Camping With Teens

May 15, 2010

As a whole, they’re a pretty tough bunch to please.  Friends, sports and trips to the mall are all hard to compete with.  And all those hormones can make for some serious attitude problems.

But have no fear.  It is possible to go on a family camping trip with your teenager — without making everyone involved miserable in the process.  It’s all a matter of striking the right balance between your child’s new-found desires and those of the rest of the family.

At least at this point, we’ve made it very clear to our kids that we are a camping family — plain and simple.  They will come with us and we will spend time together.  Staying home alone is not an option.  That said, we’ve been around the block a few times and understand fully that if our teen isn’t happy, then nobody’s happy.

So we find the best approach is one of compromise.  For example, my husband and I love to get away from it all.  We’d be happy to fill our days with hiking, biking and enjoying the wilderness.

Our kids also enjoyed this when they were younger, spending hours upon hours playing in the dirt, searching for bugs or climbing the nearest tree.  But that was then.

Now our older kids have other ideas of what constitutes “fun.”  These usually involve either something electronic, something they can do with their friends or something extremely expensive – usually available at the local shopping establishment.

This is where the compromise comes in.  My husband and I have come to the realization that sometimes we must sacrifice our beautiful campsite in the wilderness in order to avoid the makings of WWIII.  We’ve also found that a pool, a general store and a rec room goes a long way to ensuring familial harmony.

Our kids’ compromise when it comes to our antiquated (at least that’s what they tell us) views of TV.  While we have a DVD in the car for road trips, we do not allow a TV in the trailer.  Other small electronics yes, but TV, no.  Instead we spend most nights by a campfire or playing board games or cards.

But for our youngest, gone are the days when the kids would play happily in the dirt beside us.  However, thanks to the modern conveniences found at so many campgrounds, my brood will keep busy in the water, get their shopping fix satisfied and be able to make some new friends along the way.

What Do You Hope For?

May 11, 2010

Webster’s definitions indicate a significant difference between the two words. To wish is to have a desire for. Hope is to desire with expectation of fulfillment. This desire is based upon someone or something on which hopes are centered. This seems to mean that when we have a true hope, rather than just a wish, we have some expectation of that hope being realized and a basis on which that hope is centered.

This truth is confirmed in Hebrews 11:1 with the words “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” But what is that for which we hope? On what is that hope based?

What do you hope for? Many go through life hoping only for prosperity, a better job, a good family, a good reputation, and good health. These are things of the now, things that we can enjoy and experience in this world—this lifetime. However, we are warned that all these are less important that those things which we do not see. (Matt. 16:26; 1 Timothy 6:7)

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Cor.15:19). The above verses indicate that the most important thing to really hope for is not something of this world or this life but is of much greater value.

Those who believe there is a hereafter hope they will go to heaven and live for eternity. No sane man has ever hoped for the alternative. Believers in Jesus Christ have been promised God’s gift of eternal life (Romans 6 23). This promise, which is our hope, is repeated in numerous verses throughout the Bible; e.g., 1 John 5:3-12 and John 3:13-18.

Webster’s definition of hope indicates that there is a reason for a genuine hope. Peter admonishes us: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that your have” (I Peter 3:15).

Do you just wish for eternal life or do you hope of eternal life? You can have that hope and know the reason for it. God arranged for you to have that hope and Jesus Christ provided the reason for that hope. I would say with the Apostle John “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

John welcomes your comments either below or email him directly at john@faithrescued.com

National Parks Offer “Free Days”

May 11, 2010

Washington, DC — We earlier alerted readers to the National Park Service decision to drop entrance fees at the nation’s parks from April 17 to 25. Now the Interior Department has announced more free admission days to round out the balance of the year.

Here’s the schedule:

June 5 and 6

August 14 and 15

September 25 (Public Lands Day)

November 11 (Veterans Day)

The admission applies not only to all national parks, but also all national wildlife refuges, and many areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

For more information about these free admission days, visit these web sites: National Parks , National Wildlife Refuges or Bureau of Land Management.

photo: Olympic National Park by Alaskan Dude on flickr.com by creative commons license.

Preping Towable RVs

May 11, 2010

Okay, your pop-up, travel trailer or 5^th wheel trailer has been sitting in storage for most of the winter, and now it’s time to start camping again. Considering that you have the proper hitch work, hitch adjustments and brake controller do you:

A)    Hook it up and head down the road

B)    Consider what preventive maintenance and routine maintenance might be required on the trailer before you take it camping.

