RV tires!

The best way to replace RV tires is to match them with what the RV came with.  The original tires were matched with the RV for load rating, tire diameter, speed rating and the width of the tire.  A major consideration for dual axles is the tire width.  If an incorrect tire is chosen, the dual spacing could cause the tires to kiss during travel.  This can weaken the tire sidewall over time.

Also, choosing a tire with a higher load rating and increased tire pressure might sound like a good idea!  But, is the rim the tire will be mounted on able to handle the increased pressure?  It is best to consult a professional when making changes to the original tires that the RV was designed to be driven with.

In conclusion, please don’t neglect your RV’s tires!  A little regular maintenance and checking of tire pressure before travel can assure that you will not be delayed reaching your destination due to tire a related issue!

Here’s wishing you trouble-free RV travels now that you are armed with some tire safety knowledge!

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