spring samboree

THE GOOD SAM CLUB •
www.goodsamclub.com
MARCH
TOOL
TIME
Repair your RV
with the right stuff
+
BUSINESS
AS USUAL
Office on wheels:
How to work in your RV
The
REAL
•Tech Talk
•Action Line
Alaska
UNDER THE RADAR ON WRANGELL ISLAND
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
to the Rescue
•Get the
Good Stuff
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GOOD SAM CLUB
23
March 2010
VOLUME 44 NUMBER 3
www.goodsamclub.com
3 WHAT’S NEW ONLINE
4 ON THE ROAD
7 DEAR GOOD SAM
11 GOOD NEWS
14 RV INSIGHT
16 CAMP CUISINE
18 TECH TOPICS
31 ACTION LINE
34 GOOD STUFF
35 CLUB EVENTS
38 CLASSIFIEDS
contents
41 ADVERTISER INDEX
42 WHERE’S GOOD SAM?
23 THE REAL ALASKA
It’s easy to get away from it all on remote Wrangell Island. From Juneau,
take a half-day ferry ride with your RV, and you’re gone. BY NANCY HOYT BELCHER
26 ALASKA SNAPSHOTS
What happens when two RVers, one underpowered minivan and a small
popup trailer head up the Alaska Highway late one summer? BY RALPH P. YATES
28 RETOOL YOUR RV
11
A good tool kit is like a safety net when it comes to common RV repairs.
Don’t drive off without one. BY JOEL DONALDSON
ON THE COVER: Admiring Zimovia Strait from Wrangell, Alaska’s Shoemaker Bay RV Park. Photograph by Nancy Hoyt Belcher.
2
Highways
MARCH 2010
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
26
31
THE GOOD SAM CLUB
Affordable, Simple Plans
www.GoodSamClub.com
ENTER DAILY!
Good Sam
Giveaway
Your chance to
win camping
products and RV accessories is
just a mouse-click away. Enter
the Good Sam Club Giveaway
daily and increase your odds of
winning. March’s lineup includes
the versatile
Pioneer Grill,
the 2010
Exit Now
Interstate
Exit Directory
and the
Snooz
Anytime
pillow, perfect for relaxing on
RV road trips.
www.goodsamclub.com/
giveaway
CONTACT GOOD SAM
To get in touch with the
departments and services
provided by the Good Sam
Club, go to our website and
click on Contact Us. You’ll
find links to the club’s main
e-mail addresses and a list
of pertinent phone numbers.
www.goodsamclub.com/contact
3
Highways
MARCH 2010
Mike Schneider
ADVERTISING
VP/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
PRESIDENT/AFFINITY CLUBS
Terry Thompson
Joe Daquino
ADVERTISING MANAGER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND
VP/GOOD SAM CLUB
Denielle Sternburg
805-667-4100, [email protected]
ELKHART
PRESIDENT AND CEO/AFFINITY
Susan Bray
GOOD SAM CLUB SAMBASSADORS
Rosemary Bates-Ranks
Bill and Esthermay Brooks
Gerri Howorth
Ed James
Tom and Nancy Killmer
Patty and Dave Morgen
Don and Helen Woodard
MIDWEST AD DIRECTOR
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR/CLUB MEDIA
954-205-9721
Valerie Law
EDITOR
John Sullaway
TECHNICAL EDITOR
574-295-7820
FLORIDA
ADVERTISING SALES
Tacy Hendershot-Sargent
772-288-0387
Lou Cicirelli
SEATTLE
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
Scott Oakes
John Marciano
Bob Livingston
ART DIRECTOR
DETROIT
Donna Schmidt
ADVERTISING SALES
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
Scott Crompton
Steven Averill
WEB EDITOR
334-613-2040
[email protected]
Linda Williams
RV DEALER SALES
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
ADVERTISING SALES
ASSISTANT
Bill Garner
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.goodsamclub.com/highways
www.goodsamclub.com/highways/digitaledition
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Bob Dawson
AD PRODUCTION MANAGER
Brenda Hutchinson
PREPRESS SPECIALIST
Phone*and
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GOOD SAM CLUB HEADQUARTERS
2575 Vista Del Mar Drive
Ventura, California 93001
805-667-4100
Nokia
2680
$20
www.goodsamclub.com
Call 1.888.750.5130
GOOD SAM CLUB MEMBER SERVICES
64 Inverness Drive E.
Englewood, Colorado 80112
800-234-3450
Online www.ConsumerCellular.com/130
DIGITAL IMAGE SPECIALIST
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
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Palm Coast, Florida 32142
Melissa Vizzo
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SALES MANAGER
www.goodsamclub.com
FULFILLMENT MANAGER
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RV MARKETPLACE AND CLASSIFIEDS
Gerald Vandiver
Robert Peterson
Consumer Cellular is proud to be the exclusive
provider of the Doro PhoneEasy 410 GSM. We
also offer a complete line of full-featured phones
from Motorola and Nokia, along with our simple,
affordable plans on a nationwide network.
Chuck Lasley
206-283-9545
Robin Duffield
Rates as low as $10 per month
COPYRIGHT © 2010 BY AFFINITY GROUP, INC. IN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
table of contents
*Requires new service activation on approved credit and $35 activation fee. Retail buyers pay
$35 activation fee upon purchase of phone. Phone price after instant rebate applied at time of
purchase. Certain models are free beyond activation fee. Cellular service is not available in all
areas and is subject to system limitations. Phones are limited to stock on hand. Terms and
Conditions subject to change. †If you’re not satisfied within 30 days or 30 minutes of usage,
whichever comes first, cancel and pay nothing, no questions asked.
www.goodsamclub.com
Phone*and
FREE Shipping
ONtheroad
BY J.T. BOLGER
Hilton on Wheels
Permanently Installed
Macerator System
# CDPU
$299
How a 1972 travel trailer turned five families into avid RV campers
Share Your
RV History
The RV industry celebrates
its 100th anniversary this
year with special events
across North America.
Feel free to share
your own RVing
memories by
posting pictures
and stories of
your formative
experiences on the
Good Sam website and our
Facebook page.
www.goodsamclub
.com/community
www.facebook.com/
thegoodsamclub
4
Highways
MARCH 2010
hen I was growing up in New Jersey, my parents’ favorite campgrounds were the Hilton
and the Sheraton. That’s not to say that I never
experienced the Great Outdoors. My dad and I
rafted the Middle Fork of Idaho’s Salmon River
and took a horseback camping trip into the wilds
of Wyoming. But beyond that and a few trips to
summer camp, hotel lodgings were the norm for
my childhood vacations.
After I got married, my wife and I started
tent camping with friends. Before we knew
it, camping with friends turned into camping
with friends and their kids. We looked at
this type of vacation as an economical way
to get away from it all and spend time with
our families. But, with my wife expecting another
baby, we figured there had to be a better way.
We got our answer in the form of a phone call
from my wife’s uncle. He had a 1972 Dutch Craft
travel trailer that his kids didn’t want and he was
offering it to us for free. This was in 2002, and
I pictured a 30-year-old trailer with all the wear
and tear that three decades of hard use can dish
out. It wasn’t a pretty picture. But my wife’s powers of persuasion are strong. Imagine the Vulcan
mind meld from the famous Star Trek series, and
you get the idea.
W
table of contents
While the curtains were a bit retro, the rest
of the trailer was in decent shape. Listening to
stories about all the places the trailer had been
and noticing all the travel stickers on the frame,
we could see that this RV had been the key to
many great family memories. So after a quick lesson on how to use it, we hooked that trailer up
and towed it home.
The next thing I knew, we were planning our first
RV trip out to Pennsylvania and researching what
trailer camping was all about. We joined this organization called the Good Sam Club. I thought, wow, a
discount every time I camp—woo-hoo! Anyone who
knows me knows I love a good deal.
We booked a Good Sam Park and got ready to go,
taking the kitchen
Like father,
sink with us this
like daughter.
time. Armed
with my Internet
research, we
arrived at the
campground, registered and headed to our site.
As I started to
back in, I saw
flashlights in my
www.goodsamclub.com
Complete macerator system comes
with Flojet 18550 macerator pump,
20 ft. discharge hose with drip proof
valve, wiring kit, all adapters needed
for hook up, dump valve fitting and all
clamps.
Twist On Portable
Macerator System
# CDTO
$299
Complete portable macerator system,
comes with Flojet 18555 macerator
pump, 10 ft. discharge hose with drip
proof valve and all adapters, 20 ft.
power cord with battery clips, requires
no tools to install and use. Compatible
for all Clean Dump extension hoses.
Pump 150 ft uphill
Clean Fast and Easy way to
dump your tanks
Expires 3-31-10
Phone (360) 798-2437
www.cleandump.com
ONtheroad
rearview mirror. Turns out, it
was the campground owner
and my campsite neighbor
guiding us in.
We got the trailer parked,
and the owner approached and
said, “Would you like some
help setting up?” I pride
myself on being able to handle
almost every situation, but this
time I took that help, letting
the owner and my neighbor
coach me through the process
of hooking up. Later that evening,
I threw my research into the campfire.
That night, it clicked for me. The
friendliness of the people in the
RVing life is awesome. The fellowship
I experienced during my few childhood
camping trips was rediscovered. We
were hooked on RVing and the camaraderie that goes along with it.
I don’t regret my time spent camping at the Hiltons and Sheratons of
the world, but we’d found our own
way to vacation: a 23-foot Hilton on
wheels that we towed wherever we
wanted. The time we spent with our
kids around the campfire discussing
our favorite parts of the day or what
was going on in their lives can never
be replaced or replicated.
We towed that trailer all over for a
year and a half before we moved on to
a new one. Little did I know that we’d
eventually continue onto a class C, a
Super C and then our current
5
Highways
MARCH 2010
Gulp.
DIES
DIESEL
bunkhouse fifth wheel, which accommodates our four kids, my wife and me.
We gave the 1972 trailer to my best
friend, who used it for a few years
before he bought a new one. The trailer
then went to two more families, one of
whom upgraded to a new trailer.
Now the ’72 trailer (pictured above)
sits and waits in our driveway for the
next family to succumb to its charms
and start making their own camping
memories. Any takers?
nline...
Sip.
With the new Winnebago Via, it’s hard to say
which is more attractive: the scenery outside your
window, or your fuel gauge as it ... just ... sits ... there. Based on the proven Dodge/Mercedes-Benz
Sprinter chassis, the Via’s sleek lines leave no doubt this 25-foot Class A coach was designed to
sip fuel, delivering an estimated 15 to 18 mpg, depending on load and driving conditions. Yet its
6-cylinder turbodiesel provides plenty of hauling power, and two floorplans – each with slideout
and a host of innovative features – offer all the comforts and amenities of a much larger coach.
The remarkable Via is just one of many innovative new models you’ll find at your nearby Winnebago
dealer. With an abundance of exclusive new floorplans, new features and redesigned exteriors,
our 2010 lineup is the most exciting in our 51-year history.
TM
J.T. Bolger is New Jersey’s Good Sam
state director. Find out about the 16
Good Sam chapters in the Garden
To learn more about the Via or any of our new models,
visit your Winnebago dealer or call 1-800-643-4892.
State at www.goodsamnj.com. Find
© 2009 Winnebago Industries, Inc.
out about chapters across North
America at www.goodsamclub.com.
table of contents
GoWinnebago.com
www.goodsamclub.com
f
r
v
r
r
6
Highways
MARCH 2010
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
DEARgoodsam
HARBOR
FREIGHT TOOLS
Quality Tools at Ridiculously Low Prices
Lucky Stars
Good Sam’s
RVers of the Year
share the love,
as campground
noise complaints
get louder and
members take
a break from
RV cooking.
THE JANUARY issue of Highways touched our
THE GOOD SAM CLUB •
hearts for two reasons. First, we were inspired by
what Good Sam’s RVers of the Year have done to
help rebuild devastated communities, and second,
we once had a little dog just like the one pictured
on the cover with Susan and Monty Scales.
Back in the 1970s, my husband, Bill, saw a little
dog sitting on the street, and when he stopped to
take a closer look, the dog jumped into his truck.
Bill stopped at each house on the street, but no
one claimed her. Our daughter Beverly named the
dog Lucky, and we were indeed lucky to have her for
about 16 years. The picture on the cover
brought back wonderful memories.
Dottie Cook, EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY
www.goodsamclub.com
FACTORY DIRECT
TO YOU!
How does Harbor Freight Tools sell high
quality tools at such ridiculously low
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amazing honor and quite humbling. Our
thanks to the members of the Good Sam
Club and the Highways and Good Sam staff.
Susan and Monty Scales
Good Sam RVers of the Year, SAN LEON, TEXAS
GET LOST IN CALIFORNIA’S
Anza-Borrego State Park
•Action Line to the Rescue
•Get the Good Stuff
nline...
Read more comments from
Good Sam members and send
letters to the editor online at
www.goodsamclub.com/highways.
7
Highways
MARCH 2010
Meet Good Sam’s RVers of the Year at the
2010 Rally in Louisville, July 22 through 25.
Who knows? You might even find your own
lucky dog at the Rally’s Pet Adoption Days.
For more information, click on the Rally’s
website, www.therally.com.—Editors
I ENJOYED your article about California’s Anza-
Borrego Desert State Park in the January issue. I
must take exception, however, to Victor Walsh’s
statement that the 650,000-acre state park is the
largest in the contiguous United States. New York’s
table of contents
ON ALL HAND TOOLS!
R !
PE ON
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20%OFF
ANY
SINGLE
ITEM!
Bring this coupon and Save 20% on one single item purchased at Harbor Freight Tools. Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. One coupon per purchase. One coupon per customer. Coupon not
valid on prior purchases or purchase of gift cards or purchase of extended service plans. Offer good on in-stock
merchandise only. Savings discount percentage off Harbor Freight Tools current prices, including sale prices.
This coupon cannot be duplicated in any manner including photocopies and computer printouts. Original coupon
must be presented in order to receive the discount. All Campbell Hausfeld products are excluded from this offer.
This offer is not valid on food or beverage items sold in our retail stores. Valid only in Retail Stores through 6/25/10.
See HarborFreightusa.com/highways for additional SUPER COUPONS
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shown
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These valuable coupons are only good when presented at
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R !
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LOT NO. 67421
3 GALLON 100 PSI OILLESS
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95275
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Middle Section
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14999
$
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sold, or transferred. This coupon cannot be duplicated in any manner including photocopies
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WITH ROTATING HANDLE
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sold, or transferred. This coupon cannot be duplicated in any manner including photocopies
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R !
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3" HIGH SPEED
AIR CUTTER
LOT NO. 47077/67425
6
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RECIPROCATING SAW
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shown
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your nearest Harbor Freight Tools store. Offer Ends 6/25/10.
Coupons valid in Retail Store Only. Coupon not valid on prior purchases. Coupon cannot be bought,
sold, or transferred. This coupon cannot be duplicated in any manner including photocopies
and computer printouts. Original coupon must be presented in order to receive the discount.
These valuable coupons are only good when presented at
your nearest Harbor Freight Tools store. Offer Ends 6/25/10.
Coupons valid in Retail Store Only. Coupon not valid on prior purchases. Coupon cannot be bought,
sold, or transferred. This coupon cannot be duplicated in any manner including photocopies
and computer printouts. Original coupon must be presented in order to receive the discount.
R !
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shown
PLIERS
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3499
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7
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sold, or transferred. This coupon cannot be duplicated in any manner including photocopies
and computer printouts. Original coupon must be presented in order to receive the discount.
MULTIFUNCTION
POWER TOOL
38082/46005
REG.
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REG. PRICE $289.99
HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 1
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$
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and computer printouts. Original coupon must be presented in order to receive the discount.
We Will Beat Any Competitor’s Price Within 1 Year Of Purchase!
330 STORES NATIONWIDE
www.goodsamclub.com
TO FIND THE STORE NEAREST YOU CHECK:
1-800-657-8001
or HarborFreightusa.com/highways
DEARgoodsam
Adirondack Park has 6.1 million acres,
making it the largest state park in the
lower 48. I’ve camped in the Adirondacks and canoed its waters for more
than 60 years.
Gordon Bartlett
SINKING SPRING, PENNSYLVANIA
I HAVE A QUESTION regarding the pic-
ture of the trailer on page 27 in the
story about Anza-Borrego Desert State
Park. I’d like to know the location of
that shot so we can camp in that pretty
and peaceful setting.
Cathy Whipkey
LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA
The photograph was taken in AnzaBorrego’s primitive Culp Valley Campground just inside the park’s west
entrance on Road S-22.—Editors
There’s Good Sam
WHILE WE WERE motoring through
the Midwest, I snapped a photo of
a bridge spanning the highway. Later,
when I put together a scrapbook of
the trip, I came across the picture but
couldn’t recall the location of the
bridge. Thanks to the Where’s Good
Sam photo contest in the January
issue of Highways, the mystery’s been
solved. It’s the Great Platte River Road
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Credit card not required in MA & PA. *BILL CREDIT/PROGRAMMING OFFER: Free SHOWTIME for 3 months, a value of $38.97. Free Starz and SHOWTIME for 3 months, a value of $72. LIMIT ONE PROGRAMMING OFFER PER ACCOUNT. Featured package names and prices: CHOICE $58.99/mo; CHOICE XTRA $63.99/mo.; CHOICE ULTIMATE $68.99/mo. Upon DIRECTV
System activation, customer will receive redemption instructions (included in customer’s first DIRECTV bill, a separate mailing, or, in the state of New York, from retailer) and must comply with the terms of the instructions. In order to receive full $29 credit, customer must submit rebate online, enroll in Auto Bill Pay program, and consent to email alerts prior to rebate
redemption. Online redemption requires valid email address. Rebate begins 6-8 weeks after receipt of rebate form online or by mail. Timing of promotional price depends on redemption date. If customer removes Auto Bill Pay before promotional period ends, associated $5 bill credit will cease. Account must be in “good standing,” as determined by DIRECTV in its
sole discretion, to remain eligible. DIRECTV not responsible for late, lost, illegible, mutilated, incomplete, misdirected or postage-due mail. IF BY THE END OF THE PROMOTIONAL PRICE PERIOD(S) CUSTOMER DOES NOT CONTACT DIRECTV TO CHANGE SERVICE THEN ALL SERVICES WILL AUTOMATICALLY CONTINUE AT THE THEN-PREVAILING RATES, INCLUDING THE $5/MO.
