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Have you already decided which presidential candidate to vote for?

Chuck Woodbury
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Have you already make up your mind who will get your vote for President? Will it be Joe Biden or Donald Trump? Or will it be a candidate from another party?

We know from last week’s survey that 42 percent of you have already voted, so those folks obviously already made up their minds.

But what about you? Do you already know which candidate it will be? Or are you still undecided?

Sad to say, we have closed this poll to comments to help protect the sanity of open-minded readers who like to believe that people with differing opinions can live together in harmony in our democratic society.

POLL IS NOW CLOSED. MORE THAN 4,800 READERS RESPONDED.

Directory of RV parks with storm shelters
In case you’re on the road with your RV and the weather report is showing a tornado headed your way, have this list handy.

RV ADVICE: If you are a member of Facebook, please join RVtravel.com’s group RV Advice. Lots of good info 24/7.

Casino Camping: There are two types of casino “camping,” and more reader favorites

Nanci Dixon
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Casino Camping: There are two types of casino “camping,” and more reader favorites

Last week many of you commented on the rising costs of casino camping in casino RV parks. Ho-Chunk Casino in Baraboo, WI, is a popular park among many commenters, including Jeff E., who this week followed up with, “We’ve stayed at Ho-Chunk Casino and they took a ho-chunk of our money!” Ha!

This week, Jim O’Briant from OvernightRVParking.com offers some useful information highlighting the difference between camping at a casino’s RV park and parking at a casino. Jim says, “There are two different kinds of ‘casino camping.’ One is actually camping, in a casino-owned RV Park, with hookups and other amenities. The other is not ‘camping,’ but rather ‘overnight RV parking’ in a casino parking lot, without hookups, similar to the way RVers often park (NOT camp) overnight at retail stores, restaurants, truck stops, rest areas, and the like. Some casinos offer one, some offer both, some offer neither, and some offer a sort of “hybrid” – free parking with an electrical hookup.”

Jim goes on to say, “Many casinos require that you join their ‘players club’ in order to stay there. This is usually free, and often comes with some perks, such as meal discounts, free slot play, etc. Some require that you must earn ‘points’ on your card which you can redeem for free parking; otherwise you cannot stay there.”

Jim also provided some helpful tips when staying in a casino parking lot:

“1. Get permission from the casino.
2. Park where they tell you to park, without obstructing traffic lanes.
3. Use slideouts only if they extend over an area with no pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
4. Use levelers only with protective “jack pads” to protect the parking lot surface.
5. (Usually) No awnings, no lawn furniture or BBQ grills or anything else set outside your RV.
6. Dispose of all trash properly and never leave any behind.
7. NEVER empty gray or black water tanks anywhere other than an RV dump station.

“Most casinos have a ‘maximum length of stay,’ whether you’re in a casino RV Park or ‘blacktop boondocking’ in the parking lot. A few say that you may stay as long as you like as long as you’re gaming – they know that the odds are in their favor.”

Now, let’s hear some readers’ favorites…

Several readers have mentioned WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma. WinStar has an RV park and also allows overnight stopping in their parking lot. The best of both worlds!

Bill S. wrote: “If the RV campground is owned by the casino like WinStar Casino in Oklahoma (on I-35 just across the Texas border after Denton) they will give you a free night if you register for free for their player’s club. WinStar is a full hookups with hotel quality showers, laundry and pool. Pay nights are about $40 during the week. If you happen to be a gambler, you can get your entire week comp. If you just want a free no-hookup overnight stay, just find a spot in their huge parking lot.”

Rosy D. also mentioned WinStar: “WinStar Casino in OK has a great RV campground. They offer full hookups, shuttle service from your site, and a nice pool. Large, nice casino also offers good concerts. Between Oklahoma City and Denton, TX, on I-35 and close to Arbuckle Mountains.“

Editors note: WinStar World Casino and Resort is Oklahoma’s largest casino resort with eight city-themed gaming plazas. The RV park has 152 full-hookup sites and a shuttle. They have an overnight parking lot too. Free senior discounts available at the buffet. 

Reader PJN enjoys these spots: “Dakotah Meadows RV Park, SW of Minneapolis, MN, is a very convenient location to the Mall of America, Valleyfair amusement park and the Minneapolis area. Treasure Island Resort & Casino is SE of Saint Paul, MN, in Red Wing, MN, on the Mississippi River, great for boaters but 40 miles from the Mall of America.”

Editors note: Dakotah Meadows RV Park is at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, just southwest of the Twin Cities, and is one of the few campgrounds in Minnesota that is open all year. Our first night camping after selling the house and going full-time was at Dakotah Meadows. It was 10 degrees below zero! Very glad they had a free car starting service at the casino. Neither car nor motorhome would start. It was so cold, the inside of the windshield had a 1/4-inch-thick coat of ice. Headed south immediately!

Stopping at a casino, or are you a casino camping newbie?

American Casino Guide provides not only information on casinos, it has a gambling primer on slots, video poker, blackjack, craps and other popular casino games and RV, hotel, restaurant information.

Casino Camping Guide to RV-Friendly Casinos is also a great guide and provides a lot of information particularly for RVers.

Join our Facebook Group Casino Camping for more casino information. Post your favorite spots too.

Read last week’s Casino Camping here.

Tell us about casinos you like that other RVers might like. If you have any tips or secrets about casino “camping,” tell us those too, please!

##RVT970

PBS spotlights RV work campers in excellent report

Chuck Woodbury
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PBS spotlights RV work campers in excellent report

The PBS NewsHour, Public Television’s evening news program, recently profiled the growing movement commonly called work camping. Thousands upon thousands of RVers — the number is almost certainly in the six-figure range — travel with their RV from place to place to work. For some, it’s simply to keep busy. For others it’s essential income. Most are baby boomer age.

Amazon is perhaps the best known employer of work campers — relying heavily on them in its warehouses during the holiday season — but there are plenty more, as you will see in the video below. In this excellent report, you’ll meet some work campers, who explain why they work, the jobs they take and what they are paid.

The pandemic has spurred a surge in RVing due to the need for social distancing and outdoor activity, and work camping jobs don’t appear to be suffering.

But it’s not all fun, the news segment points out. PBS NewsHour correspondent Paul Solman filed this excellent report.

##RVT970

Amazing Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Nanci Dixon
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Amazing Instant Pot French Onion Soup

By Nanci Dixon
This Instant Pot® French Onion Soup is absolutely amazing. My sister just bought a farm and her first harvest included an abundance of onions, fresh from the field! Not only that, but she delivered. I knew there was no way to store all those onions in the RV along with the amazing zucchini and squash she brought us, so I made this French Onion Soup. The Crostini (toast) on top is sooooo good I could (and did) eat it all by itself! I used the convection oven for the toast, but an RV oven could be used too. You could even just microwave the toast if you don’t have either.  

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
• 4 – 4 1/2 cups any type onions, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
• 1 clove, or 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 4 cups beef stock, homemade, canned or bullion (I used Better Than Bullion brand)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Crostini:
• Cooking spray
• 8-10 slices French baguette, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (I found it in the deli section)
• 1/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded, or Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated (I like Parmesan better than Swiss so I used that)

Directions:

1. Set Instant Pot to sauté.
2. Add oil, onions and sauté until onions start to caramelize and turn brown.
3. Stir often to prevent burning.
4. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaves and butter.
5. Sauté an additional two minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add red wine and deglaze Instant Pot by stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot.
7. Turn Instant Pot off.
8. Add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and pepper and stir.
9. Set Instant Pot to manual high for 20 minutes.
10. Release naturally.

Crostini:
While the soup is cooking, make Crostini in convection or RV oven (recommended)
1. Preheat oven to broil or 450 degrees.
2. Slice bread 1” thick.
3. Spray baking sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray.
4. Sprinkle cheeses on bread.
5. Bake just until cheese melts and browns slightly.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

If no oven is available the Crostini can be microwaved on a microwave-safe plate until cheese melts (it just won’t be as crunchy).

Serve soup in bowls topped with Crostini. As with almost all soups, it is even better the next day!

Here is another of my favorite Instant Pot soups: Sweet Potato Coconut Soup

##RVT970

What’s that smell? Pot smoke an increasing RV traveler issue

James Raia
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What’s that smell? Pot smoke an increasing RV traveler issue

By James Raia
RV travelers who rent cars or trucks may have increasingly noticed an unusual odor in their vehicles – pot smoke. They could also be providing the odor with their own smoking preferences.

Rental agencies around the country have reported an increase in the pot smoke smell in their fleets. Since marijuana is legal or decriminalized and allowed for medicinal purposes in all but eight states, many drivers believe it’s OK to smoke it in rental vehicles. It’s not.

A new warning sticker on rental vehicles prohibiting smoking pot.
A new warning sticker on rental vehicles prohibiting smoking pot.

