Thursday, November 7, 2019
Welcome to another edition of RV Travel’s Daily Tips newsletter. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and 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. Please tell your friends about us.
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Today’s thought
“Half the unhappiness of the world is due to the failure of plans which were never reasonable, and often impossible.” —Edgar Watson Howe
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day!
Tip of the Day
Switch off breakers when plugging in your RV?
In response to a suggestion from our resident electrical expert, Mike Sokol, that it’s best to switch off pedestal breakers before plugging in your RV cord, Tommy B wrote: “Although it makes good sense to turn off and on the circuit breakers when plugging in your RV, most breakers were not meant to be turned on/off under load. Breakers are made to do so and are marked SWD but you will not know that because the mark is inside the box. That is why the breaker trips prematurely – the mechanism is worn out. They cost more so the chances of having them are small.” Mike responds, “Yes, but in theory all manufacturer-built campground pedestals are supposed to utilize Switch-Duty rated (SWD) breakers. But I agree that in an older campground that may not be the case.”
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Avoid yucky problems with this RV sewer dumping technique
Here is a very handy tip regarding when and how to empty your black and gray tanks when you have full hookups, and some possible consequences if you perform this chore some other way. Eww! Learn more.
Pan liners protect kitchenware while driving
These 9 pot protectors come in three sizes and are perfect for placing between pots, pans, plates and bowls while driving down the road. Nobody likes arriving at the campsite to find broken or scratched kitchenware! Learn more or order.
BREAKING NEWS: Suspect in Padre Island murder arrested. Click here to read.
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.
The new 2020 Rand McNally Road Atlas has arrived!
Read more about why you should always have this with you here.
Quick Tip
More holding tank surprises
“To save yourself from pranks, failing to close the valves after dumping and small leaks, I leave a clear 45-degree extension on my sewer outlet with the cap on so that I can see if there are any surprises waiting for me! If there are, I rotate the extension up before attaching the hose.” —Thanks to Phil W.
Don’t buy an RV before joining The RV Advisor.
Random RV Thought
When selecting a campsite on a very windy day, try to position your RV facing into or
away from the wind. The wind will have less of an impact and keep your rig from rocking
as much.
Essential equipment for RVers!
Camco TastePURE Water Filter with Flexible Hose Protector
This best-selling product reduces bad taste, odor, chlorine and sediment in drinking water with a 100-micron fiber filter. Use it at your campsite to keep sediment out of your RV water tank and improve the taste and smell of your drinking water. Many RVers consider this essential equipment. Learn more or order at a big discount.
Website of the day
8 travel apps to download before your next trip
Here’s a list of helpful travel apps that will make planning your next trip easier. The Discoverer Blog lists each app with a description of what each one will help you do. Happy planning!
And the Survey Says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers more than 1,500 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 48 percent believe they own too many personal possessions and would like less.
• 13 percent believe they look much younger than their chronological age.
• 67 percent have seen aggressive dog behavior at a dog park.
- You need this hilarious sign for your RV.
- Camco’s Amazon store has everything.
Trivia
Only female mosquitoes will bite you since they require blood to produce eggs. Male mosquitoes only feed on flower nectar, not blood.
Leave here with a laugh
A dad comes home from work one day and finds this note from his son on the counter: Dear Dad, It is with great sorrow that I’m writing to you. I have eloped with my new girlfriend. I’ve been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice. However, I knew you would not approve of her because of her piercings, tattoos, and tight motorcycle clothes. Also, she is so much older than me. But it’s not only the passion, Dad. She’s pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn’t really hurt anyone. We’ll be growing it for ourselves. Don’t worry, Dad. I’m 15, and I know how to take care of myself. Someday, I’m sure we’ll be back to visit, so you can get to know your grandchildren. Love, Joshua
P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I’m over at Jason’s house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the school report that’s on the kitchen table. Call when it’s safe for me to come home!