LEASE FEE FOR THE 2ND AND EACH ADDITIONAL RECEIVER. DIRECTV System has a feature which restricts access to channels. In certain markets, programming/pricing may vary. **INSTANT REBATE: Second advanced product offer for qualified customers only who select an HD DVR or HD Receiver as the first free equipment upgrade. Advanced equipment instant
rebate requires activation of the CHOICE XTRA package or above; MAS ULTRA or above; Jadeworld; or any qualifying international service bundle, which shall include the PREFERRED CHOICE programming package (valued at $38.99/mo.). DVR service ($7/mo.) required for DVR and HD DVR lease. HD Access fee ($10/mo.) required for HD and HD DVR lease. LIMIT TWO
ADVANCED EQUIPMENT REBATES PER DIRECTV ACCOUNT. INSTALLATION: Standard professional installation only. Custom installation extra. ^RV SATELLITE KIT OFFER: Courtesy of Direct Sat TV with new residential home service activation and purchase of CHOICE programming or above. Includes satellite dish, travel tripod and 50’ of coaxial cable. HD dish will
incur additional fees. Tripod for HD dish not available. Programming and pricing may vary for service in your RV. †Eligibility based on service address. For service in RV, customer will receive NY Distant Network Signal, based on geographical location. LA Distant Network is available upon request and requires special hardware, which will incur additional fees. DNS
waiver required. While supplies last. S/H fees will apply. SYSTEM LEASE: Purchase of 24 consecutive months of any DIRECTV base programming package ($29.99/mo. or above) or qualifying international services bundle required. FAILURE TO ACTIVATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EQUIPMENT LEASE ADDENDUM MAY RESULT IN A CHARGE OF $150 PER RECEIVER NOT
ACTIVATED. IF SERVICE IS TERMINATED BEFORE THE END OF COMMITMENT, A CANCELLATION FEE OF $20/MONTH REMAINING WILL APPLY. ALL EQUIPMENT IS LEASED AND MUST BE RETURNED TO DIRECTV UPON CANCELLATION, OR UNRETURNED EQUIPMENT FEES APPLY. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change at any time. Pricing residential.
Taxes not included. Receipt of DIRECTV programming subject to DIRECTV Customer Agreement; copy provided at directv.com/legal and in first bill. ©2009 DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo, CHOICE, CHOICE XTRA and CHOICE ULTIMATE are trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
8
Highways
MARCH 2010
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
DEARgoodsam
Carrier AirV
r Ceiling Unit Safety Recall
™
Nebraska’s Great Platte
River Road Archway.
Archway, identified in the issue.
Linda Childs
WEST BOYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
You could win an easy $50 by identifying
the Where’s Good Sam photo on page 54
of this issue. You might pocket another
$50 if you submit a photo to Where’s
Good Sam. Can’t get enough? We run a
weekly version of Where’s Good Sam on
our Facebook webpage, www.facebook
.com/thegoodsamclub.—Editors
Noshing in Nova Scotia
LAST SUMMER, my husband and I took
an RV trip through New
Brunswick and Nova
Scotia. We stayed at
Baddeck Cabot Trail
CampGround, a Good Sam
Park near Baddeck, Nova
Scotia. In addition to the
usual amenities we expected to find at a Good Sam
9
Highways
MARCH 2010
Park, we were surprised to discover
a first-class restaurant on the premises.
This isn’t your usual burger, hot dog and
fries joint but a nicely decorated dining
establishment that serves excellent
seafood and steaks. They also offer a
wide selection of wine and beer, and the
prices were very reasonable. It was a
nice break from cooking.
The young couple that runs the campground is just getting started, and I’d
like to see them succeed.
Ulla Caswell
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
Had a great experience at a Good Sam
Park? Let other RVers know about it. Look
up the park in the Find a Campground
section of www.goodsamclub.com, then
select the User Ratings tab and click on
the Rate This Park link.—Editors
Model Numbers: 68RV0010BA, 68RV0012CA, and 68RV0010EA
Carrier is voluntarily recalling its AirV™ ceiling units with heater assemblies manufactured between May 2007
and July 2009, with the first 5 digits of the serial numbers ranging from 1807Y (18
8th week of 2007) through 3009Y
( th week of 2009).
(30
The heater assembly in the ceiling unit may be defective, which could potentially create a fire hazard. Carrier will
retrofit each unit’s heater assembly at no charge. The AirV unit should not be operated until the heater assembly
has been retrofitted.
Caution: Disconnect
external circuit
breaker or fuse to
the air conditioning
unit before
removing cover.
First 5 digits of
serial number
(ex., 50th week
of 2008)
Please contact Carrier at 1-877-584-7059 or an authorized Carrier Service Center
to arrange for the retrofit of your AirV ceiling unit heater assembly.
©2010 Carrier Corporation
1
IT’S BEEN MY observation that tolerance
Baddeck Cabot
Trail CampGround.
Model number
Remove 4 cover screws
to see model and serial
number label.
Idle Comments
is sorely needed in the RVing community.
In Highways’ January Dear Good Sam section, a writer cited two instances in which
campers disturbed him when they started
Serial & model number label
AirV ceiling unit
The Largest collection of new RV models in
the marketplace–all in one handy volume
Send me a total of __
____ copies of the 2010 RV Buyers Guide
f r only $6.99 plus $2.00 shipping and handling per copy.
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CLIP OUT AND MAIL TO: 2010 RV Buyers Guide, PO Box 421090, Palm coast, FL 32142
29909C-LEFT
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
1-800-309-0311 • www.rvbg.com
Order Now & Save!
Completely Revised & Updated fo
f r 2010
More than 400 Listings
DEARgoodsam
their diesel engines at an early hour.
He mentioned that one RVer went
through the whole process of connecting
his fifth wheel with his pickup’s diesel
engine running. Did the writer think that
there was any other way? Once he’s traveled by RV for a while, he’ll learn that
there are going to be situations requiring
early departure. If you don’t like the
sound of powerful diesel engines, you
should probably stay out of RV parks.
S.J. Vondracek
RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA
I RECEIVED MY January Highways today,
and there it was, a letter lambasting
diesel owners for idling their engines.
First, I want to say that I don’t condone
unnecessary noise or disturbance to other
Given the price of fuel,
I certainly don’t idle
my engine when it isn’t
necessary, and neither
do most diesel owners.
campers. However, my owner’s manual
tells me that I’ll damage the turbocharger
and the engine on my diesel if I don’t idle
the engine for about five minutes prior to
shutting it off after a long run on the highway. So when I pull into a campground
and idle my engine for a while, I’m doing
so because it’s necessary.
10 Highways
MARCH 2010
Also, on a cool or cold morning, I must
idle my engine for several minutes to
allow the preheaters to go through their
cycles beforeI can leave the campground.
Given the price of fuel, I certainly don’t
idle my engine when it isn’t necessary,
and neither do most other diesel owners.
Barron Wells
LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA
company is going to fix it for us. Who knew? Just
the information about the recall more than paid
for our club membership.
Kathy Norcross, UNION, MISSISSIPPI
GORILLA TOUGH
ON A ROLL.
Get the latest on possible RV safety problems
through SamAlert. Go online to www.goodsam
club.com/myaccount, then click on SamAlert.
Register your vehicle to get news of past and
future recalls that may affect your rig.—Editors
WE HAD A GREAT camping trip to British
Columbia in October. Throughout the
trip, I noticed signs saying, “No Idling
Vehicles Allowed.” Now that’s what I
call a perfect world.
Ever pull into an interstate rest stop
and try to take a short nap to rejuvenate
yourself before you continue to drive?
The noise and stench from all the big rigs
really is annoying. We should follow
Canada’s lead.
Steve Clark
WOODBURN, OREGON
Drop Us a Line
We love to hear from Good Sam Club members. Write to us at
[email protected] or on the Good Sam website at
www.goodsamclub.com/highways. Please include your name, hometown and state or province. Letters may be edited for length and
clarity and published in Highways and on the Good Sam website.
© 2010 Gorilla Glue Company
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT
GOOD SAM OFFERS YOU:
AUTHORIZED DEALER
WE JUST BOUGHT a new trailer and
table of contents
1-800-966-3458 Made in U.S.A.
Get the Most Protection Available for
You and Your RV!
Visit a . . .
Recall Relief
joined the Good Sam Club to get
some inside information about RVing
and maybe meet a few folks. We’d
been members for about a week when we
registered our travel trailer with Good
Sam’s SamAlert program.
Shortly after signing up, we got a notice
from Good Sam that there was a recall
on the microwave that was in our 2002
trailer. We called the number that accompanied the recall and, sure enough, the
FOR THE TOUGHEST JOBS ON PLANET EARTH®
Only Good Sam Authorized Dealers can offer you
such a wide array of exclusive products and services.
A Good Sam Dealer is
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For more information, Call an Authorized Dealer representative
at (800) 547-1948 or visit: www.GoodSamDealers.com
www.goodsamclub.com
✓ You get a 10% Good Sam
member discount on Parts
and Accessories
✓ Extended Service Plans
✓ Certified Pre-Owned RV
Program
✓ Platinum Emergency Road
Service
✓ Visa Card with REC
REWARDS
✓ Club Amenities
✓ Guaranteed Asset Protection
✓ Tire & Wheel Protection
✓ Theft Protection
•
CHAPTER NEWS
•
SMILE AND SAVE
•
RALLY
•
•
WELCOME MAT AWARDS
•
CLUB TOURS
•
RV FINANCE
CLUB TOURS
Wild, Wild West
Journey with Good Sam on a grand tour
of five national parks
GOOD SAM PARKS
Park Perfection
he evaluators for the Trailer Life RV Parks and Campgrounds
Directory are exacting when it comes to giving out perfect
marks. In the 2010 edition, only five out of more than 1,600
Good Sam Parks earned a perfect score:
• Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, Foley, Alabama
• Evergreen Park RV Resort, Mount Eaton, Ohio
• Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Pheasant Ridge RV Resort, Wilsonville, Oregon
• Seven Feathers RV Resort, Canyonville, Oregon
“These parks go above and beyond to consistently maintain
high standards in all areas,” says Joe Daquino, president of
the club division of Affinity, parent company of the Trailer Life
Directory and Good Sam.
For RV parks, a perfect Trailer Life Directory rating means
T
CHAPTER NEWS
MARCH 2010
Five Good Sam Parks
score perfect 10s
scoring 10 in three categories:
1) Completeness of facilities
2) Cleanliness and physical characteristics of restrooms and
showers (a star indicates full points in cleanliness)
3) Visual appeal and environmental quality.
Meeting these standards is no easy feat. “We strive our best to
provide excellent customer service and to keep a high rating,” says
Yvette Martinez, general manager of Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort.
“The hardest part is completeness of facilities. You need to give the
customer a full range of amenities in a limited amount of space.”
For a complete list of the 129 Good Sam Parks that scored 28
points or higher in the 2010 Trailer Life Directory, visit the
Highways home page throughout March and click on Good News.
www.goodsamclub.com/highways
Three Decades in North Dakota The Sakakawea Sams chapter celebrates a milestone
The road looked rough for RVers in 1980. An
oil crisis pushed gas prices to new heights, and
the economy reeled in the midst of a recession.
But bad times didn’t stop a group of RVers in
Williston, North Dakota, from forming a Good
Sam chapter.
Three decades later, the Sakakawea Sams continue to go on camping outings together—in boom
11 Highways
o travel scrapbook is complete without pictures of
Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser,
the jagged peaks of the Grand
Tetons, the red-rock sculptures of
Zion and Bryce canyons and the
seemingly limitless vistas of the
Grand Canyon.
The Good Sam Club’s National
Parks Caraventure, July 17 through August 3, serves up all of
these photo ops and more with an itinerary that takes in five
western national parks as well as tours to nearby attractions
and a whitewater rafting trip. Seasoned guides will assist you
and your fellow RVers on the club-sponsored tour, letting you
focus on the sights and scenery, not routes and reservations.
The tour kicks off in Wyoming and winds up in Arizona.
Included along the way are 17 nights of RV camping with full
hookups. Tour-takers also will be treated to IMAX film presentations of Zion and the Grand Canyon. For more information,
visit the website below and select Events and Tours.
www.goodsamclub.com/community
N
EDITED BY
JOHN
SULLAWAY
times and bust—and they also give back to their
community. Recently, chapter members gathered
to paint the Village Jail House, part of Heritage
Park in Stanley, North Dakota.
To learn more about the three-decades-old
Sakakawea Sams and other Good Sam chapters
across North America, visit the website below.
www.goodsamclub.com/chapters
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
Zion National Park’s
Angels Landing. Above:
Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon.
•
good
news
Rally Info in
Real Time
RALLY 2010
The Bob Newhart Show
Get set to laugh in Louisville with
a legendary comedian
Get updates about the 2010
Rally’s entertainment, activities
and tours through popular
online social networks. Join
the Rally Facebook group at
www.facebook.com/therally.
Track our Rally Twitter feed at
www.twitter.com/therally. You
can also get Louisville Rally
updates at Eons, the online
network for Baby Boomers, by
clicking on www.eons.com/
groups/group/the-rally.
ith two hit TV sitcoms and a famous
standup act, comedian Bob Newhart has
made audiences laugh for more than 50 years.
Now the performer who played frazzled psychologist Bob Hartley and Vermont innkeeper Dick
Loudon brings his deadpan take on life to
Louisville for our 11th annual Rally, July 22
through 25 at the Kentucky Exposition Center.
Newhart won’t be the only entertainer taking the stage for
the Rally. Rally guests will strut their stuff during
the Rally’s Got Talent competition. Qualifying
acts will get their chance to perform for prizes
before a panel of judges.
Check the website below if you’d like to
register for the 2010 Rally or be considered for
the Rally’s Got Talent contest (participants must submit
a video of their act in advance). www.therally.com
W
Make
Just ONE Purchase
and choose from:
Sam Club 1-Year Membership
3 Good
– $29.95 value
Life Campground Directory
3 Trailer
– $24.95 value
3 $15 Camping World Gift Card
3 and more!
That’s right, just make one purchase with your new
Good Sam Visa® Signature Card1 and you’ll get 2,500
REC REWARDS Points2 to use on the things you really want.
And you’ll keep earning REC REWARDS Points fast!3
• Earn an amazing 5 points for every $1 you
spend on Good Sam memberships & services,
Camping World purchases and outdoor enthusiast
magazines like MotorHome, Trailer Life and others.
• 1 point for every $1 you spend for everyday
purchases everywhere Visa is accepted so your
rewards add up even faster.
Before you know it, you’ll have earned rewards like these:
RV BOOKSHELF
Stay the Course
Everything you need to know about the highways ahead
lies at your fingertips when you’re holding a copy of the
RV Road Atlas. Maps indicate campgrounds, travel centers and RV-friendly truck routes. The comprehensive
index helps you reach your destinations with ease.
• $50 for Camping
• $50 Camping World Gift Card
• Camp Club USA 1-Year Membership
• $50 Gas Card from BP, ExxonMobil,
Shell, Speedway and More
• $50 Restaurant Gift Card
• 1 Year Good Sam RV Emergency
Road Service
$61,825
in cash back
$55,300
in gas gift cards
$54,356
in Good Sam products
and services
$46,185
in Camping World
gift cards
for the card built exclusively for you—the one that earns you points toward
camping discounts, gas cards, restaurant discounts, cash back and much more!
Go to www.goodsamcard.com/GS46
or call 1-866-621-0531
(mention code GS46)
1
Offer subject to credit approval. Benefits will vary depending upon the card for which you are approved. Not everyone will qualify for the Signature Card. If at the time of your application you do not meet the credit or income criteria previously established for this offer, we
may not be able to open an account for you or you may receive a Platinum Card. See Terms and Conditions at www.goodsamcard.com for information about the account terms and benefits that will apply if you are not approved for a Signature Card. This offer is available
to new Cardmembers only. For information about rates, fees, other costs, and the reward program rules (including point accrual rate, bonus point awards, etc.) and benefits associated with the use of this credit card program please see the Terms and Conditions.
2
Bonus Points: Bonus points will be awarded at the close of the billing statement in which you make your first purchase or balance transfer and will then be credited to your Good Sam Visa Signature Account. See the Terms and Conditions for complete details about this offer.
3
Good Sam Visa Signature Visa cardholders will earn five (5) points for every one dollar ($1) of net purchases of Good Sam purchases with the credit card account, and (1) point for every one dollar ($1) of net purchases made everywhere else the account is used.
Restrictions apply. Please see important information about the Good Sam credit card program in the Terms and Conditions. Convenience Checks do not qualify for points. The Good Sam Rewards Visa program is issued by Barclays Bank Delaware.
www.goodsamclub.com/travelstore
MARCH 2010
8,0
8,
,0
000 POINT
NTS
TS OR LE
LES
ESS
SS
APPLY NOW
Find your way with maps customized for RVers
12 Highways
5,0
,0
000 POINT
NTS
TS OR LE
LES
ESS
SS
SINCE 2007
GOOD SAM
VISA SIGNATURE
CARDHOLDERS
HAVE RECEIVED:
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
We Do All The Work…
You Save All The Money!
AY
SMILE AND SAVE
Stop,Thief!
Keep criminals from
rolling away in your rig
13 Highways
MARCH 2010
t’s the ultimate nightmare. You return to the
place where you parked your RV, and your
home on wheels is gone. Fortunately, RVers can
put their fears of theft to rest by installing the
Alpha Lock, a wheel lock that impedes vehicle
movement. The standard AL700 model locks up
cars, light trucks and trailers. The AL800 guards
everything up to and including RVs, large trucks
and semi-trailers.
The pick- and drill-resistant device is now available to Good Sam members for a 15 percent discount through the club’s Smile and Save program.
To order the Alpha Lock and other products at
your Good Sam discount, visit the website below.
www.goodsamclub.com/save
I
table of contents
nte
T
FIND OU
e
Ce
P
LOAN
www.goodsamclub.com/welcomemat
R
T
and services, rain or shine.
It’s easy to cast your 2010 Welcome
Mat vote online. Simply go to the website below and submit the survey. Your
ballot helps ensure that the best destinations get the recognition they deserve.
Make sure to vote before the March
31 deadline. Winners will be announced
in the July 2010 issue of Highways and
honored at this year’s Rally in Louisville,
July 22 through 25.
