Travel & Product Tips
9 Ways to Keep Your RV Bug-free
What could be the single most annoying thing that you get to experience while RVing?
BUGS and INSECTS!
Don’t you agree?
These pesky creatures can make you go mad with their bloodsucking frenzy and attack like there is no tomorrow. Their bites can turn even the most pleasant outings into nightmares. With these bugs around, you can expect a lot of buzzing, uncomfortable itching and long hours spent smashing them.
Getting rid of them isn’t difficult to manage as there are a lot of ways this problem may be addressed. Check out 10 easy ways to overcome the bugs problem in your RV.
- Take care of the leftovers- Throughout the camping season, you might have endured on many RV trips. That means you would have had many breakfasts, lunches, dinners or even nibbled sometimes in the RV. Check your RV thoroughly for any leftovers that you, your friends or a family member might have left behind.
- Mothballs- Not a very appreciated idea, most people do not find it pleasant to scatter mothballs in their RVs. Although, mothballs are a great way to keep away bugs. To avoid that smell which lingers for months, you could place the mothballs in bowls instead scattering them around.
- Drain- Standing water is the major cause of breeding illness-inducing bugs like mosquitos. Make sure to drain all the standing water from sinks, showers, toilets, etc.
- Meshed annexes- An RV trip cannot be complete without pitching an annexe. Use annexes such as Penta Thirty which is meshed from all sides thus protecting you from any kind of bug attack. The mesh does not stop the wind and the light, thus making it breathable.
- Bring along Citronella/Lemongrass based Bug Repellent Sprays- This has been the age-old method for driving away insects and bugs, and this seems to work. If you are compelled to use such sprays and creams, then make sure that you get one which has citronella/lemongrass as this is safe to use (even for kids).
- Insect Screens- Installing insect screens in your RV is an amazing idea to fight the bugs. These screens protect the openings to the refrigerator, hot water heater, and the furnace.
- Repellant- Why kill them when you can drive them away! Yes, this is possible by using repellants available on the market. There are many electronic pest repellents that not only put off mosquitoes, but also other insects and bugs. This is a great way to deter bugs as the repellent uses a high-frequency emitter that emits signals which make them uncomfortable.
- Turn off propane- Insects such as spiders and wasps like the smell of propane. Especially when your RV is in storage, these insects might crawl up in and nest on the tank or other areas of RV. Always remember to turn the propane off. You can also use flea collars to deter spiders from following the propane smell by placing them around.
- Tape the vents- When your RV is in downtime, it becomes a haven for all sorts of bugs and insects to nest around. One of the easiest ways for bees, hornets, wasps and similar bugs to enter an idle RV are the vents. Tape all such vents which make the entry for them easy.
5 Places To Visit In Australia This Summer And Reasons
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Why summer is the best time to visit Australia weather:
- Ideal weather: If you are visiting during the summer months in Australia means their winter, it does not say it is freezing, and you can't have fun. Our summer is the best time to visit. The weather is often varied here. You will experience sun-drenched beaches and the warmth, dry tropical north and Melbourne and Sydney have chilly weather.
- Activities: If you are stuck with “why should I visit Australia?”, Then let me clear this confusion for you. If you love music or enthusiast of nature, Australia has a lot to offer you. During June and August, you will get to explore Melbourne's, Winter Night Market. In Sydney, you can enjoy the music and light festival called Vivid which lights up the city. You can go for a whale watch, watch them swimming as they migrate during this time.
- Less crowd and low price: If you are a person who does not like the crowd, this is the best time to visit as Australia is less crowded during this time and also the packages are cheap.
Now if you have made your mind, the next question you are thinking is which city to visit in Australia. Here we have come up with places to visit in Australia.
Follow the guide to know the top 5 places to visit in Australia this summer:
- Jumping Crocs and the Tropical Jungle: The beautiful city Darwin is one of the great places to visit in Australia. This city deserves 2 days to explore all the things this city has to offer. This tropical city has 13 canyons in Katherine Gorge and Kakadu National park which is a must-visit for travellers. Also, you can visit Litchfield National park and Jumping crocodile cruise. There is a night market in Darwin famous for great food.
