For any RVer, proper tire maintenance is imperative.  But, for the RVer enjoying the full time RV living lifestyle, regular RV tire maintenance is, even more, critical.

Some people who live full time in their RV’s tend to move them even less than those that don’t.  They may park in areas where less consideration is given as to the surface on which those tires are parked.  When tires are not used regularly, and no thought is given to their care due to lack of knowledge, those tires can deteriorate quickly thereby shortening their life. Poor tire maintenance habits can lead to a life safety issue when traveling in the RV!

So What Do You Need to Know?

While traveling, your RV is riding on the air in your tires.  If the tire fails because it is unable to contain that air, problems will occur!  So, that being said, tire inflation is a major issue in being sure that tire treads wear properly, and the overall performance of the tire is maximized.

Tires that are under-inflated can reduce traction, increase fuel consumption, reduce the load carrying capacity of the RV, create premature tread wear, and cause permanent damage to the structural integrity of the tire.  Just a few simple procedures at the start of each trip, and once a month, can help you to get the most from your RV’s tires.

RV tires have a cold pressure value located on the sidewall of the tire that show its maximum inflation pressure.  In other words, the pressure of the tire when it has not been driven on, and that has not been sitting out in the sunlight.  A hot tire can read five to fifteen psi higher than a cold tire. Checking inflation pressure when a tire is warm will lead to under-inflated tires!

A good time to check RV tire pressure is at least once a month either when the RV has been sitting in static full time RV living mode or because the RV is in storage.  RV Tires should also be checked each morning before road trips.  Checking air pressure on a regular basis will help to spot any slow leaks that might create an issue while on a long road trip.  Inflate the RV’s tires to the recommended pressure listed by the RV manufacturer.  Those numbers should be on a label inside the RV.

The inflation pressure suggested by the RV manufacturer may be the maximum cold pressure of the tire, or it may be a lesser value.  It depends on the load that is expected for each tire.

When beginning an RV trip, I always check my tire’s pressure early in the morning the day of travel.  I do that each day we are on the road.  I never check them in the evening because they will be warm, and that would give me an incorrect cold pressure reading.  I travel with an air compressor, so I am always able to keep my tires at their proper pressure.  I also use an air dryer on my compressor so that I am not adding moisture to the inside of the tires.

A few more things about tire pressure: be sure not to exceed your RV’s gross vehicle weight, don’t overload one side of the RV past the axle’s weight ratings even though the gross vehicle weight may be okay, be sure to use a good quality tire gauge, be sure the inner and outer tire pressure on duals is the same, adjust RV tire pressure on all tires to match the tire that is carrying the most load, and match all the tires on the same axle with the same inflation pressure.

One thing you won’t want to do with your RV tires is to reduce tire pressure to create a smoother ride.  A reduction in the required pressure could damage the tire creating a possible blow out due to overheating, as well as difficulties with the RV’s handling capabilities.  For every psi a tire is underinflated, that tire can lose twenty to thirty pounds of carrying capacity.  That can put significant stress on the tire sidewalls!

Inspect your RV tires!

Performing a visual check on your RV’s tires, on a regular basis, is critical as well!  Checking to see that no items are lodged in the tread of the tire is a good thing to look for before each travel day.  If something is found, do not drive on the tire.  It is best to have a mobile service come to you if you can’t bring the tire to a service center.

Here are some other items you can check for: check every tire for sidewall cracking, avoid putting tire dressings on that will accelerate the aging process, look for unevenly wearing tires, and replace tires when the tread has reached the tread depth indicators.  They are the little triangles located between the tread grooves on the sidewall of the tire.  Addressing these issues could save you from a tire-related breakdown when traveling in your RV.

RV tires have different considerations than automobile tires do.  Therefore, they are made with materials that best allow them to function for the purpose for which they are designed for.  The materials in these tires change over time.

How that happens depends on factors related to weather, how they are stored, and how they are used.  The load at which they are subjected to, the speed at which they are driven, the pressure the tires are inflated to, and how they are maintained all play a vital role in the overall life of an RV tire.

The question I am often asked is when should I replace my RV tires?  The answer I give is first to tell me how you have taken care of them and how have you driven on them.  Recently major manufacturers came out and supported that tires that are six years old would be recommended for replacement.  When it comes to RV tires, and those that are older than five years by the DOT date stamped on the tire, they should be checked by a certified tire specialist once a year for road worthiness.

