Boat Engine Flush – It’s Benefits and How to do it By Kevin D. Martz / Last Updated: August 28, 2022A boat engine flush is a process that flushes out the dirt and debris from the engine. This is typically done before the winter season, to help prepare the engine for storage. The flush helps remove any salt or other corrosive material that may have built up over time. It is also a good way to clean out the oil cooler and water pump. There are many different types of boat engine flushes. The most common is a pressure flush with a high-pressure water pump. This type can be used on any boat and even in inland waterways. A vacuum flush uses air to remove the dirt and debris from the engine. A boat engine flush can be done by many different methods, depending on the type of boat. In some boats, such as jet skis or personal water craft, it is possible to run the engine completely dry and then add fresh oil to it. In the marine industry, engine flushes are commonly referred to as “wet/dry,” which refers to whether or not a flush is done with fresh water or sea water. What are the Benefits of engine flush? There are many benefits to engine flushes. Some of the biggest benefits are: Flushing the engine every year can improve performance and increase the life of the engine. It removes any built-up dirt, grease, or oil from the engine and restores it to its original condition. Boat owners who flush their engines every year report that their engines run smoother and cooler. They also say that their engines last longer. One of the main benefits of engine flushing is that it helps to prevent corrosion. Corrosion can damage engine parts and lead to expensive repairs. Engine flushing also helps to improve fuel economy by removing built-up deposits from the fuel system. This allows the engine to run more efficiently and use less fuel. A flush can help ...
—September 1st, 2023
Top 10 Texas State Parks to RV Camp 1. Palo Duro Canyon State Park - Canyon Formed millions of years ago by the Red River, water erosion shaped the canyon’s dramatic steep mesa walls and geological formations of multicolored layers of rock. Twenty miles wide and 800 feet tall, the canyon’s rugged beauty meanders for 120 miles, qualifying as the second largest canyon system in the United States. The top layer of hoodoos is where fossils of saber-toothed cats and long-necked camels have been found.Located in the Panhandle, an outdoor musical titled TEXAS is held every summer, featuring more than 60 actors, singers, dancers, and horses. Pro Tip: There is little shade on the high canyon trails, so bring plenty of water. The trails that follow the riverbed are shaded but have rocky areas requiring good hiking shoes. Don’t miss the Interpretive Museum in the visitor center. 2. Caddo Lake State Park - Karnack Located 5 miles from the Louisiana border, Caddo Lake State Park offers serene views of graceful white egrets fishing in a slow-moving bayou full of cypress trees dripping with moss. This grand maze of small lakes entangled by bayous draws kayakers from around the U.S.The depth of the Big Cypress Bayou is between 8 and 20 feet and never has strong currents to wash away the bounty of the forest. The slowness of the flow results in the water becoming dark with nutrients, inviting a zillion insects and fish that draw thousands of water birds and fishing enthusiasts. Pro Tip: Go early spring or late fall to avoid the rush of mosquitoes. Fall is the most beautiful time to visit, when the bald cypress trees turn burnt-orange. 3. Huntsville State Park - Huntsville Southern Texas hosts a park with majestic 100-year-old trees, 21 hiking trails, a bird blind, and a nature center. Another good feature of Huntsville State Park is the surrounding area’s attractions such as the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and the historic Texas State Penitentiary which gives ...
—August 1st, 2023
The 10 Best Lakes for Boating and Water Sports in Texas Texas has a reputation for being the state where “everything is bigger.” From the size of the state itself, which is one of the largest in the nation (second only to Alaska), to its oversized love for football, Texas stands out as a prosperous state that is growing continually. But Texas is about more than just big food, big sports and big oil. Texas also has some of the most beautiful weather in the world, with some areas enjoying more than 300 days of sun throughout the year. Additionally, Texas boasts a myriad of lakes, making it the perfect place for water sports, boating, swimming, kayaking and much more! So put on your bathing suit, grab your paddle and follow me into a fantastic tour of the best lakes in Texas for boating and water sports. Yeehaw! 1. Lake AustinLocated in the heart of Austin, this beautiful lake is one of the most popular places for boating in Texas. It’s easy to get to, and it allows all types of motorized watercraft, although most of the traffic you’ll find there comes from the pontoon boats that can be rented along its shoreline. Traditionally, Lake Austin is the best way to end a day of touring the city, especially when you want to cool off after hours of shopping downtown. Enjoy the beautiful Texas sunset while you calmly ride the waters of what has become one of the city’s main attractions for both tourists and locals. 2. Lady Bird Lake If your boating preferences are a bit more leisurely and you’d rather stay away from motorized watercraft, then Lady Bird Lake should be your destination of choice. Located near downtown Austin, Lady Bird Lake is closed to all motorized traffic. Instead, it’s a wonderful place for kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding. Additionally, you can take a relaxing hike or a bike ride on the 10-mile-long Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike-Trail nearby, or you can ...
