RV Life and Travel E-zine

Updated 7/27/02

RV Life and Travel: Life As We Live It...

...on the road with Bob and Coleen.

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RV Life and Travel E-zine #31 July 27, 2002
Life As We Live It ... on the road with Coleen and Bob
Publisher, Coleen Sykora
Email: mailto:csykora@workersonwheels.com
Workers On Wheels - http://www.workersonwheels.com
RV Life and Travel – http://www.rvlifeandtravel.net

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THIS AND THAT

Our location: Wasilla, Alaska

Campground membership clubs. Are they worth it? If you pay hundreds, or thousands, of dollars for a home park membership, and then pay maintenance dues each year besides, you have to use the system parks a lot to come out ahead on the deal. Most people don’t. But, if you can join a membership system for less than a hundred bucks, especially one that doesn’t require you to buy coupons you may never use, you really can save a chunk on your overnight parking fees. We’ve found two clubs that make it easy for you to save. Find out more in the articles below or on the Workers On Wheels website. http://www.workersonwheels.com/general/parks.html

Where should we winter update: Some of the suggestions you’ve made include the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, northern Georgia, the Pacific Northwest, another winter in Alaska, anywhere along the east coast, and the Quartzsite, Arizona area. Surprisingly, the area receiving the most votes so far is Canada. Email me your suggestions. mailto:csykora@workersonwheels.com

Computer viruses are running wild. We want to reassure you that we are not sending out solo advertising or blank emails with attachments. If you receive HTML emails (with fancy print, colors, graphics, etc.) they are not coming from us, even though they may appear to be. We respect our subscribers and we will neither send you spam nor sell your email address.

If you enjoy this newsletter, share it with your friends. We welcome new subscribers.

Wherever you are in your travels -- joy and prosperity,

Coleen

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WOW SPECIALS -- Free Campgrounds! Even better than $10.00 a night or half-price campgrounds are free campgrounds. Nick Russell has a list of over 500 of them that he normally sells for $8.95. But, Nick’s a little crazy! He’s offering you the list FREE with any new two year subscription to the Gypsy Journal, his newspaper for and about RVing. http://www.workersonwheels.com/specials.html

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TERMINATION DUST ON MOUNT BALDY

Breakfast talk at the local cafe this morning is about the fresh termination dust on Mount Baldy. This first snow indicates the end of summer.

We’ve needed to close the trailer windows the past few nights. It gets too chilly before morning if we don’t.

Bob bought a wool sweater earlier this week. It was a thrift store bargain at $1.49. We thought it would be well worth it if we end up staying here, or somewhere else that it’s cold, this winter. He didn’t need to wait long to use it. He wore it to breakfast this morning.

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CUT YOUR RV PARKING COSTS IN HALF

Campgrounds and RV parks across the USA have empty campsites each night. They don't like that. They are willing to let you use those sites for half price. Take advantage of this and save 50% on your camping and RVing fees.

I read on an RVing forum recently that there was no such thing as cheap RVing. Nonsense!

With the half price camping discount, you can stay at many campgrounds and RV parks for less than you'd think, sometimes only a few dollars. Over 700 parks offer the discount to frugal RVers and happy campers.

How do you find them?

You join the Happy Camper ½ Price Camping Club.

You buy a subscription to the club for $49.95. They send you a discount card and membership directory that lists the participating campgrounds. The directory lists park amenities, any club restrictions, pet policies, park contact information, and the rates. You can then stay at any of the member parks and pay only half their regular price. Your subscription is good for one year. You can use your discount card as often as you like -- stay at half-price campgrounds every night if you want.

You don't buy an expensive home park membership. You don't pay hundreds of dollars a year for annual maintenance fees. You don't have to sign a contract. And, you don't have to mess around with coupons.

We've stayed at some of the member parks and they are nice parks. Some are five star resorts. Some are family campgrounds. They are located across the USA, including several in Alaska, and there are some in Canada and Mexico, too.

