Archive for June, 2009

There was an old man who used to get up at the crack of dawn every day and sprinkle white powder all around his yard. One day his neighbor’s curiosity got the better of him so he asked the old man what he was sprinkling, he replied that it was elephant repellant. The neighbor nearly laughed himself unconscious. When he finally caught his breath he exclaimed “There are no elephants around here!” to which the old man answered “Yes I know, see how well the repellent works!”

It may not be the perfect analogy but I always think of that joke whenever the conversation turns to which is the best toilet paper or RV holding tank chemical.

Over the years I’ve heard of RVers using all kinds of stuff in their holding tanks — Pinesol, borax, liquid laundry detergent, Rid-ex, and even just two aspirin! I never could figure out how anyone would believe that two aspirin would deodorize and clean a 40+ gallon black tank. Each RVer would claim whatever concoction, including commercial RV chemicals, they used works better than all the rest. How is it possible? I believe that, just like the old man in the joke, RVers have a perception of a problem that doesn’t really exist.

Now I will confess that I do use a tank chemical but only for odor control during the hot summer months… I found one that actually seems to work. But I don’t worry about microbes or chemicals breaking down TP and solids. I simply don’t believe 8 ounces of any chemical, home-brew or commercial, is going to have any significant effect in 45 gallons of waste. At least not in the 7 days it takes to fill my black tank.

I did have one of those clear plastic elbows for a while. It was good for seeing when the tank was empty or when you were flushing with fresh water to know when the the tank was clean. But I never was able to distinguish any solids or lumps of TP in the flow that whooshed by when I pulled the valve. When the elbow finally broke I didn’t replace it… my black tank has a 3′ hose on it and the tank has a flushing system so I don’t have to worry about all the stuff in the tank! I works for me. But then, maybe the joke’s on me.

Has anyone ever seriously studied the effluent from a black tank close enough to really know if the chemical they use actually breaks down TP and solids? I’d rather not.
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Today’s Tip is offered by Peggi McDonald, author of RV Travel To Canada

USA and Canada are each unique but so similar. When I first began putting seminars together I was shocked to discover I had seven pages of a double space listing of differences from one side of the border to the other. Canada and United States of America co-exist on each side of the world’s longest undefended border but yet we ARE two very different countries. Canadians even spell differently than Americans and sometimes we talk differently too plus Canada has much less population. However our two countries have a mega amount in common as well. Although new Passport rules are in place as of June 09 – the good news is not much is different for RVers at the border – cross border Homeland Security has settled into a sense of new normalcy.

Follow these simple suggestions and your USA-Canadian Border crossing should be uneventful.

• Carry a Passport rather than the new coded style card because for Emergency Air Travel, you’ll need either a Nexus Card or a Passport.
• Go through the car lanes, NOT the Truck lines.
• Some crossings have separate Bus/RV Lanes. (Note if you have wide mirrors and there is no wide lanes, talk to agents)
• Take off your sunglasses so they can see your eyes.
• Answer ONLY the questions asked – Volunteer nothing more.
• Don’t be glib or smart with officials – they are only doing their job.
• Follow a ‘Golden Rule Respect’ with agents at the border.
• Don’t try to conceal things. Officials are aware of every hiding place. Searches happen only occasionally, but they can occur while entering either country. In our 24 years of fulltiming and during numerous jaunts across the border in both directions, we have only been searched once and it wasn’t extensive. On one other occasion we did encounter a most difficult agent. For the most part, all of our crossings have been hassle free. These days we seem to be asked more questions than in previous crossings.

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If your RV travel plans include a visit to Canada, Peggi’s eBook RV Travel to Canada is a must read. Recently updated for the 2009 summer travel season, RV Travel to Canada is filled with important MUST KNOW info that will insure you get the most from your visit while avoiding problems inherent in international travel. Peggi and Husband John are Canadian and have been full time RVing in Canada and the US for 24 years. Fran and I are happy to call them friends and are proud to recommend Peggi’s eBook Click Here for more info and to purchase!

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