Installing vinyl flooring in your RV can be a great way to save on many levels. Find out below five of the ways we found it helpful and why we installed it in our RV ourselves almost immediately.

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Mud And Spills Clean Up Easy

The RV life often involves raw and dirty adventuring -- and sometimes kids. Oh yes, and  some of those nasty RV only messes that can happen in the restroom...well, we won;t go all the way there.  For all those unfortunate messes in your motorhome or camper, vinyl flooring makes cleanup so much easier.

Vinyl Flooring Makes A Great Waterproof Barrier

When we purchased our RV, we noticed the previous owners just painted straight over the sub-floor. Not a super huge deal. But that made it more vulnerable to going bad faster. So, we decided to cover it up with vinyl flooring almost immediately. This actually has helped create a waterproof barrier and keep the sub-floor sturdy much longer. This way, if our roof ever leaks or we have some nasty spill or accident, it's less likely to ruin the sub-floor.

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Get That Clean "Home" Feel At A Low Cost

If you like the look of tiles, but want something more versatile and convenient, vinyl flooring may be the way to go. As you can see in the above pictures taken during our installation of the vinyl tiles, they completely change the look of the entire motorhome.

It's Lightweight

Many tiles can be heavy and easy to break. This creates multiple problems in a rolling home. Vinyl flooring is lightweight and harder to crack. Even if you do somehow manage to mess up a spot, they are easier and cheaper to fill in. Imagine all the extra weight that would be added to your RV if you used traditional tiles. No thank you. I don't know about you, but ours has enough extra weight added as it is.

Vinyl Flooring Is Easy To Install

And of course, one of the best reasons to install vinyl flooring is that it's super easy to do. There are so many projects and repairs in an RV if you use it often. Vinyl flooring will allow you to do it yourself inexpensively and quickly without having to hire help and pay an extra cost.

When roadschooling (homeschooling on the road, if you haven't heard), it's important to find a curriculum that is highly portable, lightweight, but still packed with all the important learning tools and information your child needs for a solid education. Here's why we think time4learning.com fits the bill.

No Need To Carry Heavy Books

Whether roadschooling in a rolling home (aka RV) or via the family vehicle, you probably want to save the space for gear. Who wants to lug learning material while hiking in the Rocky Mountains or kayaking the rapids? Not us, that's for sure!

We often do some pretty rough terrain hikes and intense climbing and other adventuring. We need more room for food, water, and supplies and don;t really have a place for heavy books. Time4Learning allows us this luxury. Ditch the heavy books for a learning method you can fit in your pocket, if necessary.

It Fits In Your Pocket!

We love that our kids can do Time4Learning's homeschool curriculum via their phones or tablets, if need be. This really comes in handy when we're using nature or another road-trip-worthy excursion in conjunction with lessons. This way, if the day's lessons involve railroad history, we can easily pull it out on a trip to railroad or museum.

Then, it can all be done at the same time, for a more memorable lesson. In the photo above, our son was learning about the first continuous land link by railroad across the U.S. How many books do you see in hand? Why? His cell phone was in his pocket so that he could easily access his lessons, if need be.

Learn Anytime - Literally

We all know that kids have that magic time when they learn the best. When you use Time4Learning during roadschooling homeschool field trips, you can either put the lessons or the adventure first. Your child can log on whenever they want - even 3 a.m, if you approve! This allows children to be more relaxed and focused when they log on. A focused child is more likely to learn than one who is forced to learn before ready.

What If Your Child Hates Learning?

If your child is like one of ours, gaming is everything and learning is boring. Well, at least that was before roadschooling with Time4Learning, anyway. Because the lessons are very interactive, it's like getting a gaming experience, allowing children to actually enjoy the lessons. The added adventures with the roadschooling lifestyle hardly make it seem like school at all.

What About an Internet Connection On The Road?

Yes, we know that many RVers face this often. However, getting internet access for using Time4Learning on the road isn't as hard as you think. We use a cell phone plan that includes unlimited data for the kids who use Time4Learning. Then, the rest of the phones have the highest data plan that includes WiFi hotspot.

This means that if the kids want to do their learning on the computer or tablet, instead of the phone, they can still access their lessons using the WiFi hotspot. If the cell phone solution isn't an affordable option for your family, most cities and towns have libraries. We've never had problems finding one somewhere on the way there or back, if not in the place we're traveling to.

Does My Child Actually Learn With Time4Learning?

