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excerpt from RV Oopsies: 101 Dumb Things That RVers Do!  (MacDonald)  91. UP ON THE ROOF Alan decided it was time to clean the roof of his motorhome while it was parked in the driveway. Since his model did not have an attached ladder, he propped his extension ladder against the side and climbed up with a hose and cleaning supplies. While spraying down the roof, his hose caught the ladder and knocked it down. OOPS! Alan’s wife was not due home for another four hours, but quite a few cars were passing by in view of the rig. He figured he would just wave and someone would stop to help. For more than an hour, he waved. The few motorists who noticed him waved back and kept on driving. Finally, a man stopped and put the ladder back up. Alan sheepishly thanked him and decided to clean his roof another day. When Alan reported this mishap to me, he still hadn’t figured out how to prevent a reoccurrence. I suggested several options: ·    use a distress wave (crisscrossing arms above the

RV Oopsies by Larry MacDonald received a 5-star review by Java Davis at Readers' Favorites. The reviewer concludes: The author is from Canada, but these lessons are universal, and they are not geocentric. From prospective RV’ers like myself to novices to the seasoned traveler, this is a great RV Bible. I learned that I am completely ill-equipped to purchase and drive an RV, but rather than discourage me, RV Oopsies by Larry MacDonald made me feel that if the people illustrated in these stories can do it, I can too. Look out, World, I may be road tripping soon! Read the full review here:  Readers Favorite Review. Larry is also author of  Travels with Elly. RV Oopsies  can be purchased for 25% discount at the  MSI webstore . Use coupon code FF25.

San Juan Books is the hybrid division of MSI Press LLC. It allows first-time writers to become published in a traditional way through the reduction of risk by sharing publication costs. All other publishing features are traditional in nature, and most SJB authors go on to be offered traditional contracts for their subsequent books. SJB publications are available as paperback, hard cover, and e-book versions. SJB authors' books very much hold their own against their contemporaries in the traditional publishing division. Indeed, a number of them have outsold their traditional compatriots, and many have gone on to write books that have been subsequently traditionally published by MSI Press. Today, San Juan Books presents author Larry MacDonald. Larry MacDonald has a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology and over 30 years of experience RVing and freelance writing for various magazines, including  MotorHome ,  Trailer Life , and  Canadian RVinglds . His book,  RV Oopsies: 101 Dumb Things Tha

  Yes, Elly had a friend, Buster, a cat, who made the RV trip across Canada with her. Buster was apparently not a very good traveler at first, but adapted with time and experience. Here are some times the cat appears in the book: Buster is a Rag Doll breed of cat whose defining characteristic is going limp when he’s picked up. Having grown up with Elly, the slightly older Buster established himself early on as Alpha and maintained that relationship by a swat or nip on Elly’s hindquarters when he decided a playful interlude was over. While Elly was always a great traveler, Buster had some issues, even before our trip began. He occasionally upchucked if a road became too twisty or bumpy for more than 10 or 15 minutes. Buster’s problem behavior stopped suddenly and permanently during our trip, much to our delight. When appropriate, I’ll offer my opinion as to why. Our departure date of July 1 coincided with Canada Day, a statutory holiday for citizens to celebrate the birth of Canada. We

  Larry MacDonald, author of RV Oopsies , Travels with Elly , and a pandenic-era book, Diary of an RVer during Quarantine , routinely provides to tips to RVers on his website, Land Yachting . The first one is cited here; others will be shared later. Helpful Tips for RVers 1. TV Antenna up or down? Many an RV’er has been dreadfully reminded, often by a low tree branch or overpass, that they forgot to lower their rooftop TV antenna. And who hasn’t looked up during a walk around to ensure that their antenna is down? I thought of this tip while lying in bed one morning, wondering whether mine was up or down. To insure that it was “down,” I simply cranked the antenna handle until it was down completely and marked the ceiling at the end of the handle, using a stick-on label colored green for “Go.” Get it? On your mark … Go! When cranking up the antenna, I make sure that the end of the handle is on the opposite side of the mark. Now I just have to remember to check the position of my handle b

  excerpt from Diary of an RVer during Quarantine (MacDonald) -  Almost overnight, the world has changed!  Well, not really the world so much, but our place in the world.   In the world, fish are jumping and the cotton is high!  But we humans no longer seem to be in control of our lives.    In early March 2020, as full-time RVers, we left our winter resort in Mesa, Arizona and arrived at another in Tucson, where we enjoyed playing pickleball and golf, hiking in state parks, visiting an outdoor artisan market, and dining at patio restaurants.  Our intent was to meet up with friends in another week or so in Las Cruces, New Mexico for a golf holiday before heading back to Canada.  Life was good!  We were on the road to adventure.   About that time, we started receiving increasing news reports about the novel Corona Virus (later identified as COVID-19) infiltrating America.  Group activities – dances, concerts, sports, and parties – were shutting down; bars and restaurants were closing. 