LA
How
Much?
w. G
ww
hat sandwich shop at the off-ramp
consistently serves up tasty subs.
And the truck stop off the interstate
always has just what you need. Why
keep these roadside treasures a
secret? Spread the word about your
favorite stops by casting your vote for
the Good Sam Club’s annual Welcome
Mat Awards. Started in 2002, the
Welcome Mat Awards offer members
a chance to honor businesses and
places that give RVers great products
V i s it
Good Sam members salute
their favorite establishments
T C ALCU
TO
Best of the Best
MEN
O n l y Av a i l a b l e
for Good Sam
Members!
r. c o m
WELCOME MAT AWARDS
E X T R A S AV I N G S
oodSa m Financ
NEW PURCHASES
•
REFINANCE
•
PRIVATE PARTY LOANS
RV’s • Boats • Extended Payment Term Options • Low Fixed Rates • Fast & Easy Approval
REQUEST YOUR FREE CUSTOM RATE QUOTE
TODAY!
A Call 1-800-444-1476
or visit www.GoodSamFinanceCenter.com/320
Get
Away
WITH GOOD SAM
MORE GETAWAYS!
Historic Nashville Samboree
Nashville, TN • $2,982
May 18 – 24, 2010
Calgary Stampede Samboree
Alaska Caraventures
Dawson Creek, B.C. • $7,471
Alaska
June 22 – August 4, 2010
July 6 – August 18, 2010
No other highway in the world has the historical appeal of
Alaska with its 1,523 breathtaking miles forged out of the
untamed wilderness. Make the dream of driving the Last Frontier
come true in the comfort of your RV with an RVer-friendly itinerary that includes breathtaking scenery at every turn and
adventure around every corner. The Alaska Caraventure combines the ideal mix of sightseeing and free time, making sure
you experience the best Alaska has to offer. Highlights
include Yukon Territory, Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier, Denali
National Park and Whitehorse. Your journey includes 43
nights of camping, 16 dinners and lunches and a long, long
list of the most popular excursions, cruises, tours and shows.
Calgary, AB • $1,945*
Jul. 8 – 12, 2010
Nova Scotia Caraventure
Ellsworth, ME • $3,335*
Jul. 11 – Jul. 24, 2010
National Parks Caraventure
Cody, WY • $3,390*
Jul. 17 – Aug. 3, 2010
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Samboree
Oshkosh, WI • $1,665*
Jul. 26 – Aug. 1, 2010
Great Lakes Caraventure
Baileys Harbor, WI • $3,465*
Aug. 12 – 27, 2010
Eastern Canada Caraventure
Greely, ON • $4,649*
Aug. 2 – 25, 2010
Autumn Leaf Caraventure
Plattekill, NY • $3,489*
Oct. 1 – 16, 2010
Balloon Fiesta Samborees
Albuquerque, NM • $1,909*
Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, 2010
Oct. 5 – 11, 2010
Nova Scotia
National
Parks
Balloon Fiesta
*All costs are based on one RV with two adults.
Call or visit us online for additional pricing options.
Caraventures: 1-800-664-9145 • Samborees: 1-800-829-5140 • Cruises: 1-888-893-4628 • www.goodsamclub.com/tours
www.goodsamclub.com
3/10
good
news
RVinsight
BY JOE AND VICKI KIEVA
Working on Wheels
How to take care of business while traveling in your RV
Dear Joe and Vicki:
We have a home-based
business that we want
to take on the road for
six to eight weeks at a
time. Would you mind
telling us how you manage to juggle an office
both at home and on
the road?
nline...
To read archived RV Insight
columns, click on www.goodsam
club.com/highways. To post your
own RV-lifestyle tips, go to www
.goodsamclub.com/community,
click on Stories, then click on
the Share a Story button.
14 Highways
MARCH 2010
JOE: Our RV-seminar business is conducted
nationwide. Like most businesses, it’s
heavily dependent upon communication.
Unlike most other businesses, though,
we work from a motorhome for two to four
months, switch to our stationary home
office for two or three months, and then
move back into the RV again.
Setting up a portable office and communication system that functions the same,
whether we’re in the motorhome or in our
home office, is a challenge. We wanted to
keep it simple, functional and inexpensive.
Our home office is set up with two phone
lines. The primary line is for incoming business calls. The secondary line is used to
place outgoing calls and it’s also connected
to our fax machine. We rarely fax anymore,
so the shared phone line isn’t a problem.
We have two cell phones we use on the
road. The primary cell phone is carried by
Vicki and is used for incoming business
calls. The secondary cell phone is carried
by me and used for outgoing calls. Both
cell phones draw from the same bank of
minutes. Our service plan allows us to
adjust from one tier of minutes to another
once a month. Our cell phone usage drops
considerably when we’re not on the road
so we move to a lower, less expensive
tier when we’re at
home.
We have three
computers: a relatively new PC, a fairly new laptop and
an old laptop. To
keep things running
smoothly, all three
use the same operating
system and business software.
They’re also set up with the same Verizon
e-mail account.
At home, the PC, a printer and a scanner
reside on my desk. The newer laptop and
another printer sit on Vicki’s desk. A third
printer resides in the motorhome. The old
laptop remains in a briefcase, and we take
both laptops on the road. The PC, printers
and scanner remain at home.
All of the work we do on our computers is
saved to rewritable compact discs as well
as the computers’ hard drives. That way, as
long as we have the CDs, our work can be
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
used on any of our computers. I can start
an article on the PC, Vicki can finish it on
the newer laptop, and I can edit it on the
old laptop. We can
also work on
the same project simultaneously. Best of all, this system
assures us that if one computer crashes,
another can continue the job.
VICKI: E-mail is at the heart of our commu-
nication system. While traveling, we use a
Verizon air card to access the Internet for
our e-mail. The air card is a small device
that plugs into a computer and provides a
cellular connection to the Internet. As long
RVinsight
coffee cups, maps, sunglasses and
other stuff while we’re driving.
Three overhead cabinets in the
motorhome are dedicated to business. One cabinet is for a printer,
and the other two contain a calculator, printer paper and miscellaneous office supplies. The two laptops are stored in drawers under
the couch.
Originally, our plan was
to remove an easy chair
from the motorhome and
have Sean build a desk in
its place. But Joe likes sitting in one easy chair and
propping his feet up on
the other while working on
the laptop, and I’m quite
content to work at the
kitchen table. The printer
remains in the cabinet and
is utilized by opening the
cabinet door or by moving
it to the kitchen table.
Moving the “office” between our
house and our motorhome is simply a matter of transferring the file
box, two laptops and a container
of CDs.
It took some trial and error, but
our portable office works for us.
Best of all, it’s simple, functional
and relatively inexpensive.
Find more tips on the Kievas’
website: www.rvknowhow.com
We’ve found an air
card to be the most
reliable method of
going online while
traveling. An air card
is a wireless modem
that plugs into a computer and connects
to a cellular provider.
our files. The box sits on a slideout shelf in my desk when we’re at
home, and next to the driver’s seat
(and out of the way) when we’re in
our motorhome. Sean also made a
special top that transforms our file
box into a center console, holding
GOT A QUESTION?
E-mail your nontechnical RV-lifestyle questions for Joe and Vicki
Kieva to [email protected] or send a letter to RV Insight,
Highways, P.O. Box 8545, Ventura, California 93002.
15 Highways
MARCH 2010
table of contents
Take Your Act
on the Road
So you’ve set up an office in your
RV complete with a computer, a
printer and
filing cabinets. If you
need help
finding jobs
and tapping
into moneymaking
opportunities in your
RV, get a
copy of
Support Your RV Lifestyle: An
Insider’s Guide to Working on the
Road by Jaimie Hall. The book covers 350 ways to get jobs in a variety of business sectors and conducting work as you travel. Topics
include writing an RV résumé, networking, work-camping and negotiating for better compensation. For
more information, go to the website below and select Books.
Purchase an RV at any of Affinity Events’ 17
Spring RV Shows and receive a one-of-a-kind RV
Getaway Gift Package valued at $500!
www.goodsamclub.com/
travelstore
Visit www.affinityrvshows.com for complete details
www.goodsamclub.com
At Cracker Barrel Old Country StoreŠ we’ve always done
our best to make RVers feel right at home. Along with
convenient, oversized parking ,* we offer good country cookin’
and a front porch full of rockers to help you relax.
‘
as we can get a cellular signal, we
can access the Internet. So far,
we’ve found this to be the most
reliable and convenient method
of going online while traveling.
All of our important file folders fit
into one portable file box. Our son,
Sean, a professional cabinetmaker,
built a 14-inch-by-20-inch box for
Course there’s always a country store where you can shop for
the items to help you get down the road. So no matter how far
you’re traveling, you’re always close to our part of the country.
Sunday–Thursday 6am–10pm, Friday & Saturday 6am–11pm
All locations company owned and operated.
crackerbarrel.com
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‹&%2&63URSHUWLHV,QF
CAMPcuisine
BY BOB BLUMER
Onions and Sprouts
Transform common kitchen staples into culinary superstars
Guinness World
Records reports that
the largest onion
weighed 10 pounds,
14 ounces and
was grown in
Silsden, England.
nline...
To read previous recipes, go
to www.goodsamclub.com/
highways.
Bob Blumer is the creator and host
of the Food Network TV shows The
Surreal Gourmet and Glutton for
Punishment and the author of five
cookbooks. When not at home in
California, Bob can be found traveling
in his Toastermobile, an Airstream trailer customized with a stainless-steel
professional kitchen and topped with
two 8-foot slices of toast.
16 Highways
MARCH 2010
O
ne of the benefits of having a cooking
show on TV is that, when I go out to
restaurants, chefs (at least, the ones that recognize me) love to pull out all the stops and
flaunt their wizardry in the kitchen. When the
offer is extended, it’s common courtesy to let
the chef prepare whatever he or she is
inspired to cook. It’s an honor and a privilege
to be given this special treatment—and the
resulting meals are usually mind-blowing.
That said, I’m amazed at the number of
times that I’ve been served slabs of foie gras
and dishes smothered with truffles (the fancy
mushroom, not the chocolate). First
off, to be honest, I’m not a fan of
either. But, more importantly, any
10-year-old with a full piggy bank
can serve up a seared slice of foie
gras or shave fresh Piemonte truffles over a piece
of cardboard
Oven-Caramelized Onions
These onions are so sweet,
you might be tempted to eat
them for dessert.
2 medium-size red onions
1
1 /2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons balsamic
vinegar
4 sprigs of rosemary
and/or thyme
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove papery skin from onions. Slice onions in
quarters from top to bottom so each quarter
includes some of the core to hold it together.
Set quarters in a small baking dish, pointy side
up. Season with salt and pepper, add stock and
balsamic and top with herbs. Cover tightly with
aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove
foil and bake for 30 more watchful minutes or
until onions are very caramelized and the liquid is
reduced to a thick glaze.
Yield: Serves four as a side dish.
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
Bacon ’n’ Brussels Sprouts
This side dish may look and sound like old-school British
pub food, but its addictive flavor will make you reconsider
your aversion to Brussels sprouts.
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 strips bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 pound Brussels sprouts, chiffonaded (sliced finely,
though not necessarily accurately)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper
In your largest sauté pan, over medium-high heat, add
oil and bacon. Stir occasionally for three minutes or
until bacon begins to render.
Add onion and stir occasionally for another three minutes or until onion begins to soften.
Add Brussels sprouts and 1/2 cup of water and cover
tightly with a lid. Let steam for six to eight minutes or
until water has evaporated and sprouts have softened. Remove lid and cook for another five to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the whole lot has wilted and started to brown. For more intensely flavored
sprouts, reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally
for another five to 10 minutes. Finish with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Yield: Serves four as a side dish.
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17 Highways
MARCH 2010
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CAMPcuisine
and wind up looking like a
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What really impresses me
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These
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blue-collar
ingredients.
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These two veggie side
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hard-working, blue-collar
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second glance at the dinner
table. But treat them well,
and they’ll rise to the occasion to make you look like
you deserve your own cooking show.
table of contents
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www.goodsamclub.com
TECHtopics
BY BOB LIVINGSTON
Squealing Propane
Our RV expert
offers his take
on axle limits,
towing options
and harmonic
vibrations
nline...
To read more of Bob’s replies
to your technical questions,
go to www.goodsamclub.com/
rvcentral.
In addition to answering your
letters, Bob Livingston is the
publisher of Trailer Life and
MotorHome magazines, director
of the Rally’s seminar program
and author of Trailer Life’s
RV Repair and Maintenance
Manual.
18 Highways
MARCH 2010
I have a 2007 Rockwood travel trailer. Shortly after I got it, I began hearing a
squealing or whistling sound coming from the propane cylinders whenever the
furnace or water heater came on. I took the rig to a Rockwood dealer, and they
thought the problem stemmed from the propane cylinders, so they replaced
them. That worked for a while, but soon the squealing began again.
created by a wet-dry vacuum to pull the
obstruction from the drain without disassembly of the plumbing. You might have to disassemble the stopper mechanism to facilitate
the cleaning.
Dick Miller, CANTON, CONNECTICUT
I took the unit back, and they replaced the
automatic-changeover valve. That seemed to
fix it for a while, but the noise has started
again. Our bed is in the front of the trailer,
and the squealing is loud enough to wake
us up in the middle of the night.
Is it possible I’ve come up with two different
defective changeover valves (the original one
and the replacement)? Both cylinders seem to
make the noise, and when I put my ear to the
cylinders, I can hear it, but I’m not sure if the
sound actually originates from the cylinders,
the valve or someplace entirely different.
Jim Sanders, SAN MARCOS, TEXAS
BOB: I checked out the Drain Hero, and it’s
BOB: Jim, you already replaced the cylinders,
and the regulator has been replaced twice.
That’s not the fix, so let’s deal with what’s likely your issue. In 2005, the NFPA 1192 manufacturing standard for RVs required a back
check between the Type 1 connection on the
pigtail and each one of the inlets in your automatic-switchover regulator. That was initiated
as a safety feature to prevent escaping gas
when the empty cylinder was removed for
refilling before manually switching the lever
on the regulator to the cylinder in use.
A common location of this back check is
just inside the Type 1 connection. The back
check is normally closed by spring load.
When gas enters the system through the back
check, it blows the back check open. In some
rare cases, a harmonic vibration is initiated.
It’s much like a harmonica or a kazoo (for you
hippies out there).
You might try a little spray of WD-40 in the
inlet hole in the Type 1 connector and see if
that changes the way the back check is behaving under that condition. What you should do
after spraying in the WD-40 is open the cylinder valves and restart your appliance and see
if the sound goes away. If that doesn’t do anything to solve the harmonics, you should consider changing the pigtails. I suggest changing
the brand of pigtail.
matic transmission. I’d like to tow it, but Ford
recommends disconnecting the driveshaft.
Physically, I can’t do that. Is there a way to
install a transmission pump instead of disconnecting the driveshaft? Can it be towed with
the drive wheels on a tow dolly?
Tom Eaton, DERBY, CONNECTICUT
Smart Drain Idea
BOB: Your best bet is to install a driveshaft
REGARDING YOUR RESPONSES about drains in
disconnect (coupling) available from Remco
(www.remcotowing.com, 800-228-2481).
With this coupling, you can disconnect
the driveshaft (suggested by Ford) using a
lever installed inside the passenger compartment of your Mustang. A lube pump
isn’t available.
the November–December Tech Topics column,
here’s an inexpensive option. Try using Drain
Hero (www.shopvac.com/shopvac-accessories),
a device that allows a non-technician to purge
a drain of hair and other matter. It creates a
seal around the drain and utilizes the vacuum
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
a very clever attachment that connects to the
wand of a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. It sells for
only $7, making it a very inexpensive experiment. In theory it should work. If you check it
out online, don’t be confused by the plethora
of devices with similar names designed to
work with waterbeds.
Towing a Mustang
I HAVE A 2004 Ford Mustang with an auto-
TECHtopics
a Class C motorhome on
a Ford E-450 chassis.
We want to tow a Toyota
Tacoma. Is it better to
use a tow bar or a tow
dolly?
Ralph Johannesen
SILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO
last summer. The brakes
had problems, and I was
told that the axles weren’t
rated for the trailer’s
weight. According to the
spec sheet, the two
axles are rated at 2,000
pounds each. The gross
vehicle weight rating is
4,395 pounds. What does
this mean, and is this
a safety issue?
Kenda K. Chapman
PALMER, ALASKA
BOB: Without stating a
BOB: No, Kenda, the
year, I’ll figure you’re looking at a newer-model
truck. If so, Toyota does
not sanction towing on
all fours. You really don’t
have a choice, since towing with the rear-drive
wheels on a dolly is not
recommended. That being
the case, you’ll have to
dinghy-tow the truck after
installing a driveshaftdisconnect device. This is
available at the aforementioned company, Remco,
which specializes in drivetrain modifications.
chances are your weights
are OK, providing you
don’t overload the trailer.
Let’s say the trailer weighs
4,395 pounds. You should
have at least 10 percent
of that weight on the hitch
(trailer A-frame). If that’s
the case—and I suspect
hitch weight will be a little
higher—you’ll squeak by
with 3,956 pounds on the
axles, which combined
can handle 4,000 pounds.
I suggest you load the
trailer for a typical trip
and tow it to a public
scale. Get the weight
on the axles and then
weigh the entire trailer
(unhitched from the tow
Towing with rear-drive
wheels on a dolly is not
recommended.
Tacoma on a Dolly
WE RECENTLY purchased
The Right Axles
I PURCHASED a Heartland
RV Edge M19 travel trailer
19 Highways
MARCH 2010
vehicle). Compare those
numbers to the weight
label affixed to the trailer.
Winter
Battery Charging
MY RIG IS STORED out-
doors (covered) for the
winter. Both batteries
have been removed for
storage where they won’t
freeze. Should I put them
on a trickle charger for
the whole winter or just
get them charged up
before I reinstall them?
Bob Willson, TORONTO, ONTARIO
t
BOB: Charge the batteries
completely the first day
you put them into storage.
You can then use a charging device, like the Battery
Tender, which will maintain
the charge as long as you
have 120-volt AC power
connected to it. The other
choice is to connect the
batteries to a multi-stage
charger for a couple of
days every month.
Batteries discharge
when in storage—some
faster than others,
depending on type. If you
allow any battery to stand
without charging for too
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
a
TECHtopics
long, it will sulfate and
useful service life will be
seriously limited.