—June 29th, 2023
The 10 Best RV Trips to Take in Texas Texas, the Lone Star State – it’s an oasis of natural beauty, with all sorts of sights, from tall mountains to sandy beaches, from lush forests to vast, dry deserts. It’s this kind of diversity that makes Texas a hotspot for RV road trips. Along with the natural beauty, the big cities of Texas, including Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, give this state a certain charm and culture that’s unlike any other place on earth. With so many wondrous adventures available to you, how can you fit it all into your trip? Well, to make deciding where to visit a little easier, we’ve created this free Texas RV travel guide. Grab a pen, mark your favorite destinations on the map, and hit the road, because Texas is waiting for you! 1.Dinosaur Valley State Park Picnicking, hiking, fishing – these are a few of the regular park activities that are available at Dinosaur Valley State Park. It has an added activity, though, that’s what really makes this park special. You can search for dinosaur tracks! Around 113 million years ago, dinosaurs left tracks in what is now a state park. Today, visitors to that park can walk in those tracks along the Paluxy River bed. Talk about a history lesson!Along with searching for Dino footprints, you can hike along 20 miles of trails, or if you’re not up to doing your sightseeing by foot, you can take a horse-drawn wagon ride or a guided horseback ride. Even little ones can get in on the fun with wrangler assisted Trail rides for kids age 3-14. After a long day of exploring, you can head to the par store to pick up a souvenir or two. Dinosaur Valley State Park Information Address: 1629 Park Rd 59, Glen Rose, TX 76043Contact: (254) 897-4588Price: $7 for adults, free for kids 12 and underWebsite: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/dinosaur-valley Where to Stay If you can’t get enough of all that Dinosaur Valley has to offer, there’s no need ...
—May 31st, 2023
Call today to reserve one of our new 12'x36' Canopy units! ...
—May 25th, 2023
Top 10 RV or Travel Trailer Accessories or Supplies All of the RV tools and gadgets on our list are must-haves, but some of them might fall into the category of must-must-haves! RV Must Haves and what we think you should buy if you are looking into buying an RV or already have one but not sure what else you may need.So here are our choices for the top 10 must have RV accessories for a new travel trailer or camper. 1. Drinking-Water Hose: You can survive for a longer time in your RV without fresh vegetables than you can survive without clean drinking water, which is why a drinking water hose is the first RV must have on our list. You’ll need to be able to hook into a water source whether you’re at an RV resort and using city water or just filling your RV’s fresh water tank before you keep driving. When choosing a drinking water hose for your RV, keep in mind that the water connection you’re hooking up to might not always be super close to the city water or potable water inlets on your rig. This is why we opted to include a 50-foot drinking water hose as our recommendation in this section. 2. Inline Water Filter: The unfortunate reality of hooking up to new sources of fresh water when you’re traveling in an RV is that the quality can fluctuate drastically.Firstly, the quality of drinking water at an RV park will depend on whether they’re pulling from city water or a well on-site. And even if it’s always city water, every city has different mandates for how they treat and filter their drinking water. An inline water filter is the best and most effective way to improve the safety and taste of drinking water coming into your RV.This filter screws right onto your drinking water hose and filters out dirt, debris, chlorine, heavy metals, and other potentially harmful chemicals that you probably don’t want in your drinking water. 3. ...
—April 25th, 2023
First-Time Boat Owners: How to Get Started For all you first time boat owners out there, follow these simple steps to help ease into ownership. First-Time Boat Owner Checklist Secure boat insurance. Learn how to trailer your boat. Learn how to launch and retrieve your boat. Determine where you will store your boat. Understand basic maintenance requirements. Stock your boat with the proper equipment. Follow a pre-departure checklist. Master basic on-the-water operating skills. Always practice safe and responsibly boating. Enjoy your new boat! Insuring Your Boat You need to insure your boat, both for liability and for damage to the boat, and in that regard boat insurance is similar to a policy that covers your automobile. But there are some types of coverage that are specific to boats. For example, a policy with specific fuel-spill liability protects you from clean-up claims or third-party damage caused by the accidental discharge of oil or fuel, if you boat were to sink in a marina. If you have an accident while towing, your boat policy pays to repair or replace the trailer. If your trailer causes injuries to people or damage to property your auto policy should cover the liability. Check both policies to make sure you are covered. Other factors to consider are special requirements for boats in hurricane zones, and boats leaving U.S. waters. Trailering Your Boat Trailering you boat makes it possible to visit new bodies of water, but for many new boat owners towing safely requires another new skill set that is part of boat ownership. The first item to check is that your tow vehicle is rated to tow the boat you will buy. Check the vehicle owner’s manual carefully to find the maximum tow rating, and the Gross Combined Vehicle Rating (GCVR), which is the weight of the tow vehicle and the boat and trailer; and that weight should include the weight of boat fuel, water and gear. Don’t buy a boat only to discover you’ll need a new truck to tow it. Launching & Retrieving The boat launch ramp has its own etiquette, developed to keep ...
