*************************************************************************** THE RVERSCORNER Newsletter *************************************************************************** Nov, 2003 *************************************************************************** This newsletter has grown from a few friends in 1997 to 8800+ friends in 2003. It seems that we must be doing something right, so we will continue to do so. Many of us converse on the RVerscorner Bulletin board ... and all are welcome there ... posting rules are moderate and there are many fine people who help with questions and answers. Check it out at: http://www.rverscorner.com/discus Inside this issue: - SAVE MY OLD PARTS? by Austin C. Davis - TAKE IT IN BITES by Don Wetmore - FULLTIMING BUDGET (Part two) by Peggi McDonald - FEELING THE HEAT By Les Doll (from the Nov 2002 newsletter) Classified Ad Section: About the RVer's Corner Newsletter: *************************************************************************** Check out this new RV resource: RV Park Info http://www.rvparkinfo.net The webmaster (Mike Hearn) writes this: "Are you tired of reading all the biased reviews about campgrounds and RV parks in periodicals and directories that sell advertising back to the same campgrounds being reviewed? It has been proven that some campgrounds in some of these directories actually get better reviews when paying for advertising. I don't know about you, but I don't think bath-houses are cleaner just because someone is paying a directory an advertisement fee. That is the premise behind RV Park Info. RV Park Info was created to provide an unbiased place for RV'ers and campers to go to see reviews on RV parks and campgrounds by actual RV'ers and campers. These reviews are unbiased, and will remain that way since RV Park Info will not offer advertising to campgrounds, or campground affiliated organizations. We simply allow RVers and campers to register for free and submit their reviews on campgrounds and RV parks they have visited in the past. Obviously, the success of the site depends on the participation of RV'ers and campers, which is why we intend to offer a fun user experience in addition to the review content. We want our users to come to our site to learn, to contribute, and to have fun. Stop by today to register for free and start submitting your RV park and campground reviews." http://www.rvparkinfo.net So ... here is an opportunity to help build a new RV website that will benefit future RV'ers and all of us "Old-Timers". *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** SAVE MY OLD PARTS? by Austin C. Davis Reader Question: Should I tell my mechanic to keep all of my old parts so I know that the parts actually got replaced? I am sure you have all heard about asking your mechanic to give you the old parts that were replaced while working on your car..right? About two years ago I played a joke on a customer who asked me to keep her old parts. She asked me to save the old parts--BEFORE we did any work, man nothing irks me more than a new customer who asks to have the old parts AFTER we have done the work. Digging around in trash cans is NOT the best thing to have me remember you for. Anyway, back to my story. I gave this customer an air conditioning compressor and told her it was her old water pump that we replaced, and she believed me. Yes, I did tell her I was just testing her to see if she knew what it was she was looking at. I think some people just set themselves up for being taken advantage of. Here is something I think is much more beneficial to you as a customer and to the shop doing the work. Ask your mechanic to use brand name or dealer parts whenever there is a "critical component" being replaced. Critical component? Think of it as something that will leave you stranded or could compromise safety. Some critical components would be: water pumps, alternators, starters, fuel pumps, etc.... Some non-critical items would be: air filters, spark plugs, fluids, brake pads, etc. Ask your mechanic to use his best judgment when determining critical items. You will probably pay more for these parts now, but in the long run you will be glad you did. Case in point. Last month a good friend of mine had the fuel pump in his Chevy Tahoe go out while he was visiting here in the Houston area. He had this fuel pump replaced 15 months prior at his usual repair shop, and he had requested that they use the dealer replacement pump. Although his mechanic offers a 12-month free replacement warranty policy, he was not only over the time limit, but also hundreds of miles away from home. He called me and asked to have his vehicle towed to my shop for repair. He showed me the invoice from his mechanic and the brand name of the pump he had told them to write on the invoice (very smart)! I have a wonderful relationship with my part supplier, and I knew that my vendor would honor the manufacture warranty for my