Splicing
Water Lines
I HAD TO TAKE my water
tank out of my motorhome
to repair a crack. In doing
so, I had to cut my water
lines. I’d like to know
what’s the best way to
go about reconnecting
the lines to my tank.
Florine Hines
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
tips out is where our
kitchen sink is. Do you
think we need to add
more insulation, or will
it be OK?
Is it right that we use
the holding tanks for toilet
water and just dump it
once it gets full so it won’t
freeze the hose? Do we
do the same for the gray
water or do we just let it
drain? Won’t it freeze?
Linda Blount
FREDERICK, COLORADO
BOB: I don’t think you’ll
BOB: The easiest method
is to use a line connector
designed for your water
lines, which are probably
Pex. I like using Seal Tech
fittings, since they slip on
and require no crimping
or tools. Almost all
RV-supply stores stock
these fittings.
Cold in Colorado
WE LIVE IN Colorado, and
it’s cold! I’m worried
about the hydraulic jacks
in cold weather. Can we
put them down? I’m also
worried about the one
slide we have that’s all
enclosed—the side that
20 Highways
MARCH 2010
have a problem with the
hydraulic jacks, but you’ll
need to make some
modifications to keep the
water and drain pipes
from freezing in very cold
weather. Without inspecting your rig, it’s hard to
tell where additional
insulation is required.
Basically, if the water
lines are close to an
outside wall or are run
across the rig, below the
floor, you’ll likely experience freeze-ups.
Spray-foam insulation
is good for water pipes
and is easy to apply, if
you have access. Foam-
tube insulation is also
very effective. For extreme
conditions, you’ll need to
wrap the lines with electrical heat tape. Adding heat
to exposed areas is also
a good idea. Many RVers
use low-wattage (40-watt)
light bulbs in areas that
might freeze. Make sure
you keep the inside cabinet doors cracked open
in areas where water
lines are routed.
You don’t want to leave
the dump valves open so
the tanks drain continually. First of all, never keep
both valves open at the
same time. Second of all,
you’re right, the contents
in the hose will freeze.
It’s important to keep the
pipes from the holding
tanks to the dump valves
insulated. It’s best to
keep heat in this area,
and split-foam insulation
and heat tape work well.
You can also use the light
bulb, if space (and clearance) allows.
Adding RV antifreeze
will keep the contents
from freezing, but that’s
an expensive way to go.
Electrical heat blankets
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
TECHtopics
that attach to the holding
tanks will also keep the
contents from freezing.
If you have patience,
you can use a hair dryer to
thaw out frozen pipes and
free up the dump valves,
but that can be a pain,
on. Once, we returned from
a short shopping trip to a
freezing motorhome. My
husband finally pulled a
main fuse to stop the air
conditioner because the
thermostat was frozen.
Several calls to the deal-
representative with the
company who made the
fluorescent lights. He said
that RVs from Florida to
Texas were experiencing
the same problem.
He had my husband turn
on the fluorescent light
over the kitchen
sink, and the thermostat froze.
Turned off, the
thermostat worked
perfectly. He said
that a filter, which
is part of the control panel inside
the light, was the problem
and recommended changing the entire light fixture.
He also had my husband
turn on the fluorescent
light behind the driver’s
seat, but it didn’t create a
problem. The fluorescent
light over the kitchen sink
is in a direct line with the
thermostat in the living
room and bedroom. The
broken filter was causing
interference with the language from the thermostat in the living room
to the thermostat in the
bedroom.
After changing out the
entire light fixture, we had
You can use a hair dryer to
thaw out frozen pipes and
free up the dump valves,
but that can be a pain.
especially while standing
outside in the cold.
Winter travel offers solitude and breathtaking
scenery, but any adventure
into areas where the weather dips below freezing can
be somewhat challenging.
Fluorescent
Lighting Waves
THE ITEM TITLED “Quirky
Fluorescents” in the June
2009 Tech Topics caught
my attention. My husband
and I also purchased a
new 2002 Discovery, and
we had the same problem:
the thermostat froze when
the fluorescent lights were
21 Highways
MARCH 2010
er’s service manager resulted in a recommendation
to change the thermostat.
Since we were close, we
stopped by, and the dealer
changed the thermostat.
It worked perfectly.
Then, several months
later, we returned from a
short shopping trip to an
“oven” because we’d left
the central heat on. Again,
the thermostat was frozen.
He again pulled the main
fuse to stop the furnace.
Several calls to the service manager yielded new
information. My husband
was given the name and
phone number of a sales
table of contents
no more problems until last
month, when we were in
Texas City. My husband
installed a new light fixture
and fixed the problem.
Donna and Norman Dickson
LAKE LIVINGSTON, TEXAS
BOB: Thank you for relay-
ing your experience with
the defective fluorescent
light fixture. While most
of the interference complaints stemmed from
interrupted refrigerator
operation, your comments
validate similar problems
other owners are having
with their thermostats.
Need the Right Truck
I HAVE A dilemma. I got
the cart before the horse,
so to speak. I bought a
2009 Forest River Cardinal
35-foot fifth wheel last
August. The gross vehicle
weight rating is 15,500
pounds and the unloaded
vehicle weight is 12,394
pounds. I have a 2002
GMC 2500 HD truck with
a 6.0-liter gas engine.
I’m in the market for a
new truck, but I don’t know
what to purchase. I’d like
to stay with a 2500 but
www.goodsamclub.com
TECHtopics
will move up to a 3500,
if necessary. I’ve never
owned a diesel but think
that’s probably what’s
best. I want to be sure
I have enough truck for
the fifth wheel. My wife
and I will be retiring in
less than two years and
will be full-time RVing.
Any advice on this will
be greatly appreciated.
Ronnie and Mary Bean
ROSENBERG, TEXAS
BOB: Before you start the
GOT A QUESTION?
Tech Topics columnist Bob Livingston has spent countless
hours exploring the inner workings of RVs and finding ways
to make life on the road easier for all RVers, particularly
Good Sam Club members. Got a question about your rig?
Send an e-mail to [email protected].
22 Highways
MARCH 2010
process of searching for
a new truck, take your fifth
wheel to a public scale
(fully loaded, including
water and propane) to
determine the total weight
and the hitch weight.
If the total weight is
close to the gross vehicle
weight rating, you’ll be
pushing the limits of a
2500 truck. You’ll need to
have an accurate hitch
weight, because you’ll likely
be close to the rear-axle
weight limit. Depending on
how the numbers look, you
may have to consider a
3500 dual-rear-wheel
truck. Buying a truck rated
to tow more weight will
also give you the option to
upgrade to a larger trailer
should your full-timing
requirements change down
the road. The difference in
cost for the bigger truck at
the time of purchase isn’t
that substantial. Trading
after a couple of years
makes you a victim of the
depreciation game.
In either case, I’d opt for
the diesel engine, especially if you plan on rolling
up the miles on the
odometer.
table of contents
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y for FREE*.
y can stayy 3 days
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andd 2 nights
i ht att one off our many affiliated
ffili t d private
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CampResorts. During your stay you will have the
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Register for Your 3 day/2 night FreeView Stay by
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* Offer subject to certain qualification requirements and other terms and conditions including the requirement to attend an approximately 90 minute
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stay allowed per household. Void where prohibited by law.
www.goodsamclub.com
Alaska
The
REAL
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY NANCY HOYT BELCHER
23 Highways
MARCH 2010
A
fter years of feeling jealous when
friends raved about their bear sightings
in Alaska, I finally had my turn. And what a
turn—not just a chance sighting where the
bear is a speck on the horizon but frequent
close-up encounters.
When I reached the Anan Wildlife Observatory viewing shelter, a mother black bear was
rubbing her shoulder against the trunk of a
Sitka spruce less than 10 feet from the stairs
to the platform while her cub peered down
from an overhead branch.
I waited until mom ambled away before
I went up the stairs to the platform then
peered straight down at the cascading falls
of Anan Creek where three bears perching
on boulders watched salmon leap up the river.
Every so often, a paw would sweep swiftly into
the water and bring up a meal.
table of contents
It’s easy to get
off the radar on
Wrangell Island.
Take the ferry–
with your RV–and
make port in a
place where bears
outnumber people
tion platform, ensuring visitor safety and providing information about wildlife.
The half-mile trail along Anan Creek, mostly on a boardwalk, leads through a lush rain
forest under cedar, hemlock, alder and Sitka
spruce. On the trail, we spotted bald eagles,
mergansers, loons and even a kingfisher.
In addition to viewing from the trail and
the partly covered platform, visitors can
sign up (five at a time) for a 30-minute stay
in a covered blind down another short flight
of stairs that ends at the level of the falls,
where you can watch the bears from open
windows. Sometimes they’re so close you
can’t use a telephoto lens on your camera.
Although we didn’t spot any bears on
the trail, there wasn’t a moment on the
platform when I didn’t see them. They
From early July to September, Anan Creek,
an ancient Tlingit fishing site located on the
northern shore of the Cleveland Peninsula,
hosts the largest pink salmon run in southeast Alaska. The fish, in turn, host (so to
speak) large concentrations of black bears
and bald eagles, as well as some grizzlies.
The wildlife observatory stands in the
Tongass National Forest, the largest forest
in the United States (bigger than West
Virginia), and is administered by the U.S
Icebergs crowd the Stikine River, fog shrouds Mount
Forest Service, which limits observatory
Rynda, top, and black bears gorge on salmon, left.
visitors to 60 per day and issues passes
during the peak season.
fished, feasted and charged one another
Two interpretive rangers are stationed here, over the best locations. Once, a bear
one at the entrance of the trail to the viewing walked so close to the platform rail we
platform where he gives advice about bear
could have leaned over and petted her,
safety (sing or talk loudly and stay together).
had the ranger not nudged us away. Then
The second ranger remains on the observashe curled her lips, showed her teeth and
www.goodsamclub.com
Exploring Wrangell’s Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site.
Bottom, a tribal house and two totems on Chief Shakes Island.
growled—and didn’t look so cuddly after all.
Sated with bear sightings after a few hours, our group
boarded the tour boat for the hour-long ride back to
Wrangell, the only town on the densely forested 35-milelong island of the same name. The island is separated
from the mainland by a channel, and no bridges lead
to it. You come by ferry or plane. I’d arrived the night
before with my RV on an Alaska Marine Highway System
ferry, the M/V Taku, from Juneau, about a 12-hour trip.
The ferry system can accommodate any size RV.
Passengers can’t sleep in their vehicles but can access
them when the ferry ports. I rented a small but tidy and
comfortable cabin, but many people just sleep in public
23 Highways
MARCH 2010
In his book Travels in Alaska, naturalist John Muir eloquently described this wilderness when he explored the
region in 1879. This is where he came upon his famous
dog, Stickeen (the spelling of the river at that time).
Muir explored by canoe, but tours today are mostly
by jet boat, primarily because the 27,200-acre river delta
is laced with sandbars where you can ground at low tide.
Even in a canoe, Muir said he often ran aground, but now
the big aluminum jet boats zigzag across water as shallow as 6 feet.
We cruised close to many of the long sand bars in
the delta and gawked at the plentiful bird life. The area’s
home to the second largest concentration of eagles in the
world, and we spotted hundreds, along with many of their
huge nests, which can weigh more than a ton. In April and
May, the annual bird migration brings snow geese, sandhill
cranes and more than 100,000 shorebirds. We also spotted mergansers, moose, ravens and deer.
Early morning fog drifted through tree-studded hillsides
as we passed old miners’ camps and waterfalls glistening on granite cliffs. We cruised on a tributary toward
Chief Shakes Glacier, the river’s major attraction.
About 2 miles from the glacier we had to stop when we
came to a swarm of jagged blue chunks of icebergs that
had broken off from the glacier and drifted down Shakes
areas, such as the lounges. Not only was the Taku pretty
classy for a ferry (even the cafeteria food was good), I
enjoyed extravagant views along the Inside Passage.
Wrangell is legendary for outdoor adventures, everything from biking, canoeing, kayaking and river rafting
to fishing and hiking as well as chartered sightseeing
flights offered by nearly a dozen tour operators. So the
next morning I signed up for a popular six-hour excursion
by jet boat on the Stikine River.
Stikine means Great River in Tlingit. It’s one of the last
free-flowing rivers in North America and runs nearly 400
miles from its headwaters in British Columbia before
emptying in the Pacific Ocean 5 miles from Wrangell.
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
Information
Skagway
Haines
FOR MORE
Lake, jamming the entrance. They were so
large we couldn’t see over them to the
glacier. We tried to wend our way through
them but were blocked repeatedly by
hunks of ice in our way. It happens sometimes, even to John Muir, who said he
often couldn’t force his way through and
once was even stranded among icebergs.
We turned around and started upriver
again and were more than compensated
for missing the glacier when we stopped
at Chief Shakes Hot Springs. To get there,
we had to scramble ashore (best to wear
shoes that can get wet and muddy) and
walk a short distance on a trail to two
redwood hot tubs (one open, one roofed
with netting to keep out bugs), dressing
rooms, benches and outhouses, all maintained by the forest service. A perfect
ending to a day spent dodging icebergs.
The next two days I devoted to exploring
Wrangell—the island and the town.
The island has more than 100 miles
of forest service roads that take you to
remote lakes and rivers as well as
several campsites. My favorite was the
12-mile scenic drive along Zimovia Strait
to Nemo Point, which overlooks the strait
and surrounding islands. The forest
service also maintains good bike and
hiking trails, one of the most popular
leading through old-growth rain forest
to 100-foot Rainbow Falls.
Wildlife is all around—moose, black and
brown bear, deer, mountain goats and
dozens of bird species. Fishing is also a
big draw here with halibut and five species
of salmon along with steelhead and trout.
The town of Wrangell is a small and
25 Highways
MARCH 2010
authentic southeast Alaska fishing village
with a population around 2,000. Call it
“the real Alaska,” if you will. The big
cruise ships don’t stop here, so I wasn’t
confronted by thousands of tourists
crowded into souvenir shops.
By comparison, one morning I ate breakfast at a café where the locals gather and
watched a small black-and-white TV in
a corner that broadcast the community
news: Emil’s surgery recovery, a medical
fundraiser for Bob, a pickup truck for sale,
the date for the next gospel meeting.
I was surprised to discover that, despite
its small size, Wrangell has the only
USGA-rated golf course in southeast
Alaska, nine-hole Muskeg Meadows.
Wrangell is so small that just about
everything you’d want to see is within
walking distance of downtown, which is
only a few blocks from the ferry terminal.
Chief Shakes Island, a minuscule spot
of land almost attached to Wrangell (you
could walk over at low tide if you didn’t
mind getting muddy feet), offers insights
into Tlingit culture and history. The Stikine
Tlingits are famous for their carved totem
poles and house posts. Once across the
elevated wooden boardwalk, you’ll find
a collection of historic totem replicas
and the Chief Shakes Tribal House.
Nearby, the small city-owned totem
park, Kiksetti, showcases four handcarved totem replicas. The Chief Shakes
gravesite, marked with two orca totem
poles and protected by a white picket
fence, is a short walk up the hill.
You might want to drive to Petroglyph
Beach State Historic Park, about a mile
table of contents
British Columbia
CANADA
Juneau
Alaska Marine Highway System
800-642-0066
www.ferryalaska.com
Sitka
Wrangell Convention and
Visitor Bureau
Petersburg
800-367-9745
www.wrangell.com
Wrangell
Hyder
Good Sam Parks
Alaska has 36 Good Sam
Parks. Consult the 2010 Trailer
Life RV Parks and Campgrounds
Directory for their locations or
visit www.goodsamclub.com.
Southeast
ALASKA
0
from downtown. In contrast to pictographs, petroglyphs are designs that are
pecked or ground into a rock surface, not
painted on. More than 40 can be found
scattered along the beach, some possibly
as old as 8,000 years. There’s a nice
elevated viewing platform with information
and a few replicas for visitors to make
paper rubbings so as not to harm the
originals. Steps from the platform lead
to the beach.
My favorite discovery in town turned
out to be the Wrangell Museum, housed
in the new James and Elsie Nolan Center
downtown, with its extensive exhibits that
cover everything from the fur trade and
the Gold Rush to logging and Tlingit history. I started my visit watching a 10-minute
movie about southeast Alaskan natives
and the history of Wrangell when I
learned that the town is the only place
www.goodsamclub.com
50 Miles 100 Miles
Ketchikan
200 Miles
in Alaska to have been governed by four
nations: the Stikine Tlingits, Russia, Great
Britain and the United States.
Museum highlights include a clan
house, a native basket collection and
more than 5,000 photos from the days
of the Russian occupation. But the most
prized items are the original Chief Shakes
house posts, more than 200 years old
and the oldest in Alaska.
I liked the “Pick a Pelt” display in the
fur-trading area, where nine different pelts
were laid out on lift-up boards (underneath is a picture and description of each
animal). There’s also a nice gift shop with
many local handcrafted items as well as
books appropriate for the area.
Naturally, there’s a ferocious-looking
stuffed bear on display at the Wrangell
Museum. But I wasn’t impressed. I’d
seen the real thing.
Alaska
SNAPSHOTS
Expect the
unexpected on
the road to the
Last Frontier
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY RALPH P. YATES
Northern exposure:
RV camping from “the
Heart of the Klondike”
(Dawson City, below)
to “the End of the
Road” (Homer, bottom).
M
ore and more RVers are making the trip to Alaska, many
in the comfort of a motorhome or
fifth wheel. But consider the plight
of one intrepid retired couple that
made the trek in an underpowered
minivan towing a small popup and
didn’t reach Fairbanks until most
other RVers were heading home.
As you may have guessed, that
couple was my wife and me, and,
yes, there were plenty of surprises
along the way, the first of which
occurred before we even turned
the key. On the morning of our
departure, a friend zipped into the
driveway for one last farewell, and
her tire went flat, blocking us in.
A harbinger of things to come?
Double-Takes
and Target Practice
As we merrily made our way from
the Southeast across the Midwest,
the magnitude of this journey
began to sink in. Approaching the
Canadian border on day three, we’d
already driven more than 1,000
miles and were still in the Lower
48. So much for scooting along.
The real shock came 11 days
later, when, after 2,800 miles,
we finally reached the beginning of
the Alaska Highway and saw a sign
reading “Fairbanks, 1,523 miles.”
