RV Home Yet?

Crown King adventure - part 1

  I first read about Crown King probably 8-10 years ago. It sounded intriguing- an old gold mining town high up in the Bradshaw Mountains. At the time I didn't realize anyone lived there, but old ghost towns are fun to explore. We found out that probably 50-100 people live there year round with many more having vacation homes and cabins there.

After doing some research I realized this is not an RV trip, but rather a day trip (or overnight trip) for when you are staying somewhere in the area. Crown King is about a two hour drive from Phoenix and from Flagstaff. Cottonwood and Verde Valley are closer and there are RV parks at the Bumblebee and Cordes Lake exits. Though only 34 miles or so off I-17, you travel dirt roads that are narrow, with switchbacks and washboard sections along the way. The road, FR 259, follows the old railroad bed so in places only one vehicle can get through. At times we got up to 25 mph! We saw RVs boondocking before Cleator, a tiny town with one store, just as the road starts up the mountain. A lot of ATVers frequent this area and Crown King. (A good reason to plan your trip for a weekday.)

We wound our way through several plant zones - from sage brush to saguaro cacti with blooming flowers and cacti, through chaparral, pinon-juniper - and arrived at a towering Ponderosa pine forest with Crown King nestled in a flat spot surrounded by mountains. We saw a few houses as we approached, then made a quick right turn and were downtown. Two businesses were open during the week - the general store/post office/grocery store/gas station and the saloon with Cindy's Cafe in back and rooms for the night above. A small curio shop with t-shirts and maps as well as a good size restaurant - The Mill - were closed. The Mill is open only on weekends; not sure when the curio shop is open. I think someone else rented ATVs and there were four places to stay including the rooms at the saloon. That was it for enterprise in Crown King.

We drove our Chevy Duramax, pulling a trailer with an ATV for exploring. (We are putters and sightseers, not racers.) We filled up before leaving for Crown King. There is one gas pump ($4.89/gallon) and no diesel fuel. It's also wise to bring your own food since the general store has a limited selection with the resulting high prices. Cindy's Cafe, while open, has a limited selection so one or two meals would be ok but not for every meal. If you have any kind of special diet, bring all your own food! Actually we did have a good bowl of chicken chili at Cindy's and George thought his egg burrito from the general store quite tasty once nuked.

Our bones don't do well with sleeping on the ground anymore so we decided to stay at a B&B. Prices for lodging range from $150/night for a cabin to $50/night for a room above the saloon. (I checked out the rooms at the saloon and I'd pass; two twin beds with one restroom at the end of the hall.) However, there are plenty of places to camp, both close to Crown King and further out in the Prescott National Forest or at Horsethief Basin.

As we explored, it turns out quite a few RVs have made it to Crown King but it doesn't look like much of anything that comes up the mountain goes back down. We'd guess that people haul trailers up to live in until they get their house built and there they sit. Old trailers and vehicles were plentiful.

I'll write more about our exploring. It was a great couple of days with friendly people, beautiful scenery and lots of history. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak

A-weigh with your RV

Have you weighed your RV lately? Do you know if the weight of your gear is within the CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity) of your brand of RV? Did you know that the weight posted in your RV is the empty weight of the first RV off the assembly line? That means no water, no propane, no gas or diesel, no food, no clothing, no toys, and no humans? The manufacturers assume there will be one 154-pound person in the RV.

I strongly suggest you prepare your RV as if you were taking a trip with fluids, fuels, humans, and gear, and have each axle (even better--each tire) weighed. You can see if what you're carrying is evenly distributed. If you are overweight, remove all non-essential items until you are under the posted weight. Overweight vehicles stress your tires, shocks, mileage and engine, and that will ultimately stress you. RVing is supposed to be fun. Take some time, assess your weight, and make your trip enjoyable and worry-free.

Adrienne is the author of Frugal RVing- or Pinching Pennies without Getting Bruised.

AK Highway towns advised to be RV friendly

I came across an article quoting April Moi of the Northern Rockies Alaska Tourism Association. Since tourism on the Alaska Highway generates about $350 million and half the travelers are RVers, she says towns need to be conscious of what RVers are seeking. Many RVers only drive one way on the Alaska Highway, returning on the Cassier so towns have only one chance to capture tourist dollars.

