Today we are talking about the value of a good camping directory. The one I’m talking about today is a Woodall’s directory however there are many good options out there.

In this directory, you can find everything from campground listings to repair shops listed by state and everything in between. If you’re traveling in an RV one of these directories is a valuable resource to have on board with you. You can use this to plan your next destination you know where you’ll be staying and know the AAA rating for a particular campground if that’s important to you. They also give you an idea of the price point of campgrounds and some of the amenities.

Having one of these camping directories with you will also provide information about the area you’ll be traveling in and some of the attractions and interesting places that you may want to visit. There are so many benefits to having one of these directories with you it would be hard to list them all. But knowing if the campground is Tripoli approved or not could be something important to you if you’re a AAA member because it may mean there are additional discounts at the beginning of each section for each state section it gives you some travel information about that particular area so you can kinda get an overview of what might be important to know.

Like I mentioned earlier one of the most important sections is a section that many of us will never look at but will be very helpful if needed and that is the service shop section if you find yourself in a position where you are broke down and need to find a place to repair your rig these books have a pretty good listing of service shops by state’s you can use this information to find the one that will work on your particular rig save you the time of driving all around in a cab, taxi or something like that or making phone calls endlessly just to find out you’ve made no progress, you can use this directory to get in touch with the people that typically work on RVs and campers.

Now I don’t recommend any particular one I’ve used a couple of different ones so that will be your choice there are several options out there I will put a couple of links here for you to head over to Amazon and see if one of these may be right for you.

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In today’s video on talking about the benefits of a trip tick from AAA. If you happen to be a AAA member you should definitely take advantage of a service they provide revolving around planning your road trip.

First of all, having a roadside service available to you I think is a fantastic idea but along with that, they provide so much more in this particular case with talking about the trip tick itself from AAA. If you stop into their office talk about your next vacation or road trip they will help design a root plan as well as areas to avoid and stuff to make sure you see along the way. This could include several Tour books as well they give you much more detailed information about certain areas that you will be traveling through some of the things that included in these books are campgrounds with ratings, of course, all the contact information you need as well as sightseeing and attractions in each area.

They also have a great section for advertisement revolving around vehicle repair so if you find yourself in the situation where you’re broke down and you need to get service you can refer to these books to find the closest one that’s right for you. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what these Tor books provide. On top of that, they’ll put together a small binder packet of your route and give you turn by turn instructions on a map in written form as well. If you happen to be going through a particularly difficult area or congested area they will provide a more detailed area map of those locations and again with instructions on what turns to make and where.

On top of that binder, they also provide full-size maps with your route highlighted and any special notes that need to be made to let you know you should refer back to the detailed guide. The bottom line is these are fantastic tools for traveling. I like to do a lot of my own research and planning however there are times it’s great to have this as a backup plan because it also helps you avoid construction areas. if you want to you can have it set up to avoid toll roads as much as possible as well as weight limits if you’re traveling in a large RV, and also help you avoid roads with low overhead restrictions.

In the end, of course, you’re responsible for your trip and to make the best of it but using these tools that are provided for you if you are a AAA member, I think is a must do at least once especially if you are heading into uncharted territory. Once again the whole idea is to be prepared plan for the worst hope for the best and have a good time. Another way you can be prepared of course is to download my free e-book and checklist to make sure you and your rig are ready for the road.

Another way to be prepared is to download my free ebook and checklist.

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In this video, I am doing a review of the surviveware biodegradable wet wipes. Now the company sent out many of these two different people to do a review on and a video of their choosing I just want to be upfront and clear it I was not part of that they did not send me this package I paid for myself and I was not part of the video contest that they hosted. Now, as far as the biodegradable wet wipes I think there is a great product. Many of the videos that I watched of people reviewing them and showing them in use were great but nobody talked about ways that you could use them in an RV to conserve on water while boom docking and personally I think that’s what they are fantastic for as well.

They are hypoallergenic and they don’t contain any perfume smell which to me is a plus they are even safe to use in delicate areas. Some other great features of this product are they are alcohol-free and they are pH to balanced which are two more great reasons why I like this product. they also took the time to include aloe vera in these wipes as well as vitamin E. All of that in a small package giving you just what you want to clean up when needed.

But at the end of the day, in my opinion, they are safe for you and safe for the environment. The package comes with 32 8 x 12 wipes so they are a nice size and a decent amount. This product is great to use after a long hike exercising bike riding anything like that without having to take a full on shower you can clean yourself up and feel refreshed. So the truth about surviveware wet wipes are in my opinion it’s a great product if you’re an RV and you like the boondocks and you trying to conserve water this is a fantastic product to help with that process is one more way that you can take care of what you need to take care of and still conserve water and help protect the environment.