Because we were apprehensive
about the ability of our minivan to
26 Highways
MARCH 2010
table of contents
cross the mountains, we asked a
southbound RVer what to expect up
ahead. We were skeptical when he
replied, “You don’t have to cross any
mountains.” Sure enough, the route
to Fairbanks was a piece of cake.
To our amazement, there was
almost no traffic on the Alaska
Highway. We were able to stop
and admire the scenery without
seeing another vehicle for half
an hour. Along the way, we noted
that Northerners don’t litter, but
they do use their road signs for
target practice.
Although the main highways in
Canada and Alaska are in reasonably good shape, that wasn’t the
case for some of the secondary
roads. Yukon’s Top of the World
Highway, for example, just about
shook our little camper to pieces.
Mother Nature provided the best
surprise—the weather. We didn’t
reach Fairbanks until September
first and saw nothing more than a
flake or two of snow and very little
rain on the whole journey. We were
told that winter temps can hit 60
degrees below zero. When we saw
plug-ins for engine heaters in place
of parking meters, we believed it.
Dirt Streets
and Old-Time Saloons
Labor Day is a good time to be on
the Alaska Highway. With the other
www.goodsamclub.com
RVs heading south, places to
camp and year-end sales are plentiful. It was like we had the place
all to ourselves.
Every town offers its own charms
and surprises. We lucked into finding Hyder (“Friendliest Ghost Town
in Alaska”), on the southeastern
edge of the panhandle. The streets
are rimmed with ramshackle buildings and aged jalopies. You don’t
drive through—you zigzag. It’s
Alaska, but most everything is
Canadian, including the money
and the phone system.
Hyder is so closely intertwined
with its neighbor, Stewart, British
Columbia, that they might as well
be one town, and you’re constantly
making border crossings. Locals
share Main Street with grizzlies and
encounter them at the city dump,
while tourists wander up to nearby
Fish Creek for photos of bears
trolling for salmon. We learned that
grizzlies are more interested in
migrating salmon than in us, but
we still wore our running shoes.
Yukon’s Dawson City (“Heart of
the Klondike”) is like something out
of an old Western. Like Skagway,
this busy little town has preserved
its Gold Rush heritage. Expect dirt
streets, boardwalks and Diamond
Tooth Gertie’s gambling hall. We
camped beside the famous Bonanza
Creek on tailings from a gold-
Bard of the Yukon: Poet and novelist
Robert Service’s sod-roof log cabin
still stands in Dawson City, Yukon.
dredging operation and within
sight of an abandoned dredge.
We almost bypassed the
Kenai Peninsula and its surprising natural beauty. In Homer
(“the End of the Road”) you can
duck through the doorway of the
Salty Dog Saloon, watch eagles,
ogle glaciers, go halibut fishing
and catch spectacular sunsets
that seem to surround you.
People say that Talkeetna
(“Where the Road Ends and Life
Begins”) was the inspiration for
the popular 1990’s TV series
Northern Exposure, which is
believable since it’s exactly
the way you’d imagine a small
Alaska town to look. Mount
McKinley towers above you,
while in the coffee shop
climbers from many countries
plan their assaults on North
27 Highways
MARCH 2010
It wasn’t until we got way
up there that we began to
see some serious wildlife.
We learned that caribou and
reindeer are the same thing,
except, of course, that caribou
can’t fly. We saw our first
moose and bear near Denali
National Park, where we also
spotted a wolf. In Homer, eagles
America’s tallest mountain.
are as common as pigeons.
The town’s big annual event is
Thousands of sandhill cranes
the Moose Dropping Festival.
and Canada geese flock to
Fairbanks in preparation for
Bore Tides
their migration.
and Beluga Whales
Sensing that we’d never pass
There’s no need to search for
this way again, we tried not to
points of interest on and around miss anything. To this end, we
the Alaska Highway—they just
kept our noses in a guidebook
pop up. With so few roads, it’s
named The Milepost, which
unlikely you’ll bypass something accurately describes most every
spectacular. We didn’t expect
point of interest on the Alaska
the lodge full of caps in northHighway and relates the inforern British Columbia’s Toad
mation to mile markers.
River or the Sign Post Forest
The Milepost said that mile
near the Yukon’s Watson Lake.
marker 110.3 of the Seward
In a small store in Nenana,
Highway is a good place to
north of Fairbanks, we bought
watch for the bore tide and
into the Ice Classic, the lottery
beluga whales. We stopped,
for guessing the minute the ice and within a half hour we
will break up on the Tanana
witnessed the tide, and then
River. The 2009 jackpot was
came the whales. At one point
$283,723.
the book said to watch for cari-
table of contents
bou and another to look for
Dall sheep, and, sure enough,
there they were.
Salmon Fingers
and Friendly Folks
We discovered that the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police now
ride horses only at ceremonies.
Inuksuit are piles of rocks that
perform the function of a person. Taiga refers to regions of
coniferous forest that cover
much of northern Canada and
Alaska. And the inspiration for
Winnie-the-Pooh was a bear from
Ontario named for Winnipeg.
Did you know that you can
remember the five types of
salmon on your fingers? Thumb
is for chum, forefinger is sockeye (the finger you’d use to
poke someone’s eye), longest
finger is king (or chinook), ring
finger is silver (coho), and pinky
is pink salmon.
Inhabitants of Canada and
www.goodsamclub.com
Alaska are really fine folks: friendly, helpful, patient, even-tempered
and tolerant. There must be an
exception somewhere, but we
didn’t meet one. Because they’re
so approachable, we were
advised about road construction,
weather conditions, points of
interest and campgrounds. This
is how we learned about the
Kenai Peninsula and Hyder, free
camping and so on.
We never knew what to expect
when we pulled into a campground. Some were quite rustic.
One place had so little power that
our portable 12-volt refrigerator
barely ran. This late in the year,
some campgrounds were open
but unattended, providing free
camping. We never paid more
than $20 U.S. for a campsite.
The road to Alaska is lined
with delightful surprises, and
we speculate that if we did it
again, there’d be another batch
of surprises awaiting us.
The Milepost
To order the 2010 Milepost, the
must-have guide to the highways,
roads, ferries, lodgings, campgrounds and services in Alaska
and northwestern Canada, visit
the website below.
www.milepost.com
Retool
your
BY JOEL
DONALDSON
All it takes
is a little
know-how—
and the right
equipment—
to make
common
repairs in
your rig
28 Highways
MARCH 2010
n RV, whether it’s a motorhome or a combination travel
trailer and tow vehicle, is a complex machine. Modern RVs
contain most of the appliances, fixtures and appointments of
a residential dwelling, not to mention most of the mechanical
and electrical components you’ll find in the family car parked
in the garage. Like stationary homes, RVs have no shortage
of failure-prone items. To make matters worse, you can’t always
count on a plumber or a mechanic to provide repairs when
you’re camped hundreds of miles from the nearest town.
For these reasons, it’s important to carry a good tool kit in your
RV. It’s like a safety net when it comes to common repairs. The
following items will help you address maintenance headaches
without taking up a lot of space in your rig.
Choose Your Weapons
Our first task is to determine the musthave tools while avoiding seldom-used
items. The 80/20 rule definitely applies
here. While it would take a garage full
of tools to handle 100 percent of your
repair tasks, it takes only a few items
to cover a solid 80 percent of fixes. So
here’s a suggested list of 80-percenters
that no RV tool kit should be without.
table of contents
■ SCREWDRIVERS.
Rather than keeping separate screwdrivers for each fastener type,
consider using a single screwdriver head
and an assortment of slotted, Phillips,
Torx, Robertson, hex-head and security
insert bits. Screwdriver bits are inexpensive, occupy little space and can also be
used with a ratchet handle or an electric
drill. This collection can be supplemented
with just a few small conventional screwdrivers to use in recessed openings that
are too narrow for an insert bit.
■ BOX-END WRENCHES. In the interest of
saving space and reducing weight, a set
of double-ended wrenches that has a different size at each end of each wrench is
preferable to a set of single-size combination wrenches. For situations where an
open-end wrench is needed, an adjustable
wrench often will suffice.
www.goodsamclub.com
■ 6- OR 12-POINT SOCKET SET AND RATCHETS.
At the very least, this set should include
1
⁄4- and 3⁄8-inch drive sizes (including extensions and adapters). A 1⁄2-inch set is also
handy but adds considerable weight and
bulk. Note that some metric socket and
wrench sizes are nearly identical to their
SAE counterparts, making it possible
to eliminate a few overlapping sizes
from your kit.
■ RETRACTABLE OR FOLDING-BLADE KNIVES.
Knives that use disposable blades are
ideal for toolboxes. No sharpening is
required, and rust isn’t a concern.
■ SCISSORS OR SNIPS. These are handy
for cutting tape, gasket material and
thin metal. Alternately, compound tin
snips will give you the ability to cut
a wider variety of materials, albeit for
a small additional weight penalty.
■ LOCKING ADJUSTABLE PLIERS.
Talk about versatility. Locking
adjustable pliers are excellent for
removing faucet stems, opening
wire hose clamps, holding small
parts while grinding them, crimping
large wire lugs prior to soldering
them, immobilizing bolts while
tightening their mating screws,
clamping several work pieces
together and a million other
compact tool that’s capable of cutting a wide variety of materials.
■ HAMMER. In this application,
smaller and lighter are better.
■ CENTER PUNCH. Prior to drilling,
this tool is essential for dimpling metal. It can also be used for
scoring surfaces, punching out roll
pins or setting finishing nails.
■ DRILL. A hand-cranked drill stores
easily and requires no electricity.
The Swiss Army knife of
the electrical world, a digital
multimeter gives you the
ability to diagnose charging
problems and tackle hundreds of repair jobs.
uses. No tool kit should be without a least one set.
■ NEEDLE-NOSE PLIERS. This nimble
tool is great for retrieving small
parts, bending wire and holding
fasteners while tightening them.
Ideally, pliers should be equipped
with wire-cutting blades.
■ CONVENTIONAL PLIERS. Insulated
handles are a plus, particularly
when working around automotive
batteries.
■ HANDSAW. An assortment of
reciprocating saw blades and
a folding blade holder (see “Tool
Arsenal” on page 36) make a
29 Highways
MARCH 2010
Unfor tunately, human power
has its limits. Electric drills offer
more power, which is essential for
drilling thick metal or using hole
saws, wire brushes and grinding
stones. These also can be used
to quickly drive screws. A corded
electric drill can also get power
from an inverter or RV generator,
an application that comes in
handy when you’re dry-camped.
Among cordless drills, models
equipped with lithium batteries are
preferred for their relatively small
size and ability to hold a charge
longer while in storage.
■ FLASHLIGHT.
For working inside
dark compartments and cabinets,
a bright flashlight is indispensable. Models that use an LED
(light-emitting diode) offer longer
battery life, have infinite bulb life
and are almost impervious to
shock and vibration. Some LED
models are also dimmable, further prolonging battery life.
Because most repair tasks
require the use of both hands, a
headband-mounted LED flashlight,
or headlamp, is often preferable.
■ DIGITAL MULTIMETER. The Swiss
Army knife of the electrical world,
this device gives you the ability to
tackle hundreds of repair jobs.
Use a multimeter to diagnose
charging problems with your house
or engine-starting batteries, locate
bad electrical connections, verify
the quality of shore-power hookups
and test batteries in flashlights,
radios and other portable devices.
The digital display provides higher
precision than that of most analog
moving-needle meters. Even if you
already have an analog meter, you
should consider supplementing it
with a DMM.
■ POLARITY TESTER. This inexpensive
gadget plugs into any 120-volt AC
outlet, using three lights to test
for potentially hazardous wiring
faults. It’s handy for testing the
shore-power outlet before plugging
in your RV.
■ SOLDERING IRON. Looking to make
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
a reliable, permanent electrical
connection? Nothing beats a
soldered joint. Choose from
AC-powered, cordless, butanepowered and 12-volt DC powered
models. Since many electrical
repairs require disconnection of AC
power for safety’s sake, the types
that don’t rely on AC power can be
especially handy. Although the DC
models are often sold with clips for
direct connection to the posts on a
12-volt battery, many RVers replace
the clips with a cigar-lighter plug
for use inside the RV.
■ PROPANE OR BUTANE TORCH.
When it comes to soldering copper
pipes, heavy-gauge battery cables
and other applications requiring
a lot of heat, a propane or butane
torch is a must. A torch can also
be handy for shrinking heat-shrink
tubing or freeing stuck fasteners.
To conserve space in your toolbox,
the torch’s fuel canister can be
removed and stored separately.
Load Up on Hardware
Tools aren’t the only necessities
for making repairs on the road.
The right fasteners and adhesives
will go a long way toward ensuring
that your repairs are effective.
Hardware
•
•
•
•
Wood screws
Sheet-metal screws
Machine screws, nuts, washers
Brads and small nails
Tool Arsenal
Where to find vital tools
for on-the-road repairs
COOPER HAND TOOLS
Various hand tools, Weller
soldering irons
www.cooperhandtools.com
FISKARS
Scissors, snips and other
cutting tools
www.fiskars.com
FLUKE
Digital multimeters and other
test meters
www.fluke.com
HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS
Various hand and power tools
www.harborfreightusa.com/
highways
IRWIN INDUSTRIAL TOOL
Vice Grip adjustable locking pliers
www.irwin.com
LENOX TOOLS
Saws, power-tool accessories
and handtools
www.lenoxsaw.com
RAPID TOOLS
Folding saw blade holders
and knives
www.rapidtools.net
SEARS
Various hand and power tools
www.sears.com
ZEBRALIGHT
LED headlamps
www.zebralight.com
•
•
•
•
Nylon zip-tie assortment
Garden hose washers
Hose-clamp assortment
Wire assortment,
galvanized and copper
Adhesives, tapes
and sealants
• RTV silicone sealant
• Two-part epoxy
• Cyanoacrylate
(a.k.a. Super Glue)
• Teflon pipe thread tape
• Heat-shrink tubing
• Duct and electrical tape
Tool-Kit Basics
Invariably, the original box
for any tool is much big-
inclusion of a factorysupplied tool case, remember this simple rule
of thumb: when in doubt,
throw it out. Usually, you
can come up with a better storage solution for
tools and accessories.
For compact storage of
wrenches, consider using
a cloth or plastic roll-up
tool pouch or put all the
wrenches on a large carabiner clip.
A snap-on socket strip
provides compact storage
of 1⁄4-inch and 3⁄8-inch drive
sockets. Bolting two
strips back-to-back allows
For rugged, inexpensive
tool storage, don’t overlook surplus military
ammunition boxes.
ger than it needs to be.
Tool manufacturers like
to put their products in
packages that double
as sales-display cases to
entice customers. In this
arrangement, each accessory for the tool has its
own little storage slot or
compartment, labeled
and well separated from
its neighbors.
When considering the
30 Highways
MARCH 2010
you to store both SAE and
metric sockets together.
For small hand and
power tools and hardware,
heavy-gauge plastic bags
with closable zippers not
only help protect against
moisture but allow quick
identification of the bag’s
contents. Quart- and gallon-size freezer bags for
storing large tools and
parts are available at your
nearest grocery store;
smaller bags commonly
sold for coin and stamp
collecting are available at
most hobby shops.
Soft tool cases are popular among technicians
who must travel light, and
for good reason. They’re
available in a variety of
sizes and configurations,
they don’t add much
weight, and most models
can be partially collapsed
to occupy the barest minimum of storage space.
For rugged, inexpensive
tool storage, don’t overlook surplus military
ammunition boxes.
They’re weatherproof,
available in a variety of
sizes and come equipped
with a handy removable
lid. A closed ammo box
also makes a handy
footstool for reaching
high spots.
For fastest delivery:
1-800-726-1184 • www.danburymint.com
She will alwayys be your pride and joy...
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TOOLS AT A DISCOUNT
Good Sam members
are entitled to online
discounts at more than
700 top retail outlets, including
Ace Hardware, Home Depot,
Northern Tool and Equipment,
Target, Kmart, Sears and Walmart.
You’ll earn “Smiles” every time
you shop. Earn 2,500 or more this
year, and Good Sam will award you
$1 for every 100 Smiles.
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www.goodsamclub.com
75520023F102
ACTIONline
EDITED BY ROBIN DUFFIELD
Generating a Refund
I PURCHASED A Gentron Pro2 3500 RV generator through the mail earlier this
year. When I stared the generator up, oil started to run out from the bottom. I
took the unit to a nearby service center, and they explained that the casing was
warped beyond repair.
I called the customer-service phone number, and they agreed to send me a
A generator fix
goes haywire,
and an auto
insurer provides
reimbursement
replacement generator or a refund. Since
then, I’ve repeatedly called Gentron. Every
time I call, they say, “You’ll receive the
refund shortly.” It’s been over a month now,
and I still haven’t received my refund. Can
Action Line please help me recover the
$470 I’m out?
Edward Groom, RISING SUN, MARYLAND
Since September 2005,
Action Line has received
6,255 letters from
you and recovered
$428,321.27
nline...
The Good Sam Club’s Action
Line has resolved thousands of
disputes in favor of members.
Highways highlights a sampling
of these results in each edition.
If you have an issue to resolve,
go to www.goodsamclub.com/
community and click on
RVer Rights.
31 Highways
MARCH 2010
ACTION LINE: A petition sent to Gentron
resulted in the following update from Good
Sam Club member Edward Groom.
I don’t know how you did it, but I received
a phone call from Gentron yesterday telling
me I’d get the refund. I checked my credit
card, and, sure enough, there was a credit
for $470, the total amount of the generator.
Thank you, Action Line, for your speedy
response.
Wrong Wiring
JAMAIL’S AUTO and Truck Services in
Houston, Texas, owes me a $643.42 refund
for a voltage regulator they improperly
installed in my generator. I had to have the
regulator replaced four months later at a
Cummins Onan service facility. The techni-
the manner in which customer-satisfaction
issues are being handled in the future.
Auto Club Insurance
LAST YEAR my wife and I became full-time
cian informed me that some of the wires
were never connected properly. The wires
that were connected properly weren’t even
the right type to begin with. Cummins Onan
was able to install the new voltage regulator, and it works fine with my generator.
I’ve contacted Jamail’s several times and
also sent the regulator back to them. They
sent an e-mail stating that I’d receive a
check within a couple of weeks. It’s been
over four months since I last heard from
them, and still no check.
