Tires

On an email yahoo group I am with there has been important discussions taking place about tires. It is soooo important for good tires I felt I should get that information on here before something tragic happens. Everyone will have their own opinions as to how old is too old whether it be some magic number or when the tire shows evident signs of wearing, I am just asking everyone be safe and go on the side of caution.

First great hint: Learn
how to read the age of a tire! Find
the 4-number code stamped into an
oval on the sidewall - the first two
numbers refer to a week of the 52 in
a year and the second two are the
final digits of that particular
year. EXAMPLE 3603 - the 36th
week of 2003. So say your dealer put
these on a year ago they put on 5 year-old tires (with
plenty of nice tread left) and
referred to them as "slightly used." DON'T let this happen
to you a potential blow out is awaiting.

The second piece of advice to
follow: make sure you let a tire
dealer know you want fresh tires
when you buy, and check out the date
code before they're put on your vehicle.
It's your money and safety of your family
and everyone around you on the road at risk
don't be afraid to walk away and say no when they
want to put tires on that are old.

RV Holding Tanks

I am posting this here partially so I know right where it is in the event I may need it, but also for others that may happen across my blog and be new like we were this past year starting out and had NO clue. This one detail of keeping black tank CLOSED except only dumping when full is so crucial. Fortunately we learned early on before any damage was really done as we could have had a huge issue.

If your RV is parked, and you have a sewer hook up, it's okay to leave the gray tank valve open, but you should leave the black tank closed. When the black tank is nearing the time when it needs to be emptied... the night before, close the valve on the gray tank and let it fill from use of the sinks and shower. The next day, open the black tank first and let it drain.

Most newer RV's have a built in black tank rinser. If your RV has one, connect a hose (NOT your drinking water white hose!) to the rinser and let it spray water in the black tank helping you flush it. The tank rinser hose connection should be near where the other water connections are.

If you do not have a built-in rinser you can get a toilet wand at your favorite RV store. Connect the wand to a hose and insert it down through the toilet into the black holding tank.

Once you have drained and rinsed the black tank, close that valve and add a couple of gallons of water and your favorite chemical. Now open the gray tank valve. Be sure the black tank is closed before opening the gray tank valve. You do not want to mix contents between the two tanks.

As the gray tank empties, it will flush out the sewer hose of any residue from the black tank. Then leave the gray tank valve open again for daily use as it can fill fast when several people are using sinks and showering. If it fills, it will overflow into the lowest drain, which is usually the shower. Not very pretty and can be quite stinky!

You may want to read the following articles at RVbasics.com:

• Holding Tank - The Basics
• Holding Tank Chemical Additives - What you should know about them
• Technique Fixes Thetford RV Toilet Waste Valve Leak
• Chemical Toilet Products Advisory for
  Consumers in California
• RV Waste Water System Care & Maintenance
• RV Sewer Hose - The Basics
• RV Macerator Pumps - the Basics

checking into a campground

neat tip FOR CHECKING INTO A CAMPGROUND. “This great idea came from Fulltimers… 

In large type, print your name; mailing address and phone number; type of RV; license number and State/Prov; type of tow car (if applicable): license number and State/Prov; any club name(s) such as FMCA, Escapees, Good Sam etc.; and membership number(s) on a half sheet of paper. Highlight the info and laminate the page at a Kinko’s or other copy center. Now when checking into a campground or RV park, hand the ‘card’ to the hard-working clerk so they have all the info needed to get you to your site in a timely manner”.