With the beginning of fall, it’s time to decide if your RV camping season is over. Parking your recreational vehicle for the winter or RV winterizing, as it is better known as, requires some preventive measures to make it ready for next spring. And preparing the water system to protect it from freeze and damage is one of the most important factors of RV winterizing. The following tips will help you to protect your water system of your recreational vehicle during the harsh winter months.

To begin your RV winterizing drain the fresh water tank of your recreational vehicle. Now drain the hot water heater. Next, you need to dump and flush the gray and black water tanks; also, remember to leave the gray water valve open. You will need a compressed air adaptor and screw that into your recreational vehicle’s fresh water inlet. While applying compressed air, make sure the pressure is less than 20 lbs/sq inch.

Now open each faucet and make it one valve of your recreational vehicle at a time. This helps the compressed air in forcing the water out of the RV’s inlet. In addition, don’t forget the toilet and shower of your recreational vehicle. In addition, you need to remove the hot water tank’s drain plug so that the compressed air can blow out the remaining water. Once all the water is removed, you need to reinstall your recreational vehicle’s drain plug. Then remove source of compressed air and the adapter.

Look for the by-pass valve of your recreational vehicle’s water heater and close it. Also, remove the water line running from the fresh water pump to the fresh water tank. Insert RV antifreeze at the end of the water line. Now start the vehicle’s fresh water pump to run for a few minutes, until it sucks the antifreeze. When the pressure in the water system builds up, it will stop automatically. Once again open the valve of every faucet and until the red RV antifreeze appears. Shut the faucet. Finally remove the water line from the jug containing RV antifreeze and reattach the same to your fresh water tank.

 

THE ORIGINAL MOTOR HOME

Ford House-Car

One of only six said to have been made per year in the mid-30's at the Ford plant in St.Paul, Minnesota , according to an article on this car in a 1993 "Old Cars" magazine article. Very few others - perhaps none - remain on the road, and certainly not in such amazing original condition.

The only other known example that I heard of was supposedly housed in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn , Michigan . But that turned out to be an early 1920s Model T conversion, the curator told me. He said he'd never seen anything like this '37!

When discovered in a garage (under a heavy cover) in Northern Minnesota in August 2001, she had only 19,000 miles, and the owner's manual was actually still in the glove box in like-new condition! She had always been garaged and treated with 'Much TLC' as a collector vehicle.

The interior, all wood lined, was still the way it appeared in the '30's and '40's, complete with framed photos of the original owner on his travels (mainly to Florida) and his cabin in the North Woods, plus and other memorabilia from the era. Built on the '37 Ford Pickup frame and cowling (powered by a 60-hp flathead V8 with aluminum heads), the rear framing is all wood, with the metal skin wrapped around it. The roof structure, too, is all wood, over which the heavy, waterproofed canvas top is still very securely fitted. The structure of the Body is solid, appearing from underneath to be all oak, and still in a remarkably unaltered, undamaged condition. The door frames are thick, solid oak, and oak is visible around the window openings (as on the four side windows in back) -- though it is painted over.

She was a big hit at this campground once we got that Great old flattie V8 hummin'! Note her expanding roof and the original dark green color, which had been repainted. I figure the canvas roof was originally painted in reflective silver to keep it from getting too hot inside. All four side windows open, while the back one tilts out to three positions. The windshield also tilts open at the bottom for natural AC while driving.

Here are a few shots of her in August 2001, out on the road in the Chippewa National Forest north of Grand Rapids , MN ... Practicing for her next adventure: "Destination Wavecrest 2001."

A peak inside: A slice right out of 1930's, just as the original owner left it. All the windows open, with curtains on the four side ones and pull-down shades on the back window, as well as on the driver's and passenger door windows.
A wide storage cabinet is located under the bed.

The wood headliner, with vent and canvas expanding portion visible. Four wood pieces hold it securely in the up position, while clamps hold it down while driving.

More interior views....note the cedar branches hanging in the corners for that north woods aroma. Cabinets andAluminum sink (with a wood cover insert) are visible on the left. All the antiques stuck away inside, as well as those hanging on the walls, came along for the ride. Also note the table behind the driver's seat, which folds down.
 