Rental agency representatives are increasingly having to explain the policy prohibiting smoking in rental vehicles includes tobacco, vaping and pot. The smell of pot is particularly difficult to eradicate.

Many dealers require customers to sign a contract agreeing to not smoke or vape in a loaner car or face a $150 to $250 cleaning fee. Reminders on the dashboards on rental vehicles have become prominent.

The marijuana smell in vehicles has also affected dealerships offering loaner vehicles. Customers often return cars and trucks with vaping and pot odor. Mechanics who work on vehicles sometimes have difficulty entering them because the smell is too strong.

Nasty smells in vehicles have also prompted more work for The Odor Doctor, a Houston-based car detailing company. It specializes in removing putrid odors from cars and trucks. The company also has mobile services in California, Florida, Atlanta, Nevada, and Illinois.

Frank Simmons, CEO of The Odor Doctors, told The Detroit Free Press more than half of the calls his company receives are to remove the smell of smoke from cigarettes, marijuana or vaping.

“If you smoke marijuana, cigarettes or vape, it’s all in that same general idea,” Simmons told the newspaper. “A vapor type product does omit an inorganic odor. An inorganic smell would be perfume and sometimes people will spray that to mask another odor and it’s really hard to get it out.”

The process for eliminating smoke from vehicles sometimes involves an oxidation machine. It’s left on inside a vehicle for several hours to overnight to lift odors and clean the car. It’s not always successful. The Odor Doctors company uses steam and it has treated more than 70,000 vehicles in the past 15 years.

Vehicles with a smoke smell that can’t be eliminated can lose 10 percent of their resale values, according to industry experts.

James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, California, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, www.theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@jamesraia.com.

RELATED CONTENT

RV smell bad after being closed? Charcoal to the rescue

Kill lingering RV refrigerator smell

Update on keeping black tank smell out of your RV

##RVT970

RV Tire Safety: How “strong” of a tire do I need, and what’s Load Range?

Roger Marble
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RV Tire Safety: How “strong” of a tire do I need, and what’s Load Range?

By Roger Marble
I found a discussion on Load Range in a Forum where the question “How strong of a tire do I need?” was being discussed. Here is some of the discussion:

Below you see what is stamped on my tire sidewall:
Load Range is rated at “H” 4940# single tire That’s at max pressure!!
Load Range 4675 Dual tires.
Tread is 5 ply of steel. Good puncture protection with 5 steel treads.
Sidewall is 1 ply of steel. Maybe this is why they ride smoother with only 1 steel side wall.
Am I missing something since your Load Rating info is not the same as mine. There’s not enough plies to be rated an “H” tire???

Well, I felt that a better understanding of the “strength” of the steel ply in the subject tires might help people understand the concept of different tire constructions

The number of “ply” or layers of cord (textile or steel) are not in themselves any proof of strength. Individual cords of steel are made up of many strands. The steel or other material used to make the strands can have a wide range of strength. Also the number of strands and even the “twist” of the strands can affect the strength and flexibility in the end product. Here are some basic examples of steel cord/cable:

Each has a different configuration. Without more information it would be impossible to know which is “strongest.” Don’t forget tires have to flex and bend millions of times so just max strength may not be the best choice as you need flexibility too.

If we get to more complex cords, we “twist” cords together and can get different properties, as seen here:

So an obvious question is how is the material selected by the tire engineer? There are a number of different tests conducted on tires to establish their “strength” rating, and the different materials can help a tire meet the different tests. It is completely possible for a given tire to pass some tests associated with a given level – let’s say “G.” BUT if a given tire only passes the “F” level of one test, then the tire would be rated as “F” even if it passed the “G” level in the other tests.

Now if the sales department wanted a “G”-rated tire then they would ask the engineer to change the specification so the tire could pass all the “G”-level testing. This change or “improvement” may or may not result in more layers of steel.

I can relate to an actual example of such a process in a tire I developed. It turned out in this case that the only change I needed to make was the wire in the “bead” of the tire. This is the “cable” of wire that holds the tire on the wheel. It is kind of an anchor for the body ply. Here is a very basic image of tire components. The feature I want you to understand is where the “bead” is located.

As you can see, the “ply” can be very complex and simply looking at the number but not the Load Range can be misleading.

The bottom line is you need to know the Load Capacity in pounds that you need for your specific application. In the same size you may have different Load Range such as E, F or G. Each Load Range has a different inflation level for the size tire you are considering and a different load capacity. So you need to consider much more than just the number and type of “ply.”

