Minimum Recreational Vehicles

‘Project Motovan’ … great off-road RV conversion journey

Posted in June 29th, 2010

by Julianne Crane in Lite RVing, RV People, RV Types

For active outdoor folks interested in an RV with a small footprint and have the time and desire to do a conversion project, check out Eric Tabb’s “Project Motovan: Off-Road Van Conversion.

It seems Eric’s life has changed–from a single guy to a married one with a toddler–and he’s switching from a toy hauler trailer to a smaller, hearty, off-road camper van.

“My grandparents used to have an ‘Open Road’ full-size camper van when I was growing up. It was a 2wd van with a hard fiberglass camper top that had a bed in the front, a couch/dinette down below and a small kitchen and stove setup.  They used to enjoy getting away from the city and camping in the desert. Over the years I have seen a few around but they are often converted to ice cream vans.  The idea of a camper van started to ring in my mind as a great alternative to a trailer since it could be parked at home and loaded during the week,” says Eric.

Over the next few months Eric will be working on a 2000 Ford E-350 Extended van with the 7.3 liter turbo diesel engine and a factory ordered Quigley 4×4 conversion.

“The goal for Project Motovan is to create a vehicle with many of the creature comforts of home while at same time still being able to act as a heavy duty hauler for dirtbikes, gear and whatever else shows up on the tow hitch. Reaching that goal will require more research, careful planning and finding the right products. Above all however it will involve finding the right people with the experience to help build such a custom rig.”

Click on Project Motovan to check back to see the progress.

Photo: The “Open Road” - early inspiration for this van conversion project. Source: Eric Tabb.

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Talk about a mini-motorhome

Posted in June 28th, 2010

by Julianne Crane in Lite RVing, RV Life, RV Types

Ran across this great little VW RV-conversion on Neatorama.com by John Farrier.
“In the 60s and 70s, various recreational vehicle manufacturers mounted small motorhomes on the Volkswagen Beetle chassis. It was called the ‘Bugaroo’ or ‘Beetle Minihome’” writes Farrier.
I remember my VW could barely transport two people and a bag of groceries without lugging down. This must have been good for mostly flatlands. Sweet looking though.
Read more by clicking here.
Photo: VW ’Bugaroo’. Source: Neatorama.com. Photo by Fred W. Truman.

Recipes For The Road

Cauliflower Salad Makes a Vegetarian Main Dish 0 Comments - 18 Jun 2010 Janet Groene’sGorp Salad This big salad makes a vegetarian main dish for 6 to 8. Make a double batch of the gorp and save half for this salad. Package the rest in snack bags for the trail.The Gorp:1 cup dried cranberries1 cup golden raisins1 jar vegetarian bacon bits (about ½ cup)1 ½ cups roasted, salted sunflower seeds1/3 cup slivered almonds... More Lin

Shortcut Crepes for a Luscious Dessert 0 Comments - 12 Jun 2010 Janet Groene'sCampy Crepes When you have too much sandwich bread going stale in camp, disguise it as a gourmet dessert. Feed the discarded crusts to the ducks. The secret to these crepes is to be conservative with the filling and leave a border so the triangles will stay closed.8 slices white sandwich bread, crusts cut offSoft margarine or butte... More Link

Getaway Quick for Camping 0 Comments - 05 Jun 2010 Janet Groene's Getaway Quick Cake On mornings when you want to get an early start to get a good camping spot, this ultra-wholesome cake makes a full breakfast. Bake it the night before or mix dry ingredients the night before and let it bake, hot and fresh, while you get ready for the road. Add orange juice or a hot drink and you have a warm, ... More Link

Posted by Poster Hoster at 12:04 PM

Janet Groene's
Getaway Quick Cake

On mornings when you want to get an early start to get a good camping spot, this ultra-wholesome cake makes a full breakfast. Bake it the night before or mix dry ingredients the night before and let it bake, hot and fresh, while you get ready for the road. Add orange juice or a hot drink and you have a warm, delicious, rib-sticking breakfast rich in fiber and protein.

