One of the bigger issues full-timers have when starting the lifestyle is how to deal with receiving mail.  You have to have a physical address for insurance, vehicle registrations, and banking.  Even in this electronic age of sending the needed documents via email, you still are required to maintain a domicile address once the house is gone.  This is where an RV mail forwarding service can help out!

    RV Mail Forwarding Service

OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU:

The Family Connection:  You can use one of your family members as a mail receiving and forwarding service.  You can change all your necessary contact information to their address and let them collect your mail and keep you posted on important items that come in the mail.  This can work out well if they don’t mind taking on the job.  But, like everyone else who is busy with their lives, do you want to burden them with the chore of collecting your mail, finding out where you are, and then mailing documents to you?  What if something is important and you need it immediately?  Will family members have the time to take care of that for you?

What about commercial services designed to handle this kind of thing?

Escapees RV Club:  They have a program called Escapees Home which uses a legal “home” address in either Texas or Florida, depending on which one you want to call your domicile state.  They charge $85 – $125 per year for the service, plus mailing costs.  They do have a FAQ page that can answer some of your questions.  I know folks who use their basic service and seem to be happy with it.  As they were already Escapees members, it made it easy to add their RV mail forwarding service.

Good Sam Mail Service:   Basically using another mail forwarding service company to offer this to their members.  So, if you are a Good Sams member, then you get the service at a discounted rate.  I think most RVers should be part of Good Sams club as you get numerous discounts with their program.  The two best are at Camping World and Pilot/Flying J Truck Stops.  I have a fuel card that I can drive through the trucker lanes, swipe the card, fill the tanks, and go.  They send a monthly bill via email.  You can’t normally do that in those lanes unless you are a trucker.  Before this service fueling used to be a real pain!  Plus, I get six cents off the cash price!  And when you are fueling over 100 gallons of diesel, every little bit helps!

Americas-Mailbox:  These folks started their company with the traveler in mind.  THey are full-timers as well so they know the difficulties that come with the lifestyle.  There are some nuances with establishing residency in South Dakota, as a full time RVer, but you can learn more at their website.

Traveling Mailbox:   Probably the most fully functional, yet pricey mail forward service out there!  They are just a little more than a forwarding service.  My RV Mail receives your postal mail and scans the envelopes and contents in a searchable pdf, so you have access to your postal mail anywhere and anytime.  They also offer data storage features.

FMCA Mail Forwarding Service:   People may be familiar with this organization and service, but they are no longer accepting new mail forward clients.  It looks like their existing customers will have to find a new home for their mail forward needs.

MY RV Mail:  Now this is the service that I believe is the most popular, and functional.  There are several plans to choose from depending on how you want to receive your mail.  Pam and I have used this service since April of 2010.  We have had mail delivered all over the country with no problems.  I go online to check what mail I have received each day, who it’s from and if I want to keep it or trash it.  I can request online where and when I want it sent.  The speed of receiving it can also be chosen.  It’s not the cheapest service out there, but it is the most useful!  Plus I get a legal address that works to establish a domicile location.  My S-Corporation is even registered at this services address!

So, I am obviously partial to MY RV Mail as it has worked well for me.  I think most full time RVers who use it agree.  When it comes to these kinds of things you get what you pay for!

MY RV Mail is a division of Passport America, so if you are a member of that service, you receive a better rate on the yearly fee.  And, why wouldn’t you be?  You get fifty percent off campsite rates at over 1900 campgrounds nationwide and in Canada and Mexico.  The small yearly membership fee pays for itself in just a few nights of use!

 If you decide you want to use MY RV Mail, please tell them Howard and Pam sent you.  They will know us by #722.  They offer a little discount on our yearly membership when folks tell them we sent you their way.  Thanks – It is Much Appreciated!!

So, thanks for visiting our website.   Please feel free to leave comments if the information has been helpful as you are searching for a mail forwarding service.

Blessings,
Howard and Pam

RV travel with pets allows you to take your beloved family member along with you!  Not having to put them in a boarding facility where they may pick up diseases, not to mention bad habits, is a good reason to bring them along.  

But, this takes a little preparedness so that when you hop aboard to hit the road, you have everything needed to make your dog welcome where ever you may stay.

Our RVing Kids

It does not matter whether you RV is a travel trailer or a motorcoach; the same campground pet rules apply.   For RV travel with pets to be enjoyable, the most important thing to remember is that not everyone appreciates pets, nor wants to have them running around their RV site leaving a “special package” that may not be picked up by the owner.  Remember that how you travel with your pet will determine if RV parks will continue to allow pets.

So what can you do to be sure traveling with pets continues to be something we can continue to enjoy?

Here’re a couple of tips you can use:

When you book your RV site be sure to notify the RV park that you have a pet and that you would prefer to be near the doggy area and among other pet owners.  That way you are not offending anyone by having to walk a long way to the pet area and have your dog relieve himself on some non-dog owners site.  

These folks don’t understand and get very upset.  They usually complain to park management and make it more difficult for park owners to consider continuing to allowing pets.

Be sure your pet is vaccinated for the area you may be going to.  If traveling a long distance from home, the necessary vaccines may be different than at home, depending on what region of the country you are in.  

We recently traveled 1,100 miles north of our current location and did not think about ticks in the area we visited.  It was a big problem for local pets, and we had to be very careful with our dog to be sure she did not pick up a tick!

When parked at your site, don’t leave your dog outside and unattended to bark at passers by.  If you are leaving the park, be sure to take the dog with you, unless he can be quiet in the RV without barking the whole time you are gone.  

We have found our furry kids like their soft dog crates during travel, and when we are not taking them along on a short trip away from the RV, they are happy to stay in them while we are gone.

Be sure to exercise your dog so that they don’t become bored and become destructive.  When walking around designated areas of the park, be sure to carry bags to pick up after your dog.  

Do not leave the fecal matter for someone else to deal with.  This is becoming a huge problem these days as lazy dog owners are not picking up the poop!  That is the fastest way for an RV park to change the pet policy to “not allowed.”

There are many other minor aspects to traveling with pets, but these are some of the major issues that offend RV park owners and other campers.  Pam and I have been enjoying the full time RV living lifestyle with our pets for years.  

Also, as workcampers, we have worked with management in the different parks we stayed at.  Pet issues are becoming a big problem.  Only diligence by RVing pet owners will keep RV parks continuing to have a “pets allowed” policy.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you agree with this post!

Blessings,
Howard and Pam

There’s nothing more disheartening than hearing a story like this: a child touches an RV and is killed by electrocution!  How can you die from touching an RV that is plugged into an electrical source?  The condition is called RV hot skin, and I would like to share a few thoughts that might help you to identify whether this condition exists in your RV.

The story of this boy is sad and could have been avoided if someone had noticed that touching the RV gave a tingling sensation.  Have you ever touched a live wire and felt that?  We usually live to tell about it because we may have been wearing shoes, or were isolated from the ground in some way, and the electricity did not have a chance to travel through your body back to the ground.

Since the child was barefoot, and from what I heard, on wet grass, when he touched the RV, electricity was able to travel through the RV frame, through the boy’s body and back to the ground.  Doing so was severe enough in this case to kill him.  The final determination was that the RV was plugged into an improperly wired receptacle.

You may not notice this condition in an RV as it is a big metal box that makes contact with the ground via rubber tires.  You can plug it in and not notice that it is electrically charged with anywhere from thirty to one hundred and twenty volts until a connection is made between a body part and the ground.   Electricity is always seeking a path back to the ground.  You want to be sure you are not that path!

Recent Hot Skin Test on a Truck Camper

In working at campgrounds, I have come across numerous cases of RV hot skin conditions.  Since I have worked maintenance positions, we were the first folks that got called to assist guests with this tingling sensation.

Fortunately, in the cases I was involved in nobody got killed, but several folks suffered pains that lasted for days.  They always assumed it was the park power that caused the issue, but it in the parks I have worked in it was always the RV that created the problem.

HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN?

Okay, what would cause this?  Let’s say you bring your RV home from a trip, drain the water system but leave it plugged in to keep the battery system charged.  But, what if you forget to turn off the electric water heater?  

So there is your water heater without water in the tank, yet the heating element is still trying to electrically heat the water that is not there.  It will not take too long for the element to burn out!

