May 16th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of thefuntimesguide.com. Depending on where you choose to take your next Alabama RV excursion, there is a chance you will face certain types of terrains and “road blocks” that you will want to be prepared for. Driving a vehicle uphill can sometimes be tricky, and that is especially true for anyone who is making the incline in their travel trailer, fifth wheel or RV. In order to safely and correctly tackle driving up steep hills and inclines, The Fun Times Guide has provided RV drivers with the following driving tips.
- When driving up a stretch of road that is a long incline, your RV should be operated within its power band. The power band is a span of engine RPMs where you have the maximum horsepower available to be able to handle the extra load it is forced to carry when climbing uphill.
- The power band in a diesel engine is usually a narrow band of RPMs. If you operate your RV within the assigned power band, you will have a good amount of pulling power. If you fall below that RPM, and it will do you no good to push harder on the throttle and you’ll get black smoke coming out of the exhaust.
- In order to stay within the power band, you must downshift to a lower gear, and you may even be required to let off the throttle a bit so the engine can work more comfortably. Be mindful of overheating and do not push too hard to create too much heat.
- The main thing to remember when driving up steep inclines is to adjust your gearing accordingly in order to remain in the comfortable RPM range that your engine requires.
- Just because the speed limit sign says a certain speed, driving an RV uphill may require a lesser speed. If you should need to, slow down your RV and downshift accordingly.
For more information regarding the proper and safe way to drive your RV uphill, come speak with an expert today at Madison RV.
May 14th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of calgarydrivingcourse.com. No matter what time of the year, what location you are in or even what time of the day, there is a chance of encountering a number of different types of weather conditions that can potentially pose a threat or create a challenge for safely maneuvering your Alabama recreational vehicle. One seemingly harmless weather condition that can actually be quite dangerous for driving in is foggy conditions. Fog can reduce a driver’s visibility to 1/4 of a mile or less, creating hazardous driving conditions. If you simply cannot postpone your road trip until the dense fog lifts (which is usually by late morning or the afternoon) The Weather Channel has provided you with the following tips.
- Drive with lights on low beam. High beams will only be reflected back off the fog and actually impair visibility even more.
- Reduce your speed — and watch your speedometer. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion when you may actually be speeding.
- Listen for traffic you cannot see. Open your window a little, to hear better.
- Use wipers and defrosters as necessary for maximum visibility.
- Use the right edge of the road or painted road markings as a guide.
- Be patient. Do not pass lines of traffic.
- Do not stop on a freeway or heavily traveled road. If your car stalls or becomes disabled, turn your vehicle’s lights off, and take your foot off of the brake pedal. People tend to follow tail lights when driving in fog. Move away from the vehicle to avoid injury.
Knowing how to act and react in any and every type of weather condition makes for a safe and responsible RV owner. For more information visit the Madison RV Supercenter.
May 11th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of wxedge.com If your RV has been sitting in storage and has not been driven for a period of time, you will definitely need to pay close attention to certain components. Checking each component before heading off in your Alabama recreational vehicle is essential to your safety. It may seem tedious, but it is necessary to always give your RV’s major components a once over occasionally, especially if you frequently use your rig. The following checklist, provided by newrver.com, will help you to remember which components to check and what to look for.
Tires – check for wear and proper inflation.
Propane – you can check your lines for any leaks by spraying them with soapy water. If you notice any bubbles or actually smell gas, shut off the gas at the tank immediately.
Electricity – try not to overload your electrical system. You may have a 30- or 50-amp system and think you are well equipped, but using your air conditioner, microwave other appliances at the same time in your rig could trip a fuse.
Lights – Check all of your rig’s lights – including your running lights, headlights, taillights and turn signals.
Roof – It is recommended that you inspect your roof at least every 6 months and caulk where needed. This applies to your vents, air conditioner, satellite dish and antenna.
Smoke, CO and LP Detectors – Perform tests on them and inspect them. Remember to replace their batteries at least every 6 months.
Closets, Nooks and Crannies – Be sure to inspect them for damage from mice and insects. Mice can chew through electrical wiring, insulation and walls. Spiders love propane and will build almost impenetrable webs inside the water heater tube.
