Pet Loader

Meet Bob Whalen, dog lover and inventor. When his 126 pound Lab injured his knees he (the dog not Bob) couldn’t jump up into the back of the SUV any longer. What could he do - 126 pounds is too much for one person to be lifting all the time, there must be a better solution. So he invented “Pet Loader” to assist his dog. Turns out it was such a great idea that he made it into a business. I just love it when necessity (also known as the mother of invention) brings a new product like this to market! This unit folds neatly for storage, has a low angle of ascent/descent, is 18 inches wide with washable carpet for better traction. Bob says that this loading system eliminates a dog’s fear and that your dog will instinctively know how to use Pet Loader. The incline easily adjusts to your RV, SUV, car or truck. It folds to just 22 inches long, by 18 inches wide by 7 ½ inches high for easy storage. This system will easily hold 250 pounds and has a 30 day 100% money back guarantee and a lifetime guarantee on the metal and ABS plastic parts. You can read more and see a video at http://www.petloader.com/

Water filters

Water filters are a great solution for RVers who worry about the quality of water from campground faucets and other sources. As we traveled around the Southwest this winter, we met many RVers who refused to drink water from their RV's fresh-water tank. In Why, Arizona, campers told us the local water contained high levels of arsenic. They advised us to restrict our fresh-water tank to nondrinking purposes like bathing if we filled from a local tap. Drink instead from bottled water, they said. In fact, a commercial purified-water vending machine is located next to the Why community center.

But that precaution is unnecessary if you use a filter. Most filters available at Camping World and other RV supply outlets claim to significantly reduce arsenic as well as lead, iron, mercury, cysts and many other contaminants. Prices range from about $25 to $100. You can opt for an under-the-sink filter or an exterior one designed to attach to your water hose.

Under-the-sink systems involve some installation hassles, and of course they don't filter water that enters the holding tank. For those reasons, we prefer the exterior version. The directions warn against allowing the filter to freeze, so in cold weather we either stow the filter inside the shower stall and snake the hose out the window to the connections, or we don't hook up the hose at all and just turn on the water pump. The filter we use, Hydro Life Model HL-180, has to replaced just once a year.

Even with an exterior filter, you should periodically sanitize your RV's fresh-water tank and water lines, because bacteria can grow there (sanitation procedures are described in the RV owner's manual and in RVing articles.)

Just to be doubly safe, we also re-filter water intended for drinking that comes out the faucets in our trailer. Again, two choices: a filter mounted directly on the faucet, or a pitcher with the filter incorporated. Some faucet-mount systems allow the user to conserve filter capacity by turning it off for uses other than drinking, such as watering plants and washing dishes. We're currently using a Brita faucet-mount filter, which we bought at Wal-Mart for $38. The filter is good for 100 gallons. Replacement filters for our model cost about $20.

If you're concerned about a particular contaminant, be sure to check the label on the carton before purchasing a filter to see if the unit reduces that contaminant. Our Hydro Life, for instance, lists arsenic, but the Brita model does not.

Besides giving us peace of mind, our filters make the water we drink taste great.

Riding Lawnmower Yields to Riding Ice Chest

This must be the lazy beer drinker’s heaven: An ice chest you can ride on as you make your rounds. The Cruzin Cooler Motorized Scooter Cooler is as it sounds: A rather large ("2 cases plus 8 pounds of ice") plastic ice chest mounted on a wheeled platform. Add an electric (or now available gas) motor and you’re ready to hit the streets. Hang on, the motor is NOT optional equipment--it’s all part of the rather oddball package.

Said to fit nicely into your basement storage area, the "entry" cruzer weighs in at 65 pounds. I think I’d be inclined to pay for the optional seat: Resting my rump on a plastic cooler top is tough enough, but bouncing buns make for bruisers--even from cool cruisers. With prices starting at $349 sans options, check ‘em out at their web site.

