RVs & campers
Book - 2021
"Live down by the beach one week and way up in the mountains the next? It sounds like an impossible dream, but motor-homers do it all the time. Whatever draws you to the mobile life--adventurous domestic vacations or permanently itchy feet--RVs & Campers For Dummies helps you feel right at home. The book explores the key aspects of glamping-with-wheels. Discover how it's possible to bring beauty spots right to your doorstep without sacrificing domestic comforts like a comfy bed, private bathroom, and wholesome, healthy home cooking! In a down-home, friendly style, mobile-living veterans and husband-and-wife team Christopher Hodapp and Alice Von Kannon welcome you inside to discover everything from deciding to rent or buy the v...ehicle that best suits your needs to planning and prepping your first journey and then setting yourself up wherever you arrive at the perfect spot. Along the way you'll learn how to adapt your driving skills to pilot your home on the road, as well as how to keep every aspect of it shipshape and ready for action. Explore your RV and camper options Stock up with the right supplies Get a snapshot of the mobile home lifestyle Troubleshoot common problems Getting there is half the fun--and this guide shows you how to do it safely and in style. So, buckle up (or relax in the back) ... it's going to be a wild but incredibly comfortable ride!" --Amazon.com.
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Genres
- Handbooks and manuals
- Published
-
Hoboken, New Jersey :
John Wiley & Sons
[2021]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Other Authors
- Item Description
- Includes index.
"Learning made easy" -- Cover.
"Select the RV or camper that fits your travel needs ; pick the perfect spot that fits your camper ; take charge of maintaining your RV or camper" -- Cover. - Physical Description
- xiii, 399 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes index.
- ISBN
- 9781119790341
- Introduction
- About This Book
- Foolish Assumptions
- Icons Used in This Book
- Beyond the Book
- Where to Go from Here
- Part 1. Getting Started with RVs and Campers
- Chapter 1. Joining the Cavalcade of Rolling Nomads
- Everybody's Doing It
- Weekenders and vacationers
- Snowbirds and retirees
- Full-timers
- Workampers
- Road scholars
- Going green and living off the grid
- Glampers
- International tourists
- The Song of the Open Road
- "intrepid autoists"
- Getting scientific
- President Eisenhower and the Interstate Highway System
- The Road Less Taken
- Chapter 2. Surveying the Wide World of RVs and Campers
- Motorhomes
- Class A motorhomes
- Class B motorhomes
- Class C motorhomes
- Towables
- Toy haulers or sport utility trailers
- Lightweights
- Teardrop trailers
- Off-road trailers
- Pop-up trailers
- Fifth wheels
- Truck Campers
- Chapter 3. Decisions, Decisions: Knowing What You Need
- To Pull or Be Pulled, That Is the Question
- Go big or go home: Opting for a motorhome or fifth wheel
- Space Odyssey: How Much Do You Need?
- Traveling with kids
- Traveling with pets
- Working from the road
- Honestly Assessing Amenities
- Fireplace
- Washer and dryer
- Dishwasher
- Part 2. Buying Your RV
- Chapter 4. Fitting an RV into Your Budget
- New or Used: The Wide World of RVs
- Buying used
- Buying new
- Taking Out a Loan
- Expecting the Unexpected
- The tax man cometh
- Insurance
- Storage
- Chapter 5. Doing Your Homework
- Working on Your Short List
- Getting to know the major players
- Considering smaller RV makers
- Zeroing in on the RVs you're interested in
- Finding Resources You Can Trust
- The Internet
- Books and magazines
- RV shows
- Campgrounds
- Factory tours
- Chapter 6. Dealing with Dealers
- Getting the Lay of the Land
- Choosing an RV Dealer: Giant and Nationwide or Small and Local
- Following the Rules of the Road: Tips for Working with RV Dealers
- Worrying Over Warranties
- Chapter 7. Adding a Tow Vehicle to Your Trailer
- Choosing Wisely
- Finding Your Vehicle's Tow Ratings
- Shopping for a Tow Vehicle
- Understanding truck sizes
- Cab and bed configurations
- Considering optional features
- Chapter 8. Getting Hitched and the Alchemy of Weight
- Getting to Know Your Trailer Hitch
- The hitch receiver
- What's what on the trailer hitch
- Trailer hitch sizes
- Weight-carrying and weight-distributing hitches
- Weighing Your RV
- Part 3. Taking Your First Camping Trip
- Chapter 9. Stocking Up on Accessories: What Your RV Didn't Come With
- The Bare Necessities
- Wheel chocks
- Leveling blocks
- Water hoses
- Sewer drain hoses and accessories
- Electrical cables and accessories
- Gozintas, gozontas, and dog bones
- Basic tools
- Expendables
- Fun Extras
- Chapter 10. Packing for the Road
- Following Some Basic Packing Tips
- Packing a First-Aid Kit
- Finding Fun Storage Hacks
- Plastic storage totes
- Hooks and Command strips
- Shelf and drawer caddies
- Tension bars
- Stackable cabinet organizers
- Packing Your Tuxedo
- Kitchen Aid: Packing Food and Utensils
- King of the roast
- Food safety and storage
- Chapter 11. Driving, Parking, and the Dread of Backing Up
- Preparing to Pilot Your Own Private Battleship
- Drafting a copilot
- Practicing until you can't practice any more
- What's Your Clearance, Clarence? Knowing How Big You Are Before You Hit the Road
- Backup Plan: Backing Up Like a Pro
- Getting from Point A to Point B Stress-Free
- Paying attention to your speed
- Keeping your distance
- Steering you right
- Coming to a stop: "Trailer brakes first!"
