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Tips on black water tanks

Dealing with the black and gray water tanks is certainly no one's favorite part of RVing. These tips will help you keep from building up solids, which could have disasterous results long term.

First, do not leave the valve to the black water tank open when you are hooked up. Wait until the tank is at least half to three-fourths full and dump it all at once. Otherwise you will have a build up of solids you can’t get rid of. A day before you are going to dump, close the gray water valve and let it partially fill so it flushes out the hose. Dump the black water first.

Second, having plenty of water in the tank helps flush out the solids. Here are two ways you can get that extra water in the black tank:

1. Newer rigs often have a valve so you can add gray water to the black tank to help flush out solids. Open the valve and add gray water to equalize the tanks if the gray water tank fills more quickly and to add extra water for flushing.


2. After you flush the toilet, fill the toilet bowl again with water and flush again. Right before you dump, add more water by flushing the toilet repeatedly until your monitor panel shows full.

Third, if you have a problem with your sensors giving you a false reading and showing that the black tank is partly or completely full when it is not, these two methods can usually get them clean:

1. Purchase a wand to put on the end of your extra hose - NOT the one for drinking water! (In fact, make sure you somehow mark this hose so you never mix them up.) After you have dumped your black water, use the wand to flush out stuck material and clean off the sensors. Put the wand on one end and attach the other to a faucet. Open the toilet by depressing the lever and stick the wand in so that all the holes are lower than the bottom of the toilet - otherwise you'll get sprayed. Yuk! Have someone turn on the water and rotate the wand gently back and forth so the spray hits all along the sides of the tank. This helps clean off the sensors and also helps loosen anything that is stuck. Periodically turn off the water and check the sensors to see if the tank is reading empty.


2. After dumping, add some water in the bottom of the black tank. Then dump a bag of ice cubes into the tank through the toilet. Drive to your next campground. The sloshing of the ice cubes helps clean the sensors and break up solids. Add more water and dump when you arrive at your destination.

Happy dumping!

Part of this entry was excerpted from The Women's Guide to Solo RVing (ebook/CD).

Thinking about retiring to the RV lifestyle?

If you are thinking of traveling part- or full-time in an RV after you retire, read this article, "Retired RVers make travel a way of life," at Bankrate.com. You'll get a good overview of what the RV lifestyle is about and ways to plan for it. Jaimie and Alice were interviewed for this article.

Alice's ebook, Taking the Mystery out of Retiring to an RV, is a good place to start in planning for your RV adventure. Besides answering "How do I get my mail?" she addresses the practicalities of the RV lifestyle.

For example, in "Can I afford it?"

The Budget! Yes, you have to do this step. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Consider the amount that you spend now in each category. You’ll discover that your expenses will be greatly reduced and you will have a good chance of living on your retirement income. You won’t have to allow for work clothing, commuting, or restaurant lunch expenses. Living in an RV reduces your energy expenses: less electricity, gas, and water. Your reduced space limits the number of "things" you can buy.

On the other hand, you will have to include RV-related expenses you didn’t have before...

Extended or full-time RVing is different than a vacation. It is also an excellent way to see this country. Whether you travel many miles from place to place or travel to a place and stay there for a while - as a visitor, volunteer or even a Workamper - you bring your house with you. The RV lifestyle accommodates all these choices and more.

What's your ideal RV?

If money was not an issue, what size and type of RV would you buy? What brand? length? number of slides? What type? motorhome, 5th wheel, pull-behind, camper? Leave a comment with what is your ideal rig.

Mine would be a motorhome around 27 feet in length and be very roomy. We considered a Safari Trek. It is basically like a longer RV, 35+ feet, because it is cut off at the end of the bathroom. There is no bedroom. Instead the bed lowers down from the ceiling above the living area. So by day, you have plenty of space. You aren't hauling around an extra ten feet or so that is only used for sleeping.

