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"BETTER THAN A BIDET AND A THOUSAND DOLLARS CHEAPER"
- A new product from Waste Master

Perhaps the best way to explain this product is to see the picture to the right.

Biffy from Waste Master - a better and cheaper bidet

Bidets have been popular in Europe for many years.  This product delivers a "soft shower of fresh clean water" and the manufacturers claim it works better than a bidet.  It's easy to install and costs just $99.95.

When you push the handle, the Biffy swings out and turns on.  Release the handle, it shuts off and hides back away.

Biffy from Waste Master - simple and effective

It's made in America, connects to just about any toilet without the need for an electrical outlet.

Simply perfect.

Read the full details on the Waste Master website here

Posted 9/2006
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Roaming Times' RVs and RVing sections


BUYING AN RV - THINGS TO CONSIDER
  - the things RVers have recommended to Roaming Times

Roaming Times has had many people giving advice about buying an RV over the last 7 years.  These are some of the things suggested; RV buyers might find them useful:

  • If you're new to RVing, you might like to rent first.  Rental costs can be about $100 per day, this might be a good investment .. (see the RoTi section Renting an RV)  
  • RVs like cars can depreciate rapidly in the first few years .. buying a secondhand RV makes sense for many first time buyers (and for many experienced RVers too - see comments in Buying an RV ) .. 
  • Check out RVs in the RoTi Classifieds - RVs for sale section ...
  • Beware of high pressure salesmen - if it sounds too good to be true it probably is - as many readers have told us.  If you have to give them a decision very quickly, the decision should probably be no ...
  • Check the RV for damp and mold - we've had many horror stories about problem RVs (see the RoTi section Scary Stories)
  • Go to an RV park and talk to RVers.  Ask them about their experiences
  • Remember, buying an RV is seasonal - prices tend to be higher at the beginning of the season.  Many people sell at the end of the season ...
  • When you have a particular model in mind, check RoTi Consumer Reports
  • Find out the blue book value of the RV you're interested in and haggle ..  
  • Read about the RVing experience - "it's unbeatable"  
  • If you have an RV to sell - check RoTi Selling an RV  

Posted 8/2006
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Roaming Times' RVs and RVing sections


THE PROBLEM OF GETTING SPARE PARTS FOR YOUR RV
"Manufacturers don't stock the parts .. and dealers don't stock any thing"  - by David Mottram

Roaming Times - over the 7 years it's been providing a service to RVers - has had many emails and forum entries from people who were stuck somewhere waiting for spare parts.  People who go off on their dream trip across country for example, and then end up stuck for a week - or more - in Podunk awaiting a thingummy for the whatsit, without which their 500,000 dollar motorcoach is worthless.

We pay tribute in this article to Richard Coon who became President of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) in January 2006.

In an article in RV Business magazine, Richard Coon is quoted as saying:

"There's a big problem getting spare parts to a dealer in a reasonable amount of time.  Well, what's a reasonable amount of time?  In this day and age, it's 24 hours.  Every major company in the United States is capable of doing that with the communication and transportation systems that are available.

When you look at that in this industry, though, the dealers are going to say the manufacturers don't stock the parts.  And the manufacturers will say the dealer never stocks anything.  The facts are that RVIA can work hard and maybe get the manufacturers to do something, but if the dealers don't do their part of the process of delivering the part, then it won't work.  That's why I'm saying that you need to get everybody on board to make this thing work."

Richard has now set up groups for this and other industry problems "to solve these things."  The group for "Replacement Parts Availability" is chaired by Debbie Brunoforte, owner, Little Dealer, Little Prices, Mesa, Arizona.

Roaming Times - and I'm sure we can speak for it's many thousands of users - send Richard Coon and Debbie Brunoforte our best wishes.  This is a problem that we all hope they can help to improve.  And we thank them in advance for every day we save not waiting in Podunk for the thingummy.

Have you been stuck waiting for spare parts - give your opinion and we'll pass it on to manufacturers and dealers ..

Posted 7/2006
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Roaming Times' RVs and RVing sections


RVs AND PBDEs - MANUFACTURERS SHOULD USE MATERIALS THAT WILL NOT MAKE US SICK
Toxic chemicals in our RVs and a family run company that can provide organic replacement items.  - by Judith Maywood

A study by the Ecology Center released in January 2006 found that PBDEs (toxic chemicals that are used as fire retardants) and other chemicals used in vehicle manufacture are found in dangerous amounts in new vehicles. It talks about cars but presumably is also applicable to new RVs. It seems to me that it is more relevant with RVs because we spend more time in them - we don't sleep overnight in our cars (at least not since my college years.)

I think we should demand from the RV manufacturers that they should show an awareness and a willingness to utilize materials that will not make us sick.

I am particularly please to see Roaming Times promoting "ANaturalHome" (see ad on this page.) This company is a family run corporation that is dedicated to bringing quality eco-friendly organic cotton, wool and natural latex products to the marketplace. They make PBDE FREE mattresses and other natural products.

For most of my life, since my late teens, I became aware of cause and effect regarding one’s health. Expressions like: you are what you eat, or work smart and play hard, or smoking is bad for your health, and later I heard my own admonitions to my kids, to brush their teeth, not to eat much candy – etc. How boring is sounds – but the beat goes on – we do have to be aware of cause and effect and take control and actions whenever we can.

Now they are saying that PBDEs, the chemicals used for the last 30 years to make fabrics and materials flame retardant, is bad for your health and your offspring! I am asking myself why so many kids are autistic, are ADD, and generally unfocused and hyper? – is it our culture? Probably, but also – our environment. We breathe and eat chemicals that were produced to help us – but unfortunately it can often harm us and this takes time to show-up. 

I did some research and found that PBDEs have been turning up in house and yard dust, streams, and people’s bodies. There are 
reports that relatively low-dose exposures to PBDEs in the womb of rats, can damage the offsprings reproductive and nervous systems. 

Governments are banning these chemicals. California passed a law to ban some of these compounds. IKEA the Swedish furniture maker has eliminated these flame retardants from its products. It is only sensible to try to reduce exposure to these harmful chemicals for ourselves and our families. And to protect ourselves from the problems in our RVs. Once we have become aware – we can be discerning regarding these harmful agents.

Check out ANaturalHome. They say: "Our mission is to provide organic products for the home that are durable, affordable, and environmentally friendly. The simple goal is to create a line of organic and safe home accessories that are expertly made and affordable -- and to manufacture them in a small community in Ohio. We do what we say, and we take full responsibility for our actions."

Wow, that's great - the next thing is to insist RV manufacturers do the same - provide safe materials and take responsibility for THEIR actions.

See the ANaturalHome website.

Posted 6/2006
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RV Interiors  
Are you alergic to your RV?  
Roaming Times' RVs and RVing sections


BIG SCREEN GPS - A SIMPLE (AND BETTER?) SYSTEM USING YOUR LAPTOP
"
Why spend thousands of dollars on inflexible built-in GPS systems when you can turn your existing large-screen laptop PC into a GPS navigator for only $99.95?" - asks Caleb Mason of  DeLorme

One of the first things I learned when visiting an FMCA Show two years ago was that many motor coaches have built-in GPS systems, but what to do when it's time to head out in the tow car? People had I spoke with had become addicted to their GPS but could not use it when they went off exploring in their tow car.

The DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-20 is a simple solution to this as long as you have a laptop PC already, which most people nowadays do. You load the included Street Atlas USA software on your laptop's hard drive and plug the GPS into the USB port of your laptop PC. Place the GPS on the dash (it comes with a 5' attached cable), and the co-pilot can create routes for you to track against all across the U.S. and Canada.

The DeLorme system can speak voice directions, including the names of the streets or ramps to turn on. It also can accept your voice commands and reply to common questions such as "How far to the next turn?" It includes a mobile map colors setting to dim the screen when driving in glare or at night. It also shows your next turn and the turn after that in large easy-to-read arrows. Sometimes it is the second turn that is most often missed, such as when getting off complex interchanges, so this next-turns feature is very handy.

The included database of places of interest is huge and includes all the Wal-Marts, Love's, Flying Js, and other important stops for motor coachers. More than just these, you also have restaurants, food chains, drug stores, churches, hospitals - just about everything you could ever need while on the road. And most include phone numbers as well.