- Handling hills
- Chapter 12. The Shakedown: Your Maiden Voyage
- Taking Your Shakedown Cruise
- Whither do we wander? Deciding where to go
- Getting set to set up camp
- Knowing what to check
- Finding a Campground
- Knowing your options
- Making reservations
- Checking in
- Chapter 13. Setting Up Your Campsite
- Pulling into the Campground and Finding Your Campsite
- On the Level: Leveling Your RV
- Leveling side to side
- Unhitching your trailer from your tow vehicle
- Leveling front to back
- Connecting Your Utilities
- Electricity
- Water
- Sewer
- Propane
- Making Life Comfortable
- Opening your slides
- Getting TV service
- Communicating with the outside world
- Part 4. Understanding How Your RV Works
- Chapter 14. Electrical Systems
- One RV, Two Kinds of Power
- What Runs What
- Engine or chassis system
- The 12VDC house power system
- Shore power
- Convertible Electricity
- The Fuse Panel
- 12V fuses
- 120V circuit breakers
- Generators
- Power output
- Weight
- Fuel
- Noise
- Maintenance
- Security
- Chapter 15. Water World: The Wonders of Plumbing
- Understanding How Water Works in an RV
- Using the Freshwater System
- Getting fresh water
- Getting to know your water heater
- Dealing with the Wastewater System
- Getting down and dirty with your RV toilet
- Checking your holding tank monitor
- Emptying your wastewater tanks
- Washing out your blackwater tank
- Caring for and feeding your blackwater tank
- Chapter 16. The Propane Gas System
- Understanding the Basics of Propane
- Knowing what it runs
- Getting to know your propane tank
- Keeping Your Tanks Full
- Determining how much propane you have left
- Filling up your propane tanks
- Locating Leaks
- Chapter 17. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
- Starting with the Basics
- Awnings
- Rooftop fans
- Depending on Your HVAC System
- Air conditioners and heat pumps
- Propane furnace
- Hydronic heating
- Trying Alternative Heating Methods
- Electric space heaters
- Propane space heaters
- Part 5. Tackling some Adavanced RV Topics
- Chapter 18. Storage and Old Man Winter
- Winterizing and Storing Your RV
- Step 1. Housecleaning and more
- Step 2. Away goes trouble down the drains
- Step 3. Dealing with the water heater
- Step 4. Dumping your wastewater tanks
- Step 5. Evicting the last of the water
- Step 6. Dosing your drains
- Step 7. Beware the phantom menace
- Step 8. Taking care of odds and ends
- Pulling Your RV out of Storage
- Wintertime RVing
- Keeping you and your RV warm
- Keeping water from freezing
- Using helpful cold weather accessories
- Chapter 19. Tow, Tow, Tow Your Toad: Towing Your Car Behind Your Motorhome
- Considering Your Towing Options
- Flat towing
- Tow dolly
- Car trailer
- Considering the Vehicle You're Towing
- Chapter 20. Boondocking and Living off the Grid
- This Land is Your Land, This Land Is My Land: Finding a Place to Boondock
- Attending to the Necessities of Life
- Power me up
- Water: Finding it, storing it, conserving it, dumping it
- Part 6. The Part of Tens
- Chapter 21. Ten Potential RV Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them
- Destroying Your Jack
- Watching Your Rig Roll Away
- Tangling with Wildlife
- Running on Empty
- Causing Your Own Power Failure
- Dancing on an Uninsured Ledge
- Losing Your Own Trailer
- Flooding Your Rig
- Swarming Nightmares
- Losing It All
- Chapter 22. Ten Smaitphone Apps You Can't Live Without
- Google Maps
- CoPilot GPS
- Roadtrippers
- GasBuddy
- Allstays Camp and RV
- RA Camping
- SkySafari
- AccuWeather
- RV Pocket Reference
- Ultimate RV Checklist
- Chapter 23. Ten Great Attractions Just off the Highway
- Natidnal Route 66 Museum
- Custer Battlefield Museum
- The Thing
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
- Meteor Crater
- Wisconsin Dells
- Pedro's South of the Border
- Wall Drug
- Solvang, California
- Star Trek Original Series Set Tour
- Index