—March 23rd, 2023
General Essentials to Pack in an RV Electrical hookup cords Sewer hose Auxiliary cable for TV connection Mobile hotspot for reliable WiFi or other signal boost equipment Emergency kit, just in case — better safe than sorry. This might include simple tools to help on the roadside should you suddenly get a flat tire, but also road flares, warning triangles, and first aid supplies. Tool Kit — Even if you don’t consider yourself especially handy, having a few basic tools on board might help you fix small things in a pinch. A pocket knife, hammer, wrench, and pair of screwdrivers are a good starting point. Duct tape and WD-40 may come in handy as well. RVMinders are a simple, affordable slap-bracelet-style accessory that will keep you from ever driving off without pulling up the leveling blocks or sewer hose again. Talk about a life saver! RV Living Essentials Clothing for every weather condition (bathing suits, shirts/tanks, sweatshirts, cargos, etc.) Running/ hiking shoes, sandals Bedding including sheets, covers, pillows, and blankets. Sleeping bags can also be beneficial to bring. Window coverings, if your rig doesn’t come with them DVDs, books, or other indoor entertainment items Personal electronics, like laptops and cell phones, cameras, and their chargers Cleaning supplies including sponges, trash bags, hand vacuum, wet mop, etc Space heater or fan RV Kitchen Essentials Dishes Cups Silverware Bottle opener/ Corkscrew Can opener Cooking utensils and vessels — large spoons, pots, roasting pans, cookie sheets, metal skewers for the campfire (this will depend on what you’re planning to prepare; here are some easy RV-friendly recipes) Cutting board and knives Dish Towels Paper towels and napkins Coffee mugs and coffee Reusable water bottles Extra drinking water — even if you’re going to be camping in a site with full hookups, it’s never a bad idea to have extra potable water on board Other food items, although it can be beneficial to wait until you get to your destination to go shopping. We recommend bringing some non-perishables such as cereal, canned goods, breakfast bars, beef jerky, nuts, and instant cook foods (mashed potatoes, oatmeal, etc) RV Bathroom Essentials Toiletries — (Hair brush/ ties, toothpaste/ toothbrush, shampoo/ conditioner, ...
—February 23rd, 2023
Top 10 Boat Names for 2022 Now that recreational boating is coming to a close in much of the country, BoatUS takes a look back at the Top 10 boat names ordered this season through its online boat graphics service and provides some commentary. Andiamo: Meaning “let’s go / we go / come on” in Italian, Andiamo remains in the No. 1 spot from last year’s list. It’s also a happy refrain heard from the person behind the helm as they put the throttle down and head to open waters. Osprey: This year marked the premiere of Osprey, having never before made the top 10. In a unique twist, Osprey bumped last year’s No. 2 boat name, Social Distancing, completely off the list. ‘Nuff said, right? Serenity: This No. 3 name is so popular it has made the top 10 seven times since 2010, tying the record with Second Wind. Yep, you guessed it – both are popular with sailboat owners. Encore: Also a newcomer to the top 10 this year, Encore may be the boat name of choice for an entertainer. Or, it could indicate the “next” boat – either satisfying the 3-foot-itis or scaling down, or maybe even coming back to boat owning after a hiatus. Zephyr: Last appearing on the top 10 in 2010, sailors will welcome this reference to a gentle breeze back to the list. Second Wind: Is this boat named for a new chapter in life or achievement? A comeback? A new strength? We’ll never know for sure, but gosh is it perennially popular. Adventure: A boat with this name is usually out of the slip every weekend putting miles of water under the keel. Knot on Call: This boat name serves as a notice that on-the-water time can’t be tampered with. Of unique importance, the owner of this boat can silence their cellphone ring in just under two seconds. Shenanigans: Quit fooling around. Shenanigans are a part of every boating culture. Grace: In its fourth appearance on the top 10 boat names list since 2010, Grace likely holds deep meaning for vessels with beautiful lines or for those that navigate with finesse. This is the one boat in ...
—December 2nd, 2022
How Many People in the US are Full-time RVers? Currently, about one million Americans live as full-time RVers. RV life is gaining serious attention. The 2020 North American Camping Report found that four in 10 campers are more interested in going full-time after the pandemic. One in 10 infrequent campers is considering full-time RVing. The report also found that travelers are eager to spend time outdoors with their friends and family. Also, 60% of travelers think it’s now critical for their kids to experience the great outdoors. The sentiment suggests a long-term growing interest in the RV lifestyle. ...
Toy ShedzNovember 10th, 2022