Hopefully your answer was B.

It’s common for RV batteries to discharge; tires to be dangerously low on air and the trailer plug contacts to get dirty and corroded while the trailer sits in storage. If the trailer brakes don’t work properly because of a bad contact in the plug, or a tire fails it puts you and others in harm’s way.

In addition to performing preventive maintenance prior to the first camping trip of the year it’s important that you perform routine maintenance on the trailer too. This includes but is not limited to a 3,000 mile, or annual inspection of the trailer brake and bearing components.

Note: If you don’t feel comfortable performing this type of maintenance you should have an authorized RV service center do it for you. They have the proper equipment and knowledge to perform the required maintenance.

If you decide to tackle the job yourself there are several safety precautions that need to be followed before removing any tires or wheels to inspect and/or work on the trailer. The trailer must be parked on a hard flat level surface. The tires on the opposite side that you plan to work on must be chocked to prevent any possible movement forward or backward. The trailer must be jacked up according to manufacturer instructions with a proper sized jack and properly rated jack stands installed in the correct locations to support the trailer’s weight while the work is being performed. You can find some of this information in the trailer and axle manufacturer owner manuals.

Whether you do the work, or have somebody else do it the inspection should include the following items:

Brake Linings:  Inspect the brake linings for wear and contamination that may affect the operation of the brakes. It’s not uncommon to see grease and other contaminants on the brake linings. As brake linings wear and/or are contaminated the braking force diminishes.

Brake Drums: Inspect the brake drums for wear and scoring/grooves that may affect the operation of the brakes and can damage the brake linings.

Springs & Hardware: Inspect the return springs and hardware for proper mounting and operation.

Brake Magnets: Inspect the magnets for wear. If excessive wear is evident (i.e., windings can be seen through the surface) the magnet needs to be replaced. Inspect the wiring for chaffing or wear and repair as required.

Brake Adjustments: As the brake linings begin to wear the brake actuating lever must travel further to apply the same braking force against the drums. Eventually the brake linings cannot effectively reach the drums and manually adjusted brakes need to be adjusted. This requires a brake adjusting tool and proper clearances from the manufacturer. It’s probably best left to the professionals.

Wheel Bearings, Races & Seals: Another common problem with trailers is the lack of wheel bearing maintenance. I’m sure you have seen boat and RV trailers sitting along the roadside in need of bearing repairs. Bearings need to be inspected for any damage and proper lubrication. Seals and bearing races need to be inspected for damage.

Battery Maintenance: Don’t forget to include routine battery maintenance too. The trailer break-away switch will not operate if the auxiliary battery is not connected or properly charged.

To help prevent these types of things from happening I am including a simple pre-trip trailer checklist you can follow to make sure your trailer is road ready.

After properly hitching the trailer (i.e. WDH adjustments, sway control, safety chains) to the vehicle make the following checks:

• Inspect the trailer plug and vehicle receptacle contacts for dirt, debris and corrosion. Clean the plug and contacts as required, ensuring a proper connection. Plug the cord in and test all trailer lights.
• Connect the trailer break-away lanyard to a secure connection on the tow vehicle.
• Test the operation of the trailer brakes. Remove any wheel chocks. Pull the trailer forward slightly and depress the brake pedal to verify the trailer brakes are engaging. Test the brake controller manual override for proper operation. If you question the operation of the trailer brakes or the brake controller adjustment have it checked by an authorized RV service center before using the trailer
• Check all tires for abnormal wear and any weather cracking/checking. If any cracks in the tire sidewalls are deeper than 1/32” or if there are signs of abnormal wear have the tire inspected by a professional before towing the trailer.
• Check and adjust tire pressure in accordance with the federal certification label on the trailer or using the tire manufacturer load and inflation tables.
• Check the condition of the battery. Check the water level in each cell and add distilled water as required. Check the battery state of charge with a multimeter or battery hydrometer. If you don’t feel comfortable working on or around lead acid battery’s have battery maintenance performed by an authorized service center.

Every 3,000 miles or annually schedule a trailer brake and wheel bearing inspection.

Happy Camping,
Mark

Mark Polk is founder of RV Education 101 and RV University

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