In our experience, most definitely. We have actually tried other forms of online homeschooling and this is the only one that all of the kids liked, regardless of whether it was used in lower or upper grades. It's also the one they've learned the most using. We think this is because of the built-in entertainment factor. When kids enjoy themselves, they pay more attention, thus making it so the lessons actually stick.

*Note: The author was compensated for this review. However, the review is 100% honest, based on her own experiences and is in no way influenced by the compensation.

Need an honest review? Please Contact Us with info. We only do reviews for products and services that our family actually uses.

Most people know that bungee cords of all sizes are handy to have around. But I bet you never thought of these 10 handy uses for bungees in your motorhome or trailer. Get some bungee cords today and put them to use in your RV to see how well they work.

1. Simple Curtain Tie

Attach an eye hook to the wall and use it secure the tie when you need your curtain to stay open. Any lightweight bungee will do the trick, unless your curtain is exceptionally heavy. We found the 3-pack from the Dollar Tree works fine for ours.

 2. Portable Toilet

If you're temporarily using a portable toilet in your RV, you know it may shift when driving. To avoid accidental spillage, secure an eye hook to the wall behind the toilet on both sides. Then, attach a bungee. Be sure to leave space to use your flush handle, if you have one. The thicker, rubber  ones are best to use in this instance, as they tend to hold more weight. We spent less than 2 bucks at Home Depot getting one that works for this. Our portable toilet is  a Camco 5.3 Gallon.

 3. Secure a Room While Driving

We used a long, thick bungee that was about two bucks at Home Depot to secure the bathroom area before we fixed it. This helped while driving because it prevented everything from flying around. This is good if your bathroom (or another room) is under construction, like ours was. It also helps if you have any other area where there may be loose furniture or other semi-big items. The bungee held in a portable washing machine, a baby gate that kept the toilet secure, and a few miscellaneous things that were tucked around those items.

 4. Prevent Shelves From Losing Items Or Falling

Your wall shelves should be secure, ideally. But if you want some extra protection, try using a bungee cord to secure the shelf even further. We often do this if we want to place something on the shelf that might otherwise fall while driving. It could be a book someone is reading here and there or something else fairly lightweight. This isn't a good solution for heavier items.

(Pardon the sawdust in the picture. This was taken right after setting up this particular fix.)

5. Prevent Cabinets From Opening While Driving

Since we are in an older motorhome, this is a common problem, as we are under construction. This is a good temporary fix if your existing hardware isn't the best or you are missing the latches. In our case, we just needed to fix the latches. We don't need to use this anymore. But it worked to keep items from flying while we awaited delivery of the appropriate hardware. The simple Dollar Tree bungees were fine for this as well.

6. Secure Loose Work Items

When we were doing a lot of work on our vintage RV, this one helped a ton. We kept a Homer Bucket from Home Depot full with all kinds of tools and hardware that we were using every day. We didn't want to have to keep putting away and taking out these items every time we had to drive somewhere. So, we kept it secure with a bungee. The Dollar Tree bungees were fine for this as well. But remember that the heavier the item, the stronger the bungee cord should be.

7. Secure a Loose Door While Driving - If your door is loose and you need to secure it while driving to the repair shop or elsewhere, try using a bungee. Fasten it to the latch and/or screen and secure it to the inside to prevent your door from banging back and forth.

8. Tie Down Luggage - This may seem obvious, but not everyone thinks of it. If you have extra luggage that you don't want stored inside, try securing it to the roof with bungees. Heavy duty bungees should be used for this.

9. Secure an Infant Stroller - If you have a large infant stroller, like our Graco double stroller, you may not want to store it inside your rig all the time. Unless the weather is bad, we prefer to bungee ours to the cargo carrier luggage rack on back. That way, it's easy to grab and then store when going in and out of stores or entertainment facilities. This also works if you want to store the stroller inside because you may not be able to fit it inside a closet. In this case, you can bungee it to keep it from roaming around your RV.

10. Secure a Cooler Full of Groceries - If you just picked up a bunch of groceries and want to wait to put them away until you get to camp, you can throw them all in a large cooler and secure it with a bungee on the roof, in a rooftop cargo box, or in a  cargo carrier.

If you own a business with a parking lot, you may get annoyed when a large rig, like a truck or RV uses your lot. But think twice before calling a tow company on an RV or trucker. RV parking restrictions hurt your business big time!

