I have heard allot of fulltimers asking about census forms. Most of us fulltimers without a Home address are not getting the census form.

If you want to be counted you can pick up a Be Counted form at one of our Questionnaire Assistance Centers. To find the center nearest you, please visit the Take 10 Map. If you have not received a 2010 Census form by April 12, call 1‐866‐872‐6868 and they will either take your information over the phone or send you a form by mail.

It’s a RV thing.

Where do you live?

Sounds like a simple question, doesn’t it? Not a simple question for fulltimers. Most of us reply with, “In my coach”. Not the usual answer people are looking for.

April is just around the corner, most  thoughts are on taxes, how much we have to pay and how little if any we get back. If you live in your RV, there is steps you can take to minimize your tax burden. Similar to a  famous ins. company saying; 15 mins could save you thousands per year.

I remember the first time I moved from a 3000 square foot house with a three car garage, a seperate RV garage, a pond with a dozen ducks, left all that to move onto a boat on the Columbia River. Talk about getting rid of a few things. I had multiple furnishing for so many unused rooms of my house.  It was difficult at first to let go.  I have never looked back!

There is a few things to consider when going full time RV’ing. One of the first things to consider is what to do with the house and all the “Stuff” in it. Allot of fulltimers start out slow. Maybe rent out the home, put all the stuff in storage.  After a few wonderful trips around, the house and stuff become less and less important. There is a life out there without being tied down to all the responsibilities of taking care of “stuff”.

Most RV’ers over time lighten the load by unloading the house and after a while getting rid of the storage unit full of stuff that they haven’t needed or even seen in years.  Now comes the tax game. You with out a house now become a round peg in a square hole. The US requires each of us to pick a “Resident State”.  With driving around the country and sometimes spending no more then a few weeks in each state,  how do you do that? At this point you can pick according to what state best fits your needs. There is allot to consider in picking a state. Each State raises revenue in taxes: ie: Sales Tax, Excise tax, License Tax, Income Tax, Property, Estate, Inheritance and intangible Taxes.

hiting the road

You may read that last line and say, “Yeah, I know that.” But do you know depending on which state you choose as a resident state, you could end up paying only some of these taxes, or all of them. Some states you can save thousands of dollars per years. It all depends on your situation, your income level, vehicles, and inheritance must be considered also. Some states you can save even more by forming a corporation.  There is one great web site I would like to share with you that has condensed allot of information fulltimers and RV’ers alike.  Please check out: Retirement Living. They have a great section on “Taxes by State”. From there you can form a informed decision about where you want to land as a “resident state”. I know many fulltimers and it seems that South Dakota, Montana and Texas are the most popular states to call “Residence”. Most of them don’t live there, some haven’t been back to their state in years, but they must fit in that square hole.

Of course before choosing a state, as your “resident state” you should consult a tax attorney to make sure that your choices don’t violate any state or federal laws.

There is also many businesses available to handle the dreaded US Mail issues, but that is a whole other post, check back soon for ideas on dealing with that or if you have some great insights, we would love to hear from you in the comment section to share with everyone.

RV HOLDING TANKS CHEMICALS AND BEYOND © 2004-2010
by
Joseph Aiello

EDITOR’S NOTE: Joseph Aiello is a good friend of mine, and with his permission I have attached a copy of his finding for Holding Tank odors. Here’s Joseph’s background and reason for compiling his research.

I am a retired pharmacist and understand how chemicals are used in the black holding tanks. My knowledge of chemistry and some Internet research helped to put a scientific basis to the article. All statements are backed by references.
PREFACE
The following article deals with the chemistry of the currently available holding tank treatments and observations about advertising practices, conceptions and misconceptions by makers of those chemicals.
Three areas will be covered.
• The first section covers the sewage waste treatment process: what goes on in a septic tank and waste treatment plant.
• The second section deals with the pros and cons of the currently available chemical products used in RV holding tanks.
• The third will be frequently asked questions about holding tanks usage and other related topics.

