t was supposed to be a trip destined to make memories. Granted, all journeys oftentimes lend themselves to creating stories for one’s personal memoirs, but this one was special: It was to celebrate not only the 50th anniversary of Bob and Lynne Livingston’s marriage but also Bob’s 50th year in the RV industry.

To say it hasn’t worked out quite the way it was envisioned would be something of an understatement.

Let me preface this by saying that Bob is easily one of the most technically knowledgeable journalists on the planet. For decades he oversaw the nuts-and-bolts story lines that appeared in both Trailer Life and MotorHome magazines and authored Trailer Life’s RV Repair & Maintenance Manual which, when printed and for years afterward, was considered the authority on RV repair for the do-it-yourself crowd. He’s also one of four experienced RV journalists who came together to create RV Enthusiast magazine. Suffice to say, he knows his stuff.

First, let’s provide a few critical definitions:

Thunderstorm — A cumulonimbus cloud that becomes electrically charged and produces lightning. Lightning quickly heats the air around it to 50,000 degrees which causes a rapid expansion of that air. Thunder is the sound we hear due to that expansion.

Severe Thunderstorm — A thunderstorm that produces either a wind gust in excess of 58 mph or hail that is 1” in diameter (size of a quarter) or larger, or both. Severe thunderstorms can occasionally spawn a tornado.

V construction — the actual building of an RV as opposed to the perceived quality of that build — doesn’t typically crop up in conversations around the campfire. There’s a good reason why: Much of an RV’s requisite systems are hidden from sight behind wallboards, ceilings, floors and underbelly protection. Owners enjoy the final results, from entertainment centers and onboard electronics to sinks, showers and toilets without having to deal with the constraints manufacturers encountered while installing such systems.

hen planning to tow a vehicle behind a motorhome, keep in mind that you’re essentially turning it into a trailer as far as the law is concerned. It must have an emergency breakaway, its own functioning brake system and lights that work in concert with tow vehicle (in this case, your motorhome) so that drivers behind your dinghy vehicle know when you’re braking, turning, or just have the running lights on.

Unlike a trailer, which already has a wiring harness designed to plug into the tow vehicle (seven or four pin), a car, truck or SUV does not — the electrical system in the dinghy vehicle must be modified so that can be plugged into the motorhome’s electrical system when it’s time to tow. This same harness may also be used to operate a supplemental braking system and/or to keep the dinghy vehicle’s battery charged with the addition of a charge line (more on that later).

art of an enjoyable, relaxing motorhome journey is being safe in the knowledge that everything is working correctly and you’re ready for just about any eventuality. Having a properly functioning supplementary braking system on the dinghy vehicle should be a big part of your travel preparedness. Unlike a trailer, which has its own dedicated brake system that is energized whenever you plug the power cord into the tow vehicle, your dinghy vehicle’s brakes won’t work unless you install a supplementary system that applies the brakes when the motorhome brakes are applied. There are two basic ways to do this: with a portable system that locates between the vehicle’s driver seat and brake pedal, or a permanently installed system — and there are a variety of choices available. Which do you choose? And perhaps more importantly, are supplementary brakes really necessary?

In a word, “yes.” While it may be true that most motorhomes are capable of stopping with a dinghy vehicle in tow, the question is, how much will braking distance be increased? Obviously, this depends on the motorhome and the weight of the dinghy vehicle in question — but there’s no doubt that you will appreciate all the braking power you can get when you’re heading downhill at 60mph and traffic begins to slow suddenly. Plus, a supplementary braking system will take some of the burden off of your motorhome’s brakes, helping to prevent dreaded brake fade and improving brake life.

he modern amenities we enjoy in today’s RVs almost always follow the trends found in residential applications, from design aesthetics to electronics and, yes, plumbing. During the past 100 years, plumbing technology in RVs has progressed from using copper and galvanized pipe and tanks to today’s cross-linked polyethylene, or PEX, plumbing, residential style fixtures and instant, on-demand, endless hot water.

In this article, we’re presenting information about the freshwater plumbing system. We’ll delve into the waste system in a later issue.

aving grown up with RVing from the early 1970’s, I never experienced many RV potty problems. Basic mechanics, a farm upbringing and science got me through quite well. It wasn’t until I started working as a technician that I realized what a problem there was with all this crap (pun absolutely intended). As it turns out, when you take folks who have known nothing but a flush toilet, add any kind of paper that the TV commercials say is “soft and strong” and introduce them to a system they have to interact with…well, you have a potential problem.

The System
For people who are new to the lifestyle — and to serve as a review for the folks who have been around it for a while — wastewater in an RV is generally separated into liquid waste (grey water) and a mix of solid and liquid waste (black water). Most of the time, sinks, showers, clothes washers and dishwashers drain into one or more grey water tanks in the RV via 1-½ inch black ABS pipe. Occasionally, systems in small RVs will have a single tank to capture black and grey water, but this is rare and frankly a less than ideal setup. Imagine the shower drain backing up because the single holding tank is full. Not a pretty picture.

aking a shower in an RV is not exactly exotic. Most showerheads push out a boring stream of water, designed to get the job done with little fanfare. Multiple showerheads or a rainforest fixture can up the entertainment factor appreciably but adding such hardware may not be possible without major modifications to your rig. And even if the accoutrements in your shower invite lingering, water consumption plays a pivotal role — and don’t forget the limitations on hot water capacity (unless, of course, you have an instantaneous model like Truma’s AquaGo). Ecocamel, though, offers a number of products that restore luxury to showering in RVs.

The London, England-based company’s most interesting product is the Orbit SoftWater, a showerhead that combines a unique soft-water feature with multiple spray nozzles in a ring-shaped head. While it’s nice to have a strong stream of water that covers the body while showering, the soft-water portion targets a common problem for RVers: calcium damage introduced by hard water that can build up in water lines.

Hence, The Great Wipeoff, wherein yours truly and three companion RVers “took one for the team” by overeating for a few days in order to fully assess the abilities of a variety of tissue types meant to keep us happy while on the road.

few years ago, while traveling through South Carolina, my husband and I discovered what USA Today named in 2018 “America’s Best Coastal Small Town” — Georgetown, South Carolina. Georgetown is located in the center of South Carolina’s beautiful Hammock Coast and is just one hour north of Charleston and 30 minutes south of Myrtle Beach on Highway 17. This small coastal town has more 200-year-old homes than Charleston along with scenic plantations, a rich history and lots of Southern charm — and it has none of the crowds that you find in Charleston or Myrtle Beach.

Recognized as the third-oldest city in the United States, Georgetown is located on Winyah Bay and is at the convergence of five rivers: the Black River, Small Pee Dee and Great Pee Dee rivers, and the Waccamaw and Sampit rivers. The earliest residents of the Georgetown area were Native American tribes, which are responsible for many of the names of the rivers and natural features around this region. In the 1520s, European explorers from Spain discovered this seaport area, later followed by English and French settlements along the five rivers. The city of Georgetown was officially established as a “trading post” and seaport in 1729 (it is, today, the second-largest seaport in South Carolina). As trade with the Native American tribes declined, residents developed large plantations and cultivated indigo and rice. By the mid-1700s, Georgetown exported more rice than any port in the world.