Campfire Cruise

Hey, cruisers! In case you missed the news, a group of Grand Design owners is getting together in January 2025 on the Regal Princess for a Western Caribbean cruise. This is not a rally cruise so no fees, no formal events--just a fun time together.

This is a 7-night cruise leaving out of Galveston, Texas on January 12, 2025 with stops in Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico before returning to Galveston. More details on the cruise can be found here.

Current Prices for 2 include Princess Plus and the Platinum Vacation Protection if you book through John at AMS Travel. (Other options available)

• Inside: $2,323.12
• Balcony: $2,715.12
• Deluxe Balcony: $2,793.52
• Mini Suite: $3,288.20

You can submit a booking request to John here. 

I hope you'll join us!

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Which Way Should I Go? Where Should I Stay?

As an RV'er, trip planning has it's own challenges. It isn't always a simple matter of going from Point A to Point B in a straight line. We need to be cognizant of our rig height, weight and even length. So how do we make it easier for ourselves?

RV Life Pro is a useful tool to make your upcoming trip less stressful. Their trip planning software allows you to enter your RV information to help guide you to your destination while avoiding those low bridge hazards or weight-restricted bridges. You can research campground information and read reviews from people who have stayed there. Many will include tips to make your stay even better like what site they were in or places to visit. 

My husband and I took a trip from our home in Washington state last summer to the Grand Design National Rally in Elkhart, Indiana. It would be our longest trip with our Solitude fifth wheel. I logged into my RV Life Pro account and created a new trip in Trip Wizard. I love how Trip Wizard walks you through step by step with setting up a new trip. Although there is a look-up function for published specifications for your RV, it is on you to know your actual measurements and weight. It is a good starting point though. I entered our travel boundaries of how many miles or hours each day we wanted to travel.  Then the fun started! 

  

After entering my final destination and my boundaries set, I could start looking campgrounds along my initial route. The map shows my min-mid-max boundaries. It also shows hazards based on the RV info I had entered.

Seeing range lines on the map

Clicking on the campground icon gives you a pop up where you see the campground name and then be able to find additional info about the park. If I was satisfied with the information I found, then I added that stop to my trip planner.

 

Checking out Campgrounds

I did this for each day/night along our route. Easy peasy! Based on tips from other RVers, I wanted to avoid taking the interstate through Chicago to avoid tolls and more importantly, road construction. I was able to drag the planned route to the route I wanted to take. With a little trial and error, I was able to set up the trip we wanted to get to Indiana. Then it was time to make reservations.

I will say on the actual trip out to Indiana, I struggled a little with the app. We have a Garmin RV GPS unit and I also travel with a trucker's atlas (I love looking at maps). The app directions were sometimes not very clear so I supplemented with our truck GPS and the atlas to make sure we were going in the correct direction. The app isn't as clear as the Garmin GPS but I still appreciate the planning aspect. 

I personally recommend RV Life Pro to any RV'er as a tool to help us in our travels. Now get out there and explore!

Thank you to RV Life Pro for being a part of the 2024 Rally @ Sea! Learn more about them at www.rvlife.com.

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Keyless Security

Have you ever locked yourself out of your RV? I did. Or rather, our dog did it for us. We were camping and our German Shepherd Dog, Max, was still in the RV when we stepped outside. Also inside the camper were our keys. Max accidentally locked us out! We normally keep a set accessible but for some reason, both sets of keys ended up in the camper. Time to call a locksmith! 

Those days of being locked out are behind us now. Our campers (yep, both of them) are equipped with the RV Lock keyless entry system. We love how the fob can be programed for both locks. We also like the flexibility of setting our own combinations. 

If you are in the market for a new lockset, check out the product line from RV Lock. While you are at it, replace those CH751 keyed storage compartment locks!

Thank you, RV Lock, for being a part of the 2024 Rally @ Sea!

www.rvlock.com

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The magic frame that sticks to any surface

Have you heard about Mixtiles? What in the heck is that?

Introducing Mixtiles—the effortless way to turn your digital photos into wall-ready photo tiles. Choose from several styles to match your decor. The best part? No wall damage with their adhesive backing, plus the freedom to rearrange them anytime (and as many times) as you'd like!

They've got a variety of sizes and styles, so you can mix and match to find the perfect complement to your home decor. From 8.4" x 8.4" to a gorgeous 27" x 36", they've got every size covered. Choose from black, white, wooden-color frames, a frameless style, or even a genuine Canvas option. What’s more, they offer a variety of matting shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as photo effects and a collage option to boot!

What a great way to keep memories from memorable trips and places! Mixtiles are perfect for use in your RV, too. Check them out! Thank you, Mixtiles, for supporting the 2024 Rally @ Sea!

www.mixtiles.com

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The Power to Clean!

Gabe’s Pride is your go-to online shop for eco-friendly cleaning products for motorhomes and RVs.

They make high-quality cleaners that perform better - helping to make cleaning chores quicker and easier for you. It may not be the most glorious thing to do, but when done well, many of us take great pride in having a clean environment.

Steve & Pam, Michelle & Mike

With over 50 years in the professional cleaning industry, let them share their expertise, quality, and pride in getting things clean with you. You will quickly experience the difference with Gabe’s Pride cleaning products.

From multi-surface cleaner and stainless steel cleaner to RV toilet bowl cleaner and RV bathroom cleaner they've got everything you need to keep your RV spotless.

 

Their products are environmentally friendly which means no harsh chemicals are used. Try out their products today and help wash away the dread of cleaning. www.gabespride.com

Thank you, Gabe's Pride, for supporting the 2024 Rally @ Sea!

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Protect Your Passport & Credit Cards

Every day the bad guys are hard at work trying to steal your information. As a traveler, we can be exposed even more. Did you know your info can be "pickpocketed" while still in your wallet? 

Pickpocketing is risky, and any thief has to be highly skilled just to attempt it. When traveling or visiting a busy place, people are generally aware of the threat of pickpockets and take steps to protect themselves. But electronic pickpocketing is hard to detect and easy for a thief to execute with some simple gadgetry. In addition, the risk is minimal. With a homemade RFID reader, a thief can scan the cards in your wallet or purse from a short distance. If your wallet is in your back pocket, it’s in a particularly vulnerable spot. There’s a good chance you’d never even see a person who was stealing your credit cards. Search for “RFID skimming” on YouTube and you’ll see several videos demonstrating the ease with which someone can steal a credit card number in just about any public space. 

Enter ID Stronghold!

ID Stronghold created the RFID protection industry in 2005 when they developed the first RFID blocking card sleeve. From there they created RFID blocking badge holders, RFID blocking wallets, and more.  Their mission is to ensure personal information stays personal. The growth of contactless ID cards, passports, and credit cards and the proliferation of RFID in virtually every industry has created a vast number of exciting new products, services, and convenience. Along with the new range of opportunities has come an increased threat to sensitive personal information contained by contactless ID or credit cards - the potential for contactless cards to be read without the owners knowledge or permission. 

ID Stronghold has donated a RFID blocking wallet for the 2024 Rally @ Sea. In addition, participants in the Yes/No game will receive ID Stronghold products. 

Learn more about their products at www.idstronghold.com. 

Thank you for your support of the 2024 Rally @ Sea!

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Let's Escape to the Caribbean!

The 2024 Rally @ Sea is sailing back to the Eastern Caribbean! Forget the snow and cold. Come join us onboard the Caribbean Princess for 7 days of fun in the sun. Cruise dates are February 18-24, 2024.

Start your journey here! Registration is now open!!

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