Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Welcome to another edition of RV Travel’s Daily Tips newsletter. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and small-space living tips from the pros, travel advice, a handy website of the day, tips on our favorite RVing-related products and, of course, a good laugh. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you.
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Today’s Thought
“Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don’t do that by sitting around wondering about yourself.” —Katharine Hepburn
Tip of the Day
Be prepared in case of a breakdown on the road
By Chuck Woodbury
EDITOR
Until a few days ago, I hadn’t carried any traffic cones with me in my RV for years. On a recent trip, the thought struck me that if I were stranded alongside a busy highway I would sure as heck want a few cones to warn motorists headed my direction. If you have ever been stuck by the side of road, you know how vulnerable you can feel.
Having a few standard PVC traffic cones along would definitely do the job, but they take up valuable storage space, which some of us simply don’t have in abundance.
Shopping at Lowe’s the other day I came across a sturdy collapsible product that seemed just right. Lowe’s had only one cone available so I made a note to check Amazon when I returned home. Sure enough, I found a four-pack for less than $24, which I ordered. They will take up very little space in my motorhome’s basement storage compartment. You can likely find the same thing at a Lowe’s or Home Depot near you.
Plastic warning triangles would also work and take little space to store, and they cost about the same. I also recommend buying an inexpensive orange safety vest. I’ve had one for years and used it once in an emergency by a busy highway. I was very happy to have had it.
If you should break down at night, you should have something that lights up. Traditional safety flares will probably draw the most attention, but there are dozens of battery powered lights especially designed for roadside emergencies that will last longer and are easier to use.
And, of course, you should, by all means, have a roadside assistance plan like those offered by AAA, Good Sam and Coach-Net. Check your insurance policy first: Many provide roadside assistance as a standard benefit.
NOTE: Most of these products are available at big box hardware stores. We have provided links here to Amazon, where as an affiliate we get a small commission if you should choose to shop there.
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Raspberries N’ Cream Day.
RV club of the day
Vixen Owners’ Association.
“Vixen owners and those who are still waiting for their ‘Vixen moment’ are welcome to join.” The Vixen was produced by the Vixen Motor Company, Inc., in Pontiac, Michigan, from 1986 to 1989. This group provides numerous benefits including technical support and social gatherings, called Prides, for its members, who are located all over the world.
Reader poll
Helpful resources
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION.
• ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NATION.
• WEATHER ALERTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
• CURRENT WILDFIRE REPORT.
• LATEST RV RECALLS.
• Protect your RV’s slideout with this rubber seal lubricant. Learn more or order.
• Attention Big Rig RV owners! This annual road atlas will keep you away from too-narrow roads and low bridges. Published June 17, 2019. Learn more or order.
• Camping at Corps of Engineers Campgrounds. Many RVers consider these the very best places to stay. Learn more or order.
Website of the day
Attack of the Cute
This is a photo blog where readers contribute pictures of their cute pet cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits, or cute animals they discovered at the zoo. This is absolutely a family-friendly website. This site gets a big thumbs up and guarantees smiles for everyone.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Shocking: Many RVers “upside down” on RV loans.
• Do you unhook from electricity during a big lightning storm?
• Focus on “Stray Voltage.” What is it and why should you care?
• Catalytic heater is a good alternative to forced air furnace.
#853F
LED lights for RVs: Huge selection. Exceptional prices. Click.
Trivia
On Amazon.com’s last Prime Days, July 15 and 16, members purchased more than 100,000 lunchboxes, 100,000 laptops, 200,000 TVs, 300,000 headphones, 350,000 luxury beauty products, 400,000 pet products, 650,000 household cleaning supplies, and more than one million toys.
Leave here with a laugh
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Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY.
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RV Daily Tips Staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Managing editor: Diane McGovern. Advertising director: Emily Woodbury. Marketing director: Jessica Sarvis. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
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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 answered the question pie but the answer I wanted was ALL the above.
Pyro flares are a fire hazard, so I don’t carry them anymore. Instead I have several 18650-powered strobes that are as bright as any LEO lightbar… NO reasonable way to miss them, and can be turned off when ready to roll again.
* I have personally stared into the strobes to make sure they are in fact as blinding as claimed. I do love RVtravel, but can no longer read anything after searing my corneas in my mandatory research. I would tell RVtravel readers in person that staring into them is a bad idea.
I believe that some states have actually banned PYRO Emergency Flares. They are a HUGE Fire Hazard and with the material that is used in them, can get old and deteriorate and become even more dangerous! It’s one of those products, that if you have them, need to be checked for AGE and probably Disposed of! But, dispose of them properly!
Just a thought!
Jeff, With so many other electronic warning signs/lights, it is probably a good idea to avoid using anything that might catch something on fire.
I agree Chuck.
Maybe there’s a reason desserts is stressed spelled backwards.
Like them all but brownies are probably my first choice.
ALL THE ABOVE!! And a big glass of Sierra Mist !
Traffic flares are great to get attention, however they are a serious fire hazard in the Western states. I’ve got two packages of battery powered lights. As bright and no fire hazard. The triangles are cute, but easily damaged. For the vest I recommend a vest with reflective tape on it (like the construction workers wear) lime green or safety orange. Just be visible and aware of all the traffic. If you do any repairs have a spotter watching for you.
All of them. Cake n ice cream,,,, ,pie and ice cream
you didn’t include my favorite dessert—cheesecake!
cherry or apple pie.
Re: Safety cones. If you have these and/or any other safety device used when broken down on the side of the highway, be sure to store them in a passenger side compartment as there may not be sufficient room on the driver’s side to open a compartment door…especially if it is side hinged.
It was a tight race between all three desserts. At least, it is far easier to get good sugar free cake than the other two. However, my actual favorite is sugar free chocolate pudding cups that have been partially frozen.
For desert would you prefer pie, cake or ice cream? I’ll take 2 ss for my dessert.
Sorry, I just had to point it out. That was one of the spelling tricks I drilled my boys with.
The real answer is pie with ice cream (“a la mode”).
ice cream doesn’t last long as “ My Dessert “ or last in “desert”
A friend of mine once told me you can always remember how to spell dessert because it has two esses and you always want two desserts. I have always remembered that.
Pie without a-la-mode sinful
Cake without ice cream? Come on man,Think.
No desert without ice cream.
I’ve never seen a vixen motorhome.
Kinda cute,low for less wind resistance
No option for no dessert.
Any berry pie is my number one “desert”.
Had to choose cake, no option for pie and ice cream. Can’t have one without the other!! :-))
‘Desert’? Someone didn’t spell check this article. How come we didn’t get the ‘all of the above’ or ‘none of the above’ options? Or any other combinations for that matter.
You’re correct. I forgot to proof the poll. Sorry. (I’ve corrected it — now you can have your dessert in the desert.) —Diane at RVtravel.com
Oh the humanity! I would never make such an obvious mistake! (Hah!)
Mike Sokol (spelling genius)
That’s true, Mike “Ivory” Sokol. Your writing is 99.44% pure (per your claims). 😆 —RV Staff
I think “All of the above” would have been the best choice for dessert!