Volume 2. Issue 24
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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Quote of the day
“Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness.” ―
Plans change. What do you do as a sick full-time RVer?
By Lisa Adcox
You are full-timer RVers and enjoying life. Suddenly life changes. One of you gets sick. What do you do as a sick full-time RVer, or as the caregiver for a sick full-time RVer?
My husband had a stroke. He can no longer do all the little things that are needed as an RVer. Now he’s dealing with the frustrations that come along with accepting that life has changed. I have found my life changed too. I do all the things I have always done but now all of those things for him too.
When something like this happens, what’s next? You realize that for now, at least in the near future or longer, you need to make new plans. You need to swallow your pride and ask for help.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
• Feds crack down on portable generators
• RV Gadget Review: The CatStrap prevents catalytic converter thefts
• Scandal! As demand soars, Forest Service closes campgrounds
• Huh? Tow ratings drop on some new Chevy, GMC trucks
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
RVers ask: Our RV’s steps hurt our aching knees. What to do?
By Gail Marsh
Paula and Larry S. recently wrote to us with a concern. They wrote, “What do people with bad knees or legs do for better entry steps? The ones that come with campers nowadays are much better than the ones before 2019, but our camper is 2008. We need steps closer together and with a better handrail now that we are well over 65. I am sure others do too, as everyone seems to have bad knees in our age group!…” Read the rest of the letter and Gail’s suggestions here.
“My motorhome blew a front tire! Here’s what I did to avoid disaster!”
By Eric Johnson of TechnoRV.com
I had a blowout on my passenger steer tire doing 65 mph in my 2016 Tiffin Phaeton. In this article, I am going to share exactly what happened and how I was able to control the RV and safely get it off the road. You can watch a video of me explaining what happened below…. Continue reading and watch Eric’s video here.
6 stories of RVers who got kicked out of campgrounds. Was it fair?
All campgrounds have rules, and some have more than others. The question is, what is the penalty for violating the rules? How common is it to actually get kicked out of the campground? Here are some videos of folks who got kicked out of campgrounds for a wide variety of reasons. Watch them here, then let us know in the comments if you think the campgrounds were justified in kicking the campers out.
You didn’t miss today’s RV Daily Tips newsletter, did you? If so, read it here.
Reader poll
Which of these RV owners meet your definition of a “full-time RVer”?
Quick tip
Estimating a safe following distance while driving
Denny Day offers a suggestion on safe following distances while driving. Instead of counting seconds, allow a vehicle length between you and the next rig for each 10 miles per hour of speed. Denny writes, “This will give you time to react to a problem. Today’s highway problems are heightened because of people following too closely and not having time to react, or answering a cell phone, or texting. Or just being idiots!” Amen, Denny!
Beware! Mirror glaze finish attracts wild birds. They dented and scratched our RV!
By Nanci Dixon
Camping in a state park in Missouri a few weeks ago, a young male cardinal saw his reflection in our bedroom window. It took a while for us to figure out that the sound at the back of the motorhome was him ramming himself into the window relentlessly. I shooed him away before he seriously hurt himself or broke our window. I quickly forgot about it, but when I went back inside the motorhome a bit later, I heard a Click! Bam! Click! again and started searching for what was rhythmically making that noise. Continue reading.
Campsite neighbors light up cigars… So much for fresh air!
By Gail Marsh
We were excited to finally open our windows. After one solid week of RVing in the rain, the skies cleared. All day we looked forward to nighttime – sleeping with the fresh, cool air breezing through our open bedroom windows. But then – smoke! And not from a campfire this time! Our new RVing neighbor and his buddies decided to light up some cigars. Yep, cigars! At 12 o’clock midnight. So what did we do about the “Stogie Guys”? Find out 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:
“If at all possible, have your rig paid for. Make upgrades and add equipment when you can pay for them. And remember you’re not on a vacation—this is a lifestyle. Slow down, get to know an area, and enjoy it without rushing around.” —Glenda Laine
Featured recipe
Steak Tips With Peppered Mushroom Gravy
by Ronda Krouch from Riverside, WY
The peppered mushroom gravy in these steak tips is creamy, savory, and filled with mushrooms. Thyme adds a pop of fresh flavor. Once the steak tips simmer, they’re tender and juicy. Serve over a bed of egg noodles for an easy and tasty dinner your entire family will enjoy.
Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
CONTACT US
Editorial (all but news): editor@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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Wow. Strokes, bad knees, blown tires, cigar smoke, bird attacks, evictions. Is anybody having fun out there?
Regarding “..a safe following distance…” look at the facts. According to Google the average length of a car is 15 feet. Using the suggested “safe following distance” at 60 mph you should stay back 6 X 15 = 90 feet. At 60 mph you are travelling 88 feet per second. The average reaction time, according to Google, is .75 seconds. You therefore travel .75 X 88 = 66 feet. That’s 66 feet before you even get your foot on the brake pedal. You then need to push down on the brake pedal, brake fluid (or in some cases air) needs to flow to the brake cylinders which pushes on the brake shoes/pads and THEN you start to decelerate. If you’re reading this newsletter then you are likely an RVer and RVs don’t stop all that well compared to the car just 90 feet in front of you. Add to that, a lot of us RVers are getting older and our reaction times are not what they used to be. Double or triple your following distance for safety sake.
The whiners should say “Of course we’ll do what’s necessary – pay higher campground fees to the USFS!”