- The Bungle Bungles: This is a fascinating world heritage site, discovered by Australians in 1983 and was named as “Bungle Bungles” but this place was there for millions of years. You can explore hidden pools, beehive-shaped domes, slender palm trees and Purnululu National Park. This place is another best place among Australia places to visit in summer. This place offers to explore dramatic landscapes.
- Swim with whale sharks: Get your ultimate experience of swimming in shining tropical waters along with whale sharks, the largest fish of the sea. These gentle whale sharks reach here to feed, from April to July in Ningaloo Reef. This is the ideal time to visit here. Also, this Ningaloo Reef is located in Broome which famous for Cable Beach and its marvellous sunsets. You can even spot camels here and take a ride.
- Uluru: One of the great places to go in Australia is Uluru. You can visit between May and September at its best. Experience the magical desert landscapes and Ayers rock filled with Australian culture and spirituality. The sunrise or sunset is going to make your jaw drop as the rocks changes colours along with the day. There is a remote town near Uluru called Alice Spring is a broken collection of buildings. You can visit the fascinating art galleries here and visit ancient sites. Experience the Sounds of Silence dinner; you can watch the change in colours over and over again as the sun sets.
- The Great Barrier Reef Cairns and Tropical North Queensland: Many people visit here to see the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. This place is excellent around the whole year; on the other hand, North Queensland is hot and humid throughout the year. But this place feels comfortable from May to September; hence this is the best time of the year to visit. You can take a cruise on the coral princess to travel from Cairns to Cooktown. Cooktown is where Europeans made the first landfall in Australia.
Xtend Outdoors hopes the above facts helped you clear your confusion “when is the best time of year to visit Australia?” Get ready for a fantastic summer in Australia.
5 Easy Steps to Replace Your Caravan Flyscreen
Openable windows bring a major problem; insects and by now you got it fixed by installing a caravan flyscreen. Well, the real problem begins with replacing your caravan flyscreen. Flyscreens could damage in two major ways; the mesh getting damaged or the rubber mold wears off. Either way, you need to change the caravan flyscreen, and changing it by yourself, could save you the unnecessary overhead.
Here are simple steps to flyscreen replacement.
- Rubber Mold- The very first step of how to replace the caravan fly screen is to remove the rubber mold. After opening the awning window of your caravan, you need to take out the rubber mold by using a screwdriver. Now slowly peel the mold off.
- New Screen- Before installing the new flyscreen, you need to soak it in hot water. Soaking in hot water helps in providing flexibility to the screen.
- Installing- Start installing the new flyscreen by pressing the rubber mold into the aluminum window channel at the top right or left corner. After completing the top side installation, press the rubber mold on both sides.
- Lower section- Once the sides and the top of the window are done, press the lower section of the fly screen on the aluminum window channel. After pushing back all the sides of the mold, run your fingers over the frame and check for gaps.
- Last touch- At the last, use a flathead screwdriver to set the rubber mold to the frame. Here's your caravan window once again with a flyscreen.
5 Simple Caravan Plumbing Tips You Didn’t Know Were That Simple
The following are some simple caravan plumbing system tips that would help you save nine by stitching in time.
- Moisture Meter- Moisture is the biggest adversary of plumbing, especially in the coastal regions. Moisture can cause numerous problems like rust, mould and mildew. Keeping moisture under check is the best way to avoid over moisturizing and to do that you need is to install a moisture meter in your caravan. A moisture meter tells you the level of moisture inside the caravan and thus helps in taking steps to reduce it.
- Ensure Good Ventilation- A poor ventilation can be a threat to your caravan’s plumbing. Closed or obstructed/blocked ventilation vents in the caravan are a major reason for increasing the humidity in the caravan. To make sure the ventilation slots work properly, clean and vacuum them regularly.
