Author: It's A Good Life RV

Really Dumb Things Part 2

It's A Good Life RV

The reason for these posts are to help others so they don’t do what we do OR what we’ve seen other RVers do. OR… if you are new to RVing you can learn from our mistakes because there is so much to learn. One thing people constantly wonder about is whether they can leave their black tanks open. Today we’ll take a look at how you should handle your black tanks. So let’s get started.

Do you leave your black tank valve open or closed? A black tank holds any water that has passed through a toilet. This includes human waste that you need to dispose of in a sanitary manner.

Many RV parks have full hook-up sites. Keeping your RV connected to the sewer drain and being able to empty your tanks quickly, can save you a lot of time. RVers love full hook-ups because of the convenience. You won’t have to worry about dumping your tanks into a portable tote or finding a dump station. You can quickly and easily empty your tanks without having to pack up your entire site each time. However the convenient full hook-ups may make people wonder about leaving their tanks open. Let’s see why you should keep them closed.

Black Tanks on Full Hook-Ups: Leave Closed
It’s a common mistake many RVers make to leave their black tanks open when using full hook-ups. Leaving your black tanks open allows any liquids that enter your tank to drain out immediately. This becomes a problem as any solids in the tank get left behind.

A “poo pyramid” can form in a tank as the solids gather over time. It doesn’t take long for these solids to combine creating a mass that’s too large to pass through the valve for dumping. This will clog your tanks and cause a frustrating and disgusting situation.

You can reduce your chances of a “poo pyramid” by keeping your black tank closed and using a lot of water with each flush. This will help solids break down while they’re in the tank. When you empty the tank later, the force from the water rushing out will wash out the solids as well.

So how long does it take to fill your black tank? The amount of time it takes for you to fill up your black tank varies from one RV to the next and one camping style to the next. Black tanks come in a range of sizes, typically from 20 to 60 gallons. Check the owner’s manual for your RV if you aren’t sure what size tanks you have. Another factor to consider is how many people will be using the restroom in your RV.

Just for reference, when your toilet ‘burps’ or bubbles when flushed, you know its time to dump your black tank. A clog or your tank is full is creating negative air pressure, Instead of air flowing through the lines, the air pushes back and causes the gurgling sound. Sometimes, you’ll also see the toilet water bubble. This is probably the most accurate way to determine when you need to dump your tank because you can’t always count on tank sensors.

Tip: Keep the black tank valve closed until the tank is at least 2/3 full. (Dumping the tank when it is less than 2/3 full will not allow the tank to empty properly). Always drain your black tank first. After dumping its a good time to rinse the tank with the sprayer wand or run a lot of water through while the valve is open.

The Reality of It all

It's A Good Life RV

Be Transparent…

In todays video Ed and I want to share with you some of the things you may want to consider if your thinking about Gate Guarding. To be very transparent, it is not a job for everyone but it has sure treated Ed and I very well. If you have financial goals this job could help you meet them. If you want to upgrade your RV or tow vehicle without going farther into debt, this may be a great option for you. OR if you just want some extra cash for that big trip you have planned this may be an option for you.

We cover some of the things about Gate Guarding in this video that can be difficult. But just like any other job, there are pros and cons. Its all how you look and deal with them. We hope in this video we have found good solutions to those cons because Ed and I are sure happy with this lifestyle.

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Enjoy Your Weekend!

Ed, Dora, Mason & Missy

Some Really Dumb Things 1

Some Really Dumb Things 1

It's A Good Life RV

Ok here it is. It’s time we acknowledge RVers – even smart ones like you and me – do some really dumb things. “I never do anything dumb,” or “I do lots of dumb things,” are the typical responses I get when I ask the question, “What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done while RVing?” Most often with further probing, RVers confess, “Well, there was this one thing …” and out comes a tale.

Here’s some of the dumb things, rated from “Dumb” to “Dumbest,” that RVers have reported, some with further probing. As always, dumber mishaps are more traumatic and costly, which is why you definitely don’t want to make them yourself. So, read on, learn from the mistakes of others, and save yourself some serious grief and cash! Todays blog is about… FREE BEACH CAMPING.

Camping for free with a view of the ocean can be amazing but… Just imagine yourself driving on the beach for about 10 minutes when you notice a little cove that might be a good spot to tuck in for the night. As you approach, you decide to stop and check it out. Unfortunately, when you got back in to move farther into the cove, your rear tires dug into the sand. The more the tires spun, the deeper you sink, until you were up to the rear axle. Without a shovel, you use a leveling board to scrape the sand away in front of the rear tires. No luck … you now are firmly stuck below the high-water line, about two hours away from the ocean filling the inside of your RV. Do you panic and run for help? Would you ever look at beach camping again?

Well the learning lesson here… consider the type of beach and that high tides and sneaky waves could put a damper on your RV experience. Next week will be another “Dumb Thing”.