Slow Cooker Liners by Reynolds

Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners are making an effort to reach the RV community, including appearances at the Quartzsite and Indianapolis RV shows this year.RVers love these Slow Cooker Liners because they avoid the soaking and scrubbing commonly associated with slow cooking. The heat resistant material helps save water by minimizing cleanup. Slow Cooker Liners are made of heat-resistant nylon and are optimally sized to fit 3 to 6.5 quart round or oval slow cookers. The liners come in cartons of four at a suggested retail price of $2.49 and can be found in the Reynolds Wrap Foil aisle at retailers nationwide. And now, those in the know are joining the “No Scrub” RV Club – the hottest way for slow cooker lovers to get the best recipes and tips for meals on the road. Visitors to http://www.noscrubrvclub.com/ can submit photos of themselves and Slow Cooker Liners anywhere they’ve visited on an RV trip. The first 2,000 entrants will become members of the “No Scrub” RV Club, and will receive the Official Club Kit including a sample of Slow Cooker Liners, tips for slow cooking in an RV, delicious pitch-in recipes and a free gift. We’ll post some of the best photos online, and one entrant will be randomly chosen to win a $1,000 gift certificate to CampingWorld.com – enough to “cook up” the RV kitchen of your dreams!
I use these and I love them! Above, Julie Mossler demonstrates the product at the Quartzsite RV show. For a more detailed article (and my actual RV home test of this product) read my blog on “Crock Pot Liners – No Mess” at http://rvtravel.com/blog/rvnow/

RV NOW: Junk Rack

RV NOW: Junk Rackhttp://www.amazon.com/Combination-Hardwood-Letter-Hooks-Lipper/dp/B000GGTL6M/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt/102-9716391-4929752

New MaxxAir Vent Brackets

You asked for and now you’ve got it. MaxxBracket hinged brackets are now available for your existing MaxxAir vent covers. These nifty new brackets allow you to easily lift your cover for easy access to your fan and vent screen. Once installed the new MaxxBrackets simply snap unlock with your finger tips and allow you to fully open your MaxxAir vent cover for cleaning and for inspection of the original roof vent seal. Here you can see one snap is closed and the other is open. Below is a view of the hinged side of the vent cover.
Marv Flak, the MaxxAir "Rep" shows off this new MaxxAir product. You can see this new product at the MaxxAir website at http://www.maxxair.com/Products/MaxxBracket.aspx

The website notes the following: Not to be used on Fan/Mate or Turbo/Maxx models.

Portable Chair

Today, hot air balloon pilot and entrepreneur Don Henk introduced me to the SPORTSJACK. I tired it myself and it’s very comfortable. It’s light weight at only 2 ½ pounds and comes with a carry strap. Has a non-slip rubber tip and the website says it is safe for any surface allowing for 360 degree mobility without having to stand up. When I saw it I thought, “This should come under the heading of, “What will they think of next?” The SPRORTSJACK website lists 101 ways to use this portable seat. There were the obvious uses, but here are some ideas that are both amusing and useful: Security guards, toll booth operators, home development sign holders, road construction flag person, waiting in lines (like DMV) and church choir. I think RVers would find these useful for birdwatching, waiting while the black tank empties, visiting RV friends or sitting around the campfire.You can buy one of these from Don at the Quartzsite flea-market across from Loves or you can order one online. http://www.sportsjack.com/

Innovative Fishing Gear

Many RVers love to fish and I am included in that group. Today I spoke with Dan Hudson, a new vendor at the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV show. Dan is a distributor for EMMROD which produces a unique kind of fishing pole. This pole operates on a tension spring and folds up neatly to fit in a backpack, tackle box or in a tote sack. It can be used in a sling-shot casting mode, as Dan demonstrates here or you can cast in the traditional manner. There are 4 models to choose from and I particularly like the “Packer” model because I am a backpacker. It is light and folds down to 13 inches collapsed. These poles are great for casting in tight places from under tree limbs or brush and the sling-shot casting method is particularly well suited for getting under docks. If you want to try one, give Dan a call at (831) 726-9647. You can see these new poles at www.emmrod.com

Invisible Glass

Invisible Glass is great stuff! My wife really likes it. Don’t look for it along with other household cleaning products, no, you can’t buy this where you would normally think glass cleaner would be. We get it at WalMart and it is only in the “Automotive Department”. This is great stuff and it will not harm tinted windows. Get some and give it a try. We learned about it from Harley and Marilyn Mason, RVers from Vermont.

