Are You a Good RV Neighbor?

These reminders were shared from Jamie Bruzenak's RV Lifestyle Ezine:

 

"Have you thought about what it takes to be a good neighbor in an RV park? If not, you probably do recognize when someone parked near you is not! Good etiquette includes:
                                                      
1. Keep arrivals and departures low-key.  If you come in late, dim your lights and turn them off as quickly as you can. Use flashlights or lanterns if necessary to hook up to utilities. If you will be leaving early, get prepared the night before by putting chairs, etc. away so you can minimize noise. Owners of diesels should know they do not need to be run for more than a few minutes before leaving. If you are hooking up, do so, then turn off your engine until you are ready to pull out.

2. Do not walk through other’s space. Stick to the roads and walkways so you don’t violate someone’s privacy. If you have children with you, teach them to do so also, and to keep their toys or bikes on your own site. Make sure all your possessions including awnings and slideouts are on your own site.

3. Keep the volume on your TV, radio or stereo down. Your neighbors don’t want to hear your noise. Step outside your RV and listen. If you can hear it easily, it is too loud.

4. Keep any pets on your site on a leash or penned. When you walk them, keep them on a short leash and under control. Many people are allergic or afraid of animals and do not want to pet your animal. It should go without saying, that no matter how small your pets are, pick up after them and dispose of their waste in the dumpster or provided container.

5. Respect quiet hours. Others should not hear noise coming from your RV site during quiet hours. If you are camped in a campground with no hookups or are boondocking somewhere, do not run your generator after 10 p.m. or before 8 a.m. (Unless other quiet hours are posted).

6. Using facilities—share. Do not hog all the washers and dryers! Be mindful of how long you take to shower. Little things like this make everyone’s stay more pleasant.

7. Clean up when you leave. Make sure you pick up all your items as well as any trash before leaving. Try to leave the area cleaner than you found it. This will be a good time to double check that you are completely disconnected from any hookups!

Camping is a lot of fun. Following these few guidelines will make everyone’s stay nicer."

 

Jaimie Hall Bruzenak is an RV lifestyle expert, specializing in getting started in the RV lifestyle, life on the road, working on the RV road, and solo RVing. She has been RVing since 1992. She and her late husband weren't retired so RVed on a budget and worked on the road. She is the author of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road and other RV books. Find out more at RVLifestyleExperts.com 

 

Thanks, Jamie, for your timely reminders for all us seasoned and new RVers.

 

Do You Hate Fireworks?

Every year around July 4th and again near the New Years celebrations, I experience the same dread:  Fireworks.  Why?  Yes, they are pretty and that part is fine but the noise is my objection.  Well, not so much mine but I sympathize with my pets and those of my neighbors.  

Research shows that some dogs go through such stress during loud fireworks that it can make them physically sick.  It doesn't matter whether they are large or small either.  All size animals can be affected by loud explosions.  Additionally, puppies exposed to the loud bangs are more likely to become stressed and nervous dogs later in life. The PetAmberAlert.com group reports that there is a 30% increase of runaway pets taken into shelters after July 4th.

Of course, research is not necessary to see the often negative effects of firecrackers on animals.  

So, since fireworks and firecrackers are inevitable during this time of year and other times too, what can we do to keep our pets more comfortable during them?

I interviewed several of our RVers for their solutions and here are some solutions they have come up
with: