Volume 2. Issue 68
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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Page Contents
Quote of the day
“‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'” —J.R.R Tolkien
The benefits of trading RV tasks with your partner
By Gail Marsh
My husband and I love RVing! We’ve both become quite comfortable with our RV routines, too. Maybe I should say, “too comfortable.” Perhaps it’s time to switch things up and discover the benefits of trading RV tasks.
Mine and his
Chores. RV tasks. Routine work in and around the RV must be done. What’s interesting is that we’ve never talked about who should do what. Not one discussion or workflow chart was ever drawn to show who is responsible for specific chores. My husband just automatically takes our RV trash to the campground bins. I routinely vacuum the RV floors and do the dishes. He takes care of emptying the black and gray tanks. I pack, unpack, and repack for our RV trips. I make the menus and he grills.
Nothing wrong
Neither of us is unhappy with our current arrangement. We both know the other’s expectations and work at meeting them. We’ve probably carried over some of our “duties” from our stix-n-brix household routines. And there’s nothing wrong with that! I’ve just been wondering lately if we should switch things up a bit. Maybe there are unknown benefits of trading RV tasks. There’s only one way to find out, right?
Did you miss these popular articles this week?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
- RVer quits camping after 20 years – “too much entitlement.” Plus, the most RV-unfriendly state
- How to fix drill batteries that won’t charge
- Alternatives to hitch ball grease
- Your RV’s rubber roof thinner than a dime; damage could cost you $10,000 to fix
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
Tour of RV toilets: The pros and cons of 9 different RV toilets
By Cheri Sicard
Nine different RV toilets? I never knew there were so many! Of course, through the years I have used several incarnations of the typical Thetford foot flush RV toilet installed by most RV manufacturers. And I have heard of composting toilets. We have even featured a video comparing the two in the past.
But I had no idea there were so many different variations of RV toilets beyond those. Continue reading.
Getting a handle on my RV’s steps with the Safe-T-Rail
By Tony Barthel
This is my story about the MORryde Safe-T-Rail handrail that I have installed on my trailer. … At a recent FROG (Forest River Owners’ Group) rally, we had a great spot out in the front of a row and, as other campers started to show up for the rally, I heard a knock on the door. The gentleman who knocked wanted to know more about the Safe-T-Rail that was installed on our camper, as he had never seen anything like it. Read all about it here.
Why does electrical adapter trip the circuit breaker?
By Mike Sokol
This question comes up time and time again: “Why does my 50-amp RV trip the 30-amp circuit breaker when I need to use a dogbone adapter to power it from a 30-amp pedestal?”
Read all about volts, amps and watts (in layman’s terms) here, including the typical watt usage of many items in your RV.
A BOOK FULL-TIMERS MAY LIKE… The ultimate guide to jobs that can be done anywhere. Click here to read about it.
Use handy silicone lids for cooking & storage
Use on the stove or to seal containers instead of using plastic wrap or foil. They’re BPA, phthalate and PVC free and heat resistant to 440 degrees. Press down gently in the center of lid for an airtight seal. Use to replace missing or broken lids. Use on leftovers and to keep salads and fruits fresh! Learn more or order.
Reader poll
Quick tip
Hints for downsizing to full-time RV
Pick up each item and ask yourself if it sparks joy. In other words, does it make you happy? If not, get rid of it. Sort by category, not location. Don’t start with the bedrooms, and then the study, and then the kitchen, etc. Do all of your clothes and then all your books, and so on. Tidy each category all at one time. Don’t do a little bit today and more tomorrow. You’ll never get finished. Go through all of your clothes at one time and then all of your books at one time. Don’t keep gifts just because you would feel guilty if you threw them away. After you have experienced the joy of the gift-giving moment, you can donate the gift without feeling guilty. The gift has served its purpose. From Secrets of RVing on Social Security: How to Enjoy the Motorhome and RV Lifestyle While Living on Your Social Security Income Available on Amazon.
More power, more problems: Life on the road with just 100 watts
By Jeff Clemishaw
I’ve met a lot of people in my travels with massive solar setups—sometimes more than 2,000 watts. Every time I hear these astounding numbers, I can’t help but wonder if that level of solar power is truly necessary. They tell me how they can run their air conditioners and microwaves while boondocking. This always leaves me, with my 100-watt panel, in awe. Continue reading.
RV repair shop owner laments, “Why I would love to honor RV manufacturers’ warranties but can’t!”
My name is Dustin Simpson and I am the owner and operator of California RV Specialists, an independent RV repair shop located in Lodi, CA. A few years ago my wife quit her job elsewhere and joined me at the shop full-time. Working with your spouse is rewarding; however, it comes with its challenges too—especially when you don’t agree on certain operations of the business. For us, the crux has been and will always be an RV manufacturer warranty. I want to offer it; she is vehemently against it. We want to share our honest perspectives on this hot topic. Continue reading.
Don’t miss today’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter! Good stuff inside, including:
- Tips for cleaning the inside of your windshield
- RV Review: Winnebago Access 28FK: Affordable, but it doesn’t portray cheap
- Ask Dave: I don’t want heat in my RV bedroom. Can I just cover the vent?
- Could you have a hydraulic leak coming from the RV slide-out cylinder and not know it?
- RV maintenance mistakes: Removing decals!
- Why you need to be nice to your RV dealer
- and much, much more
Featured recipe
Dubliner Irish Cheese Crusted Fish
by Debbie Rohan from Boerne, TX
Dubliner cheese has a more sharp taste to it than traditional cheddar cheese. It adds a great flavor that enhances the simple dinner. Panko crumbs, mixed with the cheese and butter, make the crust perfectly crunchy. Cod or any other type of white fish would work in this 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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Thank you, Emily and Diane!
I am so glad I no longer go camping with my family. I ended up planning the trip with little to no help. Meal planning and so forth. Once my mother passed I planned the last camping trip ever to anywhere and after that did what I wanted. A seasonal site to any where. I ended up finding a great seasonal site in Maine and got a new used RV and well hate to say it parked it there and do what I want to do. So now no more family camping trips and I go to Maine in June thru September and love it. The family can visit me because I am going no where. Plus in Maine there is a ton of stuff to do and the weather is perfect. That takes care of no more depending on where to go stuff.
Heat Pump Furnace??? Me thinks you’re a little confused. It’s either a heat pump or it’s a furnace. Heat Pumps are your AC’s in reverse…100% electric. Furnaces are gas (typically propane) powered with an electric spark to ignite the gas. Two totally different things. Therefore since I have both (but separate) I voted NO.
Yes. Both partners must know how to do all the tasks including cooking and how to use a wrench and especially driving should the other partner become disabled or worse. I’ve seen too many men come into laundromats with ‘deer in the headlights’ looks or not even a clue of how to fry an egg.