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58

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ESCAPEES

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May/June 2015

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www.escapees.com

Evanne is sure she got the wanderlust bug from her grandparents who traveled the

U.S. in their city bus conversion in the 1940s as what we now call “work-camp-

ers.” In 2000 she and her husband, Ray, set off on their own adventure,

affectionately called Operation Sunshine, from hip but rainy Portland, Oregon,

in search of a sunny place to settle down. Thirteen-plus years later, they’re still

roaming the country, sharing interesting destinations and cooking up delicious

RV kitchen recipes in their popular RV TV series,

RVCookingShow.com

.

than expected temps so it will cycle

on and off during warmer days.

• open cupboard doors that share an

outside wall if you expect it to get

extremely hot.

• turn off both propane and electric

heat for safety.

• unplug electronic devices in case of

unexpected lightning.

• my number one “weather” tip:

Close your awning, no matter what

the expected weather, unless it is

extremely secured. (Note: Always

close your awning, secured or not,

during strong windstorms. The arms

may not bend, but the fabric will

shred. I’ve seen it happen in a split

second before my eyes, and believe

me, it’s not a pretty picture.)

4

Check to make sure

you have all your

technical gadgets

with you, including:

• a fully charged cell phone so you’ll

be able to communicate in case of

an emergency.

• a fully charged digital camera (if

you don’t use a smartphone) to take

ample photographs and videos.

• your phone’s car charger and

charging plug in case you’re out

longer than anticipated.

• all parts for a fully functioning

GPS, including plugs, batteries, etc.

5

Develop a last-min-

ute multi-point check

for the last person

out the door.

• Turn the outside light on if you’ll be

returning to the rig after dark.

• The coffeepot and teapot should be

turned off and unplugged from the

wall to avoid any electrical appli-

ance mishaps.

• The water heater, both propane and

electric, should be turned off to

avoid issues discussed previously in

section two.

• All stove-top burner and oven con-

trols should be in the off position.

• The refrigerator and freezer doors

should be completely closed to

avoid automatic shut-off and spoil-

age of contents.

• The heat should be turned off or the

A/C set at the appropriate setting.

• The stereo should be turned off to

avoid overheating.

In our rig, these checklist items

flow in a counter-clockwise direction,

one after another, so we can always

have a quick circle check before clos-

ing the front door.

While these tips may not ensure

against all woes, they will eliminate

many unforeseen circumstances that

could really put a crimp in your RVing

adventure. Now, get out there and

explore this big, beautiful world.

1

Turn the water off at

the outside water

connection because

while you are gone:

• your hose might fail—leaking,

spraying and wasting water.

• a faucet drip or leak may overfill a

tank if the valve is closed.

• the black-water tank could fill and

spill (and possibly burst) if your toi-

let is leaky or not properly closed.

• on a hot day, water line pressure

in your hose, and in turn your RV

plumbing, will increase.

• if a pipe connection leaks or bursts

and the water is left on, you will

return to a flooded RV.

2

Turn your water

heater off while you

are gone to:

• save propane or electricity.

• preserve the electric heating element

– less use = longer life.

• decrease tank mineral deposits; they

increase with heat.

• keep water line pressure down and

reduce the risk of interior lines leak-

ing at connections.

• save your heating element in case of

water-heater tank leaks or failure.

• practice safety by turning off

heat-related appliances.

3

Be aware of weather

in the area you are

visiting and:

• adjust vents for possible rain or

wind (if you do not have Maxx Air

vent covers or a Fantastic Fan).

• crack windows, if applicable, to fos-

ter air circulation and adjust blinds

to avoid blazing mid-day sun.

• set A/C five to 10 degrees cooler

“While these tips may not ensure against all

woes, they will eliminate many unforeseen

circumstances that could really put a crimp

in your RVing adventure.”