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Posted by: Mark Polk | 2013

RV 101 – How Tall is your RV?

When it comes to your RV’s height you have what are referred to as soft clearances and hard clearances. An example of a soft clearance would be a radio antenna. An example of a hard clearance would be the roof air conditioner. You might get away with the antenna hitting an overhead obstruction with little or no damage to the RV, but if you hit the roof air conditioner there will be lots of damage.

That’s why it’s important to know what your RV height clearances are. From a level surface measure from the ground to the top of the highest hard clearance on your RV, and post the height where it is easy to see and serve as a constant reminder.

Happy RV Learning,

Mark Polk

www.rveducation101.com

www.rvconsumer.com

www.rv101.tv

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RV Consumer Magazine May 2013

RV Consumer Magazine is a free digital magazine designed to inform and educate the RV consumer on all things RV. In this issue of RV Consumer Magazine take an RV safety refresher course before heading out on an RV trip, learn some tips to help you plan for safe, fun and relaxing RV trips, polish up on campground etiquette and read Mark’s interview with Tim Custer, General Manager for RV Trader.

This edition of RV Consumer Magazine is packed with RV how to videos, RV tips and tricks, RV care & maintenance topics and much more.

Click here to start reading now

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RV Consumer Magazine

Happy RV Learning,

Mark Polk

www.rveducation101.com

www.rvconsumer.com

www.rv101.tv

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Posted in Beginning RVer, Buying RV, Free RV Consumer E-Magazine, General, RV Destinations, RV Electrical System, RV Maintenance, RV products, RV Safety, RV Tips & Hints, RV Training, RV Types, Trailer Towing Topics | Tags: RV 101, RV consumer magazine, RV Education 101, RV how to, RV information, RV magazine, RV safety, RV trailers, RV videos

Posted by: Mark Polk | 2013

RV 101® – RV Tire Pressure Gauges

Is your Tire Pressure Gauge Accurate?

Tire inflation gauge

We often talk about the importance of checking the inflation pressure in tires, but is your tire pressure gauge giving you accurate information?

As a Maintenance Warrant Officer in the Army, I was responsible for tool calibration programs. Certain tools required regular calibration to ensure accuracy. I always use a quality tire pressure gauge, but realized after several years of using this gauge I never had it checked for accuracy. Many of the inexpensive gauges ($5) you can purchase can’t be calibrated, and if the reading is inaccurate the gauge is worthless. This is why you should spend a little more ($15-$25) and get a quality inflation pressure gauge that can be calibrated. I am a real believer in the old saying; you get what you pay for.

If you have any doubt about the accuracy of your tire pressure gauge there are a couple things you can do to check it.

1) You can check the air pressure in a tire with the gauge in question and then check the same tire with another gauge. If there is a significant difference in the readings (4 or more psi) between the two gauges one or both gauges may be inaccurate. If both gauges read within 1 to 2 psi of each other the gauges are more than likely accurate.

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Posted in Beginning RVer, General, RV Maintenance, RV products, RV Safety, RV Tips & Hints, RV Tires, Trailer Towing Topics | Tags: checking RV tire pressure, RV 101, RV help, RV how to, RV information, RV tips & hints, RV tire inflation, RV tire pressure, RV tire pressure gauge, RV tires

Posted by: Mark Polk | 2013

RV 101® – Buying a Used RV

Used RVs

RVs are like automobiles in that they depreciate rather than appreciate in value. The good news is used RVs have already suffered the brunt of depreciation and the pricing usually reflects this. Pricing for a used RV involves many factors. A few of these factors are the age of the unit, the condition, mileage if applicable, and options the RV is equipped with.

Most importantly is the overall condition of the RV. The NADA for RVs is a good reference guide to use, and the values listed in the NADA are based on the RV being in good condition. Good condition means that there is no damage and everything on the RV is in proper working condition. In other words you should be able to buy the RV and and use it with no problems or issues. If not, the price of the RV goes down.

