Volume 2. Issue 49
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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This newsletter is sponsored by our friends at Wholesale Warranties.
Quote of the day
“Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.” —Ernest Hemingway
Full-timers: University study wants to know about your health care
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
“Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.” —Albert Schweitzer. Many RVers would agree—it’s hard to appreciate the lure of the open road while coping with medical problems. It’s one thing to deal with a sprained ankle while vacationing. But if you’re a full-time RVer, acute—and especially chronic—health issues can be huge problems. One full-timer wrote, “Full-time RVers’ health care options are a sick joke.” If you’re a full-timer, a university researcher wants to learn more about your experiences.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
- Noticing changes as I travel: Sales lots are full and campgrounds are empty
- Campers forcing vulnerable communities into ‘complete destitution’
- Debating slide outs: Should my next RV have one or not? (with poll)
- This 2024 motorhome, made in the USA, can be yours for a mere $3 million!
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
A portable stovetop oven that actually works
By Tony Barthel
[A]s someone who thinks about baking in an RV more than any sane person should, I came across a video by Bob Wells from Cheap RV Living talking about a stovetop oven called the Omnia Stovetop Oven. As I mentioned, I think about this far too much so I started looking around. There are several Facebook Groups for this device and plenty of YouTube videos, including from a number of van lifers who prepared things in it that really surprised me. Learn more.
RV Hacks, Tips, & Tricks
By Gail Marsh
No matter if you’re a long-time pro at RVing or just starting out, the following RV hacks, tips and tricks are sure to make your RV trips easier, more comfortable, and hopefully more enjoyable. The following ideas may need to be implemented by purchasing an item or two from your local store. In many cases, however, you probably have the needed items in your home already. Curious? Then read on to discover some very useful RV tricks and tips!
Boondocking or boondoggle? Dispersed camping simply disperses our messes
By Andy Zipser
[I]t’s a fact that even the most conscientious boondockers will be unable to avoid scarring the land on which they’re camping. Not when they’re driving 5,000- to 25,000-pound wheeled houses onto unpaved and uncleared ground, squatting in one place for five or seven days – if not longer – until they’re forced to move on in search of fresh water or a dump station. And while it may seem like there’s an awful lot of land out there for the boondockers to settle on, and so whatever damage they may inflict will be dispersed and only minimally visible, in reality, the boondocker population is exploding and the land they’re seeking is much more limited than they imagine. Read more.
Reader poll
Quick tip
Got a hot lap from your laptop?
Ever burn your lap with your laptop computer? Here’s a handy do-it-yourself fix. Get a piece of 1/4″ plexiglass cut to the appropriate size. Glue a chunk of soft foam cushion material on the bottom of the plastic. Computer on top, foam on legs — no burns, no slips.
Add RVing on Nevada’s wacky Extraterrestrial Highway to your bucket list
By Cheri Sicard
The sun had no sooner set on Nevada’s remote Extraterrestrial (ET) Highway when the previously silent sky suddenly roared to life with aircraft. Or more precisely the sounds of aircraft. Lots of them. The dark and cloudy early night sky provided no clues as to who or what was creating the din. But the noise continued uninterrupted, with a few window-rattling booms occasionally punctuating the steady drone. Continue reading about this intriguing encounter.
Pests on your pets: The best meds to use to keep ’em off!
By Karel Carnohan, DVM
Ewwwww, pests on your pets like fleas, ticks and mosquitoes are gross and annoying. Your cats and dogs are exposed to these every day, even if they are indoors. When your vet urges you to keep your pets on flea and heartworm preventives, they are looking out for your pet’s long-term health and not just preventing itching and irritation. Read how to protect your pets from pests here.
Engine heater failure: What we learned when the temps dropped
Gail Marsh and her husband were heading south, trying to outrun the cold weather. But they encountered overnight lows of 19 degrees F in Mississippi. Her husband plugged in the engine heater on their truck so they could continue on their trip first thing in the morning. But, nope. The truck wouldn’t start. What happened? And what lesson did they learn? Find out here, so the same doesn’t happen to you.
Don’t forget to read today’s RV Daily Tips newsletter! It’s a good one.
Your assignment
What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?
From the editors: We asked our readers this question. Here is one response:
“For towables, upgrade your tires, take care of them and get a TPMS. Load the RV and get weighed. Stuff is your friend, weight is your enemy.” —Walt Barr
Featured recipe
Chili Chicken Tacos
by Julie Prior from Mesquite, NV
These chili chicken tacos are an easy and inexpensive dinner to make. Chicken thighs cook in a slow cooker with garlic, your favorite salsa, chipotle chiles, brown sugar, and a few seasonings. Once shredded, the sweet and spicy chicken is stuffed inside taco shells. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings for a tasty taco night. This shredded chicken will also be good in quesadillas or on nachos.
Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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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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our newest vet introduced us to simparica. It is a all in one heart worm flea and tick and anti get rid of the bug stuff that is a chewable. Expensive but worth the price when you consider that the heart worm chewables and then the next guard product bought together is more expensive then this product combined. Need to get them tested but going to try this product this year.
Amen to that, Bob!
There is no such thing as good luck. Good luck is when God chooses to remain anomomous.