tbutler

So the problem is that your slide out motor will run in one direction but not in the other. There could be a problem with the switch or relay even if you hear it clicking. It could be a bad or broken contact or a loose wire. One way to test this would be to reverse the wires on the motor as this is basically what the relay does when you switch from out to in. If the motor runs out when you reverse the wires (set the switch on in because we know the in switch/relay is working) then the switch or relay would be at fault. If you can't get the motor to reverse to the out direction with the above, then it indicates some kind of problem with the motor. You could then take it to a shop or get a replacement.

Steve, Steve! Yuma, Arizona in August? That is why the motor home has wheels! lol Seriously, there are things you can do which will help your air conditioner. As Gary mentioned, parking in a site facing east might help. In summer I prefer to face north. I have good shade on the sides of the coach from awnings and slide out covers. The front window is the worst and the engine compartment in the rear is ventilated so that makes it the side of choice to face south. Being full timers, we have external solar screens for all our windows. If you are planning to be full time or are likely to be in hot places frequently, I would recommend doing something similar. A complete set of solar screens will cost less than a new air conditioning unit. My wife tells me she knows when I put the screens up because the temperature drops almost immediately inside. Even if you only purchase a set of solar screens for the driving windows (front and three side windows on most motor homes), you will gain greatly from them. Having reflective material inside the windows is better than nothing but you are allowing the heat of the sun inside and not all of it is reflected outside. That is why I prefer the external screens. Your question about generators is yes and no. The larger coaches with three air conditioning units have 10 or even 12 KW generators. Our unit has a 7.5 KW generator and that easily runs two 13.5 M BTU units plus other appliances. I would imagine an 8KW would run two of the largest AC's for RV's though I don't know that for sure. Regarding electric supply, 50A electric really supplies 2 legs of electric at 50A each. I consider 50A electric to be essential any time you need to run two air conditioners. The largest motor homes use 50A electric hook ups so that should run most anything. Each AC will pull somewhere in the neighborhood of 12A (with a higher amperage needed to start each unit) so both would be 24 amps plus any other electric you are using. Most 30A supplies will not provide a full 30A without dropping in voltage and that will damage your air conditioners especially if they are running full time. I have had 30A supplies that wouldn't run one air conditioner without a damaging drop in voltage. If you have been traveling, the engine compartment will be hot. After traveling on a hot day, I'll open the engine compartment to allow better ventilation and help it cool down faster. If we've been running the generator, I'll run the generator slide out to allow it to cool without adding heat to the motor home.

I have looked at these before and wondered if they perform as advertised. If you have these on your RV Brett, how about sharing your thoughts with us? For RV'ers, we may never recover the cost in fuel savings, we just don't drive the miles that truckers do. Do they really improve handling and prevent dirt accumulation on the rear of the vehicle as advertised? On my RV there are surface seams (1/2 inch above surface) near (about a foot) the rear edges on each side. How would they affect installation and performance? Would the Air tabs be installed in front of this obstruction or behind it? This seam also would make it near impossible to install these in a straight line. I did notice that they are available in clear as well as the white and black. As far as the appearance, I have never noticed them on a truck or RV. Am I just not seeing them or are they just not very common? If they are common, they couldn't be that ugly to me since I haven't seen even a single vehicle with them.

Thanks for asking such a great question. I'll be interested in the responses. I have used tankless water heaters at commercial locations and find them to work very well. There is the initial period (a matter of a few seconds) that it takes for the heater to switch on, triggered by the water flow. After that there is endless hot water. As long as the water runs the heater runs. These heaters would seem to be ideal for RV's as they also save weight. No more hauling around 10 gallons of water that you can't use except in an emergency. In terms of the space required, they may be difficult to fit into a confined space. The models I have seen are flat. I'm not sure they would fit where my 10 gallon water heater is. We will be facing replacement of our hot water heater in the not too distant future. I planned to investigate the various models available at that time and install one if possible to get them to fit. I think that they make models which are powered by gas or electric. I believe that choice is an either/or choice as these are currently manufactured for the home market. I haven't heard of a dual fuel model being developed. I would prefer gas but if not that, could certainly use an electric model. Manufacturers could install these and make plumbing simpler. They could put one under the kitchen sink or in the basement to feed a shower and washing machine and another under the bathroom sink to feed the sink and shower. They would only need a cold water pipe to feed each location saving running dual lines to each water use location. For the RV'er, this would have the advantage of not having to run water for a minute or so to get hot water from the tank to the faucet. It would reduce our water use. I think that tankless water heaters are more expensive than the usual home water heaters but I would guess they are similar to RV water heaters in cost.

