Spring is Here! Spring has sprung in Calgary with crocuses blooming all over the prairie landscape.  It is a beautiful sight to see life once again coming back to our frozen land up here in the Great White North. So far we have had a decent amount of sunny days with the exception of Easter when winter came back with a snow storm. Thank goodness not a lot of snow accumulated, it was more for show than to stay, but boy was that a downer!

With the nicer weather I am now counting down the days to when I will remove the RV cover and start my Spring wakeup checklist. That day will be the 23^rd, Just under a month before we go on our first trip, which will be the May Long weekend. So I have been busy getting all of the supplies together to sanitize, clean, and protect the RV. Yeah the spring cleaning is always is a bit daunting, and add to that a list of upgrades and repairs to make, I will be busy once the cover comes off. I have been tracking down all of those parts that I have squirreled away in the garage over the winter and figuring out the install and which ones I should get done first. Yes, spring is here!

So have you booked any sites yet? Have you been finding it harder this year to get what you want when you want? I know I have had to stay on my toes. I just got in at Castle Falls and Tomorrow I will try for Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island. A week later I have to try and book St. Mary’s Reservoir, followed by plan B just in case we didn’t get into Pacific Rim.  Yes, there are many more campers this year than there ever has been. All the RV feeds are buzzing about how RV’s are flying off the shelves, in some cases sight unseen (don’t do that if you are in the market for and RV), and how many more people have taken up the lifestyle and have been bitten by the bug. Of course As RV’ing has been deemed the safest way to travel during this pandemic, it is not surprising that people are flocking to the campgrounds.  RV’s in High Demand

I suspect that people will also be flocking to Crown Land as well. No matter how you look at it camping will never be the same, crowded, and busy will be the new moniker for camping. Regardless, we will all find our happy place amongst all of this camping chaos and hopefully, if only for a while, find our camping nirvana and enjoy the great outdoors this season.

 

To get you started because spring wakeup is always a daunting task, so much to look at and so much to do. Here are 26 things to look at while waking up your rig.

• Remove RV Cover
• Remove Damp-rid from coach
• Install Batteries
• Service Batteries
• Check Inverter/charger programing
• Check fire alarm Batteries
• Charge coach batteries
• Install coach batteries
• Seal up battery compartment
• Setup TPMS system
• Oil change on Coach
• Check / clean air filter on Coach
• Check Anti-freeze & Fluids on Coach
• Service Generator (air filter & 1^st startup)
• Flush Hot Water Tank
• Install Hot water tank plug
• Check sewer system and valves
• Install Flow meter & water filter hoses
• Fill water tank & Check for leaks
• Flush Water Tank & lines test water system for leaks
• Drain Tank and refill with Bleach or cleaning solution
• Run solution through lines for two min per tap.
• Sanitize system for 24 hrs.
• Drain Water Tank and Flush x 4 flushes
• Flush lines for two min. Test for bleach
• Change Water Tank Bypass to flow

 

How to Sanitize you RV – here is the ultimate recipe for sanitizing your water system.

Sanitize the fresh water tank and piping system

 

1) Prepare a solution of 1⁄4-cup household liquid chlorine bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite) to one gallon of water. Use one gallon solution for each 15 gallons of tank capacity.

2) Close drain valves and faucets; pour the chlorine solution into the exterior fresh water tank filler spout, and completely filling the tank with potable water.

3) Turn water pump switch ON. (Be sure you have 12-volt DC power.) Open all faucets individually until water flows steadily, and then turn them off. This will purge any air from the lines.

4) Top off water tank with fresh water and allow the system to stand for at least 4 to 24 hours. The longer the better.

5) Drain the entire system by opening all potable water tank valves, plumbing line drain valves, and operating faucets.

6) Flush the system with potable water. Let the fresh water flow through the system for several minutes to flush out the chlorine solution.

7) After you stop the flushing, close the tank valve, drain valves, and faucets. You can now fill the tank with potable water, and the system is ready to use.

Now once you have gotten through all of this, you still probably have a hundred more things to look at. Never fear though, take it in stride, spread it out over a weekend and the job will get done. Here’s wishing you a speedy and fun filled spring wakeup.

 

Happy trails,

The Glampurs

 

Ps. Here are few pics from around the hood showing the signs of spring.