- Avoid Spillage- Spillage doesn’t only is caused due to water. Any kind of liquid that spills inside your caravan turns in a haven for fungi, bacteria and algae. In case your caravan is not in frequent use, carry out a regular check for spillage inside it. Mop it out well and ensure no liquid left to create breeding grounds for microbes.
- Damp Check- Just like moisture, dampness is one big evil for caravan plumbing fittings. Dampness is common in the bathroom of the caravan and the easiest way to check it out is the smell. Dampness could be smelled and if you smell it in the bathroom, it means somewhere water has stagnated. Check the walls of the bathroom and also look out for the black damp marks.
- Use Dehumidifier- One of the best ways to stop humidification and the eventual damage of plumbing in the caravan is using a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier eliminates the humidity from the air thus making it dry.
Carry out these simple precautionary measures in your caravan and you would not hear of general plumbing problems.
How to Install a Fiamma Awning on Your Caravan
To start with, you need to screw the mounting (awning) brackets on the patio side of your caravan. For this, first, you need to drill holes on the sides of the caravan. Place one of the brackets on side of the roof where you want to install it. Mark a centre of the bracket with a pen and take off the bracket and make an make an impression with a punch.
Now drill out a hole on the impression with a drill. Install a rivet nut in the hole in order to crush it (to form grooves). Apply silicon on the outside of the rivet nut to seal it and some oil or grease on the threads of it to make the crushing easy. Now with a wrench crush the rivet nut and once it is done, take out the nut, bolt and the washer.
Mount the bracket, this time to screw it, make sure you place a vinyl in between the bracket and the body of the caravan. Screw the nut on the upper mount and thread in the lower mount not fully tight though. Now loosely screw the upper mount of the bracket on the rail and then come down to the lower mount. Just screw the lower mount but do not tighten it first. Go back to the upper mount and tighten it. Do not over tighten the upper mount as it can warp the bracket. Tighten the loosely screwed lower mount and your bracket is installed.
Repeat the process for the second bracket on the rear.
Once both the brackets are mounted on the side of the caravan, hang the awning on the brackets. Place the awning in a way that it doesn’t interfere with the opening of the hatch of the boot.
Now open the awning and drill another hole (which should be in line with the center of the bracket) through the awning and the mounting bracket. Slide a machine screw from the back of the bracket and fasten the bolt on to it.
Repeat the process for the rear bracket.
Your Fiamma Awning fitting is done and it is all ready to roll!
Note-
The vehicle considered in the above blog in a Vanagon. The bolting and screwing of the mounting brackets may differ from vehicle to vehicle.
Here we have used rivet nuts (for mounting brackets) to create grooves in the body of the vehicle. It could also be done without creating the grooves. In such a case you have to use nuts to tighten the bolts from the inside of the vehicle.
4 Amazing Tents For Motorcycle Camping
A road trip on a motorcycle could be more than venturesome than a camper trailer trip. Although motorbike camping is not feasible for every and in every season, it could still be taken up once a while.
You can compromise on luggage on a motorbike camping trip, but trading-off for shelter, is not a good idea. Well, here comes the need for motorcycle camping tents. Motorbike tents are specially designed keeping in mind the nuances of a two-wheeler camping trip.
Here we would tell you the best tents for motorcycle camping in Australia:
Family Tent
You must wonder, if you plan to go on a motorbike camping trip, why to take along a family tent? Neither you are so many people, nor it would be easy to carry. Well, a family tent might come in handy if you are a fairly bigger group of bikers. It becomes useful as well as, it could be carried along by any of your biker buddies.
Expedition Tent
Another motorcycle tent for an Australian camping trip is the expedition tent. Expedition tents are any day more handy and for a motorbike camping trip, they are all the tent you need. These tents do not occupy much space and are typically divided into 2 sections; a sleeping area and a small porch where you can cook, eat, store or just rest. An expedition tent is a tiny house you can carry along, anchor and unhook easily.