​Why RVers May Be Parked A Couple Hours

If a family's only vehicle is a motorhome or they are traveling, they may only get to the store once in a while. Therefore, they could be making a huge purchase at your store. By sending out a tow truck or placing a tow sticker or sign on their vehicle, you just ensured they won't make a purchase with you again. Does this actually happen when people are parked legitimately? Yes. It has happened to our family during routine grocery trips and travel stops. Please ensure that you know for sure how long someone has been in a spot before you wrongly accuse them of overnight parking or camping in your lot.

RVers Usually Have A Large Network

Mistreat one RVer and you are likely to lose a lot of business. You can bet they will tell their friends not to shop there and word will spread like wildfire. Remember that RVers know more than just other RVers and people don't like unfair treatment of any group of people. It can easily be considered discrimination.

Parking A Few Hours Is NOT Overnight Parking

RVers are used to overnight parking restrictions and most are glad to follow them. But please don't accuse us of parking overnight when we are just getting massive groceries and supplies in your store for a few hours. When you only shop every so often, it may take a while to gather everything you need in the store. This does not indicate intent to stay overnight . It is especially unfair when "regular" (non-camper-type) vehicles have been there longer and don't have the same warnings. Many people in RVs are not in your lot to camp. We are there to spend money with you.

Mistreating Customers Is Immoral And Sometimes Illegal

Selectively targeting specific customers to warn about extended parking could be seen as discrimination or even harassment. In these cases, not only will your company be seen in a bad light, but you could land in court and be out large sums of money. It's always safer (and more courteous) to take the high road and give the same treatment to everyone.

How Can I Safely Fit RVs Without Disrupting Business?

If you want to safely accommodate customers with RVs and other big rigs, consider a designated section for the bigger vehicles, with appropriate signage. Also, clearly post your expected time limits on parking so that we don't accidentally exceed them. This keeps big rigs out of the path of the smaller vehicles and quicker shoppers. Most RV owners consider this a kind gesture. We know we are huge and we are grateful you welcome us, despite that. Without designated parking, most of us try to park in the most courteous spot. But it's not always possible.

Most People In RVs Are Not Homeless

It is sad that this has to be said. But it is necessary. We have often noticed that people in RVs are treated as miscreants, nuisances, or considered to be homeless. Not all RVers live in their rigs and many are very far from being homeless. Some are camping or traveling. Most of those who do live in them have a place to be and are not trying to live in your lot. They just want to buy groceries and other necessities, just like everyone else.

Post Your Rules Clearly

Unless you have clearly posted rules that an RVer clearly violates, it can be considered discrimination to give out tow warnings or call a tow truck (or even worse, call the police). This is a massive insult and rights violation to someone who is just doing what everyone else does and abiding by normal parking rules. Again, if you have special rules, please post them so people know what to expect. Most RV owners are very happy to abide by those rules. We are happy to respect you. Please give us the same treatment.

by    Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of  Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

When deciding to live or camp in your RV for the winter, there are many things to consider. The most important factors include keeping the heat inside (and cold air out) and keeping all of your tanks and connections from freezing. Watch the videos below to learn what you can do to properly winterize your RV for winter living and camping. Be sure you don't winterize it for storage, rather than living, as there is more than one type of winterizing.  We love the advice from the two experts in the videos below, as they offer practical tips everyone can follow and they both have different things you can apply.

by    Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of  Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

Need to replace the fabric on your RV awning? Why fight with it, trying (and failing) to figure it yourself? Don't risk injury. Instead, watch this video to make sure you do it right (and easily) the first time.

 Roadschooling is homeschooling while on the road. Until we're back in the RV, we'll be doing what we can of that in our old school Toyota 4Runner. Recently, we took a very short road trip to Bingham Lake, which is in The Pinery (Parker), Colorado.

We taught Nathan about the fish, deer, and other wildlife in the area. He even got to see some. He made some vlogs, as well as captured some photos, in addition to the footage we got, which makes for a good lesson in arts, video and photo editing, science & nature, and local history. You won't see Nathan's content in this post, as it belongs to him and he has another place to post it.

Anyhow, we got to see some deer, rabbits, fish, and more all up close. The deer were mere inches away, so we were walking among them. But, obviously we did not feed or pet them. That's a big no-no! What a great roadschool/homeschool lesson in enjoying nature and leaving it as is.

Here are some of the many photos from our adventure.

What roadschooling adventures have you been on lately? Share your links and commentary below.

