Volume 2. Issue 27
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
“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” —Barbara Kingsolver
Living full-time in a roomy motorcycle pop-up trailer
For anyone who thinks their rig is too small, check out the following video. Kevin has combined two of Greg Illes’ (veteran RVer and writer for RVtravel.com) deepest loves: RVing and motorcycling. In fact, he even rides the same model motorcycle as Greg. It’s not just an occasional weekend sojourn – he’s actually full-timing in this motorcycle pop-up trailer setup. Interesting rig to say the least. And it has a king-size bed?!
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
• Is Amazon about to become a giant headache for RV manufacturers?
• New fuel economy standards for 2026. Will your TOAD get 49 mpg?
• GPS blamed in RVer’s death
• Around the Campfire: RVers discuss some downsides to workamping
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
Take your ice cream cone out of your pocket! It’s illegal!
We received many interesting comments on a story we published about birds nesting inside a motorhome’s slide-out. … Many comments centered around the legality of destroying bird nests rather than taking precautionary actions, and that got me thinking… What other kinds of interesting or funny laws exist and how might they affect RVers? Read what Gail Marsh discovered. You’ll laugh at a lot of these!
Warning: If bit by a tick, there’s a 50% chance you’ll get Lyme disease
That headline is true! If you didn’t know Lyme disease was transmitted by ticks, you should read this article by Gail Marsh, who tells you the scary truths about the disease. Learn the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures of this disease in this article.
Fridge Fixer keeps residential refrigerator doors closed in RVs
Americans are an ingenious lot. We see a problem. We solve a problem. Whether that problem be big or small, we don’t hesitate to provide a cool solution. And speaking of cool, one of the problems many RVers have is that their residential refrigerators don’t stay closed when going down the road. Solution? Fridge Fixer™. Read what Tony Barthel thinks about this nifty gadget, and watch a short video, here.
Get ALL your RV parts and accessories in one place, it’s fast and easy
At Dyers, you’ll find just about everything you need for your RV… and then some! Find replacement parts, maintenance parts, gadgets and accessories, and more. Products for all kinds of RVs and tow vehicles. Dyers offers the best prices and even tells you how many they have in stock, when each product will ship, and warranty and return information. You can’t beat it! Start shopping here.
Reader poll
Do you enjoy driving or towing your RV?
Quick tip
Get ALL your wheels aligned
Got strange tire wear issues? When was the last time you had your RV wheels aligned? Motorhomes are obvious candidates, but even towable RV wheels can need alignment. Not every corner tire shop can do it, so be prepared to make a few phone calls to find a shop that can do it.
Reasons to share map locations with friends and family
Both Google Maps and Apple Find My have the ability to share locations with specified people. Once that’s done, you can look at a map at any time and see where your friends are. That comes in very handy when you’re traveling or meeting up with another RVing couple. Or you can have fun traveling even if it’s not your own travels! Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour tells you how to do it here.
Raising the bar: Historic drinking establishments you’ll want to say “Cheers” to
You’ve been running all over the city (or the country), visiting museums, landmarks, tourist traps, souvenir stands, zoos, aquariums. After all, you’re on a relaxing road trip vacation, right? Well, for those moments on the road when you’d love to do nothing more than slow down, relax and curl up with someone special over a good strong drink, why not make it something memorable – or even historic? There are some well–oiled taverns, pubs and saloons still left in the U.S. that are steeped in history; the perfect places to begin (or end) a vacation pub crawl. So if you have a little time, this round of places is on me.
Roadside Assistance gave us the wrong tire – on purpose!
By Kate Doherty
On May 27th, my spouse and I were approaching an RV park in Provo, Utah, for the night on our trek north for the summer. After settling into our pull-through site, we began our routine hookup. As I walked around the back of our motorcoach to open the electric bay, I noticed a narrow “v-shaped” gouge in our left rear tire. Almost new, having no more than 3,000-miles wear on the back tires, I called to my spouse: “We’ve got a tire problem.” He walked back, looked at the tire and said, “We’re not driving on that.” He continued our hookup and I called Good Sam Roadside Assistance. Continue reading for an important heads up. Have you ever encountered this situation?
If you haven’t already read today’s issue of our RV Daily Tips newsletter, click here. (Trust us, you don’t want to miss it!)
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 enter into the lifestyle thinking it’s an endless adventure. It’s not. Depending on expectations, it can be a dream or a nightmare. Test the water before diving in. Plan an extended trip—3 to 6 months—to get a good feel of expenses, how you’ll cope with smaller space, the inevitable problems that might arise with your rig, even how the added time with your partner might impact your relationship. If you don’t currently own the type of rig you’d plan to use for full timing (class A, 5th wheel, etc.), rent first to avoid regrets.” —Julie Conner
Featured recipe
Arlene’s Caramel & Streusel Coffee Cake
by Arlene Jacobson from Grand Terrace, CA
We just love this light and tasty coffee cake. It tastes like a cinnamon roll. The buttery flavoring with the sweet cinnamon streusel is the perfect pair. The extended mixing time may be a bit of work, but the result is worth every minute! Once baked, the cake is super moist. The sweet and tangy glaze takes this cake to another level.
RVtravel.com Staff
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editors: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Tony Barthel, Mike Gast. Contributors: Mike Sokol, Gail Marsh, Roger Marble, Dave Solberg, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, Julianne Crane, Chris Guld, Machelle James, James Raia, J.R. Montigel, Clint Norrell, Randall Brink, Chris Epting, Karel Carnohan, DVM, and Cheri Sicard. Special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Moderators: Gary Gilmore, Linda Brady, Mark Gorrie. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. Special Reports: Bradford Geer. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
CONTACT US
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Editorial (news): mikegast@rvtravel.com
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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 just read that article on testing the waters going full time. I am in 4 weeks heading solo to Maine and I must be nuts. But it is only for 3 months. I sit in my 21 foot trailer going its like a mini efficiency. I keep reminding myself. Happy trails.