Escapees July-August 2022

unconventional solutions

Motorcycle Towed on the Front of RV

With a small class-C, it’s possible to simply drive the RV anywhere, but I wanted the option of sightseeing or running to the store without breaking camp. Towing a car defeats the best aspect of a small RV, making it harder to maneuver and park, and it adds complexity. My answer is to carry a small street-legal motorcycle, a Yamaha TW200. Since most class-C RVs are already heavy on the rear axle, carry ing the bike on the front helps with weight distribution. The bike and custom carrier weighs around 350 lbs, so the load is well within the 600 lbs of capacity I have available on the front axle. I built the mount myself and added DOT-legal snowplow headlights to the package since the bike blocks the stock headlights. I’ve carried the bike for more than 50K miles, including two trips to Alaska, and never had a problem, other than having to clean the bugs o ff it. Mark Nemeth #45776

Telescopic Tool Hi there! I have an unconventional tip! Actually I have to give credit to my now 12 year old. Adam’s task on travel day is to remove the blocks from under the leveling jacks and bring them to the storage compartment. But he hated having to climb under the RV because we often park on gravel, and sometimes there is mud. So, he took the telescopic window cleaning tool and used it to pull the blocks out. I’m 47, and I also hate getting down on the ground to get them out, so I use it, too. We’ve also discovered it’s great for pushing up small tree branches that can’t be avoided while putting out the slides. We’ve used it to push or pull objects out from under our RV. We even use it to hold up one of our compartment doors that probably needs a new shock. And, if that wasn’t enough, it also removes the snow from our tow vehicle after an unexpected snow fall. Keep in mind that in some states it’s illegal to drive with snow on your vehicle and you can face steep fi nes. Frankly, it’s used more for the unconventional uses

than it is for its intended purpose. Who knew it could be so useful?

By Holly, Joshua, and Adam Blake #153276

Opinions contained in “Unconventional Solutions” are not necessarily those of the Escapees RV Club, its o ffi cers or the membership in general. This column is for Escapees magazine readers to share helpful hacks, RV modi fi cations or any type of clever design that may resolve a problem, or make a task easier. Escapees RV Club accepts no responsibility for what is expressed here by any person, group or company. If accepted, submissions will be edited for magazine style and formatting. Submissions that are sent by e-mail can be directed to editor@escapees.com.

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ESCAPEES Magazine July/August 2022