A company called Rock Lizard 4x4, 2344 Butler Avenue, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-716-0738, rocklizard4x4@yahoo.com, produces a product called Tow Minder Fuse Replacement. It does everything that Wolfe10 describes, put it in place of the fuse and move the fuse to their circuitry then install the switch under your dashboard. Here's the catch. You don't indicate what the amperage of fuse #8 is. We have to remove 2 50A fuses and they do not have a product that will work with 50A fuses. I called them several times over a two year time frame and they said they were developing a product to do this but the last time I talked to them they said the trial product they had didn't work. I'm not sure where their development problem was. I'm supposed to be on their call list when they do get a working product for 50A fuses but haven't heard from them in a year and a half. If you call, ask about the 50A fuse replacement also and either way, let us know what you find out.

I'm surprised that the anemometer has been discontinued. I just got a replacement (my 4th) in May of this year. I had two broken by tree branches and two were broken by hail. I got mine from a local RV dealer who was able to order it for me from a company in Oregon. You might try another supplier. The anemometers are made by Somfy and they make anemometers for other applications, home awnings, etc. I tried a local Somfy dealer but they were unfamiliar with the RV market. You might try to contact the Somfy company headquarters to see if they are still making them or have any in stock somewhere in their distribution system. Another source might be to try RV salvage dealers. Wolfe10 just posted a listing of RV salvage dealers nationwide. Many of them will provide parts even if you aren't local and can't get to the dealer to pick up the parts. If or when you find a replacement, Lawler Specialties Inc., 7027 Highway 25, Montevallo, Alabama, 35115, 205-665-7914 makes a metal frame that fits around the anemometer without interfering with its function. I installed one in 2007 and the only damage since then was a hail storm which broke one this spring. At that point I purchased a vent cover for hot water heaters and put it on top of the Lawler frame like a hat. I'm hoping I won't have to replace another one.

We'd be less than truthful if we said we had no regrets after going full time. There may be the lucky few who miss nothing from their previous lifestyle but I suspect most of us have some lingering desire for some aspects of our previous life. From time to time there are possessions that I miss. A rock and fossil collection that my grandchildren would enjoy. My old easy to assemble telescope. My collection of topographic maps. An occasional book or other resource I used to have. Louise misses a home to decorate with art objects and memorabilia. We had many friends from our past but we can still visit with them several times a year which is about as often as we used to see them. Life used to be predictable and routine. We used to fit into a category. We lived in a sticks and bricks house and our circumstances took no explaining. Now we are the exception to everyone's experience. We move frequently, not every year or two, every month or two, frequently more often. We're recently involved in a variety of maintenance and repair projects. We won't be here forever so our time line for these actions is different than those used to dealing with sticks and bricks homes. The movie "The Money Pit" described a remodeling project that took forever. We don't have that luxury. Our remodeling has to happen this week and next week. We want to be gone the week following. The old axiom about a kitchen remodeling taking two weeks but no one said they would be 14 consecutive days hits home here. Amazing to me is the fact that even people who deal with, even make their money from RV'ers are quite unprepared to deal with full timers who are on the go. We have been without satellite service for almost two weeks now. Our dish suddenly quit working last week. As soon as we had a stable location we visited a local service center. Now, the end of the week, we have no answer. The tech who examined our KVH dish determined it was not a repair he could make. His inability to communicate with KVH technicians has locked the problem in repair purgatory. I called KVH today and waited 25 minutes to talk to a technical representative. He needs to talk to the local technician who analyzed our problem. The case dropped into another black hole. When will we get this dish fixed? Is anyone impressed by the quality of local broadcast HD TV? Yeah its a pretty picture when you can get it. I think it's the end of broadcast TV. Broadcast TV will become a vestigial remnant of the past. It is just a matter of time. We used to belong to that "normal" group of people who will be here today and here tomorrow. Now we are here today and gone tomorrow. Now when I need some repairs, I have to surrender my home to a repair shop. We'll have some painting done next week. On Tuesday we'll drive to the paint shop and they have promised the project will be finished on Friday. The refrigerator must be emptied and we have to shut down everything using electric to preserve the batteries. Everything of value should be secured or removed. Then we just have to hope and trust. It's a lot different than having a house where service people visit while you are there to supervise. Now you can't even get into the shop while they service your rig because of "insurance requirements." So you would guess that we're ready to give it up. No, I can't imagine another way to live. All these tribulations are temporary, given a week or two and they will be all but forgotten. We'll be down the road visiting other children and grandchildren. We'll be reading about snowstorms and cold weather and playing tennis and golf every week. So what is it that you regret after going full time? Share your thoughts.