Downsizing & Declutter

Downsizing & Declutter

It's A Good Life RV

As Ed and I decompress from the Big Tent RV Show in Quartzsite AZ, we have been talking about all the gadgets or accessories that were sold at the show. Do you need this gadgets or accessories? Do you have the space to add these items to your RV? Well…… we TRY to go by this motto. 1 item comes in then 1 item goes out. But, Ed and I have found that the longer we set in one place we tend to accrue more stuff so that motto gets broken. So what do we do? We go through room by room, cupboard to cupboard and then each storage cubby.

As you declutter and downsize, you may find that it is a bit liberating. The huge collection of stuff really doesn’t provide joy. Sure, there are mementos and things that are a priority but the more stuff we got rid of, the more we wanted to get rid of.

Here are a few tips.

Organize First: Organization is the key ingredient to keeping your sanity during this process. Break down the process into manageable chunks to make it less overwhelming. Rather than tackle your house as a whole, think of major groups of belongings that you will need to downsize. As you make your decisions, keep in mind the space you have available.

Organize by Groups: Each group of belongings contains subgroups: necessities, items that would be nice to have if there is room, and items that you just will not need . . . ever!

For simplicity’s sake, we’ve listed four groups of things that you will need to examine:

Clothes and Shoes
Kitchen and Household Items
Files, Papers and Office Items
Tools and Garage Items

Be Realistic When Downsizing Clothes. This can seem like an overwhelming task, but unless you will be working a job that requires dressy clothes, you can probably pare down your wardrobe drastically. I suggest that you make four piles of clothes starting with the stack that you will need. Basic casual clothes will be the most useful but in limited quantities. Don’t pack ten pairs of jeans or dozens of t-shirts when three or four will do!

Downsizing Kitchen Items: Moving into smaller quarters or decluttering your current RV, you may have very limited kitchen storage. So choose wisely on what items you really think you have to have. Do you need 2 sized crockpots? Do you need 5 spatulas? OR do you need those super heavy glass bowls?

Downsizing Your Hobbies: If you have hobbies that you love, you may want to allocate space for some of them in your RV. Some hobbies are not easily packed into an RV, but it’s amazing the inventive ways that people manage to take their hobbies on the road. Limit yourself to one or two hobbies, and take along some basic supplies for the ones you really love to do. Things like wood carving, crocheting, painting and drawing are easily portable. There are many people who are rockhounds, beaders and quilters who gather together in campgrounds to share their hobbies. When you set your space priorities, do find a little room for your favorite hobby!

While the whole process of downsizing may seem overwhelming, it will come together as you organize a segment at a time. Expect to feel a mixture of relief, and maybe a bit of regret as you see your things pared down to what will fit into your RV. But I can tell you from experience, that there is a huge feeling of freedom and joy when you are done downsizing & decluttering. Just please keep in mind. While your piling up items that you haven’t been used in a month etc., try to either sell those items to help fund your travels OR donate the items to someone in need.

Thanks!

Dora & Ed

The Show Was Amazing!

The Show Was Amazing!

It's A Good Life RV

Now that the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show is over, Ed and I start to reflect on what we learned, assessing our knowledge, abilities, and performance during the RV Show. We feel in order to improve ourselves and It’s A Good Life RV, we need to take time and go over all the conversations and experiences we had. As we listened to people at the show, it really lit a fire under our booty’s to do better. To do better as a person. To do better as a content creator. To do better at using our platform for good. Over the next few weeks we hope to share with you what are plans are moving forward.

But, of course our goal for attending the Show was to represent J&G Security in the best way possible, but our personal goal was to showcase a GREAT company that offers great jobs. Gate Guarding is probably the best way we found to make the funds necessary to not only pay our monthly bills but to increase our savings so we can travel more than we ever thought we could. How great would it be to work 6 months to travel 6 months out of the year? If you don’t have the extra travel funds right now this may be a great opportunity for you to get on the road. OR are you wanting to upgrade your rig and it would be nice to have the extra money to pay it off sooner? OR do you just want the extra money as a cushion because you are planning a big trip that you could use more disposable income? If you answered yes to one or all of the above questions, I’d look into Gate Guarding.

We have a playlist. Gate Guarding, on our It’s A Good Life RV YouTube Channel to give you an inside look. We are very open and transparent about the job, what it takes to do the job. Our most current videos are gates that we are working with J&G Security. To be honest, Ed and I can’t understand why it took us so long to sign with J&G. The company is one that really cares for their staff and guards. They really set you up for success.

If you have any questions for Ed or I about Gate Guarding or other jobs we’ve done while living on the road please feel free to contact us at itsagoodliferv@gmail.com OR J&G Security questions please contact Jessica at recruiting@jgsecurity.com

Thanks! Dora & Ed

Come Meet Us!

Come Meet Us!

It's A Good Life RV

If you plan on attending the 2023 Quartzsite RV Show January 21st-29th, stop by the J&G Security Booth 533 in the big tent. Ed and I will be at the booth Jan.21-Jan.28th 9am-5pm and January 29th from 9am-3pm. Come say hello to us, enter into our Giveaway Contest, learn more about working as a Gate Guard with J&G Security and other ways we make income while living the RVlife.

See you there!

Dora & Ed