 

Read more from Roger Marble on his blog at RVtiresafety.net or on RVtravel.com.

 ##RVT970

RV Daily Tips. Friday, October 16, 2020

Newsletter Editor
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RV Daily Tips. Friday, October 16, 2020

This newsletter is for intelligent, open-minded RVers. If you comment on an article, do it with respect for others. If not, you will be denied posting privileges.

Issue 1451
Welcome to another edition of RV Travel’s Daily Tips newsletter. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and living tips from the pros, travel advice, a handy website of the day, tips on our favorite RVing-related products and, of course, a good laugh. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.

If you shop on Amazon, please click here to visit through our affiliate site (we get a little commission that way – and you don’t pay any extra). Thank you!

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Today’s thought

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ―Will Rogers

Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is Global Cat Day!

On this day in history: 1923 – The Walt Disney Company is founded.

Tip of the Day

How to use your RV toilet in cold weather

Chris Dougherty, Certified RV Technician, posted this tip while he was serving as RVtravel.com’s technical editor.

Some people prefer not to use the plumbing system during the winter for fear of doing something wrong and risking a freeze-up, and subsequent damage. Others prefer to just use the toilet, and depend on campgrounds for their other needs. It’s possible to use your RV toilet for brief periods in freezing weather. Continue reading.

Do you have a tip? Submit it here.

Why so many RVs are junk

Why are RVs made so cheaply, why are some “junk,” and why are they even sold in the first place when there’s a high likelihood that the buyer will have problems with the unit? This video does a great job of answering those questions. If you’re about to buy an RV, especially a lightweight-model trailer, you should watch this.

Yesterday’s featured article: Your Sprinter RV cost too much? Blame chickens!

You may have missed these recent popular stories…

Reader poll

Is your RV or tow vehicle engine powered by gas or diesel?
Fill ‘er up, then tell us here.

Quick Tip

Avoid holding tank surprises

“To save yourself from pranks, failing to close the valves after dumping and small leaks, I leave a clear 45-degree extension on my sewer outlet with the cap on so that I can see if there are any surprises waiting for me! If there are I rotate the extension up before attaching the hose.” Thanks to Phil W.
Editor: Here are several clear sewer hose adapters on Amazon.

fire extinguisherFire Extinguishing Aerosol, Two-pack
The First Alert Tundra Fire Extinguishing Aerosol Spray is easier to use and discharges 4 times longer than traditional fire extinguishers. With an aerosol nozzle and portable size, it’s suited for the kitchen, car, garage, boat or RV. The formula wipes away with a damp cloth & is biodegradable. Learn more or order.

Website of the day

HitchItch
Ever wonder what other RVers are up to? How are they making money? How’d they remodel their rig so it looks that nice? HitchItch lists pages of blogs of fellow RVers so you can stay up to date, get advice, and learn how other RVers are living.

Clubs and useful organizations
PLEASE NOTE: We may receive an affiliate commission if you join any of these.

• Harvest Hosts: Stay free at farms, wineries and other scenic and peaceful locations for free. Save 15% on membership.
• AllStays: The best website for RVers! Your membership will become your RV-bible.
• Overnight RV parking. Directory of more than 14,000 locations where you can stay for free or nearly free with your RV. Modest membership fee.
• Boondockers Welcome. Stay at homes of RVers who welcome you in their driveways, yards, farmland or other space on their private property. Modest membership fee.
• Escapees. Best Club for RVers: All RVers welcome, no matter what type of RV, make or model.

Trivia

There are immortal jellyfish! The Turritopsis dohrnii, a species of jellyfish also known as the “immortal jellyfish,” is able to revert back to its youth state after going through adulthood. It can’t ever die … well, from old age, at least.

*What is a “twirlwind” and what is a “twirlblast?” You probably already know, but if you can’t think of it, we told you in yesterday’s trivia.

Say goodbye to goop!
Have you ever seen the sediment that collects in your water heater? You probably don’t want to. Camco’s water tank rinser is an easy-to-use gadget that is a must-have for any RVer. The tank rinser will get out all the yucky sediment that’s been sitting at the bottom of your water heater and, most importantly, will extend the life of it too. Read the many positive reviews, and get one for yourself here.

Readers’ Pet of the Day

“This is Andy. In 2000-2002 my (then) wife and I took our 2 kids (10 and 11), and Andy, and traveled the U.S. in our RV for 18 months. I think Andy is the only rabbit to see all 48 contiguous states!” —Joe Hicke

Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. We publish one each weekday in RV Daily Tips and in our Saturday RV Travel newsletter.