DeLorme has been making innovative mapping products for thirty years now, with all development done right here in the U.S. In fact, if you're ever in the Northeast, come visit the company in Yarmouth, Maine…just down the road from L.L. Bean…and see the world's largest rotating and revolving globe in our lobby. Our Map Store is also a great place to ask any product questions you may have and to get personalized technical assistance if needed.

Caleb Mason DeLorme

See the DeLorme website.

Posted 5/2006
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RV travel and trips   
Roaming Times' RVs and RVing sections


RV - THE MOVIE - A BATTLE WITH HUMAN WASTE DISPOSAL
"
Too many RV owners do not know there is an easy, inexpensive solution" - says Doug Swarts of  Waste Master

Robin Williams stars as Bob Monro in the new film "RV" in which he is shown covered with human waste, but the real world offers a solution that prevents such problems.

The standard equipment that comes with most RV and trailer units is hard to use, and it is hard to avoid spills when dumping human waste, but an aftermarket product removes all the mess and keeps things sanitary.

"We want the public to know that it does not have to end up in the horrible mess that Robin Williams got himself into in the movie," said Doug Swarts of  Waste Master. "Emptying the holding tanks of human waste is just plain offensive, and it is a major reason many people will not use an RV. We want the public to know there is a better
way."

The popular movie depicts the challenges Williams has as he tries to bring his family on vacation in a rented RV. In the scene where he empties the holding tanks, Williams ends up covered from head to toe in human waste. He has to be hosed off, which gets laughs, but also causes the public to think that it could happen to them as well.

"It doesn't have to be that way," says Swarts. "As an RV owner I knew
there had to be a better way to take care of this unpleasant task. I came up with the Waste Master (tm), and now there is a way to easily empty the holding tanks, in a totally sanitary and environmentally friendly manner."

Could it happen in real life?

"It certainly could, and it does. Far too often," said Swarts. "But all those problems can be avoided, and the task can be clean and sanitary, but too many RV owners do not know there is an easy, inexpensive solution."

The Waste Master is stored in a bay door on the side of an RV. It is designed to prevent spills and be completely sanitary.

"The nozzle and sewer hose are pre-connected, pre-stored and ready to
go. Open the bay door, and with the press of a button, simply extend the industrial grade sewer hose with special nozzle attached. It is a lot like extending a gas nozzle from a gas pump. There's no stooping and fumbling to plug it into the ground inlet. Now, just open the lever and push two buttons. It's so clean, you could even do it with white gloves on. When you're done, all you do is close the lever, press the button, and it retracts itself fully. No mess. No dripping. No coiling. And best of all it's totally sanitary," explained Swarts.

Watching Williams in the movie "RV" may be entertaining, but Swarts hopes it does not cause people to avoid using an RV. All of the problems Williams encounters can be avoided, and the task of emptying the holding tank can be simple and clean. 

See the Waste Master website.

Contact:
Doug Swarts
877-787-8833
doug@phasefourindustries.com

Posted 5/2006
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Waste Master  
RV holding tanks - waste handling   
Roaming Times' RVs and RVing sections


A BETTER DUMPING SYSTEM DOES EXIST
By Marty Fermer

Having spent the past 30 plus years as a union plumber in San Francisco, CA I have seen and experienced many plumbing disasters. Recently my wife and I retired and began our fulltime RV adventure. The first time I dumped the holding tanks in our 2003 Travel Supreme the hose leaked all over the ground and left me with the job of cleaning up the mess. And, I am supposed to be retired!
After reviewing the process it became apparent that there must be a better way to dump the holding tanks without the mess. I prefer a simple method which comes from my past experiences with more complex situations found in the plumbing industry. 
First thing to do is figure out what the problem was with the current industry standard method.
This consisted of three things,
1. The bayonet style fittings are the wrong design to insure a good seal because the fitting must be turned after the rubber seal meets the part it is compressed to. The interface between the bayonet fitting and the hose was not good because the hose has an internal wire and any clamp used would squeeze the wire causing leak paths on both sides of the wire.
2. The 3” hoses used were not suited for safe transfer of waste so a higher quality hose and fittings for the job was necessary. 
3. The fitting for the sewer inlet on the other end of the hose needed to secure itself into the inlet. The fitting also needs a valve to keep the waste contained until it is safe to expose the RV to the sewer inlet as well as protect me from spilling any residual on myself or the ground.

