Escapees May June 2015 Demo

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32 .ESCAPEES |May/June 2015 |
Also helpful to have on hand: duct tape. Buy the best
you can afford. “Gorilla tape” is great. It sticks well and
wears well. Get a short roll of Eternabond tape, too. This
stuff will fix a tear on almost any type of RV roof, siding
and other stuff. It’s pricier than duct tape, but duct tape
won’t fix a roof leak. A short roll of “mending wire” or a
coil of baling wire will help you jury-rig a variety of fixes.
Teflon tape from the plumbing supply area will help you fix
leaky pipe joints, and maybe even a roll of the yellow pipe
tape for gas joints.
A rechargeable, cordless electric drill is at the top
of our list for non-hand tools. We can drill holes, drive
screws, even stir paint with the right attachment. And we
even keep a corded 3/8-inch electric drill on hand. With
the right socket fitting, we use it to jack up and down our
travel trailer stabilizer jacks. Works a whole lot faster than
bending over and hand-cranking them, and then it’s always
available when a big drill job comes along that’s too much
for the cordless unit.
Where to keep it? Keeping screwdrivers, a utility knife
and a tape measure in the junk drawer in the kitchen makes
it easier for both of us to get what we often need in a hurry.
For the regular repair guy, I find having two different tool
bags useful. One keeps the heavy-duty repair tools like
wrenches and assorted drivers together. The other is strictly
electrical, with the voltmeter, specific electrical repair tools
and supplies, and is nice for just grabbing and going to the
“scene of the crime.”
Set a budget, hit the stores and don’t forget pawn shops.
They’re often a great place to pick up bargains that can
help you make fixes on the road.
Russ and Tiña De Maris, Guest Contributors
Long-time RV writers, Russ and Tiña De Maris also produce a weekly In-
ternet radio show at YourRVPodcast.com. Or look for Your RV Podcast
on the iTunes store.
Safety Tips for RV Parking at Casinos
RVers looking for a place to “blacktop boondock”
(dry-camping, parking lot-style overnight) soon discover
there aren’t too many places that allow free overnight park-
ing. Most states discourage overnight parking at interstate
rest areas; shopping centers ask RVs to leave at the end of
the business day, and even some 24-hour supercenters have
posted “No Overnight Parking” signs. You can usually stay
overnight at a truck stop, but their parking areas tend to be
crowded and noisy.
Casino parking lots, on the other hand, are hospitable.
Casinos throughout the country welcome adult campers
because they know they might receive additional business.
And the travelers get a quiet, safe spot to rest for the night
without being hassled. Since most casinos are open 24/7,
security personnel are on duty all night.
Here are a few safety tips for free overnight parking
(blacktop boondocking) at casinos:
1) After pulling in, check with security to verify whether
you can stay overnight in the parking lot and ask where
they want you to park.
2) If the casino has a fee-pay campground as part of the fa-
cility, it is essential to check with security to ask about your
options for staying overnight. Some casinos will allow you
to stay in the parking lot anyway. But there are a number
of casinos that require you to pull into their campground if
you want to stay for the night.
3) Blacktop boondockers: limit your free overnight stay to
a single 24-hour period.
4) If there is no designated area for large vehicles, park on
the perimeter of the lot. Don’t take up spaces intended for
Image courtesy of EternaBond
“Get a short roll of Eternabond
tape, too. This stuff will fix a
tear on almost any type of RV
roof, siding and other stuff.”
“Boondocking at a casino is con-
venient. Casinos are located all
over the country; many within a
mile or two of an interstate exit.”
For more tips from Russ and Tiña De Maris visit:
Tips