Tips & Tricks For The RV Crowd.

• Shoe Business
  One of my pet peeves during camp time would have to be the pile of shoes that accumulates at the door of the trailer. To alleviate this problem, I built an upright shoe rack and set it outside of the trailer door, under the awning. This keeps the shoes sorted, dry and out of our way. It has also kept the kids from bringing 10% of the beach into our camper. All in all, even though it was cheap to build, it has been one of the best investments of time and money for our trailer - and my sanity.
   
• Manual Dexterity
  Have you ever had a problem with one of your camper appliances while in the middle of a camping trip? Wouldn't it be nice to have the owners manual with you at a time like that? But keeping the original paperwork in the camper isn't exactly a great idea either. So what I like to do is to make Xerox copies of all of the manuals and other documentation, place them in an organized folder and keep it right in the RV. That way the info is there if we need it, but the originals are kept safely at home.
   
• Battling the Bottles
  I got tired of having water bottles scattered all over the camp site. Especially when most were left half full and nobody knew who's was who's. It's bad enough to be paying for water, but to actually be wasting water that you paid for drives me nuts!
  
  To cure this, I buy those square or rectangular 2 gallon water jugs and freeze them solid before the trip. Then we set them out on the picnic table, as needed, with a stack of Dixie cups. The water stays ice cold as it melts in the summer sun and when the kids are done, they pitch the Dixie cups in the fire pit. For really hot summer days, I have built a simple insulated wood box to keep the water jug from thawing too fast and then becoming warm. Now, there are no more half filled water bottles laying around the camp site. Problem solved! Not to mention that they keep the coolers very cold until we use them.

• Citronella Candles
  Fact or fiction? Go here to find out more.

• Awning Tips
  • When setting up my awning, I always make sure that one end of the awning is lower than the other. This will direct the rain water to the lower corner, giving you some control over where the rain water ends up. This is critical if you are expecting rain while you camp. I prefer to let the ground level dictate which end is lower. This helps to direct the runoff water to the lower ground so it won't run back towards the RV. 
    
    And during the rain, make sure to keep an eye on the awning so there is no excessive  accumulation of rain water. I had an awning fill up during the night and it actually buckled the support bar that holds it upright. That was an expensive lesson!

   

  • I like to keep a long handled broom in my RV to brush the leaves and dirt form my awning before I roll it back up. This minimizes the chances of tearing the material and gives moisture less to hold on to.
    

   

  • When I clean my awning, I like to open it about 2 or 3 feet and start to cleaning, this allows me to be able to reach it all. After that section is cleaned, I open it another 2 or 3 feet and repeat the process. This is so much more effective than trying to reach everything when it is fully open. Plus, if I have to give any scrubbing action to the awning, the aluminum roll gives support while I scrub.

  
  

  • ALWAYS allow the awning to dry completely before storing it for any length of time. Sometimes the weather won't cooperate and I have to roll the awning up to travel home after a weekend. But when I get home I open it back up to allow it to dry thoroughly before I store it. This cuts down on mildew and mold damage. 

  
  

  • Before I put my RV away for the winter I like to give the mechanical moving parts a nice mist of WD40 or other spray lubricant to help reduce any oxidation and to dissipate moisture. Be sure not to get any oil on the material though.

  
  

  • My awning is like a hornet magnet. They just love to get under the roll or even inside the sliding channels. I cured this by giving the channel a light shot of foaming hornet spray at the beginning of the season. It seems to stay there just enough to keep any new nests from forming. I'm still getting them though because I don't dare spray the fabric.

  
  

  • When you plan to be away from the RV for an extended amount of time, retract your awning in case bad weather (heavy rain or high winds) develops while you are away.

  
  

  • Always be sure that your awning is far enough away from any campfire to prevent damage. Even if it doesn't ignite, the fabric could get hot enough to stretch, tear or melt.

  
  
  

• Make a list:  
  It is always a good idea to make a list when you are trying to pack for a camping trip. What we like to do is to keep our list in the tent or camper and, during the course of a camping trip, we write down things that we either forgot or want to bring for the next trip. This way, you will not have forgotten some items the next time you pack. This has worked very well for our family.
  
