What's in the Water?

Does your water have a noticeable haze or murkiness? It may be time for a water filtration system or a new filter. In addition to the noticeable effect on water clarity, sediment can also create problems by plugging up other filters you may be using, causing them to fail prematurely. And let’s not forget about the biological agents which include protozoa, bacteria, viruses, and cysts and spores that can be unhealthy for humans and animals. Having clean fresh water is important and Paul Evert’s RV Country has all your fresh water needs, stop by and visit our parts department today!

Here are some common questions RVers have about using/changing their filters:

1. Why does my water looks gray after I change my filter?
     This is a common occurrence after changing a carbon filter, and is caused by fine carbon dust being flushed out of the cartridge. It will be gone after you run a few gallons of water through the unit.
 

2. How do I know when I should change my filter?
     There are two primary indicators that will alert you to replace a filter cartridge. The first indicator is a reduction in flow rate, which is caused by a filter getting plugged with sediment. The second indicator is a little less obvious and involves your taste-and-odor filter. If you notice that the taste and/or odor of your water is not as clean as it used to be, it is very likely that your carbon filter is losing its effectiveness and needs to be replaced. This, of course, assumes that you have a carbon filter.
 

3. Why does my filter never seems to need replacing?
     Well, either you are receiving extremely clean water, or your filtration system is not working properly. Make sure that you have a cartridge or cartridges in your filter canisters and that your water is flowing through them. If everything checks out, you must be getting very clean water.
 

4. Why should I filter all the water going into my RV, including the water for the toilet?
     Many plumbing fixtures, both in homes and RVs, have small orifices and moving parts that come in contact with the water. Sediment and sand can wreak havoc in these fixtures, and removing the sediment is often much cheaper than repairing a plugged or damaged fixture. RV parks can have a real load of sand and sediment in the water.

For more information or to have our service department install, check, or replace any filters for you, please visit our website to make a service appointment.

Super Bowl Sunday!

Will you be one of the many attendees traveling in their RV to Super Bowl XLV? This will be the 45th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, to be played next week on February 6, 2011 and will be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

There are plenty of activities happening. From the Cowboy gathering & charity casino night, to the ESPN Super Bowl Party or the Taste of the NFL to the in stadium hospitality - there will be something for everyone and let’s not forget to mention the NFL tailgate party happening on Sunday! If you’re looking for a place to park your RV, Arlington KOA is only 4 miles from the stadium.

Don’t forget your camera – We’re still running our contest of how you enjoy the RV lifestyle and each family that shares their story will receive a FREE prize and the winner receives a $100 gift certificate to our parts store!

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY!

Submit as many different stories as you’d like and be sure to include pictures of your travels! We can’t wait to see your RV’s decked out Super Bowl style!

CLICK HERE TO READ HOW OTHERS RV!

How We RV - Arturo & Rosenda Ibanez

Arturo & Rosenda Ibanez came to the Paul Evert's RV Country service department yesterday, December 27th, 2010. They purchased their current vehicle (a Forest River Sierra Sport Toy Hauler Travel Trailer) from another dealer in town who has since gone out of business.

In attempting to make some of the requested repairs, which should have been covered under warranty, our warranty clerk Elizabeth Betancourt discovered that not only was their warranty set to expire in just a few days, but that the previous dealer had never registered their vehicle with Forest River. This technically meant had no warranty! However, thanks to a good working relationship with the manufacturer, Liz was able to register the coach and have the repairs made under warranty before its expiration!

Arturo and Rosenda have been married for 27 years and four children, 3 boys and 1 girl. They have lived in Selma, Ca for 19 years and love to go camping. Some of their favorite spots to visit are Pismo, Sunset Beach, Bass Lake, and the Yosemite mountains. They've even been known to bring along their 2 1/2 year old English Bulldog, Layla.

"We are so grateful to Jason Hunt (Service Writer) and Liz Betancourt (Warranty Clerk) for helping us. They were courteous and Stacy Alvarado (Parts Manager) was prompt in serving us. Thank you!"

How We RV - Bob & Barbara Calderwood

Bob & Barbara with Boo & Precious

 

RV MAKE & MODEL: 1999 Safari Panther

A LITTLE ABOUT US:  We've been married for 43 years. Our children live on opposite coasts. We have two grandsons (We will watch the  oldest graduate from high school next May in Wellington, FLA). Bob retired in 1999. We spend 9 months of the year in the motor home and stay in Port Ludlow, WA during the summer months. We've been motor homing since 1977.

PETS:  We travel with two Miniature Pinchers (brother & sister 13 years old). "Boo" likes to grab a sock and guard it while "Precious" complains in a high pitched squeal or bark "He's doing it again!" They both like to travel on the dash of our motorhome.

FAVORED TRAVEL DESTINATIONS:  We don't really have one place we go. We want to visit the historical. We enjoy the various regional cultures our country has to offer (you know - food, sounds, smells, food and more food), and we are fascinated by the vast variety of architectural styles.

TIPS, TRICKS & GADGETS:   I use the "Pro-Fill" on-board battery watering system. It saves a lot of banged knuckles, your hands stay clean and you know that each battery is properly topped off. I also use an in-line water filter system. But instead of attaching it to the out door water spigot  or having it under the kitchen sink, i've set it up in the basement next to the water intake valve.
Barbara's trick in the kitchen is to have me do the dishes (just joking - actually after me breaking enough cups she realizes that I'm incapable of measuring up to the task). Barbara always wipes the plates clean before putting them in the dish water saving the holding tank from grease and bits of food.

