The phrase “going green” means different things to different people. Broadly put, going green is the process of changing one’s lifestyle for the safety and benefit of the environment. As Minnesota RVers, we spend a lot of time out in the environment. It’s clear to see that RVers love the outdoors and nature, but sometimes it’s not so clear to see that we respect it. As an RVer, it’s always important to be mindful of the environment your in and leaving it in a better state than when you first arrived.
The other day, we talked about little ways we can go green in our RVs. After all, on top of helping the environment, we’re helping our finances, as well. With April being the Earth Day month, I thought I’d share a few more tips for going green.
Water Heater. When you aren’t using your water heater (at night for example), turn it off. If you can, try to time out your showers and dishes. This one may be a little difficult for some, so just try and turn off the heater as much as possible.
Shade. Try to park your vehicle in the shade where you can during the summer and spring months. You’d be surprised at home much it helps with your A/C usage.
Organics. Use organic bug sprays and sunscreens. These are better for both you and the environment.
Dish Towels. Reduce your paper towel usage by using dish towels.
Lights. Switch to LED lights everywhere possible (i.e. cabin lights, flashlights, etc.). You could also try using motion sensor lights or timers for our outdoor lights when you’re at a campground.
Remember Minnesota, if we want our future generations to be able to enjoy the same Earth we enjoy now, we have to take care of it. For more ideas on how to go green, call Pleasureland RV.
Hey Minneapolis RVers, did you know that many automobile and RV manufacturers are starting to use nitrogen in their tires instead of air? Though it may seem relatively new, nitrogen has been being used in airplane tires, giant off-highway tires and racing tires for many years. The question is why?
Oxidation. Air is composed of roughly one-fifth oxygen, and contains moisture which is known to cause oxidation. Oxidation can actually damage your wheels and over time, deteriorate the tires.
Tire Pressure. Even if your tire doesn’t have any punctures, over time you’ll notice it that it will lose some air due to permeation. While tires filled with air can lose up to 2psi a month, nitrogen will “escape” your tires at a much slower rate, and it could be six months before your tires lose 2psi. Nitrogen is also much less reactive than air and doesn’t degrade rubber which means longer tread life.
Fuel Efficiency. Overtime, using nitrogen in your tires can improve vehicle handling and fuel efficiency through better tire pressure retention and cooler running tire temperatures. Because nitrogen-filled tires run cooler, they are said to increase the life of the tires up to 30 percent over air-filled tires.
According to GetNitrogen.org, if 85% of the 220 million vehicles on the road today improved their gas mileage by 3.3%, the U.S. would save almost four trillion gallons of gasoline per year. That statistic alone is enough to make me want to convince everyone I know in Minnesota to switch their RV tires to nitrogen. Here’s a great video on the many benefits of using nitrogen.
Are you interested in making the switch? Stop by our RV Dealership and let us know!
Hey Minnesota RVers, have you seen the signs at filling station near the gas pumps that tell you not to use your cell phone while pumping gas? Recently I received an e-mail from a friend stating the dangers of cell phone use while filling up.
Safety Alert! There are several reasons why cell phones aren’t allowed in operating areas, propylene oxide handling and storage areas, or propane, gas and diesel refueling areas. For one, they can ignite fuel or fumes. Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition. Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat, etc. In fact, mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around several other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust including solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc. The following is an e-mail I received stating the rules of being safe at the pump and some interesting facts about a study done regarding incidents where fires resulted in not following proper refueling etiquette.
To sum it up, here are the Four Rules for Safe Refueling:
Turn off engine.
Don’t smoke.
Don’t use your cell phone – leave it inside the
vehicle or turn it off.
Don’t re-enter your vehicle during fueling .
Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of ‘static electricity’ at gas pumps. His company researched 150 cases of these fires.
His results were very surprising.
Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.
Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas. When finished, they went back to pull the nozzle out and the fire started, as a result of static.
Most had on rubber-soled shoes.
Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished. This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.
Don’t ever use cell phones when pumping gas.
It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when connected with static charges.
There were 29 fires where the vehicle was re-entered and the nozzle was touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulted in extensive damage to the vehicle, to the station, and to the customer.
Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas cap was removed and before fueling began.
Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it with gas. If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle.
Leave it to the geniuses who created the all-in-one, coolest tool of all time to create an all-in-one RV system. Allow me to introduce the swissRoomBox™. This little bad boy turns any regular old minivan or SUV into a fully-loaded campsite. It’s made up of several modules that serve as containers, countertops, a stove, a sink, a table, a chair and bed frame and provides hot water, gas and electricity in 220V, 12V and 5V USB! Hard to believe that’s even possible, isn’t it? But according to the manufactuers, it takes less than five minutes to transform the modules into a shower, kitchen, bed and dining room. Did I forget to mention that no tools are necessary to do this? Check out the company’s video and see this pure work of art for yourself!
