If you have someone in your life who is a fulltime RVer, I'll bet you have heard this phrase. "Please don't feel like you have to buy me a gift for [insert occasion here]. I just don't have room for anything."

I have had the hardest time convincing my family that I really don't want gifts, unless it is something really useful.

If you really must give an RVer a present, a gift of light is one that is always appreciated.

When Jim and I get ready to go to a new place, I am the one who goes to the computer to plan a route for us.

I have the 2005 version of Microsoft Trips and Streets software, but there is a newer version published in 2008.

Here's why I like Microsoft Streets and Trips...

At this point we drive an RV only on occasion. (Jim is transporting another RV from Indiana to Canada as we speak.)

But we have friends who drive RVs a lot. And we definitely plan to do more of it once we find "the RV of our dreams".

Recently, one of our RV friends asked us: "What's the best GPS unit for RVing?"

My first reply was "the Harman/Kardon GPS unit we currently own."

We love it. But in fairness, it's really not designed to accommodate the needs of trucks or RVs.

By that I mean... on our last RV trip through Minneapolis, we decided to swing a last-minute (as in: "There's a sign... let's go!") to the Mall of America. But we nearly lost our rolled-up awning, took out a few tree limbs, and beat the antenna up a few times when we veered off course and tried to get ourselves back on track.

Why? Because the GPS said to take downtown streets -- and most of them were down narrow (and low-clearance) side streets!

What we really needed was a GPS unit that showed "truck routes".

Okay... I never thought I'd be doing a movie review on this RV site.

But we just returned from a cross-country RV trip and had some pretty fun adventures. Along the way, more than one person said we just had to rent the movie RV, starring Robin Williams.

So I did (...despite my better judgment, because the previews just didn't look all that great).

Surprisingly, there were a bunch of funny moments.

I can't help but think that RVers will appreciate seeing some real-life moments play out in the movies (...albeit somewhat exaggerated, of course).

Jim has seen these products used at IHRA races... they're good stuff!

Whether you want to...

• ...remove those ugly black streaks that appear over time


• ...wash your RV with no buckets, no hoses, no rinsing and drying


• ...try an ammonia-free streak-free formula on your glass, chrome and mirrors

Diamond Sports Inc. (DSI) has just the product you need. And now, you can get a FREE sample!

Who knew??? I certainly didn't know that something like this existed.

RVers (and others) will appreciate the benefits of Scott fast-dissolving toilet tissue.