Under the category: Technical:Engines look for a forum topic on Improving Fuel Mileage. I started this discussion quite a while ago and it has had many comments. Among them you will find many suggestions for improving fuel mileage beyond avoiding jackrabbit starts. These may help you improve your fuel mileage if you find no physical problems with your rig. Also, keep in mind that some people only have a rough idea of what fuel mileage they get. Your mileage will vary considerably based on a number of factors and some people, like fishermen, grab the best mileage they have ever had and tout that as their fuel mileage. I have a record of every gallon of fuel I have put in my RV, where and when it was added. In a spreadsheet I maintain this record and at each fill up calculate the fuel mileage for that tank of fuel. I am also able to calculate the cumulative fuel mileage for my motor home over the period of time I have owned it. That is a fuel mileage figure that is 100% certain. Few people are this obsessive about their fuel mileage! So I take most fuel mileage claims with a grain of salt.

I'm sure that the location within the coach affects how much vibration you get. Our unit is located just forward of the rear axle on a side wall facing the center line of the coach. When it goes into the spin cycle which doesn't last too long, we get a good bit of vibration and noise. We hardly notice it running at other times. Load balance will affect how any washer spin cycle shakes. An unbalanced load in a home washer will set it shaking violently. Experiment with your washer, a larger or smaller load may work better. Obviously, a single garment like a pair of jeans could put it off balance. With a side loading washer, you can't open the door and redistribute the garments around the tub so there isn't much you can do other than enjoy the ride!

Welcome mkminewine! I love the handle! Isn't it great to find something that works for you and still have the option to be able to pick up and go see other parts of the country. You made a good case for volunteering when you mentioned all the wonderful people you have met. I'm glad you found a way to make full timing work for you and thanks for sharing your experience with all of us.

I was sure those high temperatures must have been a gauge error. I'm amazed to find them to be correct readings. Our 400 ISL runs between 173 and 183 except on the hottest days and steepest long grades. I've never seen it above 200 either on the analog or digital gauge. We have the side radiator which I measure to be about 1100 square inches. Our charge air cooler and transmission cooler are all nested. I never take the transmission out of its automatic mode and use the economy mode routinely. Our rig weights in at 36,000 pounds with a 6000 pound toad. I wonder what the difference is in our set-up that makes such a difference in engine temperatures?

