Giveaway - Win a FREE RV Cover

The time has come for another awesome giveaway. 

Starting today, you can enter to win a FREE RV Cover for your motorhome, fifth wheel, or travel trailer. The kind folks at EmpireCovers.com have offered to sponsor this awesome giveaway.

If you win you'll receive a high-quality RV cover valued at over $200. I have one of these covers and love it! Check out my product review.

Entering the giveaway is easy
All you have to do is to click this link and like RVWithTito.com on Facebook. I'll pick a winner at random from my list of fans.

Do you want to double your chances?
Leave a comment on the Facebook post telling everyone what kind of RV you have and why you need an RV cover. For each person that leaves a comment I'll enter your name into the drawing twice, therefore doubling your chances to win. You can comment more than once but only the first one will count towards the drawing.

For more details, go to my Contests and Giveaways page.

Good luck!!

Life’s a Little Better with an RV

A guest post by Angela Ballard

Some of my best childhood memories lie in the countless trips I took with my family towing our Weekend Warrior, full of dirt bikes and board games and food and sunscreen, into what seemed at the time, the most magical places on earth.

I remember when we made the switch from tent camping to the toy hauler, and I thought camping was going to lose its charm; I was quite wrong. We could now take these beloved family trips for three more months of the year, thanks to having a heater. We could stay for longer, thanks to having a shower. And I could still play in the dirt, swim in creeks and lakes, and have swinging competitions with my little brother on the rope swing overlooking a creek near one of our favorite campsites: all of the things I loved about leaving suburban civilization.

Gerle Creek Reservoir, CA

We could go anywhere our Warrior would fit, which to me was the ultimate form of freedom. Many of my summers were spent exploring the Rubicon and swimming in the reservoir in Gerle Creek, CA. We would ride our motorcycles on the endless trails in the Mendocino National Forest. Having a home on wheels made camping so much easier and more accessible, and as I came to realize later, a lot more convenient for my parents.

Looking back on these amazing years of my life, the Warrior made camping so much more fun for me and my brother. I liked going on trips when I knew I wasn’t going to be freezing at night, and as I hit my teenage years, knowing I could shower was a definite plus. I would recommend looking into the best RVs for anyone with a family looking to spend more time out in the outdoors. Take the time to find the best campgrounds for your family, and let the fun begin. The days I spent with my family and our Weekend Warrior will always be some of my favorite memories.

Angela Ballard is a Business Development Associate at FindTheBest where you can compare credit cards and tire ratings and anything in between.

Tell me why you switched from tent camping to RVing. I remember when we made the switch. After spending the night in our own comfy bed while the rain came down outside, there was no turning back. Share your story with us.  ~Tito

70s Winnebago Sesame Street Video

I love this vintage 70s film from Sesame Street. Is this guy flying around in his Winnebago...or did they speed the film up? I love how the kids pop out of nowhere when they pull in to the parking lot campground...kind a freaky!

"I live in a motorhome"

Anybody grow up with one of these? Leave a comment.

Towing a car behind your RV

Traveling around in your RV is a wonderful liberating experience. Also liberating is having the freedom and convenience of a car to get you around town or to nearby attractions once you've reached your destination. Plus there are places that your RV just can't go. That's why you will seldom see us without a car in tow.

Our RV and CRV Toad at Yellowstone

I get asked a lot by friends or beginning RVers how this whole "towing your car" thing works. We'll I use the four wheels on road method which requires a tow bar setup. Here's a video to show you how I connect and disconnect my tow vehicle.

RV Speak
Now this is important. If you don't want to sound like an RV newby, you'll have to learn to use the correct RV towing lingo.

1. Be sure to refer to your tow vehicle as your "Toad" or "Dinghy"
2. A "Dolly" is not something you play with. It's like a trailer that lifts the front two tires off the ground and leaves the rear tires on the ground

Can your car be towed?
Certain makes and models of cars are designed to be towed and some are not. If your's is in the "not" category, then you need additional equipment installed first. Your car's owner's manual should have a section about towing if it is designed to be towed. There is also a list of vehicles in the 2011 Dinghy Towing Guide (PDF). Finally, check your RV's towing capacity. My RV can tow up to 5000 lbs.

What Equipment Do I Have?
My tow vehicle is a 2004 Honda CRV and the equipment I use is:

• Roadmaster Sterline All-Terrain Tow Bar
• Roadmaster Even Brake Proportional Braking System

Is it expensive?
Configurations vary, but plan on spending around $2000 to $3000 to get a quality towing setup (car not included...of course).

Does towing affect my gas mileage?
Yes. I drop about a mile or two in MPG when towing versus not towing.

Good luck! Once you're setup to tow your car, you won't want to leave home without it. Enjoy.

Where Have I Been?

Some of you may have been wondering "Where's Tito?"

Yes, I've been a bit complacent with my blog updates. I'd love to say that I've been on a whirlwind tour of the country in my RV, but that would just be wishful thinking. The truth is that I've been super consumed by my paying job lately. As so many are unemployed these days, I can feel fortunate that my industry (the software industry) has survived. When I add the holiday shuffle to the mix, I have even less personal time to share helpful RV tips and insights.

Some of you retired folks are probably saying "been there...done that". Unfortunately, I'm not retired and have not even considered thought of being retired. Someday perhaps. Until then I'll continue to fit RV travel into my working life when I can.

For now enjoy this chart. Where do you see yourself?

I think the guy in the RV is a little old to represent me personally...but he sure looks happy! 

Wherever you may be spending your holiday this year, I hope it's an awesome one!