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In today’s video, we are talking about the GPS and the paper Map methods of tracking and plotting your vacation. There are several options when it comes to GPS navigation system as far as brands and models tom-tom and Garmin are your two big ones that come to mind I’ll put a link to each of one of their models in this description if you are interested in checking them out.

While I think a GPS navigation system is super important and very very helpful it’s good to have a map on hand as well. The GPS is can help navigate through heavy traffic areas also where you have multiple turns it’s going to give you turn by turn instructions.

The downside is occasionally as we all know the GPS has been known to take you in the wrong direction or down a road that you were not planning on traveling. That’s why I always recommend having an updated paper map with you as well. It’s also a good idea to plot your course on that paper map before you even leave your home this way if you happen to have a past due with you they can be following along with the paper map as a backup in case you have problems with the GPS navigation system. With that said I cannot say enough good about GPS navigation systems because if you keep them up-to-date and your program in your route they will tell you ahead of time of upcoming turns and in some cases traffic conditions and roads you should avoid all of which a map will not do.

In order for you to get some of that information from a map, you have to actually read it and look at it where the GPS is gonna be talking to you along your route. The bottom line is I highly recommend having both of these with you but if I had to choose and could only take one I would prefer a paper map as long as it was a new updated copy there are several reasons for this one the batteries won’t die and as long as I read it correctly I will go down the right roads. Either way, I think they are both equally important and handy to have with you at all times when heading out on a trip to an area you may not have been before.

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Today, we will talk about some things that you can do to make your trip more enjoyable and number one on that list is to take it slow. The whole point of taken vacation and traveling is being able to enjoy the journey. So try not to rush things and make sure you leave time for unexpected points of interest that you may not have been aware of.

Another thing to consider when traveling in an RV is to get off the highway now again if you’re trying to get somewhere in a hurry the highways and byways are the places to be however if you’re trying to enjoy the journey and see the country than the back roads are where you want to spend your time just be careful and be aware of road postings and bridge hides in some of these small towns you may travel through. But there are so many unique things that you’ll never see in a brochure or travel agent office that’s tucked away in the little communities around this country so I highly encourage you to lease plan part of this into your trip and that’s traveling on small-town roads.

Another tip is while you are in these small communities take the time to talk to the locals they are the ones that know where things are and more often than not they are happy to help and lead you into the directions that you may never have gone and see things that you would not normally see.

Sometimes you just want to sit back and relax so for this I recommend is bringing some sort of small craft or some hobby that you like to do at the end of the day. When you finally wind down and you’re sitting around the campfire or inside the RV I find it much more enjoyable to do a craft or hobby that I would love to find time to do at home but I’m always so busy. So this is a great opportunity to do those crafts or hobbies that you wouldn’t normally take time to do and certainly better than watching TV while on vacation. These crafts or hobbies could be everything from reading a book to doing wood carving, search words, crossword puzzles, knitting anything like that.

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In today’s video, we are talking about six mistakes that a lot of new RVers make and number one is not keeping an eye on your gas gauge. When you’re traveling it’s easy to get carried up in the sites you see along the way and forget about some of the simple things however if you overlook the gas gauge you could end up in a situation where it’s too far to the next station this is especially important for traveling out West or in long stretches of road with no towns in between.

The next mistake a lot of new RVUs and travelers make is not having an updated paper map you can get these from free from AAA if you remember or at many if not all of the rest stop visitor centers located in each of the states. I’m a big fan of technology and using a GPS system however those things to fail so having an updated map is super important in my opinion.

Another big mistake new RVUs make when planning a trip is over packing our fear is going to get on the road and traveling and realize we forgot something that we need the reality is no matter how much or how little you pack your always going to forget something that’s why recommend getting my pre-trip checklists that will help with that issue. The bottom line takes time to put some thought and some of the stuff that you need and only bring the essentials the idea is to get away from all of the headaches of regular daily life and will be a little bit more simple on the road is no need for three sweatshirts and six pairs of shorts of course this does depend on the length of your trip but put some thought into it make sure it lines up with what your plans are.

Now with that being said another big mistake new RVUs make are not bringing at least some basic tools from minor repairs such as a screwdriver pair of pliers cutting pliers maybe some duct tape in a few essentials that could be used for minor repairs or little things along the way so have yourself at least a small set of hand tools you never know when you have to put a screw back into a window curtain or something like that remember they bounce and bang down the road so it’s common to have to make minor repairs here and there.