FUNNY STORY:  Our very first RV trip was in a rented RV in 1977. We took off from Southern California for an Easter vacation with our friends in Scottsdale, AZ. Half-way across the desert we noticed a putrid smell. As it turns out it  the gray tank had backed up into the shower where we had stored our suitcases. (That RV was supposed to be ready to go and we didn't know anything about holding tanks.) Since the clothes were soaked with the obnoxious liquid, Barbara hand washed everything in the sink as I drove. Having no way to dry the clothes she lit the oven, placed the  wet clothes on the rack and waited for the clothes to dry. It wasn't too long before we smelled another oder - this one we recognized. Yeah, for the rest of the trip we wore clothes with little brown stripes imprinted on them from the hot oven rack. We still laugh. That first trip may have been the best.  In less than a month after our return to L.A. we had bought our first RV.

COMMENTS ABOUT PAUL EVERT'S RV COUNTRY: Having RV techs with whom you can communicate and trust is very important to us. Our experience with Patrick Clyde, our service writer, simply could not be better. Thank you for your service!

How We RV - Jim & Judy MacLeod

We bought our first MH in 1976 and now we own a 2006 Monaco Dynasty (42' DP) We were fortunate to be able to retire early and travel around the country. Taking care of a house and yard soon proved to be a hindrance, so we sold everything that wouldn't fit into our rig and became full-timers six years ago. Now we have the freedom to move from place to place and use our energies to help others.

We joined SOWERS (Servants On Wheels Ever Ready to Serve), a volunteer ministry that supports 180 Christian service projects in 44 states and Canadian Provinces. Our non-profit hosts provide the requisite RV hookups, equipment and materials while SOWERS contribute free labor. Each project lasts for three weeks with four scheduled work days per week. The rest of the time we're free to see the local sights, visit with friends and relatives or socialize with our working partners. Having worked on 25 projects in six different states, our favorite projects are those foster homes, schools and campgrounds where we can interact with the kids.

While we don't travel with our own pets, we've been fortunate to work on projects where there were a variety of animals to enjoy. Last winter Judy worked with Emus, Llamas and an Alpaca to prepare them for petting encounters with summer campers.

Our favorite places depend on the season. We love  cool summer nights in Michigan, warm winter days in Florida, springtime storms in Texas and Arizona, breathtaking mountain and coastal views in northern California. It's all good. Along the way we look for campgrounds that are well-maintained and honor Passport America discounts. Even spending a few nights in a dealer's parking lot is all part of the lifestyle.

Judy loves her convection microwave and washer and dryer while Jim appreciates the convenience of automatic air-leveling. Storage is primary for full-timers, so "doing without" certain features (like a second furnace and aqua-hot) actually gives us more space in cupboards and in "the basement". We need the extra space for our hobbies and provisions. Judy cans and freezes produce from our summer garden, tucking fresh squash and pumpkins into every nook and cranny in her storage bays. She also needs space for her jigsaw puzzles, canvases and other painting supplies. Jim has a collection of tools for SOWER projects plus a carry-out satellite dish and long coax cables he uses when parked under the trees. We both have our own workspaces and extensive book collections (including three that Jim wrote).

Judy does a great job of cooking bacon and broiling steaks and pork chops in the convection oven, but the fumes invariably set off the smoke alarm whenever she opens the door. The first time it happened Jim responded by frantically waving a dish towel at the alarm to dissipate the fumes and quiet the racket. The next time Jim was already flailing the towel before she opened the door and quickly removed the offending meat. This strategy worked pretty well until it occurred to Jim that the battery-powered smoke alarm is secured to the ceiling with two common screws. A simple quarter-turn is all that's required to remove it and carry it into the bedroom before Judy opens the oven door. An ounce of prevention is better than a ton of towel waving!

We've never been sorry that we sold our house and went on the road. We're only sorry that we didn't do it sooner. Travel does broaden your perspectives. And doing something for someone else keeps us active and more fit than if we'd stayed at home. We also see our far-flung family members more often and make new friends on every project. Camping can be so much more than potluck dinners, bingo and shuffleboard.         

Snowbirds Unite

Are you on your way to Quartzsite, Arizona for the annual RV show?  This will be over a decade that we have been participating in one of the greatest shows in the country and we are proud to announce that Paul Evert's RV Country is the Exclusive Dealer of the 2011 RV Show.  You can't miss us right next to the Big White Tent! 

Here's the tent the day it was set up!

We have hundred of RVs on display, including the exclusive Thor Motor Coach line up with the entire product line.  RV Show attendees will be the first to see the new Serrano, Tuscany, A.C.E., Astoria, Challenger, and Daybreak models.

We are so excited to be the Exclusive Dealer of this years event and will blogging about the all the great things going on at the show.  Make sure to come see us right next to the Big White Tent!  If you follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook you will also be able to see our daily deals and pictures of all the action and excitement!

See you at the show!

How We RV - Javada & Clarence Rimmer

 

We are retired and spend about 10 months of the year in our 40 foot Holiday Rambler and are having a great time! We spend around 5 months at the Potholes in Eastern Washington and another 5 months in Parker, Az.

We purchased the RV from Paul Evert's RV in December 2009. We like all the room we have and all the comments about it from our friends. We hope to go to Yellow Stone Park this coming year.