Which RV did we picked and Why we chose this one?
1:45 PM | Posted by
Canadianladybug |
As a member of the blogging team of Woodall’s, I have to blog about specific theme every once in a while. This week, we have to blog about our RV and why we have chosen this one in particular.
When we first started to look at RVs, we had a pop-up trailer. But we wanted more functionality while camping like a shower and bathroom for example. So every once in a while we looked at the RVs. We knew that we wanted the flexibility of travelling for our family.
In 2007, after talking with a salesperson at an RV store in our city, we purchased a Jay Feather model 30U by Jayco. Why this one in particular? Because it is light and we can go on trips with the whole family. Back when we chose this model we had three kids and we thought that we might have another one – we loved the fact that there were two bunk beds in the back. There was an pull-out for extra room in the kitchen/living room area and there was a bathroom!
Our RV when we picked it up back in 2007, we only had three kids – all boys! But the model we picked had four bunk beds… At the end of that year, our daughter Jasmine joined us and now all four bunk beds are full!
Our Jay Feather 30U model is 30’4” length.
Other specifications and measurements for our RV:
Exterior Height 125”
Interior Height 78”
Unloaded Vehicle Weight 5,875 lbs
Dry Hitch Weight 850 lbs
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating 7,350 lbs
Cargo Carrying Capacity 1,475 lbs
Fresh Water Capacity 36 gallons
Gray Wastewater Capacity 30 gallons
Toilet/Black Wastewater Capacity 23 gallons
One of the main reasons why we went with a Jay Feather is that after looking into RVs for quite some time we knew that we needed to find an RV that could be pulled with a vehicle that seats at least 6 people. Not many trucks have the potential to have six passengers (if not more). So we needed something that could be pulled with one of the available vehicles we had identified as well as not too heavy so we could bring some luggage with us on travel.
When my husband went to check out the RVs once more back in early 2007, he was able to chat with someone who knew exactly what would be a perfect fit for us. There wasn’t a model on site but we saw another one from the same line and decided to purchase the one that the floor plan seemed to be the best for us.
Now let me give you a tour of our RV…
Jay Feather Model 30U TOUR
Pull-out for extra room in rainy days!
Four beds in the back for the four kids – which is perfect for us!
Extra storage area under the kids’ beds which is fantastic for my husband fishing gear, electric motor and so on.
Here is the kitchen/living room area. We didn’t like the table included in the RV, so we changed it for a small foldable table that we purchased at Costco. We have since included two folding chairs so that everyone can sit together when we eat inside.
Kitchen side – fridge, oven, sink, freezer and microwave. Everything for helping in the preparation of meals.
The master bedroom has a Queen size bed and lots of storage above.
ENHANCEMENTS WE MADE
Darkness is essential for my husband to sleep. So we bought some multi-purpose foil 4’ x 10’ which is used to shield and insulate windows. We measured the windows and proceeded to cut the foil. We also bought double-sided velcro and installed them in the outside of the RV and some in the inside. However, the sun is melting the glue from the double-sided velcro so we will modify our set-up to include the foil inside the big windows at the living room/dining room area so that the shields will be inside the RV instead.
We have paid extra to get another powerful vent in the kids’ area. With one there and one in the master bedroom area, we have more power to air the trailer if needed. We also blocked the sun from entering by using the special items which helps to darken the room in the early morning.
We also made changes in the master bedroom. Though you don’t see it in this picture, we have purchased a regular Queen size mattress as we were having trouble to sleep on the tiny mattress provided with the RV. We also purchased a King size bed cover which allows us to stay warm at night.
A shoe rack also made it’s way inside the trailer. With six people in a family, you need to find ways to store our shoes. We usually have a pair of running as well as a pair of sandals/crocs with us. Sometimes, the top rack also hold the camera bags as well as other things. But normally, you would find only shoes there – especially if we are on the road with the RV.
I was tired of having plastic bags all over the place in one of the cupboards. So we purchased a bag especially made to hold these plastic bags. To store it, we have put a hook on a wall in the master bedroom. This way, if we need a bag for garbage, we just go and pull one out of this ingenious little thing.
