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Page Contents
August 27, 2022
Non-Members (advertising-supported) edition
Cover story
This is what your RV says about you
By Liz Wilcox
S
o you travel in an RV… but have you ever thought about what your RV says about you? Like, what’s the impression you give when you pull up to the campground?
Well, look no further, my friend. We’re here to tell you all about how people are judging you from the RV you travel with. Come on, don’t tell us the same type of person owns a truck camper and an Airstream. Or a toy hauler and a converted school bus? Nope! Totally different personalities. So which are you?
***
Continue reading to see what Liz thinks your RV says about you, whether you own a luxury motorhome, a fifth wheel, or a tiny teardrop camper. We think her descriptions are pretty accurate (not to mention hilarious!). But see if you agree.
COMING NEXT MONTH
A new weekly newsletter: RV Tech Talk. The nation’s leading experts on RV repair and maintenance will discuss, both in writing and in live online discussions on Wednesday evenings, what you need to know to keep your RV in top condition and to troubleshoot problems. Hosted by Dave Solberg. Sign up.
Photo contest
Here is today’s edition of our twice-a-week photo contest. Please vote for your favorite. Once you’ve voted, please submit your own photo for consideration. Winners receive a $50 Amazon gift card. Good luck!
(And remember, this contest appears every Saturday and Wednesday, so don’t forget to check back for five more photos from our readers this coming Wednesday! Sign up for our RV Daily Tips newsletter if you’re not already getting it. If you’re not sure if you’re on the list, sign up again. You will still only get one issue, not two.)
We want to hear from you
It can take months to get an RV repaired. Tell us your experience
RV sales have risen and there is a glut of RVs crowding campgrounds, crowding highways and, most of all, crowding RV service centers with sometimes months-long wait times for repairs. Where are all of the RVs getting serviced? Can they even get parts? If the RV is more than 10 years old, what happens then? Continue reading Nanci Dixon’s personal horror story, and then please fill out the form in the post if you have one (or more) of your own. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share stories of your RV service experiences.
How to do RV Travel readers rate RV roadside assistance plans? Read “the good, the bad and the ugly” according to what they told us.
Today’s RV review…
Cherokee Wolf Pack 315PACK12
Tony writes that this is “a larger fifth wheel toy hauler that sports a 12-foot garage. From past reviews, I know a lot of readers have mentioned that toy haulers are nice and all, but they tend to feel more industrial than other forms of RVs. While I try to avoid bringing up colors and style in these reviews, as I feel we each have our own perception and taste, I will say that complaint wouldn’t work here. The interior of this rig really has a nice warm, comfortable feel.”
Repairing my RV problem was not as ‘impossible’ as I thought
By Randall Brink
When you RV full-time, there is always a project waiting to be done. Most of the time, it is a mundane chore like laundry or cleaning. Sometimes, though, a maintenance or repair project will loom large on the list of things to do. Sometimes those projects seem to keep getting more daunting, particularly with those tasks that you have never done, do not know how to do, or cannot get directions to accomplish. I recently had one of these, with a meaningful outcome. Continue reading, and learn some valuable life lessons in the process.
Deep-cleaning your RV for a quick sale makes all the difference
By Silvana Clark
When we listed our Alante Class A motorhome for sale on Craigslist, we had numerous potential buyers look at the RV. I expected that. What I didn’t expect was how many people said, “This RV is so clean! We’ve looked at lots of RVs and none are as clean as this one.” I assumed everyone deep-cleaned their RV before putting it on the market. Learn how to make your RV sparkle like new for a quick sale here.
Around the Campfire: RVers share their funny and ‘yikes’ newbie mistakes
By Gail Marsh
It was a fun night around the campfire as we all shared our personal “newbie misadventures.” The great thing about RVing (and really about much that happens in life) is that the harsh sting of mistakes lessens with the passage of time. … “We were all newbies once.” Perhaps by sharing our stories of misadventures we’ll help today’s newbies avoid our mistakes. Read more.
Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletters
- It’s time for that annual fall RV cleanup
- Keep this product on hand for easy RV underbelly repair
- 17 impressive ways to use disposable shower caps while RVing
- RV underbelly leak repairs can be a nightmare, but this will help
- Trim your RV weight and increase storage space, too
Incredible makeover turns this 1973 GMC RV into an out-of-this-world spaceship
Wow! Check out this 1973 GMC spaceship makeover! Theodore Zen and his wife, Hannah B Free, were tragically burned out of their home in the Woolsey fire in California in 2018. Homeless and in shock, they decided they wanted to be mobile if and/or when disaster hit again. They found a 1973 GMC RV at auction that looked so much like a spaceship they decided to turn it into one. Continue reading about this amazing, and resilient, couple and their out-of-this-world RV!
Know Your RV: Go lug nuts!
Sad to say, for many RVers, they know more about peanuts than lug nuts. That could be a real problem. While you can get fat eating too many peanuts, you can get seriously injured or worse with loose lug nuts. Learn all about lug nuts and torque wrenches here.