Leave here with a laugh

Two clocks go out to dinner. After they finish eating, one clock says to his friend, “I’m still hungry!” His friend replies, “So go back four seconds.”

Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY!

Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
Oh, and if you missed the latest Sunday News for RVers, make sure to catch up here.

Become a Member!

This newsletter is brought to you Monday through Friday by RVtravel.com and is funded primarily through voluntary subscription contributions from our readers. Thank you! IF YOU APPRECIATE THIS NEWSLETTER and others from RVtravel.com, will you please consider pledging your support?  Learn more or contribute.

Join us: Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • RVillage

See all of our many Facebook groups here.

Need help? Contact us.

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.

This website utilizes some advertising services. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.

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.

Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.

This newsletter is copyright 2020 by RVtravel.com

Jayco, Entegra motorhomes recalled for possible seat wire short

Chuck Woodbury
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Jayco, Entegra motorhomes recalled for possible seat wire short

Remedy
Jayco will notify owners, and the dealers will place the seat wiring in the loom and secure it with wire ties, free of charge. The remedy regarding the switch and exceeding the amp capacity is still under development. The recall is expected to begin November 29, 2020. Owners may contact Jayco customer service at 1-800-517-9137. Jayco’s number for this recall is 9903521.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

* * *
While you may not own one of these RVs, if you know someone who does be sure to tell them. RVtravel.com posts recall notices like this as they are issued. Read all recent ones by clicking here.

Not signed up for the free RVtravel.com weekend newsletters? Published online since 2001. Sign up here.

##RVT970b

Is your RV or tow vehicle engine powered by gas or diesel?

Emily Woodbury
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Is your RV or tow vehicle engine powered by gas or diesel?

It’s hard to say if a gas or diesel engine is better or worse than the other. They both have pros and cons, and some people prefer one or the other.

Diesels have more power, and usually better mileage. However, they are heavier and cost more to repair. Gas engines cost a whole lot less than diesels, but they do have a shorter lifespan.

Is your RV or tow vehicle engine powered by gas or diesel? Please vote in the poll below, and leave a comment too if you’d like. We always appreciate comments. Thanks!

Where are all the Black RVers? Why the outdoors isn’t as inclusive as you think

Nanci Dixon
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Where are all the Black RVers? Why the outdoors isn’t as inclusive as you think

UPDATE AT 9 AM (Pacific time) SATURDAY, Oct. 17, 2020. WE HAVE CLOSED COMMENTS and removed some of the most hateful. We’d rather just ask readers to be respectful with their comments than close them down, but that would not work. So comments closed (Sad)!

By Nanci Dixon
My husband and I are full-time RVers. We are also an interracial couple with Black kids and Black grandkids and have noticed that the other Black campers are few and far between. Where are they? Why aren’t more Black families camping? Where are all the Black RVers?

While thinking about this, speaking with my husband, and talking with other Black RVers, I’ve come up with a few reasons (and debunked a few myths) as to why we see so few Black families at the campground with us.

Danger in the woods

A dark reason can be found in the historically horrific things that happened to Black folks in the woods. My husband grew up in Mississippi when lynchings were rampant and going into the woods at night was strictly forbidden. “The boogie man will get you” was code for “The KKK will get you.”

For a lot of people, the outdoors are a refreshing, meditative place to recharge and relax. For many Black people, though, it can be a place to be on guard and watch out. In other words, do anything but relax. A Black couple who recently camped near us said that while they really enjoy camping, they just don’t walk around the campground at night.

“The industry has not been welcoming”

Outdoor adventures have been in what are traditionally considered white spaces. National Parks, State Parks, County Parks, particularly in the Southeast, have restricted access or been blatantly not welcoming to Blacks. Even our beloved father of the National Park system, John Muir, called Blacks “lazy sambos” and native people “dirty, suspicious and dangerous.” Within the Sierra Club, founded by Muir, was a call-out for white supremacy and eugenics by its first leaders.

Even without taking the dubious history of the National Parks into account, the programs and interpretive exhibits of today are generally slanted toward white history and bias. It is a subtle form of “This is about us and not about you.”

In her article “Why Black People Don’t Go Camping,” Nikki Brueggeman writes: “Black people do not have a natural aversion to camping or the great outdoors; we have a natural aversion to racism and abuse. We don’t go camping because we hate mosquitoes, need heated rooms, or hate campfires, we don’t go camping because the industry has not been welcoming.”