Now number five on the list is not something you may forget or overpack it’s a mindset and that is don’t forget to go with the flow things are going to go wrong you may get delayed may end up being D toward you may have a breakdown the point is take a step back take a deep breath and go with the flow these things are going to happen to make the best of it sometimes they lead you in a different direction and you end up seeing something you did not plan on and remember it’s all about getting away and relaxing and taking it easy don’t sweat the small stuff. Last but not least is to getting to do a walkaround of your RV camper or travel trailer or whatever you happen to be traveling in this should be done before you leave the house and any time you’re leaving and changing campgrounds, of course, it can be done in between as well but these are the important times when you leave the house you want to make sure the rig is ready to go and everything is still probably and we are leaving campgrounds it’s easy to forget something behind such as leveling blocks or forgetting to unplug your unit from the power source things like that to take the time and do a walk around. My pre-trip checklist and e-book will help with this at the top of this description you can download it for free so check that out to make sure you and your rig are ready for the road. Don’t forget to have fun and happy camping.

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Today, I am talking about some important reasons why you should always take the time to level your RV or camper. One reason is the comfort, and sleeping, there was a time that we pulled into a campground late at night did not take the time to make sure it was level and we had one of the most uncomfortable nights in an RV because we kept finding yourself sliding down to one side and readjusting all night. This made for a bad night sleep because will cause the founding herself crunched up to our legs bent and crooked.

Another important reason to take the time to level the travel trailer is for cooking it’s important to have the stove’s levels possible mainly for safety reasons if you have a pot of water or if you tried to cook things in a frying pan you don’t want the stuff sliding all to one side and cooking on even as well as causing a potential safety hazard.

A third reason to take that extra time to make sure your rake is level is the operation of your refrigerator, most refrigerators and RVs do not work at the same as a household refrigerator that is they do not have a compressor to pump the Freon around the system relies on more of a gravity was thermal process and for these units to work optimally and properly it is best if they are as level as they possibly can be.

Last but not least I would say is comfort itself if you are walking around your RV for a long period of time and it’s not level you’re gonna get aches and pains in muscles because you’re constantly trying to compensate for the angle of the floor that you are walking on.

There are probably many other reasons why you should consider taking the time to level your travel trailer but these are for important ones that make me think before I just park and set up quickly. I recommend picking up a couple of small stick on levels to put in a few spots on the inside and outside of your RV to aid in the process of setting up your travel trailer. I’ll also include a link to highly rated leveling blocks on Amazon as well. There are many options so do your research and get what’s best for you and your rig.

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Click here to visit Frugal Shunpikers Guides to RV Boondocking.

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You’re planning on heading out on a camping trip and you don’t own RV renting one is certainly a great option. If you are going to rent one you want to know the rules of the game in this video I talked to and let you know some of the top things I think you need to consider when renting an RV.

A lot of it has to do with the actual contract and making sure that everything is in black and white before you head out for example note any damage already on the RV when you go to rent it so you’re not responsible for something that was already there. Other things are like knowing what is included generator uses, for example, many times has a daily limit on how many hours it can be used if you go over this amount there are additional charges in some cases. All of which is fine as long as you are aware of these before you head out and have no surprises when you get back from your trip.

The whole point is to have a good time and to know the rules of renting an RV in this video will lay out some of that groundwork for you if you go to the rental place with a little bit of knowledge You be able to ask specific questions associated with renting an RV. While there are many more than seven things to know when you rent an RV this will give you the groundwork and also most likely trigger more questions for you to ask while at the rental agency.

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Today we are testing out another flavor or meal brought to you by mountain house foods. This particular one is the beef stew. We have tried many of these meals and all of them have been very good, they are simple to prepare all you need is water and a way to heat that water up. From start to finish you’re only talking approximately 10 minutes or so before you are sitting down to enjoy a nice hot meal. These meals are excellent for backpackers, RVers or somebody just traveling in a vehicle that wants to make a roadside stop and have a quick meal that they can bring with them.

Another great use for these meals is emergency preparedness, you may or may not subscribe to a lot of the things people claim a may or may not happen however it never hurts to be prepared. One thing is for sure we do have natural and weather-related disasters all the time where people are left in a situation it is more difficult to get or prepare meals and this is a fantastic way to help alleviate that situation for you and your family. Heaven mount house foods stored in your cabinet could mean the difference between going hungry or having a halfway decent meal until some sort of normal is restored.

These meals are easy to prepare as I said earlier just heat the water up poor in the pouch and zip it closed weight approximately four minutes open the pouch and stir the contents to make sure you have even distribution of the water and meal mix then reseal it for an additional four minutes. Times may vary by meals but in general this is the process once sure time is up you can open the packet and eat directly from the pouch or do as I did and pour into a couple of bowls to enjoy.

The bottom line is I highly recommend mountain house foods for camping traveling hiking backpacking tenting or just to have some emergency meals at home in case of a disaster.

Another way you can be prepared is to pick up my free e-book and pretrip checklist you can make sure you and your rig are ready to hit the road if you plan on going camping.

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