Backpacking Tents
As the name goes backpacking, this a tent actually folds down to a backpack and can be very easily carried and is extremely lightweight. They can be easily installed and are a great choice for solo travellers or even two or three people. They are quite small and so every camper has to carry his own backpack tent.
Bivy Bag Tent
Going a size down with every gradual point, here is one more—a bivy bag tent. It is easiest to set of the lot as it is actually a little bigger than a sleeping bag. You can’t do many things in it, as it doesn’t provide an overhead shelter and ground space. But all you could get is a good sleep and resting time in the night.
Bike Tarp
And the last would be a bike tarp. In case you don’t want to pack a tent at all, here is what you could do, you can anchor a tarp with your motorbike and that would give you a makeshift overhead shelter saving you from the elements.
The next camping trip you plan should be a motorcycle camping trip and we hope you have already picked your choice.
Everything That Goes On a Checklist When Buying a Used Caravan
If you are planning to buy a used caravan you need to keep certain things in mind. Here is a checklist of things you need to check prior considering a used caravan to buy.
To make a thorough inspection, you need to extensively go through the external as well as internal of the caravan. Checkout for the following externally:
- Scratches, dents, repairs.
- Door locks and grab handles.
- Windows.
- Water tank, piping and other things under the caravan.
- Check for any damage or rust in the axle.
- The condition of tyres.
- Check the roof for damages and leaks.
- Lights; headlamps, brake lights etc.
- Gas gauge.
- Battery.
- Water systems installed for taps, drains and showers.
- The condition of furniture if any.
- Check for damages in cabinets.
- Check the kitchen and appliances if any.
- The condition of toilet and showers.
- The condition of the internal roof and walls—check for discolouration, repairs etc.
- Door and window locks.
- The condition of smoke alarms if any.
- Check for dampness in the corners.
- Look out for insects and pests.
- Check the condition of appliances, faucets and taps.
Apart from this, you would have to check general things that the seller has claimed like- age of the caravan, it's made, history of owner, documentation, service history.
We hope, now it would be quite easy for you to know what all you need to check while buying a used caravan.
4 Factors to Consider Tyres For Camping
Tyres are the most important part of a vehicle, not only when you are camping but off camping too. But anyway, they become more important while camping cause there is an equal weight if not less towed on the back of your vehicle.
Here are 4 factors those should be considered for your vehicle’s tyres before you plan a camping trip.
Load rating
Tyres have load ratings and picking the right load-rated tyre is a crucial thing before you set off. Figuring out load rating is simple; you just need to consider not only the weight of the vehicle itself but the total weight that it would be dragging i.e. vehicle plus the trailer. The load ratings differ from weight to weight and that is why it is important to consider the load rating of the tyre based on the cumulative weight.
Weight
A common perception that runs through is- bigger tyres the better tyres. The reasons for the adjective ‘better’ would be they provide more strength, traction and would tread in the most treacherous terrains. Well, some of it might be true but not to the extent of the fact that these hyper-aggressive tyres bring along a lot of weight. You are already loaded with the camper weight and all the stuff that is in there and you don’t want the extra weight. Although everything would be pulled smoothly, the only thing that would make it evident is the fuel bill.
Traction
Tyres are synonymous with two things; traction and treading. While the latter depends on the former, and so, traction becomes the most important feature of tyre. Good traction is especially needed on wet/slippery and icy roads and you don’t want to save cost on cheap tyres. Tyres come with traction ratings which start from AAA and goes down to C. Choose the best rating for your tyres, once again you would have considered the total load.
Temperature
The worst seasonal adversity is the heat and unfortunately one of the best times for camping is summers. Tyres have a direct correlation with temperature. The heat of the road could burst your tyre in the worst case and you won’t want that as it is directly related to the safety of your trip. Just like traction ratings, tyres come with tyre ratings too. The rating for caravan tyres range from A to C, A being the best, it is high on heat resistance and cools down faster.
