Issue 1008 • November 27, 2018
This newsletter is brought to you Monday through Thursday by RVtravel.com
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QUICK TIPS
Super sticky gel pad to the rescue
With electricity expert and veteran RVer Mike SokolÂ
I saw a discussion a while back about how to attach your cell phone to a dashboard, and here is what I use: the iOttie Easy One Touch holder. This has a special sticky gel pad which adheres to almost anything, even the pebble-grain dashboard on my Nissan pickup, for months at a time in all kinds of heat and sun. There are lots of ways to adjust the holder so I can get my iPhone in the just the right position for roadmap software. No need to stick it to your window or glue down a suction cup landing pad. When the sticky gel pad gets dirty, just wash it off in water to rejuvenate it. The telescopic arm adds 2 inches to allow for closer device viewing.
Plethora of pots?
How many pots and pans do you carry in your RV? Which ones have you used in recent times? Those you have not used you likely don’t need. Leave them at home from now on – they’re just extra weight.
RV Travel Forums
Come talk with us in the RV Travel Forums! It’s a place to meet other RVers and discuss topics related to the lifestyle. Come say hi! New users register here.
Keep gray tank odors awayAND MAKE MORE ROOM UNDER YOUR SINKS
HepvO is a unique self-sealing waste valve that prevents the escape of foul sewer air from waste discharge systems, and actively maintains the pressure equilibrium in soil and waste installations. As a dry sealing valve, HepvO utilizes a purpose designed membrane to create an airtight seal between the living space and the drainage system. Learn more.
MORE QUICK TIPS
Replacing RV carpet
RV manufacturers – when will they ever learn? Sure, those light colors look great at the show – but buy it, use it a few months, and every stinking speck of dirt jumps up and screams. When it’s time to replace the carpet, consider going to a darker color, or at least a carpet with several shades of color, or maybe even multiple colors.
Shopping for an RV loan? Read this
It is possible to get almost any kind of RV loan if you have good credit. You will pay more interest if your credit score isn’t 700 and above. There are lending institutions that won’t lend money on low-end RVs because of the rapid depreciation. The same thing applies to rigs older than 7 to 10 years old. Tell the loan officer what type and age of an RV you’re considering before you fill out the application. Keep in mind that every application you submit will affect your credit score from 5 to 10 points. Don’t bother with companies that will not loan on your chosen RV type. You can get several finance quotes, but do not pay an application fee. If they want money up front, walk away. All the reputable companies can complete your loan application within an hour or so. They may want to work out the terms later. Don’t fall into this trap! Get all the numbers and know exactly what you will pay up front in down payment and exactly what the monthly payment will be. Also, insist on no pre-payment penalties in case you decide to pay off the loan early or make larger payments.
— From So, you want to be an RVer? And Enjoy the RV Lifestyle? [Revised]
Do you have a tip? Send it to Russ (at) rvtravel.com
Last Chance to Secure RV Protection
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WEBSITE OF THE DAY:
50 best Christmas light displays across the U.S.
Cheapism.com is so good at these lists! Here you’ll find the best Christmas light displays in almost all 50 states. Crank that engine up and get ready for some holiday cheer! Visit website.
Check out the long list of great RVing-related websites from RVtravel.com.
Come shop with us for the holidays! 
Announcing the new RVtravel store! We’ve hand-selected all of our favorite must-have RV items, our famous gift guide, neat kitchen gadgets, pet gear and so much more. Check it out here and get all your holiday shopping out of the way. And remember, all holiday shipping is free!
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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
I guess I am an old fashioned gal at heart. I like the old news letter best. This one seems too sparse and missing something. O well. As for an RV loan? We ended up with a 5% on ours. Hoping to get it paid off within 3 years.
Where’s the riddlers?
I like the new website, but I miss the brain teasers.
You guys have done a beautiful job on the new site!
For the length of stay question: We do campground hosting for Washington State Parks. We get to enjoy the park and its surrounding for a month or three.
I clicked on the word Website to see where the Christmas lights are being displayed in the states, but it does not take me anywhere. It’s just a blank page.
Sorry about that! We’ve fixed the issue!
I guess I need new glasses, love the layout but I am having a hard time reading the type. Maybe try bold.
I too have a little bit of a problem…however, I just expand the whole page to make the letters larger and more legible.
Same here, I agree that a bold type may be easier to read.
Love the new website layout. Great job.
Re: your question of length of stay, I had a hard time answering because you stipulated ‘campgrounds’. My wife & I workamp (as do many other RVers) and stay 6 mo (or sometimes more) in our provided site – but it’s not a campground per se; it’s a free site exchanged for our work. Some of our sites are on land managed or owned by the organization we work for: NOS, USFWS, Nature Conservancy, or state/federal/regional parks, but still not campgrounds in the conventional sense. Just sayin’…
Along the same line, we don’t stay at “campgrounds”, but do stay at rv parks. In fact, we own our own site at an rv resort and stay there from mid May thru mid Oct. It takes us three nights to travel the distance between our home and our resort and always stay at well developed rv parks. At 44′ plus toad, “campgrounds” are not in our future.