What about those products that can be applied to the tire for additional UV protection?  Is that something that should or should not be used?  Stay tuned!  I’ll address that and other issues in part two of this article.

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After a long summer on the road, we are back in Florida for the winter season.  Pam and I left Florida last June with the intent of visiting/traveling through seventeen states.  Our purpose for the summer travel was to attend RV shows and teach advanced RV inspector classes in the northeast states.

Our plans worked out perfectly, and we were able to accomplish everything we had planned.  Since starting the full time RV living lifestyle back in 2008, we have spent a good portion of our time in Florida as we have aging parents that we like to be available for if they need us.

In June, we visited the panhandle before leaving the state.  We spent a week at Carrabelle Beach RV Resort as we had never been to that area before.  The small beach across from the RV park is not like the beaches of Destin, but it was still nice.  We did venture out to St. George Island and found those beaches closer to what we like.

The next area we headed to visit was with friends in North Carolina, north of the Raliegh area.  We boondocked at our friends small ranch that is located out of town in the country.  It was nice to awake to the sounds of nearby livestock and the horses playing nearby.  It is so enjoyable to be able to visit friends and family as we travel but not burden them with taking care of us, and Lindsey.  Where ever we go we have everything we need and are always comfortable in our home on wheels.

Once leaving North Carolina, we headed to Indiana for the month of June and July.  The purpose of being there was to teach two advanced RV inspector classes.  We stayed at the KOA in Middlebury Indiana.  We enjoyed our stay there, and the staff was most accommodating allowing us to use their facility to hold our two weeks of classes.

We were so glad to be up north over the summer months, and not in Florida!  The weather was beautiful and stayed mostly in the seventies and low eighties all summer long.  We even had days where the highs were only in the sixties.  It was like being back in the mountains of Colorado!

From there we ventured into Illinois on our way to Wisconsin to visit family in the Oshkosh area.  Pam’s brother lives in a small town, on a lake, and he has a property that he allowed us to parked the RV.  He was able to supply us with both water and 30 amp electric service.  By using their shower facilities, and bathroom when needed, we were able to stretch our tanks for a week.

Once we left that location, our next stop was up in the upper peninsula of Michigan around Mackinaw Island.  We wanted to visit this area again to do some biking.  There are miles of both paved and unpaved bike trails.  We enjoyed biking from the KOA in Mackinaw City into town to check out the sites.

You can take a ferry over to Mackinaw Island, with your bike, and ride the bike trails that are on the island.  Since cars are not allowed it is a great place to enjoy a ride without having to share the roads with vehicles, just horse-drawn buggies that run around town.

From there we traveled towards western Pennsylvania to the Mercer KOA.  We had another RV inspector training class scheduled for early August.  Once again the nice folks within the KOA system allowed us to use their clubhouse facility to have our five-day class.  We only spent a week around the Mercer area but enjoyed our stay and the small town atmosphere of Mercer, PA.

From there we traveled to Ohio to check out a Thousand Trails RV park that we had some good reviews.  Since we received a two free week offer to try out their system of RV parks, we decided that this would be a good time to take advantage of the offer.  We had some free time before we needed to move on.

We stayed at Lake Kenisee RV Campground.  It is located out of town from Jefferson, Ohio.  It was in a country type location, and the campground was adequate for our needs.  We did spend two weeks at this location using the free offer and were thankful for free camping.  It sure helped keep our average nightly park fees at a reasonable rate.  Through our summer travels, we managed to stay right around that $20 for our nightly park fees.

At that point, we had three weeks before we needed to be in Manheim, Pennsylvania for the Hershey PA RV Show, the RV Tech Course, and to teach another RV inspector class.  Since we had never been to Niagara Falls before and wanted to write an article for Passport America’s Multi-Briefs, we traveled to that area.  I wrote an article titled ten free things to do in Niagara Falls.  It was a lot of fun visiting the area, taking great photos, and creating an article that would help others enjoy the area too!

We stayed in several locations while we were there.  We enjoyed boondocking at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino. They allow RVers to stay in their east parking lot.  We found them on freecampgrounds.com.  From that location, it was a short ten-minute walk to get to Niagara Falls State Park.  We spent a few nights at the Casino and enjoyed many walks to the falls to enjoy the sites.

