Wednesday, November 27, 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.
[activecampaign form=34]
Page Contents
Today’s thought
“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” —Robert Frost
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Jukebox Day!
Tip of the Day
Full-time RVers, beware of this insurance issue
From John and Kathy Huggins
People who live in their RVs more than 150 days per year are apparently considered full-timers by many insurance companies. Full-time RVers will need to obtain a full-timers comprehensive personal liability policy. This policy will change the coverage to be similar to your home insurance. Anyone injured inside your RV can make a claim against you, and this type of coverage is designed to cover such claims. Many full-timers don’t realize they need this coverage until their insurance claims are denied because their RV is their primary residence.
Another benefit of this coverage is higher limits of insurance on the contents of your rig. You are living full-time in it and the rig is your home. All that “stuff” you have should be covered. Of course, the policy premium depends on the size of the deductible you set up. We try to have a $500 emergency fund just to cover deductibles.
From So, you want to be an RVer? And Enjoy the RV Lifestyle? [Revised] Available on Amazon.com.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Save money by letting the hubby grocery shop?
Russ De Maris confesses that he’s about as “thrifty” as the next guy. After all, with the way things were breaking down one after another in their RV, all their “spare” cash was tied up. So when he got the chance to save a buck or two he was all for it. Saving money is a good thing, right? That depends on how and where you save it. Read about the results of Russ’ “fiscal food frolic.”
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.
Did you buy a lemon RV? Here’s more about RV lemons and lawyers who will represent you if you need help.
The best gifts for RVers!
Check out the first part of our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide right here.
Quick Tip
Make your own travel cup
Glad Press’n Seal will easily turn any cup into a nice travel cup. Just pop a hole in the top with your straw, and you’re good to go.
From RV Living Full Time: 100+ Amazing Tips, Secrets, Hacks & Resources to Motorhome Living Available on Amazon.com.
Random RV Thought
Here is the definition of freedom to an RVer: “A full gas tank, a full propane tank, a full water tank and empty holding tanks.” Add to that fully stocked cupboards, a full refrigerator, a road atlas and lots of free time. At that point, an RVer’s life is approaching a perfect state.
Microwave cover collapses for easy storage
When heating your food you don’t want to spend 10 minutes later cleaning the splatters inside the microwave. Here’s the solution — and perfect for RVers: it pops down flat for easy storage. Lid perforations allow steam to escape to keep food moist. Doubles as a strainer, too! Learn more or order here.
Website of the day
Everything you need to know about tires
Be “TireWise,” because the only things between you and the road are your tires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation provide TireWise to help you make smart decisions to keep you and your family safe, whether you’re in the market to buy new tires or want to extend the life and safety of the ones on your car or truck.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• A real shocker about campground electricity.
• Low bridge crushes fifth-wheel’s A/C – driver continues on. (with video)
• One reason Consumer Reports doesn’t rate RVs.
#872F
Protect your RV “pigtail”
That 7-way connector on your travel trailer or fifth wheel is a critical component. When not plugged into your tow rig, the thing is susceptible to the onslaught of dirt, rain and even bugs. Here’s a plug cover that slips right over your precious plug and keeps out the crud. One user says, “This works perfectly to keep the plug on my RV clear. I remove it when not in use and place it in my ‘RV emergency tool kit.’ This way, it’s not knocked around when driving.” Learn more or order.
Trivia
Blue whales can grow to 100 feet, almost the height of a ten-story building. Their hearts weigh about 400 pounds (about 1 percent of the whale’s body weight). They can call to each other even when more than 500 miles apart.
Have a question about an RV or RV-related product?
Join our Facebook group, RV Advice, where you can ask veteran RVers what they think of certain RVs or specific products. Click here.
Leave here with a laugh
My grandfather is 85 and he still doesn’t need glasses. He drinks straight from the bottle.
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY!
Join us: Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • RVillage
Check out our Facebook Groups: RV Horror Stories • RV Advice • RV Electricity • RV Parks with Storm Shelters • RV Buying Advice • Northwest RV Camping • Southwest RV Camping • RV Crashes and Disasters • NEW Free Campgrounds
Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
Oh, and if you missed the latest Sunday news for RVers, make sure to catch up here.
Become a Member!
This newsletter is brought to you Monday through Friday by RVtravel.com and is funded primarily through voluntary subscription contributions from our readers. Thank you! IF YOU APPRECIATE THIS NEWSLETTER and others from RVtravel.com, will you please consider pledging your support? Learn more or contribute.
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.
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.
This newsletter is copyright 2019 by RVtravel.com
I have both the 7 pin connector covered on the truck and the connector on the wire from the camper.
Also recommended is to spray electrical cleaner on those ends to keep off corrosion. Keep the capped wire end of the camper in an upright position so no water enters the cap. It can be fixated uprighted on the trailer between the wrapped wired trailer frame.
Suggestion…regarding the blue 7 pin connector cover you recommend. I bought one and it works fine and all, but when you take it off you have to put it in a place as not to lose it. I found this one on Amazon and LOVE it. https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20081-7-Way-Trailer-Cover/dp/B072J5VZ4C/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1CRKR3511VWH7&keywords=7+pin+plug+cover&qid=1574953418&sprefix=7+pin+plug+%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-2
I had to heat up the ring with my heat gun to get it over/around my 7 pin plug-in. Now it is always with my cord and when traveling it has the option of securing it to the cord so it doesn’t fly about.