A. BACKGROUND OF SEWAGE WASTE TREATMENT
What we humans put into the holding tank in solid form contains friendly bacteria known as coliforms. This is the same bacterium that digests the food we eat and are necessary for the breakdown and liquefying of solid waste in the holding tanks.
The black holding tanks in RV’s can be thought of as small septic tanks where the breakdown process begins and here, the proper use of chemicals is important. Using improper chemicals can kill the beneficial bacteria and cause improper waste breakdown that leads to odors.
A septic tank system consists of two major parts: a tank and a drain field or leach field. The septic tank or holding basin allows the solids to settle to the bottom. This settling process gives the bacteria time to break down and liquefy the waste.
During the breakdown process in the holding tanks and sewage treatment plant, it is important to keep the bacteria supplied with oxygen (in an aerobic condition) so the bacteria can liquefy the waste without producing the odor nobody likes.
This gas, hydrogen sulfide, is corrosive to both steel and cement. This is the reason waste treatment plants will aerate the sludge or add oxygen-releasing chemicals to the sludge to keep the bacteria working properly. Thus it is important to use a product that supplies oxygen to the bacteria and not use a harsh chemical that will kill the bacteria.
Waste treatment plants monitor the oxygen content and the goal is to maintain the oxygen content between three and five parts per million. Above five parts per million, the bacteria begin to die and below three parts per million there is not enough oxygen and the bacterium goes into an anaerobic (without oxygen) condition. This anaerobic condition produces the odor nobody likes to smell.
The use of harsh chemicals that kill the bacteria or retard bacterial growth will slow or stop the liquefying process in home septic tanks, campground or dump station septic systems and may lead to costly repairs or replacement of the septic system. Malfunctioning septic systems can contaminate underground water sources, surface water sources or even the soil.
The second major part of the septic system is the drain field or leach field, which allows final treatment of the wastewater through natural processes in the soil.

B. PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET FOR USE IN HOLDING TANKS
Chemical names will be used to avoid conflict with brand name protection.
1. ENZYMES
The labels on these products usually are not specific about the active ingredients. The word “enzyme” is usually associated with compounds that are needed for a chemical reaction to occur. The function of supplying oxygen to the friendly bacteria is difficult to determine. Most products containing enzymes do not specify the type or what kind of enzymes the consumer is buying.
2. NITRATES
Nitrates are useful to the RV holding tank and sewage treatment plants because the chemical compound breaks down to release oxygen to the friendly bacteria resulting in an aerobic condition as the bacteria process the sewage. This results in no odor during the breakdown process. In 1996 the use of nitrates was
awarded the prestigious Her Majesty the Queen’s Award in the United Kingdom as new technology in the treatment of sewage. Many sewage treatment plants use it to supplement the aeration process.
3. FORMALDEHYDE
This most widely used chemical is mixed with methyl alcohol and is marketed as a blue-colored, perfumed liquid. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their publication 909-F-99-002, July 1999 states, “formaldehyde kills or retards bacterial growth; is recognized as a probable cancer-causing agent and is moderately toxic to humans.” Moderately toxic means a lethal dose for a 150 lb person is 1 ounce to 1 pint”. It does not supply oxygen to keep the bacteria in an aerobic condition. » Continue reading “RV HOLDING TANKS CHEMICALS AND BEYOND”

Are you a member of a Fraternal Organization, such as the Elks, Moose, VFW, Lions and so on?

Today I want to discuss a little bit about these organizations and the role they play for RV’ers. Through-out the nation in almost every city there is fraternal organizations. Many of which offer some RV facilities. Calling them “RV Parks” maybe a bit of a stretch. Most lodges offer a large parking lot with possibly water and electric hook up. Sometimes paved, allot of times gravel. Some lodges offer nothing more than a empty field of which you are more then welcome to park your rig in over night (or two).
With the expense of RV parks, it is nice once in while to save a few bucks and meet some really great people. I am a member of the Elks and the Moose. I have enjoyed my membership in both of these lodges immensely. Sometimes it seems the commercial RV parks are so far away, and then I find a Elk or Moose lodge right near my route. I pull in to a site and » Continue reading “Faternal Organizations”

Do you remember to back up your computer?

Over the years we have come to rely on our computers more and more. I rarely print photos at all. I keep all my photos on my hard drive and when my computer is idle a slide show starts. It shows my photo collection. We enjoy watching each pic in random order flash on the screen. I enjoy my photos everyday this way, not stuffed away in a book.

However, one thing is certain; you hard drive will fail at some point. Other things can happen too, some one could steal your computer, you could have a fire all sorts of things. To most of us this would be devastating. There is many ways to ensure the safety of your data. I have studied most of these methods over many years.  A couple methods I have already excluded are the external hard drive, I just don’t have the space in my RV for more components; CD Roms, they are slow and unreliable. My favorites as far as cost, ease, reliability are 1. Mozyfree back up system.

Several years ago I started using Mozy back up system that can be set to your own likings. I have it back up every 24 hours when the computer is idle for more than 1 hour. I decide which files are going to be backed up. I used this system for over 1 year before disaster struck. My hard drive was slowly dieing  and I was not able to keep it on long enough to get my data off of it. I bought a new hard drive and installed it, and windows then went to my CD’s Roms; looking on the CD’s I found nothing on them. » Continue reading “Auto back up your computer for free!”