We decided against a Trek for two reasons. One, the bed lowered over the couch and desk so if one person stayed up later or got up earlier, there would be no place comfortable to sit. Two, we considered having a desk where table is in the eating area, however, to make any changes in the Trek we would have incurred an $800 engineering fee! That was for the privilege of making any changes to the normal plans on top of any costs to make the changes. We decided to keep our New Horizon 5th wheel that is paid for.

Tell us about your dream rig!

Hiking above the Rio Grande

Rio Grande River, Spanish for Big River, starts in the Rocky Mountains, runs through southern Colorado, then New Mexico and then forms the border between Texas and Mexico. It flows a total of 1,760 miles.

George and I drove out north of Taos on Highway 64 parked and walked over the high, arched bridge over the Rio Grande gorge. A few days later, we drove south of Taos to Pilar and hiked the La Vista Verde Trail to overlook the gorge. Pilar is the location of the BLM's Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center. Hiking information for the La Vista Verde Trail and other trails along the river is available here.

From Pilar, we drove several miles on Hwy 567 that followed the river with several nice camping spots. One or two could accommodate RVs. The road turned to dirt once we crossed the Taos Junction Bridge, with the trailhead one-half a mile beyond the bridge.That took us out of the fee area for BLM. The hike was an easy one,1.25 miles each way. We crossed through tall sage (taller than George) and blooming rabbit brush. One area close to the trail was loaded with petroglyphs.

When we reached the end of the trail, we were treated to the sound of rapids as the water rushed through a rocky section of the gorge and nice view in both directions up and downstream.

I wondered aloud if we had seen water in Big Bend that had flowed past where we stood. George thought not. The Rio Grande is pretty much a dry river bed after El Paso most of the year because so much is taken from it as it flows south. George had canoed through Santa Elena Canyon during his training to be a volunteer at Big Bend National Park in 2005-06. That water, he said, came from another river in Mexico. (Jaimie is pictured at the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park.)

The Rio Grande is the 5th longest river in the U.S. Most of it is through desert. When hiking, wear sunscreen and a hat, take plenty of water and watch for snakes and pricklies.

Photos by George

View from the dome car

While in Santa Fe, we took a second train ride on the Santa Fe Southern Railway. Our first choice was the Friday evening High Desert Highball but that didn't work out. We didn't want an all-day ride either, so we ended up on the Hot Shot- the afternoon train ride.

We arrived early enough to snag one of the few parking spots right in front and to have lunch at the Cowgirl Restaurant. We later found out the Cowgirl's specialty is chile rellenos and huevos rancheros. My lunch was fine, but I wish I'd known about the chili rellenos. The rest of the family had barbeque there one night and enjoyed the ambiance and the food.

The Santa Fe Southern Railway is a diesel-powered train that runs about 20 miles out to the little town of Lamy. That 4 hour ride has a built-in time to get off and get something to eat. The Hot Shot stops short of Lamy, waits a few minutes, then comes back. That ride takes about 2 1/2 hrs.

The dome car was fun, though hot! Even with the air conditioning, the sun beating down through all those windows kept if several degrees warmer than the lower part of the car. (My sister and I are pictured.) Those who had seats for the dome cars could sit anywhere - downstairs, in one of the regular cars or out on the platform car. (George and I on the platform car.) One of the coach cars had a docent providing narration.

After the Cumbres and Toltec, I was disappointed in the scenery. The area alongside most of the tracks has been developed so we usually looked out on houses, though they were spread out. However, the rabbit brush was blooming and a few saw a coyote. The narrator said a herd of pronghorn antelope frequent one open spot, though no one spotted any on our trip. You did get a good idea of what the high desert looks like and a view of the mountains surrounding Santa Fe. I'd recommend one of the specialty trains like the Friday Highball or a holiday train or even with a meal in Lamy over the Hot Shot train.

Georgia O'Keeffe country

"'Women don't make good painters,' they said. I had never thought of it that way. I just painted, that was all." Georgia O'Keeffe

The docent described Georgia O'Keeffe as one of the true American painters. She was a modernist but never went to Paris like many other American modernists, thus developed her own style. She is best known for her paintings of the Southwest.