Why The Wanderlust Should Never Be Quenched
In a more diluted context, wanderlust equals travelling and travelling is all about knowledge, perspective, soul searching, serenity and everything and anything you discover. Although, many of us may not love travelling for different reasons, and so we do not recognize the importance of travelling in life.
Here are 5 reasons why travel is important in life and it should be pursued throughout.
To get a perspective
There is nothing more homogenous than our locales. But homogeneity is banality and life, has always been and would always be about heterogeneity—all about colours, palettes, and shades. Travelling gives us these colours and shades in the form of perspective that a locale can never. It frees us as thinkers and pushes us to go beyond what has limited us and change the way we look at the world.
For change
Life is a routine unless you are a celebrity or a world leader or any other big shot. As commoners, we are bound by our bread and butter and the daily chores. The routine eventually sets boredom and ultimately hits our productivity at work and the quality of life. Travelling brings the much-needed change, to revive, instil and rekindle our energies.
Exploring cultures
There is nothing else that gives an opportunity to discover different worlds around us, except travelling. The world has innumerable things, waiting to be seen. Travelling lets us discover and explore cultures, traditions, languages, customs, rituals, food and many other things which broaden our knowledge which otherwise remains limited.
Memories to cherish
Life is all about memories. The anticipated future becomes present and the throbbing present becomes the past and what lasts is the memories. Memories of the travels we undertake in our lives embellishes and enriches them, which could be cherished for our entire lives.
Adventure
If you lack adventure, you lack life. Although, adventure is relative; for some people, adventure is a risk and for some the other way round. Well, travelling is a midway and so is ‘adventurous’ for both kind of people.
Staying put is for trees, we can move and so we should—to gain perspective, knowledge, and experience.
A Checklist Before You Hit The Road on a Caravanning Trip
Something which requires a thorough planning is travelling and travelling on a camping trip makes it more important. There are several things that you should check before you set on a camping trip and here we have listed them for our convenience.
1. Weather Conditions- Weather plays an important role in something like a camping trip. A bad weather could ruin your trip as much as a pleasant one can make it. Obviously seasons play an important role, still, weather conditions fluctuate and checking a forecast is not at all a bad idea.
2. Share Your Caravan Details- Step ahead with a positive foot, at the same time cover up an eventuality. Share as many details of the camping trip and your caravan with a close friend or a neighbour. Not only your family should know about your whereabouts, but if you out with your family than an extended family should know about it.
3. Set the Caravan to Suit the Purpose of the Trip- A common purpose of a trip is spending quality and leisure time with friends or family. The purpose could be same but the company can be different. Set your caravan according to the company you have; you need to carry medicines and variety of food in case you are with the family.
4. Send the Caravan to the Garage- While you are planning every other thing about the trip, send your caravan to a garage/mechanic and get it inspected. A good inspection could save you a great hassle, as they say ‘a stitch in time saves nine.
5. Use Maps- It would be silly to advise to carry maps. Today with the advent of technology we have maps on our phones and even in our cars. Maps are the best way to navigate through not only city traffic but an adventurous trip as well.
6. Amenities- A camping trip cannot exactly be a home away from home yet it can be close enough. Try to have basic amenities on the trip like camping showers, portable toilets, awnings, tents etc.
7. Towing- A camping trip is all about towing. In case you are new to camping, make sure you learn to tow. There are a lot of camping clubs which have courses for towing caravans, you could learn the best/efficient ways to tow a caravan and the dos and don'ts too.
8. Know Your Caravan- Just like you know your car, you need to know your caravan too. As you do not get much chance to learn about it, you need to be thorough with the user manual. Go through every corner and part of your caravan, we are sure you would discover something new about it.
Next time before you set on a camping journey, do not forget to add these points and strike them through in your checklist.
5 Valuable Tips to Choose Your Campsite
Camping always gives goose pimples and that is the sign that it is exciting. Camping can never go boring because you have a choice every time; you could change your company every other time, you can plan camping in different seasons and every season gives a different excitement.