By Art Lieberman President, MCPS for Campgrounds GENERATION Y There’s a wonderful monthly publication dedicated to the credit card Industry called “The Green Sheet” There, in its pages, are discussions about the changes that are occurring at a record pace in that industry. A recent issue announces to industry people the presence and power of Generation Y, which is sometimes referred to as the Millennial Generation. It is estimated that Gen Y’s population is somewhere between 80 million to 93 million people. Although there is a lack of consensus at exactly what birth dates define Gen Y, many are using somewhere between 1978 and 1986 as the parameter. There’s never been a generation of Americans like Gen Y. People of this generation spend money much differently than older generations and their spending patterns are very hard to figure out. Much of those differences are due to Gen Y’s familiarity with technology. Nevertheless, there are some statistics that might help us all understand who they are: One-third are not Caucasian. One-quarter come from single parent families. 9 out of 10 own their own computer They use computers and cell phones and have since before grade school The Internet is their primary news source and they shop from the internet very often. They often access the Internet from cell phones and other mobile devices and not from PCs They text an average of 40 words a minute. They spend 40 percent more time online than watching TV. Since 2001, salary increases for females in their 20s have surpassed men’s by 17 to 20 percent It is estimated that Gen Y will be earning $3.38 trillion a year by 2017. This contrasts with Generation X which used technology when it intersected with their personal needs or fulfilled a desire. Remember that some of Gen Y is barely out of high school or in college and technology has become second-nature to them. They WILL NOT be writing checks for payments. They do not like handling money, considering it bulky and inconvenient. If you’re thinking of getting a gift for a Gen Y individual, don’t buy a money clip. Their entire existence now consists of plastic. Gen Y will usually get cash only when they absolutely need it and then they go to ATMs, again refusing to cash a check. One of the reasons is that Gen Y tends to be impatient. Watch one in a supermarket when someone in front of them on line is either paying by check or in cash. They do, however, show a propensity for having a bank branch close to where they live – the security blanket factor. Now for the good stuff! Gen Y has not lost their love for the great outdoors. While Generation X loved their trucks, Gen Y seems to like the ability to live in natural surroundings -- SO LONG AS THEIR TECHNOLOGY IS ALSO AVAILABLE. They will spend the extra money for the technical amenities which can be purchased in an RV. They want their satellite TV and their WIFI to stay connected to the new world they are creating. Although the present economy has impacted on RV sales, the forecast for those sales is very positive. The RV parks or campgrounds they visit must be ready to accommodate their lifestyle. Gen Y parents tend to be very devoted to their children. They’ll spend money on campgrounds that are devoted to family. Campgrounds like the Yogi Bear Jellystone Parks are a perfect destination for Gen Y’s with kids. A final statistic -- Gen Y spends 75 percent of their income using credit or debit cards – higher than the 60 percent of Generation X or the 49 percent of baby boomers. During Christmas 2012, it is estimated that 67 percent of ALL sales were conducted on the Internet. So, here are some things you can do to take advantage of the rise of Gen Y. Make sure your campground has a nice Internet site If you don’t currently accept credit cards or debit cards – get with it. This is the 21st century! If you do accept credit cards, make sure that you are not spending too much on them because this cuts into your profitability. If you don’t have a pin-pad on your credit card terminal, think about getting one. Debit card transactions are much less expensive than credit card transactions and pin-debit transactions are the least expensive of all.. Try to utilize the pre-authorization method of accepting credit card reservations for campsites. Hotels use them and rarely get “up-charged” for the transaction. If you’re not sure what this is, I’d be glad to discuss it with you. Think about purchasing an ATM machine, especially if your campground is miles away from another machine. Make sure you have Wi-Fi also available. Remember the advantage of taking good care of the visiting Gen Y. They could be coming to your campground for years and years, but only if you make them feel welcome. Only 2 percent of RV campgrounds still do NOT accept credit cards. Most of these campgrounds are owned by older folks who are set in their ways. “People know that we don’t accept them and they understand”, they tell me and my associates. Perhaps so, but that is something that they will never know. How many people go elsewhere for their own convenience? Accepting credit or debit cards is part of the “cost of doing business” and it is TAX DEDUCTIBLE, so the government actually sponsors it. It’s a win-win situation and Gen Y will love you for it.   Art Lieberman is president of MCPS for Campgrounds, a credit card processor sponsored by Woodforest Bank. Lieberman has been in the credit card industry for nearly 15 years. He has been conducting seminars on credit cards in many state and regional association conventions. He can be contacted at rvcreditcards@yahoo.com or by calling 877.858.9010.