  
• Hand washing station: 
  On a tree, hang a clean nylon with a bar of soap in it or a soap on a rope. Hang a 1 gallon jug of water with a golf tee punched in it. the kids can remove the tee and the water will come out and when they are done they can replace the tee. hang a roll of paper towels on a rope. You have an instant hand washing station and the kids don't have to come into the camper to wash their hands every time. Or else hang a soap on a rope near a water faucet if you have access. 
  (Coleen Sutton)

• Practice, practice, practice:
  A great way to prepare kids for the real McCoy camping is to start out with backyard camping. It will help them develop basic camping skills such as setting up and taking down a tent, unpacking and packing a sleeping bag etc.
  
  
• Timing is everything: 
  A potato baked in the coals for one hour makes an excellent side dish. A potato baked in the coals for three hours makes an excellent hockey-puck.
  
  
• Fire Starter:
  Saturate 3-4 cotton balls in Vaseline and put them in a 35mm film canister. They will stay dry and when you arrive at your campsite, simply pull a small amount up into a wick shape and light it. They will burn for about 15 minutes and maintain a 3-4 inch flame. At that rate, even damp wood is bound to burn! (This hint is definitely not recommended for use in tents or enclosed areas! But they are fairly wind proof so don't worry.)
  
  
• Waterproof matches: 
  You can make matches waterproof by dipping them in melted paraffin. Or make fire starters by filling paper condiment cups with saw dust and pouring paraffin into the cup
  
  
• Cool Facts: 
  Cover the ice in a picnic cooler with foil to help it last longer. Keep the water in your canteen cooler by wrapping the canteen in foil
  
  
• Try this: 
  Keep a dry bar of soap in your sleeping bag to combat musty odors which develop during damp-season camping.
  
  
• Don't be a sap!: 
  When handling evergreens or pine cones, you can remove the sticky sap from your hands easily if you use baking soda instead of soap to wash.
  
  
• Ban the bugs: 
  Discarded roll on deodorant bottles make an excellent insect repellent applicator because it enables you to keep 'bug dope' off your hands and out of your eyes. Snap off the plastic top or snap out the ball, rinse out the bottle and refill with your favorite liquid repellant.
  
  
• Don't be a stinker: 
  Remember that mosquitoes and biting flies seem to like dark colored clothing and the perfumed scents of many grooming products (soaps, shampoos, colognes, etc.) Dress so that you won't attract the biters, and try using unscented grooming aids.
  
  
• Watch what ya spray: 
  Certain fibers can be damaged by insect repellants. Don't apply repellants to spandex (from which bathing suits are made), rayon, or Dynel fabrics. Tent fabrics, plastic and painted surfaces also can be damaged by insect repellents. Be careful not to spray your wrist watch if it has a plastic lens.
  
  
• Can it! : 
  We like to bring one or more garbage cans (either metal or the Rubber-made type) for several uses. First, we pack lots of our stuff in them for the trip to the campgrounds. Once at the campgrounds we line the cans with plastic garbage bags and use them for trash (with a lid to keep the critters out at night) and for empty returnable bottles. Then, when it is time to head back home, we simply remove the liner bags and use them again to pack stuff for the trip back home.
  
  
• Refreshing but not soggy: 
  Use clean plastic milk containers, filled with water and frozen solid, in place of cubed ice bought at the store, in your cooler. This keeps the contents of the cooler from being waterlogged as the ice melts, and also keeps a supply of ice-cold drinking water on hand as it melts.
  
  
• Keep it clean:
   It is amazing how much dirt can be tracked into an RV while camping. We have cut this to a fraction by simply laying out a large piece of outdoor carpet in front of the RV door. It is light-weight and easy to clean. This same tip works great for use inside of a screened-in-tent. 
  
  
• IMPORTANT! :
  Always carry a well-equipped first aid kit. It is best if at least one person in your party has first aid and CPR training.
  
  
• Itchy situation:
  Make sure your family knows what poison Ivy looks like and how to avoid it. Go here to see pictures of poison ivy and poison oak. This tip can prevent a lot of discomfort and a ruined vacation.
  
  
• Air it out: 
  After a camping weekend, we like to pitch our tents in the back yard at home to make sure that they are properly aired out before putting them back into storage. This helps to prevent mold and mildew from forming on a tent that has been stored while still being a bit damp. It also helps to make sure that all parts of the tent (stakes, ropes, etc... ) are still there for the next trip.
  