New virus infects human population. You have a say in keeping it away
By Gail Marsh
There’s a new virus attacking the country. In my opinion, the lack of civility has become a full-blown pandemic. I see it everywhere—in the news, on the road, in grocery stores, in the workplace, and even in campgrounds. Can this pervasive illness kill our society? Our country? Should we be concerned about it? Read more, including how we can all help stop the spread, here. Feel free to comment. Hopefully after reading this, you don’t need to be reminded to keep your comments civil (or you’ll be proving Gail’s point).
Reader Poll
Have you ever been in an accident while driving your RV?
Please let us know. After you click your response, you’ll see how others have responded. Feel free to leave a comment.
POPULAR POLL FROM THIS PAST WEEK
We asked: How likely are you to buy an electric bicycle in the next couple of years? Do you think more or fewer people said they’d be buying one? Find out here.
Controversial 10-year-RV rule explained (video)
Have you heard of the “10-year rule” at RV parks? If not, you’ve probably not been an RVer very long. Here’s the rule, as it applies to camping in an RV park: If your RV is 10 years old or older, you may not be allowed to stay. Continue reading and watch the video.
Ghost Town Trails – Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory
By Dave Helgeson
Fort Selkirk, located in Canada’s Yukon Territory, is the featured ghost town in this month’s installment of Ghost Town Trails. … I chose Fort Selkirk as the August entry as you can only visit this site in the summer. Hopefully, some of you reading this are up north and can add it to your itinerary before heading back south. Continue reading about this well-preserved town and its part in the Klondike Gold Rush.
The long, long RV trip, Week 12: Summersville Lake camping—Almost Heaven, West Virginia
By Cheri Sicard
After leaving Brewery 33, I knew I eventually wanted to end up at my friend John’s estate in Virginia. But since I had to pass through West Virginia to get there, I looked for a good campsite at which to put my National Park Pass to good use. I will fully admit my decision was largely based on how good the Verizon signal was reported to be. Read more.
Video of the day
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.
CONTEST
Is this your RV?
Win a $25 Amazon gift certificate if today’s RV photo shows your rig
Every day we post a photo of an RV either submitted by its owner or by our editors as they move about the country.
Click here to see if your RV made it into today’s issue.
Saturday Giveaway!
How would you like to win a pair of Collapsible LED Lanterns?
These handy little lanterns collapse down to 3.4″ x 4.8″ for storage. They’re great to have on hand for an emergency.
How to win
We’ll select a winner at random out of all entries we receive today (August 27, 2022) by 7 p.m. Pacific time. Remember, you can only enter once and after we notify you by email via RVcontests@gmail.com that you won, you have 24 hours to respond or we’ll give the prize to someone else.
Click here to enter or see last week’s winner!
Ask Dave
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook”.
This past week’s questions that Dave answered:
- Black tank handle hard to pull open. How can I fix it?
- Can I move my RV’s toilet?
- How do I know if my RV’s A/C ducts have collapsed?
- How can I tighten up my RV’s lock mechanism?
- Nothing 12-volt inside RV is working. What to check?
Click here to see more questions for Dave.
Sign up for Dave’s new RV Tech Talk weekly newsletter for great advice about RV repair and maintenance. Beginning late next month, every Wednesday evening Dave will be joined by authorities in their respective fields for a discussion including answering questions from RV Travel readers. Streaming live on Facebook, YouTube and elsewhere.
RV Gadgets and Gizmos
with Tony Barthel
Getting a handle on my RV’s steps with the Safe-T-Rail
This is my story about the MORryde Safe-T-Rail handrail that I have installed on my trailer. … At the most 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.
Making potable water portable with Dometic jugs
While we talk a lot about RVs here on RVtravel.com, they’re not the only things on our minds. In fact, I love finding creative new ways people are doing things and Dometic, it seems, has the same idea. As such, the Swedish company has Owen Mesdag as a team member. He already has a laundry list of products to his credit. So when he decided to tackle portable water storage, he wasn’t just messing around. I got a chance to put my hands on a new Dometic product specifically designed for water storage. Continue reading about this neat new water jug and water delivery system.
?????? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??????
Find us a butter product, we dare you! Better… we mean better… Don’t want to be spreading the wrong information! Seriously though, we want to hate this, but we think we might love it…
RVelectricity™
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.
Just Ask Mike (J.A.M.) Session: How many batteries equal a propane tank of energy?
Visit Mike’s RVelectricity Forum on RVtravel.com.
RV Tire Safety
The tire says “Max Pressure”. Should I bleed out air?
By Roger Marble
Many people make the mistake of bleeding air out of their tire when the “Hot Pressure” rises above the number on the tire sidewall. This is NOT correct. Please do not do this. A clarification might be of help. Continue reading Roger’s explanation and recommendation.
Ask Roger anything about RV tires on his RV Tires Forum.
Operating an RV Park
We have a new RV!