We also walked across the Rainbow Bridge into Canada.  With a passport and fifty cents, it is an easy round trip.  It is very easy to do.  The views of the Falls from the Canadian side are spectacular!  From the casino location to the Canadian Falls was a two and a half mile walk.  There were many things to see and do along the way.

From there we spent a little time in a nearby park in Gas Port, NY.  They were a Passport America park and offered a $16 nightly rate plus a minimal electrical usage charge.  We stayed there for four nights,

We enjoyed Niagara Falls so much, and because we found we needed more information for our article, we decided to return to the Niagara Falls location and stay for three more nights.  We once again ventured into Canada by walking across the bridge.  We wanted to check out more free things to do while in the area.

Our business associations have allowed us to make some new Canadian associates.  One of them was located about an hour and a half from our location.  They wanted to meet with us and discuss some business over a pizza.  What a great time!  Enjoying the Falls, sharing time with friends, and enjoying New York style pizza.  Life is good!!

From there we needed to start heading towards Manheim, Pennsylvania.  Over the Labor Day weekend we did not feel like spending $80 a night for an RV spot, so we boondocked in the Cabella’s Parking lot in Hamburg, PA.  They have parking for RV’s, a dump station and non-potable water if needed.  All you need to do is let them know at the customer service desk that you are staying for the night.  When we did, they told us, “enjoy your stay!”  Great customer service in that store.

It is a great location to hang out and check out all the retail locations and eateries.  The Cabela’s store in Hamburg is huge.  It is basically like a Home Depot, but for those that love to shoot and kill things!  LOL  If you are an out-doors kind of person, this is the place for you!

From there we moved a short distance to Manheim, PA.  We stayed a month in the area while attending the Hershey PA RV show.  We were working in the Workamper News and NRVIA vendor booths.  We also helped out with the RV Tech Course class and then had a group of students for the NRVIA advanced RV inspector training class.

That was a pretty busy month for us!  We met lots of folks during these events and made some new friends.

The Hershey PA RV Show is advertised as the largest RV show in the country.  After having attended a few of these shows, I would have to say they make that claim based on the number of RV’s that are at the show.  There are plenty of RV manufacturers that bring their new models to show to the attending public.

From Pennsylvania, we traveled to Heber Springs, Arkansas for another month of events: the RV Tech Course, Workamper Rendezvous, the NRVIA national conference, and an NRVIA Learn by Doing class that I taught.  It was another busy but enjoyable month!

While parked in a small RV Park in Heber Springs, our trailer that we tow behind was hit by what we are sure was a drunk driver.  We were parked on our RV site and out with friends.  A neighbor two spaces down drove through our site and into our trailer, just missing the RV.  He tore the axle off its welds and totaled the trailer.  Since the RV was hooked to the trailer, it was also moved a few inches.  Fortunately, there were witnesses, no damage was done to the RV, and we were able to file a claim on the drivers’ insurance.

However, there was no match to our trailer within 500 miles of our location.  So, we had the manufacturer build us a replacement and deliver it to us.  It cost us out of pocket dollars, but we had to have the trailer to move on.  The bummer was I had to spend a day modifying it to the way the original trailer was so we could get back on the road.  We left the other behind for the salvage yard.  The thing is the trailer was only nine months old.  Oh well, life on the road!

Come to find out, once we got the new trailer and compared the two, we discovered the reason we were not supposed to leave Arkansas with it.  It was not built properly and probably would have caused us some problems later on.  So, we trusted all along that there was a reason for our delay in departing the state, and once the new trailer showed up we understood the reason for our trailer dilemma!  God is good!!

So, once we hit the road, we were headed back to Florida for an NRVIA class in December.  We just finished up with that group of students, and we are just hanging out in the panhandle of Florida before heading to the Tampa area for an early January 2016 NRVIA class.

It has been a fun summer/fall with us logging almost 7,000 miles traveling to the northeast and back.  Our newer RV that we purchased in February of 2015 has worked beautifully for us.  It proves that you can full time in a smaller RV if you are organized and have the experience of previous travels to guide you in making the right decisions.

Pam and I wish you all a happy and blessed New Year!  Perhaps we’ll see you on the road soon!

