Escapees March/April 2016

Different V iewpoints

Looking for ways to volunteer? Visit: www.rideconnection.org .

Different Viewpoints RVers’ Opinions and Advice from the Road

• Opinions contained in “Different Viewpoints” are not necessarily those of the Escapees RV Club, its officers or the membership in general. Escapees RV Club accepts no responsibility for what is expressed here by any person, group or company. • Because of the large volume of material, we may not acknowledge receipt of material. Submissions that are sent by e-mail can be directed to departmentseditor@escapees.com. If accepted, submissions will be edited for magazine style and formatting.

More Benefits of Volunteering In the last issue, “Bene ¿ ts of Volunteering” inspired me to share the bene ¿ ts I receive by using my driving skills as a volunteer driver. My wife and I are not full-time RVers, but instead maintain a home in Portland, Oregon, and use our RV to go to rallies and other short trips. I believe there are many people with excellent driving records who have the time to help others, but do not want to be tied down to a rigid schedule after retirement. There are many nonpro ¿ t agencies, such as Meals on Wheels, that depend on people willing to take food to the needy. In Portland, there is a nonpro ¿ t agency called Ride Connection that is dedicated to providing responsive, ac- can contribute whatever they are able to. A main need is for volunteers willing to use their own vehicle or to drive the agency’s small buses or vans. I usually donate two days a week of my time driving the agency’s vans to help others get to medical appointments, social visits and shopping locations, and even to places where they can volunteer their time. Each week I get an e-mail asking, “Are there any days next week that you are able to drive?” I check my calendar, and then respond with what days will work best, or I let them know if I cannot volunteer that week. In the last six years, I have volunteered over 2,000 hours, provided over 3,300 rides and driven almost 20,000 miles. In addition to the bene ¿ t of feeling good about helping others, at age 86, it gives me an excellent form of exercise by getting in and out of the van. It also helps to keep my mind alert by trying to ¿ nd local house addresses. And my wife, Jane, says she enjoys getting me out of the house two days a week! Donald A. Morin #31401 Continued ››› cessible transportation to those in need, such as the elderly or disabled. It has existed for over 20 years and last year provided over 400,000 rides. There is no charge, but riders

Driving in Snow and Ice As an AARP driver safety instructor, I have a couple of comments I’d like to make pertaining to the recommenda- tions in the “Tips” column for “Driving in Snow and Ice” in the January/February issue. The recommendation to “tap the brakes lightly” if you begin to slide on an icy surface is certainly accurate if you are driving a big rig or an auto without ABS. But, if you are driving a small class-B or your tow vehicle, it probably has ABS (anti-lock braking system). In that case, the recommendation is to stomp on the brakes, stay on the brakes and steer . The ABS will do the “tapping” of the brakes for you, eliminating any chance of the brakes locking up. Also, cruise control should not be used in situations where wet and slippery conditions exist. In fact, at least one car manufacturer makes cruise control to turn off whenever the windshield wipers are turned on. This safety factor should probably be available in all new cars. Jerry Wagner #57569

RV Solar Safety As a life-long electronics pro- fessional, I would like to bring attention to a safety issue in the article “RV Solar Power” in the November/December 2015 issue of the magazine. Any DC voltage >30V with 100mA of current or more can

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12 . ESCAPEES | November/December2015 | www.escapees.com

cause death by electrocution. The article encourages users to install panels in a serial configuration with up to 70V DC. Even though the current is much lower, the risk of electrocution is acute. The voltage 12VDC or 24VDC will not cause an electrocution hazard. Tim LaFlame #118455

www.escapees.com | March/April 2016 | ESCAPEES . 59