I have a utility trailer and use a portable 7 pin adaptor to connect the trailer’s 4 pin plug into my bumper 7 pin connection, so I use the blue cover on that one. (waste not want not. 🙂 ).
Your poll doesn’t have an answer for us full timers who don’t ‘store’ our RV anywhere since we live in it 24-7-365.
BTW: Thanks for the full-timer insurance tip. We already found out about this and it’s the reason we went with Progressive Insurance.
Your survey missed us fulltimers – our RV (home) is never in storage.
on random rv thought you forgot the wallet full of money.
Under “Random RV Thought” can we add a full bank account!
Watched the video of the guy wiping out his A/C unit on top of his fifth wheel when he drove under a low bridge with warning signs all over the place and wondered what at that moment he was thinking or not thinking? You would really like to believe that a person couldn’t be that dumb but I guess in some instances that would not be the case!!
Or just not paying attention.
Loved the ‘Saving a Buck’ article!! It made me laugh because I’ve seen my own husband declare ‘I can do way better than you’ on the food shopping budget. But as you too discovered, cheaper can really not be good!!
As I point out to my sweet hubby, You get what you pay for!!
Great joke of the day Chuck Thanks. I never leave home without my glasses, and take an extra pair when shopping for an RV. That’s one place you’d never want to go into blind, or sight challenged!
I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all the RVer’s and all RV.com staff.
Thank you very much, Charles. Happy Thanksgiving to you and to all of the readers of RVtravel.com, and everyone else (our future readers 😉 )! 😀 Diane at RVtravel.com
I don’t get the “Protect your pigtail” thing. I went to the Amazon link and read what buyers had to say. It was only ‘Ok’, with one buyer noting that his ‘leaked’ and froze up his plug. With our travel trailer, I just hang the plug wire facing down so water doesn’t have a chance to get into it. Have never had a problem. The user pics show one with the cap on and attached facing up. I think that’s just asking for trouble. We need to not overthink some of this stuff.
To be smart, I bought every gadget for RV’s that I could. Now I am over GVW and can’t use the RV.
I use this one. Sure hope the link is clickable!
https://www.ebay.com/p/11017011189?iid=273012494688&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=273012494688&targetid=595076378528&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9010876&poi=&campaignid=6470474296&mkgroupid=76413868734&rlsatarget=aud-622524040958:pla-595076378528&abcId=1140476&merchantid=112000860&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4ZXtj9yI5gIVhpOzCh3IZQ5QEAQYASABEgIyBvD_BwE
I just roll the cord up and store in the pinbox, no problem with it getting wet or in the dirt there!
It’s made of hard plastic so it doesn’t fit well. It’s hard to get on and off but still let’s moisture in—then traps it!!!!
I just put mine under the propane tank cover. It has never even been wet in the ten years I have owned my trailer.
“Full-time RVers will need to obtain a full-timers comprehensive personal liability policy.”
Just like Obama-Care?
Is there a law that says “thou shalt have full-timers insurance”?
There are alternatives…
Alt 1: IF one does not have such said insurance, one could use a disclaimer form/sign stating entering the property is at your own risk. This seems to work for campground owners, swimming pools and other sites to limit liability.
Alt 2: Boondock far away from people.
Alt 3: File bankruptcy IF it really gets to that point.
Just think, the insurance companies know how low that risk truly is. But they don’t mind charging a fortune for insurance (regardless of type).
For us, that perceaved mandatory insurance cost us $1400 a year. IF we don’t pay it and never have a claim, how much can one actually put away for any just such accident? If someone tripped and broke an arm, that might cost $2000. Is someone going to trip and die on the site? Extremely unlikely.
I have the insurance currently as a choice. But many times, I wonder why and threaten to not send money to the conglomerates soaking all us dry.
The point is…Full-Timers insurance is still a choice. Its NOT a mandatory requirement and it gets under my skin when people make it sound like it is mandatory.
If you want to say something about the benefits of having such insurance, then that’s ok. But the way its stated, it sounds threatening like we are all going to prison if we don’t get it now!
I feel the frustration TravellingMan, but with lawsuits now successfully paying out in the millions of dollars, I’d never be without the best insurance (not the cheapest) whether I was full time RV’ing, or sitting at home looking out the big window facing the street watching the world go by, hoping the newspaper boy doesn’t trip on the step.
And I’d caution not to rely on Alt #1. If a court or a bank of lawyers chomping at the money pit bit find you were in ANYWAY even remotely negligent, your dollar store “enter at own risk” sign means means zero – nada – Nothing.
Remember we’re living in an era where pre-school kids successfully sue their parents and good upstanding people who take a pot shot (successful or not) at a doper attempting to rob them, are being sued by the doper – and winning.
It’s a crazy world out their – we must prepare well.
Whales communicating 500 miles apart would be classified long distance by the phone company, I wonder if they use the under water phone cables. Lol
Certainly not a land line. 😋
No they use wireless communication, there is free long distance that way….