friend. We put the old defect pump in the new box and sent it off for credit. So you are saying to yourself...ya Austin sounds great so what! Well the punch line to the story is the pump has a retail price of $497 just for the part! I billed him for the tow charge and labor only. I would have done this for anyone not just a friend of mine, this is a great way to win over a new customer, and I still made money!!! BUT, I would not have done it if his mechanic had replaced the pump with a cheaper product that I don't have a good working relationship with the local vendor for. Some auto parts are region or area specific, and might not be available in all cities. Some parts are store specific and can only be returned at a particular franchise. So the small added cost of the name brand pump saved my friend lots of money in the long run. Ask your mechanic to write the name brand of the parts being replaced on your repair invoice. Also, it would be a good idea to ask if the part carries a longer warranty than your mechanic normally honors. I can think of two manufactures that will give lifetime part replacement, so all you pay your mechanic is the labor if the part breaks. I talk about many other topics like this in my eBook Click here Guaranteed to save you money. I hope this helps. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Austin C. Davis Austin provides how-NOT-to advice about what to say and NOT to say to an auto mechanic. Austin explains how the customer is often his or her own worst enemy when it comes to car repair negotiations. As a auto repair shop owner Austin has seen and heard it all, and is now telling his readers what he knows. http://www.rverscorner.com/mechanic.html *************************************************************************** TAKE IT IN BITES by Don Wetmore "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer: "One bite at a time". The point here is that we will schedule ourselves to work on a large project that will take several hours. The problem is that most of us do not get a solid block of several hours just to work on one thing, but we fool ourselves into thinking tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow comes, the big chunk of time does not become available, so we procrastinate. "I'll just do this tomorrow." As an alternative, why not put down the first bite of the elephant for tomorrow, the first twenty or thirty minutes of the project and note it with "(ext)" to remind ourselves to extend the next step to the next available day? Complete that first bite and then put the next bite on tomorrow's list and subsequent days until it's completed. It may take several days, but you will get that elephant eaten up, one bite at a time. Don Wetmore-Professional Speaker Productivity Institute Time Management Seminars 127 Jefferson St. Stratford, CT 06615 (203) 386-8062 (800) 969-3773 Fax: (203) 386-8064 email:ctsem@msn.com Visit our Supersite: http://www.balancetime.com *************************************************************************** FULLTIMING BUDGET (part two) by Peggi McDonald] ANNUAL MAINTENANCE COSTS - summer 2003 I also received questions about our maintenance costs. I am relaying this so everyone is aware that there are good and bad years, although in the long run everything averages out, some years will be higher than others and you must expect it. RVing good times always outnumber the bad in this lifestyle but not every day is perfect and some may be a bit costly. This is the reason I strongly urge every RVer to have a $5000.00 emergency fund so you do not have to use your travel funds for emergencies – ours is a zero balance credit card that we can deal with when we return home in the summer. I have recently ‘spoke’ to many RVers by email about maintenance costs of RVing. Some years, like this one for us, can be exceptionally costly, BUT most are not. When we drove gas motorhomes we budgeted $3500.00 Cdn $ {2500.00 US$} per year for both vehicles and frequently came in well under that. Last year our diesel maintenance was $3000.00 Cdn$ {$2100. US$} -$174.00 Cdn$ {$123.00 US$} for the car) – no one thing in particular stood out. Most of the past four years have been similar amounts. (PS we did spend $4200.00 Cdn$ {$2957.00 US$} on our renovations see details on www.rvliving.net) Well nothing in life stays the same – prices Cdn$ (converted at $1.42 Cdn$ or .71 US$ ) listed below are after taxes. This spring we updated our tow car- the new baseplate and lighting cost us $1300.00, {$915.00 US$} the furnace quit on our 95 Luxor, as well as a check valve on the water pump and other miscellaneous things at additional cost of $1100.00. {$774.00 US$}. One week later the check valve on our water heater quit ($100.00 {$71.00 US$} more) and then the ballast on two 18" ‘thin-lites’ stopped functioning at an approximate replacement cost of $70-$80.00 {$57.00 US$} each. Routine Class B maintenance and regular