The rules say all pets must be on a leash but there goes someone with a pet roaming free. The owner is nearby but talking to someone and not paying attention to his animal while it takes a dump in the middle of the street. He walks off without even looking around. He has no idea what his pet has been doing. A family ties their dog out on their lot next to the campground restroom. The dog deposits piles on their lot and near the restroom but no one is watching or cleaning up immediately. Someone walks by on their way to the restroom and steps in a pile. The dog owners are never observed picking up any piles. Will the park owner have to clean up their lot when they leave? Or will the next RV'er who uses the lot be confronted with a mess and complain to the park owner? The neighbors have a dog that they tie out on a leash on their lot. The dog barks at everything. They don't stop the dog barking nor bring it in when it barks. This occurs early in the morning while the neighbors are still trying to sleep. A lady with two large dogs takes them out and lets them run free on common ground in a campground with leash rules. She carries no bag to pick up after them. Only after the park owners confront her does she make an attempt to pick up after them and then only after she takes the dogs back to their RV and then returns to find all the piles. I think not. A dog on a leash walks by and hikes a leg on car tires parked along the campground road. The owner waits patiently as if it is OK for their dog to do this. These are just a few of the things I have seen pet owners allow their pets to do. I'm sure park owners have seen this and much more. As a pet owner, your only defense is to be very aggressive about correcting other pet owners who are committing such offenses. If you don't, others are noticing and will complain. There goes your chance to return to that park with your pets a few years later. Don't let your pet be a nuisance and don't let other pet owners allow their pets to become a nuisance. It is incumbent upon all pet owners to police their ranks in order to preserve their ability to travel with pets. Don't say that the park owners should take care of this, that is the last thing you want to happen. I believe that one of the problems is that people who are new to RV'ing do not realize how much different this is with pets. At home they have a large yard, probably fenced, and their neighbors may be 100 feet or more away living in house which is relatively soundproofed. They don't have to worry about what their pet is doing every minute while it is outdoors. If they make a mess in the yard, they are the only people who have to deal with it. They know their neighbors and if one of them complains they take action to resolve the problem. Then they go to an RV park where the neighbors are 25 feet away in a vehicle that isn't soundproofed very well at all. The environment may be much quieter than the city or town environment so noises are more noticeable. There is no yard at all, the grounds all belong to the park. It may be their campsite for the week or the weekend but it doesn't belong to them. Things their pet does may not irritate them, but now they have neighbors, lots of them nearby. Every time their pet does something, it is seen by somebody, sometimes by many somebodies. A few of them will be irritated by most anything and many of them will be irritated by some actions of pets. Having a pet under these circumstances takes on a whole new dimension of responsibility that many people haven't considered.

Steve and Lynette, Yes, we attended the presentation on Newfoundland. The presentation was by a tour company and they heartily recommended the trip to Newfoundland. They offer a one week extension on their tour to Nova Scotia and the maritime provinces. They recommended taking the long ferry across to the eastern port, St. John's and then returning via the short ferry which departs from Channel-Port qux Basques. If you want to go to Labrador, they suggested a day trip from the NW coast ferry at St. Barbe with your toad. They did say the road from the SW to the NW port is marginal but can be traveled in a motor home. That is the area where all the Norse settlement sites are. One of their cautions was to schedule the long ferry so you arrive rested in the morning rather than arriving in the dark and having to find a place to park. They also emphasized the small towns and ports as being worth visiting. I can't remember the name of the tour company but we have a copy of their booklet in the motor home somewhere. When I come across it I'll add it to this post. You could request a tour booklet from them. It had several pages on the stops they make in Newfoundland. Our summer simply evaporated this year so we didn't get there. We have resolved to make it soon but I can't at this time say it will be next year. Like you, we plan to spend as much time as needed to see Newfoundland. We did see western New Brunswick and made a nice first pass through Quebec and saw some new territory in Ontario on our return trip. I've added some entries to my BLOG from the post Bowling Green/FMCA trip.

Velcro works fine for us. The Velcro tabs we have are attached to the coach with snaps. So you would have snaps on the coach. The Velcro allows for adjustment of the tension on the fabric of the cover. All fabric will stretch with time. With Velcro tabs you can pull the fabric tighter when it starts to sag. We winter in south Texas and have plenty of wind. I've only had a corner come loose from the Velcro tab a few times in 6 seasons and that's a pretty good wind test. I just got a new set of Velcro tabs to replace the original set. The company (MCD) supplied these at no charge.

