From RVtravel.com: The common sense resource for RVers since 2001 • Issue 2756
Today’s thought
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” —Benjamin Franklin
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Chicken And Waffles Day!
On this day in history: 1803 – The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.
Tip of the day
Want a cleaner, safer dump station routine? Try this setup
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
RV dump station tips are essential for every RVer who wants to stay safe and clean while handling waste. Using gloves when dumping a holding tank is a simple but crucial step. Black and gray tanks can contain harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites like E. coli, Salmonella, and Giardia. Even minor contact can lead to infections, so gloves provide a protective barrier between your skin and these pathogens. Continue reading.
More tips from this weekend you may have missed:
- How to find the cheapest and best home-base RV properties
- Can you legally ‘camp’ overnight in a Costco parking lot?
- The best tips for using cast iron: Cleaning, seasoning, and storing it
- Quick Tip: RV drawer removal secret
Article and video
America’s roads are changing. Here’s what you need to know
By Cheri Sicard
America’s roads are getting redesigned, not just repaved. The changes are already showing up in small towns, suburbs, and big metro corridors. In this video, Jason Epperson from RV Miles walks through what’s new in the past five years and why drivers keep running into unfamiliar layouts. Here’s a clear guide to the upgrades, where they appear, and how they improve safety and flow.
The ‘Fasta Pasta’ pasta cooker cooks pasta perfectly; minimal water and no propane
Nanci Dixon writes, “This is my new favorite ‘As seen on TV’ pasta cooker. It really is perfect for the RV!” To cook the perfect pasta all you do is add pasta, water, and microwave. It uses little water and no propane—no “real” cooking involved. Read Nanci’s review of it here. It’s great!
In the RV shop with Dustin
Resealing an RV skylight: Sealing tips from the pros
Join Terry and me in our RV shop and watch as we tackle a skylight replacement up on the roof. We’ll guide you through the process while discussing what to do and why.
RANDOM RV THOUGHT: A terrific place to visit on your travels is a library. Search for local or regional magazines and newspapers. They may provide ideas of things to see and do plus provide insights into the locals’ lives. Look for the regional history section, where you’ll learn things about the area that you wouldn’t otherwise. In small libraries, consider donating a book you’ve read. It will be appreciated.
The latest news for RVers
- Walmart launches high-tech auto centers with contactless service
- Thieves targeting RVs to steal their copper wiring
- GM oil lawsuit settlement ironic; lawyers drive away with $57 million
- Lawless Yosemite campers taking over campsites during shutdown
- Ford recalls nearly 300,000 model year 2020-2022 trucks
To read more recent news, click here.
Featured article
RV oven features and tips even experienced RVers don’t know
Even though Cheri Sicard uses her RV’s oven all the time (yes, your oven can be used for more than storage!), she still learned some tips from this informative video. You might learn something, too. Read the tips and watch the video.
Ask Dave
Does Dawn dish soap keep RV black tanks clean?
FREE IS GOOD! Oklahoma Travel Brochures. Many to choose from.
Reader poll
How many cups of coffee do you drink in a day?
? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ?
OK. Let’s get right down to it: You need at least one of these. Oh, you might successfully argue that you do not. But here is what we think: Buy one or two of these and place them in front of your RV at your campsite. We guarantee you will turn a lot of heads. Whose creative mind came up with this? What a genius!
Quick tip
Trailer safety chains
Use a side-to-side cross pattern to attach your chains under the hitch. This ensures that if your hitch separates, the tongue will fall onto the chains and not the ground, restricting the potential damage done. It also allows you to turn more tightly without them becoming entangled. –From RV Living: An Essential Guide to Full-time RVing and Motorhome Living
Website of the day
75 Easy Halloween Crafts for Adults Who Love All Things Spooky and Spidery
Get out your glue stick and craft supplies because you’re going to want to make some of these spook-tacular crafts to put up around your RV!
Trivia
The average person spends about 20,160 minutes of their life kissing. That’s enough to burn 524,160 calories, or about 970 Big Macs.
Readers’ pets of the day
“Our three sweet Papillon pups, Dori, Roxy, and Mari, on a hike with us during a beautiful fall camping trip to southern Illinois! We are so fortunate that they are great travelers and LOVE to camp. When we get the crates out and start packing for another adventure, they KNOW, and get so excited!!” —Janet Priest
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. No blurry photos and please do not submit your photo more than once. Thanks!
• RVing with Dogs group on Facebook. You’ll love it.
Fix roof leaks and extend your RV roof another 18-20 years with the ONLY liquid butyl rubber in the world
RV Roof Magic’s unique solvent-based drying process allows for a chemical bond not found in other RV sealants. That is why it never needs a primer and only one coat. We offer a 10-year warranty. Apply RV Roof Magic to all roofs except silicone and PVC. Over 30 years of history of success. Visit our site for our monthly special!
Leave here with a laugh
Left at a rental cabin at Yellowstone National Park:
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When I worked at Yellowstone in the early 1970s, we swore that the park did have a trained bear for the tourists. Every morning the same bear sat on his rear at the side of the road until he got a half-dozen cars stopped in each direction. Then he would walk down the middle of the road and beg for handouts from each car. We knew it was the same bear because he had a distintive white patch of hair on his belly. We decided that the bear had been in a circus and was trained to go back to his cage each afternoon to sleep. Then rhe rangers would let him out each morning at the same spot along the road!
FAR better than a pizza stone! Measure your oven bottom (where you put that pizza stone) inside the venting holes. Go to a metal shop and order a 1/8″ sheet of pure copper of this size. Yes, it costs more than a pizza stone. Copper is one of the best elements for heat transfer. It is why you find it in nearly every computing device as a heat sink. Copper wants to be the same temperature across its entire surface. That is why copper-bottom pans are so nice. A copper sheet will spread that propane burner hotspot evenly across its entire surface faster than a pizza stone for shorter pre-heat times. Further, it is not going to break when you RV oven bounces down the road.
Crossing safety chains- great idea IF the two chains have separate mounting points. Seems to be a trend on newer trailers that both chains use the same mounting point (or there is one chain mounted through a middle link). You really cannot achieve any of the listed benefits because the chains cross right at the mounting point and you may actually weaken them.
Yes, maybe someone should tell the trailer frame makers this.
Of course it would require one more weld and cost the manufacturer about $1 more in labor and materials.
Reading the trivia, it seems if you kissed everyone you see, you would lose more weight than dieting and weight loss pills.
Janet
your pups look like wonderful companions. Thanks for sharing