If you are driving your RV with too heavy of a load, under inflated tires, or old and damaged tires, then you are putting yourself at risk for a massive tire failure while driving down the road. If this has never happened to you, then you should consider yourself lucky. For those of us who have gone through this, then you know that it can be a bit frightening as well as confusing. What should you do if this happens? Well I found an excellent video produced by Michelin Tires about handling your RV in case a blow out occurs.
While the video is a little long, coming in at around 10 minutes, I do highly recommend watching the whole thing if you are not sure what you should do while experiencing a blow out.
We hope you found this information useful during such a stressful situation. If you need for information, leave a comment or visit us at Pleasureland RV!
Hercules, in mythology, is known for his great power. When talking about RV’s, what is one way we categorize power? It’s MPG! MPG is a powerful acronym when speaking about RVs and automobiles in general. The rate your vehicle burns through miles per gallon, can effect which auto you choose or your wallet. Green technology has been booming over the past decade or so with little to help people with bigger vehicles to achieve “higher MPG”. In steps Mary Meadows, a retired environmental medicine physician, who decided that she wanted to look beyond helping just people, and focus on helping the Earth.
Mary has come up with the newest in MPG technology to help all of us save the world as well as save some money in the process. She came up with a product that produces hydrogen and injects it into the gas in order to increase MPG and overall fuel usage. It is made for all sorts of vehicles and is constantly evolving in order to meet the needs of different automotive patrons. Here’s how it works:
The company manufactures the Hercules Hydrogen System, which is about the size of a car battery and can be installed under the hood or in the trunk. The system manufactures hydrogen, mixes it with gasoline and puts the mixture into the engine by air intake.
“It’s a very sophisticated system,” Meadows said. “A lot of systems out there don’t work; they don’t last.” She says her system works and lasts.
One of the problems to overcome was that cars and pickups newer than 1996 models contain computers that sense when a vehicle is using less fuel. That triggers the computer to increase gasoline or diesel to compensate.
To counteract that problem, Meadows has a chip that affects the air/fuel ratio and allows the hydrogen mix to power the vehicle without triggering the computer.
Meadows recommends that mechanics install the system, but some vehicle owners have installed it themselves. She provides buyers with detailed instructions on how to install, and she will stand by on the phone to advise mechanics.
Hercules retails for $3,500, but Meadows is offering it at a discount for $2,500. The system works with any kind of fuel: gasoline, diesel, propane or biodiesel. It can also be traded among vehicles, such as moving it from an RV to a car.
Long-haul truckers can expect a 30% increase in mileage, she said. Cars and pickups have seen increases of 30% to 50%, and RVs, 50%, Meadows said.
Imagine being able to increase your RV mileage by 50%!!! While this technology is new and is continued to be studied, we can only hope that this will lead to worldwide change in the industry as we know it.
Have you ever heard of the Hercules Hydrogen System? If so, give us some insight below as to how it works for you. If not, let us know what this could allow you to change in your RV adventures!!
Remember those days in the not so distant past where you could leave a gas pump paying under $2 a gallon? Seems like a pleasant dream at this point. With all the political drama taking place in the Middle East, the ramifications are felt here mostly at the pump. According to most sources, the average RV gas tank size is roughly 55 gallons, and with the national average for gas hanging around $3.54, you are looking to spend about $195 for a full tank of gas. While some prognosticators have predicted that the price will exceed $4 and maybe even reach as high $5, it is unknown how this will effect RV travel plans this summer. Doing a little research, I found a 2006 study of 702 RV drivers in dealing with higher gas prices at the time. They concluded:
“Most people think that as gas prices go up, RV use goes down,” says Richard Coon, head of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. “We haven’t seen that happen.
Owners and renters “change their habits, but they don’t stop going.”
In the association’s April survey of 702 RV owners, two-thirds said they intended to use their RV more this summer than last, and nearly one-third planned to use it the same amount. What’s more, 37% said the cost of fuel — a typical Class A motor home gets about 10 miles a gallon, and takes 100 gallons to fill up — would not affect their plans.With airfares and hotel bills increasing, RV travel is “still a bargain,” says Bob Calderone of Cruise America, a Mesa, Ariz.-based RV rental company. For a typical family of four traveling 150 miles a day, higher RV gas costs amount to “the difference between hamburgers and cheeseburgers at McDonald’s,” he says. Advance reservations for the company are on par with last summer, which set a record for U.S. bookings.
So will you do what the majority of the people in the study do and change your RV habits or will the recent spike in gas prices force you to curb RV time? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!
Hi, my name is Dan Pearson and I am the Owner of PleasureLand RV Centers based out of St. Cloud, MN. We have three other Minnesota locations to serve all of you RV needs. I look forward to providing you with all your RV information from buying an RV to tips and maintenance. If you would like to contact me, be sure to leave a comment.
