Volume 2. Issue 16
Welcome to the Full-Time RVer Newsletter, published every other Wednesday by RVtravel.com. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and full-time RV living tips from the pros, travel advice, and anything else of interest to full-timers or those who aspire to be. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.
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Page Contents
Quote of the day
“Without the intense touch of nature, you can never fully freshen yourself! Go camping and there both your weary mind and your exhausted body will rise like a morning sun!” —Mehmet Murat Ildan
Recent articles for full-timers you may have missed…
Sandi Sturm is one of RVtravel.com’s newest writers. Everyone, say hello to Sandi! Sandi and her husband are full-time RVers and some of her recent articles we know you’ll find helpful and insightful. Here are a few, in case you missed them.
Downsizing… or not? An RVer’s struggle of what to keep and what to leave behind
After living 12 years in Alaska, I had quite the library going. Four large bookcases were full of pages I loved unconditionally. I did not read every title, but I loved the thought of them and the people who wrote them. Then we decided to leave Alaska and hit the road. At the time we still had our 19-foot travel trailer, which we used to get there. I could sit at the table and put dishes in the sink without getting up. No couch or extra storage. I guess you can say it was “quaint.” We pulled it with a six-cylinder Toyota Tacoma, so weight was always a concern. … Continue reading about Sandi’s huge collection of books here.
Gift-giving to RVers: Give experiences, not stuff
Today was the last day for my work-camping gig at a major resort in Arizona. You know the types of resorts that have more than 600 spaces for RVs and park model homes. My job was helping the activities director as the resort geared up for its busy season. I mention this because it became very apparent to me that the director was not familiar with our full-timer/snowbird lifestyle. … Continue reading about the advisability of giving experiences (with some great suggestions) rather than objects to full-time RVers.
Beat-ing feelings of isolation while on the road; find what keeps you company
“I spend a lot of time alone. Being a traveling entrepreneur and digital nomad has me spending hours and hours at a time inside the RV reading, learning, creating, and typing on the keyboard. This is something that I have had to get acquainted with because it goes against everything that I am. …” Read Sandi’s tips for relieving feelings of isolation and adapting to constant change here.
“Will Work for Space” – Could work camping be the solution for a long-term site?
You may have noticed, or read a few articles, about how difficult it is to find a monthly RV space on short notice these days. I say “short notice” because that is how we roll. I wouldn’t call it procrastination, but more of a learned behavior. It never fails. If we make plans more than two months in advance, the plans always change. This is mainly because we are not retired and the nature of our work requires us to be somewhere at least a week before we know it is worth sticking around. But the past couple of years have added a new set of rules. Continue reading about these options for obtaining a long-term RV site.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
• Getting started: The RV nightmare continues, and my first trip was no exception
• Research predicts continued RVing boom in 2022, and the advent of “Revenge Travel”
• RV parks and big money investors – the new “trailer courts”?
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
Stinky tanks might need the popular “TubShroom”
One of the ways to keep your gray tank from becoming smelly is to minimize food waste that gets into it. Recently someone recommended using a TubShroom to keep things from going down the drain and this actually seems like a good idea. The TubShroom has been getting a lot of traction in advertisements on social media as a device that pops into your drain and keeps hair and food waste from going down the drain. There are various models depending on the size of the drain including ones for the shower and bathroom sink plus a Kitchen SinkShroom as well. Continue reading.
10 of the most irritating campground rules
In addition to weird RV park rules, there are some rules that are just downright irritating to campers. Sometimes they just don’t make sense to anyone except those in the campground office. Many of you left comments on the article, 12 weirdest campground rules, and said that sometimes these weird rules are made because one weird person does one weird thing. Read more, then tell us in the comments under that post if we missed any park rules that irritate you.
Their propane “froze”! Wait … Can propane freeze?
By Gail Marsh
This winter’s weather problems have really impacted RVers, especially those who find themselves in the path of snowstorms, ice storms, and record-breaking freezing temperatures. Friends of ours were forced to leave their RV fifth wheel last week when temperatures in Kansas dipped below zero. Frigid temps caused their propane to “freeze.” That was news to me, so I did a bit of research to find out more. Learn about what really happened here.
Easily clean those stubborn bugs off your RV
The Microfiber Mesh Bug and Tar Sponge has millions of tiny fibers embedded in the microfiber cloth that grabs and holds the dust and dirt. It is so effective it even cleans without chemicals, saving both time and money. The secret of this sponge lies in its unique, double-layer microfiber mesh. Older nylon bug sponges can harm your clear coat, but this one is completely paint safe. Learn more or order.
Reader poll
How many miles will you travel with your RV during this month of November?
Count ’em up and tell us here.
Quick tip
Prescription bottles have lots of storage possibilities
Ian B. writes: “Prescription bottles for battery storage? [mentioned in a previous Quick Tip] They’re the best thing ever for lots of tiny things. Nuts, screws, pop rivets, RJ45 and RJ11 connectors … Just name it! Then I could chuck them in my toolbag, easily being able to see the contents, and confident that the containers were durable and the cap would stay on because of the ‘childproof’ rating. Sometimes, if you have ones with a tight seal, you can even use them for things like petroleum jelly, finger paints for kids, and when well-labeled, actual pills for OTC meds. I buy large bottles of Excedrin Migraine (500-1000 ct), and so fill a few smaller bottles I can keep in my office, toolbag, shaving kit, etc. I engrave those bottles with my Dremel tool to be clear on their contents, but you can use peel off mailing labels or a label maker if you’re feeling fancy.” Thanks for all the ideas, Ian!
Edible or lethal? These 5 apps identify the plants around you
Did you hear about the retired guy who was greeted one morning in his garden by heavily armed DEA agents accompanied by canine assistance? Local authorities suspected the guy of growing cannabis. It turned out to be okra! Or perhaps you read about the woman who narrowly escaped death? She brewed what she thought were comfrey leaves. Turned out the leaves she brewed looked similar but were foxglove leaves instead. Continue reading about why you need to be able to identify plants and some apps that make that easy to do here.
Husband is extroverted, wife introverted. How do they differ at the campsite?
By Gail Marsh
It happens. Every. Single. Time. Within three short minutes of parking our RV, my extremely extroverted husband has already met the campers on either side of us. … RVing with an extrovert is not always easy – especially if you are an introvert like myself. Read more, including learning how introverts can comfortably make connections at the campground. Then please answer the poll at the end of the article.
“The Long, Long Trailer” – An enjoyable must-watch movie!
If you’ve never seen this hilarious, charming, classic movie starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, or haven’t viewed it in a while, it’s time to break out the popcorn! “The Long, Long Trailer” takes the best (and worst) parts of RV life and makes them all laugh-out-loud funny. If you’re having a bad day, you need to find this movie and stream it! Continue reading.
Torn or broken screen? Easily fix it!
This roll of screen repair tape is just what you need to fix those torn or ripped screens in your home or RV. Don’t waste money on a new screen! Cut as much tape as you need, stick it over the torn patch and you’re good to go. Learn more or order here.
Your assignment
What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?
From the editors: We asked our readers this question. Here is one response:
“Don’t be too quick to sell your home and possessions. We were so excited about going full time that we sold our house and got rid of almost all our possessions. While 3+ years of full-timing has been great, we now really miss having a home base and a place for all our ‘stuff.’ I know many have been glad to ‘lighten their load,’ but now we wish we had at least kept a lot of possessions so we could revert to part-timers.” —Richard Hubert
Featured recipe
Cranberry Cream Torte
by Carol Junkins from Hanson, MA
What a special dessert for the cranberry lover. This torte is pie-like, crossed with a cobbler. It’s different and delicious. There is plenty of sugar that mixes with the tart fresh cranberries. The cranberries burst while cooking and make a yummy, sugary sauce. A crisp, sugary crust forms on top. Walnuts in the topping add a little crunch and texture that complements the flavors.
Mmm… the perfect holiday treat! Get the recipe.
Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury.
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Editorial (news): mikegast@rvtravel.com
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Help desk: Contact us.
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
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I am watching those RV shows that show couples trying to decided what RV to get for their new lifestyle. I am noticing this show goes back to 2015 and they are mentioning remote lifestyles. So I am thinking this is nothing new just taking in popularity. I did find the perfect RV for me. It is a Jayco bedroom toward the front bathroom in the middle and a sofa with a table at the other end. I love it but not sure about the gvwr. I have a 21 foot TT that is around 3500 gvwr and yet this one has a larger tow capacity and gvwr even though it is about the same size as mine. Weird. But it is my next TT if the can get the weight down.
Long, long trailer story. I took my late husband to Mt.Ida, Arkansas to dig crystals, I didn’t realize how much he liked it till we hit a pothole in NYC and the floor of our Class C separated in the rear. He had put so much crystal in the utility trailer we were pulling that we had a weight issue. Lucky he was from NY and we were fixed and on our way quickly and reasonably. I must add that this was also a long, long time ago.
I post this comment here to highlight a rule that popped up on us. Carson City NV. Three commercial parks in the town. Two of them told me over the phone that I could not reserve a spot in their park because their insurance carrier didn’t allow coaches over 13 years old. So, 2021 minus 13 equals no coach older than 2008. Mine is a 2004. So I pressed the point with the pleasant sounding woman on the phone. I asked for an explanation of 13 year limit. The folks within ear shot of the conversation on her end confirmed the rule but didn’t know the backstory.
So, what happened in model year 2009 in the RV industry to cause insurance underwriters to create this rule? Nothing I can think of.
Anyway, we have NO plans to return to Carson City. The reason has moved. This insurance rule seems arbitrary. Don’t like arbitrary.