Regardless of whether you are purchasing the RV from a dealer or private owner it’s important they demonstrate everything on the RV is working properly. Appliances in an RV are expensive to replace. If you get the RV home and discover the refrigerator does not work it can cost well over $1,000 to replace. In addition to everything operating properly you need to inspect the unit thoroughly for damage, including damage that is not always visible, like water damage. If you’re not sure what to look I strongly recommend you take somebody with you who is familiar with RVs.

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Posted in Beginning RVer, Buying RV, General, RV Maintenance, RV Safety, RV Types | Tags: Buying an RV, buying used RV, how much is used RV worth, inspecting used RV, NADA RV pricing, NADA RV values, RV values, used RV values

Posted by: Mark Polk | 2013

RV Consumer FREE E-Magazine – April 2013

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Posted in Beginning RVer, Free RV Consumer E-Magazine, General, RV Batteries, RV Destinations, RV Maintenance, RV products, RV Safety, RV Tips & Hints, RV Training | Tags: RV consumer magazine, RV destinations, RV how to, RV information, RV magazine, RV news, RV products, RV tips & hints, RV videos

Posted by: Mark Polk | 2013

RV Education 101 Launches Auto Education 101 Site

Auto Education 101

HARRELLS, N.C. — RV Education 101 announced today the launch of a new Auto Education 101 blog site for auto enthusiasts.

Co-owner Mark Polk explained, “Towing a trailer or towing a car behind a motorhome is a major part of the RV experience. Periodic maintenance on your RV and on tow vehicles is the cornerstone to a safe enjoyable RV trip.

“I have considered a spin-off of our RV Education 101 training site for automobile enthusiasts for quite some time now,” he added. “Auto Education 101 is a blog site where folks can learn more about auto care and maintenance topics while also enjoying classic car and truck restorations, truck reviews, product installation videos and other useful and fun information car and truck enthusiasts are interested in.”

Equal-i-zer Hitch is sponsoring a classic truck restoration project that Polk is currently working on. The plan is to use the restored 1971 Dodge truck to tow a vintage 1967 Yellowstone trailer that Polk restored earlier to some RV and auto shows.

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Posted in Beginning RVer, Detroit NAIAS GM, General, RV Maintenance, RV Tips & Hints | Tags: auto blog, Auto Eduction 101, auto maintenance, auto shows, RV Education 101 launches Auto Education 101

Posted by: Mark Polk | 2013

Protect our National Parks for Future Generations

Old Faithful

“Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.”~Theodore Roosevelt

Unfortunately it seems Teddy Roosevelt’s words fell on deaf ears. Our National Park Service already has a $12 billion backlog in park maintenance, and the National Park Service’s annual budget has remained nearly stagnant, at $2.86 billion, since 2008.

To me this signals that National Park funding is already inadequate, and threatens the future of all our federally protected land.

Now add to that the National Park Service gets hit with 5% sequestration budget cuts mandated by Congress and President Obama. These additional cuts will increase an already unmanageable maintenance backlog and result in fewer employees, fewer visitors, park closings and the local economies suffering the brunt of it.

Rather than creating jobs for this fantastic recreational service provider, with an estimated 279 million visitors annually, our government is cutting jobs. Where is the sense in this?

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Posted in Beginning RVer, General, RV Campgrounds, RV Destinations, RV History, RV Tips & Hints, RV trivia, RV Types | Tags: national park funding inadequate, National Park Service budget cuts, national parks suffer budget cuts, protect our national parks, protect our national treasures, RV 101, save our national parks, save our state parks

Posted by: Mark Polk | 2013

RV Consumer Magazine March 2013

RV Consumer Magazine is a digital e-magazine designed to inform and educate the RV consumer on RV products, RV information, RV videos, RV how-to topics and RV education. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE NOW

In this issue of RV Consumer Magazine: