Blog

Many people find it easier to have a good time when they’re not draining their bank accounts. Even with a down economy and people becoming more conscious about their funds, vacations plans need not suffer! There is no need to cancel family vacation plans; you can still have a wonderful family vacation, without taking out a loan or going bankrupt.

Camping

Getting back to nature has long been great for a getaway that doesn’t cost much. Since restaurants are expensive, camping allows you to pack your own food and the savings add up there alone. Parking an RV, or pitching a tent on a campsite, can be a small fraction of the cost of a posh hotel. With free activities such as swimming, fishing and campfires, there is no need to increase the budget for activities.

Cruises

Many people think cruises are expensive and out of their reach. On the contrary, if you go during certain periods of time, a cruise can be very cost effective. Cruises provide free entertainment as well as all you can eat food bars. One can select cabins that do not have a view for lower fares. While a smaller cabin might be uncomfortable, there are so many things to do aboard the ship, that you only need it to sleep. For a low cost a family can enjoy a super vacation across the open sea.

Orlando, Florida

If one is willing to take in a time share session or two, Orlando can be the place to go. Things are packaged together and often include free theme park tickets, if you can sit through a sales session. Hotels and rental cars in this area tend to be on the cheaper end of the spectrum. While tickets to the major theme parks are expensive, there are lots of ways to get quick discounts. Every child loves Disneyworld and all the sites in Orlando that go along with it. By doing some research, Orlando can be a cost effective solution for vacation.

Las Vegas

One might be surprised to see Vegas on the list. Vegas can actually be very cost effective. The hotels main goal is to get one into their casinos. Often package deals including air fare, rental car and hotels, are hard to beat. Dozens of economical buffets and attractions are mere ploys to pull one into the gambling arena. If you can stay away from the slots, Vegas can be a wonderfully cheap vacation. But if one has some extra funds, the shows in this area are unbelievable.

Staycation-

The latest trend in vacationing, is to have a staycation. This is simply where one stays around their local town viewing all the sites. Sounds boring, not really, here is a list of things one can do close to home:

•Attend a baseball or other sport game

•Visit local zoo’s, or amusement parks

•Visit relatives that you do not always get to because of busy schedules

•Have a picnic in the park

•Fish, swim and do water activities at a nearby lake

•Museums and other tourist attractions

With careful planning, one can have the perfect vacation and money to spare. Just because the economy is downward, does not mean that we do not all still need a getaway. By being creative, ones family can come up with the perfect vacation getaway.

Source by Costan I Alexandru

RVs are great for long vacations or short weekend get-a-ways, traveling around the country or seeing things just minutes away. But new RVs are fairly expensive, especially when most people use their RV less than one month each year. Factor in the higher interest rate that comes with loans for “luxury items” like RVs and the price tag for a new RV gets pretty steep. Some monthly payments are the same as a mortgage for a house. A great way to enjoy a wonderful RV without the hefty price is to buy a repo instead.

Many RVs that are repossessed were owned by responsible people who recently fell on hard times or were faced with a sudden, unexpected and major additional expense. Often they kept their RV in good condition and were conscientious about its care. They may not have used it all that often either since most people only use their RVs seasonally. If they were facing additional money issues, they may have hardly used it at all. Many of these are in like-new condition. These same responsible owners usually opted for all the amenities too, so there are plenty of quality repossessed RVs with all the best features waiting to be snatched up at low prices at auction.

Much of the inventory at a used RV dealership were repossessed RVs that the dealers bought at bank auctions, detailed, fixed-up a little and then marked-up to sell. Why pay so much more for just a little cleaning and repair? Instead buy the same repossessed RV at the auction yourself and pay much less for the little things that will make it look like new again. Because new RVs depreciate so quickly, prices for used can be half the price of new. These repos are often sold for even less than that at bank auctions. Banks do not want to keep any of the RVs or pay for storage costs. They are no longer making any money on the loan and they want to get that negative leftover balance off the books as soon as possible, even if they cannot sell the RV for the total amount. They want them sold as quickly as possible, so they start the bidding low and a savvy bidder can get a great price on a quality repossessed RV.

Enjoy the many advantages of a repo RV by starting your search for one today.

Source by Spencer Arnold

Purchasing bank repossessed RVs for sale is one of the less expensive ways of having your own vehicle. Today, it is no longer important if your car is brand new or second hand; what is more important is that you bough it legally and at a very affordable price. However, besides from its price it is also necessary to make sure that it is functional and reliable and will not just strike out after a few miles of driving it. These are just some of the reasons why some people are having doubts when it comes to these types of vehicles. Many believe that that the reason why they are being sold cheaply is because they are no longer working or because they have already undergone certain major repairs. However, this is not always the case.

Do not be mislead by false information that these bank repossessed RVs for sale are just pieces of junk. It is true that they are previously owned by somebody but this does not mean that they are rejected and useless. In fact, some of these are just slightly used and the reason why they are now being auctioned is because they are designated by government agencies or some other financial institutions. They are admitted by the government through the law enforcement agencies because they are somehow used in some form of crime or maybe they have been salvaged from abandoned areas. Likewise, they are designated by financial institutions as a result of unpaid loans and they are the collaterals. So if you think that bank repossessed RVs for sale are just pieces of junk, then you are mistaken.

And since they do not really want to keep and handle these recreational vans, the government and banks have no option but to sell it as quickly as possible. And one way of doing so is by selling at a very low price. However, you must also realize that although they are generally still working fine, you still need to make sure that these bank repossessed RVs for sale are in perfect condition. To do so, you need to inspect every part, motor and mechanism of the automobile. It will also do you good if you will search for its VIN because it can give you information about repairs and accidents that the car underwent. If you are not sure, you can also bring a mechanic with you to check the cars for you.

If you want to land with the best deals, it is very important that you have enough knowledge. Bank repossessed RVs for sale could just be what you are looking for.

Source by Davion Wong

Did you know that there are close to 20,000 reported RV fires each year? A large percentage of these fires are transmission related fires on motor homes. Automatic transmission fluid leaking from the transmission can ignite, and quickly spread if it contacts any portion of the exhaust system. Before traveling in your RV inspect the underside for any signs of fluid leaking. Have any potential leaks checked out and repaired immediately.

Over 25 percent of RV fires are caused by shortages in the 12-volt electrical system. Not only do you need a fire extinguisher, you need to inspect it before each trip to make sure it is charged. Look to see if the arrow is pointing in the green area in the sight gauge. If it reads empty or needs charging replace it or have it recharged immediately. If it’s a dry powder type fire extinguisher the arrow pointing in the green doesn’t always guarantee that it will work. Every month you should turn dry powder extinguishers upside down, tap on the bottom of the extinguisher and shake it. It should sound hollow, sort of like a drum. If not, continue tapping on it until it sounds hollow and the powder that settled in the bottom is released.

There are four different types, or classes of fire extinguishers, A, B, C, and D, and each type is for a specific type of fire.

Class A extinguishers are used for fires caused by ordinary combustibles like paper and wood.

Class B extinguishers are used for fires caused by flammable liquids like grease, gasoline and oil.

Class C extinguishers are used for fires caused by electrical equipment.

Class D extinguishers are used for fires on flammable metals and often they are specific for the type of metal it is.

Some fire extinguishers have multi class ratings like, AB, BC or ABC which means one fire extinguisher can be used to put out different types of fires. The National Fire Protection Agency rules that RV’s must have a “BC” rated fire extinguisher near the exit. “BC” rated fire extinguishers are used for flammable liquids and gasses like grease, gasoline and oil, and for electrical fires. Many RV fires that happen inside an RV are type A fires caused by common combustibles like paper, and they require a type A fire extinguisher to put them out. This is why, in my opinion you need more than one fire extinguisher for your RV.

It’s a good idea to keep a BC type fire extinguisher in an outside storage compartment where it is easily accessible. You should also keep a BC type fire extinguisher inside the RV and keep an A type fire extinguisher inside the RV. If you tow a trailer keep a BC type fire extinguisher in the tow vehicle too.

Having these fire extinguishers available is a great idea but they are worthless if you and the other people traveling in the RV don’t know what type of fire they are used for and how to properly use them. Get everybody who will be in the RV together, and make sure they understand the different types of fire extinguishers you have and where they are located in the event of an emergency.

The old style labeling for fire extinguishers, to designate what type of fire they are used for was with the letter A, B, C or D

Newer style labeling for fire extinguishers includes a picture designating the type of fire it is used for.

If it can be used for multiple types of fires it will show the pictures for the types of fires it can be used for and it will have a red diagonal line through the picture of what it cannot be used for.

Once everybody understands the different types of fire extinguishers the next step is to teach everybody how to properly use a fire extinguisher. There are different types and sizes of fire extinguishers, but for the most part they all work the same way. Teach everybody to remember the word PASS. This is an easy way to remember how to use a fire extinguisher, especially during an emergency. PASS stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep.

Pull the pin located at the top of the fire extinguisher.

Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.

Squeeze the handle, standing approximately 8 feet away from the fire.

Release the handle if you want it to stop.

Sweep the nozzle back and forth at the base of the fire until it is out.

Observe the fire to make sure it does not re-ignite.

Last but certainly not least you need to have an emergency escape plan. The National Fire Protection agency requires that RV’s have emergency escape windows. Make sure everybody knows where the escape window is located and how to use it. It’s a good idea to practice using it so you are familiar with how to get out of the RV in case of an emergency. You should have an escape plan for the front of the RV and the rear of the RV.

Most important, do not risk your personal safety, or the safety of others, attempting to put a fire out. The first step is to get everybody out of the RV and away from the fire safely. Have somebody call 911 for help, and if you can’t extinguish the fire within the first minute or so let the professionals put it out.

Happy Camping!

Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101

Source by Mark Polk

As the baby boomers retire, the recreational vehicle industry has seen an upsurge in sales. For many people, nothing measures up to the independence and flexibility of enjoying the open road in a recreational vehicle (RV). There is certainly much to be said for taking your hotel with you wherever you go, and the savings on hotel costs can more than pay for the initial cost of an RV.

RV travelers realize the cost savings of this type of travel. There are no hotel rooms to book and dining in your RV can save an awful amount of money compared to eating in restaurants every day. Owning a fifth wheel or travel trailer, whereas you can unhook your RV from your truck, saves you from having to book a rental car. For those in motor homes, many travelers will tow a vehicle behind them.

When considering the purchase of an recreational vehicle, you will be faced with three choices; a fifth wheel which is rolled by a pick up truck and attaches to a wheel inside the truck box (since its name fifth wheel), a travel trailer which is usually pulled by a truck with a rear hitch, or a motor home. All three types of RV's have their pros and cons and each point will need to be considered based upon your needs and your budget. Other consideration for the RV lifestyle is the price of gas. However, it is still more economic than staying in hotels and eating at restaurants every night.

Traveling in a recreational vehicle or motor home is often a good choice for those who want to travel to different locations; however, it may be less suited to those who visit the same location year after year. Travelers who visit the same location every year may find it more economic to buy a vacation home. Buying a vacation home, and renting it out when it is not being used, can be a good way to both save money on renting and build equity for the future.

Many RV travelers come to love the freedom of the open road and the easy care lifestyle. Traveling cross-country and stopping a different parks along the way is a wonderful adventure. The traveler can choose to stay a day or as long as they want at a particular location.

A well-known fact in the RV community is the free camping at Walmart. In most states, you are allowed to camp in a Walmart's parking lot for as long as you like. I am sure you have seen recreational vehicles lined up at Walmart's parking lot at least on one occasion. This is a win-win situation for the traveler and Walmart. The traveler has a well-lit place to camp for the night, at no cost, and Walmart receives income from those RV owners who frequent the store. However, recently there has been an uprising amongst campground owners against Walmart's free camping policy. Therefore, it is well advised that you check with the local chamber of commerce before you decide to stay a week at Walmart.

Source by David Chandler