When I take my Cummins 400 ISL in for service I will occasionally have them clean the engine compartment. In between their cleanings I'll spray out the compartment with a regular hose to remove dirt and debris. While in there spraying water about I also hit the radiator from the inside out to help keep it clean. I wouldn't eat off my compartment and working there I'll certainly need a shower and have clothes to be laundered but it isn't so bad that I can't check fluids without needing a shower!

Jack, You are correct that the shingles vaccine is a live virus vaccine. The virus is a non infectious variant of the shingles virus. This tricks the body into recognizing the virus as foreign material and creating antibodies to destroy it. Those same antibodies will attack the infectious form of the virus thus preventing the shingles outbreak. The body would produce these antibodies against the disease when it occurs but during the time the body builds up the antibody level, you are very ill. If you have taken the vaccine, your body will build up full defenses against the shingles virus before an attack by the virus. As a result, the disease never gets off the ground. You don't even know you have been saved from a disease which is a very painful and in some patients a debilitating even fatal disease. I've known several people who have had shingles and it is not a disease you want to have in old age. Joe, I'm going to temper my above remarks by saying that your attack on the President and Congress coupled with the implied misinformed vaccination information touched a nerve. My service in the Army Medical Service Corps and a subsequent career in science and health education has made me a strong defender of public health programs and of course our government.

Our last day in Canada, Thursday, August 27, was spent in the area of Leamington, Ontario. Among the features of the southern tip of Canada are Point Pelee National Park, the Heinz ketchup factory, beautiful farms with fields of corn, potatoes, and tomatoes, a huge greenhouse and floral industry, the shores of Lake Erie, and some of the most beautifully landscaped homes in all of Canada. We are traveling with Bill and Laura Fejfar and today Bill is doing the driving duties. Our day started with rain so we had raincoats and umbrellas while exploring Point Pelee NP. This tip of land which extends into Lake Erie is a major bird migration route, a kind of natural funnel that birds use as a jumping off place to cross the lake. Since the migration wasn't under way yet, the bird activity was quite subdued. We did see a group of marsh wrens hunting for food among the water lilies along the marsh boardwalk. One found a nice morsel and the others followed it everywhere, just like gulls! They disappeared into the cattails so we didn't find out how that one turned out. As we left the boardwalk area we saw a small group of turkey hens crossing the road and moving off into the woods. Later in the day we would enjoy a large flock of goldfinches high in the trees. At the visitors center we picked up the free shuttle to the tip of the point. Exhibits at the trail head detailed the nature of the bird migration. As many as 250 species of birds in a single year and about 350 species documented over time at this location. An avid birder may see as many as 100 species in a single day during the peak of the migration. Walking out to the tip we strayed from the large easy trail to get to the eastern coast where the waves were breaking large on the shore. With an incoming tide interesting things were washing up on shore. We saw several large very dead fish and watched a large driftwood log drift up onto the sand at the point. Louise managed to get her shoes wet in the wash from a large wave. We watched a group of small shore birds racing to and fro in the surf searching for food. This is my third visit to Point Pelee and as the park advertises, the tip is constantly changing. This visit we could walk out on the sand spit to where the waters from the eastern side lapped over the sand to the water on the western side of the tip. Our last visit we were only able to stand on the rocks and watch the waves, there was no sand spit at the surface to walk on. By this time it was lunch time. We looked for a restaurant in Leamington but ended up at Wendy's when we didn't find any more interesting. Wendy's was located across the street from the Heinz plant and we enjoyed watching the truck loads of tomatoes arriving at the plant. After lunch we drove east along the coast road to see some of the beautiful homes. Then we returned to our campground at Lakeside RV and Motel in Wheatley, ON. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing Rummy Cube before having dinner. Friday morning we were able to pack in the utilities and hook up the car in dry weather. As we arrived in Windsor the rain began. We crossed into the US on the Ambassador Bridge, driving from south to north into the US from Canada. A few questions at customs with rain dripping in the window. Then the agents came on board briefly to "check the refrigerator" before releasing us to continue on. We paid our toll and followed the signs directing us to I-75 South. As we drove on, the rain became more intense until we could hardly see more than a few hundred feet ahead. The Fejfars were trailing behind us some distance and we didn't see them until we reached the turn-off for a fuel stop. After Bill got his fuel we ate lunch at the IHOP then said our good byes. We had linked up with them July 26 for a month long caravan. After hugs and kisses, we reluctantly parted, heading for our RV's. We'd continue to talk as we traveled the last few miles south. Bill and Laura turned west on US 20, we continued south to US 24 which took us southwest to Fort Wayne and then I-69 on to Indianapolis. That entire drive was punctuated with periods of heavy rain and near continuous light to moderate rain. The roads were generally good and the driving wasn't stressful, the only stress is in my mind as I think about the wash job that I will have to do on the motor home and toad. We fueled at the Flying J in Indianapolis, getting just enough of the $2.759 diesel to get us to Missouri where the prices are $2.479. This was my first fuel since we filled our tank at Champlain, NY and then entered Quebec to continue the Canada trip. We spent the night at Terre Haute before finishing our drive to Foristell, MO. The really interesting thing for me was that we had driven just over 600 miles in the last two days. So here, in the center of the country, near St. Louis, MO we were just six hundred miles from Canada.