1 cup flour
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup graham cracker crumbs OR
1 cup pecan meal
1 cup brown sugar, densely packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup canola oil
1 cup milk soured with a splash of lemon juice
3 large eggs
Put all dry ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag and shake up to mix well. In a bowl whisk oil, sour milk and eggs until well blended. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and mix just until everything is evenly moistened. Do not over-beat. Put batter in a sprayed 9 X 13-inch baking pan and bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until it’s springy, firm to the touch, and edges have slightly pulled away from sides of the pan. Cut into squares and serve.

Cook's note: if you're using cupcake pans and papers for easier eating on the go, fill no more than 2/3 full. Baking will be quicker too.

Janet Groene full-timed for ten years by RV and boat. She still camps in her 21-foot, diesel Class C. To see more of Janet Groene's campground-tested recipes go to
http://www.CampAndRVCook.blogspot.com

See Janet's tips on the RV lifestyle at
http://www.SoloWomanRV.blogspot.com

Do you enjoy stopping at friendly, folksy, affordable church festivals and suppers while traveling on your camping trips? See hot dates at http://www.ChurchSupper.blogspot.com

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More great RV cookbooks at RVbookstore.com

Cooking Your Way Across the USA

Can-to-Pan Cookery

Easy RV Recipes

Great RV Cookbooks

Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Road Trip! A

Fix it in Foil

The Ultimate RV Cookbook

What Is In Your Emergency Tool Kit ?

Posted by Bob Difley at 6/02/2010 12:40:00 PM

It is always a dilemma. Your RV is limited in carrying and storage capacity. You have to make decisions of what you will carry and what you will eliminate when something new comes aboard (the "something in, something out" emblazoned over your doorway). The other line over your doorway, "If you haven't used it in a year, it goes" is equally practical, though impossible to live up to.

Which brings me to my "things that I have had for more than a year but which will NOT go" list. I know that someday I will need these "things" when boondocking, which will justify for the time I have carried them, immobile and mostly unused, deep in the bowels of my rig.

• Folding Army entrenching tool (also called a shovel). Folds into a compact shape. Can also be used as a hammer, scoop, scraper, and along with a bucket often required by the forest service (FS) during dry seasons if you are boondocking and plan to build a campfire. Available at outdoor and Army surplus stores.
• Bucket, plastic or canvas collapsible. Also required by FS (see above), for putting out campfires. Myriad other uses: carrying water, collecting kindling, as a step stool (not canvas one), emptying a bucket of gray water--never black water--to dump on a thirsty plant when you accidentally fill your holding tank and are miles from a dump station.
• Hand tree or lopping saw for cutting pesky branches that thwack against the rig in a wind or threaten to take off the air conditioner or roof vent. Also can cut firewood.
• Heavy rubber mat. Mainly for putting under wheel if stuck in soft desert sand or on a muddy forest road. Will lay flat on the bottom of a locker.
• Foil backed reflective radiant barrier. You can buy this in hardware or building materials stores. Use on super hot days on windows getting direct sun to reduce inside temperature. Also to reflect hot direct sun from outside of refrigerator to help in cooling.
• Latex surgeon's gloves (package). There will come a time when there is some yucky job you need to handle and you don't want to touch, such as replacing a dump valve or a toilet, handling anything bloody, fighting zombies.
• Several other useful but often forgotten items like duct tape, bailing wire, plastic wire ties, jumper cables, paper face masks, mouse traps, ant stakes, adequate first aid kit--things that when you need them you need them now and don't have time to search for the nearest store.

You will find that most experienced boondockers, based on personal experiences, will have their own list of emergency items. You hope you will never need yours, but you know you will someday.

Check out Bob Difley's BOONDOCKING eBook at RVbookstore.com

National RV Travel Show On TV

By Chuck | June 24, 2010 - 7:45 am - Posted in Uncategorized

A popular TV show about the RV lifestyle will return July 3 to the R&R Channel. RVTV aired on The Outdoor Channel for five seasons from 2003-2008 where it won multiple Telly awards and garnered a loyal viewership.
The R&R Channel is available on DirecTV channel 354, as well as select cable operators. RVTV will also be simulcast on the Web at www.rrtv.com.
Host, Rob Engman, and his wife Karla travel North America in their custom-built 52 foot motorhome producing the program. Each episode features a RV destination/resort and an in-depth tour of new RVs from top manufacturers. Mark Polk presents tech-tips for experienced and novice RVers.
Beginning Saturday July 3, RVTV will be available to more than 48 million households throughout the United States. New episodes will air three times each week: Saturdays at 2:30 pm EST, Sundays at 2:30 pm EST and Mondays at 9:00pm EST.
Photo: Host Rob Engman, right, and cameraman Paul Cruickshank.