To store the plates and bowls, we have purchase a two levels shelf unit. However, this is not perfect as the bowls will fall from it when we are on the road. But generally speaking it is doing the tricks and it is easier to find what is needed for meal time.
A paper towel holder can be found above one of the doors. With limited countertops, we want to use as much space as we can in the RV. These days, I am thinking that a spice rack would be nice above the small window behind one of the seats where we eat. We have also added a handle for the two screen doors which is beneficial when you have kids.
When we are on the road, we don’t have necessarily the trees needed to put a cord to dry our towels. So we thought of putting some stick-on hooks which do the trick perfectly.
We didn’t like the BBQ that came with our RV and purchased a new one this year at Costco (see image above). But what to do with the rack that used to hold the original BBQ. I suggested that we put some piece of wood to have a little counter for my husband when he cooks. He liked the idea and didn’t waste anytime to build one. We still have to paint it mind you. But now he uses the space to put our outdoor cooler on it which gives him more space on our outdoor table to do the cooking.
With six people in the family, we can use many towels. So we purchased a above-the-door rack to hold four towels to dry. This rack is strategically located at the bathroom door.
We used to have a cup where we would put the toothbrushes in it. But it would get disgusting in a matter of a couple of days so we decided to put little hooks on the walls in the bathroom. Each toothbrush has two hooks to hold itself and it does the trick. The kids toothbrushes are located at a lower level than the adults ones.
To improve the bathroom area, we also purchased four little baskets where we store our day-to-day items like paper towels, brushes, and so on. It is very handy has you have everything ready if needed and it doesn’t get wet from the sink when the kids go wash their hands.
Another improvement we made for our shower area was to purchased a soap/shampoo dispenser. It helps to reduce the items needed in the shower while you wash yourself.
Our shower space was quite small – not for a child but for an adult it was… So now we have extra space when we shower and extra space when we use the sink. See my Extend-A-Shower review.
This year, we also purchased a extra holding tank for grey and black waters. This opens up many campgrounds who doesn’t have sewers at the campsite.
CHANGES WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE
The counter top is too low to wash dishes… Fortunately, I can recruit the help of my 10 years old…. whom is shorter than me.
While sitting on the sofa one day, I was looking at how we could make the kitchen area better for a family of six. I personally find the fridge too small. So I would put a bigger fridge for big families. Remove the television from above it would do the trick.
The space above the sink should be transformed to be able to put a television – build-in if possible.
And finally, there is nothing under the sofa… so I was wondering why nobody has though of putting some sort of drawer system (two drawers) to give us more space to store things. We could put games, books, coloring books, crayons and much more – even towels!
Note: If Jayco is stumbling on this post and thinks our ideas are fabulous for a new model of RV, our family would be more than willing to review one of the new trailers build with these ideas… *grin*
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Labels:
RVing
A potpourri of useful apps while camping
This week our theme is all about apps you could use while camping. I was debating on which app I could concentrate my time on but it dawned on me that there are many good apps out there for various things. So I thought I could present you with some of the apps I consider essential for your camping trips whether you have an RV or a regular tent.
For over 20 years, the SAS Survival Guide has been the definitive guide to surviving any situation, anywhere in the world. Written by former SAS soldier and instructor, John "Lofty" Wiseman, this application brings you the elite training techniques of Britain’s toughest fighting force in the most accessible version ever. Now you can take the original set of world-class survival skills with you anywhere in the world – from the peaks of Kilimanjaro to the deserts of Kandahar…or to your closest national park.
Price 5.99$
Need to tie a knot? Knot Guide will teach you the ropes! I was part of the girl guides for many years when I was younger (much younger) and through it I learned that knots can be very useful. The reason why I have this app is mostly to teach my kids how to do good knots for various things. Mind you, with an RV you don’t need this app much but it could be very useful for those of you who camp in tents. The Knot Guide includes the more than 95 knots that could be useful at any time.
1.99$ for iPhone
Coleman apps
Did you know that Coleman has released some free apps? All their apps are free.
Here’s an app that will help you r family prepare meals during the camping season. Based on top-rated recipes this app allows you to find the perfect meal based on food type, category, and ingredients.
