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May 21, 2023
Free, abbreviated edition
Cover story
I have become too comfortable in my sticks-and-bricks home
By Nanci Dixon
I
am afraid that I have become too comfortable in my new house without wheels. As some of you may remember, my husband and I inherited my father’s house when he passed away. We were full-time RVers and my husband gladly leapt at the chance to have a sticks-and-bricks again. Me, not so much. I was an avid RVer, out there living my dream. It was a bitter fight and, on some days, still is.
But not today. I am afraid I have become too comfortable. I must admit, this house living is easier than RV living. We each have lots of room. I can write this from a variety of places— the dining table, kitchen table, office or the living room, where I am now. Not just the tiny, cramped table in the RV. I can have my morning coffee on the screened porch without being on the lookout for rattlesnakes or sneaky coyotes. Also, having constant, reliable Wi-Fi is a major perk!
There is no challenge here unless it is running to get the garbage out to the street when I hear the trucks approaching. The washer is huge! The fridge is huge, too! The 50-gallon water heater feels like a never-ending supply. Don’t need to flush out the black tank—all I need to do is flush. When something breaks, a repair person is here within the day and it is fixed. There are literally hundreds of repair shops to choose from, eager for our business.
I have a big bathtub and a king-size bed with room on each side. Yesterday, we rode our bikes to the store for bananas. Everything is convenient. I have become too comfortable.
There isn’t the contest of trying to beat others out for the few choice campsites in a national or state park. No spending hours and hours planning the best route. …
RV Service Centers and Repairs Report
RVers agree: Mobile techs are the way to go
In this column, we summarize some of your emails and comments regarding RV service centers and repairs. This week Nanci Dixon includes several comments from our readers indicating that their mobile techs are definitely the way to go. And two of our readers are asking for your help, please.
Has “greedflation” taken over RV campgrounds?
By Gail Marsh
Not many people would disagree that the United States is in an inflationary period. Prices are on the rise from the grocery store to the fuel pump and to campgrounds across the country. Are costs really rising or has “greedflation” taken over RV campgrounds? Continue reading, then please add your thoughts in the comments.
Choosing the right RV fire extinguisher
By Randall Brink
When it comes to safety and fire safety, in particular, preparedness is vital. This is doubly important in an RV, where space is limited, and escape routes are few. With their combination of living spaces, cooking facilities, and propane-powered appliances, RVs pose unique fire safety risks. One essential component of fire safety is having the proper fire extinguisher on hand. Learn about them here.
RVers, if you see purple paint on trees, stay away
By Gail Marsh
As we travel across the United States, I enjoy learning about local traditions, laws, and folklore. My husband and I were married and lived in Iowa for many years. … Iowa is certainly flat, at least in the areas where we lived. I was used to the flat, treeless plain. Then we moved to Missouri. The first thing I learned about Missouri is that the roads are not laid out in square mile sections like Iowa’s roads. The second thing I learned? Missouri has a lot of trees! And many of these trees sport a distinctive swipe of purple paint on their trunks. What’s that?! Find out here.
Is Massachusetts ripping off out-of-state visitors?
By Chuck Woodbury
I just returned from three weeks on the East Coast, most of the time in Massachusetts. As I almost always do when I’m in Massachusetts, I walked around Walden Pond. But this trip, I was horrified when I arrived at the pond, which is part of the Massachusetts state park system. The entry fee per car is $8 for state residents, but if you arrive with out-of-state license plates, like I did, it’s $30! That’s almost four times as much. I was horrified! Read more and please comment with your thoughts.
RV Fact or Fiction?
Propane gas has no odor
RV blogs, social media groups and You Tube videos have exploded over the past couple of years. Some provide great information, others questionable information and some downright bad information. Can you tell the difference? In this regular column we will post a question based on information we find online. You can then test your RV prowess by seeing how your answer compares with our experts.
So, is this fact or fiction? “Propane gas has no odor.”
Highlights from this week’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter
- Rust: How to prevent it from damaging your RV
- Save your RV’s refrigerator: Leveling tips for overnight stops
- Make your RV door(s) so much better
- Easy tip for draining fresh water tank: Add a hose end!