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RV Daily Tips Staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Managing editor: Emily Woodbury. Senior editor: Diane McGovern. Marketing director: Jessica Sarvis. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
This website utilizes some advertising services. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
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 2019 by RVtravel.com
“Best years of our Lives”? Hmmm. I answered in my teens because it was following the hostilities of WWII, altho Korea was looming. The world seemed a lot more civil and simpler. People respected each other, dressed with pride not fad and we didn’t have Tv either; and mom was home! We played outside and very few were obese. But alas, economics and comfort considered – now is the best time of my life – altho the hour glass is getting very close to running out of sand……….
This survey is REALLY hard for me to answer, as I have thoroughly enjoyed EVERY decade of my life so far!! Each decade is special in its own right!! Each has had its own tribulations, too! LIFE is what we make it! Just for today!! I ended up not able to chose! 🙂
I agree with you. Thanks for saying it for me!
I checked the last option on the poll because I’m enjoying life now. But then I pretty much enjoyed life all along. I may be unusual or I may just be someone who has always accepted what life threw at me and tried to make lemonade.
The Reader Poll does not allow an accurate viewpoint. The last option should not be used, the ‘best time might be now‘ but every person that answered that way has an age. The poll should not have included the final option, stick to an age!
I couldn’t possibly choose a single decade that was the best of my life. Each one has been full of joy as well as sorrow, excitement and exasperation, pain and pleasure. I’m now almost 73 and, aside from every day aging complaints, each day is still an adventure that I look forward to exploring! Each day is a blessing!
I agree. Each day is adventure I look forward to. The joy and the sorrow are lessons on getting thru life.
Here I am at 75 and agree completely with Nancy. She just said it before I could, and more eloquently.
My life right now, in this moment, is it’s best. I wake up every day with a grateful heart.
My best years are right now; however, I am not in my eighties.
re: Breakers “most breakers were not meant to be turned on/off under load”
That’s not my problem–I want the power off when connecting/disconnecting to protect my equipment.
However: I don’t turn on the AC or water heater before connecting & vice versa so there’s not much of a load when using the pedestal breaker. I also use a Progressive Surge Protector which doesn’t connect until there’s stable power for awhile.
Progressive EMS protectors. All RVers should have one and not trust just any open pedestal. Protect your investment!
Progressive Industries is the best on the market, with a Lifetime warranty.
And the DELAY TIME From the time you turn on the breaker is: 2 minutes, 16 seconds!
You should always make sure any Pedestal Breaker is in the OFF position before Connecting or Disconnecting your power cord!
The joke was cute. I got a good laugh.
Parking with the wind. Be careful with your entry door! I have a piece of parachute cord tied to the grab bat on the inside of the motorhome and attach a loop to the door’s handle. This only allow my door to open to 90+ degrees, avoiding the full strain120+ degrees and risk of the door mechanisms being heavily damaged. Flying of the hook! True the cord is in the way a bit and a little inconvenient to duck under, but worth it. The heavy door flapping in the wind can be pricey to fix, beyond the of hardware that holds the door.
What do you do when there is no breaker to turn off?
Ran across one campground like that this summer.
Mike Sokol would have the best answer to this. But, I believe they are required to have circuilt breakers on the power hookups or pedestals! If not they are in violation of code! Do you remember what park this was at?
Just turn off the breakers inside your coach first.
I answered the poll as 12 and under, had the best childhood, would also have answered 40 and above as that’s when I met my wife of 39 years and going
The park into the wind might be helpful if you’re in the desert boondocks, but here in the real world at a resort in FL I was directed onto my site by 2 employees and told exactly where to stop, no exceptions. I wasn’t able to get level so I moved back about 10 ft and when the park employee seen it the next day I was informed I had to move back to my original position, after explaining I couldn’t get level they brought 8 2X10X10 blocks for me to use. Now my front tires are 4” off the ground.
I empathize with you Bob. We encountered the same problem in Brooksville, Fl. Apparently, no one that owns these RV “Resorts” has learned to use a level yet!
I would NEVER have my wheels off the ground! At least slam some blocks under them, or move! UNSAFE!
The leveling jacks aren’t meant to hold all the weight of the RV.
Weird- did you ask why they were so finicky?