tune-up on our generator added another $1300.00. {$915.00 US$}. The service centre hourly rate was definitely on the low side of things and not much was wrong or had to be changed but the service contributes to this years maintenance costs. Prices may be slightly lower in the USA but available (pension) income may also differ, Our windshield cracked in April with a deductible of $300.00. {$211.00 US$). This meant we needed new website lettering (plus our Invisible Bra on the tow car) at another $250.00. {$176.00 US$} While at Buffalo dry camping at the FMCA convention, our 4 year-old batteries no longer would hold a charge, so four new golf cart batteries added another $580.00 {$411.00 US$} when converted to Cdn. (I was shocked when the techs told us that most batteries can only expect a lifespan of 4 years). However we are not done yet this summer. While the coach was coming to life from under a cloud of oxidization due to comprehensive detailing last weekend (approximately $550.00 {$387.00 US$} for service and miracle products) – see photos on www.rvliving.net, John cleaned the wheel wells and the tires. He discovered the cracks on the sidewalls of our four-year old front tires were becoming deeper and he no longer felt safe driving our motorhome. (RV Tires too have a life between 4-5 years). So last Wednesday he ordered two front tires at a cost of $409.00 {$288.00 US$} each plus tax. Another $956.00 {$673.00 US$} goes towards maintenance (other four are slated for next year.) So far since the middle of April our maintenance for both vehicles is now at approximately $6550.00 {$4612.00 US$} and it is only the first of August. Guess this will be a costly year. Remember; look at the big picture to understand your overall cost of RVing. On the days when things look a little black don’t forget there really is no journey as joyful as seeing North America in an RV. What better way to explore this great continent? Happy Travels P&J Peggi and John McDonald RV Lifestyle Consultants Author of Spirit of The Open Road and ebooks RV Living: Facts, Tips, Hints and More---Vol 1 and 11 Log onto www.rvliving.net for FREE downloads *************************************************************************** Feeling the Heat By Les Doll (from the Nov 2002 newsletter) It's Novemberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! If your furnace malfunctions during the night (it always quits at 3 am) here are a couple of "quick fixs" you may want to try. 1. Throw on another blanket and go back to bed! 2. Make sure the furnace has adequate voltage. A depleted battery will not run the blower motor fast enough to allow the burner to light. If you are connected to shore power, make sure the breakers are on and that your power cord is connected securely. 3. If the blower fan does not come on, nothing else will happen! Possible quick fixs are to check the main fuse box for a blown fuse ... on some models of furnaces there is a breaker inside the furnace access panel that may have to be reset. 4. If the blower comes on but no heat comes forth ... make sure that you have adequate levels in the tanks and that the tanks are turned on! You can reset the furnace ignition cycle by turning off the furnace with the thermostat control, then re-set it. The furnace will attempt to re-start and all may be well again. 5. Do NOT attempt to heat your RV using the stove top burners or the oven! This appliance is meant for cooking food and not warming the interior. 6. If all else fails refer to step #1. *************************************************************************** The RVers Corner welcomes Camping World to our list of sponsors! Get more info and a fr-ee Camping World catalog here! Plus !!! the RVers Corner gets $.25 for every catalog requested ... every little '2 bits' help to maintain this website and this newsletter! Help the RVers Corner and get your catalog now! Save 25% off our regular rate of $19.95 when you join the President's Club today! Dear RV and Camping Enthusiast, At Camping World, we believe in offering quality products at the very best price. Camping World's President's Club helps you save even more. PLUS, take advantage of exclusive club benefits designed to match your recreational lifestyle. Only $14.95 for one full year! (Reg $19.95) AND ... Take an extra 10% off Camping World's already low prices everyday A free subscription to RV View magazine "Members Only" Special Sale Pricing, plus much more! To take advantage of this special offer and learn more about the money-saving benefits the President's Club has to offer! It only takes a minute to ensure savings all year long. http://www.rverscorner.com/campingworld.html *************************************************************************** The NEW Rvers Corner Bulletin Board Come join in the discussions on the web's newest RV discussion group! No password or account set-up is needed. Just post your message or browse