When caring for a baby while in an RV, there are many things to consider. Convenience and ease of preparation is a must when it comes to baby bottles during travel. So, what do we consider the best travel bottles?

We've tried several bottle brands and while there are plenty of good ones out there, only one actually met the standards we needed for traveling with a baby in an RV.

And the winner is Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature!

Here's Why

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles have the option of convenient formula dispensers.

This is so helpful and saves so much time and space! Who wants to hear a baby crying in the middle of the night while you fumble for a formula can while rolling down the highway? Not me. The formula dispensers fit inside each bottle and keep the formula dry so that you can pre-fill the bottles with water. It's so much easier to prep a bunch of these ahead of time and then use a wet bag to store the dirty ones until the next washing.

The associated parts are simple.

Taking apart bottles for washing can sometimes be crazy. Some of them have ridiculously shaped parts that are impossible to clean, which makes them even more impossible when traveling in an RV. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles are just the opposite. Even when you add accessories, they're easy to take apart and easy to clean. This makes them much more convenient when on the road. Some of our favorite accessories include the variable flow nipples, the formula dispensers, and the bottle handles.

The price is considerably low for the convenience they provide.

When you factor in all the conveniences offered with the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature system, the price of stocking up on them is lower than some of the other brands but with more convenience. Even when the price is fairly comparable to other major brands, those other brands don't seem to offer the same conveniences. So, why pay that price to get something that's less than stellar? We don't. We only use Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles in the RV (and elsewhere) now.

Kansas is one of the many states we passed through on our huge RV road trip this past summer. Here are some beautiful photos of a sunset in the hills over a lake in Dorrance, KS.

by    Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of  Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

There are plenty of RV parks pretty much everywhere you go. But did you know there are also a large amount of free dispersed camping, parking, and boondocking spaces around the United States? Here is a comprehensive list of resources to find the best FREE spot to park your RV overnight or longer.

Park For Free at Select Walmart Locations
Free Campsites
Free Camping in Colorado
Free Dispersed Camping in Colorado
Roads Less Traveled - How to Find Free RV Campsites
RV-Camping.org | Boondocking
Gone With The Wynns | Boondocking Tips - How to And Where to
Love Your RV! | Boondocking Basics
Boondocking.org (Boondocking search database)
Boondockers Welcome | Be My Guest RV Parking
Vanabode | Camp, Travel, and Live Forever on $20 a day!
Public Lands
RV.net Open Roads Forum | Public Lands, Boondocking, and Dry Camping
Camp In My Garden (Private Free and Affordable Lots)
Casino Camper (search for casinos that allow free parking)
Bureau of Land Management (Dry camping is allowed in many BLM areas)
Eugene Carsey | Free Campgrounds and Camping in the USA
Your RV Lifestyle | Boondocking Tips
RV Dump Stations

During our recent long cross-country trip, Watertown, New York was one of our stops. That's where I was born and we wanted the kids, especially Nova (since she was practically a newborn) , to see relatives we hadn't seen in years. While we were there, among other things, we visited Waterworks Park. Enjoy our adventures through pictures -- and don't worry, we didn't venture into the rough waters. We only waded (aka stuck our feet in) at the very beginning of the shallow rocky waters.

You won't believe what this rare 1977  Winnebago looks like inside and out! It's all decked out Denver Broncos style, but still remains true to the 70's.

The engine needs a  rebuild, but most other things inside are in working order. We're working on getting  this vintage beauty into tip-top shape. Take a rare peek at what's going on inside this '77 Minnie Winnie!

The dinette that doubles as a bed needed a little work done when we got it as the center piece was missing and one of the benches had a crack in the seat area. I went to Home Depot and got some board for both areas, as well as the necessary hardware, picked up some marine vinyl fabric, and put it together. More about that in a future post.

The top bunk is a perfect hideaway and doesn't really need any work done to it. We may eventually replace the mattress there, along with the cushions and mattresses in the other areas.

The kitchen doesn't really need much work, as most everything is in working order. I did replace the p-trap in the beginning, as there was a small leak, which is normal in any kitchen, not just RVs. We also will need to replace the water pump. But that's about it. The bathroom doesn't need any help at all. In addition to the toilet and sink pictured, there is a spacious closet with a door, as well as a full tub and shower.