RVers want:

• Good signage telling them where the services they need are.
• Pullouts
• Internet connectivity

April does raise good points. Most towns are pretty small and one pass through town is all it takes to see all services. But if you miss seeing a store or gas station until you are right there, you might also keep going. There are some that are larger and then signs do help. I remember that Whitehorse, YT, has signs directing RVs to parking that can accommodate them.

Internet is a big draw especially since Americans might not be able to connect through their normal means while traveling in Canada. Here in the states, George and I often choose a campground based on availability of Wi-Fi.

The one funny thing she said is that high gas prices don't deter RVers from travel. I would say that RVers who are concerned about fuel prices won't be traveling to Alaska this year!

Her last statement is, "It's very important to remember, that there are plenty of other places in the world to explore, so if we're not meeting the needs of these folks, then they're certainly going to go on an adventure elsewhere." Since RVers compare notes in person and on forums, word can spread quickly about towns that are RV friendly - and those that are not. Good advice. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak

Now where did I put...?

Checklists. If you've ever forgotten something vitally important to your RV trip, you know how important checklists are. You can check online for several different kinds or create your own. The last two pages of my eBook contain an indoor and outdoor checklist. The pages are meant to be printed, placed back-to-back and laminated. Add an eraseable marker and you have a checklist that can be used over and over.

Another reminder is a brightly-colored plastic clip. I have the clip attached to my visor. When I turn on the headlights, I place the clip on the gear shift arm. When I stop, shift to Park and turn off the engine, the clip is in front of the keys in the ignition. I remove the clip, turn off the lights and place the clip on the visor.

Adrienne Kristine is the author of Frugal RVing or Pinching Pennies without Getting Bruised and Other Advice from the Road.

Stuck with a cell phone contract?

Will you be in a place where your current cell phone doesn't work? You'd like a phone that works there but don't want a 2-year contract. Or do want to get rid of your plan but you are stuck in a contract?

I came across a Web site called CellSwapper. You can list your phone and plan so someone looking for just that can have it. You don't have to pay a termination fee for getting out of your contract prematurely; some carriers charge up to $250/line.They get a short contract with no activation fee. After you find someone who wants yours, you could find a plan for a phone that works in the area where you'll be for the length of time you'll be there.

There are a variety of arrangements and plans. On the site you can search by plans or type of phone. The site charges $18.95 for posting your phone. You can get 25 percent of your fees back if you take over someone else's plan.

You can keep your old number in many cases but have to contact your carrier for details.

This is a Web site you should bookmark - especially if you'll be working somewhere (or staying in an area) for an extended time where your current plan does not work. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak

More frugal RVing tips

To make the most of every precious drop of fuel, slow down. In California, for example, most interstate highways require trucks and vehicles towing trailers to observe a 55 MPH speed limit, and stay in the right lane unless passing. My mileage in my 27-foot class A was 9.5 when I stayed at that speed and a steady pace on other routes. If I didn't, the mileage dropped to 8-8.5. My tank holds 72 gallons so you can do the math. Also, I drive on the top half of the tank just in case the next station is too far away.

Adrienne Kristine is the author of Frugal RVing or Pinching Pennies without Getting Bruised and Other Advice from the Road.

Frugal RVing: now more than ever

Gas prices have soared and we're all tightening our belts to be able to afford to travel. We're driving less and staying longer when we arrive at our destination. My first tip has to do with getting the most from your gas fill-up.

Fill your tank in the morning before the heat of the day makes the gas in the pump expand. You'll have a denser fill, so more gas for the money. If you drive to your favorite station and the tanker truck is there filling the underground tank, drive by and fill somewhere else. When the tanker fills, it will stir sediment from the bottom of the tank. Let it settle: the cleaner the gas, the better.

Adrienne Kristine is the author of Frugal RVing or Pinching Pennies without Getting Bruised and Other Advice from the Road. http://www.rvhometown.com/HTML/Frugal_Rving/Frugal_RVing_About.htm

25% of RV consumers unhappy

According to a study conducted ten years ago by the Committee of Excellence, an RV industry group, nearly 25 percent of RV consumers would never purchase again and would tell their friends that buying and owning an RV was a bad experience. What is amazing, according to the article in the RV Trade Digest, is that the percentage remains about the same today!

Five areas were identified but, according to the article, "The reality is all five areas center around a single problem – RVs breaking down and not getting fixed quickly."