By Machelle James
The last article we left off with us having a massive leak in our RV’s roof. Well, it is worse than we thought, with leaks from the cap all the way to the back. We have queen beds in the back, on the HappiJac system, and the beds have been in the UP position for months. We dropped the beds to remove the bedding and all the pillows, the mattress and sleeping bags were soaked through. This was quite a shock as we knew there was a leak, but not a waterfall in there! I was crushed. This is where our children spent most of their childhood when we traveled, and it was ruined. Continue reading.
Johnny Robot
Our non-human staff writer answers your questions. “Johnny’s not always right, but he works cheap!”
Today, Johnny tackles these questions:
- Single woman RVer asks Johnny for advice about finding a male travel companion.
- RVer has ants in her pants. “Help me, Johnny,” she pleads.
Recipe of the Day
Easy and Tasty Salisbury Steak With Gravy
by Brenda-Lee Barajas from Watertown, NY
Salisbury steak is a hearty meal that just sticks to your ribs. This recipe is easy to prepare and tastes great. Adding the patties to the slow cooker allows the meat to absorb the flavors from the gravy. Pure comfort food.
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Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Ella, a Jack Russell/Pug mix is our new motorhome dash Companion. 10 months old and a prior resident of the Idaho Panhandle now living in the Oregon Pacific Northwest.” —Steve Stewart
Brain Teaser
What word in the English language does the following: the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great person, while the entire word signifies a great woman. What is the word?
(Answer in tomorrow’s Sunday news newsletter. And please don’t spoil it for other readers by posting the answer in the comments.)
Trivia
Editor Bennett Cerf bet $50 that Theodor Geisel – aka Dr. Seuss – couldn’t write a book using 50 words or less. That bet resulted in the children’s classic “Green Eggs and Ham.” Geisel won.
Laugh of the Week
When I was a kid, my parents would always say “Pardon my French” after a swear word. I’ll never forget that first day at school when the teacher asked if we knew any French.
Resources
Current Wildfire Report. (Includes map and details of fires!)
Current smoke and fire report for where you live or where you are traveling.
“RVs: Who Makes What” – This is a new free directory from RVtravel.com which lists every U.S. RV manufacturer and their makes and models. Learn more and/or download a free PDF copy.
RV Show Directory: See if a show is coming soon to your area.
Stolen RVs — Help us recover these stolen RVs. The more eyes we have searching for them, the better chance of getting them back to their rightful owners, and maybe putting the crooks who stole them in the slammer! See the stolen RVs.
Great websites. Check out our favorite websites of the day! We compiled a list of (almost) all the websites we’ve ever posted, and we update it weekly.
Where to complain about bad RVs, dealers, service, RV parks. This is an ever-expanding list of resources where you can report, share or discuss your problems with RV manufacturers or dealers.
Best Club for RVers: Escapees. Click here to learn more or join. Endorsed by RVtravel.com.
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 Clubs
Check out our Directory of RV Clubs and Organizations.
Stuck with a lemon RV? Contact Ron Burdge, America’s premier RV lemon law attorney.
The Best RV Trip Planner Apps and Tools. Everything you need to help plan your trip is here.
Facebook Groups of Interest
Towing Behind a Motorhome • RV Advice • RVing with Dogs • RV Tires • Budget RV Travel • RV Buying Advice • Free RV Campgrounds • Casino Camping • RVing Full-time • Trucks for RV Towing • RV Enthusiast • RV Travel • RVing Over 60
Did you miss last week’s RV Travel?
Roadskill
Meet Earl and Burl Squirrel, from the mind of RVtravel.com friend R.L. Crabb
Write for us. Gain fame and maybe even fortune someday (relatively speaking). If you have a story that needs to bust out of you and onto the pages of this website, then this is your opportunity. Just click here to find a submission form. We typically do not pay for these initial contributions and are selective in those we publish. But when we spot talent, we will take notice and invite the writer to submit more, most often with pay.
RVtravel.com All-Star Team
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editors: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Tony Barthel, Gail Marsh. Contributors: Mike Sokol, Roger Marble, Dave Solberg, Dave Helgeson, Mike Gast, Julianne Crane, Machelle James, James Raia, J.R. Montigel, Randall Brink, Karel Carnohan DVM, Cheri Sicard, Dustin Simpson, Dale Wade, Paul Lacitinola and Johnny Robot. Special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Moderators: Gary Gilmore, Mark Gorrie. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. Special Reports: Bradford Geer. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
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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I hope you don’t travel with Ella on the dash that would be very unsafe for everyone. Traveling with an RV is a huge responsibility and requires your full time attention. I traveled alone with two small dogs and love dogs as much as anyone, but mine stayed on the floor.
Ella looks so happy looking out at that beautiful camp site view!😀🐶
I’d like to see more on safe steps designed for truck camper. These campers can sit
36″ or more off the ground and all standard steps are extremely unsafe. There are a lot of seniors owning or want to own a truck camper but are concerned about how high up the steps have to go. All stock steps are dangerous and the narrower doors on campers won’t accept any of the after market styles.
Do you have ideas you could pass on?
Try: Extended Lend-a-Hand Rail. We have put this on our truck camper where we have seven steps to climb. Works well for us.