If you are the type of camper who likes to plan in advance you meal, this app is for you. You can also prepare your shopping list, discover a new recipe with the ingredients you have in hand and adjust the quantity based on the number of people in your party.
Forgot your flashlight? The Coleman Lantern application lets you choose from 10 different lanterns that fill your campsite with bright, white light. I thought this was ingenious for those of us who don’t have a flashlight.
Coleman Creepy Campfire Tales is a collection of scary stories to read around the campfire. The stories are divided in categories for kids, teens and adults. I particularly don’t like scary stories but I know that for some campers they are looking forward to this time of storytelling around the fire.
Audubon has everything for the nature lover in you. Whether you are look looking for an app for North America, New England, Florida, Texas, California, Central US, Southwest, owls, Haiti, African there is something for you. We are personally use the apps for the North America for birds, mammals, trees, wildflowers, butterflies, bugs & spiders, reptiles and fishes. As a homeschool mom I find these apps very informative and fun to use. Whenever we discover a new species we haven’t encounter yet, I pull out my iPod
Prices varies depending of the app you choose.
BorderTimes gives you the ability to access US/Canadian land border (Customs & Immigration) wait times from your iPhone or iTouch. The application offers both a Northbound and Southbound Quick View that lists all the land borders along with a green, yellow or red icon (indicating wait time). A button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen allows you to toggle between Passenger, Nexus and Commercial wait times. We have used this app a few times so far with my husband’s iPhone. It is very nice to know that we can determine our waiting time before we cross the border!
Free
RV Dumps checks your location and displays all points on a map view. You can filter by type to see only what you want to see on the map and zoom out. You can also use the offline manual lookup to find locations by type, state and city...even when you have no phone service!
1.99$
Find the cheapest gasoline nearest to where you are! Then, map a route to where the cheap gas is. This app is very useful when you are travelling with your RV.
Station pricing is provided by GasBuddy.com (http://www.gasbuddy.com).
Free
The app every fisherman needs. Providing an intuitive, user-friendly guide to sport fishing Ontario Canada, users are able to search for over 8200 lakes by name, proximity or by species; view a summary of catch limits, species reference, real-time weather, best times to fish, tips & tricks, and more! My husband was pleased when I discovered this app. He immediately purchased it and discovered the types of fish we can have in the little lake where our RV is parked. He was surprised by some of the species mentioned in this app because he had not seen them so far.
More information can be found at http://www.ifishontario.com/.
4.99$
GAMES
There are many games that you could download for the iPhone/iPad. I won’t go into details about what the game apps do but having these help tremendously in reducing the weight in an RV while you are on the road. Some of the popular board games even have their own apps like Bop It!, Scrabble, RISK, Battleship, Monopoly, Game of Life, Boggle, Trivial Pursuit, Blokus, Clue, Uno, and Pictureka!
Other cute games that you might enjoy would be Cut the Rope, Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, Max & the Magic Marker, and much more depending of what you like.
Prices will vary depending of which games you want to purchase. But here's a tip - wait for a big holiday like Thanksgiving with the Black Friday and you can find many games on sale.
READING
Finally, the other two other must have apps are the iBooks and the Kindle apps. I have discovered two great sites where you can download free or reduced books for the Kindle app; Pixel of Ink and Inspired Reads. I am usually the type of person who could bring a multitude of books with me because I am an avid reader. With these two apps, I don’t have to worry about the number of books I can bring. They could be at the touch of my fingers and won’t take much space at all!
Voilà! This conclude my potpourri of useful apps. Hope you have found some that are interesting for your personal use.
Fire pit at the campground
We have been camping for quite some time with the kids. We started up with a tent before we were parents which didn’t last long because my husband is not too fond of tent camping.
We purchased a tent trailer after we had kids and had a few years of enjoying it before we decide to upgrade to a travel trailer.
But all these years of camping with children, we were constantly making sure that they would not run into the fire pit. Being young they would not think of this hazard in their way while running around.
One day, my husband saw that someone has created an ingenious little cover to block the possible fall into the fire pit.
The week-end, when we got back home, he proceeded to create not one but two of these covers. – one for our yearly campground and one to bring with us while we are on the road.
