Escapees May June 2015 Demo

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58 .ESCAPEES |May/June 2015 |
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.”