Then, the next time you decide to take your RV out, and you refill and activate the water system, the heating element is no longer a sealed component in the water tank.  Now it will have the opportunity to pass electrical current through the water in the tank to the RV frame that the water heater is attached to.

So, when you get to an RV park and plug into the power pedestal, you have now energized the RV frame and all the metal components attached to it. Any time you touch a metal surface that is linked to the RV’s frame you will sense a tingling sensation depending on the amount of voltage that is passing through to the frame.  I have seen voltage readings of anywhere from thirty volts on up to one hundred and twenty volts when testing for an RV hot skin.

Hot water heaters have not been the only thing I have seen energize an RV: I have seen AC units send voltage through the RV, and I have seen the Dometic and Norcold fridges also create this condition.  Some RV parks can create this condition due to a reverse polarity condition in the electrical pedestal.

That is why an electrical management system is so important!  Improper grounding can also create a difference in voltage potential between the RV and the earth around it.  Once diagnosed I always recommend folks call a reliable RV tech to fix the problem.

The condition can also be created by wires rubbing against the frame due to vibration during travel.  Once the wire insulation is worn away, and the conductor is exposed to the metal frame, current can pass through the RV along any path that may lead to ground.  And it could be you!

A friend shared a story of some folks that had an RV dealership install a new 120v fixture in their RV.  While doing so, the technician reversed the ground and neutral connection.  Now, with that new connection made, the electricity was trying to use the RV to get back to ground instead of the intended grounding system.  Once the RV owner touched, the light switch problems arose.  Serious injury was avoided, but a lawsuit did arise from the situation.

The only way to be sure you don’t have electricity going to places it should not go is to test with a volt meter.  You can use a volt pen, but if the voltage is below forty volts, most volt pens will not show any reading.  A volt meter is best to test metal surfaces of the RV to see if the voltage is trying to get back to the ground.

Recent Case Study!

Here is an example of a recent test done on a truck camper.  These types of RV’s can have a direct connection to the earth via their landing legs. These legs help to stabilize the unit once a campsite is reached.

In this particular case, we were doing a training session on hot skin testing and noticed we did have a small amount of voltage being read around the leveling legs and RV rear door.  One, in particular, read the largest voltage at 1 – 1.2 volts.  Now this is nothing to be too concerned about, but conditions can change, and this could turn into a  problem.

Upon further investigation, it was noted that the voltage dissipated the farther we got from the rear curbside leveling leg.  It was also noted that the ground was wet due to the roof AC dripping in this spot. Once the red lead of the voltmeter was placed directly into the nearby ground, instead of in contact with the leveling leg, the same voltage was observed.

So, in this case, it was not the RV that was the problem, but ground voltage was traveling up from the wet area, through the wet plywood the owner had placed below the landing leg’s base, through the metal frame and to the rest of the RV.  Once ground contact was removed from the leveling leg, the voltage reading was zero.

Plywood is not the best thing to use in this case!  When wet it becomes a conductor!  RV supply stores sell the heavy duty plastic pieces that are designed for just this application.  My concern here for the owner, in this scenario, would be in a thunderstorm.  What if a bolt of lightening struck an object near the RV?  This could have been a bad situation!

HOW CAN YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM?

Once you have tested your RV and found this condition, it is easy to isolate the problematic circuit.  If you turn off all breakers inside the RV, and one at a time turn each one on, you can test to see if voltage energizes the RV’s skin.  

Do this for each breaker:  turn it on, test for hot skin voltage, turn it off, try the next breaker till you getting a voltage reading.  Do this by contacting something like the RV’s door handle with one lead of the voltmeter, and the other lead to a good ground source.

Of course, if you test your RV with all electrical sources engaged, and you have no hot skin condition, you don’t have to worry about it.  But, conditions can change so always be aware that this can happen at any time. It does not matter if it’s the 12-volt system or the 120-volt system.  Either can cause serious injury.  It’s not the volts that kill you, but the amps.  And it takes very little to affect the heart!

So, please be aware of this situation!  Pay attention to your RV and what it is telling you!  If you do, you will always be safe and able to continue to enjoy the RV lifestyle.

If you are uncomfortable with this whole procedure, you can call a qualified RV inspector.  That person can do a complete analysis of your entire RV to determine if there are any RV safety issues that need to be addressed.

