Embeded Google Maps

Embedded Google Maps are the greatest! We've now included them on our web pages of places we visit. At the bottom of each page, you will see a map of the location. The map can be viewed as a map, satellite or terrain. The map can also be expanded or zoomed in. Check it out here.

Gem Mining

Our last camping trip with our granddaughter (Jessie) for a long time took us to Lake Myers RV Resort in Mocksville, North Carolina. We promised her a another gem mining vacation before we went full timing on the road, so when her school finished for the year we hit the road again. Our research led us to the Hiddenite Mine, a mine just north of Statesville, North Carolina. You can view the entire trip on our web site here.

Classifieds Discontinued

We tried offering FREE Classified ads on our web site, but apparently there was no interest. Therefore, we have discontinued this service.

Coach Batteries

I pulled the coach out from beside the house yesterday to pack some stuff and unpack old clothes for our upcoming full time adventure. Everything went fine until I tried to turn the stereo on and listen to some tunes. The batteries were dead despite having the coach plugged into the house. It was time, after almost 4 years, to replace the four (4) six volt house batteries.

After measuring the beasts and drawing a schematic of the wiring, it was off to the local Walmart store. Sure enough, they didn't have any six volts and neither did the local auto parts store. While inside the parts store however, another customer overheard what I needed and recommended I go to a place called Tidewater Battery. He said "they've got every kind of battery you need."

Tidewater Battery is actually Tidewater Fleet Supply, and it's located in Chesapeake, Virginia. They had the batteries I needed; Exide Golf Cart six volts. The ones I bought were even relatively inexpensive as compared to others I researched ahead of time. Installation was a breeze, and I was back in business listening to my tunes in no time. The only problem encountered was my new back pain due to the weight of those beasts!

Online Classifieds

Our web site now includes a place where you can advertise your stuff for up to 180 days FREE. Got stuff you want to sell? Check it out.

View my Classified Ads
Free Classifieds by Bravenet.com

It's a simple service that only allows 500 ads in one General category, but if there is an interest for more, we'll upgrade it to a better version.

YouTube Video Slide Show

I was playing around with the idea of creating video slide shows that could be displayed on our blog, web site and YouTube, but couldn't find the software necessary to work with my desktop computer. After researching the Internet, I discovered that my operating system (Windows 2000 Professional) simply wasn't designed for such things. But ... my laptop, running Windows XP was, and it even came packaged with Windows Movie Maker.

Movie Maker was pretty easy to learn and create these videos. You are able to import pictures, videos and music from your computer, camera or other digital device such as your cellphone. You are even able to save the finished product to a CD or computer or even send it via email or to a portable digital device; the options are many!

I experimented by importing some pictures already on my computer. I also designed a graphic to be displayed on the front and back of my video. Next, it was time to sign up for YouTube, create an account and upload the video. I accomplished these without difficulty and uploaded my first video. I even created another video for people interested in buying our home.

To keep up with any future videos or slide shows I create for YouTube, you can visit RVJunkie on YouTube.

Myrtle Beach Trip 2

John, Sissy and Jessie decided to take a mini vacation for the School Spring Break Holiday. We hadn't been on a trip in a while, and our granddaughter Jessie was out of school. What better excuse?

We packed up our stuff into the coach and headed south. Plans were to stay at the Apache Family Campground which is exactly what we did. The only downside to this campground was they advertise "Free Wireless Internet", but if you want it you have to pay for it. We thought, Free really meant FREE!

Our trip lasted 4 days, and these are narrated on our web site. You can visit the exact pages by clicking here. You can also view the entire photo album by clicking here. Enjoy.

Fuel / Gas Prices

Have you noticed the increase in fuel / gas prices lately? Wow! We weren't keeping up with them until recently when we began planning a "Spring Break" trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with our granddaughter Jessica. But ... now we are, thanks to the below handy little tool provided by automotive.com

If you're interested in researching these prices for your next trip, simply click the link above. Doing so will display a page where you can research prices by state. If you only want your local prices, type your zip code in the box provided and then click GO.

Oil Change / Lube

I haven't talked about oil changes yet simply because our coach is good to go at least until September, 2008. But, I'm thinking about it ahead of time this year because my last two experiences were less than pleasant!

I was browsing travel sites the other day on MyTripJournal and discovered a guy in Arizona had stopped at a Speedco to have his coach serviced. Reading his journal caused me to want more information, so I located Speedco on the web and sent a message via their contact page.

Speedco says they are "the only on highway national network that specializes in quick lubrication services. Whether it's a synthetic, express or full PM oil change, we respect a driver's time by keeping things moving. We start by using the industry's premium filters and oil products, featuring Baldwin filters and Shell Rotella T."