America Through The Eyes Of Brits In An RV

Posted in June 24th, 2010

by Julianne Crane in International RVing, RV Destinations

Reading articles by international travelers to the USA is always fascinating. It provides an opportunity to see this vast, beautiful country through fresh eyes.
British writer Kathy Arnold reports in the United Kingdom’s Telegraph about her (and her husband’s) recent RV tour through America.
“Part of the fun of RV-ing is stopping in small communities bypassed by the interstate highways. Driving through the farmland around Elkhart, (Indiana), we saw motorcyclists riding helmet-free and black-suited Amish farmers in horse-drawn buggies. Next morning, we stopped for breakfast in a village. In the coffee shop, there was not a latte or cappuccino in sight; everyone knew everyone, and we were the only ones who needed a menu. While we tucked in to eggs ‘over easy,’ locals chowed down on biscuits (like scones) and gravy. In many ways, this is the real America – and the best way to find it is behind the wheel of an RV,” writes Arnold.
To read the full informative and entertaining article, click here. Photo: ’Instead of rolling across the prairies and through the mountains in a car, we were in what Americans call an RV, a recreational vehicle.’ Source: Telegraph.co.uk.

Alaska - The Dalton Highway Is A Rough Road For RVers

The Dalton Highway is the road to take if you simply want to drive as far north as possible in Alaska. Unfortunately for RVers, it's a bumpy, washboard, gravel highway that many may find too rough to travel comfortably. Still. . . for some RVers, it may be worth it -- but only in summer.

From its starting point at the Elliott Highway, it continues for more than 400 miles until nearly reaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean in Deadhorse after crossing the Arctic Circle. Deadhorse is the village that serves the North Slope oilfield, with several hotels, a store and gas station. The community is a superlative of sorts: it is as far north as you can go on Alaska's primary road system, and it is worth exploring, especially if your goal is to dip your toe in the Arctic Ocean.

THE DALTON HIGHWAY BEGINS 85 miles north of Fairbanks and is perhaps one of the roughest roads in Alaska. It was constructed in the mid-1970s to haul freight to and from construction camps and workers building the 800-mile long trans-Alaska oil pipeline that stretches from Prudhoe Bay in the north all the way to the ice-free port of Valdez in Prince William Sound. The road offers relatively little in the way of modern conveniences. The washboards are many, the grades can be steep (as much as 10 and 12 percent in some places) and the big rigs delivering to Prudhoe Bay along the "haul road," as it's called by the locals, can make for uncomfortable traveling companions.

Not all car and RV rental companies allow their vehicles on the Dalton, so check ahead of time and be prepared for this road trip. Carry two spare tires, a jack, tool kit, emergency flares, extra gasoline, oil, wiper fluid and a first aid kit. Bring drinking water and plenty of food. A CB radio is also not a bad idea (monitor channel 19). Travel services are almost nonexistent. The 244-mile stretch north of Coldfoot is the longest service-free stretch of highway in North America.

So, why go to all this bother? Consider the scenery, which includes views of the mighty Yukon River, Atigun Pass (at the crest of the Continental Divide), the caribou of the north slope tundra, 375-million year-old limestone-filled Sukakpak Mountain (elevation 4,459 feet at Mile 203.5) and any number of sweeping mountain vistas opening into the Brooks Range, Gates of the Arctic National Park or Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Another trip highlight is crossing the Arctic Circle just past mile 115.

Deadhorse is a company town and not much else. It's several miles from the Arctic Ocean. An oil company road leads north from town, but permits are required to travel on the road. A better way to go is to sign up for a guided tour of the oil fields and the Arctic Coast. They are available in Deadhorse from Tour Arctic at (907-659-2368).

In Deadhorse, a good place to stay is at the Arctic Caribou Inn and RV camp.