SkyKing8, You really had to see that yellow and green Cessna 152! With your credentials I'll gladly cede the left seat to you unless you want to give me a lesson! There have been several changes since my initial post. The FBO at Spirit of St. Louis Airport has gone out of business, another victim of the economic downturn. I'm seeing a trend toward less rentals and more flying clubs. The latter aren't appealing because they require a "dues" which doesn't work for a traveler like me. In May I got my glider pilot license at Mile High Gliding in Boulder, CO. I'll be back there in September and am hoping for good weather so I can get up and try out the new license. Now a glider, there is a beautiful flying machine. And they are so much quieter than those helicopters or jets!

In the US, the term retarder refers to an electromagnetic device within the transmission which magnetically puts drag on the transmission. This device is used on trucks, busses and could be used on RV's but is seldom found on any but the most expensive RV's. An engine brake is accomplished by changing the timing of the valves so that the exhaust valve is closed when it would normally open. This causes the piston to compress the air within the engine cylinder. Since the cylinder is tightly sealed, this is a very effective way to slow the vehicle. Some engine brakes have several levels applying the breaking to three or six cylinders to accomplish different braking power as needed. An exhaust brake impedes the flow of the exhaust from the engine in the exhaust pipe. Since the exhaust pipe seal isn't as positive as the seal in the cylinders in the engine, this brake is somewhat less effective. I have driven large RV's with the engine brake and with the exhaust brake. I find the engine brake to be a much more effective device than the exhaust brake. Both will do the job, one just does it better than the other. The reason that the retarder, engine brake or exhaust brake should not be used with wet/slippery surfaces is that these apply breaking forces to the roadway in a relatively uncontrolled way. When the retarder/engine/exhaust brake kicks in, it can happen suddenly and you have no control over how hard it slows the vehicle except to turn off the device. With the service brakes you apply the force you want, gently or strongly. The service brakes also are moderated by the anti-lock braking (ABS) devices on most newer motor homes. The ABS prevents wheel lock up. You can push the brakes to the floor and the ABS system will keep the wheels turning so you still have steering control and avoid a skid. With the ABS keeping the wheels turning you will stop faster than if the wheels lock up. So the service brakes have means to prevent skidding where the retarder, engine or exhaust brake do not.

So Joe, are you afraid of a little shot?? I'll gladly be the first to take any vaccine needed. All the fuss you hear about vaccines is quite simply a load of bull. People who object to vaccines are Luddites who are afraid of anything they can't understand and generally these people don't understand much. Vaccines save millions of lives every year and most people don't realize it because it has become so routine that it just seems the norm. Then someone comes along and makes a claim that a vaccine caused this or that and they don't want to take any shots. There are whole diseases that our children don't have to worry about because of vaccines. When was the last time you worried about getting polio? How about small pox? I have had the pneumonia vaccine and the shingles vaccine. When they come up with a vaccine for Alzheimer's or AIDS, I'll be first in line! And, oh yes, I am very confident in our President, his aids, his advisers, his cabinet and even our Congress. I just happen to think that the U.S. government while not perfect by any means is still the best choice on this planet.