Speedco also says It's all part of their mission to get you back on the road in around 30 minutes; never sacrificing speed for quality. I may give them a try when the time comes because they have 51 locations throughout the country.

Woodall's CD

At the beginning of the year, I ordered the Trailer Life Directory and the Woodall's North American Campground Directory for our coach. These two books have a wealth of information if you are an RV Junkie; too much to detail here.

This is the first year Woodall's has sent along a FREE CD with their directory, and what a difference it makes for planning a trip. The CD loads onto your computer or laptop, and the CD itself is not needed thereafter like some others on the market.

If you are looking for Places to Camp, Things to Do or even RV's, Parts or Service, this CD is for you. Once you locate something of interest (a campground for example), you can click the web site link (if they have one) and your Internet browser automatically opens.

Because I loaded the CD onto our laptop, it will be with us on the coach or even in the Jeep. And ... because we also use the laptop for our GPS, we'll be able to search for campgrounds without having to pull the book out and flip through the many pages for the ideal spot. We'll let you know how much more convenient it is.

Our other web sites

Did you know we have other web sites besides our blog or even our main site at RVJunkie.com? If not, you may be interested in our Adventure Across America (with our camping trailer and Harley Davidson motorcycle), our photo albums, John's Russian Typhoon R/C site or even John's L.A. Fireboat #2 R/C site.

Our Adventure Across America site was created when John retired. We took a 4 month trip across the United States shortly thereafter. We visited seventy-two (72) different places and took over 8,000 pictures along the way; documenting the entire trip with photographs and narrative.

John's Russian Typhoon R/C site and his L.A. Fireboat #2 R/C site are both loaded with "How-To" information for building these radio controlled models. People from all over the world have visited these sites and signed his guestbook with their comments. Check them out for yourself if you are interested in R/C models.

Our photo album site has albums of our digital photography while traveling in our motorhome. So far, these albums are of trips we have taken prior to going full time in the RV.

Changin' Gears

We are always striving to enhance your experience on RVJunkie.com by adding new information / links. Recently, I discovered a web site dedicated to "Trading City Lights for the RV Lifestyle." The site, Changin' Gears, is a wealth of information for the RV enthusiast, and we have included several of their links on our site for your convenience. You can also visit their site directly.

The author of Changin' Gears, Charlie Kerekes, also has another site, Flying Sam Photo; a Digital Photo Guide well worth visiting if you use a digital camera during your travels. There is an abundance of information for the novice and professional alike.

RV Videos

YouTube is a wonderful place to view short videos on just about any subject. I found some pretty interesting and educational videos there produced by RV Travel, and have provided a link on our web site. So ... check out RVJunkie.com and click the RV Video link on the menu.

Updates to RVJunkie.com

There have been a few updates to RVJunkie.com including: a guestbook, a redesigned Contact Us page, more links for you to visit, brighter links so you can see them better, a complete sitemap, additional online stores, a newsletter page to view previous newsletters, et cetera. We hope you enjoy the changes.

If you have any suggestions for additional updates, please send them to us for consideration.

RV Junkie Store

Are you an RV Junkie? Well, how about telling the whole world you are. Our RV Junkie Store has Apparel, Houseware, Hats & Bags, Stickers, Buttons & Magnets, Calendars and Doggie T-shirts. Our items are always in stock, and proudly display the RV Junkie logo.

Home For Sale

Sissy and I have decided to put our home on the market, sell it and do some traveling in our motorhome. We've been thinking about it for quite some time, and now seems to be the most opportune time for us. So ... if you're interested in a home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, take a look at ours. It can be viewed at http://www.hrfsbo.com/. Or, if you want to download a flyer in Microsoft Word format click here.

Budget Spreadsheet

I’ve been working on creating a budget spreadsheet for RV Fulltimers using Microsoft Excel. Most Rvers with laptops have Microsoft software and Excel is usually being used, so that is the format I elected.

No two budgets are alike, but a spreadsheet is easily modified to accommodate even the most detailed ones. You can download your own copy by going to www.rvjunkie.com/downfiles/fulltime.xls.

Feel free to modify my format to suit your own needs. You may even give it away to your friends if you wish. What you may not do is sell the spreadsheet to anyone.

Points of Interest

Recently I discovered a web site that has Points of Interest (POI) files you can download into your favorite GPS mapping software. I use CoPilot Live for my laptop, and the POI files work really well. Instructions for CoPilot Live and other GPS mapping software are included on the web site www.discoveryowners.com/cginfo.htm. The individual files can be downloaded from http://www.discoveryowners.com/cginfolinks.htm.

