Issue 1000 • November 6, 2018
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Dear readers,
Welcome to issue 1,000 of RV Daily Tips from RVtravel.com. We appreciate you reading and hope you’ll stick around until we reach issue 2,000. That’ll be about 5 years from now! Will we run out of tips? Nope … won’t happen! Too much to write about in the Wonderful World of RVing!
See you on Saturday in the RV Travel Newsletter.
Chuck Woodbury
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QUICK TIPS
Don’t trip the breaker!
With electricity expert and veteran RVer Mike Sokol
One of our readers sent this in and I think it’s a great quick tip. Here’s what George has to say: “Take small colored sticker dots and put one on each outlet that corresponds in color to a dot placed on a breaker in your electrical panel. When you plug in an appliance to one color dotted outlet such as a toaster, don’t plug your kettle into an outlet with the same color. This way you can avoid having two heavy-drawing appliances drawing current through the same breaker, thus avoiding a tripped breaker. In the event a breaker does trip, this should make it easier to find the thrown breaker knowing which outlet you were using.” Thanks to George Bliss! These 1/4″ diameter neon colored dots should do the trick and be visible in low light.
Protecting your tires when parking
Ale suggests this construct for putting under your parked RV tires: “Two-by-eight treated boards with leftover fiberglass shingles stapled to the boards. Shingles are great moisture barriers – most of us live under them.” Thanks for the water-shed idea, Ale!
Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
Keep gray tank odors awayAND MAKE MORE ROOM UNDER YOUR SINKS
Today’s brain teaser (answer below): Two fathers and two sons walk into a candy store. They all buy candy for 50 cents but all together they only spend $1.50. How is this possible?
MORE QUICK TIPS
Faster internet speeds?
Leslie Rolsheim shares her experience. “My husband and I have been RVing for over 20 years. We have experienced very S-L-O-W internet due to people streaming movies in campgrounds and other locations. Ten years ago we did a survey with other RVers and came to the conclusion that a personal Hot Spot WiFi is the best for us. We switched to Verizon for our Internet and phones. Have never had a problem with reception AND it doesn’t have to be plugged in to work. I use it with my iPad for navigation and checking email while on the road. (My husband does all the driving.) We just have to charge it when necessary. When we are boondocking, we use our portable chargers. We also have Dish Network for our TV. We take our Dish Box and portable dish antenna.” Thanks, Leslie!
Winter RV storage prep
Storing your trailer for severe cold requires draining the fresh water AND the water heater. Install a water heater by-pass kit and then drain the water heater. The entire water distribution system should be drained through a low point drain or by blowing the pipes clean, using compressed air. Don’t forget the water supply to the toilet. Kitchen, shower and washbasin traps should be filled with nontoxic antifreeze. Batteries should be removed or kept fully charged.
Do you have a tip? Send it to Russ (at) rvtravel.com
RV Protection Deadline Approaching…
Protect your RV before it’s too late! Whether you’re chasing the sun or storing your RV this winter, NOW is the best time to safeguard against RV repair costs with a reliable RV Warranty. Pricing and Eligibility changes hit January 1, 2019, so don’t wait! Click the video or visit here to get a FREE RV Warranty Quote and roll into 2019 with peace of mind.
WEBSITE OF THE DAY:
FindFuelStops
This handy website is a fuel stop directory for trucks (though works the same for RVs) and gives you the nearest fuel stations with diesel, overnight parking locations, truck stops and rest areas. It’s a good site to bookmark!
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
PRODUCT OF THE DAY: This is one of those things you never knew you needed and now can’t be without. Click here.
Answer to today’s brain teaser: One father, one grandfather and one son makes two fathers and two sons! 3 x $0.50 = $1.50
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LEAVE HERE WITH A LAUGH
Three ladies were discussing the travails of getting older. One said, “Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand while standing in front of the refrigerator, and I can’t remember whether I need to put it away or start making a sandwich.” The second lady chimed in with, “Yes, sometimes I find myself on the landing of the stairs and can’t remember whether I was on my way up or on my way down.” The third one responded, “Well, ladies, I’m glad I don’t have that problem. Knock on wood,” as she rapped her knuckles on the table and then said, “Oh! That must be the door, I’ll get it!”