Addressing inclusion

Earl B. Hunter Jr. founded a marketing and consulting company to address the business opportunity to help equip Blacks with camping equipment, provide information on how to camp and places to go. It’s called Black Folks Camp Too.

The National Parks in particular are taking a strong stand to be inclusive, examine its history, hire more Blacks in leadership roles, revamp educational programs and address the low percentage of use (7%) by African Americans. They are sponsoring things like “Black in National Parks Week,” Find Your Park and highlighting Soul Trak Outdoors, a nonprofit seeking to connect people of color to the outdoors, The Trail Posse, and the Facebook page African American Nature and Parks Experience.

Our story

Camping for 30 years with our family and now being full-time RVers, we have traveled all over the United States and seldom see other Black campers. We have encountered overt racism that was bad enough that we packed up and left a campground in the middle of the night. Another time an RVer called the campground office demanding that they get rid of the n@#*%*s in their campground. To the campground’s credit, they did not.

We are careful where we camp, particularly down South. One RVer I talked to said that as they were leaving the campground in their RV this year, a white man held up his finger to “shoot” her husband. This is not the first time I have heard that.

More often than not we encounter other campers that are friendly. Sometimes, however, there are hard stares, refusal to even respond “Hi” when spoken to and the underlying silent question of “Why are you here?” We are here because we are full-time RVers and we live all over this nation. We love this lifestyle and we hope to see more and more Black and brown people making s’mores around a campfire and enjoying camping too.

Read today’s newsletter (Oct. 17, 2020)

Related article: Black Lives Matter as RVers too

##RVT970

Fall is here. This hidden seasonal occurrence could spell trouble

Nanci Dixon
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Fall is here. This hidden seasonal occurrence could spell trouble

By Nanci Dixon
It is fall, and the trees are ablaze with color here in Minnesota. But changing color isn’t the only thing the leaves are up to. They’re falling. They’re falling straight on top of my slide outs. So are some twigs, a few bird feathers, and a small branch. I went up to check the solar panels and glanced at the awnings. I have read about sweeping off the slides before closing, but admit I obviously never had. This is the outcome. The debris, particularly the branch, was actually pushing the awning cover away from the fabric awning. That’s not good.

Used the “business” hook end of our awning pole to grab and slide the stuff out. Judging by the stage of decomposition this was not the first year they had settled in for the winter.

Lesson learned: Sweep off the awnings before pulling slides in, particularly in the fall.

##RVT970

How to use your RV toilet in cold weather

RV Staff
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Chris Dougherty, Certified RV Technician, posted this tip while he was serving as RVtravel.com’s technical editor.

Some people prefer not to use the plumbing system during the winter for fear of doing something wrong and risking a freeze-up, and subsequent damage. Others prefer to just use the toilet, and depend on campgrounds for their other needs. It’s possible to use your RV toilet for brief periods in freezing weather.

Purchasing a four-season RV or modifying one to handle sub-freezing weather is one possibility. I have done this previously with good success. This requires a coach with completely enclosed and heated holding tanks.

I prefer to add individual tank heaters and a separate heater for the utility compartment. I have also added digital freeze alarms to those areas to make sure that the temperature doesn’t dip too low in vulnerable areas. Work off the holding tanks only, and dump when necessary. Don’t stay connected to outside utilities.

But what if your RV isn’t winter-capable? Here’s the no-water option: It may be possible to use the RV toilet without the use of water, but extreme care must be taken to prevent freezing and damage. The process involves using potable RV antifreeze instead of water to flush the toilet. Starting with a completely empty black water tank, add at least 3-4 gallons of RV antifreeze to the black tank, and continue to use the RV antifreeze to flush the toilet as necessary. When you’re done using the system, dump as usual, then there should be no freezing problem.

For you snowbirds out there, using the coach’s water system from the cold temperatures to the warm and vice-versa is an option, but I wouldn’t recommend doing so unless you’re certain that your enclosed tanks are protected well enough for the climate. An option is to use the system as pointed out above, keeping the heat in the coach on, using minimal water, and making sure there’s adequate antifreeze in the holding tanks. Many folks will start using the system in the Mid-Atlantic region, for instance, headed south, and will re-winterize there on the way back.

Whichever you decide to do, make certain that the toilet is well winterized when you are done. Small amounts of water can remain in the flush valve on some toilet models, which can freeze and crack the valve if not completely removed or replaced with antifreeze.

##RVDT1451;##RVT970

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