All files are zipped text files. You will need an unzip utility to unzip the files you download. Free unzip utilities are available on the internet. Once you have downloaded and unzipped the files, you will import them into your GPS mapping software. The exact procedure depends on which map software you are using.

NOTE - in each case, it is assumed that you have downloaded AND unzipped the files, and that you have your GPS mapping program running. After you have unzipped the files, you will have files with the extension TXT. These are the files you will import into your program.

Gatlingburg

This post is an experiment to learn the basics of blogging and determine the best format for future postings. It will change periodically when new things are learned. This trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee actually took place in July, 2006.

THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS

Slideshow Gatlinburg

Grandma had taken Thursday and Friday off from work so we could go camping. Poppa drove off and on; we would pull off when he got tired and we would sleep for a couple of hours. We knew we did not have much time so we wanted to get there as quick as possible.

We arrived at Twin Creek RV Resort sometime mid morning Thursday. Poppa hung out at the campsite and we went swimming. Grandma got yelled out by some lady for wearing water shoes in the pool; now isn’t that what they are for. Grandma took her shoes off and we swam in the pool until we heard thunder so we had to get out.

We met the people in the site next to ours and they were from Chesapeake, Virginia, and their parents lived in Tennessee. The other thing that was strange, their uncle was Neal Thompson, who used to work with John on the VBPD; now that was weird. We ate dinner and the rains really came down; no marshmallows tonight. We were all so tired and we were going to be busy the next day. We were all in bed and asleep by 10PM.

Friday morning we were headed to find some pretty stones. Jessie wanted to go mining again and add to her collection. We found the mining place, got our stones and then we had to pick out what kind of jewelry we wanted. Jessie had a blue stone and Grandma an emerald (her birthstone). Jessie wanted her stone to be cut and set to a tune of 5-10K. Poppa knew what Jessie wanted, and the lady couldn’t believe that. Sure enough, Jessie told the lady she wanted the stone just like hers on her finger. The lady convinced Jessie that was way to big for her now, and when she got older she could get one bigger. Jessie got a nice necklace and Grandma did the same with her stone.

After the jewelry was done we headed off to see some real black bears. They were in a cage in the back of the store. It was kind of sad because the cage was not that big.

We were off to eat because Poppa was hungry. We stopped at some BBQ place and had lunch. After lunch, we rode through the Smokey Mountains for a while, and then we rode up this road named after some poker player; Chris Moneymaker Lane. He won the World Series of Poker tournament in 2005.

After the ride, we were back to the camper. Traffic was really bad and Poppa wanted to start his campfire. As long as there were marshmallows, Jessie was all for it. Poppa and Jessie had the good marshmallows and Grandma had all the burnt ones.

Saturday morning we were off to see the sea animals at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, and that was so neat. We really all had a super time. We saw sharks, little fish, big fish and even bigger fish. We saw ugly fish, funny looking fish, pretty fish, fat fish and skinny fish; they had them all. They also had colorful fish, boring fish and dull looking fish. After all that walking we did, Poppa was hungry again so we had a nice lunch there. And, of course, we went shopping too. Some jewelry, a snow globe, s shot glass for Grandma and even some candy. Then we were off to catch the trolley to go do some more shopping. While we were in line Jessie dropped her snow globe and broke it.

The craft show we went to was ok; not a lot of stuff for little people. I did get my face painted; this nice guy put a butterfly on my face. We did watch a lady carve a bear out of a big log that was cool. She used a chainsaw to carve it. After the craft show, we just rode around for a while to check out the sites; it was very crowded.

We had a great time and on Sunday we headed back to Virginia Beach. We took Route 81 to Route 58. And ... boy was that a mistake. Route 58 took us through "lover's leap" which was at the top of a mountain. That wasn't so bad, but the road leading up to it and then back down again was something John wished he had avoided.

On the way down the mountain, a sign said 7% grade for 3 miles, Maximum speed 35 MPH. John had to stop halfway down due to his breaks heating up. He was in 3rd gear and had the exhaust brake on. The bus was still accelerating.

Monaco Cayman

Since purchasing our new motorhome (36' Monaco Cayman diesel pusher), we have traveled up and down the east coast by ourselves, with others and with our granddaughter Jessica. You can view our web site at www.rvjunkie.com.

There, you will find links to places we have visited along with other information for RVJunkies / campers like ourselves.

Our blog (here) is where we will post information (almost daily) when we decide to go fulltiming.