The simple solution was to use the proper equipment for the job. During my search for the hose and fittings I came across a system called Waste Master on the web www.wastemaster.net 
I contacted the company and decided to have my coach retrofitted to this new system. While the job is fairly simple it is time consuming and the company let me do most of the work saving me a lot on money in labor costs.
We’ve had the Waste Master-6 system for about two years and I am pleased to report that the system not only accomplished the design goal, it exceeded it. The coach end of the hose is connected using industrial threaded 3” fittings. The sewer hose is industrial strength Polypropylene which extends 19’ from my coach and the nozzle on the business end of the hose has a handle as well as a valve and compression donut to secure it to the sewer inlet.
I no longer clean the hose, it gets flushed with Grey water and I never worry about having a problem. Dumping my tanks is now completely uneventful.
I was told by an Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) official that the RV manufacturers are not responsible for the transfer from the vehicle to the sewer. Amazingly, it is the responsibility of commercial vehicles transporting liquids or waste of any kind to provide a safe method of transfer from the vehicle to the receiving approved source. In my opinion, as consumers, we should demand the RV manufacturers take responsibility and provide us, their customers with the proper equipment and not send us to some RV accessories store to pick our own array of consumer grade inferior products. 
As a plumber, if I treated waste in the usual manner that the RV user is forced to by the RV manufacturers, I would be arrested and be subject to large fines and a jail sentence. 

Posted 4/2006
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Waste Master  
RV holding tanks - waste handling   
Roaming Times' RVs and RVing sections


SOMETHING GOOD FROM A TRAGEDY.
The birth of Puppy Stairs ...
by Jeanne Wolfington

Several years after the death of my husband I decided that I needed some living creature to love. I decided to get a female Yorkie and name her Angel. I looked at several litters of pups and didn’t find one that I knew was mine without question. One day I found out about a tiny puppy whose mother refused to feed. It was a male but I decided to look at him anyway. One look at the puppy and I knew he was mine and Angel became Raphael. 

A year ago, at the age of one and a half, Raphael was injured and instead of recovering, he became increasingly lame and was in terrible pain. I was heartbroken and found it impossible to bear seeing my precious pet in agony. The Veterinarian kept him for the weekend for observation and after taking ex-rays of his spine realized that he had one vertebra missing which left his spinal cord vulnerable. The only hope for him to live a live a life without excruciating pain was to have neurosurgery. The surgery was expensive so all my friends who joined me in affection for Raphael pitched in and helped pay for the surgery. Dr. Rodney Bagley, D. V. M., Associate Professor for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Pullman Washington, performed the surgery.

It was a very delicate operation, especially since Raphael weighs only 5 pounds. The Doctor thought he would do better if we took care of him after the surgery because he was so terrified of all the strangers. We took him to our motel room held and rocked him for three days and nights, taking turns sleeping. It was the only way he would rest or sleep.

At first Raphael could just barely stand, but couldn’t walk, and unless we were holding him, we had to keep him confined to a small area. We were so concerned about him trying to jump up or down on furniture after his recovery that we looked around for some steps to buy to help him. All the stairs or ramps we found were heavy and were made from hard materials. When the comment was made, “It sure would be nice if we could find something made of a substance that doesn’t bruise your shin each time you bump it,” my business partner said, “wouldn’t it be great if there were stairs made from foam rubber.” I thought the idea was so great that I bought a sewing machine, had some cubes cut from industrial foam rubber, and made removable washable covers. Raphael took to the stairs immediately so I made another set and gave them to our dog sitter; all his dogs loved them including the larger dogs.

We felt that Puppy Stairs should be shared with the animal world to help animals that have injuries, arthritis, or other bone and joint diseases. We had a web site created and it soon became apparent that I would have to abandon my sewing machine and employ a factory to fill our orders.

We have recently expanded our company to include Puppy Stair ramps. The ramps were designed to fill the need for dogs with injured spines, dogs too injured to step up and down, and those with impaired pelvic limb function. 

It is gratifying to have something good come from a tragedy.

Posted 3/2006
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Puppy Stairs  
Roaming Times' pets sections


WAL-MART AND RVING - ALWAYS NO PRICE.  ALWAYS.
Unfair competition?
by David Mottram

Wal-Mart's policy is famous: "Always low prices. Always."  Critics argue that this provides unfair competition to mom-and-pop retailers and, as a result, has decimated them.

Wal-Mart also has a policy of allowing RVers to stay overnight in their parking lots.  In this case, "Always low prices" becomes "Always no price";  America's RV park owners generally argue that this provides unfair competition.

In the case of retailing, and in the case of RVs, are the criticisms justified?

Retailing:  Wal-Mart has about 8% of total American retail sales.  Huge, but in no way an enormous market concentration.  Many other big industries have leading players with a bigger market share.

RVing:  These are just my own guesstimates:-
According to the Wal-Mart Locator - widely used by RVers to find their way to the nearest friendly Wal-Mart - there are about 3,500 Wal-Mart and Good Sam Club stores (these are the number listed in the Wal-Mart Locator).  Just supposing, on average, each store has 5 RVs per night.  That would make the total number of RVs parked in Wal-Mart stores at around 17,500 per night.
RV parks:  According to the RVIA there are around 16,000 public and privately owned campgrounds nationwide.  Guessing at 100 RVs per park per night, there are about 1,600,000 RVs parked in RV parks every night.
Wal-Mart's share:  17,550 divided by 1,600,000.  This gives them just over 1% of the RVs.

Another interesting estimate:  According to Larry Hahn (National President of the Wal-Mart Bound Club), every RV spends about $72 per night on food and supplies.  On the numbers we guessed at above, this works out at about $45 million per year gross income from RVs.

There's method in Wal-Mart's madness.  Unfair competition?  I guess if you have a campground close to a Wal-Mart store you would think so.  Otherwise, you - the reader - be the judge.  Join the discussion at:
http://www.roamingtimes.com/walmart/index.asp

Posted 2/2006
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NOT CHEAP RV PARTS, BUT RV PARTS CHEAP!
by David Mottram

There is a large market for RVers who are not looking for cheap RV parts, but are looking for RV parts cheap.

Catering to this market are companies located in the RV capital of the world - Elkhart, Indiana.  Their close proximity to parts manufacturers, converters and RV manufacturers gives them the opportunity to sweep up stock and offer parts at close-out prices.

They buy RV and van surplus, over-runs, inventory buy-outs and close-outs and pass these on to RVers at great savings.  Most of the items have manufacturers warranties.

RV furniture is a particularly interesting area.  What do you do when your captains chair or your sleeper sofa starts to look tired?  This is an area where the Elkhart surplus companies can really save you money.

One such company is Surplus Online.  This company goes one stage further, you can choose the furniture item on-line and then choose the fabric and they will personalize for the item for you at surplus prices.

This is all good news for RVers and it applies particularly to fulltimers living on a fixed budget.  But then again, I guess it applies to us all, we're all looking for a bargain:  we don't want cheap things but we do want the things we want cheap.

Posted 12/2005
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THE BENEFITS OF SOUTH DAKOTA RESIDENCY
by David Mottram

South Dakota has many advantages for residency:

It has NO state income tax, inheritance tax or personal property tax.  For residents purchasing vehicles or RVs etc., it has only a 3% excise tax.  It's also said to be ranked 47th in lowest private passenger car insurance.  According to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, South Dakota has the nation's lowest per capita taxes.

There are estimated to be more than one million people living fulltime in recreational vehicles, traveling America with no fixed home.  The world we live in generally prefers people to have a permanent address of course.  In order to own a vehicle you need a drivers license, a license plate and vehicle insurance.  So, practically speaking, a fulltimer needs to have residency somewhere.

A handful of states make it easy to establish residency.  South Dakota requires only a mailing address and spend a single night in the state.  For eight dollars you can get a five-year driver's license.  You can also get your vehicle registered for less than $100 (provided you paid sales tax on the vehicle in a recognized state).  South Dakota does not require that your vehicles have an annual safety inspection.

Many fulltime RVers get a South Dakota driver's license and make the state their legal home.  And then they can get all the legal benefits of course.  One company - Alternative Resources - helps RVers establish South Dakota residency.  The company also performs mail forwarding and other services for the RVers, customized to meet their needs.

Many of the RVers who are attracted to the low taxes in South Dakota also go on to register to vote.

The following is a link to a website that lets you compare taxes by state and answers many other questions:
http://www.retirementliving.com/RLtaxes.html

Posted 11/2005
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