Brent Peterson

1. There’s nothing better than traveling with your dog. Cats are pretty good, too.

2. Strongly consider a diesel engine for any motor home over 37 feet.

3. There’s nothing worse than idling in rush-hour traffic with 1/4 tank of gas. Keep your tanks full and your mood will lighten.

4. Solar power works.

5. Visit northern California.

6. Kinko’s, libraries, and travel plazas and KOA Kampgrounds are great places to go online.

7. Some medications cause drowsiness, which may lead to lackadaisical driving.

8. A cell phone is a must for extended travelers. Pre-paid phone cards are good, too.

9. Use a portable space heater to aid an overworked propane-gobbling furnace at night when temperatures dip.

10. Consider a water filter a must onboard your RV.

11. If backing up is still a problem, practice in an empty parking lot until you’re comfortable.

12. High beams are useless when traveling through fog.

13. Water leaks are one of the great downers of RV ownership. A likely culprit is worn rubber seals around doors and windows.

14. To avoid tracking in a mess, wear one pair of shoes outside your RV and another pair inside.

15. An 8’x10’ plastic cover comes in handy to shield supplies during a rain, for use as a ground cover under a blanket for an impromptu picnic, or as a table cloth.

16. Backing into a snug campsite at night is one of the greatest threats to a marriage that I know of.

17. Suspect the air conditioner first during roof leaks. Double check seals and bolts, and tighten when necessary.

18. If you let your dog sleep in bed with you once, he’s there for life.

19. Practice the same cold-weather tricks you use on your RV as you do at home. Weather-strip around doors, add rugs for extra insulation, and consider heavier drapes and curtains.

20. When buying a new RV, go through the motions. Sit on the toilet, stand in the shower, and lie in the bed.

21. Ah, WD 40.

22. For those of you behind the RV during back-ups, if you can’t see the driver, he or she can’t see you.

23. Using a polarity tester before plugging in the electrical cord tells you if the hookup is wired properly and keeps you from possible shocks or worse.

24. If you’re worried about incoming calls at home, get an answering machine that allows you to access messages from the road.

25. Visit Washington D.C. and be proud.

26. Don’t underestimate the importance of a pre-departure walk-around. Check all lights and signals. Examine tires for wear and take their pressure. Double check trailer hookups, dollies, or tow bars.

27. Slow down. If you’re in such a hurry, you should have left yesterday.

28. Hot-weather driving is hard on your vehicle. Travel during the morning and in the late afternoon to lesser impact on you and your vehicle.

29. When buying a tow vehicle, get the biggest engine you can.

30. PVC tubing is an inexpensive and safe way to transport fishing poles.

31. Never buy an RV, no matter how good the deal, from someone selling them in a vacant lot.

32. Realize that it might take your motorhome or larger fifth wheel the length of a football field to come to a complete stop.

33. Treat plumbing systems kindly. Always buy biodegradable toilet paper.

34. Electric steps equal bruised shins.

35. An aerodynamic RV will save you lots of money in fuel prices over its lifetime.

36. As professional driving instructor Dick Reed tells it, reverse is spelled “S-L-O-W.”

37. Clean your engine once a year. Cover all sensitive components (air intake and filter, distributor, fuse box, etc.), warm up engine to loosen gunk (don’t’ let engine get hot) and spray with degreaser.

38. Ah, aluminum foil.

39. Stop at roadside diners, greasy spoons, and any place with the word “EATS” spelled out in neon.

40. Somebody, anybody, please fix that flashing “12:00” on the VCR.

41. Some oxidation of your RV’s rubber roof (best exemplified by ugly streaks) is unavoidable, but keeping your roof clean should lessen the effects. Start by removing all debris and wash the roof with water. Take your choice of a cleaning agent designed for EPDM rubber and follow the directions to the letter. Do this three to four times a year. Patch kits are available for rips and tears.

42. A slide topper, which keeps moisture and debris off slide-out rooms, is a good idea.

43. Spend a little more money to get electronic mirrors, cruise control, and a good stereo system.

44. If you don’t know something, ask the people in the next campsite.

45. You can rustproof your chassis through undercoating at specialty shop or by using an aftermarket spray. Either way, it’s a good procedure to keep your RV’s foundation in good working order.

46. Accept that your RV won’t have all the conveniences of home.

47. Visit the beach. Any beach.

48. Give your RV a good cleaning before or after putting it into storage. Steam clean the carpet and launder all clothing items, blankets and towels. Clean all drawers, spraying for bugs if necessary. Clean the furnace, AC, and fan filters, too.

49. Pick up after pets, keep them on leashes at all times, and take them for a good walk every day. An occasional cookie wouldn’t hurt, either.

50. Each traveler should know the ins and outs of map reading.