Copyright Janet Groene 2024.
WHEN RV MAINTENANCE GOES WRONG
Copyright Janet Groene
The first law of medicine is Do No Harm. In many ways it’s the same with maintaining your RV.
If you do some or all of your own RV maintenance, here are things you should NOT do.
FAIL TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. I was about to use a popular cleaner on the
built-up residue around my RV faucets when I remembered to review the
directions on the label. I’d almost used it full strength, but it is supposed to be
mixed 50-50 with water! Some cleaners require long soaks. Others call
for a quick and thorough rinse.
USE THE WRONG TOOL. Put the wrong
screwdriver in the slot, force it, and you may strip the threads, break
the screw, break the tool or ream out the slot until no tool will work
any more. The right tool plus gently coaxing, sometimes with a
lubricant, is best.
RUSH THE JOB. Just as some recipes
require marinating in the fridge overnight, some lubricants and
protective coatings need to be left alone to bond, spread or penetrate.
Some products need to cure, harden or dry.
USE ABRASIVES TO
SAVE TIME. Woodworkers and jewelers know the value in using different
grades of grit. Start with the finest, least abrasive product possible
and get tougher only as necessary. Make sure the cleaning rag is clean
too. Built-up debris in the rag can also etch a surface.
Yes you CAN live the dream. I did. My book Living Aboard your RV, 4th edition, is based on ten wonderful years of full-time living on the go. Chapters go from choosing the rig to making a living on the go to easing out of the lifestyle when and if the time comes. In paperback or Kindle, http://amzn.to/29XFEkq
CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS;BAD NEWS
Will you be able to find RV sites in 2025 where YOU want to go? Has your favorite campground changed owners/policies/rates? Check here for late-breaking news by state or province. Do you have news (timely news, not reviews) to share? Email janetgroene@yahoo.com
These reports from local sources may be tentative or premature. It’s up to you to follow up.
* Sequest State Park, Castle Rock, Washington, will be closed September 15 through October for repairs. Then the park, campground and day use areas will be open through the winter. The nearby Mount St. Helens Visitor Center will be closed until next May. Contact Seaquest@parks.wa.gov, telephone (360) 644-5235
* The new campground in Lake Schafer State Park, Elma, Washington
has RV sites with water and electric, and there’s a dump station for $5 per use. The
park is on the Satsop River, where you can fish for steelhead, salmon
and cutthroat trout. Wade the shallows and float the river. Washington
state parks charge a $10/day or $30/year use fee. Contact
Schafer@parks.wa.gov or phone (360) 482-3852. Reservations:
https://washington.goingtocamp.com/
*Stay alert for new owners and possible changes at Warrior Creek RV Park in Bonham, Texas in the Texoma Region. Now for sale, the park has RV spots with full hook-ups plus a manager’s home, two rental apartments, laundry, showers and Wi-Fi throughout. Attractions in the area include the Sam Rayburn House & Library, the Texas & Pacific Depot, and the Fannin County Museum of History. The listing agent is Melissa Fox in Paris, Texas at (903) 517-3228
* Rock the Locks Music Festival in Umatilla, Oregon is scheduled for October 4-6 but the campground opens at 4 p.m. on October 3 and fun begins. See the long list of ticket and camping packages and camping rules at RockTheLocks.org/ This is dry camping but potable water will be available and showers will be stationed around the campground. Headliners providing nonstop music include Halestorm, Stone Temple Pilots, Sarah Moon and dozens more
* Still on track for a Grand Opening in Spring, 2025 is the Roundabout Oxford RV and Water Resort in Oxford, Mississippi. Cool, scenic hills set the scene for a luxurious resort with 150 RV sites, some of them buddy sites. The 2.5-acre water park will include a Lazy River, hot tub, beach and swimming pool. The park will also have five ponds, miniature golf, a fitness center, playgrounds, ball courts, a zipline and a yoga/zen pad. To stay updated go to https://www.roundaboutoxford.com/ and sign up for the free newsletter.
* A former KOA campground just outside Valentine, Nebraska has a new name and a new life along the Niobrara National Scenic River. Stays for $25 nightly are offered by the River Hideout Campground. For now facilities are on the skimpy side but there are water and electric hookups and a toilet. A new bathhouse is in the plans. Swim in the river, explore the 321-mile Cowboy Trail and pose for photo ops on the old railroad bridge over the river. (402) 389-0069.
The 10-acre Riverwood Inn and RV Park in in Delta, Colorado is doubling its RV pads and changing its name to the Riverwood Resort on the Gunnison. Here’s a chance to camp on the river only a half mile from Confluence Park. Call (970) 874-5787.
One of the campgrounds and a day use area in the Charles C. Stanton Park in Canyonville, Oregon will close on September 23 until May 24, 3025. The transformation will include new RV sites and utilities, an upgraded playground, new restrooms and showers, a pavilion, a new road layout and a zipline. Contact: https://douglascountyor.gov/Parks.
New to the KOA family this year is the Canandaigua/Rochester KOA Holiday in Farmington, New York. The activity-packed campground now has a Hunt’s Pizza and the popular the AOK Café is still here. New tables and chairs are around the swimming pool, the camp store is expanded and the Wi-Fi has been upgraded. If you camped here before it was a KOA, note that your credit card is no longer on file and should be re-entered. The camp closes October 31 and will reopen next May. For questions call 1-585-398-3582; reservations 1-800-562-0533.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE WHAT YOU MISSED IN PAST POSTS
No comments:
Post a Comment