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Barooo!! Lindsey here to update Y’all on my fur-ther RVing adventures. We are now back in the sunshine state. Yea! I got to get some sand in my paws again. (No, not on the beach. Not cool here in Walton County. It’s illegal. No fur-babies on the beach.)

I got to tell you we had quite the adventure in Heber Springs, AR. Besides all the activity of Workamper Rendezvous and Dad’s class, our trailer got hit!  (Did I mention I was traumatized?!)  Mom and Dad were gone and some toothless drunk guy, HIT OUR TRAILER, parked in the campground!  I was so scared I almost wet my “skirt”.  Hello! And it’s a dry County no less. And I don’t mean no rain if you get what I’m saying here.  

Dad said he totaled it because he hit it so hard.  Bent the axle, whatever an axle is. It even moved our moving house a bit. Mom said if he had been a few inches closer he would have hit our sliding room too. I had to have a couple of extra Scooby Snacks to get over that. So listen and learn.  Just because they say it’s dry doesn’t mean dry, if ya get my drift. Plenty of stills in them thar hills. (I was wondering if Jed and Granny were selling him hooch? Hmmm. For medicinal purposes only I’m sure.)  

We stayed at a couple of Walmarts on the way, which Mom loves to camp when it’s free. When we left this place called Jackson, we hit a bump that sent our new trailer airborne.  I think I hit the roof of my crate on that one. We were trying to stay ahead of some scary storms that were stalking us. We hunkered down in a small place mom found on Passport America in AL until the storm passed.  It got pretty exciting with all the rain, but we were all snug as a corgi-bug in a rug.

Now I’ve been warming my stub again here in Florida.  We are back at this campground Mom and Dad used to work at.  I get to meet up with my fur-buds Charlie and Mo for the RV Tech Course, and of course, we’re here for Dad’s class. I got to check out some new pee-mail where Maya and I used to pee all the time. That was when Maya was still with us.  She went over the Rainbow Bridge 2 years ago.  WOL! (Whimpering out loud.) I got to sit on her picnic table she sat on her before starting her journey without us. Even the sun looked like it was crying for her.

When we first got here, we got to stay closer to the water but had to move after Turkey Day.  It was neat listening to the waves, digging in the sand and chasing some seabirds. Those stupid birds are so full of themselves thinking every human is take-out.  Oh, and I got to say Hi to the resident turtles. They are still in the big pond.  Wow! They lead a sheltered life. (Get it? BOL!  I crack me up sometimes.)  

Dude! Check out my new spot in the moving house.  It’s like a corgi carnival ride. Whenever Mom brings in our sliding room, I get a ride.  Nothing too scary.  I will get another ride on it when we leave here in January to do Dad’s next training class at Lazy Days in Tampa.

Hear that strange noise?.  Oh, wait.  That’s my tummy telling me it’s time to eat.  Oh Mommy, why isn’t Stella and Chewy in my bowl?  

Got to go. Happy Trails and Tails, if you have one.

Lindsey out.

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Bathroom Wall Stains Due to Excess Humidity

One of the biggest invisible problems that come with living in an RV full time is moisture in the air!  Pam and I measure our interior and outdoor humidity levels, and we have discovered that we can not live without an RV dehumidifier!  And since we live in a small RV we use an Eva-Dry Dehumidifier.

When humidity levels are high, nothing dries!  When things do not dry the chances for mold to start to form increases.

This past summer we were traveling in the northeast.  It was a cold, rainy summer, and humidity levels were high.  We were not able to run the air conditioning very much because it was so cool most days.  Our closet area is pretty tightly packed, and it is located on a slide out of its own.  Because of the tight-packed closet and the cool exterior walls, moisture formed inside of the closet.  So much so that at times the interior walls were wet.

When it is hot and humid, the AC unit can help remove that moisture from the air.  But, when it is cool out, or it is winter time in the south, there must be another way to get the moisture out of the air!

When moist air condenses on interior walls of the RV and seeps between joints, it can cause severe damage to an RV’s structural integrity.  Because of regular showering and cooking in the RV it is possible to get rampant mold fungus to grow without even realizing that this is occurring.  That plus living in humid climates makes this situation one of the most damaging conditions to an RV!