- Finding and eliminating RV “mystery smells”
Finding a physical activity you love while RVing is an important task
By Gail Marsh
My husband and I recently attended his high school reunion. Many of his old buddies looked just as he remembered them in high school. Others, not so much. Of course, everyone matures and changes as time passes. As we talked to various people and learned about their lives, one thing became more and more clear as the evening progressed. The folks who “moved” hadn’t lost their spunk. … Learn some ways to stay active and healthy here.
Enjoy camping ambiance with creative camp lighting
By Randall Brink
RV travel and staying in campgrounds does not have to mean exposure to harsh party lights. At least not at your campsite. You may miss soft natural lighting and a cozy ambiance as night falls. By harkening back to the natural light sources of old, you can create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Here are some excellent ideas.
Staying safe in an active shooter event
By Nanci Dixon
As RVers, we travel to a number of unknown places and go to a lot of stores in a lot of neighborhoods we aren’t familiar with. After what happened to me this morning, I am reviewing how to stay safe in an active shooter event. Read this important information … just in case.
How a pig nearly changed U.S. history
By Chuck Woodbury
One of the America’s most unusual wars involved only one casualty—a pig—and yet it could have changed the course of history. The bizarre conflict took place on what is now Washington state’s San Juan Island and involved American and British troops, and even warships. Even if you’re not into history, this is fascinating reading.
It’s tick season. Remove them easily
Bad news! It’s tick season! This Tick Twister Remover Set will remove ticks, large and small, from humans and pets, without squeezing the insects to reduce the risk of infection. It’s the safest and easiest way to remove ticks and in just a few seconds. Helps prevent Lyme Disease. Keep these in your home, car and RV. Learn more or order.
Reader Poll
Do you consider yourself financially well-off?
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: Do you routinely salt your food when eating? See how nearly 1,800 other RVers answered.
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:
- Gray water tank is full, valve is stuck. Now what?
- Do my RV’s slide outs need support if RV is permanently parked?
- My RV’s water pump is noisy. What can I do?
- How do I keep mice out of my RV?
- Why does my RV’s electric awning retract only intermittently?
Click here to see more questions for Dave.
Have a question for Dave? Click any Ask Dave article and scroll down to fill out the form. He’ll get back to you!
?? MYSTERY PRODUCT OF THE DAY ??
Can you think of a time when it might be hard to eat rice? Well, we can, so let us give you a helping hand.
In the RV shop with Dustin
Add a pet door to your RV. It’s easy!
If you travel with furry friends, especially dogs, I’m sure you all dread having to let them in and out a hundred times a day. Here are a few ways you can add a pet door or a pet screen to your RV. This will free up some time for you to do other things!
RV Gadgets and Gizmos
Water gadgets you need for your RV
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
If you’ll be camping in a park with “city water” — that is, water from a faucet — there are some good accessories to pack along in your RV storage compartment. These can make your visit easier — even safer — for your rig. They’re inexpensive and you’ll be glad you have them when you need them.
RV Tire Safety
Does tire pressure change with elevation?
By Roger Marble
What is the science of tire change relating to elevation? Some recent comments about the effect of taking your RV up in the mountains revealed some misconceptions about the effect on tire inflation. Some even seemed to confuse the loss in power of carbureted engines with a loss in load capacity for the RV.
Ask Roger anything about RV tires on his RV Tires Forum.
Did you miss yesterday’s Latest News for RVers?