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is located in Santa Fe on Johnson Street. O'Keefe began coming to New Mexico in 1929, moving there permanently in 1949 after her husband's death. She lived at Ghost Ranch and in Abiquiu. Both are oppen for tours. RV friend, Becky, volunteered twice at Ghost Ranch, now a Presbyterian-run conference center. She took care of the sheep and worked in the trading post.

We didn't make it to those but had spent a delightful time at the museum in Santa Fe. Her bold work is well known, her style unique. We couldn't take photos inside, but you can get a flavor of her work by looking at a few of these hand-painted reproductions of her work.

A special exhibition, "Georgia O'Keeffe and the Women of the Stieglitz Circle," can be viewed through January 13, 2008. Alfred Stieglitz, a famous photographer, was O'Keeffe's husband and promoter.

This museum is definitely worth a look-see if you are in Santa Fe. And, if in the area, see her home in Abiquiu and visit Ghost Ranch.

"Color is one of the great things in the world that makes life worth living to me and as I have come to think of painting, it is my effort to create an equivalent with paint color for the world - life as I see it."
Georgia O'Keeffe

How do RVers vote?

If you are a full-time RVer, do you vote? Some RVers vote only on national issues, while others make it a point to get acquainted with local issues so they can vote intelligently. Some RVers choose not to register to vote because the voting rolls are usually where the courts get their jury pools from. Your state may not look kindly if you do not report for jury duty unless you can provide a legally acceptable reason. In fact, some Escapee members let the court clerk know when they'll be in Livingston so they can be part of a jury while in Texas.

Elections are coming up soon. If the state where you are domiciled is not where you'll be on November 6 - and your state is having an election - then you have a short time to request an absentee ballot. Members of the Escapees RV Club who use their mailforwarding service were sent the instructions and deadlines for receiving them. If you do not know the schedule for your state, check for contact information on your voting card. Or do a google for "request an absentee ballot" and your state.

If you are in the area of your polling place, you could apply to work as a poll worker. Generally there is a day of training and then you work the day of the polls. Polls are usually open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with poll workers needing to be there an hour before they open and an hour after they close. One county in CA pays from $90-$120/day. A Kentucky county pays $6/hour. Usually you must be a registered voter of the area where you'll work. You could not only do your civic duty but pick up a few bucks too!

Making tamales - Northern New Mexico style

We are in Santa Fe, NM at my sister's husband, Mike's, family reunion. One of the most fun activites that many of us did was to take a cooking class at Comida de Campos in Embudo Station, along the Rio Grande River north of Santa Fe.

In spite of the rough drive off Hwy 68 - drive slowly- George and I arrived about 30 minutes early. We met Margaret, our chef, her mother Eremita, and her daughter Analisa. Analisa gave us a little tour and then took us out to show us her growing chicks and to let them out of their heated shelter. The chicks were so excited to get out and scratch for food!

When everyone else arrived, we breakfasted on atole, or blue corn mush, scones with cream and berries and coffee. It was chilly so rather than cook outside, Margaret set up inside. She had done some preparation for the class to save time and started us off by talking about chilis. Chilis are the staple of Northern New Mexico cuisine. As she roasted and chopped red and green chilis, Margaret explained they eat chilis in some form at every meal . We learned how to tell whether they were already roasted, ways to dry them and how to prepare them. Some would be added to Chili Colorado, a pork dish, one of two fillings we would use for tamales. The other filling was vegetarian, made with calabacitas or squash.

Eremita prepared the masa, or corn meal dough, to spread on the corn husks, which would hold the tamales in shape. After Margaret demonstrated how she made the two fillings, we were ready to assemble the tamales.

Eremita demonstrated, then we all assembled tamales. First we thinly spread the masa on the softened corn husks, leaving room to fold the husk over. Then we put one of the two fillings inside and rolled the dough closed over it. Then the husk was folded down on one end. Later, they would be steamed; Margaret's preferred method is standing on folded end in a pressure cooker.