Donald Henson, EUCHA, OKLAHOMA
RVers and decided to give our truck to my
sister and her husband. I contacted the
American Automobile Association and requested that they cancel our policy on the truck.
A month later, I sent the last $56 payment
to AAA for the truck along with a note
reminding them of the cancellation. About
four weeks later, I received a letter from AAA
that stated our auto insurance had been cancelled. Two weeks later, we received another
document titled Confirmation of Cancellation.
Two months later, however, I received a letter
from AAA stating that I owed $126.94 and
must pay immediately or the matter would
be turned over to a collection agency. I
ACTION LINE: After a petition
was sent to Jamail’s Auto and
Truck Services, Action Line received
the following response from owner
Brad Jamail:
I’ve received your letter regarding
refunds for repairs to Donald
Henson’s RV. My apologizes go out
to Mr. Henson for our lack of follow-through
concerning his refund. There’s no excuse
on our part for the lack of customer support.
I’ll personally make sure a $700 check goes
out to him immediately. We’ll also address
called AAA, and a customer-service rep said
all cancellations must be phoned in.
I e-mailed my AAA representative, but a few
days later, I received a collection notice for
the $126.94.
table of contents
Every time I call, they
say, “You’ll receive the
refund shortly.” It’s
been over a month now.
www.goodsamclub.com
ACTIONline
It’s wrong for a business to demand payment for a service that
ACTION LINE: A petition sent to the American
Automobile Association
Thank you for Action
Line’s willingness
to petition AAA.
was cancelled in a proper amount of time. Can
Action Line please petition AAA to drop the
demand for $126.94?
Michael Springer
MADISON , SOUTH DAKOTA
resulted in the following
correspondence from
Good Sam member
Michael Springer:
Thank you for Action
Line’s willingness to
petition AAA. It’s good
to know that someone
is in your corner. AAA
has finally admitted they
were wrong and reimbursed me the $126.94
they charged me. Thank
you for all your help,
Action Line.
Getting Floored
I PURCHASED a 26-foot
Dutchmen Adirondack
travel trailer two years
ago. I took the trailer in
for some warranty work
on areas of the floor that
Offer
Special
$10 o39.9f5f
Only $
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J o i n C a m p C l u b USA today and you’ll get all these benefits:
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endorsed by:
32 Highways
MARCH 2010
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
ACTIONline
were very soft. I picked
up the trailer a few
months later, and noticed
that the floor was still
soft in many areas. I
figured it was too late
to do anything about it,
since the one-year
warranty had expired.
Later, when we took
the trailer out on a short
trip, the underbelly completely detached.
Examining the damage,
I noticed a couple of twoby-fours wedged on top
of the front axle as a
remedy for the soft floor.
It looked completely
unprofessional.
I found out that the
company that performed
the original repair work
has since changed
hands. The new service
technician told me to
bring the trailer in for
inspection. He called
Dutchmen and worked
with them to complete
“good faith” repairs. The
work continued for a few
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33 Highways
MARCH 2010
months, but the problem
was never solved. I have
a trailer that can’t be
walked in for fear of
falling through the floor.
Nick Putzstuck
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
ACTION LINE: After
a petition was sent to
Dutchmen, we received
the following update
from Good Sam member
Nick Putzstuck:
After Dutchmen
received Action Line’s
petition, they contacted
me to let me know
that they’d completely
replace the floor in my
trailer. It’s very nice to
walk through and know
that I won’t fall through
the floor. With the help
of Action Line, I’m one
happy camper.
ACTION LINE MAILBOX
Got an RV-related dispute?
E-mail us at actionline@good
samclub.com or mail a letter
to Action Line, P.O. Box 8545,
Ventura, California 93002.
Please include a letter of
explanation and copies of
related receipts.
table of contents
Pass the buck!
(and save a bundle on RV repairs)
t #: 473
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“Not only
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$5,336.69
ke assemb be a Merry Christm
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Extend
Good Sam
Now you
y
can pass the buck, too!
Pass the buck to save a bundle on RV repairs
Good Sam Extended Service Plan is reliable
Mechanical Breakdown Insurance, designed
exclusively for the Good Sam Club by Affinity
Brokerage, Inc.
This affordable plan offers Good Sam members
more dependable coverage than many
unregulated extended warranties.
The Good Sam plan is a genuine insurance
policy underwritten by QBE Europe/Lloyds of
London, regulated insurance carriers with an A+
rating for their outstanding financial stability.
All program benefits are suject to the limitations set forth in the
current terms and conditions. © 2009 ABI
www.goodsamclub.com
Good Sam Extended Service Plan is
better than an extended warranty!
I
I
I
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Save money on major RV repairs
Y
You
choose repair facility
Affordable, customized plans
Available for both new and used
vehicles
Call now for a FREE Quick Quote
1-877-387-7334
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Mountain Time)
www.GoodSamESP.com
good
EDITED BY ROBIN DUFFIELD
TESTED AND REVIEWED BY MEMBERS
stuff
Smelly Washer
Washing-Machine
Cleaner
Does your RV’s
washing machine
belch out a nasty
smell every time
you open the lid?
Chances are,
mildew and mold
spores have begun to grow, and
the unwelcome invaders have
spread to your clothes, towels and
bedding. Smelly Washer eliminates
spores, allergens and odors with
nontoxic, biodegradable powder.
Good Sam product tester Greg
Stephens of Aiken, South Carolina,
used Smelly Washer and tells us,
“It works as claimed—my washer
and clothes no longer smell moldy
or stale.”
PRICE: $16.99
CONTACT: Smelly Washer
www.smellywasher.com
nline...
CLICK HERE to sign up to be a Good
Sam product tester.
34 Highways
MARCH 2010
The Cap Light
Unless you have an extra hand, you probably aren’t fond of middle-of-the-night
repair jobs that require a steady flashlight beam. With the Cap Light, you can
easily attach a string of five powerful LED lights to a hat brim or other narrow
object, freeing both hands for after-dark work or play. Made from impactresistant plastic, the Cap Light provides 25 feet of illumination. Click on the
flashing mode to alert others to your presence or switch to the steady beam to find
your way in the dark. Richard Smith, a Good Sam Club product tester from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, sampled the
product and observes, “The Cap Light allows you to perform any task without having to juggle a flashlight.”
PRICE: $9.95
CONTACT: Majestic Marketing, 918-758-0045, www.thecaplight.com
Stanley Jump-Start System
RVers don’t have to wait for the cavalry to arrive whenever the battery dies in their car, truck,
boat or RV. Simply set up the portable Stanley Jump-Start System that’s powered with 500
amps of instant starting power and 1,000 peak amps. The jump starter can boost a vehicle up
to 42 times before a recharge is needed. If the battery cables are incorrectly attached, an
alarm will sound. A 12-volt DC port powers radios, blenders and chargers for power tools.
The USB port charges personal electronics like cell phones, MP3 players and laptops.
Dennis Kessler, a Good Sam product tester from Galloway, Ohio, connected the Jump-Start
and reports, “It’s easy to handle and not too bulky. It’s really nice to have a USB port.”
PRICE: $79.99
CONTACT: Baccus Global, 877-571-2391, www.baccusglobal.com
EZ Grill Ready-to-Use Grill
RVers can now fire up the grill just about anywhere. The portable EZ Grill comes
with a foil pan, a grill grate, a stand and all-natural charcoal dipped in mineral oil
that lights with a single match and cooks for hours. The environmentally friendly
grill is made from recyclable aluminum and boxed in recyclable paperboard. Good
Sam product tester Stuart Saatkamp of Palm Harbor, Florida, lit the EZ Grill and notes,
“I like the convenience. If you put it in your RV, you’ll always have a grill ready to go whenever it’s needed. It’s a no-mess grill with no cleanup.”
PRICE: $4.99 for regular size, $9.99 for party size
CONTACT: EZ Grill, 800-887-7345, www.ezgrill.com
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
CLUB
events
Good Sam Club
chapters across
North America regularly host RV gatherings
known as Samborees. As a Good Sam
member, you can visit these events in
any state or province. Activities range
from games to arts and crafts, seminars and live entertainment. In short,
Samborees are a good time and a
great way to meet people who share
your interests. Dates, locations, fees
and contact information for upcoming
events are all listed.
Go to www.goodsamclub.com/
community/eventsandtours.aspx
for our complete calendar.
35 Highways
MARCH 2010
MARCH
NEW MEXICO • PIONEER DAYS, April 13–18.
ARIZONA • HAPPY HOBOS HOLIDAY, March
3–6. Yuma County Fairgrounds, Yuma. $90.
Lea County Events Center, Hobbs. $55.
Contact: Judy Weatherford, 540 Mesilla NE,
Albuquerque, NM 87108, 505-254-2299.
Horse Park Agri Center and Fairgrounds,
Starkville. $65/2, $45/1. Contact: Darrell
Hugueley, 5358 CR 225, Water Valley, MS
38965, 662-473-1077.
[email protected]
www.nmgoodsam.com
[email protected]
www.msgoodsam.org
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA • PAJAMA PARTY, April
14–18. Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Lancaster.
OKLAHOMA • SPRING TROPICAL PARADISE,
April 22–25. Heart of Oklahoma Exposition,
$85/2. Contact: Carmela Remsen, 13824
Reva St., Cerritos, CA 90703, 562-833-3691.
Shawnee. $61. Contact: Patricia Wade, 2367
Mobile Rd., Healdton, OK 73438,
580-264-0147.
Contact: Joyce Anderson, 561 S. 34th Pl.,
Mesa, AZ 85204, 480-807-6066.
[email protected]
www.arizonagoodsam.org
NEVADA • ST. PATRICK’S DAY, March 11–13.
Avi Resort and Casino, Laughlin. $65/2,
$45/1. Contact: Linda Le Chien, 1380
Centerville Ln. #40, Gardnerville, NV 89410,
775-690-9698.
[email protected]
www.socalgoodsam.org
[email protected]
www.nevadagoodsam.com
FLORIDA • SPRING SAMBOREE, April 14–18.
GEORGIA • MARDI GRAS, March 25–28.
Georgia National Fairgrounds, Perry. $100.
Contact: Perno Scott, 1865 Poplar St.,
Conyers, GA 30013, 770-922-5794.
[email protected]
www.georgiagoodsm.com
Okeechobee KOA Campgrounds, Okeechobee.
$110, $115 at gate. Contact: Robert Ward,
P.O. Box 348, Nobleton, FL 34661,
352-585-3677.
[email protected]
www.goodsam-florida.org
[email protected]
www.oklahomagoodsams.com
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA • ST. PATRICK’S DAY
PARADE, April 29–May 2. Lodi Grape Festival
Grounds, Lodi. $77. Contact: Earl Irons,
1300 S. Church St., Lodi, CA 95240,
209-368-4452.
[email protected]
www.norcalgoodsam.org
ALABAMA • SPRING SAMBOREE, April 15–18.
APRIL
TEXAS • DERBY SAMBOREE, April 1–4. Heart
O’Texas Complex, Waco. $70/2, $75/2 at
gate. Contact: Jody Birchett, P.O. Box 236,
Bishop, TX 78343, 361-584-1919.
[email protected]
www.texasgoodsam.com
LOUISIANA • SPRING SAMBOREE, April 8–11.
National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds, Dothan.
$90/2, $80/1. Contact: Pat Smith, 1301 S.
Bethel Rd., Decatur, AL 35603, 256-350-1037.
KANSAS • TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME,
April 29–May 2. Kansas State Fairgrounds,
[email protected]
www.alabamagoodsams.org
Hutchinson. $60, $70 after 4/15. Contact:
Martha Ward, 2201 E. MacArthur Rd. E-3,
Wichita, KS 67216-5614, 316-213-8297.
ARKANSAS • SPRING SAMBOREE, April 15–18.
[email protected]
www.kansasgoodsam.com
$60. Four States Fairgrounds, Texarkana.
Contact: Melinda Wiggs, 2501 Skyline Pt.,
Jonesboro, AR 72404, 870-972-0951.
NORTH CAROLINA • SPRING SAMBOREE,
April 30–May 2. Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Louisiana State Fairgrounds, Shreveport. $60,
$70 at gate. Contact: Larry and Jan Renfro,
100 Carrollton Ave., Shreveport, LA 71105,
318-865-1527.
[email protected]
www.arkansasgoodsams.com
Campground, Concord. $68. Contact: Don
and Eunice Fletcher, 110 Riviera Ln., Sanford,
NC 27332, 919-499-2512.
[email protected]
www.lagoodsam.org
MISSISSIPPI • COWBOYS AND INDIANS,
MISSISSIPPI STYLE, April 22–25. Mississippi
[email protected]
www.ncstategoodsam.com
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
CLUBevents
MAY
320-584-8076.
OHIO • SPRING FLOWERS,
May 7–9. Coshocton
www.mngoodsamclub.com
County Fairgrounds,
Coshocton. $45, $50
at gate. Contact: Dave
Spragg, 3930 Old Wheeling
Rd., Zanesville, OH 43701,
740-454-3704.
TENNESSEE • SALUTE TO
THE MILITARY, May 14–16.
[email protected]
www.ohiogoodsam.com
MINNESOTA • SPRING
SAMBOREE, May 13–16.
Brown County Fairgrounds,
New Ulm. $60/2, $55/1.
Early bird 5/10. Contact:
Brenda O’Neil, 7584 Hillton
Rd., Royalton, MN 56373,
James E. Ward Agricultural
Center, Lebanon. $70/2,
$60/1; $80/2. $70/1
after 4/26. Early bird
$15. Contact: Ron
Masterson, 671 Payne Ln.,
Spring City, TN 373815651, 423-365-4392.
[email protected]
www.tngoodsam.com
WEST VIRGINIA •
CELEBRATING ARMED FORCES
DAY, May 14–16. Butcher
YOUR CAMPER VAN
CONNECTION!
Bend 4-H Grounds, Mineral
Wells. $45, $55 after May
1. Contact: Don and Kathy
Wise, 239 Williams Hwy.,
Parkersburg, WV 26105,
304-482-7568.
[email protected]
www.wvgoodsams.com
VIRGINIA • ALL STAR
WEEKEND, May 21–23.
Bethpage Camp Resort,
Urbanna. $98/family,
$93/1. Contact:
Brenda Mitchell,
200 Duck Run Ln.,
Star Tannery, VA 22654,
540-465-4515.
[email protected]
www.vagoodsam.org
MASSACHUSETTS • LOBSTER
SAMBOREE, May 28–30.
Franklin County Fairgrounds,
Greenfield. $85. Early bird
5/25, $20. Contact: Dennis
Annear, 978-544-7720.
www.massgoodsam.com
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RV SUPER CENTERS
866-354-1293
www.guaranty.com
36 Highways
MARCH 2010
INDIANA • ANGELS AMONG
US, May 28–31. Boone
County Fairgrounds,
Lebanon. $60. Contact:
Wayne and Carole Crise,
601 S. 2nd St., Garrett,
IN 46738, 260-357-3216.
[email protected]
www.indianagoodsam.com
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
PLAY IN THE FUTURE, DREAM
OF THE FUTURE, June 2–6.
Frederick Fairgrounds,
Frederick. $80/family,
$90/family at gate. Contact:
Linda Hankins, 3305
Foxglove Ln., Middle River,
MD 21220.
Manitoba Agricultural
Museum, Austin. $90.
Early bird 6/1. Contact:
Sharon Burke, 6-96
Stradford St., Winnipeg,
MB, 204-837-5388.
[email protected]
www.washingtonstategoodsam
.kendra.com
[email protected]
www.mdgoodsam.org
[email protected]
www.mannwontgoodsamclub
.com
Meade County Fairgrounds,
Brandenburg. $60. Contact:
Diane Mulkins, 270-8285184.
WASHINGTON • OUTDOOR LIFE,
June 3–5. Grant County
[email protected]
www.kentuckygoodsam.com
JUNE
MANITOBA AND NORTHWEST
ONTARIO • VISIT THE PAST,
RV Overstock &
THE BEST PRICE NATIONWIDE
Forest River Travel Trailers and 5th Wheels:
KENTUCKY • TAKE ME OUT TO
THE BALL GAME, June 4–6.
MAINE • STATE SAMBOREE,
June 4–6. Farmington Fairgrounds, $75, $85 after
5/15. Early bird 6/1.
Farmington Fairgrounds,
Farmington. Contact: Diane
Qualey, P.O. Box 271, Limington, ME, 207-651-3133.
dianequaley@
roadrunner.com
www.mainegoodsams.org
• Cardinal • Blue Ridge • Sandpiper • Surveyor
• r-pod • Wildwood • Palomino Fold Down
Heartland Travel Trailers and 5th Wheels:
• Landmark • Big Country • Sundance
• Elkridge • North Trail • North Country
Keystone’s Cougar Trailers and 5th Wheels
Georgetown Motorhomes
4.99% fixedd
Gulfstream Class A’s and C’s rate financing
on select mode
ls
Large inventory Preowned
up to
Delivery to US and Canada
20 years
Terry Frazer’s RV Center • Eldridge, IA 52748
1-866-782-3683 • [email protected]
www.terryfrazersrv.com
After hours phone number 563-340-7051
37 Highways
MARCH 2010
IDAHO • GOOD SAM RV RALLY,
June 8–13. Emmett High
School, Emmett. $45.
Contact: Sally Sturman, 40
Duffers Ln., Cascade, ID
83611, 208-382-3768.
[email protected]
www.idahogoodsam.org
table of contents
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SAMBOREE, May 28–31.
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Fairgrounds, Moses Lake.
$73. Contact: Dave Dewitt,
19029 E. Boone Lot 2,
Spokane Valley, WA 99016,
509-435-9089.
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COMMERCIAL CORNER
COMMERCIAL CORNER
ACCESSORIES
CARPET & FLOORING
HOMES FOR SALE
LEAKY ROOF? Liquid Roof® goes on like paint —
cures to a sealed EPDM rubber membrane.
UV & Ozone resistant — good to 300º F.
5-year warranty. Info & brochure: 800-467-7135
www.AdvancedRubberCoatings.com
Pat’s RV is now Route 66 RV!
All major brands installed!
Route 66 RV • Buena Park, CA
www.getyourkicksRV.com (800) 670-7287
LUXURY NEW HOMES IN LAUGHLIN NV 50’ RV
Garages - 40’ Boat Garages 3 Bedroom, 2 bath.
