I’m back with more questions from blog readers about RVing, what’s happening in our lives since we hung up the keys, and all kinds of other things. While I try to answer all questions individually, I also share some here occasionally.
Q. My brother owns a farm and uses agricultural diesel fuel for his equipment. He says it’s the same as regular diesel, it just has a red dye in it to show it is for farm use and he doesn’t have to pay road taxes on it. He offered to fill my motorhome’s tank before we leave for Texas after Christmas, but I am not sure if that is kosher legally or if it will harm my motor. Have you ever heard of “red” diesel? Is it safe to use in an RV?
A. There is no difference between dyed diesel used for off-road equipment like your brother has on his farm and the diesel you buy anywhere else, except for the dye added to identify it. So yes, it is mechanically safe to use in your RV. However, it is also illegal to use it for highway vehicles, and there are penalties if caught doing so. In reality, the chances of that happening are very slim because DOT officials look for commercial vehicles violating the law, not RVers. Let your own conscience be your guide.
Q. My son is talking about getting a drone, but he is very undecided about what to get. He’s smart and actually has a brain and uses it well. That being said, I was wondering if you could give me some ideas on drones? I know you used to fly one but haven’t heard you say anything about them since you “retired” from fulltiming.
A. I like the DJI Phantom drones. They are very stable and just about indestructible. But I have not used mine in years and have not kept up with technology, so there might be newer, better models on the market these days. I stopped flying mine because people got so crazy, accusing drone pilots of spying on them and even threatening them and shooting at their drones. A friend of mine had his $800 drone stomped on and ruined because somebody decided he was invading their privacy by flying it on a public beach.
Q. I know that you do not ship to Canada, but how does a person with a Canadian e-mail that has a USA mailing address enter your drawings? All my info would show that I live in Manitoba, but I have an address in Pembina. N.D., where I get my Amazon stuff. Just curious.
A. We can’t send audiobooks or e-book gift codes to Canada. I don’t know why, but they won’t transfer. If you have a US mailing address and the prize is a printed book, we can send it to your North Dakota address. (Print books will not be substituted for audiobook or e-book prizes).
Q. You’ve had your Cove security system for a few weeks now, and I keep seeing their ads on Facebook. It looks like a pretty good system. What do you think of it?
A. I am very impressed with the system, from the quality of the components to the ease of setup and installation. The only complaint I had was that for the first three weeks, I received a recorded call every day or two thanking me for being a Cove customer and telling me to call if I had any questions or problems. It took several phone calls to get that to stop, but now that it has, it’s all good.
Q. We dilly-dallied around too long deciding whether or not to deal with fuel prices and masks and such before deciding to go to Florida for the winter. Now we are finding it hard to get an RV site for January through March. Any suggestions, Nick?
A. While the Keys and coastal RV parks fill up fast, you may have better luck looking for an RV site inland in Florida. There are many small towns with RV parks and a laid-back atmosphere you might want to check into. Another option is Baldwin County, Alabama, with plenty of RV parks and easy access to Gulf Shores beaches.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Big Lake Scandal, the fifth book in my Big Lake mystery series. To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.
Thought For The Day – You don’t wash your hands, they wash each other. You just watch.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!