Great RV Accessories Newsletter Issue 60

Posted September 25, 2017

News, information and reviews of great gizmos and gadgets for RVers. Published online once a month by the editors of RVtravel.com. If you are not already subscribed, click here to sign up now.

Product Spotlight

By Emily Woodbury
STAFF WRITER

After years of hiking, backpacking and camping, I was thrilled to learn about a little (and magical) company called LifeStraw. A LifeStraw is a high-tech straw used to filter out 99.9999 percent of waterborne bacteria and 99.9 percent of waterborne protozoan parasites in any body of water, making most of it drinkable. Fill up a bottle from a stream, river, lake, etc., and drink through the LifeStraw. You’ll get clean, fresh (and usually cold) drinking water. The biggest plus for me is not having to carry extra water with me when I’m outside for hours at a time. 

LifeStraw was developed in 1994 to filter out Guinea worm larvae from contaminated water. After a few years, the use of the filter had almost eradicated the disease. In 2005, the LifeStraw straw was created and was designed to help people in developing countries get fresh water. Other LifeStraw products were designed to filter larger quantities of water, but the little straw remains the most popular.

I USED MY LIFESTRAW for the first time a few weeks ago. I hike often and am usually a good judge about how much water to bring. On this particular 12-mile hike I had a bad cough, and ended up needing much more water than I brought along. Luckily, I had my straw. Halfway up I refilled my 55-oz. water bottle with water from a rushing creek and then sucked it through my LifeStraw, which provided me with drinking water for the rest of the hike. I was sold. My next hike, a week later, I brought minimal water and used my LifeStraw the whole way. My backpack was pounds lighter, and my water was never warm. 

If you have friends or family affected by any of the recent storms, send them a LifeStraw. If you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast, like me, buy a LifeStraw. If you live or travel in remote areas where you could be stranded in your car or RV, keep a LifeStraw handy.

Purchase a LifeStraw from Amazon for about $20 or click here to visit the company’s website and view other products.

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Readers’ favorite kitchen gadgets: Do you have a favorite kitchen gizmo or gadget? Send an email describing it and why you can’t live without it to Emily (at) rvtravel.com and we may include it in an upcoming Great RV Accessories Newsletter.

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Tank Sensors Reading Full?
Restore them overnight with Caravan Sensor Cleaner
Caravan’s highly concentrated, bio-enzymatic formula is guaranteed to remove the debris causing your tanks to misread. No driving necessary. No dangerous chemicals. No strong odors. Perfect for full-timers and permanently parked RVs. Learn more or or buy at Amazon.com.

King adding new powerful Wi-Fi extender for RVs
King, a Minnesota-based designer and manufacturer of satellites and antennas, will begin marketing a powerful Wi-Fi antenna this fall. It’s geared for RV, camper and mobile home owners. The device is part omni-directional antenna and part directional antenna. King claims the antenna’s directional pull for a signal is 10 times stronger than anything currently on the market. Read more.

Stay safer with Towpower’s HAZARD LED roadside warning device
REESE® Towpower has designed the innovative POD HAZARD LED roadside warning and work light device. It’s not only an ideal LED warning solution for motorists who stop their vehicle near passing motorists during a roadside emergency, it’s also a convenient work light for any possible situation. Learn more.

Dimmable windows coming soon to an RV near you
Vision Systems’ dimmable solutions are integrated into the window glazing, allowing passengers to adjust the tint of their window from clear to dark in order to regulate daylight, glare and heat entering while preserving the view. They can be controlled directly through a centralized control panel, or automatically with integrated light sensors. They also turn dark when they are powered off, keeping the interior cooler when the vehicle is parked for low air-conditioning consumption and privacy. Read more.

Stinky holding tank odors? Here’s the solution
Eliminate disgusting tank odors for less than $1 per treatment with formaldehyde-free Unique RV Digest-It. Unique’s highly concentrated, non-toxic blend of tank cleaning microbes maintains clean sensors, eliminates odors and liquefies the solids in your tank, ensuring no backups. All without harsh chemicals or dangerous ingredients. Try it once and you’ll be shocked at how clean your tank can be! Learn more or order.

Video: Product review  

Smart bumper can save the day in a serious fender bender
RVtravel.com contributor Gyro Gearloose (aka Wolfe Rose) reviews the Superbumper, and shows how his truck survived a rear-end collision with virtually no damage while the vehicle that hit him was totaled. Click on the short video.