Batteries – Inspect your open and closed cell batteries. If you have open cell batteries, inspect and refill them with distilled water. If they are closed cell batteries you should inspect them anyway. If they are old you should replace them immediately.
If you would like additional information or need help inspecting these or other important components in your Alabama RV, stop by Madison RV today for help.
May 9th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of theamericanriver.com We have all heard the phrase “turn around, don’t drown.” This is an extremely important motto to know and practice when driving your Alabama recreational vehicle and faced with flooding conditions. In order to know what to do and how to react in such an event, The Weather Channel has provided drivers with important flood safety information that we all should take close note of.
10 Things to Know about Flood Safety
- Flooding can occur as streams and rivers overflow their banks, when dams or levees break, with run-off from deep snow cover, or any time there is rainfall with significant duration and intensity.
- Keep these facts in mind to stay alive and dry.
- Flash floods can come rapidly and unexpectedly. They can occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall, or when a dam or levee fails and even a sudden release of water held by an ice or debris jam. Be cautious during storm seasons, or any time that flooding is common in your area.
- You may not have warning that a flash flood is approaching.
- Do not drive unless absolutely necessary.
- Do not drive through flooded areas. If you see a flooded-out road ahead, turn around. Find another route to your destination.
- If there is no other route, get to higher ground and wait for the waters to subside.
- Even if the water appears shallow enough to cross, don’t try it. Water hides dips in the road. Worse yet, there may be no road at all under the water. Flooding can scour away the entire road surface and a significant amount of ground beneath.
- If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground.
- Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control or possible stalling.
- One foot of water will float almost many vehicles.
- Two feet of rushing water can sweep away most vehicles — including SUVs and pick-ups.
For more information about safely driving your RV in flood conditions, don’t hesitate to drop by Madison RV for expert advice. A knowledgeable driver is a safe driver.
May 9th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of ehow.com. As the spring season is upon us, we have noticed the weather has started to feel warmer and the sun is starting to feel hotter. Especially during the summer months, the hot weather can make the inside of your Alabama recreational vehicle feel really hot when it is not turned on and the AC isn’t running. Even when the temperature outside is a mild 80 degrees, the inside of your RV can rise to over 100 degrees in only a half hour! Sometimes the best way to try and beat the heat is by parking your RV underneath a shaded area provided by trees. The only problem with parking under wooded areas is your RV could become covered in sticky and relentless tree sap in a fairly small amount of time. If this problem should occur, you will want to address the sappy mess quickly in order to make cleaning it off easier. Normal washing techniques and typical car wash products just won’t do the trick however. In order to avoid scrubbing for hours on end and seeing little to no results, check out the following tips provided by eHow that will help you to easily remove tree sap from your RV.
- Try buffing the the sap off with a lint free towel. If you are not seeing results, put lard on the affected area, and buff with your cloth. Bacon grease is a viable alternative to the lard.
- Wetting a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and gently rubbing the sap can be effective. Do not allow the alcohol to dry on the paint, and rinse thoroughly with water when the stain is gone.
- For a natural approach, make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply the paste to the sap and gently rub with a cloth, or use a buffing pad designed for automobiles.
- Mayonnaise applied to the sticky area and allowed to sit for several minutes before wiping may help remove the stain. Do not allow the mayonnaise to dry, and rinse the area thoroughly with water after the sap is removed.
- With all of these methods, wear gloves, protect your eyes with safety glasses.
Know of any other suggestions to zap the sap on your recreational vehicle? Tell us about them at Madison RV!
May 7th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of cargogear.com. Finding enough places to store your personal belongings inside your Alabama RV can sometimes be a challenge. In order to keep from tripping over your things that have been strewn out on every counter space or corner on the floor, it is time to get creative and become more organized in order to maximize your RV interior storage space. The following tips, provided by eHow.com, will help you do just that.
Driver Racks
You want to make sure that the area around the driver is free from clutter in order to be safe. In order to store the items your driver made need, build small racks that fit onto the sun visor overhead or fit on the wall of the RV beneath the driver’s window. Small storage units can usually be fitted into an RV around the driver’s seat without taking up too much space. Items such as sunglasses, maps, a drink and any other necessities should be within easy reach for the driver.