The main reason is money. By cutting costs and lowering prices, RVs are available to more people. Some companies are making big bucks producing cheap units and providing little or no customer service.

We joke about having to stay in the area where you bought your RV for a couple of weeks afterward your purchase so the dealer can fix anything that doesn't work or have gone wrong. But it's not a joke - it's the sad truth - even for expensive RVs. Many RVers make an annual trek to the dealer or factory for repairs. My late husband always used to that if the Japanese would get into the business of making RVs, the whole industry would improve. Look what happened with automobiles.

I remember one couple who had purchased a very expensive motorhome. They were in Quartzsite and he was a cursing because of the all the things wrong. He went back to the same dealer and traded it in on another one! That would not be my response. For some people the experience is so bad they vow never to have an RV again. That's the other extreme, but understandable.

The RV Consumers Group is one place you can report defective RVs, especially if the dealer won't make it right. At least you can let other potential buyers know through their rating system. Their materials, by the way, are a must-have for researching rigs. We wouldn't buy one without looking at their ratings. Consumer Action lines might help you too. "Buyer Beware" is very much alive in the RV industry. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak

Too many choices?

I started reading The Paradox of Change: Why More is Less - How the culture of abundance robs us of satisfaction by Barry Schwartz. He starts off with statistics from a visit to a medium-size supermarket: 85 varieties of crackers, 285 varieties of cookies, even 20 different varieties of Goldfish! It goes on from there.

What Schwartz found is that when there are too many choices, we sometimes opt to make no choice. For example, in store demonstrations, the 20 types of jelly attracted more shoppers to sample, but if there were only six kinds, more shoppers actually bought a jar.

RVers likewise have dozens, if not hundreds, of choices when it comes to choosing an RV - from type (Class A, trailer, 5th wheel and more), to length, number of slides, color of decor, etc. How do you find the perfect RV?

However, once you purchase your RV then this lifestyle limits many of your choices. It's pretty hard to redocorate or buy things for the RV. Space for knickknacks is limited as is space for clothes and other "stuff." The one area where you have more choices is where to travel.

Have you found yourself avoiding or postponing a decision because there are too many choices? On the other hand, do you find life is easier because you pass by knickknacks and even clothes and more shoes? It's easier to tune them out if you know you have no room for them. We've gotten into geocaching because George researched GPS devices and bought one. Had it been left up to me, I never would have chosen one- too overwhelming since I know virtually nothing about them. We are having fun.

I'm interested in seeing what else he has to say. Have we gone overboard with choices? Does that make life less satisfying? Do we keep buying more because there might be something better?

Any thoughts you want to share? Has RVing changed things?

Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak

No health insurance? Free or low-cost checkups & doctors visits

Not all full-time RVers travel with health insurance. Usually the reason is it costs too much. Or they have health insurance for catastrophic illness or accidents and have a large deductible. Some policies do cover a physical exam each year; others do not. Here are a few ideas for saving money.

• Supermarkets: Recently Bashas, an Arizona supermarket, offered numerous blood tests at very reasonable prices. You could get a whole panel of tests for around $70. They offer them once or twice a year throughout the state at many of their stores. You can have the test results sent to a physician as well as to yourself. They will be announced on posters in the location a few weeks before the event and perhaps in the advertising circular in the Sunday newspaper. Supermarkets in other states may do this too.
• Health fairs offer diagnostic tests, like checking cholesterol levels, at reduced prices. (Use these to monitor your health, not in place of a doctor’s visit.) Communities may sponsor these. Announcements may be posted or placed in the local newspaper.
• Planned Parenthood clinics offer lower-cost exams to women. Some states have programs that give free exams and tests to low-income women.
• State programs: Many states have free or low-cost exams for women who either meet certain income guidelines or do not have health insurance.
• Government clinics: Check with state and local clinics or clinics run by nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants. Their fees are often less or may be based on a sliding scale.
• Local, private clinic: In Moab last summer I had a problem and found a clinic, Moab Immediate Care, that specialized in seeing tourists that needed some sort of treatment. I didn't have to go through getting set up or him billing insurance so his rates were lower. Look for similar clinics.
• Drug store clinics: A few drug store chains, such as Rite-Aid, have walk-in clinics.

In addition, there are lots of ways to reduce your costs for prescription drugs. That's for another time. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak