Tag Archives: camping

Tymate TM2 RV Tire Pressure Monitoring System

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Towing a camper can be a stressful endeavor. Safety for you and your family should be the highest priority. Prior to camp trips (especially longer trips), I have a to-do checklist including checking lug nuts, adding or reducing air pressure in tires, and a taking a look underneath and around the camper for any visible problems .Maintaining appropriate tire pressure is essential to both your safety and the longevity of your tires. Tires that are underinflated can cause heat buildup, which will lead to tire damage or even worse, a tire blowout. Likewise with overinflated tires. Checking your tire pressure before you embark on your camping adventure is not enough. It is essential that you monitor both the tire pressure and the temperature during the towing .I wanted a decent system at a budget price. I found the Tymate TM2 on Amazon. The list price for this monitoring system is $79.99. However, there are times that Amazon has a “limited time deal” at the price of $59.99. CLICK HERE for a link to this product on Amazon. There is a newer version available on the Tymate website HERE. At first, I bought this for my Toyota Tundra. It is an older model truck that does not have a built-in tire pressure monitor system. I liked the product, so I ended up buying one for the camper as well. The installation process is easy. You simply screw the sensors onto the valve stem of each tire.

Each sensor sends a signal to a monitor you place on the dashboard. It will give real time updates on both tire pressure and temperature. An alarm will go off if you have a fast leak or your tire pressure gets to 25% above or below the tire pressure threshold you set. There are a wide range of recommended tire pressure settings depending on make, model and size of the tires, so be sure to know the appropriate settings. Additionally, outdoor air temperature and travel time increases pressure inside the tires. You will want to set the parameters appropriately to account for normal fluctuations.

The system includes a USB cord for charging. In addition, it can be solar charged. I hardly ever have it plugged into the USB port. The solar power is enough. My only problem I have with this particular model is the accuracy. During one tow, I noticed the tire pressure number had not changed in a while. As you move, the tires heat up which increases tire pressure. What I determined is that the sensors were not correctly connecting to the monitor on my dashboard. The product description states that those towing campers longer than 36 feet should buy an optional repeater to boost the signal. My camper is 28 feet. So, I am not sure why the tire pressure value did not update, but that was discouraging. On another trip, the number disappeared for one of the tire numbers. It only lasted for 10 minutes or so, but I have no idea why this occurred. In the end, you get what you pay for. This is a low-cost system. You can buy more expensive models that may be more reliable. But for the most part, this system works for my needs.

Russell Springs/ Lake Cumberland KOA Campground

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Russell Springs/ Lake Cumberland KOA Campground
1440 Highway 1383, Russell Springs, KY 42642
(270) 866-5616
CLICK HERE for the campground website

Overview
Russell Springs KOA campground is located near Lake Cumberland in South CentralKentucky. Just to be clear, there is no access to the lake from the campground property.However, the Cumberland Marina is conveniently located just barely over a mile away.
This KOA includes seasonal sites (located in the rear of the campground), back-in sites,pull-thru sites, tent sites, cabins. Pull-thru sites A14-A21 are excellent for big rigs.Normally when we go camping, we bring our travel trailer. However, occasionally we will
choose to rent a cabin as opposed to towing the camper. Our plan was to spend time with family at Lake Cumberland for an extended weekend. This campground is almost 4 hours from our home, so we chose the cabin route. Our cabin was the deluxe Amish built (with no bathroom) rustic cabin (with electricity). It was conveniently located near the restrooms and the dog park. The cabin had the following amenities: queen bed, dining table, TV (w/ cable), sink (cold water only), microwave, mini fridge, gas grill on the patio, and fire ring. It was spacious compared to the normal KOA rustic cabins. For the most part, the Wi-Fi was reliable. Our one concern was the A/C. It struggled to keep the cabin as cool as we would have liked during the day. At night, it was fine. To be fair the “real feel” temperatures were in the high 90’s that particular weekend.

The store was well-stocked with camping supplies, assorted food items (including refrigerated items such as bacon, milk and eggs) and a selection of t-shirts, stickers and mementos. Ice and firewood are available for purchase at typical campground prices. The workers were friendly and welcoming.

Appearance
The KOA hosts and Kamp workers do a great job keeping up the appearance of the
campground. Flower beds near the store and restrooms were well manicured. The pool was clean and the chairs and pavement were in good condition.

Family/Pet Friendly
Russell Springs KOA is very pet friendly and family friendly. There are plenty of activities
in the campground for kids including a playground, basketball court, tennis court, volleyball court, putt-putt golf, swimming pool, and a recreation hall. In that particular building there were a number of arcade games, hockey tables, pool tables, TV, etc.
The swimming pool was larger than the average campground swimming pool. It waskept clean and at a perfect temperature after ahot day. There was a pavilion that buttsup against the pool fence so parents could sit on a chair or picnic tables in the shade
while they watched their kids swim.This KOA campground has two fenced pet areas. One is a small area that is near the main entrance. It is in full shun. The second area is near the bathhouse, a bit larger and was in full shade. It was located
right next to our pet friendly cabin, which was very convenient for our two dogs.

Area Attractions
There were two reasons why we chose the Russell Springs KOA campground. We were
down at Lake Cumberland with family members and spent a majority of the time on the
lake and boating. The Cumberland Lake Marina is close by. We had our own pontoon
boat, but you can rent pontoon boats at this Marina. CLICK HERE for more information
regarding the marina.
My husband is a history teacher, and it just so happens that a Civil War battlefield is 30
minutes from this campground. If you are a history buff, you have to check out the Battle
of Mill Springs museum and battlefield. This has been part of the National Park Service
since 2019. CLICK HERE if you would like to learn more.

Restrooms/Shower House
The restroom and shower house is centrally located in the campground and adjacent to
the camp store. It was a very short walk from our cabin. The shower house was cleaned
multiple times per day. We found the showers to be roomy with enough hooks for
clothing and towel as well as a bench. There was good water temperature as well as
pressure. We were pleased with the cleanliness of the facilities but would not that they may be in need of updating in the near future.

OVERALL REVIEW:

4.5 LANTERNS (WITH 5 BEING THE HIGHEST)