He added a little handle so we can lift it up easily when we use the fire pit.
So now, we don’t have to worry that one of our kids will fell into the hole of the fire pit while running on our site. We know that they can run freely around without eventually hurting themselves. Mind you – my kids are not free of hurts but they won’t hurt the ankle, foot or leg on the fire pit.
Generally speaking, the fire pits are about the same size so our extra one is helpful when we are on the road.
Knowing that some of my friends are camping with friends, I thought I would share this little trick to enhance the security on your camping site.
Do you have other tips to protect your kids on the campground? I would like to read them. Please comment and let me know how you prevent potential injuries while camping.
RVing with Young Children
On January 5th, I receive a grand from the Mom Central Canada 
As I was writing this post, it dawned on me that it was getting unbelievably long… *grin* So I have decided to split this subject in two parts. This is part 2 of the post.
TIPS AND TRICKS ON TRAVELLING LONG DISTANCE WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
A) Planning before leaving
I am a planner. Ask our family and friends and they will confirm that our family likes to plan… sometimes we do spontaneous things but for travelling – planning is a must I find. That way I make sure that we don’t forget anything (like I did before with necessary clothes for my husband and oldest son one year when we went camping… Since then I have lists to go through while packing!).
The most important thing to do before leaving is planning and know what to pack. Often, we have the tendency to forget that kids gets bored easily while on the road. We think of packing clothes, food and so on but what about something to keep them occupied on the road.
Each of my kids have their own backpack in which they put books to discover while driving to our destination. I guess I got this idea from my mom because when I was younger she organized a little basket with surprises for our trip to Florida. And she had planned for more surprises for the trip back home.
In the backpack, there might be other things than books. For example, I would put a toy or two as well as their favourite stuffed animal (we can’t forget them!). For the oldest, I might include a brain puzzle or two, some word searches as well. We also have Nintendo DSs as well as a couple of iPods that will be included in our luggage but used as a last resort while the driving is longer than expected.
Our Suburban do not have the DVD player and we have mixed feelings about letting the kids listen to too much television. We prefer controlling the amount of television they have and let them use their imagination more often.
B) On the road
While driving, the kids can dig in their backpacks as much as they want. But we also have some fun games we can play while driving…
I Spy with my Little Eye
You might be familiar with this game. Each person in the vehicle takes their turn and says “I spy with my little eye…” and complete the sentence with something like “something that is red.” The rule we have though is that whatever the person has seen and want the others to discover must be something that we will see as well. For example, the child can’t announce something that he saw at the last minute and nobody else has seen. We usually take something that is in our vehicle, in the distance or that is repetitive outside like cows for example…
The Alphabet Game is quite easy. Going through the alphabet, you have to spot the letters of the alphabet (in order) in the various signs you come across while driving. When you see one of the letters, you shout it. The first to arrive at the Z wins… When you have younger children, they can team up with mom and dad to add more fun. You could also decide to go through the alphabet and name animals that start with each letters.
Number Game
The number game is similar to the Alphabet Game except this time you go through numbers. However, you can not put one number in a sign, you have to find the said number by itself. We usually agree on a number to end for example – go up to 25.
While driving during the summer, you can discover other travellers while on the road. If you look at the plates on the vehicles you pass on the road, you can identify where they come from. Discovering the plates from the provinces, territories and states is one way of learning more about geography. Add some fun by giving the kids a maps of the US and Canada so they can spot the places where the other travellers are coming from.
Are we there Yet?
I have this game since I was a teenager… and still have it. Yikes! Nevertheless mine is an older edition but after searching on Google I discovered that a new edition is available. Similar to the I Spy game, this game will include categories like Objects, Signs, Safety, People, Alphabet and Parachute. A fun way to spend time while on the road! It is available at amazon.com and Christianbook.com.
Books on CD
While driving PA,MA,ME, NB and PE a few years ago, we decided to go through the Narnia series on CD. We had a blast following the adventures of the characters in the well-known C.S. Lewis series. I am particularly fond of the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre products as I know that the quality of the stories will be fantastic. They have a variety of titles available like: Amazing Grace, At the Back of the North Wind, A Christmas Carol, Father Gilbert Mysteries, Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom, Ben-Hur, The Luke Reports, The Life of Jesus, Anne of Green Gables, The Screwtape Letters, and many more. Many titles to satisfy the listening ears of everyone!