The one thing that makes camping exciting than anything else is the spot. There are hundreds of places you can camp around and that is the life of camping. Although, choosing the ‘life’ is not that easy and you need to consider several things before you pick the right spot to set it all up. Here are 6 tips that would help you consider a spot worth of setting up your campsite.
Shelter
You are obviously carrying along your own shelter (tent), but here the shelter means the natural shade. Trees provide the natural shade and you might consider a shadowy spot to set up your camp, especially in summers when the days go warmer by each passing hour. Although you need to take care about what kind of tree you are considering for a shady spot. A dead or a hollow tree might not be very good choice. If you are quite an adventurous soul and set out for camping in the rainy season, do not set up your camp right under a tree. Trees attract lightning like magnets attract iron. Remember, lightning strikes just once!
Leveling
Another important thing to consider before freezing your campsite is the leveling of the ground. In case the ground is sloped you would roll down in your sleep or worse you can get all your blood travel to your head (in case you put your head down on the slope while sleeping). Also watch for the craters or depressions, in case it rains your campsite might be in a pond.
Size of Your Requirement
The area you want to cover depends on the size of your requirement. You should be clear with things like- size of your tent if you would light a bonfire if you would need chairs and tables. All these things would have a direct impact on the area you want to select. At times you need to consider even the size of your caravan as it may not fit in the spot.
Winds
Just like rains, winds play an important role in considering a camping spot. Cool winds could be soothing as anything, especially in the summer days. You would rather wish for a breeze in the evening after a hot day. Though the same winds, you would not prefer in the winters. The temperature in winters is already low and if it is windy it would make situations worse. Another thing with winds is they could get harsh as at higher velocities they can be disastrous for a campsite. Pick the right spot considering the weather and the wind velocity.
Other Resources and Overall Site Condition
You might not want to get too far away from the world and other resources and so you should consider a campsite which has resources like water and medical assistance in proximity. You don’t want to get secluded and want people around just at the right distance (not too close not too far), pick a national park instead. Before setting up your campsite inspect the whole area for any kind of debris, wild animals, snake holes etc. that might be a threat to peaceful abode.
7 Awesome Things to do on This Halloween
Here comes that part of the year which brings fright, excitement and fun. Yeah...you guessed it right...the last day of October brings the Halloween. Halloween is an age-old western Christian festival which is dedicated to remembering the dead. Everyone, whether a grownup or a child has something to enjoy on this festival. There are a lot of things you can do on Halloween apart from just scaring people. We have tried to list the following activities for you to do on Halloween that would make it more fun and bring the true spirit of the festival:
Horror flicks
What could be a better time than Halloween to watch horror movies? Even if you are scaredof watching horror movies, don’t be a wuss this Halloween and watch a couple of horror movies, it would be an adventure of a lifetime
Distribute candies
Probably an activity which kids enjoy the most is getting all dressed up in the macabre costumes and go around the neighborhood asking for trick or treat. Be the candy distributor this Halloween and once you run out of candies, be prepared for the tricks.
Party
There is no better reason to have a Halloween-themed party than on Halloween itself. Organize a Halloween party at your place and you would get to see your friends in the scariest of the avatars. Nothing is more exciting than a Halloween party.
Ghost stories on Camping
This could really run a chill down your spine. Not most of the people do this, but if you are more than the average adventurer, plan a camping trip on Halloween with your friends, and share some of the hair-raising ghost stories in the tent.
Ouija Board
Take out that Ouija board from the attic or simply buy one and get ready for another adventurous activity i.e. talking to the dead. Gather up all the courage and call the spirits of anyone you wish to talk to.\
Carve the Pumpkin
Get to the basics. Pumpkins are symbolic to Halloweens. Carve the pumpkins out for the Halloween spirit. Well, it could turn more fun a contest is organized for pumpkin carving. Just think how much fun it is to carve a pumpkin and now multiply with the number of people you involve.
Bonfire
The warmth of the festival and the warmth of the bonfire...wow, there is nothing better than that. Light up a bonfire and gather around it with friends and family and cherish these memories forever.