RV Cooking Show Takes a Tango Factory Tour

RV enthusiasts across the land can now take a virtual tour of the Tango travel trailer factory in my newly released ‘How’s That Tango Made?’.

The video, which was filmed at the Pacific Coachworks, Inc. factory in Riverside, California, features a tour of the production line, interviews with key Tango designers and staff, and a peek inside a variety of Tango models.

Go ahead, take an inside look at the design and manufacturing process from the comfort of your home. Join me on the tour by clicking on the arrow in the video screen below. I think you'll enjoy it!



Pacific Coachworks, Inc. gives wonderful Tango factory tours. They are free to the public and can be arranged by contacting Pacific Coachworks’ Sales and Marketing Team directly at 951-686-7294.

Let me know what you think...leave a comment below!

Evanne
RVCookingShow.com

Future Full-Time RVer Asks About RV Clubs, Trailer/Truck Combo Weights and More

I recently received an email from a future full-time RVer and thought it might be useful to post it here as lots of the information seems relevant to many of us. Hope you get a thing or two out of it.

Subject: Going Full-Timing

Hi Evanne,

I'm looking for a good site about going full time in the winter and summer at any place. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Looking for a 5th wheel - what would you think would help me in four-season camping (the biggest I can get) and what would you say the size of truck I would need?

Reply:

Hi,

I’d recommend looking at the Escapees Club website for tons of full-time RV info. They are one of largest full-time RVer clubs around and offer plenty of benefits – including a fantastic mail forwarding service. Here’s their website: www.Escapees.com. Typically we full-timers spend winters in the warm sunny south and summers everywhere else.

As for an RV – start by checking out some online sales sites such as www.RVsearch.com or www.RVSales.com. These will give you an idea of what’s out there and the prices you can expect to pay. Once you have an idea of what might work for you head out to a local dealer or RV show and get inside your models of choice. Here’s a listing of upcoming RV shows: www.rvia.org/AM/customsource/INCL_Shows.cfm?section=local_shows&all=1.

If you’ll be anywhere near Yuma, AZ this January plan to spend a few days at the Quartzsite RV Show – a flea market of sorts with everything and anything an RVer might want or need - www.quartzsitervshow.com.

Regarding a truck and trailer combo – always…ALWAYS buy a bigger truck that you think you’ll need. Never…NEVER rely upon the salesmen’s recommendations – they are salesmen not towing specialists. Instead, take a look at Trailer Life’s towing guides here - www.trailerlife.com/output.cfm?id=42175. This site will give you PDFs for 1999 to 2008 model vehicles.

Best to you – very exciting! Let me know how things turn out, okay?

Evanne
RV Cooking Show
www.RVCookingShow.com

Make Your Own Herb Vinegar

I was bumming around one of those fancy food and kitchenware shops today and saw a bottle, albeit a beautiful bottle, of herb vinegar selling for nearly 10 bucks. Well, I’ll bet that spendy vinegar has nothing over my RV Cooking Show herb vinegar. It’s simple to make and is a great way to use up those herbs in your garden*. And more good news, the holidays are coming and herb vinegars make fabulous, well-received, and inexpensive gifts.

Here’s how I make my own herb vinegar:

• A bottle of quality vinegar – I like to use a nice white wine vinegar in a pretty bottle (Star Italian Kitchen found in most grocery stores is my favorite) – make sure the vinegar you use has at least 5% acidity. If you prefer a red wine, champagne, sherry or cider vinegar go for it – just try to pair your herbs accordingly.



• A generous handful of fresh herbs from the garden - thyme, oregano, basil, opal basil, rosemary, sage, tarragon, chive flowers, lavender – organic is always best. You can even add peppercorns, peeled garlic, chili peppers, lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, etc. Consider your likes – what you frequently use in your kitchen – and don’t be afraid to pair up tasty sounding combinations. For example, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are excellent together - really!

Snip your herbs early in the day and rinse well. Dry thoroughly using a salad spinner or a paper towel. Open the bottle of vinegar, remove the shaker top (if applicable) and pour a few tablespoons of the vinegar into a non-reactive measuring cup (a glass Pyrex measuring cup with a spout works perfectly) and reserve. Take your herbs and begin feeding them into the bottle – stem and all – gently bruising them as they go in. Pour the reserved vinegar over the herbs to the top of the bottle. Put the cap back on the bottle (I don’t replace the shaker top) and label with date and herbs used. Allow to sit and steep at least a week before using.



Yep, that’s it. Easy, elegant, and delicious. Nope, I don’t heat the vinegar and it turns out just as flavorful nor do I buy decorative bottles to decant it in – the bottle that comes with the vinegar is just right – especially if you are living in an RV and space matters. They still make beautiful gifts.

Use the vinegar in salad dressings, marinades, combined with oil for bread dipping or drizzled over steamed vegetables or broiled fish/meat.

Opal basil turns clear vinegar into a dazzling purple concoction of pure bliss - a real wow. If you have plenty of lavender you can make a white vinegar/lavender mixture and use it to clean your windows or tone your face!

Go ahead, spend an enjoyable 30 minutes making your own herb vinegar. Drop a line letting me know what herbs you used and how it turned out – I’d love to hear.

Evanne
RV Cooking Show.com

*We full-time RVers don’t have a “garden plot” but many of us travel with a collection of pots overflowing with herbs and flowers. If you don’t have a garden you can still make RV Cooking Show herb vinegar by visiting the produce section of your grocery and purchasing a selection of fresh herbs.