No, this is not discrimination! It is good medicine. If you read the article it says and the news stories also say that the H1N1 virus is affecting mostly young people. School age children seem to be most vulnerable. Older people have at least partial immunity to it due to possible previous exposure to similar viruses. When older people do get it the H1N1 flu is not so severe and seldom causes death. So the Center for Disease Control has said that IF there are limited supplies, the groups that are most vulnerable should get the vaccine first. The article does indicate that senior citizens in poor health or with certain conditions should receive the vaccine. Here is the text of the article with references for further reading: Who should get the H1N1 vaccine? The latest information provided to the area Health Departments says that the following groups of people are the first who should get this vaccine: * Pregnant women * Household contacts of infants less than six months old * Children from six months to 24 years old * Adults from 25 to 64 years old if they chronic medical conditions * Medical care providers There is no rank or order in this listing. If there is less vaccine produced and shipped than expected, a priority grouping has been developed, which includes: * Pregnant women * Household contacts of infants less than six months old * Children from six months to four years old * Children from five to 18 years old with medical conditions * Medical care providers who have direct contact with infected people. Again, in this list there is no required rank or order. However, if the supply is very limited, area health departments may be directed to only provide the vaccine to this group of people who are at higher risk of contracting H1N1. This information may change as the situation develops. Who decides this? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes these priority list as they receive them from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of 15 medical professionals who are considered experts in the field of immunization. Senior citizens are regularly told to get flu vaccines; why are they not listed? With the regular seasonal flu, senior citizens are one of the groups that are at a much higher risk of being infected and getting sick. Most of the deaths from influenza each year in the United States are senior citizens. With H1N1, this has not been the case. Senior citizens so far have for the most part not been personally affected by H1N1. It appears that those over the age of 50 have some immunity to H1N1 from past exposure to other, similar influenza viruses. It also appears as if this virus targets younger people, rather than the usual groups that seasonal flu affects. If this begins to change, the recommendations will change. Where can I find more information about H1N1 and the vaccine? The most up-to-date information can be found at flu.gov, a Web site set up by the federal government with input from the Department of Homeland Security, the Health and Human Services, and the CDC.

Yes, there are several choices for the AAA for autos version for motor homes. Coach Net is one such service. You can find information about Coach Net on this web site or at www.coach-net.com Good Sam also has ERS (Emergency Road Service). I have used both in the last 8 years. They work well in most circumstances but you will encounter the occasional glitch if you use them often enough. I wouldn't go without having one if you are going to travel far from home frequently. I've had a broken oil line, flat tire, engine breakdown, and deep mud several times. The most difficult was the broken oil line which right on Carson Pass in the Sierra Nevada in California. I had to drive the toad 3 miles to get cell service. Then if I had to call again I had to go through the whole mess again to talk to someone. Eventually it was resolved satisfactorily but it was a process. These services will provide a wrecker for a tow and will identify the nearest place you can get your repair done. So they will get you there, then it is up to you to deal with the repair process. They can also provide information on where to get repair even if you don't need a tow to a shop. If you are a trained RV service tech and a trained diesel mechanic you will be able to determine the validity and/or necessity of repairs! If you aren't both of these, then you'll have to do like the rest of us and read manuals, be active on web sites and talk to several dealers or repair shops. Ask lots of questions and evaluate the answers. Sometimes you just have to trust people, even mechanics and technicians. As to finding someone for a pre-purchase inspection, you need to find someone you can trust. I would go with an individual, perhaps a tech for a dealer as an after work job or a retired tech. If you buy from an individual then you are at the mercy of any dealer you go to for service. If you buy from a dealer and have a problem somewhere away from that dealer you will be at the mercy of any dealer you go to for service. Our experience has been that there are dealers who are very willing to take in any motor home and give a fair deal. There are other dealers who won't give you a service appointment unless you have purchased from them. Some dealers give priority to people who have bought from them but will service others as time permits. We bought from a dealer and then they went out of business about a year after we purchased our motor home. Service for a motor home is not an easy thing. The engine goes to the engine dealer shop or an independent mechanic shop for service. The chassis problems go to the chassis manufacturer or a truck chassis shop. Most of the rest of the things go to a dealer or RV service center. The other possibility is appliances which usually need to go to a certified repair shop for the manufacturer of the appliance. The TV goes to Sharp, the dish goes to KVH, the toilet goes to Thetford, a broken windshield goes to a glass shop, etc, etc, etc.

The black water tank is not a sealed tank in any RV that I know. I have heard some cautions about opening the toilet before having the black water tank pumped out so I guess there may be some tanks that are not vented. I would think they would be very old RV's as current codes require a vented tank. The black water tank must be vented to the roof just as the gray water tank is. I routinely turn on my flush and can hear it spraying the inside of the tank before I dump the tank. The exception to this would be if I know that the tank is nearly full. If the tank is nearly full, I'll dump and turn on the flush after the flow down the drain has started. My black water flush stopped up one time, I think it was a bug that got into the piping. I put a vacuum cleaner hose on the input and sealed it to the input with my hand. After leaving that on for several minutes, I tried the flush and it worked fine. As a matter of practice, I allow the water to drain from my flush system after use and then close off the opening so that nothing can get into the pipe. The one time I had an obstruction I had forgotten to close off the input opening. Draining it also should take care of the mineral build up since there will only be a small amount of water left to evaporate.

It has been just two weeks since we crossed the border with Bill and Laura Fejfar into Canada at St. Stephen, New Brunswick. We've seen whales, incredible scenery, the great St. Lawrence Bay and River, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. We've enjoyed the long and narrow fields of rural Quebec and explored Quebec City. There were small towns with delightful homes and buildings. We wished there had been parking places for large motorhomes but had to settle for a drive-by. When we did stop we were an object of spectacle. We were photographed and videotaped. Even RV park personnel remarked on our 40-foot Class A diesel motorhomes. Don't hesitate to come to Canada with your large motorhome; just be ready for the reaction. You may not think of yourself as a millionaire, but clearly others do. At la Pommerie, our friends Raymond and Francine shared their world with us. We enjoyed playing tennis with Francine for the first time in almost two years. Their park was relaxing after days of touring. Louise and Laura enjoyed several afternoons of cards while Bill and I had time to tend some tasks around the motorhomes. We loved the natural beauty of Quebec and found the people to be welcoming and friendly. We were escorted by friends Diane and Pierre through Montreal and to the ski resort, Mont Tremblant. Pierre is a former policeman from Montreal, so I gave him the keys to our car and he showed us the town. Diane made us feel as welcome as anyone could be. We visited many other friends while in Canada and enjoyed seeing all of them. We buzzed through Toronto last night on TC 401, one of the best traffic patterns we have seen. Get on the express lanes and just ride on! No sharp turns, no sudden left exits, just a great traffic flow. Tonight we are camped on the shore of Lake Erie at Lakeside RV and Motel in Wheatley, Ontario. We'll explore the southern tip of Canada tomorrow and then bid good-bye to Canada for another year. We enjoy traveling in Canada but are always glad to be back in the USA. Our cell service for phone and Internet are once again unlimited and I can get local weather conditions from the Weather Bug! And oh, yes, there will be Wal-Mart Supercenters, eh!

No preference on a particular brand but recommend a CB as a definite asset in an RV. When traveling in city traffic or when in traffic jams, they can save you huge amounts of time. We've had incidents where just listening to truckers saves us many minutes if not hours waiting in a traffic jam. We seldom talk but often listen. One of our early incidents alerted us to a sudden stop coming around a curve. We slowed and were able to stop in time whereas without the radio we'd likely have shifted our entire contents to try to prevent a rear-ender. Also useful when traveling in caravan. If you are a serious RV'er, you should have a CB as well as the above mentioned FERS and/or GMRS.