Volume 2. Issue 65
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

“Life is a journey, and if you fall in love with the journey, you will be in love forever.” —Peter Hagerty

A quick, cheap decorative RV update for the full-time RVer

By Nanci Dixon
Our RV rugs are finally wearing out after six years of constant use and numerous washings. They were fine at the time of purchase—a nice neutral plain brown that wouldn’t show dirt and coordinated with the furniture and cabinets. I am not a showy decorator.

I always envy those folks who tear an RV apart and remodel it to their taste. I sometimes even ask to see their RV and write a story like I did with this RV-turned-log-cabin.

But I am not one of those. I am fine with the way it is, even the factory-installed pictures are okay with me. I was a professional photographer and my sister asked why I don’t hang my work on the walls, or at least family photos. Nope, I’m good. After decades of walls covered with photos, I’m embracing the “less is more” mantra.

But it was time for new rugs and I wanted something with a teeny bit more pizazz.

Continue reading and see the difference

Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?

If so, here is some of what you missed…
• Reader claims Camping World service techs “defecated in both bathrooms,” filled tanks. Later, at camp: “sloppy blackwater poured out all over feet, pants and hands”
• What kind of RV antifreeze should you use to winterize your RV?
• Starlink News: SpaceX gets green light for two new dishes, loses 200+ satellites
• Guided RV group trips, full-timing families, taking up campsites: “10 school buses come into the park morning and night!”
• The tragic case of Brooks Roberts: A tale of U.S. Forest Service law enforcement overreach and homelessness
• Disadvantaged RVers on “the street”: Homeless “solutions” have mixed results

Features

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

The important life lessons that RVing has taught me

By Gail Marsh
Maybe it’s because I’ve worked in education for most of my life. Or perhaps it’s because I am getting older and more introspective as time goes on. Whatever the reason, I’ve been thinking lately about all that I’ve learned while RVing. I’m not talking about RV organization, daily RV life, or RV maintenance. I have indeed learned all those things. But I’m talking about what RVing has taught me about myself. Continue reading. Does this sound familiar to you?

Prospecting for more than gold. Find diamonds, and more, on your RV travels

By Randall Brink
Gold is not the only valuable mineral on the earth. RV prospectors who find themselves traversing an area of the country barren of gold might well consider searching for other exciting and valuable mineral deposits, such as diamonds. All but a few U.S. states claim valuable minerals or gems beneath their land surfaces. Forty-five states have declared a state gemstone, rock, or mineral, and quite a few boast all three. Learn more.

Know Your RV: Why balance your trailer tires?

By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Got a fifth-wheel or travel trailer? Then your “towable” RV has tires on the ground. If you check your tire pressure regularly, and don’t overload your rig, you’re ahead of the game. But strangely enough, even among veteran towable owners, there is something about tires that is often neglected: balance. Few people would drive their car or truck away from the shop with new tires not balanced. But a lot of RVers don’t get their towable tires balanced. Learn why it’s important here.

Reader poll

Quick tip

Insulate your bed for cold winter nights

Mike B. shares this timely tip: “My fifth wheel has a slide for the bed, so when extended, the head of my bed is sticking out into open space. During cold months, I find myself piling on the covers but still feeling cold. The cold is coming from under the bed and through the mattress. I still have the insulated pads from my tenting days. Those pads were put on the tent floor to keep the cold from getting through from the ground to me. I discovered that using those pads under the mattress in the RV solves the problem of cold air getting to me from outside. If that’s not enough, try laying an open sleeping bag on top of the mattress under the fitted sheet. Winters in Colorado get really cold at night, but my urge to take the RV out of storage is as strong as ever.” Thanks, Mike!

Presidential history buffs, add these places in “flyover country” to your travel plans

By Gail Marsh
Here’s something you may not know: Many people in the Midwest actually like our region being known as “flyover country.” Why? Because it keeps our beautiful parks, regional attractions, and great RV campgrounds readily available for those of us who love to live here. Here in “flyover country” we are proud of the folks who called the Midwest “home” and then they each went on to become one of the most powerful and well-known people in the entire nation: the President of the United States. Read about several of those presidents and places to visit here.

How van life living helped this solo RVer bank $150K

By Cheri Sicard
A lot of people ask, “What does van life cost?” But there’s another part of the equation: How much can living a van life save you over a bricks-and-sticks house or apartment?

Have you ever wondered if you would actually save money with van life living or full-time RVing? Outdoor adventure photographer Christian Schaffer ran the numbers and put that question to the test in the informative video below. Click here to watch.

This electric trike built for two is so much fun for RVers!

By Nanci Dixon
An electric trike built for two whizzed by me and my husband. Wow! We had never seen anything like it before and we just had to stop the couple and ask about it. Check this out!

YOU DIDN’T MISS today’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter, did you? Make sure you read it here.

Featured recipe

Overnight Pulled Pork

by Mary Hart from Renton, WA

Cooking the pork roast low and slow means you will wake up to your whole house smelling of yummy pulled pork. The dry rub gives the pork a wonderful flavor and just the right amount of spice. Mixing your favorite BBQ sauce with cider vinegar is a nice way to add tanginess. Follow Mary’s recipe and you have pulled pork without all the work. We served ours on a bun with coleslaw and some sauce. Don’t want a sandwich? Use it on top of nachos or for a pulled pork quesadilla. Yum!

Click here for the recipe

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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