Please leave comments if you enjoyed the information and found it useful!!

Blessings,
Howard and Pam

Update – Thanks to Mike Sokol of noshockzone.org for stopping by!  He placed a comment which I have moderated through so you can see his comments and make your determinations as to the content of my article.

My experience with these situations comes from years of working with many RV’s in RV parks, and the techs that wound up fixing the problems.  I can only draw my conclusions from those experiences and relationships with RV technicians and trainers.  Thanks again Mike!  We all want to see people enjoy safe RV travels, hence my involvement in the industry.  It was an unfortunate situation that drove me to share my experiences here!

An RV fire is something I hope you don’t ever have to deal with, especially when one is a full time RVer!  For those that are traveling either part or full time in our homes on wheels, an RV fire can ruin a vacation, possibly create injury, could lead to financial loss or even death in the worst case scenario! RV fires are the leading cause of motorhome loss for the millions of them that are on the road.

Class a Motor Home Fire

So what are some of the RV fire causes?  What are some of the most common hazards that you need to be aware of in order to avoid losing your home on wheels?

5th Wheel Fire at a Campground

The Main Causes of Fire While the RV is in Motion!

There are two concerns while the RV is moving and that is the engine compartment and the areas around the tires and axles.

The Main Causes of Fire While the RV is Parked!

There are two concerns while the RV is parked and those are the RV type refrigerators and electrical issues concerning electrical shorts and faulty wiring.

Let’s look a little further into these and other causes!

A pinhole-sized leak in a radiator or heater hose can spray antifreeze on hot engine parts.  Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol concentrate and water. When the water boils off, the remaining ethylene glycol can self-ignite at 782 degrees F. During your monthly fire inspection, check all hoses for firmness, clamp tightness, and signs of leaking.

Rubber fuel lines are commonly used to connect metal lines to the electronic fuel injection system, or to the carburetor in older coaches.  Check all the lines and connections between the fuel tank and the engine on a monthly basis.  If there is any sign of a leak, have the lines replaced and the entire system inspected by a qualified mechanic as soon as possible.

A hard-working engine manifold can get as hot as 900 degrees F.  The heavy insulation in the compartment reflects the heat back to the top of the engine, and a fire can easily break out.  Inspect your radiator and have any problems repaired by a qualified person as soon as possible.

RV Engine Fire

Grease, oil, and road dust build up on the engine and transmission, making them run hotter.  The grime itself usually doesn’t burn, but if combined with a fuel leak or short-circuited wire, a fire could start.  Keep your coach’s underpinnings clean, and it will run cooler, more economically, and longer.

Be sure you have the latest update for your Norcold or Dometic refrigerator! You need to have the latest high temperature cut off switch installed.  You can go to the manufacturer site to verify if your upgrade has been installed. Also, be sure you have good ventilation through the outside vents.  12-volt cooling fans can be installed to help the unit run more efficiently.

A dragging brake can create enough friction to ignite a tire or brake fluid. Some of the worst fires are those caused when one tire of a dual or tandem pair goes flat, scuffs, and ignites long before the driver feels any change in handling.  At each stop, give tires at least an eyeball check.  When tires are cool, tap your duals with a club and listen for a difference in sound from one tire to the next.  You can often tell if one is going soft.

RV Fire Causes: Trailer Brakes Rub and Start a Fire!

Driving with propane on can add to the danger if you are involved in an accident or have a fire.  Most refrigerators will keep food cold or frozen for eight hours without running while you travel.  Shut the propane off at the tank.

If you store your coach, be sure to check the flue before starting your refrigerator on propane.  Birds and insects can build nests and clog the flue, causing a fire or excess carbon monoxide to enter your coach.

Batteries produce explosive gasses.  Keep flame, cigarettes, and sparks away.  Be sure your battery compartment is properly vented.  Keep vent caps tight and level. Check your battery monthly.  Replace swollen batteries immediately. Use extreme care when handling batteries, they can explode.

Have any wiring in your coach done by a capable electrician, and use common sense in using any electrical aid.  Check all 12-volt connections before and after every trip.  Most coach fires are caused by a 12-volt short.