  
• Tree tip: 
  Birch bark and spruce pitch make good fire starters, but should NEVER be obtained from a living tree.
  
  
• Will it burn? : 
  Two signs that wood is dry enough to burn effectively: the bark will be loose or falling off; cracks will have formed in the wood.
  
  
• In the dark : 
  Ever get to camp late and have to set up a tent after dark? It might be a good idea to make sure you can set up your tent in the dark. The unexpected can happen. You might run into a 96 mile detour and arrive at your campsite much later than planned. A few practice setups in the dark at home in the back yard will help you out in case of a late setup at camp.
   
• Gotcha Covered:
  A simple but helpful tip is to keep at least one tarp in with your camp supplies. They are very useful as a rain fly or to keep the rain or morning dew from dampening your campfire wood.
   
• Double Up:
  We like to keep our camper stocked with toiletries and hygiene products separate from our daily house supplies. This way, we don't "forget" to bring the deodorant or toothbrush. We leave these supplies in the camper or in a separate travel bag. 
   
• A Real Smooth Idea:
  A quick swipe of bar soap or candle wax along the edges or your tent zipper will help the zipper to operate more smoothly.
  
• Doing the Nasty:
  When it comes time to drain your waste tank (the nasty) everyone has their own way of doing this. One technique that I have found to be useful is the "thunder-flush" method. This is where you don't open the valve until the tank is almost full. This causes a heavy, almost violent, surge of water and waste to come rushing through the hose with enough force to keep the hose from being blocked. 
  
  There aren't many things worse than finding out that your waste hose is blocked and full. But one way to prevent this from happening is to keep the valve closed during your camping trip but keeping track of how full the tank is getting. If the tank is getting full (75% or better) you'll need to empty it. But by waiting until the tank is almost full, you reduce the chances of the hose getting blocked because of a lack of pressure.
  
  Keep in mind that this same pressure that will help to keep your hose from becoming blocked can also end up blowing the hose out of the ground drain. You can imagine the end result. Yuck! So to keep this from happening, I strongly suggest you use either a "donut" ring or at least place something heavy on top of the hose where it enters the ground drain. This should help to keep it from getting blown out of the ground drain.
  
  Once the tank has been emptied, I like to prop the flush valve open for a few minutes and allow the waste tank to partially fill (50%-75%) with water and then open the drain valve again. This gives the hose and valve a heavy blast of (mostly) clean water to rinse away and solids. I do this several times right before we unhook from the ground drain. This way I know that my tank and hoses are relatively clean and free from blockages.
  
  Another thing to keep in mind is to use a good toilet paper that breaks down easily. To test your brand, stuff several pieces into a covered jar of water, let it sit for several minutes and shake the jar gently. If the paper falls apart, it's a good brand to use in your RV tank. If it stays in a blob, get another brand. We like to use Angel Soft, but try your own brand to see how well it breaks down.
  
  Yet another important thing to avoid is women's personal hygiene products being flushed in the RV toilet. This can cause serious blockages in your RV and in the sewer system of the RV park. Never dispose of these items in the toilet!
   
• Campfire Safety:
  • Build your campfire on a fire safe spot (examples: a grill or bare ground). Be cautious about concrete or other stone surfaces that can actually pop or explode, sending very hot pieces of rock and possibly hot embers, in all directions.

   

  • Clear the immediate area surrounding your campfire site of debris (8 - 10 ft. radius).

   

  • Your campfire should be a safe distance from trees, shrubs and dry grass (be sure to look up for overhanging branches).

   

  • Pitch your tent (made of a flame-retardant fabric) far enough away from the campfire site to prevent ignition from heat or sparks.

   

  • Instead of having an open fire during windy conditions, consider building a pit fire or using a firebox to prevent errant sparks.

   

  • Never leave your campfire unattended.

   

  • Make sure your fire is totally extinguished before breaking camp.

   

  • Teach your children to respect fire.

   

So, do you have a cool idea? Send it to us. We'd love to share your idea with our visitors. If you want, we can even add your name to the tip to give you credit for submitting it.

Online Camping Tips Resources 

Here is a nice article about tents. It tells about how to choose, buy and maintain them. 
http://www.gorp.com/gorp/publishers/menasha/gea_tent.htm.
Let us know if you have any trouble using these links.