Even the ventilation systems that are installed in RV’s are not able to combat the unique circulation issues RV’s have. With all the small nooks and cranny’s that exist to maximize storage space, these areas create particularly difficult challenges when it comes to moisture problems.  Air movement is just not able to get to these areas.  A more aggressive method is needed to control moisture buildup in these areas!

When humidity levels are at fifty-five percent or more, airborne allergens such as mold spores, bacteria, and dust mites thrive and multiply very quickly.  To keep mold and mildew at bay in an RV, humidity levels must be kept below fifty percent.  If that can be done, most of these issues can be kept at bay!

It can take only fourteen to sixteen hours of humidity levels above fifty-five percent to allow mold to start to form.  As an RV inspector, I would have to say the majority of the RV’s I step into that are at least a few years old have some issue with mold.  You can smell it when you walk inside!

As I mentioned earlier, when an RV’s air conditioner is running it is helping to remove excess moisture from the air. But what about the times it is not being used: during seasonal changes and times when it is cooler outside while traveling from state to state or climate to climate, during the evening hours, or any location in the United States other than the warmer southern states?

How About Using an RV Dehumidifier?

What type of options are available given the small space we are talking about.  Most dehumidifiers that can be purchased at a home improvement store or online are big, expensive, noisy and put out a lot of heat due to the onboard compressor.  We tried using a freestanding compressor style unit in our previous RV, and the main issues we had were the amount of space it took up due to the need for air flow, the amount of heat it produced, and it made so much noise that we could not stand it!

The chemical dehumidifier options sold in bucket containers that are designed to be placed in drawers and closets can be dangerous.  If they get knocked over the product inside can be dangerous as it is toxic and corrosive.  Handling this material requires care!  These type of solutions are also a regular expense as they cannot be reused and must be replaced.

What’s the Best Type of RV Dehumidifier for an RV?

The best dehumidifier system for an RV will be:

• Small and fully contained.
• Spill-proof.
• Non-toxic and non-corrosive.
• Renewable, reducing both waste and expense.

We Love Our Eva-Dry Dehumidifier!

Since Pam and I have a smaller RV that we enjoy living the full time RV lifestyle in, we use the Eva-Dry 2200 Electric Dehumidifier.  Its ability to remove excess moisture in the air for 2,200 cubic feet of space works perfectly for our RV.  There is a larger model that works in areas of 4,000 cubic feet, but this was not needed for our class C RV.  It would be more suitable for a larger Class A RV.

We use a wireless remote sensor and an indoor sensor with readout to measure humidity levels both inside and outside the RV.  Whenever we are unable to use our roof air conditioner unit, we use an Eva-Dry 2200 dehumidifier to help keep humidity levels down.  The only part of the country we have traveled to where we have not had a need for such a device was in the mountainous regions of the west and the desert areas of the southwest.

Fact: if you are not running your air conditioner unit in your RV, then you need to do something else to manage moisture levels in the air.  You need to measure those levels and have a method to lower humidity in your RV, or you may create several problems.  The two most important would be the health risk caused by the effects of high humidity in the RV and the damage that the humidity can cause to the RV!

Fall 2018 Update: 

Since we changed our full time RV living home back in July of 2018 to a larger unit, we needed to make a change of dehumidifier units.  As good as the Eva Dry was it is not powerful enough for our new RV, Missy Tiffy, a Tiffin Allegro Open Road Class A RV. 

So, after much research into an appropriate unit for a thirty-eight foot RV, it was decided that the Delonghi DDX45E unit would meet our needs based on previous experience with dehumidifiers.  I found a good website that helped with our research.  It laid out all the types that would be appropriate for an RV.  After spending time with all the options the Delonghi was the best choice for us!

Delonghi dehumidifiers are well made by current standards and manufactured in Italy.  They are more expensive than others because they are made in Italy and not in China.  The unit runs at about 52 decibels on regular fan mode.  For the range of the models in the Delonghi lineup, the DDX45E is determined to be the best value. 

We have been using the unit for a few weeks and find it to be very adequate.  We had some cold temperatures in the thirties prior to receiving the unit and we had moisture-soaked windows that took most of the day to go away, even with wiping them with a towel several times.  There was just too much moisture in the inside air.