You can see a list of the participating campgrounds, and join the club, on the Workers On Wheels website. http://www.workersonwheels.com/general/happy_camper_club_parks.html

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WEBSITE FEATURE ARTICLE -- The current feature article is the first chapter of full-time RVer Jaimie Hall’s book, Support Your RV Lifestyle: An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road. Here’s your chance to find out for yourself why the working while RVing community is abuzz about this new RVing book. http://www.workersonwheels.com/working/feature_article1.html

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FREE WORKING RVER NEWSLETTER

Want to know more about earning a living while enjoying full-time RVing? Subscribe to our other FREE e-zine, Workers On Wheels. Subscribe by sending a bland email to mailto:workersonwheels-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com

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ANOTHER WAY TO SAVE MONEY ON RV PARK COSTS

It's a simple concept that can save you hundreds of dollars a year on your campground and RV site costs. You stay at a member park and you pay $10.00/night.

No coupons. No special payment cards. No large investment requiring contracts. No annual maintenance dues for a home park. No worrying about how close you are from one park to the other -- your membership is good at all parks in the system.

At Recreation USA Camping Club member parks, you pay a flat rate of $10.00 per night for a standard site. You don't need to wonder about their rack rates and you don't need to belong to another club to get the discount. There's no confusion over current rates, which payment coupon to use, or which club's discount will get you the better deal.

The $10.00 per night is for a park's standard site. Usually, that includes water, sewer, and electric hook-ups. If the park offers premium services for additional fees, you can choose whether or not to buy those extras.

Campgrounds in the system do not have blackout dates for Recreation USA members. If the campground has unused sites, you will get one. Each park determines the number of nights you may stay and many have no limit.

You do not need to stay a minimum number of nights at the regular rates to receive a discount rate.

You can use the discount card every night, for as long as your membership is active. The club now has nearly 300 parks, located in 42 states.

You join the club in six-month or one-year increments. You renew your club membership if and whenever you choose. A unique thing about this club is that you can choose which six month period you want your club membership to be active. You select a start date and stop date to coincide with your RVing style. Even with the one-year membership, you can split it and have an inactive period during the months you don't camp or RV.

If you only use campgrounds during the summer months, for instance, you might have your membership run from May through October of this year and then the second six months run from May through October of next year. Or, if you are a snowbird, you might want it to run from November through April of this year and then again from November through April of next year. This is especially handy for Alaskan's or Canadian's who spend winters RVing in the southern USA. With the split year, you get the advantage of the lower price for the full-year membership, but you don't pay for season you aren't using it.

When you join, you receive a membership campground directory and a member discount card. The directory has information about the parks' amenities, driving directions, and policies.

Join through us and save $10.00 on your one-year membership fee! That's like getting your first night free! Remember, you can split that into two six-month periods if you like.

You can see the list of participating parks, and join the club, on the Workers On Wheels website. http://www.workersonwheels.com/general/rec_usa_ten_dollars_camps.html

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ALASKA TRIVIA

Mt. McKinley weighs 1.4 trillion tons -- without the snow.

Anchorage had near record temperatures earlier this month. On July 17, the thermometer officially hit 73 degrees. One degree warmer and it would have tied for the official high.

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FRUGAL RVING TIP

You may get a reduced price simply by asking for it. Consider these examples from the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry: The gift shop manager says she gives a 10% discount to anyone who asks for it. Students received $3.00 off the regular admission fee, regardless of age. However, it is up to you to let the cashier know you are going to school. No group rate is posted, but visitors coming as part of a group, and who ask for a group discount, pay less than half the regular adult rate.

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RV LIFE AND TRAVEL

We’d appreciate it if you’d forward this newsletter to your RVing friends. We welcome new subscribers. To subscribe, FREE, send a blank email to
mailto:rvlifeandtravel-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com

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QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS…AND MY ANSWERS

ULU?

~~ Victoria asks:
What is a ulu?