This Little (Clip) Light of Mine

We've all had clip lights before, but here's a clip light with a twist--well, more of a rotate. "My Light" LED Clip Light has a BIG jaw and an LED spotlight that rotates 360 degrees.

This clip light goes well beyond the "read in bed at night" and steps up to the plate wherever things get a bit dicey for lumens. We've found it to be great when attached to the display of our laptop when the sun goes down. Since the "clamp" opens to an inch and a quarter, it will clip where a lot of other lights won't, but the jaws aren't so tight that you fear damaging what you clip to.

The light itself is about the size of a ping pong ball and houses two sets of double LEDs. One set puts out a brilliant white light, the other pair are red, keeping your night vision intact. Said to be waterproof, shock resistant, and available in a variety of jazzy colors, "Might Light" comes equipped with two lithium batteries with a working life of 40 hours. SRP is $9.95 at http://www.mylight.com/tasklights_cliplight.htm.

Real world test: Our "out of the blister pack" light refused to turn on. After we opened up the light (an easy threaded job) and reinserted the batteries, the light performed as described. Time will tell whether the batteries really make the 40 hour average.

Portable Greenhouses

For you snowbirds with a green thumb who like to grow tomatoes and flowers in the desert but find it difficult because of the nighttime freezing temperatures, Flowerhouse TM is just the ticket.

We’ve been at Edwards Air Force Base Family Camp the last few days and I couldn’t resist taking these pictures of this portable greenhouse. It measures 5 feet wide by 5 feet long by 6.6 feet High and is self erecting. The night before last our exterior water hose froze and that would ruin a nice tomato plant unless of course you had one of these. This is the clear “Planthouse 5” and costs $159.00 delivered. The wind here routinely gusts up to 25 knots or more and this greenhouse stays right where it was planted, held in place by stakes. Flowerhouse carries many different models and sizes. They are all portable and can be assembled in less than five minutes. Here is the website: http://www.flowerhouses.com/intro.shtml If you want to order these on the internet here is a dealer with free shipping: http://www.4seasongreenhouse.com/index.php

They even have opaque storage units that resemble a regular back yard shed.

The Lazy Man's Way to Back up a Trailer

Now, here's the lazy man's ideal method of backing up a trailer: doing it by remove control! Couch potatoes will feel right at home using this device's handheld remote control unit which communicates by radio signal with a receiver unit mounted inside the RV. The RVer has positive and precise control of the movements and is able to park the RV where he wants or move it right up and onto the trailer ball of his towing vehicle. Learn more about this nifty Powrtouch product at its US distributor's website or click the image below to see a very cool video demonstration.

Never stop to ask for directions again!

Here, sad to say, is a fact of life: Guys hate asking for directions. They’ll drive around in circles before they will stop to ask where to find, say, an RV park. Women find this amusing and frustrating. Guys think it’s perfectly normal behavior.

So here is a simple solution to this age old situation: Get yourself a navigation system that will point you exactly where you want to go. The Pontus PNAV-3530 from Hyundai is a powerful multimedia navigation unit that helps you plot and guide your route. Let's say you're planning a road trip to Las Vegas or maybe or Mt. Rushmore. No problem: just enter your destination and the navigation software will plot the best route. With voice prompts and a 3.5-inch visual display the PNAV-3530 replaces those large, cumbersome fold-out maps with a safe and efficient delivery, making it easier to travel and avoid driving the RV into a telephone pole! In addition, the PNAV-3530 multimedia functions allow you play your favorite MP3 music files and view photos of family and friends. And a really great thing about this system is that it’s portable, so it’s easy to move it from one vehicle to another. Done driving the motorhome? Then bring it with you in the dinghy. Learn more about this nifty device from RVtoyOutlet.com.