Last night we were around freezing, and with the Delonghi in use, we were dry as a bone this morning.  It removes more moisture from the air than I have seen in any dehumidifier that we have owned so far.  I had looked at the Delonghi’s back in 2012 when we had our big 5th wheel but purchased a Frigidaire unit because of the lower price.  The DDX45E is quieter and more efficient in removing moisture than the Frigidaire, and certainly more so than the Eva Dry.  But that is expected as it uses a different technology. 

So, keep your RV dry by purchasing a dehumidifier!  Happy RVing!!

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Barooo! It’s me Lindsey with my latest Bark Report.  This time, I want to bark at you about Camping Etiquette.  

As a fulltime camping pupster, I’ve seen alot of campers that maybe just don’t know what is considered polite and what isn’t.  And since Mom and Dad are always barkin’ at me to be a considerate camper, I’d like to share some of that with y’all.

First off never, never poo on someone else’s site.  If you just gotta go really bad, make sure you stay close to the road and your pet parents pick it up and throw it out.  The poop fairy doesn’t visit RV Parks and magically make your poo disappear.  Nasty! And you won’t make a friend if someone steps in your little gift in the dark.

Tell your parents that there is a really cool thing that goes on your leash.  I think it’s called poopy Bags on Board.  That way it’s easy for them to take care of minor (or sometimes major?) indiscretions.  I like t’call it the No-excuse, On the Go Go, Doo Doo Delivery, Don’t Leave Home Without Them, Oopsie Poosie Pick Ups.  Catchy, huh? 

Oh hey, to all you leg lifters, squirtin’ on tires is so redneck.  Unless your name is Bubba J,  use a tree or squat like a girl.  Service dogs do.  Dad threatened my cousin Leinie he’d cut off his ….. if he used his tires for his personal pee-mail service. (You fill in the blank.)  Leinie is purdy smart for a labra-dork do he didn’t dare if he knew what was good for him.

Mom’s always telling me don’t cut through occupied sites.  Dude! Rude!  Give them their space.  I mean seriously, you could interrupt their meal, trip over their yard adornments, scare the cat, get bit by their dog, trip over their hoses and cords (possibly unplugging them, creating a human poo incident or power outage). And it’s jest not neigh-bor-ly.

And then if you are like me, we have to warn off intruders. It’s our job according to the doggie manual ya know. Makes for cranky neighbors listening to us talk all the time.  You are campin’, enjoy it and get read some new pee mail on your walk-about. Jest take your humans on a tour and walk around.  If it’s that urgent, drop your drawers in the road like I have to sometimes.  Campgrounds aren’t that big that you need to do cut thru’s.  

Oh yo, and speaking of noise, another thing in campgrounds is they have this thing called quiet time. The walls in our moving houses are thin.  If you can hear someone or something outside, chances are they can hear you inside.  Enuff with the Top Gun music after 10 already.  I like to catch some zzz’s without feeling the floor and walls vibrating.  

Tell your humans to try not to arrive at the campground in the wee hours of the morning. There is nothing like the sound of your pet parents shouting at each other and then the beep beep beep of one of those really big noisy buses trying to back into a spot.  Indoor voices if you do arrive late. 

Next on the list is parking in your own spot.  You didn’t pay for 2 spots so don’t park on 2.  How would you like to arrive after a long day of drivin’ only to find the site you are s’pose to have has a car on it?  If the office is closed for the day, your neighbors aren’t there to move their car, it’s dark, you’re tired, now what? Doesn’t make for happy campers.   Curt-a-see please!  

The office can help you out if you can’t fit all your stuff on your spot. They are nice that way. That’s why they work there. Some of our humans can get cranky after drivin’ our big moving houses so jest think of them.   

And lastly I want to bark at you about is going really fast thru the park. The nice campground owners are just trying to keep everybody safe and have fun. Imagine, you come out for a nice walk, or you are in the middle of copping a squat and suddenly this car comes around a corner at mach one and almost runs you over.  

Or the little people that come out suddenly and scare me.  I always tell Mom it’s good I’m not a car or I could have runned them over.  When it’s really busy in RV parks it’s sometimes hard to see around every moving home on wheels. A lot of them are really really big.  If they run you over that will ruin everybody’s day.

So the theme of this report is if everyone is well behaved we can all have a good time when we go RVing. Be safe and Happy Tails (even though I don’t have one).

Until next time,
Lindsey out…..