Single Story. Energy Star. Call 800-828-2744 for
info Or visit www.laughlinhomes.net
EXTENSION CORDS - ADAPTERS
There’s a better way to purchase
RV Extension Cords and Adapters
www.HappyTrailsRVcords.com
800-321-6160 • Fax 440-779-4901
FURNITURE
CONVERTERS • INVERTERS
Electrical Supplies • Electronics • GPS Navigation
Back-up Monitors • Tire Pressure Monitors
And more! Visit www.bestconverter.com
Or call Toll Free 888-828-1893
HEARING AIDS—GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES.
60% Savings! 30-day trial—All makes. The oldest,
biggest and best. Custom instrument experts.
Free info: 1-800-323-4212. Lloyds, Dept. HY,
Rockford, IL 61110, www.lloydhearingaid.com
ALASKA TRAVEL
DVD with nature’s beauty from Montana, Canada,
and within Alaska. Map graphics show all locations. Details and previews, as well as stunning
photos of Alaska and US west available at
www.fennofoto.com
BEDDING
HACKSACK The Perfect RV Bedding
Winter side / Summer side — Sheets Velcroed in
NO TUCKING IN REQUIRED
4 Sizes / 5 Colors
www.hacksack-leisure.com or 1-800-521-1876
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
A 58-yr-old Nat’l Advertising Co seeking
Entrepreneurs to Own & Operate Territories
Home or RV based • No Inventory
Immediate Cash Flow • Excellent Training
Investment req’d. 1-800-299-0510
CAMPGROUND MEMBERSHIPS
WHY NOT HAVE IT ALL?
Over 1,500 RV parks, $8-$12 a night.
Sound too good to be true? It’s true. Home park
and nationwide campground membership.
Under $200 first year — for EVERYTHING!
(frozen dues thereafter). No Other Charges. LOW
PRICE GUARANTEE— double money-back difference — Deal direct/No brokers. Start saving now!
(800) 343-8677, ask for Angie.
RESALES — NATIONWIDE — Since 1991
TT/ NACO, Western Horizons, AOR, Outdoor
World, CRA, CCC transfers, RPI, much more!
CAMPGROUND MEMBERSHIP OUTLET
1-800-272-0401 to buy. 1-800-952-0401 to sell.
$We pay referrals$. www.membershipresale.com
Route 66 RV • Featuring Flexsteel & Villa
www.getyourkicksRV.com (800) 670-7287
HEARING AIDS
HELP WANTED
ESTABLISHED RV TOUR COMPANY seeks
retired couples with top-level communications and
management skills to explore new horizonsin
RVing as contract wagon masters at www.tracksrvtours.com. Click on wagon master opportunities
for job description and application instructions.
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Travel where you
want, stay in RV parks free and set your
own income selling advertising for RV Parks,
Motels, Colleges & Fairgrounds Directories.
Up to 65% commission. Call 1-800-832-3292.
1000’s OF GREAT JOBS IN GREAT PLACES! Enjoy
the freedom and adventure of the Workamper
lifestyle. Jobs in campgrounds, parks, resorts, etc.
For FREE BROCHURE & subscription info.
800-446-5627 www.workamper.com
SCHOOL CAMPER HOSTS needed, Mat-Su Alaska.
40 mi N of Anchorage. 36 sites from urban to
rural. 5/28/10 to 8/6/10. Contact Bill at 907373-2287, or email [email protected]
Have the adventure of a lifetime in Alaska.
Volunteer Opportunities available in Alaska State
Parks. 60 host positions statewide with free campsite, stipend, training and more. Season is May to
September with a minimum 4 week commitment.
Contact the volunteer coordinator
by ph: (907) 269-8708, fax: (907) 269-8907,
[email protected] or visit our web site at
www.alaskastateparks.org for more information.
GENERAL INFORMATION & RATES
Highways’ Commercial Corner section of
classified ads is designed exclusively for private parties or businesses that have items or
services to sell, promote or rent that are not
of a personal nature. For example, RV Parks,
Campgrounds, Condominium Complexes,
Real Estate, Small Businesses for Sale,
Services Offered, Help Wanted, Positions
Wanted and Business Opportunities all represent categories appropriate for Commercial
Corner. Any item offered for rent is considered commercial in nature. Commercial
Corner advertisers are not required to be
Good Sam Club members.
When submitting ad copy, please follow
these guidelines:
1. There are 40 characters allowed per
line, counting each letter, space and punc-
38 Highways
MARCH 2010
tuation mark. When abbreviating, please
use standard dictionary abbreviations.
There is a five-line minimum, and the rate
is $62 per line.
2. Bold-face type is available at an additional cost of $15 per line. Add $50 to make
your ad all red.
3. We offer a 5% frequency discount for six
issues and a 10% discount for 12 issues.
4. Blind-box service is available at an additional cost of $15 per issue. We will assign
a blind-box number to your ad, and we will
forward responses to you on a daily basis.
The blind-box address takes one full line of
space at $62/line. Our $15 fee covers our
postage and handling expenses.
5. Copy must be printed or typed.
6. Copy must be submitted approximately
RETAMA VILLAGE Come join us! At our exclusive
55+ active adult community in the fabulous
Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Large RV Lots,
Casita w/RV Port and single family homes.
Clubhouse, library, pools, fitness center,
billiards, hiking, biking, and birding.
Bentsenpalm.com 956.381.1500
HUNTING/FISHING
HUNT SE WYOMING from the comfort of your RV.
3-day antelope and 5-day antelope/mule deer
hunts avail. Complete RV hookups provided.
For info call Steve Trimble at Slash T Outfitting
307-547-3744. Lic. #BG209
INTERIOR/EXTERIOR DETAILING
Route 66 RV • Featuring Meguiar’s Products
www.getyourkicksRV.com (800) 670-7287
LOTS FOR SALE
SUNSHINE ACRES - SUNNY ARIZONA, A New
deeded lot Subdivision. Drive in, hook up. All lots
incude 2 complete RV hook-ups, 50 amp elec,
phone, water, Mexican brick wall. NO HOA. Outback
Realty, Illene Wood, Broker 928-859-4141.
OUR MAIL TRAVEL SERVICE • 800-723-0110
Orlando • San Antonio • Las Vegas • New York
Mail Forwarding Service • No State Income Tax
No Vehicle Inspection • Low RV Reg. & Insur.
Open 7 days • www.mailtravelservice.com
$$ CASH FOR YOUR MOTORHOME! $$
Buying ’02 model year & newer motorhomes!
FREE Nationwide Pickup
Call Jim Cash Toll Free — 866-687-2274
www.usedrvpros.com • La Mesa RV Center
AMERICAS-MAILBOX Forwarding in SD
Save $$$/NEW Monthly Rates! NO State Income Tax
NO Wheel Tax/NO Safety Inspection/NO Hassles
Very Low RV Reg. & Insurance 866-747-3700
www.Americas-Mailbox.com/HW Call us first!
WE BUY MOTORHOMES
’98 & NEWER - CLEAN - LOW MILES - NO SMOKE/PET
CASH Payment & NATIONWIDE Pick Up
Contact Bill Fishfader @ 1-509-993-0321
RVs NORTHWEST • SPOKANE, WA
SOUTH DAKOTA the BEST ALTERNATIVE
• MAIL forwarding • LOW vehicle tax
• NO State income tax • NO State inheritance tax
ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES 800-477-2664
SD’s Oldest & Largest Mail Forwarding Company
www.alternativeresources.net
PRIVATE & SECURE MAIL FORWARDING
LOW TAX $$$ VEHICLE REGISTRATION
MAKE FLORIDA YOUR HOME BASE
www.FloridaVehicleRegistrationService.com
“To God Be The Glory” CALL 866-624-5523
MAIL FORWARDING SERVICES
Fast, sure, safe mail delivery. Low prices.
OREGON HAS NO SALES TAX
For FREE BROCHURE call (800) 452-2130
Visit us at www.mailforwardingservices.com
MAIL/MESSAGE SERVICES
Need your mail to follow you? Call us
Travelers Remail Association since 1978
No state income tax, Vehicle Reg., TX Residency,
Low rates www.tramail.net or 800-666-6710
MAIL FORWARDING WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH
MATTRESSES
South Dakota Mail Forwarding/Residency
Low rates for personalized mail forwarding
Contact us about SD residency benefits
NO state income tax, LOW vehicle Reg.
1-866-202-2163
www.mydakotaaddress.com
www.WinnebagoParts.com
Parts for all Winnebago/Itasca products
& LeSharo/Phasar. Body/crash parts,
decals & glass 1975 to present. Personal
service at fair prices for our customers
worldwide. M-F, 8-5 Central time.
800-933-7742
$10 MAILBOX RENTALS — South Dakota
Vehicle Reg. — Low 3% S.D. Sales Tax
No State Income Tax, No Veh Inspections
Call Toll Free 1-800-419-1690 Visa/MC
Visit us at www.yourbestaddress.com
GOOD SAM MAIL SERVICE
Dependable Service From A Name You Trust
* Mail Forwarding * Vehicle Registration
* Florida Residency * No State Income Tax
P.O. Box 2428, Pensacola, FL 32513
www.goodsammail.com 877.522.0092
two months prior to the cover date of the
issue desired. Please note: The May issue
closes on February 19; the June issue closes on March 19.
7. Mail ad copy and a check, money order or
Visa/MasterCard/Discover number, expiration date and signature to Commercial
Corner, Highways, P.O. Box 8510, Ventura,
California 93002-9912.
8. Credit-card orders may be faxed to 805667-4379, Attention: Joyce Reweda,
or e-mailed to [email protected]
(please put “Commercial Corner” in the
subject line).
9. Please direct questions to Joyce Reweda
at 805-667-4392 or via e-mail at
[email protected] (please put
“Commercial Corner” in the subject line).
table of contents
Route 66 RV • Custom RV Mattresses
www.getyourkicksRV.com (800) 670-7287
MOTORHOME PARTS
WINNEBAGO, ITASCA, FLEETWOOD—-PARTS
Contact Robert with Year & Serial #.
8-5:30 Central M-F, Sat. 8-3
HARRISON RV LAND, JEFFERSON, IA
1-800-397-8206, [email protected]
www.harrisonrv.com
MOTORHOMES WANTED
$ RV BUYERS OF AMERICA $
WE BUY ALL MAKES AND MODELS
FREE NATIONWIDE PICKUP
TOLL FREE 888-782-8987 www.rvbuyersusa.com
WE WILL BEAT ANY DEALER PRICE
WANTED
Have Cash, Will Travel
For 1998 and newer diesel coaches.
www.rvgone.com
Nationwide Pick Up. Toll Free 1-800-669-1807.
SELLING!??? Instant cash for your 2002 - current
Motorhome. All models Top$$ + Quick pickup
Call Joe Punzi 800-760-3673 or 831-458-6166 (direct)
100s of Happy Customers over the last 40 years!
North Bay Ford RV
$ CASH $ TOP DOLLAR PAID for late-model
motorhomes. All makes and models. No hassles.
For instant cash call Keith Roy
(toll-free) at 1-888-227-4078, PEDATA RV CENTER.
RAFFLES
#1 CASH RV BUYER $$
Tired of High Payments?
Owe More Than Your RV is Wor th?
Need Cash Fast? We Are Shor t Sell Exper ts!
Call Now for a Free Appraisal.
Toll Free: 888-870-3989
BIG SKY LIQUIDATION
2009 - 1999 MOTORHOMES WANTED
Nationwide — Gas or Diesel
Free Appraisals — No Hassles
Call (813) 783-4000 or 888-783-4009 for Instant Cash
MotorhomeFinders.com
www.goodsamclub.com
Colorado RV, Sports, Boat & Travel Show
March 4 - 7, Denver, CO
Atlantic City RV & Camping Show
March 5 - 7, Atlantic City, NJ
Virginia RV Show
March 12 - 14, Hampton, VA
www.affinityrvshows.com
RV SPACES FOR RENT
RV SPACE FOR RENT. Must be 55 or older in
Bellflower, CA. Small cat or dog under 20 lbs,
okay. Close to all freeways, beaches & mtns.
At least 1 month stay required. Pool table, pool.
Call (562) 867-3227.
SPACES FOR RENT—FULL-SERVICE RV PARK
$340 per month. Quiet & secluded. Pool, spa,
volleyball, tennis court. Great location midway
between Orange Co. & San Diego in CA.
RV storage. (951) 674-8204. ehrvpark.com
SERVICES
Let us help you BUY YOUR RV ... TAX FREE!
We guarantee BEST service and price
Receive $100 Gas Card & FREE Mail Fwding
Save Thousands of $$ Today! 888.430.3388
Best in the business. www.MontanaRV.net
2005 DOUBLETREE LUXURY Mobile Suite. Win a
Suite Deal. 1 ticket for $60.00 or 2 for $100.00.
Call 706-896-8240 or visit
www.mobilesuiteraffle.com for complete raffle
details.
LOWEST RATES IN THE 50 STATES!!
Pay NO Sales Tax, Permanent Plates
No Inspections — Plates in 4 days
Trailers, RVs, Vehicles, Planes, Boats
Deer Creek 877.913.5100 www.taxfreemontana.info
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
FOR SALE
ACTION SERVICES, LLC
Consult a Licensed Montana Attorney
No State Sales Tax & Low License Fees
For Professional Service Call 800-481-0013
www.actionservices-mt.com
RV REGISTRY
www.rvregistry.com
Motorhomes, Trailers & Fifth Wheels
For Sale by Owners
No Sales Commissions
Buyers/Sellers 800-546-8457
LIST YOUR RV!
SHOP FOR AN RV!
THOUSANDS OF VIEWERS
BUYERS WAITING!
••• www.RVclearinghouse.com •••
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
WANTED
DONATE RVs, AUTOS, BOATS, PROPERTY, TIMESHARES, EQUIPMENT and JUNKERS, running or not.
Fast Free Pickup. IRS Tax Deductible.
1-800-903-4483. Homeless Ministries.
Email: [email protected]
RV CLUBS
PACKRAT STORAGE — CONSIGNS, BUYS RVs
Class A, B, C Motorhomes
Not Picky! Cash for Referrals.
Nationwide Pickup. 1-877-520-MINI
www.packratsa.com
RV SHOWS
LONERS ON WHEELS Singles Camping Club
www.lonersonwheels.com
Local Chapter campouts in USA & Canada Rallies,
Caravans & LOW Campground
1-866LOW-CLUB * FREE Newsletter & Info
RV GRAPHICS
VIBRANT FULL COLOR, DURABLE vinyl pictures.
Select landscapes, animals, patriotic, lighthouses,
etc. Avg. 30” X 50” or custom sized for your RV.
Affordable. Easy to install.
www.wild-signs.com 800-255-1790.
RV RENTAL REFERRALS
YOUR RV WILL MAKE MONEY! If it sits idle
let us help to rent it for you through our referral
service. We do the work, sit back and wait for
referrals. REGISTER FOR FREE!
http://www.fivestarrvrental.com 888-861-0344
You rent to whom and when you want.
PAY NO SALES TAX ON VEHICLES
Let us explain how we can legally help you
We’ve helped thousands in the last 11 years
Call one of our three Montana Attorneys
Bennett Law Office, P.C., Missoula, MT
www.bennettlawofficepc.com 866-543-5803
TAX FREE RV — YOUR TAX SAVINGS EXPERTS
We will show you how to save thousands.
The best RV tax package in Montana.
Call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
888-441-5741 — www.taxfreerv.com
AVOID SALES TAX ON RVs AND VEHICLES
Call to speak to a licensed MT attorney about
setting up an LLC. 10+ years of experience.
Heggen Law Office, P. C., Missoula, MT
www.heggenlawoffice.com 888-777-5032
#1 IN SALES TAX SAVINGS
Pay no sales tax on your next RV. We have helped
clients legally save $1000s over the past 12 yrs.
Call Mountain States Consulting 800-565-4504
& talk to a CPA for professional, friendly service
or visit us on the web at www.rvtax.com
MONTANA LLC’S ONLY $399*
SAVE THOUSANDS — PAY O SALES TAX!
Montana LLC’s our Specialty — Lowest Rates
ONLY $399.00* plus state fees and license plates
www.RVLLC.com or Call 888-929-4424
SERVICE TRAINING
RVSA will CERTIFY you as an RV technician in only
10 weeks. 100% employment since 1986.
Hands-on Instruction—Call the RV Service
Academy in Florida. (941) 722-5256. www.rvsa.net
LICENSED & APPROVED FOR VA TRAINING
COMMERCIAL CORNER
TRADING POST
TOURS
CAMPGROUND
MEMBERSHIPS FOR SALE
COAST TO COAST AFFILIATED
WORLDWIDE RV TOURS AND RALLIES
Mexico, Canada, Alaska, Overseas & USA.
Pasadena Rose Parade, Kentucky Derby
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta & much more!
Call for FREE RV Tour magazine 800-952-8496
OR, online “E-zine” at www.fantasyrvtours.com
ADVENTURE CARAVANS RV TOURS & RALLIES
More Days! Save $$$ More Events!
Free 86-page catalog (800) 872-7897
www.adventurecaravans.com
Experience the Adventure, We’ll do the Rest!
Good Sam Samborees and Caraventures
Whether your RV travels take you to Alaska,
Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, New England, the
Kentucky Derby, a NASCAR race, or to America’s
National Parks, the Good Sam Club has a group
travel package for you. Make new friends while you
travel in the comfort of your RV on our fully guided
tours. Call us toll-free at 1-800-829-5140 or
visit us online at www.goodsamclub.com/tours
to find out more about these and the many other
tours offered by the Good Sam Club.
CHOSEN BY DISCRIMINATING RVERS SINCE 1975!!
Drive the Alcan to America’s Last Frontier,
envision yourself on Nova Scotia’s miles of
coastal drives. Cross the border to sunny
Mexico. Celebrate Mardi Gras. Experience
Grand Canyon, Glacier, Pacific NW, Great Lakes,
Branson, S. Africa, New Zealand/Australia.
All arrangements, including RV parks, by
Tracks RV Tours! **Free Catalog**
www.tracksrvtours.com, 800-351-6053!
2007 M-2 FREIGHTLINER MOTORCYCLE HAULER.
MB engine/trans, 40 cu ft compartments, all
air ride, 17 mpg hwy, leather, wood,electronics.
29K miles. $84,900 w/loader, no bike,
623-202-9299.