Be sure to be using an electrical management system for your RV!  Never plug your shore power cord into an RV park pedestal without knowing if the electricity you are receiving is what your RV needs.  You must check out this post for more information on this!

Gasoline and propane can pose an immediate, explosive danger.  Though diesel fuel is less volatile, it dissipates more slowly, so it remains a danger longer.  Deal at once with any leaks or spills, and use all fuels in an adequately vented area.

Even if the flame on your galley stove goes out, gas continues to flow and could result in an explosion.  A stove should never be left unattended or used to heat your coach.  Open propane flames release high levels of carbon monoxide.

In a compact galley, all combustibles, from paper towels to curtains, are apt to be closer to the stove, so use even more caution in your coach than you do at home.  A box of baking soda, the ingredient in powder extinguishers, can be used in lieu of a fire extinguisher for minor galley flare-ups.

Develop a plan of action before a fire occurs.

It can happen anywhere!

Make sure all travelers know what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear it.  Test your smoke detector regularly.

Have at least two escape routes: one in the front and one in the rear of the coach.  As soon as they’re old enough, teach children to open hatches and emergency exits.

Review with everyone the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” rule so they know what to do when clothing is on fire.

Make sure visitors can open the front door.  Not all manufacturers use the same lock and latch assembly.

Choose a rallying point where everyone will meet immediately after escaping, so everyone can be accounted for.

Show travelers how to unhook electricity (screw-on cords can be tricky) and how to close propane valves, in case either of these measures is called for.

Practice unhooking your tow vehicle as quickly as possible to avoid spreading the fire to other vehicles.

Re-emphasize to everyone aboard that objects can be replaced, people can’t.  Never stay behind or re-enter a burning coach to retrieve anything.

There are plenty of fire and life safety tools that can save lives, but for them to be effective, they must be in working condition and you must know how to use them properly.

You should have three fire extinguishers for your coach, one in the galley, one in the bedroom, and one outside of the coach in an unlocked compartment or in your tow vehicle.  Make sure family members know how to use the extinguishers and understand which extinguishers are effective on various fires.

During your monthly inspection, check the fire extinguisher gauge to determine if there is pressure in the extinguisher.  If the gauge indicates empty or needs charging, replace or recharge the extinguisher immediately. To test non-gauged extinguishers, push the plunger indicator (usually green or black) down.  If it does not come back up, the extinguisher has no pressure to expel its contents.  If you need help testing your fire extinguishers, check with your local fire department.

Do not pull the pin and expel the contents to test your powder extinguisher. If you use a portion of the powder extinguisher, have it refilled or replaced immediately.  When you have a fire extinguisher refilled, ask to shoot off the charge first (most refill stations have a special place where this can be done safely). This lets you see how far it shoots and how long a charge lasts.

Invert and shake your dry-powder or dry-chemical extinguisher monthly to loosen the powder.  The jarring of the coach does not loosen the powder; in fact, it packs the powder, which may make your extinguisher ineffective.

Deadly, invisible, odorless CO usually results from exhaust leaks or misuse of heating devices.  Be sure to put your CO detector in the bedroom.  The proper location is on the ceiling or an inside wall, at least eight inches from the ceiling and at least four feet from the floor.

Liquid petroleum gas, like gasoline fumes, tends to pool in low spots in the coach until a spark sets it off.  Newer motorhomes are equipped with an automatic shut-off for when its sensor detects an LPG leak.  If you have a leak, be sure to shut the propane off at the tank.

The first rule of RV firefighting is to save lives first and property second. Get yourself and your family to safety before attempting to extinguish a fire. Only if you can do so without endangering yourself or others should you use firefighting aids on that are on hand.

Get help.  Adults and older children should know how to dial 911 or 0, and how to get emergency help on any CB, VHF, or ham radio available.

It’s crucial to know your location so firefighters can find you.

If you have a quick-disconnect fitting on your water hookup, these hoses can be unhooked instantly to fight a fire.  If a nearby coach is burning and you cannot move your coach but can safely stay close enough to keep it hosed down, you may be able to save it.

Thanks to Mac McCoy for this information!  He has served 33 years in the fire service.  Mac has taught civilians, military, firefighters and law enforcement firefighting skills and techniques in the United States and abroad.

Here’s wishing you happy and safe travels!!
Howard and Pam