Miserable Weather Allows Time To Experiment With Another New Feature

The weather started getting rough, the fiver rig was tossed ......  :)

Linda didn't get to sleep until 3:00 am as the wind and the rain moved in.  It looked like the weather radio was right about this huge weather system.  We avoided the severe weather, but the cold rain and high winds kept us from having any desire to step outside.

So we didn't.  We both stayed in our pajamas all day long.

We only opened the door when someone knocked.  Are we hearing things?  Was that actually someone knocking on our door in this mess?

It was someone that was bringing a fifth wheel into the area wanting to know if we knew where they could park for about 6 weeks while working here.  Since I had researched the campgrounds around here, I remembered a couple of them.  I pulled them up on the computer and printed out some information as well as the local area Chamber of Commerce phone number and Tourism phone number.  He was grateful and it was nice to be able to do a good deed just by being home.  :)

The later in the day it got, the windier it got.  These are the kind of days when we wish we didn't have our slideout awnings.  Most of the time we are glad we have them, but on windy days when we have to stay inside all day, they nearly drive us crazy.  :)

Awnings On Slideouts is actually a topic discussed recently on the RV-Dreams Community Forum.  Check it out.

Speaking of the Forum, discussions have slowed, so it's time to encourage a little activity.  :)

On the Introduce Yourself topic we have 57 posts as compared to 234 members.  How about some more information about our members?

Also, a wonderful topic called Where Should I Go In Your State? is in need of some input.  There are only nine states represented so far and I know you all have opinions.  We can keep those secret places you love just between us.  :)

All this leads me to a little project I spent all day and evening working on.  Through encouragement and help from our reader Jeff (RVDude) - The Grand Adventure - I worked on putting together a map to correspond to our Campground Reviews.

So just for our Journal readers, go to the Campground Reviews Map for a preview.  Play around with the zooming and dragging and clicking and give me a little feedback.  I can't promise I can make your enhancement requests happen, but I'll see what I can do.

If you click on a marker, you should see the campground name, a street address, the month & year reviewed, our overall rating, and a link to the complete review for that campground.  There is even a little icon in the "bubble" that allows you to print the information including the complete address.

If you have a bubble open, you can zoom all the way to street level for that particular campground without having to drag the map around.

The marker numbers correspond to the alphabetical list of campgrounds on the right.  So you can click on the marker OR the campground in the list to bring up the "bubble".  I may change the list order and numbering - haven't decided yet.

I have different color markers depending on what type of campground it is.  By clicking on the markers on the legend at the bottom you can filter out each type of campground.  Click a color to make those markers disappear, click them again to make them come back.

I'm not finished linking everything and tweaking, but so far I like it.  Again, play around with it and let me know what you think.  :)

So not much going on here.  Of course it was Survivor and Grey's Anatomy night.  :)

We got ready for bed and put all the slides in to keep the slideout awnings from flapping.  Otherwise, there was no way we were going to get to sleep.  Hopefully, things will be calmer and drier tomorrow.  :)

Comments

[Stan Nutile]

I think you have another home run Howard with your campground reviews map! This added feature will make finding a great campsite very easy. Great new feature.

[Paula B]

Howard & Linda,

Earplugs! My dad used to wear them to sleep through the day, when he was on shift work. Now, my husband swears by them. Blocks out all the extra little noises. Buy them at Walmart.

[RVDude]

Campground map is superb. Let's take a poll on sort order. I vote for chronological, most recent at top. That we can visually trace your route - and dream as to where next. You will also have a visual record of your path of dreams.

[Judy]

Howard I have heard ppl putting a beach ball under the slides out awnings to keep the noise down...also in one RV segment I saw a couple in Alaska wondering how to keep the snow from flatening them down and they put 2 pcs of styfoam under them this should also maybe work for you.
Southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs

[Charles Henry]

Greetings, Howard and Linda,

I could not help but respond to the querries and comments about slide toppers.

There is a new product out to solve all of the complaints aired here. The RV AirWedge is an inflatable wedge that slides underneath the topper with the thinner edge toward the outside. It creates a sloping awning, prevents drumming and keeps most all leaves and debris out.

The top is tuffted to allow air underneath the topper to prevent mildew.

On moving day, it simply deflates and fits virtually anywhere.

This RV AirWedge is featured in Interactive RV Magazine Summer Issue to be delivered within days.

Anyone can subscribe free by going to www.interactiverv.com and signing up. Your article on the Wildlife is very awesome!

Hope to see you two sometime soon.

Charles and Ethel in Jacksonville, FL

[Janette and Steve]

We live in Nebraska, about 3 hours form where you are. The weather for your area is the back side of a huge storm mass. It has rained for the last 7 weekends here! We thought of ya all last night as the wind was howling. We thought of an RV rocking and rolling in this weather, time to head south! Peace - JandS

[Kathy]

I saw on RV Today where they placed styrofoam pads under the slide topper to help insulate and fill that gap. Could this help you reduce the wind under there and help relieve the noise?

[Rod & Jean]

Howard, you may want to look at this site as very similar to your campground one
http://www.epgsoft.com/CampgroundMap/

[Danny and Leslie]

RE: The weather started getting rough, the fiver rig was tossed... :)

If not for the courage of our fearless two,
the fiver would be lost, the fiver would be lost...

The rig stayed put on the pad of this midwestern camping spot,

Then Linda took her crock-pot out,
for a dinner that was hot, a dinner that was hot...

Sorry, I couldn't resist, I'm old enough to remember "Gilligan's Island". If you think that's bad, you should read my lyrics to "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", written shortly after Ivan tried to eat our house.

[Paul Hildebrant]

Howard I built a rafter to go in between the slide topper and the roof of the slide/just slightly taller that the vertical measurement in the center of the topper/