the categories! Pictures can be posted - just follow the instructions under the Help section. Have fun! http://www.rverscorner.com/discus *************************************************************************** A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter haven't you ever seen a little boy before?" *************************************************************************** Norman and his wife live in Calgary. One winter morning while listening to the radio, they hear the announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 centimetres of snow today. You must park your car on the even numbered side of the street, so the snowplough can get through." Norman's wife goes out and moves her car. A week later while they are eating breakfast, the radio announcer says, "We are expecting 10 to 12 centimetres of snow today. You must park your car on the odd numbered side of the street, so the snowplough can get through." Norman's wife goes out and moves her car again. The next week they are having breakfast again, when the radio announcer says "We are expecting 12 to 14 centimetres of snow today. You must park..........." then the electric power goes out. Norman's wife is very upset, and with a worried look on her face she says, "Honey, I don't know what to do." Which side of the street do I need to park on so the snowplough can get through? With the love and understanding in his voice like all of us men who are married to Blondes exhibit, Norman says, "Why don't you just leave it in the garage this time?" *************************************************************************** CLASSIFIED ADS *************************************************************************** NEW RV HOME VIDEOS RV Education 101 presents home videos on how to operate everything on an RV. The VHS videos are very useful to anyone new to RVing. Read more, or order at: http://www.rverscorner.com/rvvideo.html *************************************************************************** The New FLO-JET Water Pump The performance and reliability you’ve always wished for in a pump can now be yours. Flojet’s unique Variable Speed Drive system needs no pressure switch. Its microprocessor provides precise speed control to match the system demand. As more water is needed, the motor drives the pump for more flow. As the demand lessens, the motor slows to a super-quiet speed, yet maintains a steady pressure. Se more at: http://www.rverscorner.com/flo-jet.html *************************************************************************** The RV'ers Corner is pleased to announce our affiliation with Camping World! Help support the RV'ers Corner and get a fr-ee Camping World Catalog mailed to your door! The RVers Corner gets a quarter for every catalog request! Get your fr-ee Camping World catalog here! http://www.rverscorner.com/campingworld.html *************************************************************************** Aluria's Spyware Eliminator Your privacy is being invaded. What you are doing on your computer is being watched right now. There are companies that know you are looking at this page. They know what you typed to your family, friends and coworkers. They know what you are emailing to people. They watch your IMs. Hackers are watching to capture your credit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information. The online world is no longer safe. UNTIL NOW. http://www.rverscorner.com/aluria.html *************************************************************************** Looking for something a bit different this Christmas? RV Christmas Cards ... Order now to get yours in time ... http://www.rverscorner.com/cards.html *************************************************************************** !!! HAPPY CAMPIN' !!! Les Doll - RV Technician My advice is fr-ee and worth only what you gain from it! E-mail address mailto:webmaster@rverscorner.com The RVers Corner - http://www.rverscorner.com/ Visit the RV'ers Corner bulletin board: http://www.rverscorner.com/discus The RVers Corner Newsletter is a monthly newsletter dedicated to enhancing the RV experience - you are being sent this newsletter as a result of subscribing to the RV Corner mailing list. If you wish to unsubscribe, please see the instructions at the end of this newsletter. We value each one of our subscribers, and you may be assured that we will protect your privacy. We do not share our mailing list with anyone. Les Doll Meet the webmaster at: http://www.rverscorner.com/bio.html *************************************************************************** We hope that this newsletter will prove valuable to you and we strive to bring fresh, new content with every issue. If you wish to contribute an article or relate a tip that you have learned, please e-mail me. *************************************************************************** To UNSUBSCRIBE please go to: http://www.rverscorner.com/newsltr.html We'll miss you!