If so, stories you missed:
• Nomad Internet customers confess how they got “taken”
• Florida residents given priority in state park reservations
• Readers’ personal Nomad Internet stories are revealing, spell big trouble
• FCC rejects Dish Network 5G plan that would interfere with Starlink broadband
• iPhone SOS feature saves trapped hikers
• New RV aims to save you from doomsday
• Yes, dear reader, ‘crowded’ campgrounds ARE different from ‘fully booked’ campgrounds
… and much more
Recipe of the Day
Vodka Sauce for Pasta
by Martha Ray Deen from Charlotte, NC
A super easy vodka sauce that’s full of flavor. It’s thick, robust, and has a slight kick. There’s a hint of cayenne, but the heat is not at all overwhelming. Once prep work is done, the pasta sauce comes together very quickly. We served this vodka sauce over pasta alongside chicken cutlets for a hearty meal. It could easily be served over rigatoni pasta with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan on top for a special meal.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Ahhhh, Gina relaxing in the warm sun in Mammoth Lakes, CA, in her Fleetwood Southwind. What a life!” —Brian Hunter
Trivia
A pangram, also known as a holoalphabetic sentence, is a sentence that includes all the letters of the alphabet at least once. One of the most well-known pangrams is likely the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,” which consists of thirty-five letters. Since the late 1800s, this sentence has been widely employed to evaluate typing equipment.
Sunday funny
From John Jurena on Facebook: “Taken from the highways of Boston!”
Did you miss last week’s RV Travel?
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, Gail Marsh, Dave Solberg. Contributors: Roger Marble, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, J.R. Montigel, Randall Brink, Karel Carnohan DVM, Cheri Sicard, Dustin and Ashley Simpson, Dale Wade, Paul Lacitinola and Jeff Clemishaw. Moderators: Gary Gilmore. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen. Artificial (AI) contributors: Johnny Robot and Milly MacWilly. Canine Mascots: Archie and Astor “the Disaster”
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 hate to say it but after living 5 months in an RV then my house was ready in NC and then getting a better RV for my seasonal site I do like having 6 months in a house and 6 months in an RV. Gives a change of venue every year and better bathroom facilities as well.
re: Vodka Sauce recipe
The whole point of adding vodka is to bring out flavor in the tomato sauce. Add the vodka to the sauce AFTER adding the tomatoes. If you boil off the vodka before adding the tomatoes, you’ve wasted the vodka. Once you’ve added the vodka, simmer for about 10 minutes to boil off most of the vodka.
https://www.seriouseats.com/ask-the-food-lab-does-vodka-sauce-really-need-vodka
If you ever wondered about whether your job had any value remember that someone in a BMW factory is installing directional signals on every car that passes by his work station.
It’s interesting that we all pay taxes for National parks and I would say inadvertently for State parks as we stay in the area buying goods and services. States think the answer is to charge more for out of state, or give them early reservation rights. What we are missing is all of the impact from visitors from other countries. They pay taxes locally when they stay in an area and buy goods and services, but we should consider charging them more for admittance and camping in National Parks and maybe State parks…..just a thought.
I thought I was the only one that using mobile techs was the way to go. Now that the word is out I will never be able to get a mobile rv tech. They come to you and do not charge any more than the RV shops. They get trained at the RV shops and after a few years go out on their own and do not then have to share the money they make with RV shops. To bad for Holiday World, Camping World, etc. I have a wonderful RV mobile tech near me & he is awesome. Let’s keep this secret & not tell anyone. My mobile tech is so busy but does quality work
Sorry to hear that, but letting us know about Mass charging more is the third story I heard about states either charging more or not letting us in. Made me angry when SC decided to ban all NYers from the state to lodge during the pandemic, yet without NYers, their cases went up. Montana wants to give their residents first spots. Well, we will see how much income they get by doing so, most places are non residents. The costs are getting ridiculous, the one we are in to get repairs is charging weekly at a higher rate, even due to us having to stay here for repairs and waiting over a month for parts. Hope everyone has a peaceful Memorial weekend.
Here in Montana we help pay for parks to stay in so out of staters should not complain about what WE want and PAY for….help pay for them ooooo hence the higher fees for you….don’t like it go somewhere else….go figure money,money,money….
To Chuck Woodbury. Unfortunately your article about high prices es in Mass wasn’t available. But, I would like to ad, you should have stayed in Maine. I believe Maine resident camping fees are $6.00, versus a whopping two times as much $12.00 for out of Staters. Chuck, you should have stayed in Maine.
If you want more like the Sunday funny, be sure to check out “The Rhode Island Dictionary”