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Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY.
RV Daily Tips Staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Managing editor: Diane McGovern. Staff writer: Emily Woodbury. Contributing writers: Russ De Maris, Bob Difley, Gary Bunzer, Roger Marble, Mike Sokol, Greg Illes, J.M. Montigel and Andrew Robinson. Advertising coordinator: Gail Meyring. Marketing director: Jessica Sarvis. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
ADVERTISE on RVtravel.com and/or in this newsletter. Contact Gail Meyring at Gail(at)RVtravel.com .
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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This newsletter is copyright 2018 by RVtravel.com
On the Brain Teaser: If they “all” bought for 50 cents then they spent only 50 cents. If they EACH bought candy for 50 cents then it could come out at a $1.50.
Afraid of being unable to be active and having to rely on others. If I am not having fun I just as soon would die. Hope it is quick.
Afraid of drowning, tornadoes, and fires.
I fear having to bury another one of my children.
So sorry, Jean. 🙁 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Afraid of: The wife!
I’m most afraid of a slow decline in health that would leave me unable to care for myself and make me a burden on my family. Hope I get to die quick when it’s my time.
I’m not afraid to die…….I just don’t want to be there when it happens!
The only thing I’m majorly concerned and being careful about is running out of money before I die.
Could you please modify the RV Travel Forum Rules
to include “no political comments”? Those should be made inside the voting booth. Thank you.
Wasps~ very allergic~
Afraid of outliving my $$$$.
1,000 copy, good job all !!
The survey omitted the Universal Phobia: public speaking.
And right, insects and snakes don’t belong in the same category.
Funny thing: I used to think I was morbidly afraid of public speaking — it could literally kill me the way my heart would pound in my ears. Somewhere in college, a professor challenged me to “talk about something – anything – you know a lot about,” and I spoke for almost an hour laughing and taking questions and almost even enjoying it.
Apparently(!), the secret is to actually know what you’re talking about, instead of “the socio-economic impact of Federalist wombats in a post-marsupial socialist confederation…” I don’t mind sharing my knowledge, as long as I’m not pressed into sharing my ignorance… 🙂
I am most afraid of almost dying, ie. a vegetative state.
Congratulations Chuck on the 1,000th issue of RV Tips! It’s my first stop every morning!
I don’t have much that I’m afraid of, maybe burning to death in a fire, but death itself doesn’t bother me.
In your survey I chose “spiders, bees, insects, snakes”, but am only afraid of spiders. I love snakes.
Here’s a song that wraps it all up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vudA72hibg
I don’t like Spiders and Snakes….
They’re more afraid of you than you are them.
Can’t say I love snakes, but I can keep my eye on them and avoid them. They don’t normally stray into my space. Spiders on the other hand seem to come out of nowhere and escape under/behind things. I go into a murderous rampage when one is spotted. Don’t worry, only the spider is in danger. More than once I’ve had a spider drop down from the sun visor area in the car. Fortunately, this hasn’t happened while towing the trailer. I afraid it would cause terminal swaying while trying to avoid/kill the spider. I killed a big hairy one in the kitchen one day. The “hairiness” turned out to be babies; hundreds of them that scattered. I sprayed the house with so much poison, it’s a wonder we’re still alive. Don’t get me started about spiders.
Ey am afraid of stupid RV drivers and stupid people who leave comments on this forum. Yes, Ey am afraid of myself most of the time.
Awesome idea about putting colored stickers on outlets & circuit breakers, but buying 3300 of them! But I’m sure there are lots of uses for them!
Dave
That’s the smallest bundle they come in. There must be something else you can do with a few thousand tiny dots….
Flying is #1 because I have no control of my destiny, I know statistically it’s very safe, but how do I know if the pilots time is up? I also put small spaces because I’m claustrophobic. It doesn’t have to be a small space. One time in the Marines I was walking guard duty and entered an aircraft hangar and when the door closed i found it locked and I couldn’t get out, I was going into panic mode when someone opened the door from outside and I was able to get out.