~~ Coleen replies:
A ulu is a specially shaped knife or cutting tool, popular in Alaska. It has a curved blade, to fit in a bowl. You use it in a rocking motion. To help visualize what it looks like, think of a slice of pie. The wide, rounded side of the pie wedge is the blade. Continuing this visualization, cut the pointed tip off the slice of pie. Then, add a handle, about the same length as the blade is wide, centered where the point was. On mass produced ulus, the handles are usually made of wood. Handmade ulus often have bone handles.

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HELP FOR NEW RVERS

How to Get a Life Living Full-time in a Recreational Vehicle! Find out what it’s really like to be a full-time RVer. Includes a step-by-step action plan for starting today.
http://www.dreamjobstogo.com/titles/dltg0005.html?10716

Learn the ins and outs of RVing with these videos: Easy RVing. Top 40 RV Camping Tips. Budget RV Travel. Discover America By RV. Available at: http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=4146&U=34537&M=1534

The ABCs of RVing -- Answers to more than 160 questions that new RVers ask. This e-book provides RV newbies a jump-start on learning what you need to know to enjoy RV travels more! http://hop.clickbank.net/?wowrvers/rvbooks

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND WORDS OF WISDOM FROM OUR READERS

SMALL RV HAS LAUNDRY CHUTE AND HOBBY WORKSTATIONS

~~ Marj writes:
Thanks so much for telling people that they don't need a designed for full-timing model to full-time. After years of tent camping we bought a 24 foot fifth-wheel. It, too, is an entry-level model. We thought we would keep it for a while and move up to something bigger for full-timing. However, we have personalized in it so many ways that when we leave our apartment it will be our only home.

We lived in and worked on it for about four months last year. We added solar and a catalytic heater. We also put in some energy-efficient lights. However, my favorite addition is the laundry chute we built in a storage compartment. I think anyone who has dealt with dirty clothes while tent camping would appreciate my inside/outside access laundry chute.

This summer we plan two more remodeling projects, replacing the dinette with a freestanding table my husband can use for his carving work. We're also going to add some shelves for the computer and printer I use for the crossword puzzles I construct and sell. Both of our jobs are hobbies, but they do help our budget. My husband makes almost all of the gifts we give, and I get a little income from selling the puzzles.

I sometimes wonder if some of the retired people we meet have to work to pay for their expensive rigs. Although we are retired (my husband is 61 and I'm 59), we have to budget carefully because we have two children in college (we were "more mature" parents), and we don't care to work at jobs we don't like.

Please continue to let people know that bigger is not necessarily better.

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ELECTRIC SCOOTERS

~~ Russell writes:
Tell the lady looking for a scooter to go to http://www.toys4rvs.com. Let her know that picture is of the old style, but I can get her a picture of the current style. The retail price is $459.00, plus shipping, which is around $30.00 to most places.

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GREAT READS FOR RVERS

You don’t need to pay high prices for popular RVing and camping magazines. Those renewal notices you get in the mail are probably not the best deal. You can save by using the links on our website. Trailer Life is only $12.97 for a full year. http://www.workersonwheels.com/general/publications.html

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HELP FOR VETERAN AND NEW RVERS

Join the largest RV owner’s club. Join the Good Sam Club.
http://www.qksrv.net/click-614548-2948070

The Dummy's Guide to Buying a Pre-Loved RV. How to inspect and evaluate a used RV. Written by a working, certified RV technician. Free download! http://hop.clickbank.net/?wowrvers/pac113

Free Campgrounds of the West -- More than just a listing of free places to camp or park overnight, this guide gives you the inside scoop to save you hundreds of dollars. Boondocking and sites with utility hook-ups! http://hop.clickbank.net/?wowrvers/rvbooks

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

People inflict misery on themselves by devaluing their ideas, work, and opinions. -- Barbara J. Winter

The greatest discovery of my generation it that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind. -- William James

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An alternative to volunteer work camping. Working RVers earn money while RVing.