Volume 2. Issue 53
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
“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” ―
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Making campground laundry day easier for RVers
By Gail Marsh
Many folks, and especially many full-time RVers, have a washer and dryer (or combination washer/dryer) installed in their RV. We have them inside our fifth wheel. When it’s just my husband and I traveling, I use the onboard laundry. However, when we have grandchildren with us, it’s a different story. They generate a lot of laundry! And when we work camp, our daily laundry really piles up. Trying to fit two complete work outfits (work shirts, soiled jeans, etc.) into our small RV washer and dryer is a no-go. Instead, we’ll forgo our small laundry appliances and take our clothes to the campground’s laundry.
Here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned that make campground laundry day so much easier.
How often do our readers do their laundry? See how more than 1,800 of our readers responded in a recent poll
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
- The ‘nomadic lifestyle’ has finally come to an end
- RV parks, campgrounds, perform background checks on RVers; RVers must pay
- RVers find roof bubbles on new RV. ‘Normal,’ says RV dealer. RVtravel to the rescue
- Letter to the editor: RVers take, take, take—and contribute little!
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
Long RV servicing waits may be reduced by cultivating relationships with local shops
By Randall Brink
Over the past two years, the RV industry’s tectonic shifts have spawned stories of delays in RV service and repair, parts shortages, and overall high demand upon shops and technicians. There are shortages of everything from critical components to physical shop space, and particularly qualified technicians. A common thread in these tales of RV ownership woe is the open-ended repair timeline that results in RVs entering the shop and staying there. There is no short-term or simple solution on the horizon for these shortages and constraints. But there are things that you, as an RV owner, can do to mitigate the situation and keep your rig on the road. Read more.
Why you don’t have to be a minimalist to be an RVer
By Cheri Sicard
There seems to be a popular wisdom circulating among today’s young RV bloggers and YouTubers that you MUST be a minimalist to successfully live and thrive in the RV lifestyle. I even saw one “expert” (who, by the way, was selling expensive online courses about living as a nomad) actually give the ridiculous advice that you should outfit your RV with NO MORE THAN two place settings. … WHAT the WHAT? … Read Cheri’s wise alternative perspective, and check out her picture as a beautiful circus performer, here.
Important lessons learned from RVing apply to other parts of life, too
By Nanci Dixon
Through the years of RVing and the last years full-timing, in particular, the one lesson I learned is to pack light and get rid of stuff. The saying goes, “One thing in means one thing out.” As we start to fill a dwelling again with all the necessary stuff of a stuck-to-the-ground house, I am impressed with how ingrained “keep it light” is. Every year in the RV we pull everything out and if we aren’t using it, well, out it goes. Or at least that is the idea… Read more.
Reader poll
You didn’t… you wouldn’t!… miss today’s RV Daily Tips newsletter, did you?! Inside: Taking RV inventory: Does everything in our RV need to stay? Does using ice cubes to unclog an RV’s black water tank really work? Using the Andersen Trailer Jack Blocks; the top 5 best Florida springs with campgrounds; the best grilled cheeses in America; and much more! Click here to read.
Quick tip
Installing a magnetic-mount antenna on a rubber roof
If you’ve ever tried to install a magnetic mount style antenna on an RV’s rubber roof, you know it just won’t happen. A piece of galvanized metal, for example an electrical junction box cover, is a great “base” for such antennas. How to attach it? It can be screwed down to the roof, using roof-compatible sealant under it. Others have used heavy-duty, double-stick tape to hold the plate down.
Big Rig RV owners! You need this!
If you aren’t carrying the 2023 Rand McNally Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas with you in your RV, you’re inviting trouble. This is the atlas that truckers rely on to plan their routes. It helps them get “there” the fastest while avoiding roads where they could get stuck with turns too tight or bridges too low to fit through without shaving off their roofs. Even if you have a GPS, this is an important resource! Learn more or order.
Finding community in campgrounds, like going back to the 1950s
By Rod Andrew
About 12 years ago my wife and I made our first trek south, towing a trailer from British Columbia to Southern California. Early in the trip, we learned something that you readers probably already know, but which came as a surprise to us. We found community. I had thought that traveling would be all about where we went and what we saw and did, but found that this would really only be a small part of what lay ahead. Read the rest of this heartwarming story.
Wonder what an RV production line worker thinks about today’s RVs? Read this!
By Gail Marsh
Last year, I wrote an article that generated quite a bit of conversation (read it here). My article was in response to a reader who commented: “I read about so many problems with today’s RVs, I wonder if I should just forget about buying one.” Many, many of you responded with equal doses of encouragement, practical advice, and realistic cautions about owning and maintaining an RV. One reader, who also happens to work on an RV production line, offered his opinion from his unique perspective. I’m happy to share his genuine observations and heartfelt feelings with you, here.
Featured recipe
Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
by Suzanne Marzano from Toledo, OH
We used round steak when testing this recipe and it was delicious. It’s a great way to serve multiple people a Philly cheesesteak. It’s quick and super easy to make. We really love the amount of cheese added… makes this nice and creamy. Yummy!
RV parts and accessories at Amazon. Huge selection, great prices.
Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
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Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
Editorial (news): chuck@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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On the recipe of the day to mimic Arbys roast beef sandwich I use thinly sliced roast beef, a package of McCormick au jus and simmer for about 10 minutes. If needed I reserved the juice and make the sandwiches with ragu cheese sauce and add the horsey sauce to make it feel just right. For the recipe above I would do the same except using the juices. Caramelize the onions for a nice taste. For non meat eaters chicken would work as well. I definitely will make this recipe. Looks good.
Quick tip, why are you putting a magnetic base antenna on your rubber roof? If it’s for a CB radio it won’t work with out a ground plane. A CB antenna or any antenna you’re going to transmit on needs a ground plane. Simply a metal surface under the antenna, years ago when the CB craze was going on I mounted an antenna on the leading edge of the bed cap on my truck, not being metal nothing worked. A friend suggested aluminum screen wire glued onto the cap, worked like a charm, gave me an SWR meter reading of 1.1:1 which is perfect.
Recipe sounds good..but I think there are some errors…I haven’t
used a cup of Salt on anything ever in my life..least not on 2 pounds of meat.
You can use that no salt substitute or I use the chicken montreal seasoning that I also use in place of salt. I love the montreal its yummy on everything.
That was for the separate recipe for the homemade seasoning to be used judiciously over a large number of meals.