At Christmas this year, I played "Dance, Dance, Revolution" with my 12-year-old and 8-year-old nieces. "Dance, Dance, Revolution" is a "game" where you try to mimic the dance moves on the screen and then you compete against the person next to you to see who can do the dance moves with the most accuracy.  It is a game, but it was also a pretty good workout.

I don't have any school-age children and it's been a long time since I have been a child, so hence, it has been a long time since I have played games. More and more, however, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy video games. Actually, the video game makers are starting to make video games for all ages and types of people.

When you are out RVing, you do have many opportunities to walk and hike on your RV vacation, but you also have a lot of opportunities to sit for long hours while driving, sit in front of the computer, and watch TV. Traditionally motorhomes and RV's do not lend themselves to exercise tapes and a lot of physical activity in the coach itself. This is where the Nintendo Wii comes in. Nintendo makes a game for the Wii, called Wii Fit.  There is a balance board that accompanies the game console and you stand on the balance board to complete the different Wii Fit activities.  Because you do the exercises on the balance board, it doesn't take up much room in your RV and you don't have to have a wide range of motion to complete the activities.  If you are really tall and have long limbs, you might have some difficulty, but I will venture to say that it is one of the few physical activities that you can do inside of your RV.  

So, especially if you are a fulltime RVer that wants to have some fun and some exercise inside of your RV, the Wii is something that you might want to check out.  See the video below of how one man used the Wii on his RV trip.  

It used to be that if you were on the road as a fulltime RVer or on an extended RV vacation, it was difficult to stay in touch with family and friends back home.  Then came the increased availability of cell phones, laptop computers, air cards, and Wifi in RV campgrounds.  With these inventions, things started to change and it was suddenly much easier to be connected to the world outside of your RV and RV park.

As you probably know, technology changes quickly and now there have been some exciting innovations in internet phone service as well.  Namely, there are some new key players in the RV phone service market.  Skype, Vonage, MagicJack, Comcast and Google Voice are all providers in this internet phone service industry.  Sure, your cell phone can be used nationwide and is a great option for phone service, but what if you are on a fixed budget and need a more affordable option?  Or maybe you are a snowbird or just use your RV for vacations and have been wondering about internet phone service for everyday use.  What do these phone service internet providers have to offer and how does it fit a possible frugal RV lifestyle?  Here is a brief overview of what each one offers:

Skype 

Skype permits you to make calls over the Internet and there is no cost to set up an account.  A Skype call to another Skype user is free and you can see that user through video if both of you have a web cam.   For a small fee, you can also use your Skype account to call someone's land-line or cell phone. With Skype, you talk through your computer. 

Price:  Free Sykpe to Skype.  No Monthly Fee.  Small Fee for calls to land-lines or cell phones.

Talk through:   Computer

Vonage

On Vonage, all you need is a touch-tone phone, a Vonage phone adapter, and a high-speed Internet connection.  You speak through the phone, not your computer, and can even keep your old phone number.  Basically, your phone uses your existing Internet connection instead of a separate phone jack.  Your phone and computer don't really need each other, except for to share your Internet hook-up. 

Price: $24.99 a month and up.

Talk through:  Phone 

MagicJack

MagicJack is a device that you plug into your USB port of your computer and then you plug your existing phone into the jack.  You can then make local and long distance calls just like you did with a regular phone connection.  

Price:  $40.00 initial and $20.00 PER YEAR there after

Talk through:  Phone 

Google Voice and Comcast are two other options.  Comcast has actually overtaken Vonage now in the number digital phone (Voice Over IP, VOIP) customers that they have.  Google Voice is currently available by invitation only, but will be something to look for as a possible RV phone option in the future. 

Looking for a reputable RV Dealer to buy your next RV from?  Check out RV dealers on RVingPlanet!

 

There are many RVer's who love to read, but a RV has very limited space and if you bring very many books with you, books start to take up a lot of area quickly.  The problem is especially compounded if you are a fultime RVer who doesn't have a permanent stationary residence.  When you carry all of your worldly possessions with you in the motorhome, space for books may be your last priority or that space can be very limited.

Well, you book-loving RV owners are in luck.  Recent technological advances, ebook readers, are suited perfectly for your book-to-space problems. There are actually quite a few Ebook readers currently out on the market.  Some of the more notable names include the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader Digital Book, iPhone Ereader Application, Asus Ebook Reader, and Barnes & Noble Ebook Reader.

One of the most popular is the Amazon Kindle.  In October 2009, the Amazon Kindle announced an International launch and then in November 2009, Amazon proclaimed that sales of the Kindle have broken single-month sales records.  While I haven’t seen official statistics of who the buyers of the Kindle are, I think that it is fair to assume that many RVer’s are part of this customer base as well as other’s who like to read on the go.

These Ebook readers are often lighter than the typical paperback and with wireless technology built right into the device, books can be downloaded right to Ereader from anywhere.  Choose from thousands of titles of books available and store up to 1,500 books in the reader.  The Ebook reader reads like real paper and the screen does not glare even in bright sunlight.

So, if you are an RVer who loves to read or you are someone who needs a gift for a RVer, an Ebook Reader might just be the perfect fit for the RV lifestyle.

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