When we got the RV, the wood floors came painted blue to match the Broncos theme. However, raw wooden floors are not very livable in an RV. So, we replaced them by installing vinyl tile, which is much easier to clean during adventures. It's also better when you have kids. The picture on the right shows the original floor and the one on the left shows what we did.

The picture on the left shows my son on the long bench that is opposite the dinette bench. The picture on the right is the RV refrigerator. It does have an issue staying cold that may or may not be simple. We're working on that too. When we adventure, we do have a system that keeps it cold. So it's not a priority yet. Though, it is on the list of fixes.

This is just a small glimpse of everything that's on the inside and what we've been doing. Stay tuned to future posts for even more by hitting the subscribe button on the right.

We've been having so much fun at a campground in Strasburg, CO. Outdoor movies are one of the many fun things they do. Here's a couple pics of the kids watching one of the Peter Pan movies this past weekend. We think it's cute that the campground owners let one of the little girls here bring the feature movie that night. They're really good here about making sure everyone is happy and included, especially the kids. When the kids are happy, the parents are happy.

We had lots of fun at the campground in Strasburg, CO this past weekend. One of the things we did is a hay ride. This was a first hay ride for Aja, Nathan, and Nova. Rich and I had done them before, but it had been quite some time.

We're not quite sure where it's headed because we don't believe in disturbing fellow campers/RVers. But we spotted the Victoria's Secret PINK Bus in Strasburg, Colorado. Nice paint job! Since it's been traveling around to college campuses, we suspect that might be the goal. Who knows? Either way, nice paint job and enjoy the ride!

by    Lyn Lomasi and Richard Rowell; Co-owners of  Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

One of the best things about this campground we've been staying at in Strasburg, Colorado is the fact that they have plenty for the kids to do on weekends. One of the activities is renting bikes (actually pedal powered go-karts) for an hour or so. They aren't the easiest things to ride, but that's part of the beauty of them.

Aja and Nathan had a blast riding the pedal go-kart bikes  this past weekend. Just look at them go in the photos and video below!

Here's a video Rich took of Aja and Nathan riding and having fun. Please excuse the fact that his finger shows up in the camera view a few times...

by    Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of  Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

If your RV sink is turned off or broken in some way, there are still several ways to make use of it. Find out which way is right for you, based on how bad your RV sink situation really is.

Method One: Hand-Fill and Drain Later

This method is best for those who have a working drain and a grey water tank that is less than ¾ full. If your p-trap is leaking, do not use this method. However, if there are no leaks when your pump is turned off and your grey water drains into the tank properly (and your tank is capped with the release valve closed), you can use this method.

Since your RV sink pump will be turned off, you must be either boondocking or you have an issue when the pump is turned on. This means you will need a couple gallons of water. One is for a rinse bucket and the other is for your washing water. You can either buy this water or if you are at an RV park (or other location) with access to water, you can fill up a jug or bucket accordingly.

Plug your drain and fill one side of your turned off RV sink with water. Add antibacterial dish soap and swish it around to make it soapy. Add dishes and wash them. Place them in the empty side of the sink and drain the soapy side. If you have a heat source available, you can boil the water first for added disinfecting. Use the rinse jug or bucket to rinse the dishes over the unplugged side of the sink. Again, only do this if your tank can hold both the rinse water, as well as the soapy water.

Dry the dishes inside the clean sink, on a dry towel, or in a drying rack. Once you have access to a sewer drain hookup, drain your grey water tank. If you can’t get access to a hookup and you need to drain it, drain it into a bucket, safely handle/store it, and drain the bucket as soon as there is a safe place to do so.

Method Two: Hand-Fill and Hand Drain

This method is best used if your RV sink drains well, but the tank is full. Follow the same instructions as above, except don’t drain the water into the sink. Both sides should be plugged. When emptying is needed, siphon the water out with a jug and pour it into a bucket. Follow proper safety methods for disposing of the grey water in the bucket. If there is any residue left in the sink that cannot be siphoned, use a towel to soak it up and dry and clean the towel as soon as possible.

Method Three: Cover the Drain Hole and Use Bins in the Basins

This method is basically the same as method two, except you’re going to use bins to do the washing into so that as little as possible gets into the actual RV sink. This is best for when you either don’t want to siphon out water or don't want to risk getting too much water into the actual sink.

Other Possible Options

• Use the bathroom sink at a rest stop
  
• Use the bathroom sink at a camp ground
• Borrow a friend’s sink
  
• Use disposable dishes so you don’t need to wash dishes