There are many different books on CD that you can purchase. Check out http://www.radiotheatre.org/ or ttp://christianaudio.com/children-youth for the various choices that are there. Another great one that I have heard is worth having are the Jonathan Park Adventures which we have not listened at yet.
C) Discovering in a new city
Before you leave on a trip, I would strongly suggest that you consider purchasing a membership at a museum in your city. Why? Let me explain. In Ottawa, there are many museums. We have been members of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation for many years now. This corporation includes the following museums in our city: Canada Agriculture Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum as well as Canada Science and Technology Museum. Our membership gives us access to these three museums anytime during the year which is perfect for field trips when you are homeschooling. But this membership also gives us unlimited free admission to more than 290 museums and sciences centres across Canada and around the world! Yes unlimited. So check out the museums in your area to see what the membership will give you as you might be surprised by the opportunities hidden behind the purchase of the membership. In the past few years, we have been blessed with access to museums for free in cities like Boston, Toronto, Sudbury, Chicago, Buffalo, and Fredericton – just to name a few.
For example, last year while travelling on the road so that my 
The same idea goes with a zoo. Last year, we decided to buy a two year membership at the Toronto Zoo. We are planning to take advantage of this for the two years coming. But at the same time, such a membership will give you rebates at other zoos or aquariums in Canada and the US. So if you plan to travel more, consider the possibility of buying a longer membership as the yearly amount is reduced.
I would also suggest that previous to the trip, you would keep an eye on a Groupon close to your destination. It is easy to follow Groupon for your own city or other places as well. Simply select the ones you want to receive in your emails. You would be surprise to discover the deals you can have just by following them. With a site similar to Groupon for our own city, we were able to get a year membership for the family at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum for a low price!
Another fun thing to do with younger kids is to explore a park or a botanical garden. Bring a lunch. Enjoy the nature. Talk together.
D) Factory Tours
Since we started travelling in the US, we have discovered that it is possible to visit factories and discover how things are made. One of the websites I rely on is Factory Tours USA which will give you the information you need to plan some interesting visits for your family.
Before visiting a factory, make sure that there isn’t restrictions to the visit. Some places have specific age limits. So be aware that your little ones might not be allowed in some of the factories.
One of the fun places we visited in the past was the Martins Guitar factory in Nazareth, PA. We learned how a Martins guitar was made from A to Z be going through their factory. Below are some pictures that were taken when we visited the place.
We find visiting factories are very instructive especially when it allows you to witness the creation of an item that you have in your house.
E) Expect rainy days
As much as I would love to have beautiful days while we are travelling, it is not always the case. Sometimes, you might have rainy days (or hit a whole week of rainy days like we did last September while we were in Sudbury!). Nevertheless, you can have fun as a family. Pack some movies, bring come crayons and coloring books, don’t forget games and books either. Use the rainy days to explore a local museum or do a bit of shopping as well.
F) Keeping track of your kids
We have four kids and when going to a zoo or an attraction park, we are on constant alert. We want to make sure that we don’t loose any of them while visiting a fun place. About two years ago, I’ve discovered a Child ID Temporary Safety Tattoos on the internet. The company is called Safetytat and has a variety of 
G) Food
As much as I like eating out, when you are in vacation with your WHOLE family is can become very expensive. So when we plan our outings, we make sure we also bring a lunch with us and bottles of water. Once in a while we will splurge in being a couple of French fries to surprise the kids but most of the time we try not to spend too much.
H) Bring your camera
Kids are little only once in their life. Catching the irresistible memories they will have while vacationing is a must. Make sure to pack your photo and video cameras in your luggage. And bring them with you while visiting a place. You never know when your adorable kids will strike a special pose that will melt your heart when they are older.
This concludes my two part on RVing. I had a blast writing the two post and would like to thank Mom Central Canada for the grant I received to do so.
MCC Blog Grant Fall 2010
Canadianladybug Reviews!
Faithful Bloggers
Homeschool Horizons Mag.