Cordless vac gets sky-high rating
More than 10,000 Amazon customers have given this Black and Decker CHV1410L cordless hand vacuum an excellent rating. It boasts lithium technology, strong suction and fade-free power. With a translucent bagless dirt bowl, the dirt is easy to see and empty. Ever-ready, the hand vac can hold a charge for up to 18 months. Perfect for the RV! Learn more or order.

Light your way with motion-sensing battery LED lights
The URPOWER Motion Sensor LED stick-anywhere light identifies day and night automatically and will only illuminate at night when movement is detected and turns off automatically after 15 to 30 seconds if no motion is detected. Wireless, battery-powered operation means no installation hassles — this light can be used in any location in your RV. Learn more.

ASA Electronics introduces new Voyager rear mount camera
ASA’s top-of-the-line Voyager rear mount observation camera is completely protected from the elements. This camera has a 125-degree viewing angle, offering even better blind spot visibility than its predecessor, and it has a built-in microphone. Pair this hi-tech camera system with a Voyager LCD monitor, and you’ll be better able to see and hear everything going on behind you when you’re changing lanes or backing up. Read more.

Nesting lunch pot set by design firm Black+Blum
London-based Black+Blum’s Box Appetit Lunch Pot has a clean design that matches the quality of the product. The sturdy, two-part watertight set has a large pot and a smaller pot that nests in the large pot when empty. The twist-top lids are leakproof. The Lunch Pot comes with a fabric strap handle for easy carrying, and includes a handy spork. Read more.

Cleaning product is impressive at fighting grease
At the recent Hershey RV Show, Gail Meyring of RVtravel.com picked up a bottle of a biodegradable product called Reliable 1 Super Spray Cleaner. Among other things, it promised to easily dissolve grease. Any product that can do that and is biodegradable, she writes, is worth a try. Read her review.

Waterless trap for your RV plumbing system
Make foul smelling odors a thing of the past!
Already used by major RV manufacturers, the revolutionary HepvO waterless trap is a fantastic alternative to a conventional ‘P’ trap and it won’t fail due to evaporation, movement, freezing or leakage. Its unique membrane prevents foul air from the grey water tank entering your RV and its in-line design helps create extra storage space! Save 10% off all purchases before 11/30/2017 using code RVTRAVEL10. Learn more.

Gizmos and Gadgets at RVtravel.com
For years, in each of our weekly issues of the RVtravel.com newsletter we’ve reviewed or told you about hundreds of useful, interesting or unusual gizmos and gadgets for your RV, or to enhance your RV travels. Click here to browse through all those products.

Deep clean your RV’s roof!
Thetford’s Premium RV Rubber Roof Cleaner & Conditioner not only deep cleans rubber, but fiberglass & aluminum roofs, too! It removes oxidation, bird droppings and dirt buildup. Cleans, conditions & adds UV blocker in one easy step. Watch the video or learn more or order.

Products you might need
for your RV at Amazon.com

• RV parts and accessories
• RV hitches and tow products
• RV books and directories
Or search at:
• Dyers RV Parts and Accessories

Save your knees 
when working under your RV
Do you ever need to reach under your RV to grab something, adjust something, add air to a tire, or remove a leveling block? If you’re parked on dirt, gravel, hot pavement or other uncomfortable surfaces, your knees can take a beating! This kneeler pad, for about $7, will save the day. The RVtravel.com staff uses its pad all the time. Learn more or order

Check out these RV accessories that were featured recently in the RV Travel Newsletter

•  GEN-Y Hitch releases new Torsion Gooseneck Surge Coupler
•  RVAA picks Dometic Awning Power Wand for award
•  Now is the time to get rid of mold and mildew
•  Big rig? Let LAMPHUS warn other drivers where you are

Soap and water won’t work!
Easily remove bugs, tar, sap & grease
Tarminator Tar & Sap Remover breaks down the complex molecules found in tar and other sticky materials. The unique MicroActive cleaning technology gives Tarminator unequaled ability to remove even baked-on tar, grease, sap, and asphalt. Soap and water just won’t do it! Free shipping with Prime! Learn more or order.

AND CHECK OUT OUR REVIEWS OF
COOL RV GADGETS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

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