  From Readers' Favorite -- C amping is where you spend a small fortune to live like the homeless.” Larry MacDonald is direct and cleverly witty in his detailed writing of what life can be like living in a recreational vehicle, especially during quarantine.  Diary of an RVer During Quarantine is a short book that you will find entertaining and informative. For the full review, click HERE For more posts on Larry MacDonald and his books, click HERE .

  Travels with Elly (MacDonald) is a bestselling Kindle books this week. Also available in paperback online and, at 25% discount with code FF25, at our webstore ,  FINALIST, AMERICAN BOOKFEST BEST BOOKS For more posts about Larry MacDonald and his books, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC Newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. 

Released this week, Diary of an RVer in Quarantine by Larry MacDonald. This nonfiction book provides a humorous glimpse into a couple’s strategies for surviving two weeks of quarantine within the confines of their RV. The author’s diary includes his never-ending “to-do” list as well as the couple’s routine and unique activities, such as ordering groceries and restaurant meals online for delivery to their RV site, playing games, and learning new skills such as baking and playing the ukulele. A major portion of the book is devoted to how full-time RVers might occupy their time fruitfully while staying cooped up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reading RV magazines and related books and planning an RV adventure when restrictions are lift ed is complemented with excerpts provided from two of the author’s books. Words of wisdom abound: “Stay at home, wash your hands, and enjoy my books.” See also Larry's other books. RV Oopsies  -- funny and helpful! One of our most popu

Are you a now-grounded RVer? We have some good reading for you! Fun and informative! Get ready to avoid 101 mishaps when you are released with your RV onto the world's highways. 99. STOP, LOOK, AND ASSESS THE MESS Steve was backing his Class C motorhome into a campsite with his wife in the passenger seat. He heard shouts coming from an adjacent campsite and stopped to see what all the commotion was about. He had backed over a small cedar tree, which was lodged at a rakish angle under the rear quarter section. In his haste to extricate his rig from the tree, Steve pulled forward. RIPPPP! The partially uprooted tree ripped off the lower side and rear aluminum panels. After sheepishly replanting the tree, Steve used a handful of metal screws to temporarily reattach the RV panels. His final fix involved a pricey visit to the body shop. Since the mishap, Steve always ensures that his wife is watching behind the rig to give directions when he backs up. He even purchase

  The following excerpt comes from RV Oopsies by Larry MacDonald: INTRODUCTION   “What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done while RVing ?” That’s the question I’ve been asking fellow RVers over the past 10 years. Every year, adventurous folks like us go camping in our RVs, and every year, we do some dumb things. Mostly, these are minor mishaps like running out of fuel or leaving something behind at a campsite, but sometimes they are major blunders, resulting in damage to our rigs. For the most part, RVers are a pretty smart bunch! Yet, mishaps do occur not only to newbies but to seasoned roadies as well. If you’re one of us, you can probably think of at least one dumb thing that you wish you hadn’t done while RVing. The good news, though, is that all of these mishaps can be avoided. Each year, I selected ten mishaps reported to me, ranked them from Dumb to Dumbest, and published an article “RV Oops Awards” in several RV magazines in the US and Canada. This book presents 101 “awards,” incl

  Excerpt from  Travels with Elly  (MacDonald) - from chapter 1, BRITISH COLUMBIA Beginning of the chapter: Many Canadians we met during our journey were not quite sure where our hometown of Powell River is located. “Are you on Vancouver Island?” they would ask. “No, but we can see Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia. We’re on the mainland two ferry rides north of Vancouver.” Plans are in the works for building a road from Vancouver, but until that happens, Powell River will remain somewhat remote. The town was established in 1910 to sustain a lumber mill that once employed over 2000 people. When we left in 2009, the town had become a city with 15,000 residents and a tenuously surviving paper mill employing less than 400. Powell River has become more of a retirement haven, especially for those who enjoy out door activities such as hiking, biking boating, and fishing. The pace is slow, people are friendly, and the climate is moderate, making it a desirable place to

  Excerpt from Travels with Elly (MacDonald) - from chapter 2, ALBERTA  “If we hope to preserve our way of life, the first thing we must do is rediscover our respect for the land, the water, and the entire natural world. And if we do manage to regain that respect, then we must make sure that human beings never lose it again.” (Quote from the late, The Honorable Dr. Lois E. Hole, displayed on a plaque at the Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park in St. Albert)  Shortly after crossing the border, we entered Crowsnest Pass, site of the devastating Frank Slide. In the early morning of April 29, 1903, a mountainside came thundering down in the darkness, burying most of the town of Frank and killing 90 people, the highest death toll from any slide in Canada. Massive boulders, remnants of the slide, remain piled 30-metres high on both sides of the road. An Interpretation Centre provides personal stories of survivors and dynamic, hands-on educational programs. To forewarn residents