Volume 2. Issue 5
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

“All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.” —Jack Kerouac

Tip: Different ways to get rid of all that “stuff” to downsize

By Nanci Dixon
We are full-time RVers and people usually have the same three questions for us. They ask us about how long we have been full-timing, how do we get our mail, and what we did with all our “stuff” to downsize. The first two questions are easy – almost six years, and a mail service in South Dakota. The third question about stuff usually requires a bit more explanation.

On a whim, we had listed the house for sale never thinking it would actually sell before we left to go south to RV for the winter. It sold on Thanksgiving. Who the heck buys a house on Thanksgiving? Once the sale was confirmed we only had two weeks to get rid of everything or lose our hard-to-find camping reservations. Even six years ago it was hard to get reservations at state parks in Florida for the winter.

Continue reading to see how Nanci and her husband got rid of all their stuff – they’re good tips.

RELATED:

• Keeping track of stuff in your RV
• Want to downsize? Sell your stuff on eBay
• Full-timer pleads, “PLEASE don’t buy me anything!”
• Downsizing: An emotional roller coaster

Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters? 
If so, here is some of what you missed…

• RV park owner throws in the towel. The business has changed, even shockingly
• Campground Crowding: “I empathize with those who didn’t get to camp the way we did”
• RV park owner discusses reality of electric vehicles and charging stations in parks and what it means to RVers
• Bird nest blues: It’s illegal to move a bird’s nest – even if it’s on your RV!

PLUS: Our latest RV Travel Podcast, hosted by Scott Linden

Features

Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter. 

Video and article: The don’ts of “camping” at Walmart

Every evening across North America, thousands of RVers pull into a Walmart parking lot, and not just to stock up on groceries. For many, it’s where they’ll spend the night, free of charge, courtesy of the store and endorsed by the Walmart corporation on its website. That all sounds good, but there’s more to the story: Increasingly Walmart stores are erecting “No overnight parking” signs. Find out why and watch a 6-minute video from the folks at the popular YouTube channel Drivin’ & Vibin’ about seven things you should never do if you plan to stay in a Walmart parking lot.

“I smell mold in my RV. What should I do?”

Dear Mark,
I opened one of the cabinets next to my bed in my travel trailer and smelled the unmistakable odor of mold. The cabinet was dry and clean. What would cause this? —Sandra Spaulding

Read Mark’s answer.

RVers and experts weigh in: What are the best days to travel?

By Nanci Dixon
A friend recently asked me which days we prefer to travel on. He said that they like to travel on Wednesdays because they avoid folks going out of town for the weekend and avoid those returning from the weekend or a long trip. That got me to thinking, “What days do RVers like to travel?” I found that travel days are a popular area of discussion among RVers. … Do you agree with Nanci’s findings?

Don’t miss today’s RV Daily Tips – lots of good stuff inside! 
Read it here.

At last! A guidebook to National Forest campgrounds
This guidebook is badly needed. Not since 2003 has there been a comprehensive guide to these wonderful, and typically very scenic National Forest camping areas — until now! National Forest Camping is fresh off the press, published in late May 2021. Forest Service areas offer some of the best camping experiences in the United States. In this directory, you’ll discover 3,704 camping areas in 41 states. Learn more.

Reader poll

Do you USUALLY buy your gas/diesel based on price, brand or location?

Answer here and see how others responded.

Quick tip

Thoughts on decluttering your full-time RV

Dealing with the “compact” space of your RV? Here’s an experience that Rosemary Vaughan shared that may help. “We are full-time RVers. Recently we went back to our home town of 60+ years. We had a ‘clean out’ of our RV and took many things out and put them in our storage unit. Any gifts we purchased on the road, we gave to the intended recipient. They were pleased and grateful. We will not be hanging onto these items until Christmas now that they have been distributed. Any Christmas presents will be shipped via some website that we may use, especially for the grandchildren.” Thanks, Rosemary!

Tips for Wi-Fi and cell data on the road

By Nanci Dixon
As many of us know, when we cut the cable to our internet and TV source, whether a weekend warrior or full-time RVer, our data life changes. Some of us realize how dependent we have been on technology – how hooked into our phones, tablets, computers we’ve been – and say, “Yeah, we are free!” For the rest of us, it can be like cutting off an appendage. Connectivity has become an integral part of our daily lives. Read how to improve your connectivity while RVing.

Deer fly bites driving you nuts? Try this easy trick!

Deer flies … an RVer’s enemy! Deer flies can be unbelievably irritating at times. So bad you just really, really want to stay inside your RV and never get out. They bite! Hard! The “Bucket of Death” can help. Read how.

This video could save you from danger during a tire blowout

Chad and Tara of Changing Lanes take wonderful care of their tires. They protect them with UV spray, they check to make sure they’re properly inflated, they constantly check the tread wear and the dates, they don’t drive fast, and they have a TPMS installed… yet they still had a tire blowout. Watch the video for important safety tips.

Time to cool off!
This compact, battery-powered, highly rated (the highest rated one on Amazon!), low-noise fan is just what you need to stay cool in your RV this summer. The rechargeable battery charges quick with a USB and will keep you cool for up to six hours at a time. Clip it to your table, bedside, driver or passenger seat or by your chair outside to stay cool. Learn more or order. 

What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?

From the editors: We asked our readers this question recently. Here is one response: 

“If you are just doing this to save money think again, especially if you plan to travel! Full-time RVing is not a cheaper way to live. While many tout that it is, my guess is that they are doing without what we would say are necessary expenses. Here’s what we did:
1. Develop a realistic budget and include everything.
2. Have an emergency fund.
3. Don’t forget insurances! Life, medical, vehicle and full-timer’s insurance on the RV.
4. Fuel if you travel. Figure out how far you want to go and do the math.
5. Upkeep/maintenance and repairs. Things break when you travel.
6. Roadside assistance. The first time you break down you’ll wish you had it!
7. Camping fees. As more and more RVers hit the road, the cost of campgrounds will rise.” —Randy Boschee

 ⇒  RESERVE A CAMPSITE AT CAMPSPOT, the leading online marketplace for RV camping (and glamping).

Featured recipe

Italian Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers
by Enro Gay from Dawsonville, GA
We love Enro’s twist on stuffed green peppers. Italian sausage changes the flavor profile. It adds much more savoriness to the dish. The tomato sauce and ooey gooey cheese balance this dish perfectly. These are delicious!

Mmm mmm mmm! Get the recipe.

RV Daily Tips Staff

Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Senior editor: Diane McGovern. Social media and special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.

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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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