Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
I learned a lot last week reading various comments to your column on securing the “toad.” You might also want to mention tow vehicles. We had our pickup stolen right out of a busy campground. Locked up, no key inside, never found. I never gave it a thought before it happened to me. Now I use a kill switch and a wheel lock. My wife thinks I am a bit paranoid about the whole issue. We were made whole by the insurance company, but you never recover the time, effort and mental strain of being targeted by thieves and having to replace a vehicle. The experience can really put a damper on your travel experience.
--Ripped off in Rockford
Dear Rip:
Your experience is not uncommon. We are presently camped in Big Bend National Park. We met a couple last week with a beautiful 5th Wheel and a 2013 Ford Dually all decked out for towing. They had found a great deal on the truck with extremely low miles. We got their email so that we could keep in touch. Unfortunately, the first email we received reported they had their truck stolen a couple days later in a San Antonio city parking area. Ford pickups are at the top of the stolen vehicle list in the US, but any vehicle can be a target. Manufacturers are adding techie devices to make it harder to accomplish, but an accomplished thief is hard to deter. I personally do not put any trust in electronic security devices. I have had tow truck drivers open my vehicle without getting out of their cab. If they have some type of scanning device that opens vehicles you can bet the bad guys have them too.
Like I said last week, if you read the comments after this column you will get some varied and great advice from people who have given a lot of thought to holding on to what they have.
The National Parks actually have a lot of crime. The bad guys know that people are traveling and often have their guard down. Common sense and staying alert can save a lot of grief.
--Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink
##RVT871
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Don't worry, be happy
Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
We travel in a Class “C” motorhome and pull a small sedan. My husband is always paranoid that someone is going to steal the car. If we stop for the night at a Walmart or other stopover, he pulls the keys. I think we should leave them in the ignition in the correct position so that if we have to leave in the middle of the night we do not have to exit the motorhome. His arguments are that the battery can drain and someone might be tempted to steal the car when they see the keys. I say let them have the car. It would be more dangerous to go out in the middle of the night and fool with it. Am I the one being paranoid? Do most people lock everything down at night? Should we both just “chill” and not worry so much?
--Nervous Nelly and Bullheaded Bill in Biloxi
Dear Nelly:
RV travel should first and foremost be relaxing and enjoyable. There is no guarantee you are not going to be a crime victim whether you are traveling or at home at the mall. I have only met one couple that lost their toad. They stopped to shop at a Walmart in Mexico. That proves it can happen. I find most Walmarts that allow overnight camping very safe. They are well lit, have security cameras, and many even have security guards. You make a good point about not having to exit the motorhome in the middle of the night if asked to leave a site. If someone were up to no good, they could easily decommission your vehicles some other way. If they are after your toad they are probably going to get it one way or another. My personal mode of operation is to leave the toad in the tow positions. That means the key is in the ignition. With a good battery you should be able to drive a few days without draining the battery, but a simple kill switch is cheap insurance. It not only insures you will not drain your battery, it is also another deterrence for a thief. You can make your own for about ten bucks or buy one for fifty. I suggest you take all the precautions, then just relax. Make sure your storage doors are locked, your car is locked, don’t leave expensive electronic devices out in the open, and be alert to any situation that doesn’t feel right. We spend most months every year on the road and have never had an incident. When making time or a pit stop for groceries we have stayed at many non-campground parking areas. We talk to other RVers every day. I seldom hear of any problems. Again, life offers no guarantees, but don’t dwell on being a victim. If you find that you are not comfortable in these sites it might be easier on you to always find official camping sites. If you read the comments for this column you will most likely find others sharing their procedures and predicaments.
--Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink
##RVT870
We travel in a Class “C” motorhome and pull a small sedan. My husband is always paranoid that someone is going to steal the car. If we stop for the night at a Walmart or other stopover, he pulls the keys. I think we should leave them in the ignition in the correct position so that if we have to leave in the middle of the night we do not have to exit the motorhome. His arguments are that the battery can drain and someone might be tempted to steal the car when they see the keys. I say let them have the car. It would be more dangerous to go out in the middle of the night and fool with it. Am I the one being paranoid? Do most people lock everything down at night? Should we both just “chill” and not worry so much?
--Nervous Nelly and Bullheaded Bill in Biloxi
Dear Nelly:
RV travel should first and foremost be relaxing and enjoyable. There is no guarantee you are not going to be a crime victim whether you are traveling or at home at the mall. I have only met one couple that lost their toad. They stopped to shop at a Walmart in Mexico. That proves it can happen. I find most Walmarts that allow overnight camping very safe. They are well lit, have security cameras, and many even have security guards. You make a good point about not having to exit the motorhome in the middle of the night if asked to leave a site. If someone were up to no good, they could easily decommission your vehicles some other way. If they are after your toad they are probably going to get it one way or another. My personal mode of operation is to leave the toad in the tow positions. That means the key is in the ignition. With a good battery you should be able to drive a few days without draining the battery, but a simple kill switch is cheap insurance. It not only insures you will not drain your battery, it is also another deterrence for a thief. You can make your own for about ten bucks or buy one for fifty. I suggest you take all the precautions, then just relax. Make sure your storage doors are locked, your car is locked, don’t leave expensive electronic devices out in the open, and be alert to any situation that doesn’t feel right. We spend most months every year on the road and have never had an incident. When making time or a pit stop for groceries we have stayed at many non-campground parking areas. We talk to other RVers every day. I seldom hear of any problems. Again, life offers no guarantees, but don’t dwell on being a victim. If you find that you are not comfortable in these sites it might be easier on you to always find official camping sites. If you read the comments for this column you will most likely find others sharing their procedures and predicaments.
--Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink
##RVT870
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Cold Cats in Texas
Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
As this Arctic Vortex reached way down here to South Texas, and grabbed ahold with its icy hand, we had a hard time getting propane when we needed it the most. Not because of supply and demand like other parts of the country, we just couldn’t find a gas attendant that wanted to come out of their warm office and fill a small motorhome tank. They made all kinds of excuses. I stopped four times in one morning between Bay City, Texas and Corpus Christi. The one that put me over the edge was the Ace Hardware in Rockport, Tx. I finally had two people show up to fill me. They looked like they might freeze to death. It was hovering dangerously around 38 degrees. When I stepped out of the motorhome I was asked if I had any pets. Since our cat was waving at them from the dash, I said yes. The woman said I had to have all people and pets out of the vehicle before I could be filled with propane. I’ve been at this RVing for a lot of years and I have never heard that one before. I wasn’t about to bring out two nervous cats and take a chance of them getting away. I told them to keep their gas, which was music to their ears. I hardly got the words out of my mouth before they were back in the warmth of the store. Am I the only one who has ever heard of this rule? Should I be more understanding of the cold weather challenged? I thought it was pretty obvious that they didn’t want to stand in the cold and fill me.
--Frosted in Fulton
Dear Frosty:
That is a new one on me. I have been filling for 50 years and have never heard that one before. Let’s start with some common sense, propane fill rules that may or may not be regulation. If you fill ten times in ten different places you will have ten different experiences. It is best to have your own safety rules with you. It is not uncommon to have a propane attendant that has no idea how the equipment works. Your first clue is when they don’t know where to attach the filler hose. Many don’t know the 80 percent rule and have no clue there is a reason for it. Most tanks are manufactured with some type of overfill float, but don’t assume an attendant cannot overfill your tank. Even if I stop at an actual propane dealer, I still watch the whole procedure and make sure they are doing it properly. At a gas station outside of Glacier National Park I had a guy overfill my tank years ago. As the sun rose and things started heating up the propane expanded and it sounded like someone was firing a shotgun in the cab. I suggest you shut off all gas appliances, all passengers exit the vehicle, shut off the main valve at the tank, and watch the attendant like a hawk. Now, as for your recent situation. I called the business you mentioned and at first they were sticking to the pet story. When I asked where I could find this regulation, they started backing water. Wait though, there is more to this story than meets the cat’s eye. I then called the Texas National Propane Gas Association. I was told that Texas does require pets to be removed before filling. I asked about house plants, but she wasn’t sure. You will probably never have this happen again in a hundred years, but this particular business seems to be on top of things. I will give them credit for following the rules set forth and assume they follow all other procedures. Probably not a bad place to fill up, but hide the cat first. My Irish grandmother always said, “A little white lie is always better than a big fight.”
--Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink
As this Arctic Vortex reached way down here to South Texas, and grabbed ahold with its icy hand, we had a hard time getting propane when we needed it the most. Not because of supply and demand like other parts of the country, we just couldn’t find a gas attendant that wanted to come out of their warm office and fill a small motorhome tank. They made all kinds of excuses. I stopped four times in one morning between Bay City, Texas and Corpus Christi. The one that put me over the edge was the Ace Hardware in Rockport, Tx. I finally had two people show up to fill me. They looked like they might freeze to death. It was hovering dangerously around 38 degrees. When I stepped out of the motorhome I was asked if I had any pets. Since our cat was waving at them from the dash, I said yes. The woman said I had to have all people and pets out of the vehicle before I could be filled with propane. I’ve been at this RVing for a lot of years and I have never heard that one before. I wasn’t about to bring out two nervous cats and take a chance of them getting away. I told them to keep their gas, which was music to their ears. I hardly got the words out of my mouth before they were back in the warmth of the store. Am I the only one who has ever heard of this rule? Should I be more understanding of the cold weather challenged? I thought it was pretty obvious that they didn’t want to stand in the cold and fill me.
--Frosted in Fulton
Dear Frosty:
That is a new one on me. I have been filling for 50 years and have never heard that one before. Let’s start with some common sense, propane fill rules that may or may not be regulation. If you fill ten times in ten different places you will have ten different experiences. It is best to have your own safety rules with you. It is not uncommon to have a propane attendant that has no idea how the equipment works. Your first clue is when they don’t know where to attach the filler hose. Many don’t know the 80 percent rule and have no clue there is a reason for it. Most tanks are manufactured with some type of overfill float, but don’t assume an attendant cannot overfill your tank. Even if I stop at an actual propane dealer, I still watch the whole procedure and make sure they are doing it properly. At a gas station outside of Glacier National Park I had a guy overfill my tank years ago. As the sun rose and things started heating up the propane expanded and it sounded like someone was firing a shotgun in the cab. I suggest you shut off all gas appliances, all passengers exit the vehicle, shut off the main valve at the tank, and watch the attendant like a hawk. Now, as for your recent situation. I called the business you mentioned and at first they were sticking to the pet story. When I asked where I could find this regulation, they started backing water. Wait though, there is more to this story than meets the cat’s eye. I then called the Texas National Propane Gas Association. I was told that Texas does require pets to be removed before filling. I asked about house plants, but she wasn’t sure. You will probably never have this happen again in a hundred years, but this particular business seems to be on top of things. I will give them credit for following the rules set forth and assume they follow all other procedures. Probably not a bad place to fill up, but hide the cat first. My Irish grandmother always said, “A little white lie is always better than a big fight.”
--Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink
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