While the rest of the meal was completed, Eremita gave us a tour of their chemically-free, sustainable farm. They raise many vegetables and berries for their own use plus sell canned tomatoes and jellies at farmers' markets. An orchard provides apples and apricots and they are putting in a vineyard next spring.

The best part of the day was eating the tamales, topped with two types of chili sauce. Beans were also served along with a delicious home-made berry/green tea. To top it off, we had flan with raspberries for desert! Yum!

Margaret is entertaining as well as a good cook and made the day fun. Eremita showed us her jellies and the beautiful rugs she weaves. We felt nourished by both their food and their willingness to share their lives with us. We also got to take the extra tamales home with us plus some chilis and apples. George has already dried the chilis and frozen them, ready to use.

Even if you aren't big on cooking, this is a fun activity when you are in the Taos or Santa Fe areas. Check out Comda de Campos. They offer classes on particular foods on certain days or you can arrange your own day like we did if you have a group. We got to know Mike's family better and share a delicious meal.

Photos by George

Ridin' the rails

One of our best days this whole trip was last week when we rode the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. We had a fabulous day- perfect weather with swaths of aspens turning yellow and gold on the mountainsides.

Our trip left by bus from Antonito, CO, a little over an hour's drive north of Taos where we were staying. We arrived in Chamas, NM at the other end in time to board the train for the ride back. Promptly at 10 o'clock, the whistle blasted and we chugged out of the station.

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is different than most tourist lines. It's a traveling railroad museum. It's owned jointly by the states of New Mexico and Colorado and run by a commission - a not-for-profit railroad with a mission to be historically accurate. Friends of the Cumbres volunteer their time to restore buildings and equipment to historical accuracy and help with maintenance. I spoke to the volunteer docent on our platform car, Allen Noel, who is a train buff and he said this is his favorite railroad trip.

The morning ride was a doubleheader. We had two coal-fired steam engines pulling us up the grade to Osier, our lunch stop. The scenery was outstanding. As the train rounded bends, George could get good shots of the engines ahead.

We noticed that behind us was a little car called a speeder. We wondered why he was following us and found out that his job is to put out fires! Cinders from the steam engine light small fires along the track. C&T has a perfect record of putting out the five to seven fires that start each trip on the Chamas to Osier leg of the line.

After lunch we boarded another train heading to Antonito. Only one engine is needed on the downhill side. The railroad offers several different trips but all come to Osier for lunch. On this leg we went through two tunnels and descended into the high desert country. We did spot a few pronghorn antelope as we rode through sage country.

As we neared the end of our trip, I asked more about the volunteer program through the Friends. They have three two-week long work parties plus the docent program. Allen is here for his second summer, working for six weeks as a docent. That means he is out on the open observation cars giving a narration and answering questions. Training and a test is required before becoming a docent. Allen's only "compensation" is lunch on the days he volunteers but his travel and lodging and some other expenses are tax deductible since it is a nonprofit.

We spent most of the trip out on the open observation car. George had said the previous time he rode with his late-wife, Susie, they came back covered with soot. We were fortunate the wind carried off most of the smoke and soot to the side. It is a different experience riding outside, feeling the wind, smelling the trees, smelling the coal - well I could have done without that! On a nasty day, though, sitting inside a car, with postcard views framed by your window, would be appreciated.

We highly recommend this trip. Other passengers told us it is beautiful other seasons and you usually see lots of wildlife. Fall is gorgeous but hunting season was on so we only got a glimpse of deer or elk plus the few antelope off in the distance. If you are a train buff, you might even think of volunteering here. Another RV friend, Dick, has come to the work parties each summer for years.

Ten Most Awesome Autumn Drives

Alice and I are on the panel of experts for Rob Baedeker's article, "Ten Most Awesome Autumn Drives." (October 4, 2007 ForbesTraveler.com)

View the slides and read the captions. Several of the drives are recommendations that we made both in the East and in the West. RVing is a perfect way to see fall colors. You can take your time and even camp right in the midst of the changing leaves.

Speaking of fall colors, my next entry will be about a different way of seeing fall colors and an awesome day we had. Below is a sneak preview.