Rooftop Case
Rooftop cases are ideal for the bulkier items that you won’t need to get into until you reach your destination like sporting equipment, folding lawn chairs and even small folding bicycles.. You can purchase a case, made of a strong rigid plastic, or make one yourself out of plywood, and securely attach to the roof of your rig. Most of them are made with a waterproof rubber gasket so the contents are protected from water and rain when you’re driving.
Under the Bed
Just as you do in your home, utilizing the space under the bed in your RV is a great place to keep things out of the way of any traffic flow. Under the bed is an ideal place for storing extra blankets and pillows, personal items such as books and magazines, and even extra food that won’t fit into the RV’s small kitchen storage spaces. In order to keep these things from moving around while driving, you can always purchase a plastic storage case that is shallow enough to fit specifically underneath a bed.
Under the Kitchen Sink
Unfortunately, most RVs are equipped with small kitchens that give less storage space than what you would find in your home. Just as you would in your home however, your RV likely has a cabinet under the sink to be used as storage for things like cleaning supplies, bottled water other items that can be easily accessed.
For more information on getting the maximum space for storage in your RV or if you have other ingenious ideas that you have found help make storage more manageable on your rig, let us know here at our Madison RV Dealership.
May 4th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of newhouserv.com. An obvious issue many of us have experienced in our Alabama recreational vehicles is the amount of space, or lack thereof, our rigs provide us. If you RV with a family of four or more, sleeping arrangements can sometimes become too close for comfort. In order to utilize the space given in your RV, but to still create a functional place to lay your head, USAToday has provided you tips for creating a sofa bed and how to use it in multiple ways.
Create Privacy
You can turn a sofa bed that extends from side wall to side wall at one end of the coach into a cozy little space ideal for curling up with a good book, catching a catnap or providing some privacy for overnight guests. Extend an expandable shower curtain rod between the RV’s two side walls and just in front of the sofa when it’s in bed mode, then hang a curtain that complements your decor. Ready-made curtains, a fabric shower curtain, or even a sheet equipped with cafe-curtain rings will work; pull it closed and relax in solitude.
Netted Play Area
It can be a challenge to find a comfortable spot in a relatively small RV where young campers can play and rest, away from foot traffic. When the sofa bed is built into one end of the RV, you can install anchors in the side walls and to the underside of the folded out bed, then hang a trampoline net across the space. For anchors, removable picture hangers go up easily and don’t leave a hole when the play area is no longer needed. Under your watchful eye, child and toys can remain separate from the commotion. For safety, use only netting with openings 16 inches or smaller, and do not leave children unattended.
Double Chaise
In a perfect world, RV sofa beds would be comfortable for sitting and for sleeping. In reality, a comfy sleeper can be a hardship on your bones when it’s in sitting mode. If floor space and your RV’s floor plan permit, consider turning the piece into a full-time double chaise. Remove the sofa’s arms, lay the bed out flat, cover the mattress with color-coordinated upholstery fabric, add plenty of pillows for your back and elbows, then put your feet up while you watch TV or read.
For more information about RV sofa beds or to see if your rig is right for one, stop by Madison RV today for advice.
May 2nd, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of flickr.com Whenever we are in our Alabama RVs, there are certain manners and proper etiquette we should keep in mind and live by in order to be neighborly and not disrupt anyone else’s RV experience. Whether we visit state parks, national parks, local campgrounds or even a boondokcing location like a Wal-Mart, we hope that the people are considerate of others and their surroundings and in turn we need to be mindful of those around us as well. The following list of RV etiquette, provided by rv-adventuring.com, will help us to keep in mind the proper way to behave in order to ensure an enjoyable experience for all.
- Avoid walking through occupied campsites.
- Be considerate with the noise level of your stereo, TV, parties, etc.
- Adhere to the “quiet hours” posted in state and national parks – do not run your generator during those times.
- Keep your children from running wild through the parks.
- Make sure your rig is not encroaching on another campsite, and your dinghy is in its assigned space, not sticking out into the public way.
- Observe posted speed limits.