LOTS FOR SALE
CAMPGROUND MBRSHP FOR SALE. Make offer.
Health forces sale. 4 free parks. Home park.
Pleasant Creek Ranch-Utah, plus Bear Lake,
Starvation, Flaming Gorge. Coast To Coast
affiliated. 2010 fees paid. 928-210-0709.
CAMPGROUND
MEMBERSHIPS FOR SALE
NORTHERN ARKANSAS, 30X40 RV INSULATED BARN
THOUSAND TRAILS NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP.
Annual dues paid to January 2011.
$3500 or best offer. 559-967-2418.
HOMES FOR SALE
DESTIN VILLAGE RV RESORT, FL—2 lots for sale
side by side, across from pool and clubhouse,
1 block to huge public beach. Large pads, gated.
$109,000 each. Susan (850) 496-6520.
RV HOMESITE DAVENPORT FL Landscaped lot.
Deer Creek Golf RV Resort. 30x65 brick pad.
Hookups both sides. 10x12 building.
Washer & dryer. $99,750.
305-395-9690 [email protected]
CLEVELAND TN, 2088SF, 3 BR, 2 1/2 BA, 0.5
acre lot, full basement, sun room, rear deck,
40' RV gar, 2 car gar, many upgrades.
Quiet cul de sac, $219K. 423-472-1979,
[email protected]
RVer. Would like to settle down. Have enough land
for any size RV. Financially secure and you would
be the same. 509-758-7202.
2004 DUTCH STAR 38’ Cat Diesel,
18,000 miles. 2 slides, sat, freezer, pull-out
storage, wash/dry, auto awning, full paint,
stored in coach barn. Like new. $114,500.
(405) 348-6483 H, (405) 209-6840 C.
2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR DP, stored inside,
LR slide, 6.6KW generator, 2000W inverter,
2 A/C units with heat pump, 2 TVs, sat dish,
much more! No smoke. Pristine! 734-854-8209.
on 13 ACRES. Full hookups, 50 amp plugs.
Full 8 x 10 bath, 14 x 40 patio, possible future
apt, upper dormer windows w/view of Ozark mtns,
famous fishing area, $121,000. 312-718-7096.
TOW VEHICLES FOR SALE
2009 M2 - FREIGHTLINER, 325 HP! 15 MPG!
Soundproof interior, auto, all Air Ride, leather, wood
dash & console, deluxe RV body, 33K # RV rating.
Huge tool boxes. 888-838-6678,
www.MountainMaster.net
TRADING POST
MOTORHOMES FOR SALE
2004 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY 39'4" 39 W.
Freightliner 330 Cat, under 20K mi, 2 slides.
$188,080 new. One owner, nonsmoking. Every
option 620-717-1437 KS. $114,169 MUST SELL.
INDIO, CA - Fabulous 2 BR, 2 1/2 BA,
1853 sq ft RV hm, Indian Palms Cntry Club.
50' RV gar w/full hkups, 2 car gar, golfcart gar.
Many upgrades. Orig price $520K. Now $369,900.
Loc on golf course. Steve 619-990-2589.
1994 ELANTE 33 RQ, V8 FORD 7.5L,
air ride. 21K mi, gen 7KW, 50 amp. Q bed, 2 TV,
micro/conv, gas oven, 2-dr frig, central air. Zip Dee,
B/U cam, remote lock. No smk/pets. Garaged.
$20K. (401) 588-1233.
TRAVEL TRAILERS & FIFTH
WHEELS FOR SALE
TOW VEHICLE/TRAILER
PACKAGES FOR SALE
2006 SUNNYBROOK TITAN 5th 29CKS, xlnt cond,
loaded, 2 slides w/awnings, Cal-K bed,
TV w/surr sound, cent vac, extras, no smk,
$28K firm. 2008 Ford diesel F350 dual.
Sell 5th or pkg $58K. 845-797-4860 Cell.
2001 NEWMAR KOUNTRY STAR 5-WHEEL 34’
3 slides, rear living, 2 A/C units. New ‘G’ rated
tires, new unused cover. New awning.
$15,950 972-239-2444.
2003 PACE ARROW 36’ CLASS A, XLNT COND,
Vortex Chevy engine, Allison trans, 3 slides,
elec levelers & awning, white leather int,
conv over, micro, W/D, ss frig/freezer/ice,
no pets, no smoke, low mi. 334-271-0646.
PERSONALS
62-YEAR-OLD SINGLE WHITE MALE
no longer RV owner looking for a lady life partner
RATES AND INFORMATION
Trading Post classifieds are restricted to ads placed
by individual Good Sam Club members who are
current with their dues. Ads must be for items that
are personally owned and listed for sale or trade, not
for rental. All other classifieds will be considered for
placement in the Commercial Corner section.
The following are inappropriate for
placement in Trading Post:
• Ads for commercial products or services.
• Ads for multi-unit apartments, townhome complexes
and more than 10 acres of unimproved real property.
• Ads soliciting the usage of property, whether commercial or residential.
Cumm/Allison, all Air Ride, huge stor,
like new. $39,900 each. 623-451-7121.
1999 TETON 40’ 5TH OR 1998 SL 60. ARCTIC
PKG, full timer, new paint & stripes. Gen, W/D,
D/W, Bose snd, hyd jacks. 82K mi,
• Ads from commercial agents.
• Ads for employment or employees.
• Ads for the exchange of one service for another,
regardless of whether money changes hands.
ADVERTISING RATES: $90 per listing, per issue.
Bold-face type is an additional $10 for the first line,
$110 for the entire ad. Red type is an additional $25.
PHOTOS: $60 per photo, one photo per ad.
BLIND-BOX SERVICE: For $15 per issue, a blind-box
number will be assigned to your ad, and we will forward responses to you.
When submitting ad copy, please follow
these guidelines:
• Mail or fax your ad on our printed form, use your
TRADING POST
25 FT 2007 FLEETWOOD DAKOTA 5TH WHEEL
Fully loaded with many extras incl. full awning.
Gently used by retired non-smkg couple.
2007 GMC 2500 also available. Barrie Ontario 705436-5454.
own stationery or send an e-mail.
• Limit each ad to 200 characters, counting all
letters, spaces, punctuation marks and numbers.
• Indicate under which category you’d like your ad
to be listed.
• Note your Good Sam Club membership number
and expiration date.
MAIL ad copy and a check, money order
or a Visa/MasterCard/Discover number to:
Trading Post, Highways, P.O. Box 8510, Ventura,
California 93002-9912.
FAX credit card orders to 805-667-4379,
Attention: Trading Post.
E-MAIL credit-card orders to [email protected].
Please type “Trading Post” in the subject line.
No telephone orders, please. If you have a question, we can be
reached at (805) 667-4100, extension 391 or 385.
The May issue closes February 20. The June issue closes March 21.
TRAVEL TRAILERS & FIFTHWHEELS FOR SALE
For Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Tacoma,
Ford Explorer Sport, Nissan Frontier
as well as other Ford, Dodge & Chevy
1/2 ton short beds. Big storage available
— FOB So. Cal. factory. See
http://www.americanarv.com/the_travel_bug.asp
–– PLUS –– Quality full-sized AMERICANA tough
Fifth-wheels designed for full-timing & 3/4 or
1 ton trucks –– Internet Direct Deals. Long Hot
Showers available, 36' to 40', Lightweight,
Aerodynamic, True 4 Seasons insulation.
Powerful Hydraulic Disc Brakes! Smooth towing,
full-leveling Air-ride Suspension — Factory Order
prices start @ $43,984.24 F.O.B. The Midwestern
Factory. www.americanarv.com or 800-552-5250.
— 40 years — “Tuff” fifth-wheels for tough
customers. Limited offer expires 3/26/10.
2006 LUXURY GULFSTREAM Friendship 7 40'
dsl pshr. Cat 350, 3 TV, ext warr, 3 slides, garage
kept. 15K miles, must sell, health reasons.
Call Bob 410-647-3878. $175K.
HOME BASE IN BEAUTIFUL SOUTHERN OREGON.
2052 sq. ft. 3BD, 3BA, 3 car garage on 2.6 acres
with detached 30x40 RV garage, 30 & 50 amp
pwr. Minutes to I-5, medical services & shopping
in Medford, OR. $399K. 541-890-7910.
UNIQUE GOT IT ALL HOME BASE HOME. 500 mi to
many places. 2600 sq ft 3/2, pool, 4 ac, across rd
from 300 ac lake in MS St Pk, 100-space
RV park, 50 mi N of Gulf on US 49. $440K.
601-268-3767 for info or come camp MS.
TRUCK CAMPERS FOR SALE
ALASKAN Pickup Truck Camper. The original
telescopic camper. “Top Up-Top Down”, hydraulically.
Since 1953. ALASKAN CAMPERS, 420 NE
Alaskan Way, Chehalis, WA 98532, (360) 748-6494.
Email: [email protected]
www.alaskancamper.com/brochure1.html
39 Highways
MARCH 2010
Maximum 200 characters. Count all letters, numbers, punctuation and spaces.
Specify category______________________________________
ASHEVILLE, NC—Newly remodeled home & RV
building. 4BR, 4BA, 4300 sq ft home, 2250 sq ft
RV building HVAC. Many amenities plus mtn views.
Financing pkg. $749,950. Pics @
www.rvasheville.com; 828-280-3090.
2007 COACH HOUSE PLATINUM 261 XL SD, Ford
E-450 chassis, 6900 mi, flat panel TV,DVD sat,
HWH levelers, 68lb propane tank, 30,000 BTU LP
gas furn, 4.0 KW Onan micro quiet gen.
No smoke/pets. Stored inside.
$99,000 941-378-9133.
1999 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY 37T, 5.9 Cummins,
10 MPG, 58K, 2 S/O, 2 AC, 2 fur, W/D, leather,
sat. TV, Corian, 7.5 dsl gen, lev jacks, awns w/
canvas sides, N/S, no pets, garaged, well maint.
Excellent cond. $65K. 608-437-5736.
table of contents
Name: ________________________________________
Check
Address: ______________________________________
V/MC/Disc./AMEX #: __________________________ Exp._____
______________________________________________
Signature______________________________________________
__
Phone: ________________________________________
Good Sam #____________________________________Exp._____
Please check here
Run for______issues
Total $________________
if you would like your state or province abbreviation to appear in your ad, following your phone number.
www.goodsamclub.com
RV MARKETPLACE
RV MARKETPLACE
The All-New 2010
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HICKLIN POWER SYSTEMS
www speedwaysales com/Honda
Go Electric when you park!
1-888-617-7333
10 models of Electric Bikes to choose from,
for healthier, more convenient transportation.
Night Shift Auto
IBERTY
800-806-7109
Electric Bikes www.iloveebikes.com
Ready Brake -Supplemental brake system
Fits any tow vehicle
Hook up & unhook in less than 1 minute
Look us up on the web or call and get a Free DVD
Iola, KS 800-933-3372 www.readybrake.com
“IF YOU DIDN’T BUY IT FROM US,
YOU PROBABLY PAID TOO MUCH”
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(800)
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• Guaranteed.
www.poliglowproducts.com
Plan your trip.
Check campground ratings.
Book campsites.
Map your route.
Find Good Sam Parks
www.goodsamclub.com/travel
STOP
THE SH AK IN G!
STEADYfast®
Stabilize your parked fifth wheel or travel
trailer in less than a minute
Visit
Toll-Free
www.steadyfast.com 866-498-8754
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com
&REE"ROCHURE
WWWFUMOTOVALVECOM
<0,QWHUQDWLRQDO&R32%R[%HOOHYXH:$
800-922-5013 • Poli Glow Products, Inc.
MARCH 2010
THETHE
NATION’S
RVOUTFITTER
OUTFITTER
NATION’SLARGEST
LARGEST RV
À>ˆ˜Ê9œÕÀÊ"ˆÊ܈̅Ê̅iÊ/œÕV…ÊœvÊ>ʈ˜}iÀt
on our website!
40 Highways
1,199
%.').%/),$2!).6!,6%
• Easy 2-step process. Wipe on. Let dry.
ee Shippi
And it looks like new. Fr
Offer expires 4/1 ng
/10
Will last over
12 months.
www.hicklinpower.com
$
Lowest Pricing on
Complete Line of
Yamaha Generators
NEVER WAX AGAIN
515-986-9557
Model EEF224000is
Shhown
Get an aluminum towbar for $570.00 or a
supplemental brake system for $360.00 or get the
combo for just $865.00 - Lifetime Guarantee -
Ready Brute Towbar
8,000 lb towing capacity
Self Locking arms - Stows on motorhome
Fits any brand of baseplates
DES MOINES, IA
1-800-234-8989
OR
Add up to 50 Hours Run Time to your generator!
Sets up in less than 30 seconds!
Single System $109.95 Dual System $139.95
Toll Free: 866-798-2227
RV & PORTABLE STYLES
“CAN SHIP TODAY”
introduces the R.S.P. Fuel Systems™
*Now Available: NEW EU6500is,
Pair of EU-2000’s and Parallel Cables $1979
GENERATORS
1-866-798-2227
www.ricksESV.com
Honda Generator
Model #EU-3000is
www.jirahled.com
$2,997
The New 2010 CRICKET SW3 comes
standard with a 2-passenger rear
seat which flips down to convert to a
spacious luggage rack!
All-Electric Power! 30 miles per charge!
Seats Four Lightweight Totally Portable
Remote starter available
with this generator $239
JIRAH COMPANY 909-297-1926
[email protected]
Free
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EFFICIENCY
SAVES FUEL!
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DEALERS & DESTINATIONS
RV MARKETPLACE
ADVERTISER INDEX
ALASKA
ADVERTISER
ARKANSAS
RV Marketplace
Lake Dardanelle State Park
SIZES
ads
AVAILABLE IN
•
•
•
black-and-white
two-color
four-color
You can place a 1-inch blackand-white ad for as little as
$665
GOOD SAM
MEMBERS
Save 10% at all
Good Sam Parks
based on a 12-issue schedule
U s e ou r h o o ku p s
For more information, call the
Advertising Department at
800-765-1912
extension 391 or 385
to reconnect.
GoodSamClub.com
888-AT-PARKS
ArkansasStateParks.com
CONTACT GOOD SAM
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT The Good Sam logo is a registered trademark of TL
Enterprises, Inc., a Delaware corporation. It may be used by Good Sam chapters for official
noncommercial identification purposes only and by others only with express written authorization in advance from TL Enterprises, Inc. The noncommercial use for patches and other
similar chapter identification has been granted to chartered chapters of the club. Any other
use without express advance written authorization is prohibited. The following terms are registered trademarks of TL Enterprises, Inc., and may not be used without permission:
Caraventure, Commercial Member of Good Sam RV Club, Good Sam Park, Highways,
MotorHome, Rider, Samboree, Samgo, Trailer Life and the Trailer Life RV Parks and
Campgrounds Directory. Highways does not knowingly accept deceptive or misleading
advertising. If you have a contrary experience with respect to any merchandise or service
represented in our pages, please contact Action Line at [email protected].
Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted upon written request only. Copyright 2010.
41 Highways
MARCH 2010
www.goodsamclub.com
Member Services: 800-234-3450
Life Member Services: 800-964-4748
Good Sam Samborees: 800-829-5140
Good Sam Caraventures: 800-664-9145
Good Sam Cruises: 888-893-4628
Continued Service Plan: 888-787-7683
Emergency Assistance Plus: 800-782-7267
ERS Plan: 800-905-9911
ERS Customer Service: 800-701-1406
Good Sam Visa Card: 866-269-4450
Health and Life Insurance Plans: 800-782-7267
VIP Insurance Plan: 888-514-1116
table of contents
While every effort is made
to maintain accuracy and
completeness, last-minute
changes may occasionally
result in omissions or errors.
PAGE
Achtech Mfg. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Affinity Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Albany RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Banks Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Camp Club USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Carrier Transcold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Coast to Coast Resorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Commercial Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38–39
Consumer Cellular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Cracker Barrel Stores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Danbury Mint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Dealers & Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Direct Sat TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
First Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Good Sam Authorized Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Good Sam Extended Service Plan . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Good Sam RV Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Good Sam Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Good Sam Visa Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Gorilla Glue Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Gravity Defyer Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Guaranty RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Haband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Harbor Freight Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Mule Days Celebration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Power Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
The Rally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
RV Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40–41
RV Buyer’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
RV World of Nokomis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
RVB Top 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
RVOverstock.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Sea Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17,33
St. Louis Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Thetford Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Trading Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Transfer Flow Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Winnebago Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
www.goodsamclub.com
GOOD SAM CLUB
giveaway
Win FREE RV accessories and
travel products in the new
Good Sam Club Giveaway!
Enter daily to increase your
odds of winning great prizes
like barbecue grills, outdoor
furniture, cool gadgets,
electronics and more!
ENTER
TODAY!
• Enter daily
• New prizes
every month!
• FUN, and
easy to enter
ENTER
TO WIN:
www.GoodSamClub.com
S
ERE
WH ’
<< Enjoy the View. The Good Sam
?
GO
members who took this picture clearly
know how to throw a picnic. If you can tell
us the setting of this scenic lunch, you
may be the winner of this month’s $50
prize in our Where’s Good Sam photo contest. To enter, send an e-mail identifying
the photo’s location and state or province,
plus your name and contact info, to
[email protected]. On
April 1, we’ll pick one $50 winner at random from among the correct entries. The
location and our winner will be announced
in the June 2010 issue of Highways.
M
OD SA
P H O T O
C O N T E S T
WHERE’S GOOD SAM IS NOW ON FACEBOOK.
For more photo fun, go to www.facebook.com and enter Good Sam Club in the search box.
>>Bear Market. Good Sam Club member Gary Brentnall of Loomis, California, won $50
after identifying the December online issue’s Where’s Good Sam photo, reprinted on the right.
The fifth-wheel trailer with the Good Sam sticker on the back is parked on the banks of Strohn
Lake across from the foot of Bear Glacier in British Columbia’s Bear Glacier Provincial Park.
Good Sam member Paul Milligan of Calgary, Alberta, earned $50 for capturing the image.
You can cash in with your camera, too. Take a photo of your RV in a scenic location with your
Good Sam sticker prominently displayed. E-mail the image to whereisgoodsam@goodsamclub
.com and include your contact info. If your photo’s selected, you’ll receive $50.
42 Highways
MARCH 2010
table of contents
www.goodsamclub.com