Recently I received a call from my lifelong friend, Joe. We’ve shared a lot of adventures over the years, from fishing and camping to long-distance motorcycle trips. We also have a habit of calling each other whenever we’re working through a problem on one of our toys. This time, the subject was his toy hauler’s…
It is rare for an RV tire to blow out without causing some type of damage. Even a slow leak can eventually lead to tire failure, and when that happens, the flailing rubber and steel belts can do a surprising amount of damage in just a few seconds. Our recent blowout was no exception. Fortunately,…
It is amazing how quickly the miles add up on an RV. We bought our fifth wheel in January 2020, just before COVID changed everything. That first year we only managed one camping trip. Campgrounds were either closed or only accepting seasonal campers, so what was supposed to be a busy first season never happened….
Do Your Homework Before You Hit the Road One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the variety of questions posted in RV social media groups. They cover everything from basic maintenance and troubleshooting to campground recommendations and travel destinations. These groups can be an excellent source of information, but like anything on the…
Our First Black Tank Issue There are a few things about RVing that always stay in the back of my mind. Not enough to keep me awake at night, but enough that I pay close attention to maintenance. One of my biggest concerns is a tire blowout at highway speeds. I’ve had blowouts on a…
A New Tool for Preventive Maintenance One of the things I enjoy about following RV groups on social media is that every once in a while someone posts something that makes me stop and think, “I should be doing that.” That happened recently when someone discussed using a thermal imaging gun to inspect the electrical…
Finding RV Parts Shouldn’t Be This Difficult If you own an RV long enough, you’ll eventually need replacement parts. Things wear out. Things break. And while some parts may look simple, today’s RVs are surprisingly complex machines. As manufacturers add more technology and features, finding replacement parts should become easier—not harder. Recently, I lost one…
Sometimes the Simplest Thing Is the Problem We had an interesting morning while camping in Two Harbors. We had been set up for more than 24 hours, and everything had been working perfectly. Then, out of nowhere, the microwave beeped. I looked over, and the display was blank. It was dead. Being the curious type,…
Do Them. Every Time. Pre-trip inspections. Do them. Every time. We’re leaving today on what will probably be our longest trip yet with our fifth wheel—a two-week adventure through southern Minnesota and South Dakota. We’ve been looking forward to this trip for months. The first stop is a family gathering. Between Pat’s family and mine,…