- Take care of your pets – pick up their poop, and do not leave your dog/s barking unattended either in or out of your rig.
- Have properly working fittings for your hose so it does not constantly leak.
- Do not litter. That means paper, trash, clothes lines on trees, kids’ toys lying about, etc. No one likes living in a messy area.
- It is good RV etiquette to clean up after yourself in public restrooms.
- Be courteous at check-in. If others are waiting in line, do not tie up the check-in person asking questions that could easily be handled later.
- Check out when you are supposed to, especially in a full park.
Following these RV etiquette tips are something we all should do. Visit our Huntsville RV Dealership today if you would like more information.
April 30th, 2012 -  Photo courtesy of campingtourist.com Now that we have begun to feel the weather warm up, we can already start to imagine the heat of the summer months ahead. The summer time is a great time of the year to enjoy camping and traveling in our Alabama RVs. Finding ways to stay cool in the hot days that come with this time is extremely important. The following helpful tips and tricks, provided by Newrver.com, will help you to keep cool in your RV during warmer weather.
- Park your rig in the shade whenever you are given the opportunity. Trees Forever, an Iowa based non-profit organization, found that on average the difference in temperatures between shady spots and open areas is 27.5 degrees.
- Make your own shade. Make use of your RV’s awning and angle it to get the maximum amount of shade on your rig. (This is only feasible however if you aren’t experiencing high winds.) Parking orientation is important too, for keeping cool. You want to expose the least amount of surface area in the sun so try to park with the rear or front end of your rig toward the south – this will likely be your best bet for less exposure.
- Inside the rig, always remember to keep the blinds closed. If you have curtains you should close them over the top of the blinds as well for additional ventilation.
- If you’re feeling inventive you can also try making your own insulation out of reflective bubble wrap (which is a roll of this plastic bubble wrap between layers of aluminum foil.) Cut it to fit the windows fully to keep out any light that will produce heat.
- Seal off the roof vents. If you’re running your air conditioning unit, you wouldn’t want them letting out the cool air anyway so always remember to close them.
- If you have a large rig and feel that one room or another is not getting enough cool air circulation from your AC unit, consider adding a window unit that you can put up and take down when needed.
- Circulating air from a fan is also a good investment for your RV in order to move the air around inside and catch a nice breeze in the heat of the day.
For more information about cooling down your RV including AC units, vent covers, awnings and more, stop in and speak with an expert at the Madison RV Super Center today.
April 27th, 2012 - It is always a wise thing to prepare your breakfast, lunch and dinner meals before you hit the road and head off to your favorite campgrounds in your Alabama RV. Planning quick and easy meals that require few uncomplicated ingredients is also something you want to be mindful of. The following recipe called Biscuit on a Stick, provided by About.com, has become a favorite breakfast item of mine as it is perfect for making right over your campfire and getting the kids involved in the cooking fun too. Recipe yields 2 – 5 servings.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
 Photo courtesy of mahalo.com Ingredients:
- 1 can of biscuits
- Butter
- Jam or Jelly
- 1 stick
Directions:
- Begin by rolling out a biscuit with your hands so that it becomes elongated and about one inch thick at the center.
- Wrap it tightly around the end of your stick and pinching it as you go to insure that it stays on the stick while cooking. Once you have finished wrapping the dough, the biscuit should take up about six inches of the stick.
- Heat over the campfire until golden brown.
- Let cool before sliding it off the stick. Then pour butter down the hole left by the stick along with your favorite jelly or jam and enjoy!
Another delicious camping and RV recipe that is easy to make and enjoyable to eat. Know of any other great recipes you’d like to share? Tell us about them at Madison RV – we’d love to give them a try too!
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About Me 
Hi, I am Colonel Arvie. When I am not spending my time exploring the outer reaches of space, I love to go RVing in my Madison RV. Of course, my adventures to infinity and beyond are always interesting, but nothing quite matches my RV adventures and experiences. This blog is a place for all RV enthusiasts to come together and learn from each other, as well as the industry experts at Madison RV. Here you’ll find a lot of information, education and some entertainment, so feel free to subscribe. If you have any questions, or comments, feel free to post them to the blog, or email me at rocketcityrving@gmail.com. |
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